Latest News https://www.calvarybiblechurch.org Tue, 19 Mar 2024 04:07:07 -0700 http://churchplantmedia.com/ A Season of Prayer and Fasting https://www.calvarybiblechurch.org/blog/post/a-season-of-prayer-and-fasting https://www.calvarybiblechurch.org/blog/post/a-season-of-prayer-and-fasting#comments Wed, 06 Mar 2024 11:10:00 -0800 https://www.calvarybiblechurch.org/blog/post/a-season-of-prayer-and-fasting Friends, as we approach the Resurrection/Easter season, we the elders of CBC wanted to make much of this special time in the Christian calendar.  Think of the effort and energy that goes into preparing for Christmas; we wanted to do more with how we as a church prepare for the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. In so doing, we’re leading the congregation in A Season of Prayer and Fasting. If you missed Sunday’s message, watch it here

Purpose and Goals
  • Cultivate corporate and personal prayer within our body.
  • Fasting as a way for you to grow in your relationship with the Lord and help you to focus your hearts and minds on the passion of Jesus leading up to Resurrection Sunday (Easter).
  • Give the congregation an opportunity to put both prayer and fasting into practice.
  • Help make prayer and fasting something that you will participate in on your own and at different times throughout the year.
Elder-led Prayer Meetings

Join one meeting a week. These in-person meetings will focus on a different passage each week as we follow Jesus's journey to the cross and His resurrection. Meeting in Room 2.

  • Scripture Focus: Upper Room (John 13:1-5, John 13:36-14:6) Monday, 3/11 from 6:45-7:45am or Wednesday, 3/13 from 7-8pm
  • Scripture Focus: The Garden (Matthew 26:36-46) Monday, 3/18 from 6:45-7:45am or Wednesday, 3/20 from 7-8pm
  • Scripture Focus: The Cross (Luke 23:33-49) Monday, 3/25 from 6:45-7:45am or Wednesday, 3/27 from 7-8pm

Can't make it to the above meetings? Take the time to read and pray on your own, with friends, or family in a way that accommodates your schedule.

Regarding Fasting and Prayer
  • Fasting will be defined as abstaining from food but not water. The elders recommend fasting for one 24-hour period each week for the 3 weeks leading up to Resurrection Sunday.
  • Not everyone should fast. There may be those of you who for medical reasons need to eat regular meals or because you need to take medications with food. Also, pregnant or nursing moms should not fast. If you have any concerns, please consult your doctor.
  • If you are not able to participate in a food fast for any reason, consider fasting from some other need or pleasure. These may include (but are not limited to) social media, computer, phone, electronic/computer games, hobbies, sports, entertainment, a favorite beverage such as coffee or tea, etc.
  • Fasting is not commanded in the Scriptures, though it is expected (Mt. 6:16).
  • Fasting should be done privately (Matt. 6:16-18). No one will be asked by the CBC leadership if they are fasting. We recommend that you don’t offer up that you’re fasting or ask others if they are. No one should be made to feel like they must fast. 
  • When coming out of a food fast, be careful not to eat too much too soon. Consider eating lighter, well-balanced meals when coming out of a fast.
  • When fasting and you feel the pangs of hunger, use that time to read Scripture or prayer (or both), even if it’s only for a few moments or silently while at work.
  • Keep the focus on seeking the Lord, drawing nearer to Him and growing closer in your relationship with Him.
  • Read passages leading up to the resurrection such as Matt 21-28; Mark 11-16; Luke 19:28-24; John 12:12-21.
Biblical Reasons for Fasting

You may find that while fasting and praying, you will focus on some of the purposes below:

  • To Seek God’s Protection or Deliverance (Es. 4:16; Ezra 8:21)
  • To Avert God’s Judgment (Jonah 3:4-10)
  • For Confession & Repentance (1 Sam. 7:5-6; Joel 2:15-17; Lk. 18:13-14)
  • To Express Grief or Mourning (1 Sam. 31:11-13)
  • As Service & Ministry to God (Lk. 2:36-37; Acts 13:1-2; 14:23)
  • To Overcome Temptation (Mt. 4:1-2)
  • To Seek God’s Will, Guidance or Answers to Prayer (See many of the above passages. Also Judges 20:26.)
  • As Worship and Devotion (Ps. 69:1-10)

Be blessed in this season of praying and fasting!

]]>
Friends, as we approach the Resurrection/Easter season, we the elders of CBC wanted to make much of this special time in the Christian calendar.  Think of the effort and energy that goes into preparing for Christmas; we wanted to do more with how we as a church prepare for the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. In so doing, we’re leading the congregation in A Season of Prayer and Fasting. If you missed Sunday’s message, watch it here

Purpose and Goals
  • Cultivate corporate and personal prayer within our body.
  • Fasting as a way for you to grow in your relationship with the Lord and help you to focus your hearts and minds on the passion of Jesus leading up to Resurrection Sunday (Easter).
  • Give the congregation an opportunity to put both prayer and fasting into practice.
  • Help make prayer and fasting something that you will participate in on your own and at different times throughout the year.
Elder-led Prayer Meetings

Join one meeting a week. These in-person meetings will focus on a different passage each week as we follow Jesus's journey to the cross and His resurrection. Meeting in Room 2.

  • Scripture Focus: Upper Room (John 13:1-5, John 13:36-14:6) Monday, 3/11 from 6:45-7:45am or Wednesday, 3/13 from 7-8pm
  • Scripture Focus: The Garden (Matthew 26:36-46) Monday, 3/18 from 6:45-7:45am or Wednesday, 3/20 from 7-8pm
  • Scripture Focus: The Cross (Luke 23:33-49) Monday, 3/25 from 6:45-7:45am or Wednesday, 3/27 from 7-8pm

Can't make it to the above meetings? Take the time to read and pray on your own, with friends, or family in a way that accommodates your schedule.

Regarding Fasting and Prayer
  • Fasting will be defined as abstaining from food but not water. The elders recommend fasting for one 24-hour period each week for the 3 weeks leading up to Resurrection Sunday.
  • Not everyone should fast. There may be those of you who for medical reasons need to eat regular meals or because you need to take medications with food. Also, pregnant or nursing moms should not fast. If you have any concerns, please consult your doctor.
  • If you are not able to participate in a food fast for any reason, consider fasting from some other need or pleasure. These may include (but are not limited to) social media, computer, phone, electronic/computer games, hobbies, sports, entertainment, a favorite beverage such as coffee or tea, etc.
  • Fasting is not commanded in the Scriptures, though it is expected (Mt. 6:16).
  • Fasting should be done privately (Matt. 6:16-18). No one will be asked by the CBC leadership if they are fasting. We recommend that you don’t offer up that you’re fasting or ask others if they are. No one should be made to feel like they must fast. 
  • When coming out of a food fast, be careful not to eat too much too soon. Consider eating lighter, well-balanced meals when coming out of a fast.
  • When fasting and you feel the pangs of hunger, use that time to read Scripture or prayer (or both), even if it’s only for a few moments or silently while at work.
  • Keep the focus on seeking the Lord, drawing nearer to Him and growing closer in your relationship with Him.
  • Read passages leading up to the resurrection such as Matt 21-28; Mark 11-16; Luke 19:28-24; John 12:12-21.
Biblical Reasons for Fasting

You may find that while fasting and praying, you will focus on some of the purposes below:

  • To Seek God’s Protection or Deliverance (Es. 4:16; Ezra 8:21)
  • To Avert God’s Judgment (Jonah 3:4-10)
  • For Confession & Repentance (1 Sam. 7:5-6; Joel 2:15-17; Lk. 18:13-14)
  • To Express Grief or Mourning (1 Sam. 31:11-13)
  • As Service & Ministry to God (Lk. 2:36-37; Acts 13:1-2; 14:23)
  • To Overcome Temptation (Mt. 4:1-2)
  • To Seek God’s Will, Guidance or Answers to Prayer (See many of the above passages. Also Judges 20:26.)
  • As Worship and Devotion (Ps. 69:1-10)

Be blessed in this season of praying and fasting!

