The Bible: Dig in! #LEVELUPCCW

As Christians, we would all agree that we should be reading and studying our bibles. We should all be “bible literate.” But there is a dirty little secret in the family of God, and that is that many professing Christians spend very little time in the word of God. A recent survey found that:

• Readership of the Bible has declined from the 1980s overall, from 73% to 59% today. 
• The percentage of those who read the Bible at least once a week, has decreased slightly over the last decade, from 40% in 1990 to 37% today.
• About one American in seven reports an involvement that goes beyond reading the Bible. 
• Fourteen percent currently belong to a Bible study group.
• In terms of frequency of readership, 16% of Americans say that they read the Bible every day, 21% say they read it weekly, 12% say they read the Bible monthly, 10% say less than monthly and 41% say that they rarely or never read the Bible.

Those are some harsh stats.   Why do people not regard the bible as an important book to invest in?  Perhaps because it's one of those disciplines that can be easy to set on the back burner for a multitude of reasons:  I’m too busy; it’s too hard to understand; I listen to sermons on Sunday, etc.

But the question has to be asked:  So what? So what if Christians don't read their bibles?  Is it really that big of a deal? The answer is – YES!  There is an impact to not being in the word; Arrested Spiritual Development, which is another way of saying spiritual immaturity.  Arrested Spiritual Development (ASD) has many symptoms:

• Rash and inappropriate reactions to situations in life.
• The tendency to make poor decisions
• Inability to apply sound principles to life situations

 As an example, imagine two soldiers standing in formation:  Both have uniforms, equipment, and weapons. They look the same standing there in line. But when the bullets start flying, the one that has not taken part in the physical conditioning, or the combat training, that soldier will fall.  Those two soldiers might look the same, but they will no respond the same in battle. 

ASD is not a new malady; the writer of Hebrews gave a similar assessment of his audience:

For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God; and you have come to need milk and not solid food. For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe. (Heb 5:12-13)

That writer might be describing the Christian sitting in church today, raising their hands to praise the Lord, knowing the Christian platitudes, even having the bumper sticker, but that Christian is still a babe when it comes to the oracles of God. That Christian looks just like every other Christian, but when the bullets start to fly, how will they respond?

If someone cuts in front of them in line - what is their response?

When something doesn't go their way – how do they act?

When they are faced with the temptation to cut a corner to get ahead – what is their choice?

Or when one the huge storms of life hits – will they stand or fall?

When we have the truth of Gods word imbedded into our hearts and our minds, our responses begin to align with how God would respond to those situations. We will know how to act.  We will know how to make wise decisions.  We will be trained to instinctively respond to any situation that presents itself in our life. 

All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work. (2 Tim 3:16-17)

Join us this Sunday for “The Bible; dig in!”  #LevelupCCW

… till the whole world hears,

Pastor Clay

#LevelUpCCW - The Bible: Is It True?

Before I became a Christian I never gave much thought to where the bible came from; it was just “The Bible!” And I remember that there were occasions when I would hear people make comments about the bible…

“You can make the bible mean whatever you want”

“The bible is full of contradictions”

“There are all kinds of errors in the bible”

To be honest I picked up a lot of those comments as being true, and even repeated them a few times.

After I became a Christian, I knew I was supposed to believe the bible was true, and I did for the most part.  I remember something that I used to hear “The bible says it, and that settles it”, but I still had some doubts.  Could I really trust it?

Some of you may have had a similar experience. Over the next few weeks I hope to accomplish several things:

• We’ll look at the history of the bible: Where it came from, who wrote it, how it came to be in the form we have today.
• We’ll answer some of the questions about the bible:  Has the bible maintained its integrity? Is it historically accurate? Can we believe everything that is in it?
• We’ll answer the question: Is there a good reason I should invest my time reading and understanding the bible?
• Finally, we’ll look at how we can get the most from our time spent reading and studying the bible.

I hope you'll join us Sunday, August 19^th, at 9:30 & 11:30, for #LevelUpCCW – The Bible: Is It True?

… till the whole world hears,

Pastor Clay

Level Up 2012 - The Wake Up Call

This week we embarked on a new journey as a church; a journey to “Level Up!” Now I don't want you to get the impression that I am not satisfied with our church – I think we have an awesome church! However, it is a fact that human beings have a tendency to fall into patterns, and if we aren’t careful we can allow our Christian life to fall into routine as well.

