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.

 ===================

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

Introduction to Faith

Check it out, we’re almost there!  Almost where, you say?  We’re almost to that grand section in the bible that heralds the great hero’s of the faith!  Great men and women such as Noah, Abraham, Moses, Rahab, David, Samuel.  Men and women who…

“…through faith subdued kingdoms, worked righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, became valiant in battle, turned to flight the armies of the aliens. Women received their dead raised to life again. 

(Heb 11:33-35)

But before we tackle these accounts, there is a matter that must be settled:  “If it was by faith in Christ through which I was saved, why do I need to keep having faith? Is it really important in my daily Christian walk?”

It is important, because without holding fast in faith we could never subdue kingdoms, work righteousness, obtain promises, stop the mouths of lions, quench the violence of fire, escape the edge of the sword, out of weakness be made strong, become valiant in battle, and turn to flight the armies of the aliens!

See guys, getting saved was the beginning of our journey, not the end!  We entered into a new identity, a new relationship, a new standing, and a new reality – but that does not mean that our road will be easy.  As a matter of fact, our journey will likely be harder.  Jesus told us in John 16:33 “In the world you will have tribulation.”

We live in a world that is in direct opposition to God, and the ruler of this world (the devil) will use everything at his disposal in an effort to shut us down, to try and cause us to turn around and run back to our old lives. That is exactly where faith comes in!  When the trials and tribulation of life come, and they will come, that is when we will need to draw on the resource of faith to keep on living for Christ. That is exactly why the writer of Hebrews encourages us over and over to press forward, to not turn back!

One glance at the news and we can see that turmoil is increasing everywhere.  Our country is experiencing a financial crisis, which is leading us into a political crisis.  Protests are mounting in many states as governments start cutting budgets.  The Mid-east is in flames – upheaval is happening in country after country. No one knows what group will emerge as the new power in those countries, which incidentally provide a significant amount of the energy our economy depends on. 

But it is in these times when the words of the writer of Hebrews jump forth from the page…

Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching. 

(Heb 10:23-25)

The bible tells us - the world will not get better, but will get worse. Jesus said in Matthew 24:

You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places.  (Matt 24:6-7)

Jesus is coming!  But until then we have a purpose and a calling, to reach the world for Christ.  It won't be easy, but Jesus promised He would be with us to the end, and that He would empower us through the Holy Spirit, and we will live by faith.  

Join us Sunday as we delve into the introduction of faith.

Pastor Clay

Time to Live...

I don’t know if you have noticed, but we have spent a considerable amount of time in our study of Hebrews looking at the superiority of Jesus Christ.  He is superior to the law, superior to the patriarchs, superior to the tabernacle, and superior to the Levitical priesthood.

Add to that the promise of the New Covenant that was given to Abraham (through your seed all nations will be blessed), and how we are assured “This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast.”  The promise of the New Covenant, spoken of by the prophet Jeremiah, “Behold, the days are coming, says the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah,” that was fulfilled in the person of Jesus Christ.

All of these points were brought home in the last two messages that focused on how Jesus is our superior sacrifice, made in a more perfect tabernacle, offering His blood on the mercy seat in the heavenly tabernacle.  The New Covenant in Jesus blood is not only a game-changer, it’s a world-changer! Brought into reality through Jesus’ more perfect sacrifice, we have been given a new inheritance, a new reality for our lives: 

• A new heart - “I will put My laws into their hearts”
• A new identity - “I will be their God, and they shall be My people”
• A new relationship - “for all shall know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them”
• A new standing before God - “their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more”

 And then in chapter 10, verse 19, we come to the word “therefore.”  The positioning of this word, to me, gives the sense of launching pad.  In other words, now that we have been given these promises, these assurances, this new realty…. WHAT NOW?  GO AND LIVE!!!

Hebrews 10:19 is a turning point, where our attention will be shifted from who Jesus Christ is, and what we have been given, to now propel us forward -  how we are to live.  Receiving a new reality isn’t meaningful if it doesn’t change how we live our lives.  Now that we know who we are, and what we have been given, let us move on into living our lives in accordance with our new reality!

Join us Sunday, as we are encouraged to go forward -  its time to Live!

Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is, His flesh, and having a High Priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching. (Heb 10:19-25)

… till the whole world hears,

Pastor Clay

Family Study Update

For those attending the Wed Night Family Study
-------------------------
Hi all – so I have already gotten some feedback about chapter 2 being REALLY long (yes, we men need it!), and some concern that we may have trouble getting through it all in one week. So I suggest that we cover 1/2 of the chapter.  If you work through “Conditional Love” and stop at page 21, we’ll pick up at “Sacrificial Love” for NEXT WEEK.

This will push out the study by one week.  I’m thinking we may need to do the same with chapter 3.

So this week we will work and discuss up through page 21 – stop at “Sacrificial Love”.

For those still waiting for books – something got messed up with the order and the books did not come in.  BUMMER!  We will have copies of chapter 1 for you, so swing by the INFO desk tomorrow and pick up the copies.  The books should be here, Lord willing, this week.

See you all Wed night!

...till the whole world hears,

Pastor Clay

The Lord's Supper

For Christ did not enter a sanctuary made with human hands that was only a copy of the true one; He entered heaven itself, now to appear for us in God’s presence. Nor did He enter heaven to offer himself again and again, the way the high priest enters the Most Holy Place every year with blood that is not his own. Otherwise Christ would have had to suffer many times since the creation of the world. But He has appeared once for all at the culmination of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of Himself. Just as people are destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many; and He will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him (Heb 9:24-28)

This coming Sunday we will finish up chapter 9 of Hebrews, which is a perfect segue in to The Lords Supper. Last week we talked about the reality of what Jesus did:  In the physical realm He went to the cross, died, and rose again.  However in the spiritual realm Jesus entered heaven and went into the real tabernacle, into the real Most Holy Place, in the presence of God, and He sprinkled His blood on the real Mercy Seat!  When God looked upon that sacrifice, He declared that our sin, all of our sin, had been atoned for.  Paid in full.  For that reason we can claim the promise in Romans 8:1 “There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus!”

So when we celebrate communion, we are not simply practicing a ritual; we are coming together, with the Spirit of God and the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ, and partaking of a physical activity that has implications in the spiritual realm. We are…

Proclaiming our unity with Him

The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ? For we, though many, are one bread and one body; for we all partake of that one bread (1 Cor 10:16-18)

Identifying with the new life we have been given

Therefore purge out the old leaven, that you may be a new lump, since you truly are unleavened. For indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us. Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth (1 Cor 5:7-8)

Proclaiming His death

For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes (1 Cor 11:26)

Participating in the fellowship of believers

And they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers (Acts 2:42)

So we see The Lords Supper is a special time, a holy time, and we should treat it as such.  We are celebrating the New Covenant!  We should come with hearts that are ready to worship the Lord and proclaim that He is our Lord, and we are His people! 

This Sunday I look forward to taking communion with you all, as we come together in the name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ!

Pastor Clay

For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.” For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes. (1 Cor 11:23-26)

... to serve the Living God

 Last week we looked at the four provisions of the New Covenant: a new heart, a new identity, a new relationship, and a new standing with God… basically – a NEW REALITY!

As we move further into Hebrews, we are being drawn by the writer into the importance of looking past the patina of the physical world, and through faith seeing into the realm of the spiritual world. The writer is building us up towards the important topic of FAITH.

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen
(Heb 11:1) 

 and...

(because) …without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him (Heb 11:6)

Remember we talked last week that there are three levels to our world:  Physical / Mind / Spirit.  Faith and belief  are needed to take us beyond the physical reality, so that with our mind we can believe, and through faith (being able to see the unseen) we can begin to experience the eternal spiritual world. 

Yes we currently operate in the physical world, but if we operate based only on the perspective that this is all there is, we will operate by sight. When we operate with the perspective that there is an eternal realm that we will one day inhabit, it changes how we live our lives!

Join us Sunday as we dive into Hebrews chapter 9, “…to serve the Living God.”

Pastor Clay

When the church prays...

No one is a firmer believer in the power of prayer than the devil; not that he practices it, but he suffers from it.  ~Guy H. King

Let me tell you a story.  For the past few months we have been putting together the new study we just started this past Wednesday (The House that God Builds).  Tammy and I both  felt led by the Lord to roll this out to the families in our church, and that God was going to work in a great way through the time we spend coming together to study God’s plan for family.

