Greetings CCW!
I am writing my column a little early this week, so that our faithful office staff can shut down early and enjoy the Thanksgiving holiday, and not have to work on the Calvary Connection!
This week the topic is thanks – obviously as the holiday is Thanksgiving! But rather than hand out the standard “Let’s give God thanks for ___ and ___ (just fill in the blanks), I have been thinking recently; “What does it mean to be thankful?” Is thankfulness a state of being, an emotion, or is there something more to it?
Several dictionary sources describe it as an adjective, and give the definition as:
“feeling or expressing gratitude; appreciative” “Aware and appreciative of a benefit; grateful”
I personally like Webster’s version: “Impressed with a sense of kindness received, and ready to acknowledge it.” I I especially like the “ready to acknowledge it” part. I believe that is the sentiment expressed in Hebrews 13:15:
Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise--the fruit of lips that confess his name.
To me, being thankful must be more than a feeling, or a state of mind. To have true meaning, our thankfulness must be a catalyst to a response; a proper response to the grace and kindness received. What is that proper response? The writer of Hebrews states it as “a sacrifice of praise.” In other words, praise that has value, or praise that actually costs me something.
If God opened to door for you, you might say “thanks, God.” But God has done so much more than open a door for us, He has offered us a lifeline out of hell, eternal separation from His presence. He has become involved in our lives by the indwelling of His Holy Spirit, giving us the most powerful force known in existence. He has freed us from the chains of sin, in that through Him we can find victory over the sins that plague the human race. And He has promised us entrance into the eternal kingdom of heaven, where we will exist for eternity free from sin, pain, death, and sorrow.
This thanksgiving, let’s continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise, worship of God with every part of our being: Our hearts, our minds, our body, our gifts and talents, our resources. Give Him praise, worship the King!
...till the whole world hears,
Pastor Clay
This past weeks conference was a huge success! Not because we had a bunch of people (which we did), or because the worship was awesome (it was!), or because the teaching was “really good” (it was the best!). The conference was a success because we know that God did a work in the hearts and lives of many people! Based on the feedback I have received, God used last weekend to do a mighty work of clearly showing us that we are in a war against an evil enemy, but God (I love that phrase!) has given us the victory! We know that through his Word, which is a lamp unto our feet, and by his Spirit, which empowers us, we can walk in victory in this life! Amen!
Now that the conference is over, we don’t want to just walk away and say “that was great, OK back to life”. NO! We want to take what God has done and continue to allow it to grow us as a church! As the “next step” if you will, we will be launching a series of teachings, blog articles that will be geared towards helping us to avoid some of the “not so clear and present dangers” that are lurking about! The first teaching will be on Wednesday, December 3rd. Don’t miss it!
In the meantime, I will be focusing all of my “spare effort” on getting the Youth building completed by the end of the year. Many of you have offered to help with the final finishing of the space, and I will be calling on you soon!
Have a blessed week,
Pastor Clay
Good day Saints!
Well it's two days after the elections, and now we just are letting the full reality of our local and national elections set in. I don't know about you, but I have mixed feelings.
On the one hand, it has been a historic campaign, in that a woman was on one ticket for VP, which would have been a first for our country and a great step forward for women's rights. On the other ticket, for the first time in our history, an African American was not only a contender, but won the position of President of the United States; a great step forward from our country's past history of racism.
Yet there are many that I have spoken to, including myself, that have great concern; not about race or gender, but about the moral and political direction of our country. With the evident shift to the left, what kind of society will we leave to our children?
Before we get too worried, we should remember this: God is still on the throne, and very much in control of events in heaven and on earth. I think of a similar situation, over two millennia ago, when a young man was left to ponder the fate of his people and his country. In the seventh century B.C., a young boy by the name of Daniel was taken from his home, and brought to a far-away country, ruled by a godless tyrant named Nebuchadnezzar. Yet rather than lament the terrible situation that he was in, he saw things through the eyes of eternity:
"Blessed be the name of God forever and ever, for wisdom and might are His. And He changes the times and the seasons; He removes kings and raises up kings; Dan 2:20-21
In other words, Daniel trusted that for some higher purpose, God had placed this man Nebuchadnezzar into a position of power and authority. He told Nebuchadnezzar:
You, O king, are a king of kings. For the God of heaven has given you a kingdom, power, strength, and glory; Dan 2:37
Instead of formenting a revolution against the ruler, or critiquing his every decision, Daniel prayed and trusted God. As a matter of fact, Daniel became an "agent of change" in Nebuchadnezzar's palace.
Later on in his life, God gave Daniel a vision of what the "end times" would look like, including a time when a great king would arise, a man known as the anti-Christ. Many people will follow this great king. But in the end, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will return:
"At that time Michael shall stand up, the great prince who stands watch over the sons of your people; And there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation, even to that time. And at that time your people shall be delivered, every one who is found written in the book. And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, some to shame and everlasting contempt. Those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the firmament, and those who turn many to righteousness like the stars forever and ever.
Dan 12:1-3
So where do we go from here? UP! First, pray for our new leaders. They need it! We should support where we agree, and let our voice be heard, in a respectful manner, where we disagree. Regardless of who we voted for, these people are now OUR elected representatives.
Second, we as Christians are to keep our eyes on Christ, to seek first the Kingdom of heaven. We have just learned from Christ that wide is the road that leads to destruction, and man are on it. Narrow is the path that leads to life. If we will be like Daniel and see things through the eyes of eternity, we will see that this world is not going to become more Godly, or more moral. Our society is on a slow fade into destruction. Yet WE don't have to follow. We can follow Christ. And in the end, "Those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the firmament, and those who turn many to righteousness like the stars forever and ever."
I can think of no better time to have a church conference where we are taught about the "Clear and Present Dangers" facing us today. If you have not registered yet, and you decide you need to come, please let us know, we'll make room!
...till the whole world hears,
Pastor Clay