]]>
The Holy Spirit & Providence https://www.calvarybiblechurch.org/blog/post/the-holy-spirit-providence https://www.calvarybiblechurch.org/blog/post/the-holy-spirit-providence#comments Thu, 07 Dec 2023 08:00:00 -0800 https://www.calvarybiblechurch.org/blog/post/the-holy-spirit-providence Back in the message, The Work of the Holy Spirit in the Old Testament, in our Holy Spirit sermon series, I had another point concerning the ruach of God as the power of the Holy Spirit in the area of God’s providence. Out of this point came this article. Remember, ruach is the Hebrew word for wind, breath or spirit which includes the Holy Spirit. We had just made the point that ruach is the power of the Holy Spirit to perform miracles in the Old Testament (and the New Testament for that matter) such as the Red Sea parting (Ex. 14:21), an axe head floating (2 Kings 6:6) or a young boy being brought back to life (1 Kings 17:22 ). However, ruach also includes how the Holy Spirit engages with His creation in a personal way, namely with human beings. This includes, in an indirect manner, through His providence.

"Ruach is the power of the Holy Spirit to perform miracles"

Providence is not a word used in Scripture but like the word “Trinity,” it doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist. In comparing it to God’s sovereignty (this word does exist in Scripture), John Piper defines sovereignty this way, “ [It is God’s] right and power to do all that He decides to do (see Job 42:2; Is. 46:10).” [1] He then defines “providence” as God’s “wise and purposeful sovereignty.” [2] In other words, it is God providing (hence the name) for His sovereign will, which is to say, it is the application or outworking of God’s sovereignty. It is God exercising His power to bring His sovereign will and plans to fruition. 

The Heidelberg Catechism of 1563 offers this definition of providence: “The almighty, everywhere present power of God, whereby, as it were, by his hand, he still upholds heaven and earth with all creatures and so governs them that herbs and grass, rain and drought, fruitful and barren years, meat and drink, health and sickness, riches and poverty, indeed, all things come not by chance, but by his fatherly hand.” [3]

And where have we learned His power comes from? His Holy Spirit. This is to say, God’s holy ruach is what hardened Pharaoh’s heart to not let the people go, directed Joseph’s life so that he could “preserve many people alive (Gen. 50:20),” crowned a Jewish Esther queen over Persia and Media “for such a time as this (Esther 4:14),” thus keeping the Jewish nation from being annihilated, and governed the events of Naomi and Ruth’s narrative so that Ruth would marry Boaz giving birth to Obed, “the father of Jesse, the father of David (Ruth 4:22),” thus preserving the Messianic line.

There’s a New Testament passage that helps us to understand how the Holy Spirit executes God’s providence. At the beginning of Acts 16, Paul and company are on their second missionary journey travelling through Derbe to Lystra where he picked up Timothy, and then headed to Asia when in Acts 16:6 the Scripture says, “They passed through the Phrygian and Galatian region, having been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia.”  This is because God wanted them to go to Macedonia instead. Though we’ve acknowledged there are some differences in the way the Holy Spirit worked in the Old Testament from the New Testament (or more accurately from the Old Covenant to the New Covenant), I don’t believe this is one of them. Just like the Holy Spirit accomplished God’s providence in the New Testament, He did so in the Old.

"Just like the Holy Spirit accomplished God’s providence in the New Testament, He did so in the Old."

I would also add that visions and dreams from God are also by means of the Holy Spirt. We read in Ezekiel 11:24 “And the Spirit lifted me up and brought me in a vision by the Spirit of God to the exiles in Chaldea. So the vision that I had seen left me.” There's also an example of this in Revelation 1:10 when the apostle John records, “I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day, and I heard behind me a loud voice like the sound of a trumpet.”

As theologian Sinclair Ferguson summarizes the Holy Spirit in the Old Testament, “...the divine ruach is precisely that of extending God’s presence into creation in such a way as to order and complete what has been planned in the mind of God…the Spirit of God is the executive of the powerful presence of God in the governing of the created order.” [4]

Books for further study
  • The Holy Spirit by Charles Ryrie
  • The Holy Spirit by Sinclair B. Ferguson
  • The Holy Spirit by John Owen
  • The Gospel According to John by D.A. Carson
  • Understanding Spiritual Gifts by Robert Thomas
  • The New Covenant Ministry of the Holy Spirit by Larry D. Pettegrew
  • Strange Fire by John MacArthur
  • The Charismatic Challenge by John Napier

Citations

[1] https://www.desiringgod.org/interviews/are-gods-providence-and-gods-sovereignty-the-same - accessed 11/8/23

[2] Ibid.

[3] Ibid.

[4] Ferguson, Sinclair B., The Holy Spirit. InterVarsity Press, Downers Grove, IL, 1996. P. 21.

 

 

 

]]>
Back in the message, The Work of the Holy Spirit in the Old Testament, in our Holy Spirit sermon series, I had another point concerning the ruach of God as the power of the Holy Spirit in the area of God’s providence. Out of this point came this article. Remember, ruach is the Hebrew word for wind, breath or spirit which includes the Holy Spirit. We had just made the point that ruach is the power of the Holy Spirit to perform miracles in the Old Testament (and the New Testament for that matter) such as the Red Sea parting (Ex. 14:21), an axe head floating (2 Kings 6:6) or a young boy being brought back to life (1 Kings 17:22 ). However, ruach also includes how the Holy Spirit engages with His creation in a personal way, namely with human beings. This includes, in an indirect manner, through His providence.

"Ruach is the power of the Holy Spirit to perform miracles"

Providence is not a word used in Scripture but like the word “Trinity,” it doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist. In comparing it to God’s sovereignty (this word does exist in Scripture), John Piper defines sovereignty this way, “ [It is God’s] right and power to do all that He decides to do (see Job 42:2; Is. 46:10).” [1] He then defines “providence” as God’s “wise and purposeful sovereignty.” [2] In other words, it is God providing (hence the name) for His sovereign will, which is to say, it is the application or outworking of God’s sovereignty. It is God exercising His power to bring His sovereign will and plans to fruition. 

