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

Spiritual Surgery

We went through fire and through water; but You brought us out to rich fulfillment. (Ps 66:12)

As Christians we can sometimes fall into the trap of thinking that because we are Christians, and God loves us, that our life is supposed to be good, all the time. I mean, God is good, all the time, right?  Our lives ought to be one big bless-fest, and if anything comes into our live that is bad, or hard, then somewhere along the line we must have done something wrong.  Somehow we’ve failed God, and now He’s punishing us.  Funny that it never occurs to us that sometimes God allows difficult things into our life because he loves us.  Hard as it may seem to grasp, it’s true. 

The truth is, our Heavenly Father uses everything that comes into our live for a purpose, as Romans 8:28 teaches us “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.” It doesn't say “good things work together,” it says “all things work together.”  

A difficulty in life can serve many purposes, for instance when we do something dumb, the ensuing repercussion is instrumental in teaching us a valuable lesson (I’ll never do that again!).

Another reason God allows a trial into our life to perform what I call “spiritual surgery.” Spiritual surgery is an event where God is either adding something to us that we are in desperate need of (I can think of many things He has had to add to me!), or removing something from us that is going to hinder us going forward.  Whatever the case, it’s never pleasant.

This Sunday we’ll be finishing up 1 Samuel 23, and watching as God performs spiritual surgery on David.  What is it God is removing from David?  You’ll just have to come and hear. 

Oh and also, we’ll be taking communion together.  Personally, I can’t wait!  (by the way, if you’re reading this and aren’t able to attend, you can get our messages each week by clicking here).

Pastor Clay

Surviving the Keilalites in your life

In 1 Samuel 23 David and his four-hundred men travel to a small town named Keilah to rescue its inhabitants from a marauding band of Philistines.  The Philistines were coming in at the end of the harvest season and raiding the food stocks of the town. Not really a big deal, I’m sure they could cruise over to Costco and get more grain.  Wait, they didn't have Costco’s back then.  Matter of fact, they was no safety net in that culture.  If you didn’t have food stored up for the winter, you didn't eat.  There was no Holy Grounds Food Pantry to sustain them through the winter. Losing their food stocks meant starvation. So for David and his men to come in and drive out the Philistines was a pretty big deal; they literally saved the lives of the people of that town.

But a funny thing happened after they drove out the Philistines.  God told David that the men of that town were going to turn on David, and hand him over to Saul. Perhaps “funny” isn’t the right word. “Sellout” might be a better description of these people.  “Ungrateful” fits too.  You have to ask, how could a town that had just experienced salvation through David and his men turn around and hand David over to crazy king Saul?

We may never know the answer to that question, as we really don't know what was in the hearts and minds of these folks.  But there is one thing that we can take away from this:  Sometimes the people that you sacrifice the most for, are the very ones that will toss you under the bus when it suits them.  The people that we love the most can sometimes become our “Keilalites.”

Perhaps you have experienced something like this.  A friend comes to you in a desperate situation.  You pray for them, counsel, talk to them on the phone, meet with them, and through your sacrifice you help them overcome the Philistines in their life. But once they’re over the hump, not only do you not hear from them anymore, you get word that that person has spoken badly and criticized you behind your back. What! Of all the nerve!  How could they do such a thing? That person that you poured yourself out for has become your Keilalite.  How do we respond to the Keilalites in our life?

Join us Sunday at 9:30 & 11:30, for the continuation of our series “The Rise of the Kings: Surviving the Keilalites in your life.”

GO! Share Your New Life

Suppose  one day at work your boss came up to you and said to you “go.”  "Go?" "Yes, go."  If you boss told you to go, you would need some clarity, some specificity.  Go where?  Go when? Go why?  Good questions, because how can you go unless you know where you’re going, when you’re going, and why you’re going?  If you boss said “go,” there would be additional, and important, information that you would need in order to commence the mission that your boss was sending you on.

In Matthew chapter 28, after Jesus rose from the grave, He met with His disciples in Galilee one last time, and He gave them a mission.  In verse nineteen Jesus told the disciples “Go.” But Jesus didn't stop there. He gave them the additional, and important information that they needed to commence the mission.

Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” (Matt 28:19-20)

This Sunday we’ll be looking closely at this mission that Jesus gave to the disciples, because in truth, Jesus didn't just give that mission to the eleven disciples.  Jesus gave that mission to all disciples. If you are a disciple, otherwise known as a “Christian,” then Jesus was also speaking to you!  From that moment forward, every follower of Jesus Christ has a mission, directly from the Lord Jesus Christ, to GO.

