Crumbs

On Thursday, June 9, Brother Darin Sargent taught on "Crumbs."

Scripture(s):

Matthew 15:21-28

21 Then Jesus went thence, and departed into the coasts of Tyre and Sidon.
22 And, behold, a woman of Canaan came out of the same coasts, and cried unto him, saying, Have mercy on me, O Lord, [thou] Son of David; my daughter is grievously vexed with a devil.
23 But he answered her not a word. And his disciples came and besought him, saying, Send her away; for she crieth after us.
24 But he answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel.
25 Then came she and worshipped him, saying, Lord, help me.
26 But he answered and said, It is not meet to take the children's bread, and to cast [it] to dogs.
27 And she said, Truth, Lord: yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters' table.
28 Then Jesus answered and said unto her, O woman, great [is] thy faith: be it unto thee even as thou wilt. And her daughter was made whole from that very hour.


To listen to the message, click here.

What is a Witness?

On Tuesday, June 7, Elder Henderson taught on "What is a Witness."

Scripture(s):

Acts 1:8

8 But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.

Isaiah 43:10-12

10 Ye [are] my witnesses, saith the LORD, and my servant whom I have chosen: that ye may know and believe me, and understand that I [am] he: before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me.
11 I, [even] I, [am] the LORD; and beside me [there is] no saviour.
12 I have declared, and have saved, and I have shewed, when [there was] no strange [god] among you: therefore ye [are] my witnesses, saith the LORD, that I [am] God.

1 Peter 2:9

9 But ye [are] a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:

Exodus 34:30-35

30 And when Aaron and all the children of Israel saw Moses, behold, the skin of his face shone; and they were afraid to come nigh him.
31 And Moses called unto them; and Aaron and all the rulers of the congregation returned unto him: and Moses talked with them.
32 And afterward all the children of Israel came nigh: and he gave them in commandment all that the LORD had spoken with him in mount Sinai.
33 And [till] Moses had done speaking with them, he put a vail on his face.
34 But when Moses went in before the LORD to speak with him, he took the vail off, until he came out. And he came out, and spake unto the children of Israel [that] which he was commanded.
35 And the children of Israel saw the face of Moses, that the skin of Moses' face shone: and Moses put the vail upon his face again, until he went in to speak with him.

Matthew 17:3-4

3 And, behold, there appeared unto them Moses and Elias talking with him.
4 Then answered Peter, and said unto Jesus, Lord, it is good for us to be here: if thou wilt, let us make here three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias.

1 Corinthians 10:11

1 Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.

Missionary Work in Turkey

Here is a quick blast from the recent past.  On Tuesday, March 29, 2011, Brother Shawn Turner shared his story about his work as Missionary to Turkey with our church.

To listen to his message, please click here.

Points of Power

On Thursday June 2, 2011, our church was blessed to have two awesome guest speakers, Brother Ron Block and Sister Joyce Block from Perris, California.

Sister block shared the testimony of her miraculous and complete recovery from cancer.  If you would like to listen to her inspirational words of encouragement and wisdom, please click here.

Brother Block taught on "Points of Power for Spiritual Growth", some simple but incredibly relevant points to live by that most of us take for granted.  He starts and ends this message by declaring: "I believe we're in the right place, at the right time, doing the right thing."  He also offers some sage advice: we should be more like a thermostat and less like a thermometer.  A thermometer can only go up or down according to its surroundings.  A thermostat sets the temperature and is in control of things around it.  The following points will help you set the correct temperature in your walk with God.