The Heidelberg Catechism of 1563 offers this definition of providence: “The almighty, everywhere present power of God, whereby, as it were, by his hand, he still upholds heaven and earth with all creatures and so governs them that herbs and grass, rain and drought, fruitful and barren years, meat and drink, health and sickness, riches and poverty, indeed, all things come not by chance, but by his fatherly hand.” [3]

And where have we learned His power comes from? His Holy Spirit. This is to say, God’s holy ruach is what hardened Pharaoh’s heart to not let the people go, directed Joseph’s life so that he could “preserve many people alive (Gen. 50:20),” crowned a Jewish Esther queen over Persia and Media “for such a time as this (Esther 4:14),” thus keeping the Jewish nation from being annihilated, and governed the events of Naomi and Ruth’s narrative so that Ruth would marry Boaz giving birth to Obed, “the father of Jesse, the father of David (Ruth 4:22),” thus preserving the Messianic line.

There’s a New Testament passage that helps us to understand how the Holy Spirit executes God’s providence. At the beginning of Acts 16, Paul and company are on their second missionary journey travelling through Derbe to Lystra where he picked up Timothy, and then headed to Asia when in Acts 16:6 the Scripture says, “They passed through the Phrygian and Galatian region, having been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia.”  This is because God wanted them to go to Macedonia instead. Though we’ve acknowledged there are some differences in the way the Holy Spirit worked in the Old Testament from the New Testament (or more accurately from the Old Covenant to the New Covenant), I don’t believe this is one of them. Just like the Holy Spirit accomplished God’s providence in the New Testament, He did so in the Old.

"Just like the Holy Spirit accomplished God’s providence in the New Testament, He did so in the Old."

I would also add that visions and dreams from God are also by means of the Holy Spirt. We read in Ezekiel 11:24 “And the Spirit lifted me up and brought me in a vision by the Spirit of God to the exiles in Chaldea. So the vision that I had seen left me.” There's also an example of this in Revelation 1:10 when the apostle John records, “I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day, and I heard behind me a loud voice like the sound of a trumpet.”

As theologian Sinclair Ferguson summarizes the Holy Spirit in the Old Testament, “...the divine ruach is precisely that of extending God’s presence into creation in such a way as to order and complete what has been planned in the mind of God…the Spirit of God is the executive of the powerful presence of God in the governing of the created order.” [4]

Books for further study
  • The Holy Spirit by Charles Ryrie
  • The Holy Spirit by Sinclair B. Ferguson
  • The Holy Spirit by John Owen
  • The Gospel According to John by D.A. Carson
  • Understanding Spiritual Gifts by Robert Thomas
  • The New Covenant Ministry of the Holy Spirit by Larry D. Pettegrew
  • Strange Fire by John MacArthur
  • The Charismatic Challenge by John Napier

Citations

[1] https://www.desiringgod.org/interviews/are-gods-providence-and-gods-sovereignty-the-same - accessed 11/8/23

[2] Ibid.

[3] Ibid.

[4] Ferguson, Sinclair B., The Holy Spirit. InterVarsity Press, Downers Grove, IL, 1996. P. 21.

 

 

 

]]>
A Brief Explanation of What Reformation Day is and Why We Celebrate it https://www.calvarybiblechurch.org/blog/post/a-brief-explanation-of-what-reformation-day-is-and-why-we-celebrate-it https://www.calvarybiblechurch.org/blog/post/a-brief-explanation-of-what-reformation-day-is-and-why-we-celebrate-it#comments Tue, 31 Oct 2023 01:00:00 -0700 https://www.calvarybiblechurch.org/blog/post/a-brief-explanation-of-what-reformation-day-is-and-why-we-celebrate-it On October 31st in 1517, a German monk named Martin Luther posted his ninety-five theses to the door of the Church in Wittenberg, Germany. His writing was made up of 95 statements by Luther criticizing the doctrine of indulgences, among other practices and beliefs that he saw were contradictory to what God revealed in His Word. Luther posted this document to start a dialogue in hopes that the Catholic church would make some reforms. Instead, Martin Luther kicked off the Protestant Reformation, which God used to make the Scriptures accessible to the people of the church and give a Scriptural foundation for the Christian church today. 

Watch Sunday's message, The Battle Cries of the Reformation for a greater understanding of this topic. Go

]]>
On October 31st in 1517, a German monk named Martin Luther posted his ninety-five theses to the door of the Church in Wittenberg, Germany. His writing was made up of 95 statements by Luther criticizing the doctrine of indulgences, among other practices and beliefs that he saw were contradictory to what God revealed in His Word. Luther posted this document to start a dialogue in hopes that the Catholic church would make some reforms. Instead, Martin Luther kicked off the Protestant Reformation, which God used to make the Scriptures accessible to the people of the church and give a Scriptural foundation for the Christian church today. 

Watch Sunday's message, The Battle Cries of the Reformation for a greater understanding of this topic. Go

]]>
Why Join the Church? https://www.calvarybiblechurch.org/blog/post/why-join-the-church https://www.calvarybiblechurch.org/blog/post/why-join-the-church#comments Tue, 26 Sep 2023 09:49:08 -0700 https://www.calvarybiblechurch.org/blog/post/why-join-the-church Brad Kelley, on behalf of the Elders

All humans are social creatures by design. The Godhead; Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, existed together from eternity past in communion with one another. It follows that man, the unique bearer of God's Image, is also social by nature and necessity. Thus, believers have gathered together for worship (Ps 111:1), encouragement (Rom 1:11-12), edification (Eph 4:11-12), and accountability (Heb 13:17) from the beginning of the church.

The Bible knows nothing of “Lone Ranger” believers. Some might say, "What about John the Baptist?" It is common for those with no knowledge of scripture to rationalize their autonomy by citing,  “the voice crying in the wilderness.” But that “voice”—John the Baptist—led a school and “Jerusalem was going out to him, and all Judea and all the district around the Jordan.” The “voice” may have originated in the wilderness, but it was not alone. Indeed, “He who separates himself seeks his own desire, He quarrels against all sound wisdom.” (Prov 18:1) The elevation of the individual self over all authority or accountability is a secular Enlightenment idea which has wormed its way into the church in the West and brought about the destruction of many.

Church membership is not explicitly commanded in scripture, but it is exemplified in the early church through the establishment of church government, church discipline, and the exhortation to serve for the purpose of mutual edification. Church membership is wise and necessary. Wedding vows, oaths of office, and the like tell those making them and those observing that this commitment is to God and man, that it is binding, and is an invitation to be held accountable to it. As such, it is not to be undertaken lightly. But every believer should seek a binding, accountable relationship (membership) with a local body of the faithful. As one church writes, “To become a member of a church is to formally commit oneself to an identifiable, local body of believers who have joined together for specific, divinely ordained purposes.”

Every believer should seek a binding, accountable relationship (membership) with a local body of the faithful.

 

Such a commitment is essential to the well-being of every believer who is serious about the walk of faith. To be excluded from the church is to be excluded from Christ. In scripture the local church is compared to a family. That is why Paul writes to the Ephesians, “we are members of one another.” The New Testament calls the church a “body” whose members are united but unique in form and function. There is an organic, mutually-beneficial relationship between its members. A hand, eye, or leg are useless when separated from the whole.

