The Heart of Worship

This coming Sunday our Essentials topic will be worship.  So leading up to Sunday, I’ll be posting some things to think about regarding worship.  

Worship is a many-faceted experience for the believer, and the “how” is not as important as the fact that we worship. 

2 Cor 3:18
But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.

But we need to realize that a heart of worship is not brought about by having good praise music. In fact we must be careful here.  As a church that is gifted musically, we run the risk of falling into the trap of becoming "connoisseurs of worship”. That's when we start thinking “I like/don’t like that song,” or “I like/don’t like the way he/she sings,” or “I like it better when _____ (fill in the blank!) leads the worship”. If we are not careful, we can idolize the music of worship, which is just as idolatrous as bowing to an image of a pagan god.

One of our well known songs “The Heart of Worship” was the product of just such an error.  Matt Redman was part of a church in England that was growing, and as you might expect the music was awesome! The guys realized one day that the music was part of the reason the church was growing:  People were coming to hear the awesome music. Matt and his team made a courageous decision, "We have created an idol with our music. We are going to stop playing all music in our corporate worship until the Holy Spirit clears us of our conviction about idolatry."

Essentially, he said "we're going to put ourselves out of work.” So the music stopped. I’m sure some left, but many saw the error of their ways and stayed, and prayed, and read the word, and grew.  The church even continued to grow because these folks were seeking something real, something beyond a good worship set and emotional times in the music. The were seeking the LORD.  At the end of it – Matt wrote “Heart of Worship”, and the theme of the song is “It’s not about the music, Lord it’s about you!”

This is not what everyone should do, stop the music, but it is a good example for us in that we should be in a continual state of examination of our heart.  We want to ensure that we are not seeking an emotional experience, or a state of spiritual bliss ... or anything else ...except God

A heart of worship is a byproduct of our love for the Lord.  If He is in us, and we are in Him, then our fruit will be apparent, including a desire to worship Him: A heart of worship is had by developing a relationship with the object of our worship

Pastor Clay

The unborn have a right to life...

This Sunday our church will be joining many other area churches to stand for the right to life of the unborn. This is the story of Gianna Jessen, a Christian recording artist who was born in 1977 in Los Angeles, CA. Her mother went to a Planned Parenthood facility to obtain a saline abortion in the third trimester.  However, instead of dying in the womb, as was the plan, Gianna was born in the abortion clinic - severely injured but alive.  This is her story.



Gianna Jessen from LMF CAM on Vimeo.

Join us Sunday - click here for info

For real?

I ran across this article today - for real?


Athiests and agnostics know more about religion according to new survey

to be sure, this doesn't apply to Calvary Chapel folk!  Do you guys know who Martin Luther was?

PC

Why the bible?

Someone passed this on to me and I thought it was a great follow up to the message on Sunday.  And, Ravi Zacharias rocks!

The Bible - message notes...

I received some requests for the message - the audio and the notes are up on the website...

www.calvaryofwilmington.org/TLW/Essentials/EssentialsSeries.html 

PC

The bible and why we can trust it

The Bible exists among us as one book. Yet it is in fact it is made up of sixty-six books, written by forty authors. Its compilation extended from the days of Moses (1400 BC) to the days of the apostle John (end of 1st Century AD); a period of 1,500 years. Its narrative extends from the creation, and extends through history right up to the present day; then goes further and tells what will happen to man and his world in the future.

The Bible maintains one view of human nature from beginning to end:  Man is not only mortal, a creature destined to die after a period of years, but he is morally weak as well. Endowed with the most remarkable powers of intelligence and reason, conscience and will, he is also subject to the pressures of his own desires to please himself. He is constantly under pressure to be self-indulgent, covetous, and above all to defend his own pride. Knowing what he ought to do, he so often fails to do it. In the terms of the Bible, even when men know the will of God, in general they prefer to do their own will instead.

The bible details the birth of a people: The nation of Israel.  A people called by God to follow Him, yet who failed time and time again to live up to God’s calling.  The portrait of the nation which emerges is that of a people constantly abandoning the true worship of their God and adopting the corrupt idolatrous practices of their pagan neighbors, with the inevitable immorality. The writings of the prophets without exception contain substantial passages exposing Israel’s failure to obey their God, and prophesying the judgments which would come upon them, if they did not mend their ways. Those judgments were fulfilled in successive invasions by surrounding nations.

