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

And there was war again...

As I was reading and praying about this coming Sunday’s communion service, a statement from our text in 1 Samuel jumped out at me: “And there was war again.” (1 Sam 19:8)

It’s not an overly deep theological statement.  The thing that jumped out at me was this truth:  In this world we are never in a place of 100% peace.

Certainly we are at peace with God.  We can be at peace with our fellow man.  But the fact of the matter is that there is always a battle that rages all around us, each and every day.  Our enemy, Satan and his demonic forces, never sleep.  They never give us pause.  They are always lurking around us looking for an opportunity to pounce.   

My youngest son likes to watch Big Cat Dairies, and one of the highlights of the show is when they show footage of a big cat stealthily creeping up to a group of gazelle.  While the gazelle are peacefully grazing, this cat is slowly getting closer and closer, looking for an opportunity to make a quick kill.  It’s the same picture that our bible gives us:

Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. (1 Pet 5:8)

Now I don’t believe we should be looking around every corner, expecting the devil to jump out.  But I do believe that we should be aware – not afraid, but aware – that our enemy seeks to destroy us.  Just like David, I’ll go through a period of relative calm, then BAM!  Another battle is upon me!  Just as the scripture says, “…and there was war again!“  Then I think of the song we recently learned:   

Always

My foes are many, they rise against me,

But I will hold my ground.

I will not fear the war, I will not fear the storm.

My help is on the way, my help is on the way.

Oh, my God, He will not delay.

My refuge and strength always.

I will not  fear, His promise is true.

My God will come through always! 

Troubles surround me, chaos abounding.

My soul will rest in You.

I will not fear the war, I will not fear the storm.

My help is on the way, my help is on the way.

(then comes the awesome bridge…)

I lift my eyes up, my help comes from the Lord!

What a powerful declaration!  What a powerful truth to trust!  

My friends, Jesus came to bring us life, to make all things new, and to set the captives free!  This coming Sunday, when we gather in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, lets expect chains to be broken, captives to be set free, and lives to be changed forever.  Let’s expect VICTORY!  

Pastor Clay

Preparation for Greatness

We opened up 2012 with a challenge: God has a purpose and a plan for each of us:

But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light. (1 Peter 2:9)

As His special people, God calls us to be set apart, different from the rest of the world.  Not so that we can think we are better or more holy, but so that the world can see the peace, beauty, and love in our lives, in contrast to the conflict, carnage, and pain of the rest of the world.

God calls on us to live in such a way that our very lives, and the lives of our family and children, would be lights to a dark and dying world.  That everything in our life: our possessions, our career, our relationships, even our checkbook, these things would be a testimony to the God we serve.

But as we move forward in our purpose, there will be many twists and turns along the way.  There will be challenges, and there will be difficulties.  There will be events and situations that God will use as a honing stone in our lives, to prepare us for the things we will face in the future.

David was anointed as king as a young boy, but he was far from walking in the fullness of who God had called him to be.  Starting on the day that he stepped into the valley of Elam to face Goliath, David would face many challenges, each one an important part of Gods preparation for the role that David was going to fulfill as King of Israel. 

As we walk through this series, I believe its important for not to see this as simply a study of David’s life.  We need to see these challenges, and how David responds to them, in the context of our own lives.  We need to understand how God will use the events and situations in our lives, especially the negative ones, to prepare us for the future roles that God has planned for us.  

Join us Sunday as we begin the next phase of our 1 Samuel series:  “The Rise of the Kings:  Preparation for Greatness”

...till the whole world hears,

Pastor Clay

Living with Purpose...

(excerpt from today's message) If we truly believe that God is real, that He created us in His image, that there is an eternal realm where God exists, and that the day will come when Jesus Christ returns for His bride, and we will spend eternity with Him, then I have to ask myself:  Am I living my life with that end in mind?

But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light. (1 Peter 2:9)

Peter is making a spiritual comparison of us, New Testament believers, to the nation of Israel:  God’s chosen people.  It is a remarkable and high calling.

See God didn't chose Israel because they were better, or more spiritual:  He chose them because He chose to chose them.  When God gave the law through Moses, He was not trying to keep the Israelites from having fun:  He was setting them apart to he holy, distinct, different from all the other nations.  He gave them special instructions for eating, for marriage, for raising their children, so that over time the other nations would see the harmony and peace that following God brought to their lives, and they would be a light to the nations!

And that is our purpose as NT Christians. God calls us to live lives that are set apart, different from the rest of the world, not so that we can think we are better or more holy, but so that the world can see the peace, beauty, and love of our lives in contrast to the conflict, carnage, and pain of the rest of the world!

Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God. (2 Cor 5:20)

We are called to live in a way that, by our very lives, and the lives of our family and children, that we would be lights to a dark and dying world.  That everything in our lives: our possessions, our career, our relationships, even our checkbook – these things would be a testimony to the God we serve!

May the Lord bless you as you seek Him for purpose in the coming year.

Pastor Clay

New Things I Declare

Behold, the former things have come to pass, and new things I declare; before they spring forth I tell you of them. (Is 42:9)

The dawn of a new year is a unique time.  Many of us will reflect on our lives over the course of the past year; was it a “good year?”  “Bad year?”  Somewhere in between?

I suppose that the thing that determines whether we consider 2011 a ‘good’ or ‘bad’ year has something to do with our perspective; how we measure the past year of our life.  If I asked you to rate the past year, what criteria would you use?

Finances?  Career? Health? Relationships? Spiritual growth?

In reality, all of these are valid areas to evaluate, as they are all important aspects of our lives.  

From a biblical standpoint, there isn’t a scripture that tells us that on January 1^st we should take stock of our lives, and make new years resolutions.  But there are verses that tell us to examine ourselves. For instance, Galatians 6:4 tell us:

But let each one examine his own work, and then he will have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another. (Gal 6:4)

This Sunday I’ll be sharing more on this subject, but until then I will leave you with three questions to ponder:

#1 Are the things I am doing today; physically, emotionally, spiritually, working for my life?

#2 Am I being a good and faithful steward of the things God has entrusted to me?

#3 Am I living my life with purpose?

Join us Sunday at 9 or 11 am for our New Years Day service:  New Things I Declare.

… till the whole world hears,

Pastor Clay

The Greatest Gift

This week as I’ve been preparing for the message on Sunday, the Lord took me, of all places, to Malachi. Malachi is an interesting book in that the message to Israel came at a time when there was a great cloud of spiritual apathy hovering over the nation.  The people were half-hearted towards the things of God.  There was a great divide between God and His people, and no matter how much God encouraged His people to turn back to Him, they seemed to have this “ho hum” attitude towards Him.  The people were so focused on their own lives, their prosperity, and their comfort, they didn't really have time for God.

In a way this scenario reminds me of the attitude our society has towards Christmas.  The focus is on whether sales will be up or flat; or how people are adjusting to the new financial situation; or whether a town can display a nativity scene on public property.

Perhaps just as Malachi urged the nation of Israel to turn their hearts back to God, we should be urged to recognize this holiday for it’s true meaning: The celebration of the greatest gift ever given, God’s Son, the Lord Jesus Christ!

Join us this Sunday for "Christ, the Greatest Gift"

Pastor Clay

Love Believes the Best

Now it had happened as they were coming home, when David was returning from the slaughter of the Philistine, that the women had come out of all the cities of Israel, singing and dancing, to meet King Saul, with tambourines, with joy, and with musical instruments. So the women sang as they danced, and said: “Saul has slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands.”

Then Saul was very angry, and the saying displeased him; and he said, “They have ascribed to David ten thousands, and to me they have ascribed only thousands. Now what more can he have but the kingdom?” So Saul eyed David from that day forward. (1 Sam 18:6-9)

What an interesting study of human behavior this little section of scripture is.  See, you would think that because David was so highly regarded by the people, it would be a good thing for the Kingdom.  For Saul to have a person on staff that was doing a great job and that the people were totally excited about, it should have been a reflection of Saul’s wisdom in promoting David. But because Saul was self-absorbed, he saw David’s popularity as a threat to his leadership, even his position as king.

From this point forward Saul’s mind is filled with suspicion towards David. He’ll begin to hear most everything David says with suspicious ears.  He’ll look at most all David’s actions with suspicious eyes.  His thoughts about David will be twisted by suspicion.  In Saul we see the exact opposite of what God calls us to:

Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. (1 Cor 13:4-7)

In other words, as God’s people we are called to believe the best about people. I have found this principle to be life changing in every relationship in my life.  When someone does or says something that I don’t like I can do one of two things:

I can assume the worst:  That they don’t like me, that they are trying to hurt me, that they have an agenda against me.

Or, I can assume the best:  Perhaps I misunderstood them, perhaps what they said didn’t come out the way they meant it, or perhaps they were just having a bad day!

See when I believe the worst about a person or a situation, I start taking everything they say or do personal.  I start wondering what else they may have said about me.  Before too long, I have convicted and condemned that person in my mind.  And of course, once I’ve convicted them of the crime, the next logical step is the punishment. My thoughts can very easily lead to negative actions against them.