In society at large we often hear something like: “What right do you have to say, act, or require this or that of me?”  When one joins with a local body one grants that right to other members and the church leadership. This gets to the essence of membership. Apart from that we run the risk of developing a sort of “God-and-me spirituality” with no support systems to hold us up when we are weak, no one to challenge us when we are wrong, and no one with whom we may celebrate the Lord’s goodness in our lives. In short, membership divorced from accountability is a sham.

Apart from that we run the risk of developing a sort of “God-and-me spirituality” with no support systems to hold us up when we are weak, no one to challenge us when we are wrong, and no one with whom we may celebrate the Lord’s goodness in our lives.

 

C.S. Lewis put it best when he said, "God can show Himself as He really is only to real men. And that means not simply to men who are individually good, but to men who are united together in a body, loving one another, helping one another, showing Him to one another. For that is what God meant humanity to be like; like players in one band, or organs in one body" (C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity).

As Martin Lloyd-Jones said; “We must re-grasp the idea of church membership as the membership of the body of Christ and the biggest honor which can come man’s way in this world.”

For more information about membership at Calvary Bible Church please contact our church office at (818) 556-4840 or hello@cbcb.org. You can also register for our next membership class at cbcb.org/membership.

]]>
Brad Kelley, on behalf of the Elders

All humans are social creatures by design. The Godhead; Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, existed together from eternity past in communion with one another. It follows that man, the unique bearer of God's Image, is also social by nature and necessity. Thus, believers have gathered together for worship (Ps 111:1), encouragement (Rom 1:11-12), edification (Eph 4:11-12), and accountability (Heb 13:17) from the beginning of the church.

The Bible knows nothing of “Lone Ranger” believers. Some might say, "What about John the Baptist?" It is common for those with no knowledge of scripture to rationalize their autonomy by citing,  “the voice crying in the wilderness.” But that “voice”—John the Baptist—led a school and “Jerusalem was going out to him, and all Judea and all the district around the Jordan.” The “voice” may have originated in the wilderness, but it was not alone. Indeed, “He who separates himself seeks his own desire, He quarrels against all sound wisdom.” (Prov 18:1) The elevation of the individual self over all authority or accountability is a secular Enlightenment idea which has wormed its way into the church in the West and brought about the destruction of many.

Church membership is not explicitly commanded in scripture, but it is exemplified in the early church through the establishment of church government, church discipline, and the exhortation to serve for the purpose of mutual edification. Church membership is wise and necessary. Wedding vows, oaths of office, and the like tell those making them and those observing that this commitment is to God and man, that it is binding, and is an invitation to be held accountable to it. As such, it is not to be undertaken lightly. But every believer should seek a binding, accountable relationship (membership) with a local body of the faithful. As one church writes, “To become a member of a church is to formally commit oneself to an identifiable, local body of believers who have joined together for specific, divinely ordained purposes.”

Every believer should seek a binding, accountable relationship (membership) with a local body of the faithful.

 

Such a commitment is essential to the well-being of every believer who is serious about the walk of faith. To be excluded from the church is to be excluded from Christ. In scripture the local church is compared to a family. That is why Paul writes to the Ephesians, “we are members of one another.” The New Testament calls the church a “body” whose members are united but unique in form and function. There is an organic, mutually-beneficial relationship between its members. A hand, eye, or leg are useless when separated from the whole.

In society at large we often hear something like: “What right do you have to say, act, or require this or that of me?”  When one joins with a local body one grants that right to other members and the church leadership. This gets to the essence of membership. Apart from that we run the risk of developing a sort of “God-and-me spirituality” with no support systems to hold us up when we are weak, no one to challenge us when we are wrong, and no one with whom we may celebrate the Lord’s goodness in our lives. In short, membership divorced from accountability is a sham.

Apart from that we run the risk of developing a sort of “God-and-me spirituality” with no support systems to hold us up when we are weak, no one to challenge us when we are wrong, and no one with whom we may celebrate the Lord’s goodness in our lives.

 

C.S. Lewis put it best when he said, "God can show Himself as He really is only to real men. And that means not simply to men who are individually good, but to men who are united together in a body, loving one another, helping one another, showing Him to one another. For that is what God meant humanity to be like; like players in one band, or organs in one body" (C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity).

As Martin Lloyd-Jones said; “We must re-grasp the idea of church membership as the membership of the body of Christ and the biggest honor which can come man’s way in this world.”

For more information about membership at Calvary Bible Church please contact our church office at (818) 556-4840 or hello@cbcb.org. You can also register for our next membership class at cbcb.org/membership.

]]>
Why Read the Bible? https://www.calvarybiblechurch.org/blog/post/why-read-the-bible https://www.calvarybiblechurch.org/blog/post/why-read-the-bible#comments Mon, 27 Feb 2023 16:00:00 -0800 https://www.calvarybiblechurch.org/blog/post/why-read-the-bible The Things We Love

Psalm 119 is a prolonged meditation on the Word of God and its importance in the walk of faith. Charles Spurgeon said “This marvelous poem seemed to me a great sea of holy teaching, moving, in its many verses, wave upon wave...Its depth is as great as its length” And it is long! In fact it is the longest Psalm in the Psalter. It is longer than the 15 psalms which follow it combined! And it has an important message for us as believers at Calvary Bible Church.

Let’s start at verse 97: David writes,

97 Oh, how I love your law!

Without question, we devote ourselves to the things we love. I love my wife, my children, my church, my music, gardening, and baseball. I love God’s Law. And the things I love occupy my thoughts and my time.

David says the same thing. He writes:

(I love your law and...) I meditate on it all day long.

Another way to think of it is that the things we think about give us a clue to what we really love. What do you think about? That’s what you love!

98 Your commands are always with me

and make me wiser than my enemies.

The next thing we see about the things we love is that they have an effect on us. There is an old saying about computers “Garbage in, garbage out.” The same is true of the human soul. The things we prize and meditate on either build us up or tear us down. They either strengthen us or weaken us. They either deepen us or make us more shallow and superficial.

What does David say about the effect of God’s Word?

98 Your commands are always with me

and make me wiser than my enemies.

99 I have more insight than all my teachers,

for I meditate on your statutes.

100 I have more understanding than the elders,

for I obey your precepts.

101 I have kept my feet from every evil path

so that I might obey your word.

God’s word brings wisdom, insight, understanding, and discretion. Modern man is inundated in opinion. Cable TV, radio and the internet are a torrential downpour of loud, self-interested commentary. And when evaluating ideas we need to “consider the source.” David’s source is God Himself.

102 I have not departed from your laws,

for you yourself have taught me.

103 How sweet are your words to my taste,

sweeter than honey to my mouth!

104 I gain understanding from your precepts;

therefore I hate every wrong path.

105 Your word is a lamp for my feet,

a light on my path.

God’s word is often referred to as food, especially as sweet food. Spiritual food gives us joy and pleasure even as it strengthens and enlightens us! Finally, the things we love move us to action:

106 I have taken an oath and confirmed it,

that I will follow your righteous laws.

James says that our actions are proof of our beliefs. If we love God and His Word, it will shape our actions. So the final question is: “What do you love?” We are almost 2 months into the new year. Looking ahead, what are you going to give your time to? What will effect you, move you, and inform your decision-making? Where will you find direction and sure footing as you walk this year? The message is clear. We need godly wisdom in our lives. We need God’s Word! We need this in order to know Him and to live in a way that brings Him glory. His Law is like food. It does us no good until we take it in. Godly wisdom is found in God’s word and in fellowship with God’s people. Let us continue to be diligent in reading, studying, and loving God’s Word and His people.