The bible clearly speaks of a coming Messiah to the nation of Israel; then fulfills that prophecy through the account of the birth, ministry, death, and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ.

The bible devotes significant room to the exhortation of the New Testament Christian, through the writings of Luke, the Apostle Paul, James, Peter, Jude, and John.

Finally the bible spells out in vivid detail what will come to the present age: The rise of a world power, lead by none other than Satan and the Anti-Christ, who will be defeated at the return of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, who will then establish His Kingdom here on earth.

There is no other book in the world which has such a range and scope as this.

The question is, where did it come from? Judging by the evidence of the past, no man nor any human authority could have thought out this view, nor would they have been able to maintain it over a period of many centuries. The one explanation that remains is that the bible is truly the Word of God, given to us through the hand of man.

For, “All men are like grass,and all their glory is like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of the Lord stands forever.” And this is the word that was preached to you. 1 Peter 1:24-25

Join us Sunday for “The bible, and why I can trust it”
Pastor Clay

The practice of prayer

Last Sunday we talked about the practice of prayer, and I challenged each of us to spend time praying this week for one thing that was “God sized” in our life.  This is your reminder!  And remember that we would love to hear about it when God answers your prayer!

And remember when you come to the Lord in your quiet time, to spend some time in each of these areas:  Adoration (praise), thanksgiving, confession, forgiveness of others, supplication (asking), and contemplation (listening).

I cant wait to hear what God does!

Pastor Clay

When to pray

Someone has said, “If you are swept off your feet, it’s time to get on your knees.” Scripture backs up this claim. In its pages we find ample evidence that prayer can dramatically change situations, people, and sometimes even the very course of nature.

• Nehemiah prayed before he made a request to king Artaxeserxes for materials to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem (Neh 2) , and the Lord gave Nehemiah favor with Artaxeserxes, granting his every request!
• Jehoshaphat, the king of Judah, was a king after God’s heart, yet one day he awoke to find himself surrounded by a coalition of armies bent on destroying Judah (2 Chron 20).  Jehoshaphat prayed and God set the coalition forces against each other, so that Judah did not even have to fight!
• When Joshua needed extra daylight to finish off the Amorites (Josh 10), he prayed and God made the sun stand still in the sky!

In James chapter five we are given a list of times when we might pray:  when you are suffering, when you’re cheerful, if you’re sick, when you have sinned, telling us “The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much” (Ja 5:16).  Paul tells us that we should pray “everywhere, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting” (1 Tim 2:8).  Come to think of it, I think that whatever the circumstances, prayer is always a beneficial!

Join us Sunday, September 19, at 9 & 11 am, as we look into the practice of prayer.

… till the whole world hears,

Pastor Clay

Prayer - Everyone's doing it!

This morning I read an astounding fact:  according to a 2008 study by Brandeis University, ninety percent of Americans say that they pray every day.  Wow!  And it seems to be a growing trend;  A 1996 Time/CNN poll found that eight out of ten Americans pray every day; the numbers are growing!  With the growing economic and political problems our country is facing, it wouldn’t surprise me if that number weren’t even higher today.  There are simply a lot of things to pray about, it would seem.  But is prayer just about getting God to help us out when we’re in a pinch?

This coming Sunday we’ll be talking about prayer, and its place in the life of a Christian: Why we pray, how we pray, and what we can expect of prayer.  But we will also discover that the fundamental purpose of prayer is not about ‘getting things from God’, but rather ‘getting to know God.’  Prayer is about the relationship between God and man.  Just as our verbal conversations are the lifeblood of relationships with our family and friends, our prayer conversations are the lifeblood of our relationship with our Heavenly Father.  Prayer is like air to the Christian:  Prayer is as essential to knowing God and growing spiritually as breathing is to living and staying healthy.

Prayer is our connection to heaven, and heaven’s connection to us; that is why we should always keep the lines open!

