God in a Box

Often I’ll hear people say “don’t put God in a box”, meaning we should never attempt to limit what God can do in a situation. (and incidentally, can we agree to never use that term again?  "Overused" is putting it mildly). But there is another perspective of the metaphor “God in a box,” and that would be to view God as some spiritual resource that can be called upon when needed.

This might look like the person that is going along, doing their thing, perhaps even going through the motions of Christianity, but then when a tough time hits they pull out their “God Box.”  Suddenly they’ll start praying, they’ll break out their bible, go to church more often, even giving a little when the offering plate comes around.  They might go out and buy that new Christian book that promises “seven steps to freedom,” and sign up to get that new daily devotion delivered via text. Their Facebook wall will be covered with scripture posts. And by doing all of these things, and jumping through all these hoops, they’ll expect God to jump out of the box and make their problem go away.

This is what the ancient Israelites did in 1 Samuel 4: They went out to battle the Philistines, and in the first skirmish they lost four thousand men. Not good. So they had an idea:  “Let’s go get the Ark of the Covenant! It’ll give us the edge we need to beat these guys!” Yep, God in a Box.  Just point and shoot, and all those pesky Philistines will be blown away. 

We might look at this event and think “those guys were idiots”, but really are we so different?  How many times have we allowed our spiritual life to slide, and then suddenly when we are faced with a tough situation, we think if we get back into church, start reading our bible again, start praying more, (____ add your favorite hoop to jump through)… that suddenly we’ll have the power of God back in our lives?

Guys, God doesn’t work like that.  Yes, being in church, bible study, prayer, worship, giving, all of these things are important to our spiritual health, but God does not move in our lives because of what we do.  God moves in our lives because of who He is, and who we are to Him.   

God wants to do mighty things in the lives of His people, but the power of His work springs not from our motions of religion or ritual, but from the relationship we have with Him!

Join us Sunday for 1 Samuel 4, “God in a Box.”

Pastor Clay

The Cover up...

Today I posted a scripture from our One Year Bible reading:

He who covers a transgression seeks love, but he who repeats a matter separates friends. Prov 17:9

At first glance it would seem that this scripture is encouraging us that if we see someone do something wrong, we're supposed to sweep it under the rug.  Hide it.  Not talk about it.

Now obviously if WE do something wrong, of course we're going to hide it. Well, maybe we act like we wouldn't hide it, but human nature and 50 years on this planet have shown me that everyone hides their own transgressions.  But when we someone else 'transgresses', we'll that's altogether different, isn't it?  I mean, aren't we supposed to expose darkness?  Eph 5 says it right here:

For it is shameful even to speak of those things which are done by them in secret. But all things that are exposed are made manifest by the light, for whatever makes manifest is light.  -- Eph 5:12-13

But there is another thought here - that perhaps the things that are exposed are the things that God exposes, not the things that we decide need to be exposed in the lives of others. 

To me the point of this proverb is to be a guide for our relationships with one another, and instead of looking at each others faults, we should always seek to love and bless one another, and to even overlook each others faults. 

In other words, if I see a fault in your life, it's better that I not point it out, but let the Lord and you work that out in your life.  And the worst thing I can do is to mention it to another person, because now I have tainted that persons perspective of you - FOREVER. Words cannot be taken back.  Once they are planted in a persons mind, they remain.

Perhaps that is why Paul encouraged us to love one another, and told us that love "bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things" (1 Cor 13:7).

We would all do well to overlook the faults we see in others, and ask the Lord to help us love one another, in spite of our faults.

Pastor Clay

Upside Down Sunday

This Sunday is going to be different…upside down!

So what is that all about? Well this Sunday, instead of having a time of worship and then a message, the Lord is leading us in a difference direction.  This Sunday is communion, and also we are at 1 Samuel chapter 3, which is all about hearing from God. So this Sunday we will be doing things a little different.

No announcements – no welcome – no meet and greet:  We’ll open with a few songs, I am going to talk about hearing from God from 1 Samuel 3, and then we are going to go back to worship, and wait to hear from God.  (somewhere in there we’ll take communion!)

Be ready - I expect for God to turn some things upside down.

PC

The Birth of a Prophet

This week we will be opening our study of Samuel with the account of the birth of the prophet Samuel. Samuel was born into the family of a man named Elkanah who had two wives, Hannah and Peninnah.  Hannah, the wife whom Elkanah loved, was not able to have children.  Peninnah, who was apparently the second wife, was what we would call in the south ‘fertile Myrtle!” Peninnah had multiple sons and daughters by Elkanah, and she didn’t hesitate to use that fact to taunt and provoke Hannah. Now on the one hand we can view this as a historical account of an obscure family, but we know that nothing goes into the word of God without an express purpose.  If we look closer we can see the spiritual messages that abound in the picture of this family.