His points are:

1. The power of putting things in motion - "Remember, you're never ready to do what you want to do, you just have to get out there and do it, and as you're doing it, the Holy Ghost can correct you and guide you much like a guided missile."
2. The power of repentance - We need to subtract before we can add things to our spiritual walk.
3. The power of trials, adversities, and problems - Count it all joy.  The issues of life can be the very making of you.
4. The power of setting the course, vision, or goal -  You are responsible for setting the course, but God is responsible for giving you the steps to fulfil your goals.
5. The power of your words - Life and death, success and failure, lie within the power of your words.
6. The power of the Holy Ghost - Let the Holy Ghost guide you as you "STRIVE" to become better.
• Start small
• Think tall
• Reach over the walls in your life
• Invest your all
• Vision it all
• Expect it all to happen
7. The power of the past - Forgive yourself of past mistakes and move on.
8. The power of hope - Hope can mean a wish or a dream, but it can also mean something much stronger, expectations.
9. The power of God in your life - Seek the kingdom of God first and He will take care of everything else.
10. The power of understanding - Instead of trying to be understood, get understanding, and with understanding the word of God will open up for you.

To listen to this powerful message, please click here.

Forgiveness

On Sunday, May 29, Pastor Molander taught on "Forgiveness."

Scripture(s):

Mark 11:22-26

22 And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God.
23 For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith.
24 Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive [them], and ye shall have [them].
25 And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.
26 But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses.

To listen to the message, click here.

Come

On Tuesday, May 24, Elder Henderson taught on a familiar four letter word, "Come."

Scripture(s):

Genesis 7:1

1 And the LORD said unto Noah, Come thou and all thy house into the ark; for thee have I seen righteous before me in this generation.

To listen to the message, click here.

Dead to Sin

On Sunday, May 22, Pastor Molander taught on "Dead to Sin."

Scripture(s):

Romans 6:11-13

11 Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.
12 Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof.
13 Neither yield ye your members [as] instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members [as] instruments of righteousness unto God.

To listen to the message, click here.

Your Decision

On Tuesday, May 17, Elder Henderson taught on "Your Decision."

Scripture(s):

Ecclesiastes 1:9-14

9 The thing that hath been, it [is that] which shall be; and that which is done [is] that which shall be done: and [there is] no new [thing] under the sun.
10 Is there [any] thing whereof it may be said, See, this [is] new? it hath been already of old time, which was before us.
11 [There is] no remembrance of former [things]; neither shall there be [any] remembrance of [things] that are to come with [those] that shall come after.
12 I the Preacher was king over Israel in Jerusalem.
13 And I gave my heart to seek and search out by wisdom concerning all [things] that are done under heaven: this sore travail hath God given to the sons of man to be exercised therewith.
14 I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and, behold, all [is] vanity and vexation of spirit.

Romans 5:8
8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

To listen to the message, click here.

The Pendulum of the Soul

On Sunday, May 15, Brother Jay Manos taught on "The Pendulum of the Soul."

Scripture(s):

Psalms 57:6-7

6 They have prepared a net for my steps; my soul is bowed down: they have digged a pit before me, into the midst whereof they are fallen [themselves]. Selah.
7 My heart is fixed, O God, my heart is fixed: I will sing and give praise.

To listen to the message, click here.

Learning to Trust God

This is a summary of Brother Moreno's teaching on Tuesday May 10, 2011.  Click here to listen to the audio version.

Proverbs 22:17-21
17 Bow down thine ear, and hear the words of the wise, and apply thine heart unto my knowledge.
18 For [it is] a pleasant thing if thou keep them within thee; they shall withal be fitted in thy lips.
19 That thy trust may be in the LORD, I have made known to thee this day, even to thee.
20 Have not I written to thee excellent things in counsels and knowledge,
21 That I might make thee know the certainty of the words of truth; that thou mightest answer the words of truth to them that send unto thee?

There is a difference between faith and trust.  The bible says that faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen (Hebrews 11:1).  Faith is essential for coming to God, but we must be able to move past faith, into trust.  Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego had faith that God would protect them if they obeyed him and did not bow down to idols.  But even when it seemed like they were about to die in a fiery furnace, they still would not disobey him.  They had to "trust" God and in the end, he saved them (Daniel 3).

