Safe Passage Community Fellowship

02/28/2019

THIS IS WHAT A SECOND CHANCE LOOKS LIKE!POC's Jobs Program with the City of Jacksonville Prisoners of Christ is grateful to be in partnership wit...

01/11/2019

IN LOVING MEMORY OF DR. J. STEPHEN MCCOY It is with deep sorrow that we report that Steve passed away unexpectedly on Tuesday, January 8, 2019 follow...

01/11/2019

Pastor Steve's last message...

Morning scripture

01/05/2019

No devotion today. Im under the weather. Love you.

01/05/2019

Above all, the Gospel of the Bible is a Gospel of grace. It is not for those who have no need or those who are full of themselves, but for those who see their need and who are empty without Jesus.

Lu 5:30-32 30 And their scribes and the Pharisees complained against His disciples, saying, "Why do You eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?" 31 Jesus answered and said to them, "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. 32 "I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance."

Obviously Jesus was provoking the religious Pharisees who were complaining about the company He was keeping. They couldn’t understand how Jesus could possibly choose the riff raff of this world over them. After all they were leaders and they were very righteous in their own eyes. Yet the Gospel of grace is for the sick, the lame, the failures, and the foolish. Paul said God has chosen the base things, the despised things, the things that are not to confound the wisdom of this world. It’s easy for us to look at these verses and see the error of the Pharisees, but do we see our own tendency toward religion. Are we O.K. when the church reaches out to the homeless, or brings home former inmates, or embraces others who have tattoos and purple hair? During my time as a pastor, I knew of congregations who were very strong but failed this test. It seemed when it came to reaching out to the less fortunate, they didn’t want to be involved. This is a religious Gospel. Let us be filled with the Gospel of grace that reached out to us in our desperation, and now directs us to reach out to those who are in need.

01/04/2019

What is the Gospel of the Bible?

Acts 20:17-27
From Miletus he sent to Ephesus and called for the elders of the church. 18 And when they had come to him, he said to them: "You know, from the first day that I came to Asia, in what manner I always lived among you, 19 serving the Lord with all humility, with many tears and trials which happened to me by the plotting of the Jews; 20 how I kept back nothing that was helpful, but proclaimed it to you, and taught you publicly and from house to house, 21 testifying to Jews, and also to Greeks, repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ. 22 And see, now I go bound in the spirit to Jerusalem, not knowing the things that will happen to me there, 23 except that the Holy Spirit testifies in every city, saying that chains and tribulations await me. 24 But none of these things move me; nor do I count my life dear to myself, so that I may finish my race with joy, and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God. 25 "And indeed, now I know that you all, among whom I have gone preaching the kingdom of God, will see my face no more. 26 Therefore I testify to you this day that I am innocent of the blood of all men. 27 For I have not shunned to declare to you the whole counsel of God.

What can we see from these verses about the Biblical Gospel? The true Gospel involves a turning over of our lives to Him. It means repentance toward and faith toward God. This means an acknowledgement of our inability to help ourselves and a trust in Jesus, the only one who can ransom us from death. Paul was bound by the Holy Spirit to go to Jerusalem, not knowing what awaited him. The true Gospel will call us to do extraordinary things for the benefit of others. Paul knew suffering awaited him but he knew his mission would be a blessing to all who would follow after. The true Gospel gives us purpose beyond our mundane lives. The Gospel gives each of us lives of significance. Paul was committed to finish his race with joy. And above all, the Gospel is a Gospel of grace. Many religions are all about what we have to do to somehow gain favor with a distant and indifferent god. But the Gospel proclaims we have favor with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. We are highly favored and seated in heavenly places with Him. This is not because we have done it all right, but because He had mercy upon us. The Gospel is good news to all.

01/03/2019

The Gospel of the Bible is a Gospel of grace.

2 COR 11:2-4 2 For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ. 3 But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. 4 For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him.

Paul was jealous over the church at Corinth. He was passionate about them not departing from the true Gospel of grace. He warns them about those who would come and preach another Jesus. There are lots of Jesus’ out there. There have been many who started out right and got deceived. Even within the church, there are other Jesus’. There are ones that don’t heal, ones that are harsh and austere, and there are ones that are only the invention of men. There are other spirits. In this hour, there are so many spirits speaking to people. If the Holy Spirit you have doesn’t testify of Jesus, convince of sin, reveal God’s eternal plan, and comfort you at all times, its another spirit.

There are Gospels of legalism where we are told we either turn or we burn. There are powerless Gospels which are a form of religion but deny the power thereof. There are Gospels of gain where Jesus becomes a divine Santa Claus. There is the perfection Gospel that tells us we will be sinless in this life. There is the telegospel that simply merchandises God. There is the churchianity Gospel where the organization becomes more important than the message. And finally there is the Kingdom Gospel that tells us we must get everything fixed down here so Jesus can come back.

Over the next few days, we are going to examine the true Gospel and the true Jesus.

01/02/2019

Our rock is a fortress to us.

PS 18:2 The LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower.

