From the Pastor's Desk

I hope you had a blessed week and are looking forward to the weekend, especially Saturday, as we gather in worship and fellowship. A couple of days ago as I set out on my morning walk, I put my earphones in and opened a random worship playlist. A few songs in—a song that I hadn’t heard in a very long time—started playing. Some of you may know the song titled, “Victor's Crown". As I listened to the lyrics, it was as if they were jumping off the page and into my heart, so much so, that I put it on repeat for the reminder of my walk. 

The opening lines of this song go as follows: "You are always fighting for us, Heaven's angels all around, my delight is found in knowing that You wear the Victor's Crown". This struck me with their reminder that we serve a mighty God who is always with us, fighting on our behalf. When we know that we are never alone and that we have a God who is victorious—it changes the way we face every situation. 

As the chorus began and the words, "Every high thing must come down, every stronghold shall be broken," were sung, I felt a renewed sense of hope and courage in the midst of difficult circumstances. Our God is a conqueror, and nothing is too big for Him to overcome.

But it was the bridge that really spoke to me: “You are my victory. You are my victory. You have won it all for me, death could not hold You down, you are the risen King seated in majesty. You are the risen King". These words reminded me of the ultimate victory that Jesus won on the cross and the power of His resurrection. Truly, death could not hold Him down, and because of that, we have been given new life. In every situation, we can trust that our God is victorious because of what He has already done for us. 

As I finished my walk and the song came to an end, I was filled with a deep sense of gratitude and trust in God. He truly is our Victor, and we can confidently wear the Victor's Crown because of Him. So today, let us remember that we serve a mighty God who has already won the battle for us. With every step we take, let us wear the Victor's Crown and trust in His victorious power to carry us through every situation. More than that, allow the gospel to live in us so that we can live the gospel day to day. 

When we look at the life of Jesus, we see a radical message of love, compassion, and forgiveness that turned societal norms upside down. Jesus did not just talk the talk—He walked the walk—showing us through His actions how we are called to love one another. Living out the Gospel of Jesus may not always be easy, but it is what we are called to as His disciples. Let us be transformed by the teachings of Jesus, allowing His love to shape our hearts and minds. Let us be bold in our faith, sharing the message of hope, peace, and salvation with a world in need of His redeeming grace. 

And remember, He wears the Victor’s crown!
Blessings,
David Peñate