But this past week has been a little rough (yes I am minimizing).  Things going wrong, issues coming up, division, distortion.  It was as if the whole world were coming against us all at once!  So what did we do?  Simple.  WE PRAYED.  We sought the Lord, we pressed in, and you know what happened?  You guessed it:  The problems that were pressing in, they were solved.  The issues that were cropping up, they were resolved in a super-blessed way.  The fog division and distortion lifted like when the sun breaks through the fog on a San Francisco summer morning (you’d have to see it to understand, but it is a cool thing to witness!). And the result was that our first family bible study was an incredible success! 

We were so encouraged to watch what God was doing!  The devil wanted to sabotage what God was going to do, but God was victorious – and the victory was won IN PRAYER!  I felt like Joshua when he was fighting the Amalekites, and Moses was on the hill with his staff held high, and the power of God gave the Israelites victory over the enemies of God’s people! As Guy H. King said it, the devil suffered from our prayers.

What’s the point?  The point is that PRAYER WORKS! Church, if we will seek His face, call upon His name, God will do mighty things in and through us.  Our part is not to make it happen, but to pray, step out, and watch it happen!

All of this is a lead-in to another thing that God has put on our heart:  A time for our church to come together and pray.  Once a month, on the third Saturday at 9 am, we will come together as a church in prayer.  Our leaders will be there.  We invite you to join us. The first one will be:

Saturday February 19^th, at 9 – 10 am

Go to our facebook event page and let us know you coming!

…if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land. 2 Chronicles 7:14

Gods Incredible Gift

As we delve deeper into the book of Hebrews, it is becoming apparent that the writer is an intellectual giant!  In his letter the writer expounds on a multitude of allegorical threads:  Patterns; copies; shadows; and mystical priest-kings. Then, after wandering in the intellectual park for a bit, the writer will hit us with a powerful truth.  Last week we were introduced to the “better covenant”, a testament from God that delivers to mankind what the writer describes as 'a better hope:'  The New Covenant .

This new covenant that was declared by the prophet Jeremiah, and fulfilled in Jesus Christ, is not just a new ‘religious rite” that replaces Judaism. This new covenant is the biggest thing to ever hit this planet!  It is an incredibly unique and powerful testament that reaches into the very core of humanity…

• It answers the fundamental questions of life
• It addresses the fundamental problem of mankind
• It ushers a human being into that ‘one place’ that we so desperately long for but can never seem to reach through our own efforts…
• Money cannot buy it…
• Fame doesn’t bring it…
• Pleasures cannot experience it…

The new covenant ushers us into a new reality that our hearts and spirits have yearned for since the dawn of time: The reality of oneness with God. 

Join us Sunday as we explore Gods incredible gift to man - The New Covenant.

Pastor Clay

The Promises - follow up

Sunday before last I sent everyone home from the service with a list of promises (click here), and I encouraged you to spend some time meditating on them, and asking yourself the big question:  “Do I believe the promises of God?”

OK, so now the follow up…  how did it go?  Were there any promises that you found you struggled with? Was there any area of your life that you are not stepping out in faith into? 

If so, did you do anything about it?

Friends, God gave us these promises in His word – He wants us to know He has our back! He wants to work IN and THROUGH us, to change the world we live in. He wants us to walk in the fullness of His mighty power in our lives.

I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being (Eph 3:16)

Pastor Clay

A Better Covenant...

Have you ever heard the phrase "a good thing never lasts?"  Unfortunately in this life, it's true!  Things are always changing, people change, our circumstances change.  There is no "happily ever after" in this life!

But as Christians we have a unique situation; we have been given a "better covenant" through our faith in Jesus Christ.  The writer of Hebrews explains to us that Jesus is our great High Priest, on the order of Melchizedek.  A High Priest who will never die, never change, never leave us, and will have a permanent ministry for us!  As Hebrews 7:26 tells us "...such a High Priest truly meets out need."

I am so encouraged that Jesus is such a high priest for us - truly ever after!

See you Sunday,

Pastor Clay

The Promises of God

Yesterday we handed out a list of some of the promises of God that we encouraged you to read and meditate on this week.  I am posting the list for those that missed the service or lost the paper.  