…till the whole world hears,

Pastor Clay

Why I need a church... because its a time to spend with my heavenly Father!

Our last post this week of “Why I need a church”, it is because it is a time to spend with my Heavenly Father.  King David wrote in Psalms: “O Lord, I love the habitation of Your house, and the place where Your glory dwells.” (Psalm 26:8)   Think about it, as a Christian I am a child of God.  My heavenly Father is not cold and aloof, He loves me!  He delights in spending time with me.  He wants to reveal His plan for my life, and as His child I want to get in on the details, to cooperate with Him in that plan!  “Call to Me, and I will answer you, and I will tell you great and mighty things, which you do not know.” (Jeremiah 33:3)


But see God is not only my Father, He’s our Father.  And Christ is not only my Savior, He’s our Savior.  Jesus said in Matthew 18:20, “For where two or three have gathered together in My name, there I am in their midst.” When we gather together to spend time with the Lord, he assures us He is there with us. As we worship God together, Jesus is in our midst, the Holy Spirit is moving in our hearts, and our Heavenly Father is enthroned in our praises, “But You are holy, enthroned in the praises of Israel.” (Ps 22:3)

Over the course of the past week, we have seen five very good reasons why we need church in our lives.  Doesn’t it make sense to plant our family’s roots deep into our local fellowship?  I think so.   See you Sunday!

…till the whole world hears,

Pastor Clay

Why I need a church... because its a refuge

Do we think that God instructed us to have a Sabbath one day a week because He wanted to hinder our progress?  I think not!  Our heavenly Father, who created us, knows that we need one day a week not only to take it easy, but we need a day to be refreshed, to be renewed, and to reflect on Him!  For the Christian Sunday is that day!

Coming to church is a way for us to get away from the busyness of the world and the stress of our lives, sort of like a mini-retreat.  It is a place to let the troubles of the world go, and focus my heart on things above, as I worship the Lord.  Coming together with the community of believers, worshipping God in the congregation, allowing the Spirit of God to renew our hearts; this is the essence of a church service.  I don’t know about you, but I have experienced incredible times of healing and refreshment in the midst of a church service.  The Psalmist David wrote “O taste and see that the Lord is good.  How blessed is the man who takes refuge in him!” (Psalms 34:8)  I think David knew what he was talking about.

…till the whole world hears,
Pastor Clay

Why I need a church... because its a billboard!

Have you ever noticed that you can tell what is important to your friends?  Some people love to fish, and you can tell because they spend all their extra time and money keeping up their boat, and they talk about fishing all the time!  I have a neighbor that always has the prettiest yard in our neighborhood, and you can tell it’s important to him because he is out there every day keeping it looking nice (yes, I have yard envy, but that’s another topic).  It is interesting to watch people and observe what is important to them.

We may not realize it, but people are watching us too, and one of the ways that the people in your life can tell that your faith is important to you is when they see you attend church services week after week.  Our commitment to church services makes a strong statement about our relationship with God to our family, our friends, and our neighbors.  Early in our marriage, Tammy and I made a commitment to each other that we would 1) be in church every week, and 2) that we would tithe faithfully.  I believe that these commitments, while they might seem ‘legalistic’, have played a significant part in testifying to our friends, our family, and especially to our children that our faith is real.

In Second Corinthians 3:2-3, the apostle Paul tells the people in the church at Corinth, “You are our letter written in our hearts, known and read by all men…written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the Living God, not on tablets of stone, but on tablets of human hearts.”

Join us Sunday at Calvary Chapel Wilmington, at 9 and 11, as we explore this living organism called “the church.”

…till the whole world hears,
Pastor Clay

Why I need a church... because it's a classroom!

As we continue our commentary on the church, and why it’s important in our lives, today’s post is “Why do I need a church? Because it’s a classroom!

For the rest of my life I will be enrolled in a course entitled:  “Growing strong in Jesus Christ,” and each weeks lesson builds upon the one before.  Indeed, our personal time of Bible reading and study is important, but along with that God has placed some within the church who are gifted teachers to help equip us.  In Ephesians 4:11-13, the apostle Paul tells us that: “He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastor-teachers, for the equipping of the saints (that’s us!)…”

Whether it is a small group bible study, a men’s study, women’s study, an Equipping the Saints class, or the Sunday morning message, let us make full use of the many opportunities that we are given through the local church to grow in our faith.

