From the Pastor's Desk
“The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may follow all the words of this law.” Deuteronomy 29:29 (NIV)
2022 is off to a rough start, and for many, many families it’s been a painful start. One of the most deadliest fires in our city’s history ended the lives of seventeen people, among those eight children, and displaced many families. Just a few days later an explosion in a house in the South Bronx killed a woman and critically injured her sister. Crime is on the increase and five police officers so far have been injured in the line of duty. Among those, 22 year old Jason Rivera and his 27 year old partner Wilbert Mora were fatally shot. Let’s remember these families in prayer and all our police officers and city officials who are working to make our city a safer one. Of our nation’s largest cities, New York City remains one of the safest…believe it or not. And that’s a positive!
Then, of course, there’s COVID. The Omicron variant hit our country hard during the Christmas season. Many families and MGT family members were affected resulting in a brief shutdown of our church building. But we’re thankful to God! Folks have bounced back and we’ve reopened.
Coverage on the COVID pandemic has been constant...and confusing, if I might add. After countless news reports, studies, press conferences, etc., one health official said the following: “What we do know about Covid is that we don't know.” This sounds like a play on words, but it’s true. Similarly, the great leader, Moses, made it clear that there are “secret things” meaning, things we’ll never know. However, “the things revealed belong to us.” In other words, there is much that we do know! Unlike the health official, as God’s children we can declare with confidence, “What we know is that we DO KNOW! The question for us is: Are we acting on what we know…the things God has revealed to us? Where I tend to fail is in worrying or thinking about the unknown or things out of my control…just being honest. I’d like to encourage you to act on what you know to be true as revealed in God’s Word and to walk in obedience to ALL of God’s commands. I’ve learned that as I walk in the light I already have, God will reveal more of Himself to me and deepen my understanding of those “things revealed.”
I’ll close with the chorus of the classic hymn: Many things about tomorrow I don’t seem to understand; But I know who holds tomorrow, and I know who holds my hand.
Because of His grace,
Pastor Luis Rivera
2022 is off to a rough start, and for many, many families it’s been a painful start. One of the most deadliest fires in our city’s history ended the lives of seventeen people, among those eight children, and displaced many families. Just a few days later an explosion in a house in the South Bronx killed a woman and critically injured her sister. Crime is on the increase and five police officers so far have been injured in the line of duty. Among those, 22 year old Jason Rivera and his 27 year old partner Wilbert Mora were fatally shot. Let’s remember these families in prayer and all our police officers and city officials who are working to make our city a safer one. Of our nation’s largest cities, New York City remains one of the safest…believe it or not. And that’s a positive!
Then, of course, there’s COVID. The Omicron variant hit our country hard during the Christmas season. Many families and MGT family members were affected resulting in a brief shutdown of our church building. But we’re thankful to God! Folks have bounced back and we’ve reopened.
Coverage on the COVID pandemic has been constant...and confusing, if I might add. After countless news reports, studies, press conferences, etc., one health official said the following: “What we do know about Covid is that we don't know.” This sounds like a play on words, but it’s true. Similarly, the great leader, Moses, made it clear that there are “secret things” meaning, things we’ll never know. However, “the things revealed belong to us.” In other words, there is much that we do know! Unlike the health official, as God’s children we can declare with confidence, “What we know is that we DO KNOW! The question for us is: Are we acting on what we know…the things God has revealed to us? Where I tend to fail is in worrying or thinking about the unknown or things out of my control…just being honest. I’d like to encourage you to act on what you know to be true as revealed in God’s Word and to walk in obedience to ALL of God’s commands. I’ve learned that as I walk in the light I already have, God will reveal more of Himself to me and deepen my understanding of those “things revealed.”
I’ll close with the chorus of the classic hymn: Many things about tomorrow I don’t seem to understand; But I know who holds tomorrow, and I know who holds my hand.
Because of His grace,
Pastor Luis Rivera