Job 23:8-10
8 Behold, I go forward, but he [is] not [there]; and backward, but I cannot perceive him:
9 On the left hand, where he doth work, but I cannot behold [him]: he hideth himself on the right hand, that I cannot see [him]:
10 But he knoweth the way that I take: [when] he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold.

When things don't seem to go our way or we're facing what we perceive to be a major crisis, that's not the time to lose your trust in God.  He may be trying to make gold out of you.  He knows your path and he will help you, but he's not about to bail you out of a trial that he purposed for your growth.  Keep trusting him, no matter what happens, and in the end you'll be as good as gold.

Remember these important differences between faith and trust:

    * Faith expects things - Trust accepts things
    * Faith reaches - Trust retains
    * Faith rushes - Trust waits
    * Faith is believing - Trust is knowing
    * Faith produces change - Trust submits to unchanged conditions

Mother's Day Sermon

On Sunday, May 8, Elder Henderson taught about the traits of a "Virtuous Woman."  Here are the scriptures he referenced:

Proverbs 31:10
10 Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price [is] far above rubies.
11 The heart of her husband doth safely trust in her, so that he shall have no need of spoil.
12 She will do him good and not evil all the days of her life.
13 She seeketh wool, and flax, and worketh willingly with her hands.
14 She is like the merchants' ships; she bringeth her food from afar.
15 She riseth also while it is yet night, and giveth meat to her household, and a portion to her maidens.
16 She considereth a field, and buyeth it: with the fruit of her hands she planteth a vineyard.
17 She girdeth her loins with strength, and strengtheneth her arms.
18 She perceiveth that her merchandise [is] good: her candle goeth not out by night.
19 She layeth her hands to the spindle, and her hands hold the distaff.
20 She stretcheth out her hand to the poor; yea, she reacheth forth her hands to the needy.
21 She is not afraid of the snow for her household: for all her household [are] clothed with scarlet.
22 She maketh herself coverings of tapestry; her clothing [is] silk and purple.
23 Her husband is known in the gates, when he sitteth among the elders of the land.
24 She maketh fine linen, and selleth [it]; and delivereth girdles unto the merchant.
25 Strength and honour [are] her clothing; and she shall rejoice in time to come.
26 She openeth her mouth with wisdom; and in her tongue [is] the law of kindness.
27 She looketh well to the ways of her household, and eateth not the bread of idleness.
28 Her children arise up, and call her blessed; her husband [also], and he praiseth her.
29 Many daughters have done virtuously, but thou excellest them all.
30 Favour [is] deceitful, and beauty [is] vain: [but] a woman [that] feareth the LORD, she shall be praised.
31 Give her of the fruit of her hands; and let her own works praise her in the gates.

Happy Mother's Day!

Happy 85th Birthday Pastor!

The church held a birthday party for Pastor Molander after service on Sunday, May 1st.  His actual birthday is May 6th.  We hope you'll join us in wishing him many more "anointed" years to come.

Revival With Brother Franco Platania

If you've ever heard Brother Platania teach, then you know how educational and rich his messages are.  Following are the message titles and scripture references from the revival that we held with him at Calvary Apostolic Church on April 28-30, 2011.  To listen to audio from each night, just click on the title.

Date: Thursday, April 28
Title: Moving Into A New Season

Deuteronomy 11:8-12
8 Therefore shall ye keep all the commandments which I command you this day, that ye may be strong, and go in and possess the land, whither ye go to possess it;
9 And that ye may prolong [your] days in the land, which the LORD sware unto your fathers to give unto them and to their seed, a land that floweth with milk and honey.
10 For the land, whither thou goest in to possess it, [is] not as the land of Egypt, from whence ye came out, where thou sowedst thy seed, and wateredst [it] with thy foot, as a garden of herbs:
11 But the land, whither ye go to possess it, [is] a land of hills and valleys, [and] drinketh water of the rain of heaven:
12 A land which the LORD thy God careth for: the eyes of the LORD thy God [are] always upon it, from the beginning of the year even unto the end of the year.


