Good Days

June 4, 2014
Dear City Calvary,

Do you remember the show "Happy Days" - with Richie, Potsy, the Fonz and the rest of the cast?  It was a good TV program and all but why did they call the show "Happy Days"?  Was it because life in the 1950s was happier - or - the teenage years (age of the main characters) are most happy?  Maybe happiness was found at "Arnold's Drive In".  What about other decades or the other stages of life, are they less happy?  What decade would the show "Sad Days" be about?  Would it be filmed at Leroy's Lounge?

The Bible doesn't talk about "happy days" but it does talk about good days.  In 1 Peter 3:10-11, Peter quotes David (Psalm 34) "Whoever would love life and see good days must keep his tongue from evil, and his lips from deceitful speech.  He must turn from evil and do good; he must seek peace and pursue it."  What makes this Psalm interesting is the timing of when David wrote it.  David is homeless and on the run for his life - being chased by King Saul.  He is alone in Gath (Goliath's home town) and having to pretend he is mentally insane in order to spare his life from the king there.  Those weren't happy days for David - but he calls them "good days" and writes about what it is to "love life".  Good days and loving life are not tied to a decade, age group, location, circumstances, or even our own personal happiness.  To love life and see good days comes from Jesus and having His character lived out in our lives.  Praise God for the wonderful hope we have in Jesus.  Be sure to re-read 1 Peter 3:8-12 as we see how to treat one another in the Body of Christ.

This Sunday, we will be talking about missions.  It's an important topic, seeing as all of us are called to full time mission work - wherever we go in our daily lives.

Blessings in Jesus,

Pastor John

Living Stones

May 7, 2014

Dear City Calvary,

Last Sunday, in 1 Peter 2:4-12, we talked about the greatest building project of all time, which Peter refers to as the "spiritual house."  

 * The foundation is Jesus - the "living", "chosen and precious cornerstone".  

 * The spiritual house is made of believers - the "living stones" that "are being built into a spiritual house".  

 * Those serving in the house are also believers -  the "holy, royal priesthood".

This means you are a vital and needed part of His house.  Jesus has created you, formed you, and shaped you into the living stone that is needed to fit in that exact location designed for His house.  You are the perfect fit for that spot.  You are also a needed servant, a holy and royal priest in the House of God.  Our job is to offer "spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ".  What are those sacrifices?  Living sacrifices - our obedience, our praise, our service, our things, our time, our love.

This Sunday, we look at 1 Peter 2:13-25.  The topic is submitting to people that are sometimes not so easy to submit to - like rulers, politicians, bosses, and so on.  Read ahead and see you Sunday.  

Blessing in Jesus,

Pastor John

A Royal Priesthood

April 29, 2014

Dear City Calvary,

Here's a question for you - where is the nearest priest when you need one?  I mean, what if you need someone to perform priestly duties and there is not a guy with a white collar in sight?  What to do?  Where to look?  How about looking in the mirror.  That's right.  If you are born again by believing in Jesus, then God's word calls you "a royal priesthood" (1 Peter 2:9).  This is not just any priesthood either.  In the Old Testament, the words "royal" and "priesthood" never went together because royalty was from the tribe of Judah and priesthood was for the tribe of Levi.  Nevertheless, there you are, a royal priesthood.  This is thanks to Jesus, the King of Kings and our High Priest, who has adopted us into His family.  

So the next question is - what do royal priests do?  1 Peter 2:9 says, "that you may declare the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His wonderful light."  That is what we do, declare praises of Jesus who has saved us out of death, darkness and hell and brought us into His wonderful glorious light and into an inheritance that will never perish, spoil, or fade.  That sounds like a fantastic job description, don't you think?!?  We'll look into this and more next time.

Sorry I missed sending letters the past two weeks.  This Sunday we are back in 1 Peter 2, after our detour for Easter and the men's retreat.  God's word is so rich and it is a blessing to go through the Bible with you - book by book, chapter by chapter, verse by verse.   

Blessings in Jesus,

Pastor John