It might look something like this:  Wake up, do a devo, go to work, come home, have dinner, watch TV, play a little ball with the kids, maybe surf the internet (or the waves) some.  Then Sunday morning comes we go to church, sing a few songs, say a few amens, go grab some lunch, and do it all over again!

Now there is nothing wrong with having patterns:  Eating regular, exercise, sleep, praying, study & meditate, these are good patterns to develop in our life. But if we aren’t careful we can pattern ourselves right into mediocrity. 

One of my favorite passages is in Revelation chapters 2-3, where Jesus is assessing seven churches: The ‘loveless church’ of Ephesus, ‘persecuted church’ of Smyrna, ‘compromising church’ of Pergamos, the ‘corrupt church’ of Thyatira, the ‘dead church’ of Sardis, the ‘faithful church’ of Philly... (anyone from Philly?)

But interestingly Jesus reserves his harshest correction against the ‘lukewarm church’ of Laodicea:

These things says the Amen, the Faithful and True Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God: “I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot. So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth. Because you say, ‘I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing’—and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked. (Rev 3:14-16)

I think it’s interesting that there isn’t any blatant sin on the part of the this church, but because they are 'lukewarm,' Jesus says He will vomit them out of His mouth. Interesting term.  To vomit is the forceful expulsion of something from the body that is making the body sick. Apparently this church is comfortable, they have money, it probably looked like a great church from the outside.  Matter of fact, if a person went to that church they might think “this place is happening!”  But in fact Jesus says they are “wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked.” And the saddest part? They don't even know it! 

However Jesus’ final solution is not to vomit them, or expel them from the kingdom, but He urges them to repent!

I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich; and white garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see. As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore be zealous and repent. (Rev 3:17-19)

In a way, I can relate to how this church had become lukewarm.  We have such a blessed life here in the US.  For many of us times may be hard, but hard times for us is living like a king compared to the 80% of the world’s population that lives, literally, hand to mouth. Because of our ease of life, it is easy for us to fall into a pattern that can start looking like the church of Laodicea. We become self-focused, self-serving, and we might even forget that there is an entire world around us that will die and go to hell without Jesus Christ!

I for one do not believe that the church, the body of Christ, YOU AND ME, were ever intended to settle into an easy pattern. Our call is not to become relaxed and try and set up the best quality of life we can afford. Our call is to reach the world with the life-changing gospel message of Jesus Christ. To make disciples, raise up other believers who are equipped to do the same.

If you look at the early church in Jerusalem, man that church was on fire! After Jesus left they were spending time in prayer, the Holy Spirit came upon them, they were speaking and preaching with power and authority! People were getting saved in droves, and the church was growing every day.  The saints walked in the supernatural gifts; the sick were healed, lame men could walk again, blind men could see again, people lives were being changed! They were rocking the city of Jerusalem!   The gospel was changing how they lived, how they interacted, it changed the very social fabric of the community.  The church sold everything they didn't need, and brought it to the apostles to be used to spread the gospel. It was so viral that in Acts 17 when Paul and his outreach team came into Thessalonica, the leaders exclaimed, “They are turning the world upside down!” (Acts 17:6).

I believe part of my role as a pastor is to encourage the church to wake up, to rise up and live out our Christian life in the way that God intended it to be.  Yes, it may be a little crazy, a little radical, a little on the edge; it might even get a little weird! But I believe that we, like the early church, should have a vision for reaching our city, and even beyond with the life-changing gospel message of Jesus Christ.  I believe we are called to walk in the fullness of the incredible gift that God has given us: 

• Forgiveness of our sins
• Inclusion in the family of God
• Filled with the power of the Holy Spirit
• Equipped with unique spiritual gifts
• Given a call and a purpose for our time on this planet

That is the heart behind this series:  That we would look closely at the word of God, seek the Holy Spirit for guidance and direction, move in the power of the Holy Spirit, embrace the gifts He has given each of us, and live out our calling as a church and as individuals.

Stay tuned church, it’s just beginning!

Pastor Clay

SERVE - The Rear Guard

Hi CCW, I wanted to follow up with our topic from Sunday; The Rear Guard.  There were three important points that I made on Sunday.