If you're not participating in a Bible reading plan and you'd like to start, you can join us in our Daily Bible Reading Plan. If you use the Bible app, you have an added layer of accountability because a good number of our church members check off when they've done the day's reading. Printout schedules are also available if preferred. The details are posted here

]]>
The Things We Love

Psalm 119 is a prolonged meditation on the Word of God and its importance in the walk of faith. Charles Spurgeon said “This marvelous poem seemed to me a great sea of holy teaching, moving, in its many verses, wave upon wave...Its depth is as great as its length” And it is long! In fact it is the longest Psalm in the Psalter. It is longer than the 15 psalms which follow it combined! And it has an important message for us as believers at Calvary Bible Church.

Let’s start at verse 97: David writes,

97 Oh, how I love your law!

Without question, we devote ourselves to the things we love. I love my wife, my children, my church, my music, gardening, and baseball. I love God’s Law. And the things I love occupy my thoughts and my time.

David says the same thing. He writes:

(I love your law and...) I meditate on it all day long.

Another way to think of it is that the things we think about give us a clue to what we really love. What do you think about? That’s what you love!

98 Your commands are always with me

and make me wiser than my enemies.

The next thing we see about the things we love is that they have an effect on us. There is an old saying about computers “Garbage in, garbage out.” The same is true of the human soul. The things we prize and meditate on either build us up or tear us down. They either strengthen us or weaken us. They either deepen us or make us more shallow and superficial.

What does David say about the effect of God’s Word?

98 Your commands are always with me

and make me wiser than my enemies.

99 I have more insight than all my teachers,

for I meditate on your statutes.

100 I have more understanding than the elders,

for I obey your precepts.

101 I have kept my feet from every evil path

so that I might obey your word.

God’s word brings wisdom, insight, understanding, and discretion. Modern man is inundated in opinion. Cable TV, radio and the internet are a torrential downpour of loud, self-interested commentary. And when evaluating ideas we need to “consider the source.” David’s source is God Himself.

102 I have not departed from your laws,

for you yourself have taught me.

103 How sweet are your words to my taste,

sweeter than honey to my mouth!

104 I gain understanding from your precepts;

therefore I hate every wrong path.

105 Your word is a lamp for my feet,

a light on my path.

God’s word is often referred to as food, especially as sweet food. Spiritual food gives us joy and pleasure even as it strengthens and enlightens us! Finally, the things we love move us to action:

106 I have taken an oath and confirmed it,

that I will follow your righteous laws.

James says that our actions are proof of our beliefs. If we love God and His Word, it will shape our actions. So the final question is: “What do you love?” We are almost 2 months into the new year. Looking ahead, what are you going to give your time to? What will effect you, move you, and inform your decision-making? Where will you find direction and sure footing as you walk this year? The message is clear. We need godly wisdom in our lives. We need God’s Word! We need this in order to know Him and to live in a way that brings Him glory. His Law is like food. It does us no good until we take it in. Godly wisdom is found in God’s word and in fellowship with God’s people. Let us continue to be diligent in reading, studying, and loving God’s Word and His people.

If you're not participating in a Bible reading plan and you'd like to start, you can join us in our Daily Bible Reading Plan. If you use the Bible app, you have an added layer of accountability because a good number of our church members check off when they've done the day's reading. Printout schedules are also available if preferred. The details are posted here

]]>
Merry Christmas! https://www.calvarybiblechurch.org/blog/post/merry-christmas https://www.calvarybiblechurch.org/blog/post/merry-christmas#comments Sun, 25 Dec 2022 09:00:00 -0800 https://www.calvarybiblechurch.org/blog/post/merry-christmas Christmas music. Bright twinkling lights. Homes decked with boughs of holly. Stockings hung with care. Candy Canes. Ornamented trees. Yule logs. Warmth of a glowing fire.  Shopping. Presents. St. Nick. Beautiful tables set for bountiful feasts. Sleigh rides.  Hallmark. Hot chocolate. Family and friends. Holiday cheer. Peace, love, and joy. Happy holidays. Some would say this is what Christmas is about, and yet for some, these things are elusive. They are missing beloved family members. Money is tight so presents are not so present. Bountiful feasts are simple meals. Heat has been shut-off. Any peace, love, or joy only comes from things like these and is fleeting at best.

It’s not that these things are wrong to experience, but this is what Christmas time is about for a secular world. These are the things they cling to, the things they try to manufacture. They attempt to conjure up the warm and fuzzies in any way they can.  Even we, as Christ followers, can too easily fall into this trap. Yes, we acknowledge Jesus as being the reason for the season, but we want Christmas time to be about the warm and fuzzies as well. The truth is, Jesus entered into history during a difficult time and in a difficult way.

God had been silent with His people, Israel, due to their sin. Multiple nations had ruled over them and now Rome was oppressing them. “But when the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law" (Gal. 4:4). Mary and Joseph struggled with Mary being pregnant outside of marriage. A long journey to Bethlehem for a young woman close to delivering. No room at the inn, so a stable would have to suffice. Swaddling cloths and a manger. Nothing was easy or grandiose. A short while later, a great slaughter of babies by a jealous king. Not much peace, love, and joy save for some shepherds, wisemen, and the infant’s parents.

But what Christmas should do for us is bring us hope. Hope, that amidst the most difficult trials and circumstances, we can have deeply rooted, everlasting peace, love, and joy because a baby was born 2000+ years ago who would live the perfect life we could never live and then die a death we could never die, as a sacrifice for our sins. Furthermore, He would be buried but raised on the third day, conquering death and sin, and because of this, offering forgiveness of sins and eternal life to those who would believe in Him. With these truths anchoring our souls, now we can enjoy any peripherals of Christmas in a way that adds to, not detracts from, the true meaning of Christmas hope.  

“Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light" (Matt. 11:28–30).

Merry Christmas!

]]>
Christmas music. Bright twinkling lights. Homes decked with boughs of holly. Stockings hung with care. Candy Canes. Ornamented trees. Yule logs. Warmth of a glowing fire.  Shopping. Presents. St. Nick. Beautiful tables set for bountiful feasts. Sleigh rides.  Hallmark. Hot chocolate. Family and friends. Holiday cheer. Peace, love, and joy. Happy holidays. Some would say this is what Christmas is about, and yet for some, these things are elusive. They are missing beloved family members. Money is tight so presents are not so present. Bountiful feasts are simple meals. Heat has been shut-off. Any peace, love, or joy only comes from things like these and is fleeting at best.

It’s not that these things are wrong to experience, but this is what Christmas time is about for a secular world. These are the things they cling to, the things they try to manufacture. They attempt to conjure up the warm and fuzzies in any way they can.  Even we, as Christ followers, can too easily fall into this trap. Yes, we acknowledge Jesus as being the reason for the season, but we want Christmas time to be about the warm and fuzzies as well. The truth is, Jesus entered into history during a difficult time and in a difficult way.