Date: Friday, April 29
Title: I'm Coming Out Of This

Acts 12:7-11
7 And, behold, the angel of the Lord came upon [him], and a light shined in the prison: and he smote Peter on the side, and raised him up, saying, Arise up quickly. And his chains fell off from [his] hands.
8 And the angel said unto him, Gird thyself, and bind on thy sandals. And so he did. And he saith unto him, Cast thy garment about thee, and follow me.
9 And he went out, and followed him; and wist not that it was true which was done by the angel; but thought he saw a vision.
10 When they were past the first and the second ward, they came unto the iron gate that leadeth unto the city; which opened to them of his own accord: and they went out, and passed on through one street; and forthwith the angel departed from him.
11 And when Peter was come to himself, he said, Now I know of a surety, that the Lord hath sent his angel, and hath delivered me out of the hand of Herod, and [from] all the expectation of the people of the Jews.


Date: Saturday, April 30
Title: Your Altitude Determines Your Attitude

Luke 10:25-37
25 And, behold, a certain lawyer stood up, and tempted him, saying, Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?
26 He said unto him, What is written in the law? how readest thou?
27 And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself.
28 And he said unto him, Thou hast answered right: this do, and thou shalt live.
29 But he, willing to justify himself, said unto Jesus, And who is my neighbour?
30 And Jesus answering said, A certain [man] went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, which stripped him of his raiment, and wounded [him], and departed, leaving [him] half dead.
31 And by chance there came down a certain priest that way: and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side.
32 And likewise a Levite, when he was at the place, came and looked [on him], and passed by on the other side.
33 But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he had compassion [on him],
34 And went to [him], and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him.
35 And on the morrow when he departed, he took out two pence, and gave [them] to the host, and said unto him, Take care of him; and whatsoever thou spendest more, when I come again, I will repay thee.
36 Which now of these three, thinkest thou, was neighbour unto him that fell among the thieves?
37 And he said, He that shewed mercy on him. Then said Jesus unto him, Go, and do thou likewise.

Dangerous Thinking

This is a summary of Brother Louie Ortiz' teaching from Thursday, April 21, 2011

Thinking too much about circumstances that are beyond our control can be very dangerous.  We tend to overanalyze situations sometimes and this usually leads us to the wrong conclusions.  We wind up complicating things that are really quite simple.  We might even take our frustrations out on some unsuspecting person who is genuinely trying to help us because we misinterpret their intentions and react incorrectly.

The Devil is the accuser of the bretheren and when you're already busy beating yourself up, he likes to jump right on your back and make things worse.  He constantly tries to remind you of all your past mistakes and wants you to dwell on every hardship and loss you've ever experienced so he can make you feel like a total failure.

John 3:16
16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

I John 4:10-11
10 Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son [to be] the propitiation for our sins.

11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.

Jesus is the exact opposite.  He loved us so much that he made the ultimate sacrifice to save us.  Remember the next time the Devil tries to defeat you that Jesus already defeated him.  Keep your eyes and thoughts focused on Jesus, and his love and mercy will set you free...from the Devil, from sin, and from yourself.

Are You Spiritually Bipolar?

This is a summary of Brother Moreno's teaching from Tuesday, April 19, 2011.  Click here to listen to the audio version.
 
Bipolar disorder refers to the cycling of a person's moods between high (elevated energy) and low (depressed) episodes or "poles".  Is your spirit in this condition?  Have you ever felt like you were on the top of the mountain one service and in the lowest valley the next?  This happens much more frequently than it should.  When we're down, we can't seem to get in touch with God.  We get trapped in a self-centered state of depression and all we want to do is have our own little pity party.  Everyone around you might be jumping and praising God, but not you.  You cannot be moved.  Amazingly, you feel so good the next service that you just can't imagine why no one else is running circles around the building like you are.  Ever seen someone like that, or been there yourself?

