Calvary Temple

Every relationship requires character, trust and encouragement to be both Godly, and successful. In I Chronicles 22:6 King David learned the importance of Godly character when he set out to build a temple for the Lord and found out that it wasn’t God’s plan! Trust is also vitally important for a relationship to be blessed. Jeremiah 17:5-8 says "Cursed be the man that trusts in man…but, Blessed is the man that trusts in the Lord for he shall be as a tree planted by the waters…" Song of Solomon teaches us encouragement through the Shulamite woman’s insecurities about her very dark, sun-tanned skin, which wasn’t desirable in the culture. But the Shepherd boy who loves her so encouraged her through her insecurities, telling her that she was the fairest of all women. Jesus will surely shine through in all of our relationships if we practice these three fundamentals.

Sometimes it can be hard to understand why bad things happen to us. Why would our own family hurt us? Why don’t things work out for us, but instead always seem to be against us? Joseph had this problem. He was blessed of God. He was righteous and loved God and his family. Yet he endured terrible hardship and pain at their hand. But in the end (and sometimes we also must wait until “the end of a thing”), Joseph was the clear winner. Only God was able to take what was meant for evil against Joseph and turn it into something beautiful that was clearly for his benefit. And not only for Joseph’s benefit, but for the benefit of those who had perpetrated the evil against him, and many others as well. Even in the hardness of life, God’s ways can turn what was meant for evil into our good. Romans 8:28 provides this promise: “And we know, that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.“ Joseph’s deliverance required that he forgive the evil intent of those that hurt him. Forgiveness is possible for you, too. Restoration and reconciliation is possible for you as well. And ALL things will work together for our good, even those things that were meant for evil, if we forgive and we love the Lord.

**Listen to the end as Pastor Debbie shares a very unusual dream from the Lord** Living in this world as believers can be very hard. It can cause us to have dulled senses; it can also cause us to become blinded by the glitter the world offers, to fall in love with its splendors, and, it can also cause us to become discouraged and then fall away from God. The fact is, Jesus gave us believers to the world, as his love, light and salt, to be a witness. Though He knew it would be hard for us to rub shoulders with the evil of this world, because it was hard for him also, he gave us the tools to do it. John 17 tells us how we can bring all our dulled senses to Him, for renewal, refreshing, so we can share his love again with a fallen world.

The process for cleansing a leper is spelled out in Leviticus 14. It’s such a beautiful depiction of the love of the Father, the sacrifice of the Son, the spotless, perfect Lamb, and the powerlessness of the leper—representative of the sinner—who is powerless to get their own salvation without this love of the Father and sacrifice of Jesus, the Son of God and our perfect Lamb of sacrifice. In Luke 17, we see some other lepers; even though Jesus graciously healed their bodies and cleansed them from their sin, only one returned to thank Him.  He was already an outcast in his social standing, but he returned to give the only one who is worthy of praise, his heart of thanksgiving. Will you do the same?

Jesus told the disciples that they should have learned what the scriptures say, “I will have mercy instead of sacrifice,” meaning that their rigid rules left out the practical and the heart aspects of life, leaving only their pride and haughty ways which they readily used against others. Jesus said he came for the sick and the sinner, not the well and righteous, being full of pity and mercy toward them. He said that He was waiting for the Latter Rains to fall upon harvest, to bring more people to Himself, before He returns to catch away his church in the Rapture.  We, too, anxiously await those Latter Rains!

The laws of blessing and cursing are woven throughout scripture. In the Mosaic law, God laid out very specific requirements that had to be followed in order to receive His blessing, and for those who didn’t, a corresponding curse would be given. Some were temporary, some permanent. In Matthew 5, Jesus gave us very clear examples of who would and who wouldn’t be blessed. The Beatitudes tell us that it is the humble of heart and the contrite spirit that will receive His blessings—His blessings in this life and in eternity. Those who do not humble themselves before His sovereign deity will receive the curse of forever being separated from Him, in Hell. It is easy to humble ourselves when we look at it this way. If you have not done so, you can do it now. Repent of your sins and ask Him to forgive you and cleanse you. He will, and then you, too, can receive His blessings, now and forever.

This morning, we sang a new (new to us) song called Alleluia to the Lamb. This song was inspired by the scripture passage in Revelation 19:1-9. This scene takes place after the catching away, or rapture of the church, when Jesus will call us away from this earth to meet him in the sky, and ushers us into Heaven for the Marriage Supper of the Lamb. This scene so beautifully depicts the multitude of voices which, when blended together, sounded to John the Revelator like the voice of many waters. These voices are the Saints of God, also called the Bride of Christ and the Remnant of the Church, all together in Heaven singing, Alleluia to the Lamb of God! Friend, this is the perfect time for you to ensure that your ticket to this meeting has been purchased! That you’ve activated YOUR birthright to attend this wonderful songfest in Heaven, by accepting Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior, asking Him forgiveness for your sins and applying the blood He shed on Calvary’s cross to cover your sins. I want more than anything to meet you there! Alleluia to the Lamb!

James 1:17 says that every good and every perfect gift comes down from above, from the Father of Lights, in whom there is no variableness neither shadow of turning. God, from his infinite source of light, lit the planetary lights in Genesis 1, sent His Son Jesus, the light of the world, to be born into a very dark world, and through Jesus’ miraculous birth, death, and resurrection, when He returned to His Father in heaven, He said that we are now the light of the world, reflecting His light back to the Father by our good works which, if we let shine, will light the way for all men to see Him.

The virgin birth is not just a sweet Christmas story. It’s the greatest love story ever told. The love of God used mere humankind to bring about the greatest plan in history and sent his only Son to earth, in a very lowly, human estate, to be the Savior of the World. By this, the love of God was manifested in us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world so that we might live through Him. I John 4:9

Calvary Temple reviews, discusses and prays about the significance of the Supreme Court’s forthcoming ruling on abortion, and other matters concerning the church. Pastor Debbie Haynes shares her vision for giving this Christmas season.