...and remember the three things we learned:

• Truth #1: God’s promises are not based on our ability, but are based fully and completely on the ability and character of God.
• Truth #2: Gods nature is holy and unchanging, He will never lie, and He will never change His mind.
• Truth #3: The fulfillment of God’s promises are not dependent on our faithfulness – but on His faithfulness to His word! (one note of clarification - I do not mean to imply that we can be disobedient and still receive God's blessings.  Abraham's faith faltered, and he took matters into his own hands with Hagar, but he heard from the Lord and continued in obedience, and Isaac was born.)

The Promises of God

God's presence -- "I will never leave you" (Heb. 13:5)

God's protection -- "I am your shield" (Gen. 15:1)

God's power -- "I will strengthen you" (Isa. 41:10)

God's provision -- But my God shall supply all your needs according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus". (Phil 4:19)

God's purposes -- "I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil" (Jer. 20:11)

God’s equipping for ministry:  Now may the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him⒊ (Heb 13:20-21)

God's rest -- "Come to Me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest" (Matt. 11:28)

God's goodness -- "No good thing will He withhold from those who walk uprightly" (Psalm 84:11)

God's faithfulness -- "The Lord will not forsake His people for His great name's sake" (1 Sam. 12:22)

God's sovereignty -- "All things work together for good to them that love God" (Rom. 8:28)

God's forgiveness -- "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness" (1 John 1:9) 

 Everlasting life -- whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:15)

His presence - And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age. (Matt 28:20)

The Blessing of Ishmael

 Today we talked about the “Ishmael incident” when Abraham took matters into his own hands and had a son by Hagar.  As promised, here is the part I cut out!

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When God said to Abraham “I will surely bless you and give you many descendants,” we are told that Abraham believed God, and therefore he received what was promised.  But some of you might be thinking “but wait, didn’t Abraham take matters into his own hands?”

That he did – his wife Sarah became impatient, Abraham made a logical decision to impregnate Sarah’s Egyptian servant Hagar and had a child by her named Ishmael. Ishmael is therefore a representation to us as a “child of the flesh,” when Abraham took matters into his own hands,

This son Ishmael is considered by Muslims to be the father of all Arabs, and specifically the prophet Mohammad, the prophet of Islam, was a descendant of Ishmael.  The descendants of Ishmael have been a thorn in the side of Isaac (Israel) from that time until now, as foretold in scripture:

The angel of the LORD also said to her “You are now pregnant and you will give birth to a son. You shall name him Ishmael, for the LORD has heard of your misery. He will be a wild donkey of a man; his hand will be against everyone and everyone’s hand against him, and he will live in hostility toward all his brothers.”  (Gen 16:11-12)

But before we are too hard on Ishmael, we should note that God also promised to bless Ishmael…

And as for Ishmael, I have heard you. Behold, I have blessed him, and will make him fruitful, and will multiply him exceedingly. He shall beget twelve princes, and I will make him a great nation (Gen 17:20)

Ishmael was sent away by Abraham, a hard thing to be sure. Yet there are many Arab Christians who believe that Ishmael, the father of the Arabs, the father of Islam, the child of the bond-servant, has longed to be reconciled to his father Abraham. If this is true then Ishmael has been deceived by Satan through the system of Islam.  If you look at the tenets of Islam, you can clearly see that it is a faith of bondage (like Hagar).

Allah, the god of Islam, does not love his subjects, there is no atonement for sin in Islam, there is no forgiveness of sin, there is no restoration – there is only obedience.  Allah demands total obedience from his followers or they are dealt severe punishment. Just look at Shariah law, you get the idea. The punishment for disobeying the Koran is brutal.  So in a very sad sense Islam is in fact an embodiment of Ishmael, working to earn is way back into a relationship with his father, trying to work his way back into the blessing of Abraham. How sad!

But there is hope for the Muslim, as the gospel message is taking hold in many Muslim nations.  Muslims are waking up to the reconciliation that they have longed for their entire existence; but this reconciliation not through obedience to the tenants of Islam, but through the person of Jesus Christ!