Hannah’s barrenness is a perfect picture of the spiritual state of the nation of Israel. The Israelites, the people to whom God had manifested Himself, had fallen into a state of utter spiritual barrenness. The priesthood which God had set up with the tabernacle and the rituals -- the means by which the people would have access to him – had deteriorated to mere ritual, and the son’s of Eli were using the tabernacle to serve their own selfish desires.

Penninah’s fertility is a picture of the pride and arrogance of man: Confident in his own abilities, prideful in his accomplishments, and seeing no need for dependency upon God. This attitude of arrogance is noted in Hannah’s song:

Talk no more so very proudly, let not arrogance come from your mouth; for the Lord to a God of knowledge, and by him actions are weighed. The bows of the mighty are broken, but the feeble gird on strength. 

-- 1 Samuel 2:3-4 RSV

That was the problem with Israel. The priesthood was failing, not because there was anything wrong with the priesthood (which was a picture of the ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ), but because the people refused to bow before the Lord. They refused to come for cleansing and to turn from idolatrous worship. As a result, the priesthood had ceased to be an effective means of mediation between the people and God.

And so once again, God moves in the midst of a great need in the lives of His people.  A need that they may not have even been aware of, but a great need nonetheless.

So as we open our study we will be examining this eternal conflict between the proud heart, which finds confidence in itself and its ability to do things, and the humble spirit which looks to God in utter dependence, receiving all the fullness of divine blessing.

Join us Sunday, as we open our study of 1 Samuel.

… till the whole world hears,

Pastor Clay

1 & 2 Samuel - The Rise of the Kings

This Sunday we will be opening up a new study at Calvary Chapel of Wilmington:  1 & 2 Samuel.  These two books (which were originally one work) chronicle the transition of the nation of Israel from a theocracy, or a nation led by God, to a monarchy, being led by a king. You see, after Israel had taken possession of the Promised Land, the nation went through a period of approximately two hundred years where they were led by “judges.” Israel would do well for a while, serving and worshipping the true God.  But then they would start falling away, or as the bible says, “…did evil in the sight of the Lord.” The Lord would discipline them by causing the pagan nations that surrounded them to rise up and oppress them. Then Israel would call out to God for help, God would raise up a judge to deliver them, and the cycle would repeat itself all over again.

By about 1100 B.C., the people came to the conclusion that they wanted to be like the nations around them, and have a king of their own. I’m sure it seemed like a good idea at the time.  The nation was at a low point spiritually, and even the priesthood was corrupt. With a king they could have a strong leader to look up to, and to lead them into battle. They could have the glory of royalty, and they would have someone to blame if things went wrong. So the people came to the prophet Samuel to demand a king. God answered their request, and gave them Israel’s first king; Saul.

And so 1 & 2 Samuel gives us the account of the ministry of the prophet Samuel, the rise and fall of Israel’s first King, Saul, and the account of Saul’s successor, King David.

Of the many things we will learn from this study, one thing that will stand out is that the people of ancient Israel were just like we are today.  They had their strengths, their weaknesses, and sometimes they completely blew it! We will learn about leadership. We will learn about trusting God.  We will learn about the importance of obedience. We will see the consequences of compromise played out in the lives of men and women.

But through it all we will see that God remains sovereign, and His plan for Israel and for mankind will be accomplished, even if through imperfect men and women.

Join us Sunday, for the introduction to 1 Samuel.

... till the whole world hears, 

Pastor Clay

Israel and US Support - waning by the day

Yesterday President Obama gave his much-anticipate Middle East speech. Among the many things he touched on, one of particular interest to bible students was the comments that he made regarding the “Peace Process” with the Palestinians.

Specifically the President stated that Israel would have to “return to the pre-1967 borders” in order to facilitate the peace process as outlined by the US and UN. This statement has both political and spiritual ramifications, the first of which I will address will be the spiritual aspect:

For, behold, in those days, and in that time, when I shall bring again the captivity of Judah and Jerusalem, I will also gather all nations, and will bring them down into the valley of Jehoshaphat, and will plead with them there for my people and for my heritage Israel, whom they have scattered among the nations, and parted my land. -- Joel 3:1-2

The Key to understanding the scriptures in Joel 3:1-2 is to actually read what it says.

• It will be a judgment of God on the nations that have done certain things to Israel.
• It will be in the last days when God comes to bring the final deliverance to Israel and the city of Jerusalem.
• It will be a judgment on those that have scattered Israel into the nations.
• It will be a judgment upon those that have parted or divided the land of Israel.

