Calvary Temple

Job had it made, until that fateful day came when all was lost. He literally spent himself trying to solve the puzzle of why. Like Job, we can waste so much time acting as our own defense attorney, when all the while, God, who is so rich in pity and mercy towards the righteous, is trying to show us things in ourselves that He wants to change. And God used an unlikely source, a very young Elihu, to deliver God's words of clarity, chastisement and mercy, to Job and when Job responded with humility and remorse for his actions, God was able to show his great mercy and restore him doubly for what he'd lost. Join us as we follow Job’s journey back to wholeness, when he finally sees the end of the Lord’s intent for him, as James 5:10-11 says.

God Things. Those events that happen in our lives that we really have very little to do with; things we don’t cause or arrange, but that have huge impact on us. How did they happen? Psalm 37:23 says that, The Lord directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives. Though they stumble, they will never fall, for the Lord holds them by the hand. Not everything that happens to us is good on its own merit, but we serve a God that can take them all individually, the good, the bad and the ugly, and weave them together into the perfect tapestry that becomes the very fabric of our lives--built around Him. Our country needs some God Things right now. Be encouraged because we serve the God who never changes. If He has ever done one God Thing (and He has!), He’ll certainly do it again, and again. Romans 11:36 says, Everything comes from Him, everything happens through Him, and everything ends up in Him. Do you trust Him to perform God Things in your life?

The most impactful event in all of history. The Resurrection of Jesus Christ completed the sacrifice that He made and provided so much to believers! He freed the souls of those who’d died before he was crucified and resurrected so that they could join him in Heaven; He gave life eternal to all of those who would believe in Him after his death and resurrection, and He gave us power and authority in His own name to do His work here on earth. Celebrate with us the greatest event in history—Christ’s Resurrection Day. The Angel said, Jesus, whom you seek is not in the grave, For He is Risen, as He said!

Seeing Jesus. It is all that really matters. So much rides on our will, our desire and our faith to find Him and look upon Him. For He offers so much. The Old Testament points to the coming of Jesus, the Messiah, such as through the story in Numbers 21:5-9. People were dying from snake bites. When the people repented of their sin, God told Moses to make a brass serpent and lift it high up on a pole, so that all who were bitten lived. God gave His own son, Jesus Christ, to be lifted up on a cruel cross on Mount Calvary, to bear the cost of the sins of the world. To all those who look upon Him in faith believing that He will cleanse them of their sin, He gives life eternal. What a wonderful trade. Just turn your eyes upon Jesus.

In today’s study of John 13, we’ll see the significance of the last Passover, why Jesus washed the disciples’ feet, Judas’ betrayal of Jesus, how much Jesus loved the disciples and cared about them after he would be gone. How Jesus’ whole focus was completing the assignment given him by his Father, and he called it glory. Study this phenomenal chapter along with us!

In Exodus 17:14-16 The Lord told Moses that he would have war against the Amalekites from generation to generation, and finally eliminate them for their hatred and persecution of the Jews. In the Book of Esther, an Amalekite man, named Haman, a self-proclaimed Jew hater, set about to annihilate the Jews, but through Divine intervention and a magnificent series of events, the tables turned and the king ordered Haman to be hanged on the very gallows he’d built to hang Mordecai on, the leader of the Jews. God used both Mordecai and Esther, for such a time as this, to free the captive Jewish people, and the king gave them jurisdiction over anyone in the land of Persia who opposed or oppressed them. Mordecai was elevated to the highest position in the land under himself, and Esther was Queen of all Persia. God’s mercy and justice were on full display in this epic story in the Book of Esther.

Jesus said, in the parable of the wheat and tares, that when the good seed (the wheat) and the bad seed, (the tares) grow up together into ripened fruit, the difference between them will be very apparent.  But, he said, even though an enemy sowed the bad seed while the gardeners were sleeping, it’s important that they grow together until the harvest, so that no harm will come to the good seed.  Then, at the time of the harvest, Jesus will send forth the reapers, first to remove the bad seed into bundles to be burnt, and then, the good wheat can be safely gathered into his barns. Such excellent and current teaching in this parable found in Matthew 13:24-30.  

Jesus taught His disciples to preach two things to the Lost Sheep of Israel: Repentance unto salvation and the demonstration of the power of God through the working of miracles. Paul, the Apostle, called by God to preach to the Gentiles, preached repentance unto salvation, righteous living, and the power and demonstration of the Holy Spirit. Jesus said, cast out demons, raise the dead and heal all manner of sickness and disease, in His name. Oh, how we desperately need these simple, direct messages preached among the church body, so we can present Christ to the world. We long for those we love to hear the repentance message, and we long for the moving of the power of the Holy Spirit among us. Ask Jesus for both, right now!

God’s covenant with Abraham was very serious business to God and God required a pretty heavy price from Abraham and his descendants to enter into this covenant, but the reward was to be continual blessing and the promise of Canaan Land for all his future generations—as long as they were willing to pay the price of circumcision. This was to mark them as belonging to God. When Moses erred and failed to have his and Zipporah’s son circumcised, God had to honor his word and exact punishment for breaking the covenant. But, at the last minute, Zipporah circumcised their son and Moses lived on to be mightily used of God. God chose to forgive Moses and continue honoring him under the Abrahamic covenant, also. In Exodus 33:19, God said, "Moses, I know you by name and I will show mercy on whom I will show mercy!" No man can merit God’s mercy. No man can cause his own worthiness in God’s sight. It’s the mercy and compassion of a loving God towards fallible man that meets us where we are.

Solomon gave us these beautiful words in Proverbs 30:5 "Every word of God is pure; he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him." The scholars say that the word 'pure' means flawless, tested, proven, and true. Jesus quoted during his temptation that EVERY word of God is for us to live by; man cannot live on bread alone, but by EVERY word that proceeds out of the mouth of God. In Psalm 28:6-9 David, the Psalmist repeats these words of Solomon, that "...the Lord is my strength and my shield and my heart trusts in him and I am helped. Therefore, my heart rejoices and I will praise him with my song…for he is the saving strength of his anointed." What song are you singing to praise and bless the Lord?