And there was war again...

As I was reading and praying about this coming Sunday’s communion service, a statement from our text in 1 Samuel jumped out at me: “And there was war again.” (1 Sam 19:8)

It’s not an overly deep theological statement.  The thing that jumped out at me was this truth:  In this world we are never in a place of 100% peace.

Certainly we are at peace with God.  We can be at peace with our fellow man.  But the fact of the matter is that there is always a battle that rages all around us, each and every day.  Our enemy, Satan and his demonic forces, never sleep.  They never give us pause.  They are always lurking around us looking for an opportunity to pounce.   

My youngest son likes to watch Big Cat Dairies, and one of the highlights of the show is when they show footage of a big cat stealthily creeping up to a group of gazelle.  While the gazelle are peacefully grazing, this cat is slowly getting closer and closer, looking for an opportunity to make a quick kill.  It’s the same picture that our bible gives us:

Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. (1 Pet 5:8)

Now I don’t believe we should be looking around every corner, expecting the devil to jump out.  But I do believe that we should be aware – not afraid, but aware – that our enemy seeks to destroy us.  Just like David, I’ll go through a period of relative calm, then BAM!  Another battle is upon me!  Just as the scripture says, “…and there was war again!“  Then I think of the song we recently learned:   

Always

My foes are many, they rise against me,

But I will hold my ground.

I will not fear the war, I will not fear the storm.

My help is on the way, my help is on the way.

Oh, my God, He will not delay.

My refuge and strength always.

I will not  fear, His promise is true.

My God will come through always! 

Troubles surround me, chaos abounding.

My soul will rest in You.

I will not fear the war, I will not fear the storm.

My help is on the way, my help is on the way.

(then comes the awesome bridge…)

I lift my eyes up, my help comes from the Lord!

What a powerful declaration!  What a powerful truth to trust!  

My friends, Jesus came to bring us life, to make all things new, and to set the captives free!  This coming Sunday, when we gather in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, lets expect chains to be broken, captives to be set free, and lives to be changed forever.  Let’s expect VICTORY!  

Pastor Clay

Preparation for Greatness

We opened up 2012 with a challenge: God has a purpose and a plan for each of us:

But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light. (1 Peter 2:9)

As His special people, God calls us to be set apart, different from the rest of the world.  Not so that we can think we are better or more holy, but so that the world can see the peace, beauty, and love in our lives, in contrast to the conflict, carnage, and pain of the rest of the world.

God calls on us to live in such a way that our very lives, and the lives of our family and children, would be lights to a dark and dying world.  That everything in our life: our possessions, our career, our relationships, even our checkbook, these things would be a testimony to the God we serve.

But as we move forward in our purpose, there will be many twists and turns along the way.  There will be challenges, and there will be difficulties.  There will be events and situations that God will use as a honing stone in our lives, to prepare us for the things we will face in the future.

David was anointed as king as a young boy, but he was far from walking in the fullness of who God had called him to be.  Starting on the day that he stepped into the valley of Elam to face Goliath, David would face many challenges, each one an important part of Gods preparation for the role that David was going to fulfill as King of Israel. 

As we walk through this series, I believe its important for not to see this as simply a study of David’s life.  We need to see these challenges, and how David responds to them, in the context of our own lives.  We need to understand how God will use the events and situations in our lives, especially the negative ones, to prepare us for the future roles that God has planned for us.  

Join us Sunday as we begin the next phase of our 1 Samuel series:  “The Rise of the Kings:  Preparation for Greatness”

...till the whole world hears,

Pastor Clay

Living with Purpose...

(excerpt from today's message) If we truly believe that God is real, that He created us in His image, that there is an eternal realm where God exists, and that the day will come when Jesus Christ returns for His bride, and we will spend eternity with Him, then I have to ask myself:  Am I living my life with that end in mind?

But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light. (1 Peter 2:9)

Peter is making a spiritual comparison of us, New Testament believers, to the nation of Israel:  God’s chosen people.  It is a remarkable and high calling.

See God didn't chose Israel because they were better, or more spiritual:  He chose them because He chose to chose them.  When God gave the law through Moses, He was not trying to keep the Israelites from having fun:  He was setting them apart to he holy, distinct, different from all the other nations.  He gave them special instructions for eating, for marriage, for raising their children, so that over time the other nations would see the harmony and peace that following God brought to their lives, and they would be a light to the nations!

And that is our purpose as NT Christians. God calls us to live lives that are set apart, different from the rest of the world, not so that we can think we are better or more holy, but so that the world can see the peace, beauty, and love of our lives in contrast to the conflict, carnage, and pain of the rest of the world!

Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God. (2 Cor 5:20)

We are called to live in a way that, by our very lives, and the lives of our family and children, that we would be lights to a dark and dying world.  That everything in our lives: our possessions, our career, our relationships, even our checkbook – these things would be a testimony to the God we serve!

May the Lord bless you as you seek Him for purpose in the coming year.

Pastor Clay