In other words, God does not look kindly to those who would come against Israel, or attempt to divide the land.  In effect, that is exactly what Israel is being told to do: Give up land for peace.  The problem with this directive is that the entity that they are being asked to broker this ‘peace agreement’ with is in fact not interested in peace at all, but in the complete destruction of Israel.  It’s no secret, it’s written into the charter that formed Hamas.

Just look at what the Hamas Prime Minister said as recently as this week:

“Hamas Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh spoke to Muslim worshipers on Sunday morning, telling them to pray for an end to Israel,” reports the Jerusalem Post. “‘Palestinians mark the Nakba with great hope of bringing to an end the Zionist project in Palestine,’ Haniyeh told 10,000 people at Gaza City’s al-Omari mosque, AP reported. ‘To achieve our goals in the liberation of our occupied land, we should have one leadership,’ he reportedly said, praising the recent unity accord between Hamas and Fatah. Haniyeh added that Hamas would not recognize Israel.”

We find an interesting note in Daniel concerning Israel and the end times:

Daniel 11:39: Thus shall he do in the most strong holds with a strange god, whom he shall acknowledge and increase with glory: and he shall cause them to rule over many, and shall divide the land for gain.

I am not saying that Obama is the anti-Christ, but I believe we are seeing and alignment between the US government, the UN, and what will become the government of the anti-Christ, who will in fact divide Israel.

From a political perspective, if you look closely at what President Obama said in his speech, you will find the following points of commission and omission:

• He said Israel has to concede its right to defensible borders as a precondition for negotiations;
  >>> In other words, Israel will not be allowed to defend herself.
• He didn't say he opposes the Palestinian demand for open immigration of millions of foreign Arabs into Israel;
  >>> In other words, Israel will be forced to allow millions of Israel-hating Arabs to come into Israel unhindered.
• He again ignored Bush's 2004 letter to Sharon opposing a return to the 1949 armistice lines, supporting the large settlements, defensible borders and opposing mass Arab immigration into Israel;
  >>> In other words, Israel will be split in two by the peace accord.
• He said he was leaving Jerusalem out but actually brought it in by calling for an Israeli retreat to the 1949 lines;
  >>> In other words, all of Jerusalem would be part of the Palestinian state.
• He called for Israel to be cut in two when he called for the Palestinians state to be contiguous;
• He called for Israel to withdraw from the Jordan Valley - without which it is powerless against invasion - by saying that the Palestinian State will have an international border with Jordan.

These are indeed dark times for Israel, as our President has essentially given the signal to Israel that they can no longer count on our support. Our President is making a strategic shift in US foreign relations policy in the Middle East from that of support for Israel, our one and only democratic and free ally, to that of giving our support to the Arab nations that are sworn enemies of Israel, freedom, Christianity, and the US.   

President Obama’s statement that the US will "support the governments that will be elected later this year" in Egypt and Tunisia is also of great concern.  We currently do not know what type of government will emerge from these Arab uprisings, especially given the involvement of the Muslim Brotherhood.  To commit support for a government that has not yet been formed means that our President is naïve and foolhardy, or he has already made commitments to these future governments that we do not know about.

Either way, there is great cause for concern for the future of the US, both spiritually and politically.   Pray for our country, God knows we need it.

Judgment Day?

There has been a lot of talk recently concerning “Judgment Day” coming on Saturday, May 21, when the rapture will supposedly occur and the world will be destroyed.  These rumors and stories have all originated from the teaching of a Mr. Harold Camping.

Mr. Camping is a Christian broadcaster and president of Colorado-based Family Radio (not the Wilmington Family Radio).  Mr. Camping is a long-time student of the bible, and seems to have a particular interest in attempting to decipher dates from the bible to uncover when the Day of the Lord will occur. Mr. Camping seems to have settled on May 21, 2011 as the “Day of the Lord.”

This is not the first time that Camping has predicted Judgment day.  Back in the 90’s, Camping predicted that the world would end in September of 1994.  When the Lord did not return on that date, Camping adjusted his prophecy (a sure sign that he is NOT a true prophet) to say that 1994 marked the “end of the church age” and that the world is now in the last days, with May 21, 2011 being the true day of judgment.

While attempting to figure out the date of Jesus return may be an interesting exercise, it is in fact a pointless exercise.  When Jesus disciples asked Him about His return, Jesus told them:

But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only. 