God had been silent with His people, Israel, due to their sin. Multiple nations had ruled over them and now Rome was oppressing them. “But when the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law" (Gal. 4:4). Mary and Joseph struggled with Mary being pregnant outside of marriage. A long journey to Bethlehem for a young woman close to delivering. No room at the inn, so a stable would have to suffice. Swaddling cloths and a manger. Nothing was easy or grandiose. A short while later, a great slaughter of babies by a jealous king. Not much peace, love, and joy save for some shepherds, wisemen, and the infant’s parents.

But what Christmas should do for us is bring us hope. Hope, that amidst the most difficult trials and circumstances, we can have deeply rooted, everlasting peace, love, and joy because a baby was born 2000+ years ago who would live the perfect life we could never live and then die a death we could never die, as a sacrifice for our sins. Furthermore, He would be buried but raised on the third day, conquering death and sin, and because of this, offering forgiveness of sins and eternal life to those who would believe in Him. With these truths anchoring our souls, now we can enjoy any peripherals of Christmas in a way that adds to, not detracts from, the true meaning of Christmas hope.  

“Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light" (Matt. 11:28–30).

Merry Christmas!

]]>
Where to Find Hope This Advent https://www.calvarybiblechurch.org/blog/post/where-we-find-hope-in-advent https://www.calvarybiblechurch.org/blog/post/where-we-find-hope-in-advent#comments Thu, 15 Dec 2022 12:00:00 -0800 https://www.calvarybiblechurch.org/blog/post/where-we-find-hope-in-advent The Jews were living in some dark days at Jesus’ first advent. God had been silent, Rome was oppressing and Herod was cruel. The people were also living in the spiritual darkness of rampant sin. And yet with the promise of the forerunner and the miraculous nature surrounding his birth, the day was starting to dawn, the light was about to break and with this came a certain hope, a longing returned as the Messianic promises were being renewed in the minds and hearts of the people.

Friends, may this be us this Christmas season. For it could easily be said that we too live in difficult, even dark times. Though Covid is not quite what it was last year or the year before, it’s still a concern for some. Our political landscape is such that we live in a fiercely divided country. Crime and violence is rampant. Shootings happen with regularity. Though we’ve had some victories, babies are still being slaughtered, there is much confusion about what it means to be male or female, and the idea of a Biblical family is all but extinct. The sexual revolution has taken us places we never thought we’d see, societal wokeness abounds, and the economy is not in the greatest of shape. Of course, we can't forget the trials, difficulties, and losses that many of us our in the midst of. To top it off, it would seem that Christianity is on the world’s chopping block.

As we asked last week, “Where is the hope?”

A couple of years ago I read an article that still rings true today called “How To Do Advent When Nothing Seems Worth Celebrating by Chris Pappalardo for Christianity Today, where he asks the question, “What place does a quiet liturgy (customary observance) of Advent have in such a chaotic, turbulent world?”  His bi-line: “Our Immanuel doesn’t offer us an escape. He comes to suffer with us.” 

Think about it friends, God doesn’t promise an escape from the difficulties of these last few years any more than He offered an escape to the 1st century Jew or Gentile. What He does promise is that as Immanuel, He will be with us, He will walk with us, He will suffer with us.

The author writes, “Contrary to the Hallmark myth, Christmas is not a season of good vibes and tasty treats (though I’m down for both). The context of Christmas is injustice and death—and it has been from the very beginning.” Consider too what would almost immediately follow the birth of Jesus - the slaughter of many infant boys in Herod’s attempt to kill Jesus.  The first Christmas was in the midst of some very dark days. The author continues, “Christmas commemorates the moment when God entered into our story in flesh and blood. He entered in the middle of the story, in the midst of injustice and death. This is good news for us, especially when we’re living a story of injustice and death, too.”

He continues, “Advent isn’t about an escape from the darkness of the world into a false bastion of tranquility. Advent is a discipline that trains us to experience longing, just as the Jews did before Jesus’ birth. Without this sense of real longing, Christmas offers no sense of real hope. And if we already sense longing for healing and lament over injustice, we are that much closer to the spirit of Advent than we first thought.  One day, God will end all injustice and death. But Christmas reminds us that God’s first step in ending injustice and death was to submit himself to injustice and death.

“Many of us enter Advent this year crying out, “How long, O Lord?” We can be comforted knowing that we do not cry alone…we cry with Jesus himself, who enters our suffering. He entered it then—poor in birth, persecuted in life, scorned in death.He enters it with us today as Immanuel, “God with us.” So even as we weep, we do so with a thrill of hope. Hope does not stop our tears; hope gives them meaning. Hope does not remove our longing; in Christ, hope redirects it. That which we long for—justice, wholeness, healing—has a name. His name is Jesus, and He is near to the brokenhearted.” 

Friends, as we celebrate the Christmas season, may we not do so by looking for some kind of escape from all that grieves us, but rather may we celebrate the birth of our Savior and anticipate Christmas with a hope-filled longing of “God with us,” now and forever more.

Read the referenced article here.

Listen or watch the full sermon, "Promises to Zacharias & Elizabeth" here

]]>
The Jews were living in some dark days at Jesus’ first advent. God had been silent, Rome was oppressing and Herod was cruel. The people were also living in the spiritual darkness of rampant sin. And yet with the promise of the forerunner and the miraculous nature surrounding his birth, the day was starting to dawn, the light was about to break and with this came a certain hope, a longing returned as the Messianic promises were being renewed in the minds and hearts of the people.

Friends, may this be us this Christmas season. For it could easily be said that we too live in difficult, even dark times. Though Covid is not quite what it was last year or the year before, it’s still a concern for some. Our political landscape is such that we live in a fiercely divided country. Crime and violence is rampant. Shootings happen with regularity. Though we’ve had some victories, babies are still being slaughtered, there is much confusion about what it means to be male or female, and the idea of a Biblical family is all but extinct. The sexual revolution has taken us places we never thought we’d see, societal wokeness abounds, and the economy is not in the greatest of shape. Of course, we can't forget the trials, difficulties, and losses that many of us our in the midst of. To top it off, it would seem that Christianity is on the world’s chopping block.

As we asked last week, “Where is the hope?”

A couple of years ago I read an article that still rings true today called “How To Do Advent When Nothing Seems Worth Celebrating by Chris Pappalardo for Christianity Today, where he asks the question, “What place does a quiet liturgy (customary observance) of Advent have in such a chaotic, turbulent world?”  His bi-line: “Our Immanuel doesn’t offer us an escape. He comes to suffer with us.” 

Think about it friends, God doesn’t promise an escape from the difficulties of these last few years any more than He offered an escape to the 1st century Jew or Gentile. What He does promise is that as Immanuel, He will be with us, He will walk with us, He will suffer with us.

The author writes, “Contrary to the Hallmark myth, Christmas is not a season of good vibes and tasty treats (though I’m down for both). The context of Christmas is injustice and death—and it has been from the very beginning.” Consider too what would almost immediately follow the birth of Jesus - the slaughter of many infant boys in Herod’s attempt to kill Jesus.  The first Christmas was in the midst of some very dark days. The author continues, “Christmas commemorates the moment when God entered into our story in flesh and blood. He entered in the middle of the story, in the midst of injustice and death. This is good news for us, especially when we’re living a story of injustice and death, too.”