Join us this Sunday, at 9:30 & 11:30 (new times), as we conclude our “Dawn of New Life” series: Chapter 4 – GO!  Share your new life.

...till the whole world hears,

Pastor Clay

The Birth of New Life

The past two Sundays we have been examining Jesus Christ, looking to scripture to understand who He really is.  So far we have looked at the PROMISE that we have in Christ, the promise of eternal life.  We have looked at His Kingship, the King of Kings, and Lord of Lords, who entered Jerusalem in 32 AD and presented Himself to the Jewish nation as the promised Messiah. Yet God’s people didn’t see it, didn’t get it, and didn't receive Him.  Five days after Jesus entered the city, the Jewish leaders, with support from the people, and under the authority of the Roman government, sentenced Jesus to the most severe punishment that was available:  Scourging, and crucifixion. We read the account in Matthew 27:

And when they had come to a place called Golgotha, that is to say, Place of a Skull, they gave Him sour wine mingled with gall to drink. But when He had tasted it, He would not drink. Then they crucified Him, and divided His garments, casting lots, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet:

“They divided My garments among them,
And for My clothing they cast lots.”

Sitting down, they kept watch over Him there. And they put up over His head the accusation written against Him: THIS IS JESUS THE KING OF THE JEWS.
(Matt 27:31-37)

This Sunday is Easter, the day that Christians around the world celebrate the resurrection of our Lord. 

Now, had Jesus been just another man, just another prophet, just a great teacher, this would have been the end of His story.

In Matthew 21, when Jesus had come into the city, the people wondered: “who is He?”  To me, the events that transpired after the crucifixion answer that question:  Jesus is the Son of God.  He is the promised Messiah.  He is the Anointed One.  He is the King of Kings.  He is the Lord Jesus Christ!

Folks, we serve a LIVING GOD – not a dead prophet.  He rose from the grave, He is alive, and He brings life to all that will accept Him.  If Jesus didn't rise from the grave, we as Christians are the most misled and pitiful people on earth.  But because He rose from the grave, we are the most joyful, hopeful, and powerful people on earth.  At least we should be.

Join us Sunday, as we look at part II of our Dawn of Life series, “The Birth of New Life.”

Pastor Clay

The King of New Life

This Sunday we will look at Jesus entrance into Jerusalem. On April 6, 32 AD Jesus sat atop a colt, and begin his ascent into the city.  We read the description in Matt 21:

And a very great multitude spread their clothes on the road; others cut down branches from the trees and spread them on the road. 9 Then the multitudes who went before and those who followed cried out, saying: “Hosanna to the Son of David! ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!’ Hosanna in the highest!” (Matt 21:8-9)

In my mind I can picture something like the hero’s parade they had in NY City at the close of WWII, or when the astronauts returned from the moon in 1968.  People lining the streets, shouting and cheering, excitement everywhere!  The Jewish people are known for their public display of excitement, and I think this day was no exception! But strangely enough, with all of their excitement about Jesus coming to town, not five days later this same crowd would be calling for his death.  Crowds can be fickle!

A similar thing happens even today.  A person comes to church, perhaps struggling in some way, needing a new beginning.  They come face to face with the Lord Jesus Christ, and man they are excited about Him! They are excited about what He offers, and how He can change their lives! But after the crisis recedes, they don’t need Jesus as much as they thought.  Matter of fact, some of His ways really get in the way of their lifestyle.

In the same way we are faced with a similar question.  We know who Jesus is, maybe we’re even excited about Him, but are we willing to make Him Lord?


Join us this Sunday for episode 2 of our series, "The King of New Life."

...till the whole world hears

Pastor Clay

The Promise

What if you knew the date that your life would end? One the one hand, most of us wouldn’t want to know that kind of information. It would make those last days dreadful, counting down the days, one at a time! But on the other hand, it would allow us to take care of any important business that needed to be wrapped up before we go. We could set our affairs in order. We could communicate the things that we felt were of great importance to the people close to us. 

 With this in mind, I cant help but think that in the days and weeks leading up to Jesus arrival in Jerusalem, and His ultimate appointment with the cross, Jesus may have felt a heightened sense of focus in the things He shared with those around Him. Jesus was about to unveil the greatest promise ever to be shared in the history of the world: The Promise of New Life. No gift could be greater, no blessing more abundant. The New Life that Jesus brought to the world contains present and future implications that we will spend the rest of eternity learning about! 

This Sunday I’ll be opening up a four-part series for Easter: The Dawn of New Life, where we’ll be tracking Jesus from the teachings he shared before His entrance into Jerusalem, all the way through to His resurrection and the great commission. I believe it will be a powerful series that will change lives forever, not because I am teaching it, but because it's the account of the greatest gift ever; The NEW LIFE we have in Christ! 