-- Matt 24:36

In other words, God the Father knows the day and hour that Jesus will return, but no one else knows, including Jesus and the angels.  While Jesus did not pinpoint the date of His return, He did tell us about the signs that would lead up to His return:

And Jesus answered and said to them: “Take heed that no one deceives you. For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many. And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of sorrows. “Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name’s sake.  And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another. Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many. And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold. But he who endures to the end shall be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come. – Matt 24:4-14

In other words, Jesus wanted us to be able to see the times and the signs to be able to understand the day in which we live.  But Jesus NEVER called us to try and pinpoint that date.  Matter of fact He was quite clear: NO ONE knows the day and hour except God the Father.

I do believe that as Christians we are called watch for the return of Christ, and we are to live our lives as if He could return at any moment.  The apostle Paul encouraged the church at Thessolonica:

But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus.
For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words. – 1 Thess 4:13-18

So all this talk about Saturday being "Judgment Day" is nothing but speculation, and pointless in my opinion. So don't fear, and don't run up your credit card! Live for today, love God, love people, serve the Living God, and await His return.  

For more info, you can listen to my teaching series from the book of Revelation, you can start at chapter 19 which deals with the return of the Lord.

http://www.calvaryofwilmington.org/TLW/Revelation/revelation.html

...till the whole world hears,

Pastor Clay

Love - beyond the church walls

And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers. – Acts 2:42

As I write this I am sitting in a hotel somewhere in Arkansas, catching some rest before Chelsea and I hit the road again tomorrow. I was able to catch a little of the Sunday service on our LiveStream webcast, but it wasn’t the same as being there! I so look forward to being back in Wilmington and seeing you all on Sunday.

As you know we finished up our study of Hebrews, and  have told you that our next study will be in 1 Samuel, looking at the lives of Saul, David, and Solomon. But before we begin God has put a message on my heart that I plan on sharing with you Sunday.  The message that the Lord has given me has to do with fellowship.

Jesus told us:

A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” – Matt 13:34-35

Don’t misunderstand my intentions; I believe that our church is a very loving church! But I get the sense from Jesus that for us to “love one another” requires more than being nice and greeting one another at church. 

Join us Sunday as we look at love beyond the walls of the church.

Pastor Clay

Holy Grounds in the News!

Did you catch the WECT news feature of Holy Ground on Wed?  On Wednesday morning during our staff meeting, WECT reporter Casey Roman came into Holy Grounds and wanted to see what God was doing here! She had heard about our Coffee Shop/Food Pantry from the guys over at 88.5 The Edge (shout out to Scott and Earl!), and came to see for herself. Well, herself and all the WECT viewers!

Now sometimes I get a little on edge when the news wants to do a story on what God is doing. The news station may have an agenda, or they may not capture the heart of what God is doing.  I have to say I was pleasantly surprised when I saw the piece; Casey and the WECT crew did a great job of capturing the heart of Holy Grounds.  

But not only do I thank the WECT crew; the one I really want to thank is THE LORD!  You see, I believe God orchestrated that feature so that more people could hear and see what He is doing in and through us here at Calvary Chapel of Wilmington. When we are willing to reach out and bless others, sharing the love of Christ and meeting the needs of people, God will expand our borders!

Tammy’s quote captures it completely:  "Every time they come in and bring a can of food or buy a cup of coffee they are making a difference in someone's life," said Tammy. "Although it may be small, it's real and it's happening here."

This week I will be flying to Costa Mesa to attend Chelsea’s graduation from the CC School of Worship, then driving back to NC with her (road trip!).  Pastor Ron Dozler from CC Myrtle Beach will be teaching this week, and I know that you will give him a warm and friend CCW welcome!

Keepin it Real...

We have been in Hebrews for seven months now – from Sept of 2010 until this Sunday when we will finish Hebrews (yep, finally!).  All through this incredible book we have sailed the heights of theological imagery, learning how the events and circumstances of this physical world bring us into direct connection with the spiritual realities of the heavenly realm.  Deep stuff man!

But now we come to the end, and the writer suddenly drops into a section where we are presented with simple and practical encouragements regarding our daily Christian life.  Yes the lofty spiritual things are important, but there comes a time when we need to practice the practical aspects of our Christian walk, one day at a time. And it’s all here:  relationships, hospitality, the oppressed, marriage, contentment. How to live the Christian life.  Just keeping it real!

Oh, and this Sunday is communion.  So come to church with hearts ready to worship the Lord, take the Lord’s supper, and be strengthened in the Lord!

...till the whole world hears

Pastor Clay

On the death of OBL...

 Today will be one of those days. The entire country will be glued to the news channel, or news websites, blogs, twitter feeds, Facebook – we will be getting every nuance and angle of the news of Osama Bin Laden’s death in Pakistan. I bet productivity today will drop by 50%!