There is an interesting verse in Luke, in the Olivet discourse where Jesus lays out the events that will precede His return:

Jerusalem will be trampled on by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled (Luke 21:24)

The phrase “until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled” is another way of saying “until God has gathered all the Gentiles who will hear the gospel message to Himself”, and guess what – Muslims are gentiles too!  They are actually the largest and last people group to hear the gospel message. 

Now some might think “how can Muslims get saved?  No way!” But what did Jesus say, “all things are possible with God!”

I believe that before Christ returns we will see a great revival in the Muslim world.  Ishmael will finally be reconciled to his father!

...till the whole world hears,

Pastor Clay

The Promise

And we desire that each one of you show the same diligence to the full assurance of hope until the end, that you do not become sluggish, but imitate those who through faith and patience inherit the promises (Heb 6:11-12)

It seems that in today’s societal landscape, hope is a scarce commodity.  People are experiencing financial stress, which often causes stress in the family.  The political discourse is heated, and our country is deeply indebted, with no foreseeable solution. Add to all of this, a terrible tragedy by a crazed gunman in Tucson Arizona, its no wonder that there is an uncertainty that has permeated our society.

The first century Christians that were the recipients of this letter were in a similar situation, which is one reason I believe the writer of Hebrews draws them into a discourse on faith, assurance, hope, and the promises of God. They, like us, needed to be reminded of the faithfulness of God to keep His promises.  The question of whether or not God will keep His word is one of the foundations of our faith. Will God keep His promises? What assurance do we have? The writer of Hebrews goes on to tell us…

Because God wanted to make the unchanging nature of his purpose very clear to the heirs of what was promised, he confirmed it with an oath. God did this so that, by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled to take hold of the hope set before us may be greatly encouraged. (Heb 6:17-18)

So saints, be greatly encouraged!

Join us Sunday for The Promise.

Pastor Clay

I am willing ...

In Matthew chapter 8 is the account of the Centurion that came to Jesus on behalf of his sick servant. It's a cool account, and most of us are familiar with it. But right before that account, we are told of a man with leprosy that came to Jesus.  The account is brief. We aren’t told much about the man, where he came from, or how bad his case of leprosy was.

A man with leprosy came and knelt before him and said, “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.” Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. “I am willing…” - - Matt 8:2-3

This entire encounter is about 5 seconds worth of reading. Perhaps the event itself was not much more than that. But in that brief period of time we are presented with in incredible statement when Jesus says  “I am willing…”   

Here is a man with a problem.  Perhaps his situation is worse than some, perhaps better than others. Certainly there were people in worse shape.  But this man comes and kneels before Jesus and he makes this simple statement “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.”  It’s not really a request, it’s more a statement.  If Jesus was willing, He could take care of the man’s problem. No sweat.

It made me think:  Are we as willing and ready to bring our problems before Jesus like this guy?  Are we willing to not just shoot up a popcorn prayer about the problem, but to come before Jesus, and kneel before Him, and say to Him “Lord, if you are willing, I know you can fix this.”

And then I look at the response.  There was no “um, so how much have you been praying?” “How is your faith?”  “Are you going to the right synogogue?” Jesus laid no conditions on this man – but He simple said “I am willing…”  Man I love that statement – I want to read it over and over – “I am willing… I am willing… I am willing…”

In other words – when we have a problem, our Lord and Savior, our King and High Priest, the Lord Jesus Christ is willing to intervene in our lives.  Not sometime in the future – but NOW.  Right NOW!

All we need to is come - and kneel - and ask.  Jesus is here, He is ready, and most of all He is willing!  We serve a great and loving Lord!

PC

...kings will be among them

Hey guys, today in our OYB reading there is a cool scripture that jumped out at me...

I will make you extremely fruitful. Your descendants will become many nations, and kings will be among them (Gen 17:6).

What occured to me is that Abraham would not live to see all of this promise fulfilled. As a matter of fact, all Abraham would see was the birth of Isaac. The big "wow" part of the promise would be fulfilled over the course of the next several hundred, even thousand years!

It just made me aware of the things that God is doing in our lives and in our church today - cool things fir sure, but I wonder how much of the fruit of our efforts may come 10, 20, 50, even 100 years from now.  Thinking this might seem a little "out there", but it helps me keep things in perspective:  Keep doing what God has called you to do - HE is in charge of the results!