I hope you’ll join us this Sunday, March 25th, for the first installment of our series, “The Promise of New Life.” 

 PS – be sure to invite someone to church this Sunday. You can tell them they’ll hear the greatest story ever told! 

Pastor Clay

How to live when you're DEAD

How to live when you're DEAD

…don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. (Rom 6:3-4)

This Sunday we will celebrate the baptism of more then ten precious souls who have given their life to Jesus Christ (I say “more than ten” because people are still signing up!). 

Baptism is one of the most significant events in the life of a follower of Jesus Christ.  It is significant not because of what they are doing, but because of what it represents – something that is already DONE!  Baptism is an outward expression that a person has begun a new life in Jesus Christ. It symbolizes what has taken place inwardly when you received Christ as your savior and accepted God's grace:

You are now DEAD to sin, and

You are now ALIVE to Christ!

But what does that mean?  Will I never sin again?  If I do, does that mean I have failed as a Christian, and I have to get baptized all over again? If I totally blow it, does that mean something didn’t “take” and I’m not really a Christian after all?

Short answer:  No, no, and NO!

Baptism is simply an outward act of obedience to Christ, and a public testimony to all who are witnessing it that says “I have become a new creation in Christ.”  It’s the “new creation” part that changes who we are, and how we live.  Because you see, it’s no longer US who are living out our lives, but Christ IN US who is living through us.  New life – not mine, but HIS.

Join us Sunday as we celebrate a spiritual milestone with our brothers and sisters in Christ, and learn about the new life that lives in us.  I don’t know about you, but I wouldn’t miss if for the world!

… till the whole world hears,

Pastor Clay

None of these things...

But none of these things move me; nor do I count my life dear to myself, so that I may finish my race with joy, and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God. (Acts 20:24)

Today the devo from Oswald Chambers (utmost.org) made the statement “Joy means the perfect fulfillment of that for which I was created and regenerated, not the successful doing of a thing.”  I thought about that for a good long time.  Pretty profound, that when I am fulfilling the ministry that God called me to, that is where I will be the most fulfilled, and that is when my joy will be complete.  And its true: The sweet-spot of my life is when I am leading worship, and teaching the bible.  I love doing a lot of things, but nothing comes close to the times when I am doing the things God created me to do.

So, do you know what God has created you to do?  Do you know the ministry He has called you to?  If yes, then the greatest commission you can have is to be loyal to that ministry, however great or small it is.  If not, then perhaps now is a good time to seek Him, and ask Him (Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you – Matt 7:7), because you’re missing out on the joy and fulfillment that God wants you to have.

Crazy Kings - 1 Sam 22

Several years ago there was a public service commercial about the dangers of using drugs, and the key line of that commercial was; “a mind is a terrible thing to waste.” There are many disabilities that a person can overcome, but for a person to lose their mind is a frightening and helpless situation.  Anyone that has watched a loved one fall prey to Alzheimer’s can attest that it is indeed a cruel disease.

But some mental declines are not so much the fault of a physiological condition, but rather is the result of a moral and spiritual decline, which brings about a mental decline. When a person begins to live in a way that is in direct opposition to what they know to be right and true, when they violate the moral and ethical principles that they once held so firmly, it has an effect on that person’s perspective of reality. In order to live with themselves, that person is forced to rationalize their behavior, and to justify their logic, faulty as it may be.  They begin to believe their own lies. The result is that a door is opened for the father of lies, the enemy we know to be Satan, to being to wreak havoc in that persons life.  Many of us know people that have walked away from the foundation of their faith, and years later if we talk to them, we walk away thinking “man, their not thinking right.”

That is exactly what we are seeing here as we watch the decline of king Saul (hereafter to be known as ‘crazy king Saul).  Saul has done some terrible things, but it’s about to get a whole lot worse. We are witnessing a man who had it all go down in flames like the Hindenburg. I think Saul’s life is a living example of what can happen if we walk away from what we know to be true:  Who God is, His word, and who we are to Him!

Join us Sunday morning for “Crazy Kings and unintended consequences.”

What if?

I think it’s quite humorous sometimes how God works, because I would be willing to bet that if God had given David the opportunity to pick 400 men to come alongside him, he would not have picked the men that came to him in the cave of Adullum! But apparently these are the kind of people that God picks!

For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called. (1 Cor 1:26)

In other words God often chooses the people that others might pass by to do His calling, He chooses people that the world might disregard.

• God will work through those that are not wise to do things that the wise could not fathom.
• God will take those who are not mighty to do things that the mighty could only dream about.
• God will take those who are not noble and elevate them to the highest positions in heaven!