 
And certainly it has been a long awaited day.  In the entire history of our country, I don’t think any other single person has caused us more pain, aroused greater emotion, or consumed more of our military and intelligence resources than Osama Bin Laden.
 
OBL’s death has sparked a litany of thoughts, feelings, and emotion.  Millions are celebrating.  Vindication seems to be the prevailing feeling. People are proud of our military, who have performed bravely. Those who lost loved ones have a sense of closure.
 
The death of OBL has also raised questions among Christians.  How should we feel about this? Is it OK to celebrate a man’s death? Proverbs 11 provides some perspective:

"When it goes well with the righteous, the city rejoices, and when the wicked perish, there is joyful shouting." 

- Proverbs 11:10
 
This scripture simply acknowledges the reality that when a evil person dies, people rejoice.  People are relieved that OBL can no longer hurt them.  People feel a sense of justice. So it should not be considered “wrong” that there is some elation over OBL’s death.

How does God feel about all of this?  Certainly no one can claim to precisely know God’s position on OBL, but there are a few biblical accounts that can help us understand.

First I think of the account of Jezebel, one of the most wicked queens that had ever existed among God’s people. She murdered the prophets of God, murdered innocent men for personal gain, and led the nation to worship a false god. God spoke through the prophet Elijah regarding Jezabel:

“And concerning Jezebel the LORD also spoke, saying, ‘The dogs shall eat Jezebel by the wall of Jezreel.’ 

– 1 Kings 21:23.

In the account of Jezebel, recorded in 1 Kings, we see God intervening in the situation using Elijah, Jehu, and a few eunuchs that were standing near Jezebel at an opportune time, and they tossed her out a window.

But there is a flip side, in that while God may intervene to remove a wicked person, that does not mean He takes pleasure in their death. In Ezekiel we read:
 
Do I have any pleasure at all that the wicked should die?” says the Lord GOD, “and not that he should turn from his ways and live? – Ez 18:23

In other words, God loves all people, and His greatest desire for an evil person is that they would repent and turn away from their evil ways, worship the true God, and live! Even people like OBL. Just think of what could have been had OBL repented, and renounced violent jihad.

Our God is a consuming fire...

Fire is an interesting process.  I call it a process because it is not a ‘thing’, per se. It is a chemical reaction – oxidation to be precise.  The flames that we see are the glowing of the hot gases that are being released during the rapid oxidation of the fuel in the chemical process of combustion.

Fire is useful in that is can produce energy, heat, can cook food, illuminate a dark night, and scare away hungry animals!  But fire also has a destructive side – it consumes the material that is its fuel. That might be the wick of a candle, a pile of logs, or a huge forest.  Houses, even entire cities can be consumed by it. When dealing with a fire, our opinions of how fire should react are moot; fire must be dealt with based on the reality of the natural laws of combustion.

Fire also plays a prominent role in the bible.  In Genesis it was a tool of God’s judgment against the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. In Exodus it was the medium though which God spoke to Moses in the burning bush. Fire was a guiding light as a column of fire guided the Israelites in the desert. Fire was a part of the sacrificial ritual, consuming the burnt offering as it was placed on the altar. 

In the New Testament, Paul noted that each person’s work will be tested by fire, and what passes through will be what we are rewarded on. Peter tells us that at the end of this age the heavens and the earth will be dissolved with fire, making way for a new heaven and a new earth. Finally in Revelation, we are told that there exists a lake of fire, and it is reserved for Satan and those who follow Him in rebellion against the Lord, followed by the sober statement “And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.”

And in Hebrews 12, we find this statement: “For our God is a consuming fire” (Heb 12:29). On initial reading, that statement might have the affect of us keeping our distance. Who wants to be burned and consumed by fire? Yet the statement is made in the context of a letter that encourages to “draw near to God” (Heb 7:19 & 10:22). It is made in the context of a section of scripture that is encouraging us “come to Mt Zion, to the city of the living God” (Heb 12:22). We are encouraged to hear His voice, the voice of the one who shakes the earth when He speaks. I believe the point is this:  Since God is in fact a consuming fire, we must come to Him on His terms.  We cannot approach Him on our terms. God is God, we are not, and He sets the terms, and the only terms by which we can approach God is the unmerited approval that we have in Jesus.  Jesus said “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” (John 14:6).  All who come to the Father through Jesus Christ are free to approach the throne boldly.  All who are outside of that sphere will be consumed.

Perhaps some fear facing God, but we are promised:

But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, to an innumerable company of angels, to the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are registered in heaven, to God the Judge of all, to the spirits of just men made perfect, to Jesus the Mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling that speaks better things than that of Abel – Heb 12:22-24

Join us Sunday, as we finish up Hebrews 12 - "Our God is a Consuming Fire."