He continues, “Advent isn’t about an escape from the darkness of the world into a false bastion of tranquility. Advent is a discipline that trains us to experience longing, just as the Jews did before Jesus’ birth. Without this sense of real longing, Christmas offers no sense of real hope. And if we already sense longing for healing and lament over injustice, we are that much closer to the spirit of Advent than we first thought.  One day, God will end all injustice and death. But Christmas reminds us that God’s first step in ending injustice and death was to submit himself to injustice and death.

“Many of us enter Advent this year crying out, “How long, O Lord?” We can be comforted knowing that we do not cry alone…we cry with Jesus himself, who enters our suffering. He entered it then—poor in birth, persecuted in life, scorned in death.He enters it with us today as Immanuel, “God with us.” So even as we weep, we do so with a thrill of hope. Hope does not stop our tears; hope gives them meaning. Hope does not remove our longing; in Christ, hope redirects it. That which we long for—justice, wholeness, healing—has a name. His name is Jesus, and He is near to the brokenhearted.” 

Friends, as we celebrate the Christmas season, may we not do so by looking for some kind of escape from all that grieves us, but rather may we celebrate the birth of our Savior and anticipate Christmas with a hope-filled longing of “God with us,” now and forever more.

Read the referenced article here.

Listen or watch the full sermon, "Promises to Zacharias & Elizabeth" here

]]>
Church Update: A Letter from the Pastors & Elders about the Covid Pandemic https://www.calvarybiblechurch.org/blog/post/church-update- https://www.calvarybiblechurch.org/blog/post/church-update-#comments Wed, 28 Jul 2021 08:00:00 -0700 https://www.calvarybiblechurch.org/blog/post/church-update- Originally distributed to the church body on 6/21/21

Dear Church Family,

As you know, last week Pastor Brock (on behalf of our whole leadership) made the announcement that we would continue to abide by the State’s guidelines for indoor gatherings.

The June 15th LA County mandate reads, “Masks will not be required for fully vaccinated individuals, except [in certain settings]”…It further reads, “Masks will be required for unvaccinated individuals in indoor public settings and businesses.”

In order to maintain unity, we initially thought the best direction was to encourage and require mask wearing anywhere inside our building, including our corporate gatherings.

We want you to know that after much prayer, discussion, and assessment (considering where the body is, and what we now know), we are officially as a church, changing direction. We will no longer require mask wearing in any of our indoor gatherings.

We want to be clear that this new direction is not primarily motivated by the fact that we have rights and freedoms. As leaders we’ve been more than willing to bypass those all this time, choosing to believe the best and do our best, as far as it depended on us, to abide by all that was being passed down to us.

It’s not because we’re all tired of this, and enough is enough.

It’s not because our comfort should ever be our goal.

It’s not even, first and foremost, because we got feedback from the body.

Having said this, we do thank you for your feedback. Your feedback, in fact, helped us realize that we needed another meeting to discuss this. Since we love meetings early in the morning, we met yet again this past week to pray and discuss this further. But we do believe that part of faithful shepherding is listening to the hearts of God’s people. And so we appreciate you having the confidence to come to us, to share how these decisions impact you.

Furthermore, this decision is not because we are anti-government. We believe that submission to government is also a biblical issue. We’re commanded in God’s Word to pray for our government. We should do everything we can to submit ourselves to our government. As you know, from the very beginning we have done everything possible, as far as it depends on us, to walk the fine line of first and foremost doing what God has called us to do: gathering for worship, preaching the Gospel, and practicing fellowship (all biblical mandates). We’ve sought to be faithful to the Lord in these, all the while seeking to do everything the government has asked us to do (also a Biblical mandate).

In all of this our greatest commitment has been to honor Christ, to do what we felt was best for you (God’s people), and to do what we felt communicated the most care and love to the world. To this point, our course has been the right thing to do.

None of those motivations have changed one bit. But if you recall, we said that this was the direction we were charting for now. That for now, as we continued to pray, discuss, and assess things, this is where we were. This was intentional, with an ever-changing, fluid situation, such as the one we’ve had before us. We knew that this situation was uncharted territory for our country, and for us as a church. It’s perfectly okay and wise, in unique circumstances like these, to continue to watch, pray, discuss, and assess decision-making. As we think about all this, we want to confess to you that if you’ve struggled, we have as well, because we want to shepherd you well. I can tell you that this hasn’t been easy. Even up to this week, each of us (and collectively) have wrestled with what is most Christ-exalting, Church-edifying, and loving to the world. And we’ve struggled because these are unprecedented times, where not everything is so clear-cut and black and white. So many of these issues, like mask wearing and vaccinations, as much as people want to make them matters of sin or not sin, of clear violation of Scripture, or not, etc., are simply not of such a nature.

All that to say, that as a unified leadership (though certainly not free of present struggle, or some differences of opinion), we have come to agree that we need to move forward with submitting ourselves to the Lordship of Christ by letting the church be the church. To practice fellowship in a more personable and intimate way. Thus, we will now allow each individual to make the decision regarding whether or not he or she needs to wear a mask. Please know that we will not be policing those who choose to not wear a mask. If you still desire to wear a mask, please do so. No one is to single you out for that if that’s what makes you most comfortable. As we heard in the tail end of the message, love is to motivate and shape how we interact with one another in this. We won’t be requiring or enforcing masks in our corporate services, or in any other context here in our church building.

Also, we believe that vaccinations are a personal, private conscience issue between you and the Lord. Taking things at face value, you are not in sin for getting vaccinated. You are not in sin for choosing not to be vaccinated. This is between you and the Lord, as you become informed about the vaccination, know your own health, and weigh all of your options, etc.

Now let me please reiterate our pastoral concern above all. When it comes to masks or vaccinations, we believe that these are matters that fall under the category of private, personal conscience. And with issues of this nature (in accordance with 1 Cor 8-10), we have freedom and liberty as Christians before the Lord to make personal, informed decisions that we each feel are best. So whatever you or another person decides (one way or the other in these), please do not draw hard, fast lines where you should not, or we’ll be talking to you for sure as your shepherds who love you, and care about unity.

Gracious love is to motivate and shape how we flesh out decisions in this area of wisdom issues. And unity is to also be our highest commitment as we move forward with this change of direction as a body.

Again, please know that this decision was not an easy one. We’ve prayed (individually and collectively), discussed (more than you want to know), and assessed much as we navigated all of this. We haven’t always been on the same page with everything. I believe we can humbly and honestly say that to you as our church family. And even now, we will continue to prayerfully assess as weshepherd you moving forward, for there seems to be no end in sight quite yet.

But here we stand now. Effective next Sunday (June 27th), it is your decision whether you wear a mask or not in our corporate gatherings, or in any events inside our building. As far as your home goes, what you do in the context of your own home is your decision. We will not be policing mask wearing or vaccinations in any way, shape or form.

Beloved, let’s be unified, loving, and above all, let us exalt Christ and fully be the church on mission to make disciples, in fulfillment of what Christ has ordered us to do, by His grace, and in the power of His Spirit. We love you. Please talk to one of us if you have any questions and/or concerns.