This usually happens when we lose sight of the big picture and try to get out ahead of God.  We forget that God can answer our prayers in one of three ways: Yes, No, or WAIT.  We say "No God, I don't want to wait, I want it now, I want it now, I want it now!"  We forget that God wants us to take things one day at a time, just like he did when he created the heavens and the earth. 

Genesis 1:31
31 And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, [it was] very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day.

Genesis 2:1-3
1 Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them.

2 And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made.

3 And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made.

Many people relate the story of the seven days of creation to the seven dispensations of God.  The sixth day, the day that man was created, is associated with the sixth dispensation, that of grace.  Indeed, man would be entirely lost if it were not for God's grace.  Now notice what happened on the seventh day which is associated with the seventh dispensation, that of Christ's reign.  God sanctified this day as a holy day of rest, just as the seventh dispensation signals completion or rest.

Could it be that God wants you to stop every once a while and give him thanks for what he has done for you?  Maybe take a little time to acknowledge where he has brought you from?  Or maybe God is trying to use you to complete a work in someone else?  Maybe there's a doctor at that hospital you seem to be stuck in that God wants to reach.  Are you willing to WAIT and let God use you the way he wants to?

Sometimes we get so caught up in our own little world, we don't realize that God just wants us to stop for a moment and thank him no matter how you feel.  There's a song that says "I Give You Glory, Just Because of Who You Are."  Not because he blessed you, or because everything is going good right now, just because he is God.  Stop being spiritually bipolar.  Remember, there's a new day coming, another mountain to climb, another lesson to be learned.  Take time to stop and reflect on everything he has done.  Then he'll be able to take you to the next day and give you the rest you deserve.

Tests and Trials

This is a summary of Elder Henderson's teaching from Sunday, April 17, 2011

General Patton once said “Better to fight for something than live for nothing.”  Sometimes, the pressures of life require us to fight for what we believe in.  Don't despair, God uses these situations to make us stronger and to turn us into what he wants us to be.  In fact, the only time real learning and growth can take place is during a fiery trial.  No matter how hot it gets, or how long it seems to last, don't give up hope.  Put your trust in God.  He will not only help you pass the test, he'll also put a song of joy in your heart.  The next time life's pressures get you down, consider the following excerpts from the book of Psalms: 

Psalms 40:1-3
1  I waited patiently for the LORD; and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry.

2 He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, [and] established my goings.

3 And he hath put a new song in my mouth, [even] praise unto our God: many shall see [it], and fear, and shall trust in the LORD.

Psalms 16:11
11 Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence [is] fulness of joy; at thy right hand [there are] pleasures for evermore.

Psalms 30:5
5 For his anger [endureth but] a moment; in his favour [is] life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy [cometh] in the morning.

Psalms 34:1-4
1 <[A Psalm] of David, when he changed his behaviour before Abimelech; who drove him away, and he departed.> I will bless the LORD at all times: his praise [shall] continually [be] in my mouth.

2 My soul shall make her boast in the LORD: the humble shall hear [thereof], and be glad.

3 O magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt his name together.

4 I sought the LORD, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears.

All Things are Possible

Our Church was blessed last night with the teaching of Bro. Chacko from India. He testified about his experience with being a Pastor in India and told us why he believes that with Jesus, “All Things are Possible”.

He started by telling us a story about someone who was ridiculing him for being a “Jesus Only” person. He told them that if you are not “Jesus Only” then that makes you “Devil Only” because the Bible says there are only two, the God of Heaven, and the god of this world. If you are not associated with the God of Heaven, that leaves only one alternative.

Matthew 2:11

11 And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh.

Notice the word “him” in this verse. They didn't worship Mary or Joesph, but they fell down and worshiped Jesus.