Pastor Clay

A Fun Week

As most of you know this past week I had another surgery on my leg to straighten out the prior surgery, which had ended with my right foot pointed 25 degree’s  due east.   A fun week indeed! I now have this Iron-man looking gizmo attached to my lower leg that will slowly turn my foot back to the correct orientation. The wonders of modern technology!

But even as wonderful as our medical technology is, one thing is true; my leg will never be the same as it was.  Unfortunately we all have the same problem, as the effects of time and entropy is causing all of our bodies to slowly degrade, until one day our body will stop working altogether and they will box us up and put us in the ground.

And that point brings me to our celebration of Easter (strange, I know). Think about it, what do we celebrate at Easter?  We celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ!  In the year 32 AD Jesus experienced something that millions before Him, and millions after Him experienced:  Death.  But what makes Easter unique, what made Jesus unique, is the fact that death was not the end for Jesus.  Jesus experienced death, but then Jesus rose from the grave! We could say Easter was pretty special for Jesus.  But Easter is special for us too, because Jesus resurrection was a PROMISE to mankind that what He experienced, we can also experience!  Jesus went to the cross willingly because He knew what was on the other side of it, and we can take comfort in that. We can celebrate Easter because we know that we too will be raised from the dead, just as Jesus was:

And we believers also groan, even though we have the Holy Spirit within us as a foretaste of future glory, for we long for our bodies to be released from sin and suffering. We, too, wait with eager hope for the day when God will give us our full rights as his adopted children, including the new bodies he has promised us. – Rom 8:23

Join us tomorrow at Calvary Chapel for our Easter Celebration, at 9 & 11 am, followed buy a cookout and family fun day!

…till the whole world hears.

Pastor Clay

Rising above the Fray

Last week we talked about how when the trials and tribulations of life come, the one place we can look is to Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith!

But did you ever stop to consider that the difficulties of life actually serve a purpose? Most of us instinctively avoid trials. I mean, who wants problems? But in reality, it is the difficulties that come into our life that shape and mold us.   It is the trials in life that strengthen us. And make no mistake, God is aware that a life of ease and tranquility will never develop the life of faith that we will need to walk where God has called us to walk.  When Jeremiah complained that the life of ministry was too tough, the Lord encouraged him:

 “If you have raced with men on foot and they have worn you out, how can you compete with horses? If you stumble in safe country, how will you manage in the thickets by the Jordan? – Jer 12:5

Trials can also be a powerful tool in the hands of a loving God to put us back on course when we stray. They are a form a discipline.

Trials also are a testimony to the world.  No one is impressed if the person that has a perfect life loves God.  “Of course they love God” they say, “look how God has blessed them.”  But if we can sing words of praise while we are walking through a tough situation, that says something. (I think of Job when said “Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him” Job 13:15).

Guys, every situation that comes into our lives has been sifted through the hands of our loving Heavenly Father.

Join us Sunday as we dive into Hebrews 12, as we continue the race to faith.

Pastor Clay

We can be Heroes

I remember as a kid I used to imagine being a super-hero. The thought of being able to fly, lift heavy objects, having bullets bounce off my chest… how cool would that be!  But once I got older, reality set in, and I came to terms with the fact that I was, well, just normal.

But as we have been walking through Hebrews 11, my crazy kid imagination has been reborn! My passion for greatness has need reignited!  For if what we are reading is in fact true, as bearers of the faith of Christ, we have the ability to be transformed into the supernatural! Indeed, we can be heroes. Heroes of faith!

You see in Hebrews chapter 11 the writer goes through a list of the hero’s of the faith in such a way as to encourage us that they same faith that empowered them also empowers us! The same God that led them also leads us!   God has not changed.  Faith has not changed.

So the bigger question is – what is holding us back? What is weighing us down?  I think the writer is presenting us with a challenge.  Look at your race, identify your weakness, throw it off, and get in the race.  The crowd is waiting, the other runners are lined up, the official has the gun in the air, ready to fire.  Are you ready?

Join us Sunday for Heroes of the Faith.

…till the whole world hears,

Pastor Clay

The Affliction of Faith

In Hebrews 11:23 we are presented with Moses. A baby born to an obscure Jewish family who were toiling away as worker-slaves for the Egyptian Pharaoh Thutmose I, building the supply cities of Pithom and Raamses.  At that time the Israelites were not only working hard, they were procreating rapidly! Pharaoh looked at the birthrate and knew that at some point in the future, the Israelites would outnumber the Egyptians, and they would be able to revolt and overthrow the dynasty.  So Pharaoh had a solution; Every male born of the Israelites was to be tossed into the Nile and drowned. Problem solved! But something happened with Moses.  His parents, at great risk to themselves, hid Moses away from Pharaohs guards.