 ...for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose. (Phil 2:13)

I pray you all have a blessed weekend.  Tammy and I are heading out for a weekend getaway for my 50th birthday.

Blessings!

PC 

Each morning I wait...

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The Hope Before Us

Because God wanted to make the unchanging nature of his purpose very clear to the heirs of what was promised, he confirmed it with an oath. God did this so that, by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled to take hold of the hope set before us may be greatly encouraged… (Heb 6:17-18)

As we move one more week into Hebrews, we find an interesting passage that to me, seems to dovetail perfectly with the season that we are in.  The writer talks about the promise God made to Abraham, a promise confirmed with an oath.  You bible students remember the promise to Abraham, but God not only promised the “Promised Land,” but also that the nation that sprang forth from Abraham would bless the entire earth:

In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice. (Gen 22:18)

What was God speaking of?  He was speaking of the one to come, the Messiah, the same one spoken of by the prophet Isaiah:

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. (Is 9:6)

This Son would be born some 800 years after Isaiah spoke of Him – born of the seed of Abraham, born to a virgin, born to a simple family from Nazareth, born in Bethlehem.  Born to bring salvation to mankind, truly the greatest blessing that this world could ever hope for!

This Christmas comes during a time of difficulty for many families.  Most people I know are not as worried about what gift they will be giving or getting, but are worried about paying the mortgage, keeping the lights on, keeping our kids clothed.  People are hurting. 

But as Christians this is a great time to be reminded that Christmas is not about gifts, Christmas is about the One who gave Himself to be the greatest gift that mankind could hope for  -  Jesus Christ!  So friends, this Christmas let’s take time to thank our Heavenly Father for sending His Son, 2000 years ago, to this earth.  Lets take time to tell our friends and families that we love them.  Lets take time to worship our true King!

This Christmas season, let us all take hold of the hope set before us, that we might be greatly encouraged!

May the Lord bless you and keep you,

Pastor Clay & Tammy Ritter

The man who tried to Stop Christmas.

This morning I read a great post on Christmas by Greg Laurie (Harvest Christian Fellowship) - a post good enough to repost!    Thanks Greg, and I hope you all enjoy it...

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A real war has been raging over Christmas. Many retailers have instructed their employees to no longer say, “Merry Christmas,” but to say, “Seasons Greetings” or “Happy Holidays” instead. We see this trend being carried through to the public schools and other places. Some school districts in Florida and New Jersey have prohibited the singing of Christmas carols altogether. And in Texas of all places, a school confiscated one child’s gifts for classmates, which were pencils with the inscription, “Jesus is the reason for the season.”A Wisconsin elementary school actually changed the lyrics for “Silent Night” to a secularized version, “Cold in the Night.” “God Rest You Merry Persons?”

Attempts to create a politically correct version of Christmas are not only happening in the U.S., but abroad as well. Cardiff Cathedral, an Anglican Church in Wales, has made the hymn, “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen,” more gender-friendly by renaming it, “God Rest You Merry Persons.” (That just doesn’t have the same sound.) Some are even suggesting they take it a step further by substituting the words “higher power” for God in the lyrics. Now we are losing the whole point of the song.

Worse then the Grinch.

Efforts to stop Christmas have been going on for a very long time. In fact, someone tried to stop the first Christmas, and he wasn’t a fictional character like the Grinch or Ebenezer Scrooge. He is known as Herod the Great. Herod was born into a politically well-connected family, and at the age of 25, he was named the governor of Galilee – a very high-ranking positing for such a young man. The Romans were hoping that Herod would somehow be able to control the Jews who lived in that area. And in 40 B.C., the Roman Senate gave Herod the title of “king of the Jews.” This was a title the Jews especially hated, because Herod was not a religious man. He was not a devout man. He had no regard for the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, or for the Jewish people. But he loved that title because it spoke of power.

Herod the Great?

And that was Herod’s problem. He was addicted to power. Power has been described as the ultimate human obsession, and that certainly was the case with King Herod. His craftiness knew no barriers, because he had a morbid distrust of anyone who would try to take his reign. He had his spies fan out and constantly look for any potential threats to his throne. Over the years, he killed many people whom he perceived as a threat, including his brother-in-law, mother-in-law, two of his own sons and even his wife. The ancient historian Josephus described Herod as barbaric. Another writer described him as the malevolent maniac.