…till the whole world hears,

Pastor Clay

MOVING!

hey everyone - i am moving my blog to a new location...

http://calvaryofwilmington.org/clayonlife/ 


please make a note of it!  i'll leave this site up for a while, but all new posts will be on the new site.  thanks!

Got Jesus?

“Hey man are you saved? Got Jesus?” 

Perhaps you have been asked this question, hopefully if you’re reading this you know Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior (AMEN!).  But, what does it really mean to be saved? Saved from what?  Am I in danger? Is something bad about to happen to me?

The term “saved,” along with “salvation” and “born again,” are fairly well-known terms in our Judeo-Christian society.  But what do they really mean?  Some people assume that they are Christians because they were born in America, or because they were baptized as infants, or because they belong to a church. I’ve had people tell me “I’m a good person, God will recognize that…”  Sadly, there is a lot of confusion about what it really means to become a Christian.

Even among Christians there is uncertainty.  Many Christians don’t have a firm grasp of what really happened when they were born again:  The change that occurred, the new life that lives within them, the powerful resources that are now available to them, and the incredible inheritance that awaits them in Christ.

This Sunday we will uncover some of these truths in the first session of our Essentials Series:  What Happened When I Got Saved?  Sunday @ 9 & 11 am.

Pastor Clay

He Is Risen!

…do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here; for He is risen, as He said.  Matt 28:5-6

According to one study, there are approximately 4,200 religions practiced in the world.  Of these, a dozen are considered “major religions”, in that they have a large following, have one or more “holy books”, and have an identifiable set of beliefs.

But what makes one different from another? Is there one God, with different paths?  Do all roads lead to the same destination?  How can one religion claim to be true above the others?

Well, there is one defining aspect about Christianity that separates it from every other religion:  That Jesus Christ rose from the grave!  Buddha is dead, Mohammed is dead, and Confucius is dead.  You can visit their tombs.  But there is no tomb for the Lord Jesus Christ, His tomb is empty!

Spme have set out to prove that the resurrection of Jesus was a myth, only to find that the evidence proves the resurrection!  Men such as Lee Stroebel, and Josh McDowell set out to prove that Christianity was false, and ended up becoming believers as the evidence was set before them.

That is the true message of the cross:  Yes Jesus died, and His death paid the price for my sin.  But Jesus not only died, He also rose from the grave!  And His victory over death is a sign to us that we will share in this victory:

For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection… Rom 6:5

None of the other 4,199 other religions can deliver this promise!

Join us this Sunday, as we look the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Till the whole world hears...

Pastor Clay

The Suffering Messiah

Isa 53:3-5
He is despised and rejected by men, a Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him; He was despised, and we did not esteem Him. Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; Yet we esteemed Him stricken, Smitten by God, and afflicted. But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed.

When we look at this prophetic utterance regarding the death of Jesus on the cross, we see a man who is rejected, despised, stricken, and afflicted.  These are the sufferings of Jesus Christ on that day some two thousand years ago.  But the question often comes up, “Why did Jesus have to suffer?”  I did an internet search on the question; and got 342,000 results!

But after looking through about 100,000 of the answers (OK, I’m joking – I only looked at five!), something became clear:  All of the reasons that Jesus had to suffer boil down to one thing – US.  You and I.  Look at the words of the scripture in Isaiah:

• He has borne our griefs
• carried our sorrows
• He was wounded for our transgressions,
• He was bruised for our iniquities;
• The chastisement for our peace was upon Him
• by His stripes we are healed

Jesus Christ suffered the cross for you and I, that through His suffering and death, we would be reconciled to God, and have eternal life!

Phil 2:5-11
Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Join us Sunday as we look to the suffering of Jesus Christ on the cross.

...till the whole world hears,

Pastor Clay

The Suffering Messiah

Isa 53:3-5

He is despised and rejected by men, a Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him; He was despised, and we did not esteem Him. Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; Yet we esteemed Him stricken, Smitten by God, and afflicted. But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed.

