Calvary Temple

Throughout the Old Testament, God revealed His desire to DWELL with His people, meet with them, and make His presence known. But first, sin had to be dealt with. The altar of sacrifice, the mercy seat, and the altar of incense all pointed to a holy God who provided a way for His people to approach Him.

Hebrews 9 reveals that Jesus, through His own blood, obtained eternal redemption and opened the way for us to fellowship with God. Today, He meets us in prayer, among believers gathered in His name, and within us through His indwelling Spirit.

From a meeting place to a dwelling place! God has always desired to dwell with His people. Through Jesus Christ, we have the wonderful promise that He makes His abode within us. And one day, we will dwell with Him forever! (Revelation 21:3)

A kingdom must have a King, a territory, laws, and subjects. Jesus Christ is the King of kings, and His authority extends over heaven and earth. Through His earthly ministry, He announced that the Kingdom had come near, demonstrating His authority and compassion through healing, deliverance, and the call to repentance. The Kingdom is not merely a future place or a religious concept; it is God's rule at work in the lives of those who receive Christ and submit to His lordship.

We are commissioned to proclaim the gospel, minister to those who are suffering, and call people to repentance and salvation through Jesus Christ. We believe that the gifts and power of the Holy Spirit remain relevant to the Church's ministry today, always pointing people to the King. And we look forward to the day when Christ returns to reign in righteousness and His redeemed people share in His reign. Until then, we must seek His Kingdom first, live under His authority, and remain faithful to our calling.

Join us for a study through the Gospel of John as we continue with Chapter 11. In this chapter, Jesus raises Lazarus from the dead, revealing His power over death and declaring Himself to be the resurrection and the life. Through the grief of Mary and Martha, we see both the compassion of Jesus and His call to trust Him even when circumstances seem hopeless.

As Jesus approaches Jerusalem, this miraculous sign reveals His divine authority and points toward His own coming death and resurrection. The chapter challenges us to believe in Christ beyond what we can see, reminding us that even in the face of death, Jesus offers the promise of eternal life to all who believe in Him.

We so enjoyed the presence of God in today's worship service! We always want to be sensitive to the moving of the Spirit and sometimes that means changing the order of the service in real time so that we do not constrain what God wants to do. Instead of our bible study in John 11, we extended our worship service and moved into a prayer service that just naturally worked in a preview of Pastor Debbie's upcoming sermon on the nearness of the Kingdom, and the sending out of the disciples (including Matthew 10:5-10).

We typically do a bible study the first Sunday of the month, but this time we will push that until next week and we just briefly previewed John 11 at the end of today's service.

When famine came to Bethlehem, the “house of bread,” Elimelech took his family to Moab. What followed was loss, sorrow, and an uncertain future. Yet when Naomi heard that the Lord had once again given bread to Israel, she returned home—and Ruth, a Moabitess, chose to go with her, declaring, “Your people shall be my people, and your God my God.”

Ruth had no idea what God was doing. She didn't know about Boaz, the field she would enter, the kinsman-redeemer, or that her life would become part of the lineage of David and ultimately Jesus Christ. God's providence was working long before Ruth could see it. Like Ruth, we don't need to know the whole story—we need to remain open, willing, and obedient to take the next step God puts before us, trusting that He is directing our path.

The Day of Preparation was established by God as a time to prepare for the Sabbath, completing necessary work so His people could enter into a day of rest. In the New Testament, we see a far greater fulfillment of that preparation as Jesus, our Passover Lamb, was crucified, and His finished work on the cross made true spiritual rest possible for all who come to Him. While the people were preparing for the Passover, God was fulfilling everything the Passover had always pointed to: salvation through the blood of the Lamb. Jesus declared, “It is finished,” completing the work necessary for our redemption.

As we come to the Lord’s Table, we are reminded that our preparation is not about making ourselves worthy, but about approaching Him with humble, grateful hearts. The work is finished, the Lamb has been sacrificed, and we can rest in what Christ has accomplished for us. Through communion, we remember His sacrifice and celebrate the fellowship we share with Him and with one another. Preparation calls us to ready our hearts, the cross reminds us that all has been completed in Christ, and the Lord’s Table invites us to remember and rest in Him.

Psalm 103 reminds us that it is possible to know God’s benefits and still forget them. David speaks to his own soul: “Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits.” God owns it all, we belong to Him, and His faithfulness is not dependent upon whether He answers our prayers the way we hoped. Jesus lived a testimony that pointed to the Father, and our testimony should point to Jesus—not simply by what happens to us, but by what Christ is doing in us.

So what are the personal benefits of God that we must not forget? His forgiveness, mercy, provision, protection, presence, and sustaining grace. We must never make God’s faithfulness dependent upon the outcome we desire. Sometimes the greatest testimony is simply this: “I don’t always get what I want, but I have never found God to be anything but faithful.” Forgetfulness weakens our testimony, but remembrance strengthens it.

Worship & Prayer service.

Join us for a study through the Gospel of John as we continue with Chapter 10. In this chapter, Jesus uses the imagery of a shepherd and his sheep to reveal His unique relationship with His people. He declares Himself to be the Good Shepherd who knows His sheep, calls them by name, and willingly lays down His life for them.

As Jesus confronts the religious leaders, He makes clear that His authority and unity with the Father set Him apart. The chapter points us to the security found in Christ, the sacrificial nature of His love, and the unmistakable truth that His sheep hear His voice and follow Him.

Join us for our song request and testimony service. (Note that many personal testimonies are removed for public posting).