The real ‘King of the Jews’.

By the time Jesus was born, Herod’s life was coming to an end. The so-called king of the Jews was slowly dying of a disease, and he was rapidly losing his mind. He had successfully fought off all attempts to take his power away when mysterious visitors from the east suddenly came blowing into town. They were strange men with strange questions. And right off the bat, they pushed Herod’s button when they said they were looking for the one who was born the king of the Jews. That was Herod’s title, but he certainly wasn’t born the king of the Jews. Yet that is who the wise men were looking for.

So Herod called in the members of the local clergy to assist him, scribes who had spent their lives in the study of Scripture. Immediately they pointed to the prophecy of Micah that predicted the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem. But Herod wasn’t thinking about prophetic significance; he was thinking about the threat to his throne. He secretly called in the wise men and asked them to tell him exactly when the star appeared. Then he told them to search for the child and when they had found him, to report back so that he could go and worship also. But the Bible tells us that after the wise men found Jesus and worshiped him, God warned them in a dream not to return to Herod. So the wise men took a different way home. Herod was so angry these wise men had not reported back to him that he freaked out. All the worst instincts of a lifetime of cruelty came to the surface, and he ordered the cold-blooded murder of all males in Bethlehem and its districts under the age of 2.

Contrast of Kings.

We find an interesting contrast of kings in this story. Both possessed immense power, but how they chose to use it revealed the hearts of two radically different men. Herod was a tyrant; Jesus was a servant. One was consumed with self-interest; the other was focused on pleasing God and serving others. One manipulated, slandered, deceived and coerced, while the other healed, touched, taught and loved.

Herod tried to stop Christmas, and more to the point, he tried to stop Christ. But even with all of his wealth and power and influence, he came to ruin.

‘Happy Holidays’

Like Herod, there are people today who oppose Christmas. They don’t want us to say, “Merry Christmas.” They don’t want us to say that Jesus is the reason for the season. They don’t want us to sing our Christmas carols. They don’t want us to post the Ten Commandments in our classrooms or have prayers in public places. They don’t want any freedom of expression in our culture. They want to impose their values – or lack of values – on us. There are people today who oppose everything about God or about Jesus Christ. And that is what Herod did. He was a man who fought against God and ended up destroying himself.

Don’t forget Jesus at Christmas.

Of course, we can complain about people who are leaving Christ out of Christmas, but let’s not do that ourselves. We can forget to keep Christ in Christmas with all of our busyness at this time of year. The wise men had it right. They wanted to worship Jesus. And that is quite dramatic when you consider these men were like royalty themselves, yet willing to bow before the baby king. Their gifts were an expression of worship from the overflow of adoring and grateful hearts. And right worship is always – and must be – the only basis for right giving and right service. Christmas is all about Christ. It is not about Christmas presents; it is about his Christmas presence in our lives.

Better Things...

Well folks, you better buckle your seat belts!  This Sunday we’ll be diving into one of the most controversial passages in the New Testament - Hebrews chapter 6!

Starting out in verse 13 of chapter 5, the writer rebukes his intended audience for having a severe case of arrested development (For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe).  Then goes on in verses 1-6 of chapter 6 to lay out the serious ramifications of remaining in this state:  the possibility of falling away from their faith altogether.

This passage has been the center of many theological debates regarding whether a Christian can “lose” his or her salvation.  Some believe the writer is referring to people who only “seemed” to be saved; others hold that he is making a hypothetical argument; and some believe this passage teaches that a person can walk away from their faith, and never be reconciled to God.

It would seem that this is a passage that we would do well to heed and understand! 

I told you last Sunday that we would be spending the next few weeks presenting the person of Jesus Christ, our great King and High Priest.  Well this passage is not a tangent from that topic.  This passage is going to direct our focus, like a laser, to the realization that Jesus Christ is indeed our Great King, and our Great High Priest, and thus He should hold the preeminent place in our lives. And while we will take careful measure of the warnings that we will be presented with, we will end the message with a confident encouragement of better things… 

But, beloved, we are confident of better things concerning you…  (Heb 6:9)

Join us Sunday for the next installment of our Hebrews series:  Better Things!

Pastor Clay