Apparently Moses parents knew that there was something special about Moses, and so they hid him away, and they devised a plan to where he would be placed into the Nile right where the daughter of Pharaoh took her daily bath. And through a series of incredible events, Moses was adopted by the Pharaohs daughter, and raised up as royalty. Brought up with all of the royalty of the palace, all of the riches of the royal family, put through the best schools of art and sciences, trained in the most advanced military tactics – Moses had the world at his fingertips.

But then, in one fateful day, Moses came to the defense of an Israelite being beaten by his Egyptian slave-master, and ended up killing the man.  In one moment, with one decision, Moses threw it all away.  Or did he?

You see, in this short but concise review of Moses life, here in Hebrews 11, the writer uses a curious phrase to describe Moses choices.  He uses the phrase “by faith.”  If I were writing this passage, I would have used a different phrase. “Dumb move” comes to mind. “Insane choice” would also work. From a strictly human perspective, we would say that Moses threw away a life of luxury to help a man that he had never met. 

But then there’s that phrase… “by faith.”  That phrase tells us that something else was at work here.  It tells us that Moses was not really inspired by righteous anger or a sense of standing up for the helpless.  Moses was inspired by the thing we have been talking about for weeks: Faith!  But perhaps a different shade of faith.

We have been talking about faith from the perspective of obedience, as with Able and Noah.  We have been talking about faith from the perspective of believing God for the impossible, such as Sarah, or walking into the unknown, as with Abraham.  But in the case of Moses we see faith from a different angle: Faith is walking into the known, realizing that it will not be pretty.  Here, faith is shown as making a choice that we know full well will propel us into a situation that will be difficult, perhaps even deadly. Why would someone knowingly make such a choice? 

Join us Sunday as we explore the affliction of faith.

Pastor Clay

Ministry to Japan

Dear CCW,

Some have contacted us asking how they can minister to the people in Japan affected by the earthquake and tsunami. I have some updated information…

First – PRAY! Pray for comfort for the people, for those who have lost or are missing loved ones.  Pray for the relief efforts, and especially that God’s love would be evident to the people of Japan, 70% of whom say they have no personal faith.

Second – There are relief efforts being coordinated through Calvary Chapel affiliates. Calvary Chapel La Habra is the main church that has developed outreaches and planted churches in Japan, and they have already begin organizing relief efforts through Committed Relief, which began in 1995 to minister to the people affected by the 1995 Kobe earthquake.

You can learn more about how to get involved by visiting their website: 

www.committedrelief.org

Pastor Clay

Washingtons Prayer

I ran across this today in the opening pages of the Army and Navy Song and Service Book for Ship and Field, published in 1942.  It is an open letter, written by George Washington, to the governors of all the states, upon the disbanding of the revolutionary army in 1783.  The ending is Washington's prayer for the nation, that he desired to be read in the presence of each state legislators.

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I have thus freely declared what I wished to make known, before I surrendered up my public trust to those who committed it to me. The task is now accomplished. I now bid adieu to your Excellency, as the chief magistrate of your State, at the same time I bid a last farewell to the cares of office and all the employments of public life.

It remains, then, to be my final and only request that your Excellency will communicate these sentiments to your legislature at their next meeting, and that they may be considered the legacy of one, who has ardently wished, on all occasions, to be useful to his country, and who, even in the shade of retirement, will not fail to implore the divine benediction on it.

Almighty God, we make it our earnest prayer that Thou wilt keep the United States in Thy holy Protection, that Thou wilt incline the hearts of the citizens to cultivate a spirit of subordination and obedience to the government, and entertain a brotherly affection and love for one another and for their fellow citizens of the United States at large.

And finally that Thou wilt most graciously be pleased to dispose us all to do justice, to love mercy, and to demean ourselves with that charity, humility, and pacific temper of mind, which were the characteristics of the Divine Author of our blessed religion, and without an humble imitation of whose example in these things, we can never hope to be a happy nation.

Grant our supplications, we beseech Thee, through Jesus Christ our Lord.  

(Written at Newburg, and sent to the Governors of all the States on the Disbanding of the Army, June 14, 1783)

The same old lie...