But if I am willing to be obedient to Gods word, and believe the best about that person, the complete opposite happens.  I don’t worry about what else they might be saying, or what they really think about me.  I don’t take what they say or do personal. I give grace. My thoughts still lead to actions, but they are positive actions!

So next time someone says or does something that upsets you, consider 1 Cor 13, and ask the God to help you believe the best about that person!

… till the whole world hears,

Pastor Clay

Give Thanks...

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving Day, and people everywhere are busy preparing, traveling, cleaning, and getting ready for company.  Things are no different here at CCW, as we are preparing for our Thanksgiving Feast tomorrow, where we expect to feed over 200 people (CLICK HERE for more info). 

But before we get too busy, let’s take time to remember why we are thankful.  Sure we are thankful for having a place to live, food to eat, family, these are not small things.  But as Christians we have so much more reason to be thankful, because we have been given a kingdom which cannot be shaken (Heb 12:28), we have been given eternal life (John 3:15), we have been given abundant life (John 10:10), all through the person of Jesus Christ! 

O Come, let us sing for joy to the LORD; Let us shout joyfully to the rock of our salvation. Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving; Let us shout joyfully to Him with psalms. For the LORD is a great God, And a great King above all gods, In whose hand are the depths of the earth; The peaks of the mountains are His also. The sea is His, for it was He who made it; And His hands formed the dry land. Come, let us worship and bow down; Let us kneel before the LORD our Maker. -- Psalm 95:1-6

This Sunday will be normal service times, 9 & 11 am, and we’ll be finishing up the account of David and Goliath: Rally in the Valley Part 2!

… till the whole world hears,

Pastor Clay

Rally in the Valley

This Sunday we are going to explore what could be said to be the most famous battle ever fought:  David & Goliath.  It’s the quintessential story of good vs evil, of the weak vs the strong, the story of the victory of the underdog. It’s the Old Testament version of Rocky!

Something that really intrigues me about this account is the aspect of God’s plan, linked together with David’s obedience, empowered by David’s faith and God’s Spirit working in David, produced a result that absolutely no one was expecting. No one, that is, except God!

See sometimes it seems that we’re all alone in our endeavor.  No one is for us, and no one is willing to go into the battle with us. But saints, we are NOT alone.  God is for us, and He will empower us if we will step out in faith to what He has called us to.  Even slaying giants!

Join us Sunday, for 1 Samuel 17, Rally in the Valley!

…till the whole world hears,

Pastor Clay

The Power of Worship

And so it was, whenever the spirit from God was upon Saul, that David would take a harp and play it with his hand. Then Saul would become refreshed and well, and the distressing spirit would depart from him. – 1 Sam 16:23

This past Sunday we learned a powerful truth that I believe has the power to change our walk with Christ:  The Power of Worship.

We learned that worship has power:  Power to bring refreshment, power to bring victory, and power to bring the Kingdom!

But why is worship really important?  What’s the big deal?  Isn’t it just music? 

Worship can involve music, but it is so much more.  Worship is something that dates to eternity past that involved an angel who was called the “seal of perfection.” His name was Lucifer:

“You were the seal of perfection, Full of wisdom and perfect in beauty.
You were in Eden, the garden of God; Every precious stone was your covering: The sardius, topaz, and diamond, Beryl, onyx, and jasper, Sapphire, turquoise, and emerald with gold. The workmanship of your timbrels and pipes was prepared for you on the day you were created.
“You were the anointed cherub who covers; I established you; You were on the holy mountain of God; You walked back and forth in the midst of fiery stones.
-- Ez 28:12-14

Ezekiel is describing an angelic being that radiated the splendor of God in all of His creative ability.  This being was crafted to produce beauty: He was beautiful to look upon, and beautiful to listen to.  This being was created to bring glory to the Living God in the eternal realm.

But there was a problem – apparently Lucifer was so splendid, so incredible, that he became completely enamored of himself, and decided that he should be the one receiving worship. And this was a problem:

You were perfect in your ways from the day you were created, till iniquity was found in you.
“By the abundance of your trading You became filled with violence within, And you sinned; Therefore I cast you as a profane thing Out of the mountain of God; And I destroyed you, O covering cherub, From the midst of the fiery stones.
“Your heart was lifted up because of your beauty; You corrupted your wisdom for the sake of your splendor; I cast you to the ground, I laid you before kings, that they might gaze at you.
-- Ez 28:12-17

Isaiah 14 describes the fall:

Your pomp is brought down to Sheol, and the sound of your stringed instruments; The maggot is spread under you, and worms cover you.’
“How you are fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How you are cut down to the ground, you who weakened the nations!
For you have said in your heart:‘ I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; I will also sit on the mount of the congregation on the farthest sides of the north;
I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will be like the Most High.’
Yet you shall be brought down to Sheol, to the lowest depths of the Pit.
“Those who see you will gaze at you, and consider you, saying:‘ Is this the man who made the earth tremble, who shook kingdoms,
Who made the world as a wilderness and destroyed its cities, who did not open the house of his prisoners?’
-- Is 14:11-17

From this we learn that worship is holy, that it is set apart for God alone, for God alone is the only being worthy of our worship.  Lucifer, who we now call Satan, is not worthy of our worship, yet he desires it more than anything else.  That tells you something about the importance and value of worship.  And it brings us back to our truth about what worship brings:

Refreshment

When we are engaged in worship of the true and Living God, the result is refreshment.  But its not refreshing because the music is nice, it is refreshing because God is enthroned on the praise of His people:

But You are holy, enthroned in the praises of Israel. – Ps 22:3

In other words, when we praise Him, a spiritual reality is happening, we are enthroning God in our praise.  As we enthrone God, God refreshes us – as rain refreshes the fields:

Ask the LORD for rain, in the time of the latter rain. The LORD will make flashing clouds; He will give them showers of rain, grass in the field for everyone.
– Zech 10:1

Victory

This is pretty simple to me.  Satan desires to receive worship as God, but he isn’t God.  When we worship the true God, it throws that reality right in Satan’s face!  He can’t stand it. The enemies of God flee when God’s people worship Him. In military terms, when you’re enemy runs away, it’s called victory!

Kingdom

As Christians we live with the promise of the future eternal kingdom of God in heaven, but there is a present sense of the kingdom of God that we should not miss: God working in and through us!  When the Pharisee’s asked Jesus about the kingdom, He replied:

The kingdom of God does not come with observation; nor will they say, ‘See here!’ or ‘See there!’ For indeed, the kingdom of God is within you. -- Luke 17:20-21

Saints, we should keep our eye’s focused on the coming of our Lord:

For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ… -- Phil 3:20

But we also should walk in the power and freedom of the kingdom of God that is within us.  Worship is something that recognizes that kingdom, embraces that kingdom, and manifests the power and presence of the Living God in our lives right now – today!

Oh, sing to the LORD a new song! Sing to the LORD, all the earth.
Sing to the LORD, bless His name; Proclaim the good news of His salvation from day to day.
Declare His glory among the nations, His wonders among all peoples.
For the LORD is great and greatly to be praised; He is to be feared above all gods.
For all the gods of the peoples are idols, But the LORD made the heavens.
Honor and majesty are before Him; Strength and beauty are in His sanctuary.
 Give to the LORD, O families of the peoples, Give to the LORD glory and strength.
Give to the LORD the glory due His name; Bring an offering, and come into His courts.
Oh, worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness! Tremble before Him, all the earth.
-- Ps 96:1-9

Think about these truths the next time you come to worship the Lord, whether in church, your home, or sitting on the beach.  

Pastor Clay

God's Plan for your life

Last week we were introduced to a young man named David, who at the time was only a young boy keeping sheep, but we know that God had bigger plans for David’s life!

I hear many people ask the question: “Does God have a plan for my life?” Here’s the deal: The question is NOT “does God have a plan,” but rather “What is God’s plan for my life?” Because rest assured, God DOES have a plan for your life! You may not know it yet, God may not have revealed it to you completely, but I want you to know, for sure, God has a plan for you!  The problem is that often we see ourselves as just one of billions, and we think God has other, more important people to work with.

This past week the population of the earth passed seven BILLION. That is a lot of people! But here’s the thing:  

You are not just a speck of life in a pool of humanity; God specifically designed you in your mother’s womb as a unique individual, different from each and every other of the seven billion people on this planet.   

And if God custom designed you, then it stands to reason that He custom designed you for a purpose!  And that purpose cannot be fulfilled by any other of the seven billion people on this planet, because they are not YOU! And it really doesn’t matter if our purpose seems to be as important as the next person because everything that God does works together to fulfill His great commission: to spread the gospel message from one end of the earth to the other.  There are no minor parts.  Every part is important.

So folks, don’t limit what God can do through based on your view of your importance, or your age, or even your ability’s, because that is not what God needs.  God only needs two things in order to work through us, like we learned about David:

#1 – A heart that seeks after God

#2 – The filling of the Holy Spirit in our lives.

That’s it!  I know, it sounds simple.  That’s why a lot of people miss it completely. I think it’s time we begin to fully and completely seek after God, and ask be filled with the Holy Spirit of God, and let’s just see what God might do! Trust me, if you seek Him, He will answer.  Jesus promised it:

For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.  Luke 11:10

Pastor Clay