#1 - Our call to participate is EQUAL

Each of us have been given gifts and abilities, according to what Paul wrote to the church in Corinth:

But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all: But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills (1 Cor 12:7,11)

In other words you have been anointed and appointed with a call of God based on the wisdom and will of the Holy Spirit, who has the ultimate purpose of glorifying Jesus Christ. Your gift is no more or less important that anyone else’s gift. What IS important is that you discover and utilize your gift.

#2 - Our call to action is DIFFERENT

…based on the gift that God has given you, and the ability to utilize that gift. Paul noted “…the eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you”; nor again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.” In other words each one of us has a different makeup, different gifts, different abilities, a different purpose, and each of those purposes are important:  Whether your call to action is to be on the front line, in the supply line, or in the prayer line, your call to action is NEEDED and IMPORTANT to the kingdom.  

And that call to action will be different for each based on ability.  Think about it:

A high schooler can reach a group of people that I, as a fifty-year-old, cannot reach as effectively. As well, that young person can work harder, and longer than I can.  So that young person's call to action is different than mine.

By the same token, an older person can reach people that the high schooler might not be able to reach. That older man or woman will have greater wisdom, and greater knowledge to apply to a situation.  Their call to action is different, but both are valuable

#3 - Our reward is the SURE:

For the Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He will reward each according to his works. (Matt 16:27)

Note that our reward is not given according to the things we might think:

• Not according to the result.
• Not according to the magnitude of impact.
• Not according to the heat of the battle we endured.
• Not according to the risk we took.
• Nor according to what other people think of us.

Our reward is according to “his works.” In other words, our reward will be based on the things we do in obedience to the word of God and the leading of His Holy Spirit.

So regardless of whether you are on the front line, the supply line, or the prayer line, your place in the kingdom is important.

So what’s stopping you?  Below is a link to the first step – SERVE.  Click the link, fill out the form, and see what God does!

To discover your gift and USE it - CLICK HERE!  

In His Service, 

Pastor Clay

Restored - 1 Samuel 30

Week before last I started on 1 Samuel 29 & 30, but before Sunday came the Lord directed me to split my message up into two messages (thank you Lord, it would have been a LONG message that day!).

I even had a title for this weeks message - "Ripped Off,"  because that is exactly what our enemy likes to do, rip us off:

The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. (John 10:10)

But Satan is not interested in your car, your golf clubs, or your flat screen TV. No, Satan is more interested in ripping you off in the things that matter spiritually:

• Your gifts
• Your calling
• Your future

Yet the real message is NOT that Satan likes to rip us off, the real message is that GOD RESTORES! We serve a God that when we turn to Him, just like David in 1 Samuel 30, God restores to us what we allowed the enemy to steal.

That is a pretty incredible truth when I stop to thing about it:  I can make a dumb decision, allow myself to be in a vulnerable place, and the enemy will swoop in and rip me off.  I can sit there and think "I had it coming, I blew it, it's my fault."  True.  But God... God is so awesome that if I will turn to Him, and seek His face, He will RESTORE my fellowship with Him, He will move mountains in my life, and RESTORE what the enemy took.  ALL OF IT.

Wow. That truth deserves to be more fully explored.

Join us this Sunday at Calvary Chapel, 9:30 or 11:30 am, for 1 Sam 30:  Restored.

...till the whole world hears,

Pastor Clay

Ripped Off!

Most Christians know that Satan is real (I hope), that he is our enemy, and that one of his primary objectives is to rip off believers:

The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. (John 10:10)

But the things our enemy  wants to steal from us are not possessions.  Satan is not interested in your car, your golf clubs, or your flat screen TV (perhaps with the exception of what comes through it!). No, Satan is more interested in the things that matter spiritually:

• Your gifintgs
• Your calling
• Your future

This Sunday we'll be looking at 1 Samuel 29-30, and we'll talk about what to do when Satan has ripped us off!

Join us at 9:30 or 11:30 am, for 1 Sam 29-30 - Ripped Off

Pastor Clay

Follow up - When God is Silent

And when Saul inquired of the Lord, the Lord did not answer him, either by dreams or by Urim or by the prophets. (1 Samuel 28:6)

Last week we looked at five reasons that God may be silent in your life:

#1 – To bring us to repentance

In other words, there may be something in your life that is blocking you from being able to hear God's voice.  This was totally Saul’s issue:  Saul was sorry he sinned, he felt bad about it, he made great proclamations about it, but he never repented to the Lord.