Bro. Chacko also testified about how his first Church building in India was torn down by unbelievers. He could not retaliate because that's not the way a Christian should act. Instead, he went on a 21 day fast. At the end of the fast, the man who led the effort to tear down the building knocked on his door and apologized for his mistake. He then rebuilt the Church and even added some rooms on the top to serve as a private residence for Bro. Chacko and his family. All things are possible!

John 16:21

21 A woman when she is in travail hath sorrow, because her hour is come: but as soon as she is delivered of the child, she remembereth no more the anguish, for joy that a man is born into the world.

Bro. Chacko told us that after so many years in the ministry, he can look back now at his 52 Churches, and can't remember the anguish it took to establish these works. He also has an orphanage with 64 boys and girls that was mainly funded by a believer in Waco, Texas. The gentleman gave him a donation that was so large, he was unable to receive it by law. It is nearly impossible for a Christian Church in India to be granted permission to receive large sums of money from foreign sources, but he was granted that right only one month after applying for it. Again, with Jesus, All Things are Possible!!

If you would like to sponsor one of the children at the orphanage, please contact Calvary Apostolic Church, and we will put you in touch with Bro. Chacko. A donation of only $50/month will pay all expenses for one child.

God Wants to Bless Us

Pastor Molander taught today about God's desire to bless us.  God created man because he wanted fellowship with someone that had the right to choose to serve him or to choose to go their own way.  He also established some rules to live by that would prove whether we were serious about wanting to serve him.

Deuteronomy 11:22-28
22 For if ye shall diligently keep all these commandments which I command you, to do them, to love the LORD your God, to walk in all his ways, and to cleave unto him;
23 Then will the LORD drive out all these nations from before you, and ye shall possess greater nations and mightier than yourselves.
24 Every place whereon the soles of your feet shall tread shall be yours: from the wilderness and Lebanon, from the river, the river Euphrates, even unto the uttermost sea shall your coast be.
25 There shall no man be able to stand before you: [for] the LORD your God shall lay the fear of you and the dread of you upon all the land that ye shall tread upon, as he hath said unto you.
26 Behold, I set before you this day a blessing and a curse;
27 A blessing, if ye obey the commandments of the LORD your God, which I command you this day:
28 And a curse, if ye will not obey the commandments of the LORD your God, but turn aside out of the way which I command you this day, to go after other gods, which ye have not known.

Notice the word IF in chapter 27, and again in verse 28.  The decision is ours to make!  Yet even when His people failed, he still gave them additional chances to receive his blessings.

I Kings 16:30-33
30 And Ahab the son of Omri did evil in the sight of the LORD above all that [were] before him.
31 And it came to pass, as if it had been a light thing for him to walk in the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, that he took to wife Jezebel the daughter of Ethbaal king of the Zidonians, and went and served Baal, and worshipped him.
32 And he reared up an altar for Baal in the house of Baal, which he had built in Samaria.
33 And Ahab made a grove; and Ahab did more to provoke the LORD God of Israel to anger than all the kings of Israel that were before him.

Then God sent a prophet to him to warn Ahab about his decisions.

I Kings 21:27-29
27 And it came to pass, when Ahab heard those words, that he rent his clothes, and put sackcloth upon his flesh, and fasted, and lay in sackcloth, and went softly.
28 And the word of the LORD came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying,
29 Seest thou how Ahab humbleth himself before me? because he humbleth himself before me, I will not bring the evil in his days: [but] in his son's days will I bring the evil upon his house.

Every time the Israelites turned back to God he would bless them.  Still, only two of the people he brought out of Egypt actually made it to the promised land.  God sent us his Son to make a way back to God's blessings again.  Christ was born to die in our place so our choice to turn from God would not permanently separate us from God.

Matthew 1:18-21
18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost.
19 Then Joseph her husband, being a just [man], and not willing to make her a publick example, was minded to put her away privily.
20 But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost.
21 And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.

John 3:16
16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

Romans 5:8-11
8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
9 Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.
10 For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.
11 And not only [so], but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement.