Today I heard one of the most disturbing things I have heard in a long time. A well-known political activist was speaking to a group of college students at a college in Colorado Springs, and he made some very disturbing statements to that group of students:

• He stated that there had been a time in the past that people needed to respect their parents, but that time had passed.
• He stated that this young generation is intellectually superior to their parents.
• That told the students that they were “walking superpowers” thanks to their smart phones and macbooks, etc.
• He told that that they are essentially “like gods”

I don’t think I can remember a more blatant attack on the role of parents, and elders in general. I use this example not to personally rail against this person (although I do believe his rhetoric to be inherently dangerous), but to show you that this is the world system we are up against. We are swimming in closed world system that has been infected by a humanistic and godless perversion that grows stronger over time. These lies and perversion of truth has infiltrated our schools and so-called “institutions of higher learning”. These institutions are indoctrinating our young generation with lies such as:

• Having two dads or two moms is perfectly normal and acceptable.
• That believing in creation is the same as believing the earth is flat.
• That it is good and normal for kids to experiment sexually with one another, and these institutions will provide instruction and birth-control to enable thie behavior, outside of the counsel of the parents.
• That kids really don’t need to listen to their parents, that they should be able to make their own decisions about their bodies and their lives.

Certainly we can work in the social and political systems to resist these trends, and as concerned citizens we should fully carry out our civic duty relating to these matters.

But I believe that the more important point is this: That we cannot allow this world system to shape our children. We must be persistent and determined to train up our children in the truth of the Word of God so that they are not influenced by the lies our enemy, Satan. 

Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.
– Rom 12:2

Our children are a gift from God, and it is our responsibility, our DUTY as parents, to teach them the truth about God, about life, about humanity – so that they are not sucked into the Satan-inspired humanistic vortex of this age.

What struck me about this particular screed was the almost perfect match with the admonitions of God’s word:

Lie #1 - There was a time in the past that people needed to respect their parents, but that time had passed.

Admonition:
Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long upon the land which the LORD your God is giving you – Ex 20:12
Children, obey your parents in all things, for this is well pleasing to the Lord – Col 3:20

Lie #2 - This young generation is intellectually superior to their parents.

Admonition:

Talk no more so very proudly; Let no arrogance come from your mouth, For the LORD is the God of knowledge; And by Him actions are weighed -- 1 Sam 2:3

Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up. – James 4:10

Lie #3 - Young people are “walking superpowers”, they are essentially “like gods”

Admonition:
I am the LORD, that is My name; And My glory I will not give to another, nor My praise to carved images. – Is 42:8
For My own sake, for My own sake, I will do it; For how should My name be profaned? And I will not give My glory to another. – Is 48:11

This talk made me think of when Satan came to Eve in the garden, using a serpent as the instrument to deliver his seed of deception:

Then the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate. – Gen 3:4-6

Look at the parallel; it’s the same lie. Essentially Satan told Eve that the information she had been given by her heavenly Father was wrong. He told her that she didn’t really need God anymore, that she was fully capable of making her own decisions, that she could take control of her own destiny. The hook that Satan used to seal the deal with Eve was that He told her “you will be like God”.

Parents beware, Satan will use people as mouthpieces to delivery his clever lies, and that is exactly what is happening in these last days. Be diligent. Be purposeful. Be strong.

For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables. – 2 Tim 4:3-4

Pastor Clay

The Reality of Faith

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. For by it the elders obtained a good testimony.  – Heb 11:1-2

I think in many ways faith is misunderstood in the Christian culture we live in today.  Some see it as some invisible force through which we can make things happen (if you have faith, you’ll be healed!).  Others see it as a noun to describe religion, “The Christian Faith.”  Some see it as “believing something to be true” which comes closer to the real meaning, but still lacks the complete picture.

The thing is, faith seems to be very important to God, for the bible tell us in Hebrews 11:6 “…without faith it is impossible to please Him.” So if as Christians we want to please God, it is incumbent on us to attempt to fully understand not only what faith is, but how it should be exemplified in our lives, what it should look like.   

As we being this next section of Hebrews, we are going to be confronted with the reality of faith. We will see examples of faith.  We will have men and women held up before us as heroes of the faith. God doesn’t want to keep us in the dark, but wants us to be able to wrap our arms around this simple yet elusive term.  One of the first things we are going to see is that faith changes us.  It is an action word. 

A.W. Tozier wrote:

“Plain horse sense ought to tell us that anything that makes no change in the man who professes it makes no difference to God either, and it is an easily observable fact that for countless numbers of persons the change from no-faith to faith makes no actual difference in the life.”

In other words, if faith is at work in a persons life, there will be a visible, unmistakable change in the nature, character, and actions of that person.  A comment in my Nelson study bible sums it up quite nicely:

“Those who do not have faith cannot see past the physical world around them. They are limited by their temporal circumstances and are blind to what God is doing. But those who open their spiritual eyes can see the spiritual realities which transcend this world.”

Join us Sunday, as we begin our journey of learning about faith!

Pastor Clay