Psalm 66:18 says,

If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear, (Ps 66:18)

(click the link below to read the entire article)

When God goes silent

And when Saul inquired of the Lord, the Lord did not answer him, either by dreams or by Urim or by the prophets. (1 Sam 28:6)

In 1 Samuel 28 we find both David and Saul in a tough spot.  David is living with pirates, and Saul is facing a huge army. ...and God is silent.  Saul seeks the Lord for direction, and nothing.  Zip. God has his phone on silent, all calls are going straight to voicemail.

Maybe you have experienced a time in your life when God was silent.  In times past God had spoken clearly to you, giving you supernatural words of wisdom, direction, even prophecy.  But now, at a time when you feel you really need Him, He is silent.  You pray, you ask, you worship, you sit on the beach with bible in hand, and nothing.  Then the doubt begins to creep in.  Is God done with me?  Have I gone too far? Can I ever get back to that place? Fret not Christian, there is an answer.

Join us this Sunday at Calvary Chapel of Wilmington, for “When God goes silent”

... till the whole world hears,

Pastor Clay

Replacing Lies with Truth

And David said in his heart, “Now I shall perish someday by the hand of Saul. There is nothing better for me than that I should speedily escape to the land of the Philistines; and Saul will despair of me, to seek me anymore in any part of Israel. So I shall escape out of his hand.” (1 Sam 27:1)

 

Sunday we looked at David's sudden departure from the truth that God was his source of protection and his refuge, to thinking the only choice that he had was to escape Saul was to go and live with the Philistines, the mortal enemy of God's people.  The key phrase being "And David said in his heart..."  


We learned that what we say in our heart can affect our decisions in some pretty big ways.  The word of God tells us:

For as he thinks in his heart, so is he. (Prov 23:7)

What we say in our heart has great power for good or evil, for life or death.

Death and life are in the power of the tongue. (Prov 18:21)

We looked at four very common lies that Christians experience, the the truth that we need to replace it with:

Lie: “God doesn’t care about me,”

Truth: “God DOES cares about you”

…casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you. (1 Peter 5:7)

Lie: “God is not going to provide for me…”

Truth: “God IS going to provide for you…”

And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus. (Phil 4:19)

Lie: “This trial is going to overcome me,” 

Truth: “God WILL see you through this trial”

Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.’ (Is 41:10)

Lie: “God doesn't have any plans for me,” 

Truth: “God DOES have a plan for you”

For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. (Jer 29:11)

You will notice that each of these lies is contrary to what God's word tells us about Him, and His relationship to us.  Our adversary, Satan, is a liar, and he will attempt to deceive you into believing a lie rather than the truth.  Guys, the key is knowing the TRUTH of the word of God, and how to apply it to our lives. 

Follow up - David's many wives

Last week we looked at David’s multiple wives(1 Sam 25:36-44), and we were able to make a comparison to our own Christian walk:  That trying to walk with God, and dance with the world at the same time is a recipe for disaster!

When we dance with the world, relationships are formed that vie for our attention, we establish a place in the social network, we make compromises that we have to hide.  And these things impact our ability to walk with God

They will pull us away from the people of God

They will pull us away from the house of God

We form connections to people and practices that can impact us for the rest of our lives.  We end up doing things that we cannot undo.

It’s been said that the most miserable place for a Christian to be is to have one foot in the church, and one foot in the world.  Why? Because it places you in the middle of a war

David's Many Wives

And David sent and proposed to Abigail, to take her as his wife. When the servants of David had come to Abigail at Carmel, they spoke to her saying, “David sent us to you, to ask you to become his wife.” Then she arose, bowed her face to the earth, and said, “Here is your maidservant, a servant to wash the feet of the servants of my lord.” So Abigail rose in haste and rode on a donkey, attended by five of her maidens; and she followed the messengers of David, and became his wife. David also took Ahinoam of Jezreel, and so both of them were his wives. (1 Sam 25:39-43)

I stumbled upon a web site recently titled “Polygamy in the bible – it really is biblical!”  It was a site dedicated to showing how great men of the bible had multiple wives, and therefore, so should we! The site used David as an example; before it’s all over David will have eighteen wives. Wow.  It’s all I can do to be a good husband to one wife; I can’t imagine eighteen.

But there is something that I believe should be pointed out:  In the instances when David inquires of the Lord about a matter, and heeds the voice of the Lord, things turn out well for David. 