He is our fortress, our place of safety, security, and peace. He is the place where we are safe from our enemies. He is our deliverer. He is our preserver in time of great difficulties. He has become our way of escape. He rescues us. He is our strength. He is not just a short burst of adrenalin, but He is the fountain, He is the continual source of strength. He is our buckler or our shield. He is our defender who quenches every attack of the enemy. He is our high tower. He makes me to be able to see from His perspective and He allows me to know His heart.

Our unmovable rock is like a fortress, and He is our protector and our strength. We don’t have to panic because we are safe on the rock. He will protect us and He will preserve us. It’s why we can always look back on our life and see how God has preserved us, protected us, and prospered us.

2 COR 4:8 We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed;

How could Paul say this? He could because he was acquainted with the rock. As we grow in a knowledge of God as our rock, we will have trouble, but we won’t be distressed. This word distressed means to be hemmed in and without a solution. Paul knew that he was never at the end of the line with Jesus. We are never without a solution. We will have trouble, but in Jesus, there is always a wonderful solution. Just hang on and see.

01/01/2019

Our God is the rock who is able to perform the impossible.

1 SAM 2:1-2 1 And Hannah prayed, and said, My heart rejoiceth in the LORD, mine horn is exalted in the LORD: my mouth is enlarged over mine enemies; because I rejoice in thy salvation. 2 There is none holy as the LORD: for there is none beside thee: neither is there any rock like our God.

Do you remember the story? Elkanah married Hannah, but she was barren, so he took Peninah to be his wife, too. Peninah was very fruitful, but Elkanah loved Hannah. And because of this, Peninah hated Hannah. She was jealous of Elkanah’s love for her.

1SAM 1:8 Then said Elkanah her husband to her, Hannah, why weepest thou? and why eatest thou not? and why is thy heart grieved? am not I better to thee than ten sons?

Hannah was weeping because of her inability to bear children when Elkanah makes one of the dumbest statements ever recorded in scripture. Hannah didn’t react to Elkanah’s insensitivity or Peninah’s brutality, but she went to her rock. She went to the rock that stands fast in impossible situations. Our rock performs the impossible when we see no way, no means, and no chance. She said, “Neither is there any rock like our God.”

If you are facing the impossible today, go to the rock who loves to do the impossible. Put your trust in Him and He will perform a miracle for you.

12/31/2018

Our rock is one of a kind. There are no other God’s who can be compared in any way to our rock. He reigns preeminent in all things. He is the beginning and the end. He is all powerful, all knowing, and ever present.

Deut 32:31 For their rock is not as our Rock, even our enemies themselves
being judges.

Even our enemies will testify that our rock is one of a kind. They will come to know that there is only one true God and He is Lord over all the Earth. He is God over all other Gods. Satan is eternally on the defensive having been beaten openly in every way. What does this mean to us? It means; He that is in us is greater than every other God, every philosophy, every scheme of man, and every new fad. He is our rock and there is no other. We don’t have to worry whether we are on the winning team. We are. Maybe you are having trouble seeing God’s victory in your life today. Hang on, you will. He has the resources, the power, and the know how to put you over. Your deliverance is coming. Hang on to Jesus and let Him do the impossible in your life.

12/30/2018

He is the Rock who is trustworthy.

DEUT 32:4 He is the Rock, his work is perfect: for all his ways are judgment: a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is he.

In His power and stability He remains true to His covenant, not one of His promises has ever failed. I saw an internet poll the other day that asked whether national prayer could really help. YES! Of course it will help because God said so…..If my people who are called by my name…II Chronicles 7:14.

Our rock’s work is perfect. He is saying in all the affairs of men, and in all that is our life, and our future He is doing a perfect work. This word perfect means entire, without blemish, whole, complete. God is doing a complete work in each of us.

He is a God of truth and without iniquity. He is just and right. To me, this means there aren’t any tricks. Do you ever remember playing a game when you were a child and someone kept changing the rules in their favor? God doesn’t change the rules. There won’t be any surprises. What He says is what He does. What would happen in each of our lives if we really believed we could count on Him in the bleakest and most hopeless moments? That no matter what we faced, we would be confident in His character. He is just, right, and truth. And He is without iniquity

12/29/2018

What does it mean to go to rock when we are being challenged? It means to run to the only source of stability and strength that is unaffected, no matter what is happening around us. When we are being challenged, it becomes very difficult for us to remain focused, stable, and anchored.

PS 62:2 He only is my rock and my salvation; he is my defence; I shall
not be greatly moved.

This word moved means to be carried off course, shaken, or to slip and fall. When we run to the rock, we will stay on course regardless of what we face. When we speak of the certainty of His hand in our lives in regard to eternal life, we speak of our unmovable rock.

PS 40:2 He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay,
and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings.
PS 18:46 The LORD liveth; and blessed be my rock; and let the God of my
salvation be exalted.

He is alive, and the grave was empty. We serve the only God who is alive, and yet dwells in the hearts of all His children. He is our sure and steadfast foundation. It is because our feet are on the rock that we can be assured our goings will be established. He is our Alpha and Omega, and everything in between. He is our anchor who keeps us on course. Things may be shaking all around us, but the rock is as steady as ever.