Think about the disciples that Jesus picked: Most were fisherman (not a highly esteemed profession); one was a tax collector, and one a revolutionary. The Gospels record the constant failings of these men, the struggles, and the doubts of these twelve men who followed Jesus Christ. Yet it was these twelve men, when submitted to God and filled with the Holy Spirit, that set the world on fire for Jesus Christ!

These 400 men will come to be known, from that time until now, as “David’s Mighty Men.”

Mighty men of valor, men trained for battle, who could handle the shield and spear, whose faces were like the faces of lions, and were as swift as gazelles on the mountains. (1 Chronicles 12:8)

This was a group that became renown throughout the land. When these guys showed up, you’d better look out because something big was gonna happen! Enemies would scatter, the oppressed would be set free, and God’s name would be glorified!

What If?
What if - God did something like that here at our church? I look around our church, and I’m not down on anyone, but in all honesty we are not the church of the “rich and powerful”. I don’t see a lot of Escalades in the parking lot. I haven’t been invited to hang out on a yacht.

But what we DO have is a group of people that are:
#1 We are familiar with the distress that sin can bring into our lives, and we don’t ever want to go back there.
#2 We are a people that have been delivered from the distress of sin, and we understand how spiritually impoverished we are without Christ.
#3 We are a group of people that are not content with the things of this world, we seek a higher calling!

See when God determines to do something great, He doesn't look for the wise, the mighty, or the noble. He looks for people that understand that if ANYTHING is going to happen, it will be God that does it!

What if we became known in this town as “God’s mighty men and women”, that when we come together in the name of the Lord, you better look out, something big is going to happen! Demonic hosts would scatter, the oppressed would be set free, chains of bondage would be broken, and God’s name would be glorified!

Our church is filled with people that have been set free, redeemed, and filled with the Holy Spirit of God, and we all know people that are STILL distressed, oppressed, indebted, and discontent.

What if were bold enough to say “hey, you need to come to our church, because God is moving, and when our people pray over you, something BIG is going to happen!”

You might think “that’s a big statement,” and it is. But we serve a BIG God!

Band of Losers

“Man, I sure could use some company. Someone... anyone!” 

These might have been the words of David as he departed from Gath, and went to the cave of Adullam. David was in an even bigger jam now.  He couldn’t go home, he couldn’t go to Jonathan, he couldn’t go to Samuel, he couldn’t go to the tabernacle, he couldn’t even go to his enemies!  To be alone at a time like this is pretty tough indeed.  There is no one to talk to, no one to share your misery with, no one to strategize the next move with.  No one except the snakes in the cave!

But God is not going to leave David alone.  As always, our God knows where David is at, He knows exactly what David needs, and God is about to send some support to David.  But the men God sends might not be the men David would have picked.  God is going to send four hundred men who are distressed, indebted, and discontent.  In other words, God is going to send David a “Band of Losers.”  “Wow, thanks God!”   

But interestingly, this Band of Losers are going to become “David’s Mighty Men”, as we are told in 1 Chronicles:

Mighty men of valor, men trained for battle, who could handle the shield and spear, whose faces were like the faces of lions, and were as swift as gazelles on the mountains. (1 Chronicles 12:8)

But that does seem to be how God works; He uses the weak, the broken, the foolish, to do great and mighty things in His Kingdom.  The Apostle Paul understood this:

For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called.  But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are, that no flesh should glory in His presence. (1 Cor 1:26-28)

Join us Sunday as we break into 1 Samuel 22, “Band of Losers”.

... till the whole world hears,

Pastor Clay

Successful Failure

This Sunday we’ll be going back into 1 Samuel chapter 21, as we follow David's journey as an outcast and an enemy of the state.  During the first few months of his time on the run, David is going to make some decisions that are, well I’ll just say it, STUPID.  David is going to do things that are a far cry from the young man that stepped out to meet the giant of Gath with nothing more than a slingshot and the power of God. Lying to a priest, running to the capital city of the enemy, feigning insanity, these are not the actions of a man who is walking in the spirit and power of the Lord!  These are the actions of a desperate man, doing whatever he can to save his skin. 

If we happened to be living in that time, and were watching that situation, we might take the position that David was pretty much washed up.  We might think that David had fallen so low, that we might as well write him off, and maybe we should start praying for another king who could replace Saul.  

But if we thought that, we would be wrong. Sunday we are going to learn that God doesn’t write people off. We will learn that no matter how far we fall, God always has a way to turn our ashes into beauty.

Join us Sunday for 1 Samuel 21, for “Successful Failure”.

... till the whole world hears,

Pastor Clay