This means the reconciliation of God and man was provided through the sacrificial death of Jesus.  Not only did he die for us, but he wants to live inside us to help us receive God's promised blessings.

John 14:15-17
15 If ye love me, keep my commandments.
16 And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;
17 [Even] the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.

We have a decision to make.  We can either choose to live in our human will and be lost forever, or we can choose to surrender our life to Him and spend eternity in heaven.  Why not invite him into your heart today?  Repent of your past sins and commit to living a clean and holy life according to the rules he gave us so you too can inherit his blessings.  IF you do, he will bless you not only in your everyday life, but ultimately with eternal salvation.

What is Faith?

Tonight, Elder Henderson taught on the word Faith. 

Before we try to understand what faith is, let's first explore what faith isn't.  Some people think it is a form of belief or religion, like "I belong to the Christian Faith".  While it's true that the word can be used that way, that's not the kind of faith you need to actually BE a Christian.  Some people also confuse faith with hope.  It is good to hope for things, but if you never do anything about it you don't have the faith that is required to make those hopes a reality.  Faith is not hope, faith requires hope + action.

Here's an example from scripture:

James 2: 14-19 
14 What [doth it] profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him?
15 If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food,
16 And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be [ye] warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what [doth it] profit?
17 Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.
18 Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.
19 Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.

In verse 16, hoping that someone has warm clothes to wear and food to eat is very nice, but actually supplying the food & clothes is a lot closer to the real meaning of faith.  Also, notice in verse 19 that the devils have a belief in one God, but that belief alone can not save them.  Simply believing in God is not enough, some action is required on your part before you can actually be saved.

So what is faith?  It is believing in something so confidently that you base your actions upon those beliefs.  Faith causes you not only to hope and believe, but to take action.

Hebrews 11:1
1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

Some synonyms for substance include significance, reality, actuality.  Faith makes hope become real.

Mark 11:22-23
22 And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God.
23 For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith.

If you have faith in God, he will help you move the mountains, or problems, out of your life.  Try adding some faith to your hopes and beliefs and see just how far God will take you!

Two Simple Words to Live By - "Be Ye"

Today's Sunday School lesson offered a study of the words "Be Ye" in the Bible.  These scriptures present a good example of how Christians are supposed to live their lives:

Matthew 5

48 Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.

The word perfect in this context means complete.

I Peter 1

15 But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation;

16 Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.

The word conversation in verse 15 means behaviour.

Luke 6

35 But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful and [to] the evil.

36 Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful.

37 Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven:

38 Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.

The passage above in Luke is nearly impossible to follow unless someone has received the gift of the Holy Ghost with the evidence of speaking in other tounges, and then prays every day.

Several other scriptures that offer more "Be Ye" examples:

Matthew 10:16 - Wise 
Luke 12:40 - Ready
Romans 12:2 - Transformed 
I Timothy 4:12 - An Example
I Corinthians 4:15-16 - Followers 
I Corinthians 14:20 - Children 
I Corinthians 15:58 - Steadfast 
II Corinthians 6:14-18 14 Not Unequally Yoked, 17 Separate 
Ephesians 4:31-32 - Kind 
Ephesians 5:1-12 - Followers 
Colossians 3:12-17 - Thankful 
James 1:22 - Doers 
James 5:8 - Patient 
I Peter 3:8-12 - All of one Mind

Be sure to read the passages listed above in your Bible to get a better understanding of the context in which they were written.

Pastor's Weekly Scripture

This weeks scripture passage offers some very good advice, especially for married couples.

1 Peter 3:8-12

8 Finally, be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another, love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous: 

9 Not rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing: but contrariwise blessing; knowing that ye are thereunto called, that ye should inherit a blessing. 

10 For he that will love life, and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile: 

11 Let him eschew evil, and do good; let him seek peace, and ensue it. 

12 For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their prayers: but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil.  

Calvary Apostolic Church Website Almost Ready

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