Discuss this with one of our Pastors or Elders.

]]>
Originally distributed to the church body on 6/21/21

Dear Church Family,

As you know, last week Pastor Brock (on behalf of our whole leadership) made the announcement that we would continue to abide by the State’s guidelines for indoor gatherings.

The June 15th LA County mandate reads, “Masks will not be required for fully vaccinated individuals, except [in certain settings]”…It further reads, “Masks will be required for unvaccinated individuals in indoor public settings and businesses.”

In order to maintain unity, we initially thought the best direction was to encourage and require mask wearing anywhere inside our building, including our corporate gatherings.

We want you to know that after much prayer, discussion, and assessment (considering where the body is, and what we now know), we are officially as a church, changing direction. We will no longer require mask wearing in any of our indoor gatherings.

We want to be clear that this new direction is not primarily motivated by the fact that we have rights and freedoms. As leaders we’ve been more than willing to bypass those all this time, choosing to believe the best and do our best, as far as it depended on us, to abide by all that was being passed down to us.

It’s not because we’re all tired of this, and enough is enough.

It’s not because our comfort should ever be our goal.

It’s not even, first and foremost, because we got feedback from the body.

Having said this, we do thank you for your feedback. Your feedback, in fact, helped us realize that we needed another meeting to discuss this. Since we love meetings early in the morning, we met yet again this past week to pray and discuss this further. But we do believe that part of faithful shepherding is listening to the hearts of God’s people. And so we appreciate you having the confidence to come to us, to share how these decisions impact you.

Furthermore, this decision is not because we are anti-government. We believe that submission to government is also a biblical issue. We’re commanded in God’s Word to pray for our government. We should do everything we can to submit ourselves to our government. As you know, from the very beginning we have done everything possible, as far as it depends on us, to walk the fine line of first and foremost doing what God has called us to do: gathering for worship, preaching the Gospel, and practicing fellowship (all biblical mandates). We’ve sought to be faithful to the Lord in these, all the while seeking to do everything the government has asked us to do (also a Biblical mandate).

In all of this our greatest commitment has been to honor Christ, to do what we felt was best for you (God’s people), and to do what we felt communicated the most care and love to the world. To this point, our course has been the right thing to do.

None of those motivations have changed one bit. But if you recall, we said that this was the direction we were charting for now. That for now, as we continued to pray, discuss, and assess things, this is where we were. This was intentional, with an ever-changing, fluid situation, such as the one we’ve had before us. We knew that this situation was uncharted territory for our country, and for us as a church. It’s perfectly okay and wise, in unique circumstances like these, to continue to watch, pray, discuss, and assess decision-making. As we think about all this, we want to confess to you that if you’ve struggled, we have as well, because we want to shepherd you well. I can tell you that this hasn’t been easy. Even up to this week, each of us (and collectively) have wrestled with what is most Christ-exalting, Church-edifying, and loving to the world. And we’ve struggled because these are unprecedented times, where not everything is so clear-cut and black and white. So many of these issues, like mask wearing and vaccinations, as much as people want to make them matters of sin or not sin, of clear violation of Scripture, or not, etc., are simply not of such a nature.

All that to say, that as a unified leadership (though certainly not free of present struggle, or some differences of opinion), we have come to agree that we need to move forward with submitting ourselves to the Lordship of Christ by letting the church be the church. To practice fellowship in a more personable and intimate way. Thus, we will now allow each individual to make the decision regarding whether or not he or she needs to wear a mask. Please know that we will not be policing those who choose to not wear a mask. If you still desire to wear a mask, please do so. No one is to single you out for that if that’s what makes you most comfortable. As we heard in the tail end of the message, love is to motivate and shape how we interact with one another in this. We won’t be requiring or enforcing masks in our corporate services, or in any other context here in our church building.

Also, we believe that vaccinations are a personal, private conscience issue between you and the Lord. Taking things at face value, you are not in sin for getting vaccinated. You are not in sin for choosing not to be vaccinated. This is between you and the Lord, as you become informed about the vaccination, know your own health, and weigh all of your options, etc.

Now let me please reiterate our pastoral concern above all. When it comes to masks or vaccinations, we believe that these are matters that fall under the category of private, personal conscience. And with issues of this nature (in accordance with 1 Cor 8-10), we have freedom and liberty as Christians before the Lord to make personal, informed decisions that we each feel are best. So whatever you or another person decides (one way or the other in these), please do not draw hard, fast lines where you should not, or we’ll be talking to you for sure as your shepherds who love you, and care about unity.

Gracious love is to motivate and shape how we flesh out decisions in this area of wisdom issues. And unity is to also be our highest commitment as we move forward with this change of direction as a body.

Again, please know that this decision was not an easy one. We’ve prayed (individually and collectively), discussed (more than you want to know), and assessed much as we navigated all of this. We haven’t always been on the same page with everything. I believe we can humbly and honestly say that to you as our church family. And even now, we will continue to prayerfully assess as weshepherd you moving forward, for there seems to be no end in sight quite yet.

But here we stand now. Effective next Sunday (June 27th), it is your decision whether you wear a mask or not in our corporate gatherings, or in any events inside our building. As far as your home goes, what you do in the context of your own home is your decision. We will not be policing mask wearing or vaccinations in any way, shape or form.

Beloved, let’s be unified, loving, and above all, let us exalt Christ and fully be the church on mission to make disciples, in fulfillment of what Christ has ordered us to do, by His grace, and in the power of His Spirit. We love you. Please talk to one of us if you have any questions and/or concerns.

Discuss this with one of our Pastors or Elders.

]]>
Churches Overseas: An Interview with Tim Carns https://www.calvarybiblechurch.org/blog/post/churches-overseas-an-interview-with-tin-carns https://www.calvarybiblechurch.org/blog/post/churches-overseas-an-interview-with-tin-carns#comments Fri, 07 May 2021 08:00:00 -0700 https://www.calvarybiblechurch.org/blog/post/churches-overseas-an-interview-with-tin-carns

Pastor Alex Mastrolonardo and CBC Missionary, Tim Carns, connect over zoom to talk about the work God is doing overseas. We learn what Tim's students face as they pastor their churches amidst the pandemic and sociopolitical changes. We can also be encouraged by their focus on Christ in this time of need. 

]]>

Pastor Alex Mastrolonardo and CBC Missionary, Tim Carns, connect over zoom to talk about the work God is doing overseas. We learn what Tim's students face as they pastor their churches amidst the pandemic and sociopolitical changes. We can also be encouraged by their focus on Christ in this time of need. 

]]>
Meet Pastor Jay https://www.calvarybiblechurch.org/blog/post/meet-pastor-jay https://www.calvarybiblechurch.org/blog/post/meet-pastor-jay#comments Wed, 24 Mar 2021 10:00:00 -0700 https://www.calvarybiblechurch.org/blog/post/meet-pastor-jay We took a moment to get to know our newest pastor on staff, Pastor Jay. Watch this video to see how God used Jay's background in the entertainment industry to prepare Jay for pastoral ministry.

 

]]>
We took a moment to get to know our newest pastor on staff, Pastor Jay. Watch this video to see how God used Jay's background in the entertainment industry to prepare Jay for pastoral ministry.

 

]]>