 

When we look at this prophetic utterance regarding the death of Jesus on the cross, we see a man who is rejected, despised, stricken, and afflicted.  These are the sufferings of Jesus Christ on that day some two thousand years ago.  But the question often comes up, “Why did Jesus have to suffer?”  I did an internet search on the question;  342,000 results!

 

But after looking through about 100,000 of the answers (OK, I’m joking – I only looked at five!), something became clear:  All of the reasons that Jesus had to suffer boil down to one:  US.  You and I.  Look at the words of the scripture in Isaiah:

 

• He has borne our griefs
• carried our sorrows
• He was wounded for our transgressions,
• He was bruised for our iniquities;
• The chastisement for our peace was upon Him
• by His stripes we are healed

 

Jesus Christ suffered the cross for you and I, that through His suffering and death, we would be reconciled to God, and have eternal life!

 

Phil 2:5-11

Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

 

Join us Sunday as we look to the suffering of Jesus Christ on the cross.

 

 

Till the whole world hears...

 

Pastor Clay

 

What shall I do with Jesus, who is called Christ?

Pilate said to them, "What then shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ?"
Matt 27:22

As we prepare to wrap up our study of Matthew (only three Sundays left!), we come to the trial of Jesus before Pontius Pilate. By the morning of the Day that Jesus was crucified, Jesus had already been before three trials, if you can all them trials.  Perhaps “mock trials” would be a better description, since the outcome had already been determined by the religious leaders.  No matter what, Jesus was going to be found guilty.

Jesus trial before Pontius Pilate, the Roman Procurator of Judea, contains many interesting aspects which we will explore on Sunday.  But one statement stands out, when Pilate asks the Jewish crowd "What then shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ?"  

I do not believe that it was just a question, asked by a Roman, to the Jews.  To me this question was initiated in the mind of this Roman by the Living God, a question that was recorded for all of history by Matthew, a question that rings out to all mankind, throughout the ages:  What shall I do with Jesus, who is called Christ?

It is a question that every human being must answer.  What is your answer?

Join us Sunday, for “From Gethsemane to Calvary Part 3 - The Trial of Jesus”

Till the whole world hears,

Pastor Clay

Called out by a servant girl...

Now Peter sat outside in the courtyard. And a servant girl came to him, saying, "You also were with Jesus of Galilee." But he denied it before them all, saying, "I do not know what you are saying." 
Matt 26:69-70

As I read this passage I thought “Oh c’mon Peter!  A few minutes ago you were bragging to Jesus that you would stand with Him to the death, and now a little servant girl says “weren’t you with Jesus?” and you completely fail!”

But suddenly I remembered a day in my own life some 30 years ago. I had just become a Christian, and I was working really hard to stay away from my “old ways.”  But on that day I was driving around, and decided to stop by the house of one of my previous ‘partners in crime”, Rick.  It’s not like I wanted to go there, I just happened to be in the neighborhood, and I thought that since I was already there, it would be fine to just drop in and say “hi.”  You know, see how things were going. Of course I hadn’t seen Rick for a few weeks (being all ‘saved’ now and everything), and of course he wondered where I had been.  I’ll never forget his joking comment, “what’d you do, find Jesus!”  The statement hit me like a brick.  That was exactly what had happened, but the thought of admitting it terrified me.  “Ha” I laughed, “no man, I’ve just been busy!” Whew.  Close call.  Who knows what those guys might’ve thought if I told them the truth!

Funny thing, that day.  I thought I was just stopping by to say “hi”, but the next thing I knew it was 11 pm at night, and I was trashed.  Wow, just like old times. But it wasn’t just like old times.  I was different now.  I was one of God’s kids; I had a new life in me, and that old life didn’t jive with my new life.  At the end of the night I got out of there, and I remember the feelings I had.  I felt just like Peter did that night in the courtyard. I felt like I had totally failed, I had let Jesus down.

Join us Sunday as we look at Matthew 26:69-75, Peter’s denial of Christ, and why it should matter to us.

Till the whole world hears...

Pastor Clay