However, when David goes forward without seeking the counsel of Lord, things usually blow up. And come to think of it, I don’t see one instance in scripture where David seeks counsel from the Lord on which woman he should marry, or how many women he should marry. This leads me to believe that as much as David was a man after Gods heart, David may have had an area of weakness in his life; Women! And this weakness led to all kinds of problems in David house.  

Join us Sunday as we continue our study in 1 Samuel.

The Fool in Me

This past Sunday we walked through an account where David came very close to ruining his future as king (1 Sam 25).  A harsh, evil man named Nabal rejected David’s request for compensation for protecting his flocks, and he disrespected David in front of his men.  I can imaging as David heard the words of Nabal repeated to him by the young men sent to collect the gift, the anger came like a wave.  This could not be tolerated. David knew what needed to be done to teach this man a lesson:  He would pay a visit to Nabal, and he would kill Nabal, and every single male in his household.  Nabal was a fool, and David was going to cure his foolishness. Like, forever!

(click below to read the full article)

Five things from the life of Samuel

Last Sunday at Calvary Chapel of Wilmington we looked at the life of Samuel the prophet.  Samuel was a transitional figure between the time that God ruled the nation of Israel through His appointed judges, and the monarchy that we established under king Saul.  But Samuel was also much more than just a judge; he was a model of godly leadership. Samuel was a man who had learned to hear the voice of God, be obedient to His words, and speak the truth, no matter what the consequences might be. Samuel was like EF Hutton: When he spoke, everyone listened!

(click below to read the rest of the article)

Then Samuel Died...

This Sunday we are going to make great strides in our study of 1 Samuel; we’re going to cover ONE VERSE!

Then Samuel died; and the Israelites gathered together and lamented for him, and buried him at his home in Ramah.  (1 Sam 25:1)

I thought it worth taking a scenic diversion to highlight the life of God’s man during the transition period from the nation being led by prophet/judges, to kings: Samuel. We’ll look at a panorama of his life and see what we can learn from this great man of God.

Samuel was a one of the greatest men in the bible (not my words, but God’s, see Jeremiah 15:1).  What was it that made him such an incredible man of God?  Was he born into this greatness? Was he special?  Was he just lucky to be born at the right time, in the right place? Actually, none of these things could account for Samuel's greatness.  Samuel was a great man of God because of three things:

• He sought to hear the voice of God
• He was obedient to God’s voice
• He truthfully spoke the word of God.

 Join us Sunday, 9:30 & 11:30, as we look at the life and times of Samuel.

Pastor Clay

PAYBACK!

All of us at some point have experienced someone doing us wrong, or deliberately hurting us. When it happens, it stings!  But its interesting that many times the tables will eventually turn.  Somewhere along the way the very person that hurt us will be in a position of needing something from us.  At some juncture we'll be in a position where we are the one in power, where we can harm them.  What goes around, comes around, as they say.

When that happens the question is rarely "what do i want to do?"  We KNOW what we want to do; Its PAYBACK TIME!  I think the real questions is "what WILL I do?"  Will I be led by my flesh, which always wants payback, or will I be led by the Spirit and word of God, which tells us " Vengeance is Mine, I will repay" (Rom 12:9)? 

It is those moments when we are in control, when we have the power, that reveals what is truly in our heart.  Those are the defining moments of our lives.  

In 1 Samuel 24 we find David in that exact situation:  Saul is vulnerable, he has been delivered up to Davids hand, and David can do with Saul whatever seems good to David.  What will David do?

Join us Sunday, May 13, for PAYBACK! a study of 1 Samuel 24.

Pastor Clay

This might be the tipping point

Many thoughtful and sincere friends have given me counsel about my public comments regarding politics, and our president, noting that “being political” could hamper my effectiveness as a pastor.  I understand their sentiments, and their concern for the church in general.

But this week our president has done something that may well push me past the point of silence.  No, it wasn’t his coming out in support of gay marriage.  I can disagree with the president on an issue (actually many issues), and still respect the position of president (Honor all people. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the king. 1 Peter 2:7).

What president Obama did that I find particularly offensive is that in his statements in support for gay marriage, he invoked the name of Jesus Christ:

“This is something that, you know, [Michelle and I have] talked about over the years and she, you know, she feels the same way, she feels the same way that I do. And that is that, in the end the values that I care most deeply about and she cares most deeply about is how we treat other people and, you know, I, you know, we are both practicing Christians and obviously this position may be considered to put us at odds with the views of others but, you know, when we think about our faith, the thing at root that we think about is, not only Christ sacrificing himself on our behalf, but it’s also the Golden Rule, you know, treat others the way you would want to be treated…”

So let me get this straight Mr. President; You support homosexual relationships, and your basis for that support is your faith in Jesus Christ? You believe that Jesus Christ died on the cross to pay the penalty for the sins of mankind, and that means we must promote and condone a lifestyle that is not only at odds with “others,” but is at odds with God’s word?

Mr. President, I support your right to hold whatever position you wish on the issue of gay marriage. But I take offense that you would invoke the name of Jesus Christ as the basis for that support, as if Jesus Himself would support gay marriage.  If you wish to know Jesus’ position on marriage, He stated it quite clearly in Matthew 19:

Have you not read that He who made them at the beginning ‘made them male and female,’  and said, ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’? So then, they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate. (Matt 19:4-6)

Yes we are instructed in scripture to honor the king, but that doesn’t mean that we must stay silent when the name of Jesus is blasphemed.  John the Baptist was imprisoned, then beheaded, because he confronted Herod over this marriage to his brothers wife, Herodias:

For Herod himself had sent and laid hold of John, and bound him in prison for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife; for he had married her. Because John had said to Herod, “It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife. (Mark 6:17-18)

I encourage every follower of Jesus Christ to contact the White House, and RESPECTFULLY state your position on the president’s comments.  (Honor the Lord in all you do, including raising an objection to our political leaders.)

and ... PRAY for our nation.  that our leaders would seek the face of God, and that there would be revival and repentance in the land.  

Why is it important?  For one, he has grossly misrepresented the name and nature of our Lord Jesus Christ.  Second, it deceives those who may not know any better, leading them to believe that somehow God would condone gay marriage. Third, God sees the sins of a nation, and at some point when those sins are filled up, God will bring judgment to that nation (see Ezekiel 22 below). 

http://www.whitehouse.gov/contact/submit-questions-and-comments

(I notice that the white house contact form is currently “undergoing maintenance.  Hmmm.)

you can also phone: 202-456-1111

And the word of the Lord came to me, saying, “Son of man, say to her: ‘You are a land that is not cleansed or rained on in the day of indignation.’ The conspiracy of her prophets in her midst is like a roaring lion tearing the prey; they have devoured people; they have taken treasure and precious things; they have made many widows in her midst. Her priests have violated My law and profaned My holy things; they have not distinguished between the holy and unholy, nor have they made known the difference between the unclean and the clean; and they have hidden their eyes from My Sabbaths, so that I am profaned among them. Her princes in her midst are like wolves tearing the prey, to shed blood, to destroy people, and to get dishonest gain. Her prophets plastered them with untempered mortar, seeing false visions, and divining lies for them, saying, ‘Thus says the Lord God,’ when the Lord had not spoken. The people of the land have used oppressions, committed robbery, and mistreated the poor and needy; and they wrongfully oppress the stranger. So I sought for a man among them who would make a wall, and stand in the gap before Me on behalf of the land, that I should not destroy it; but I found no one. Therefore I have poured out My indignation on them; I have consumed them with the fire of My wrath; and I have recompensed their deeds on their own heads,” says the Lord God. (Ez 22:23-31)

JUMP!

Have I not commanded you? “Be strong and courageous! Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go. (Joshua 1:9)

FACT: Most Americans have never taken a significant risk in any area of their lives. The ease of our lifestyle and the comfort of our standard of living has, in many ways, created a risk-averse societal perspective. In America we love our life, and so we like to stay in the “safety zone.” Most people stay within their family boundaries for their entire life. Many have never ventured outside of the state in which they live, they will never see the shores of a foreign country. Few people have ever jumped out of a plane, scuba dived, gone over 70 mph in a car, or played a contact sport.

But in the context of our Christian walk, there is this thing called FAITH, and faith often requires us to be willing to step outside of that safety zone, and take a risk.  My question to you this week:  Are you living in the “spiritual safe zone?

This Sunday we’ll be hearing from some of our CCW folks who took a risk, stepped out, and obeyed God.  They got on a plane and flew to a far-away country.  They took a venture of faith, and Sunday you will hear their story.  Don’t miss it.

Pastor Clay