January 2008

Hello Calvary Family,

Here we are in 2008 already!! I wanted to take some time in this blog to introduce you to a gentleman in our fellowship. His name is Noel Sorenson. (I'm sure many of you know Noel and his wife Connie.) The Sorenson's live in New Plymouth and have attended Calvary Chapel for a few years now.

Among other things, Noel is involved in the Gideon Ministry. In case some of you aren't aware of what the Gideons do, they are a Christian ministry devoted to getting Bibles, and the Good News that goes with it, into the hands of people around the world. That Bibles that you often see in motels and doctor's offices are there through the ministry of the Gideons.

I wanted to give Noel a chance to share a bit about the Gideon ministry. His comments are below.

God bless you all!

Pastor Paul
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Gideon Report by Noel Sorenson

An elementary school girl in Bolivia came home with a pocket New Testament. Her father took it and looked at it saying, "What is this?” She replied, "It is a Bible. Some men came to our school today and passed them out." Her father said, "Well I am going to have to look it over and see if it okay for a girl your age to read." So he put it in his shirt pocket and went to work. There was a mine explosion that day at work and he and all his co workers were killed. When they went through his belongings, the Bible was still in his shirt pocket. On closer examination they found that he had signed and dated it and had accepted the Lord as his Savior. Under his name were 12 more signatures of his co workers who had also accepted Jesus Christ!

Gideons have ONE goal: winning men and women and boys and girls to the Lord Jesus Christ as their Savior. This goal is accomplished in two ways: Gideons witness for Christ, and do what they are most noted for, placing Bibles in the pathways of life--in hotels and motels, hospitals, doctors and dentist offices and even homeless shelters. We distribute pocket New Testaments in middle schools, high schools, and colleges. We also give them to firemen, policemen, EMTs, and inmates of jails and prisons.

A really wonderful feature of the pocket New Testaments that the Gideons give out, is the plan of salvation in the back pages. It gives the basic plan of salvation ie; God loves you, everyone is a sinner, the remedy for sin [Christ’s sacrifice], and sample of a prayer to accept Jesus as your Savior. It has a place for the recipient to sign their name and date it when they accept the Lord Jesus Christ.

Isaiah proclaimed that God’s Word would not come back void or empty but would do that which God intended it to do. It is awesome seeing that power at work! A college kid took a New Testament because the pages were the right size for rolling joints. One day the Holy Spirit inspired him to read the page he tore out and he was humbled and cried out to God, repented and accepted Christ.

The Gideons are going on their 107th year! We picked up one more country this year, establishing a ministry in Syria, our 182nd country. We now have Bibles in 82 languages. Last year we placed 70 million Bibles around the world. That's approximately 184,000 per day, or more than 2 every second.

Third world countries are a real challenge to reach because they can not purchase their own Bibles. The United States has to purchase and ship Bibles to them. Unlike most charities which have very high administrative costs, the Gideons pay their own expenses so that 100% of our receipts is for the purchase of Bibles. Gideons are either business men or professional men, or retired of the same. So whether you own a business or farm or ranch, whether you are a doctor, dentist, even a lawyer, a teacher or banker, you could be a Gideon. You must be a member in good standing of a local evangelical church and you must believe that the Bible is God's Word and without error. Each Gideon is approved by their Pastor.

Our local Ore/Ida camp is the most active and successful camp in all of the Idaho/Utah association, giving reports in almost 100 church services each year. We have a few young men in our camp, but most of us are getting up in age. We need some new and younger members, so I pray that several of you will consider it. The biggest reason people give for not getting involved in something is a lack of time. Pray about it! If God wants you to do it, He will give you the time! I usually only spend a couple hours, once or twice a year putting fresh Bibles in motels or handing out New Testaments at TVCC. It doesn’t take much time.

Click here for the Gideon's US Website

May God bless you all!

Noel

September 2007 - The Promises of God

The Promises of God
Does it matter if they’re in the Old Testament or the New Testament?

Quite some time ago I raised the issue of claiming the promises of God, and I remarked that there are some promises which I do not believe we can “claim” in a present-day setting. Since making that statement, I’ve had several people ask me for a clarification, so I decided it was worth writing about here on the Calvary Communiqué.

So, what about it? Are there some promises in the Bible that we can’t claim today. I believe the answer is yes. But please let me explain.

In the Old Testament, God made a covenant with the nation of Israel through Moses (which is why we call it the Mosaic covenant). In that covenant, God made promises to the people of Israel. But those promises were conditional. They required obedience to be activated. Here are some examples of the kind of promises they received:

He said, "If you listen carefully to the voice of the LORD your God and do what is right in his eyes, if you pay attention to his commands and keep all his decrees, I will not bring on you any of the diseases I brought on the Egyptians, for I am the LORD, who heals you." Exodus 15:26 (NIV)

Note the terms of this covenant promise. God tells them they if they listen carefully, and obey, He will respond by not allowing the diseases that plagued the Egyptians to come upon His covenant people.

Here’s another one…

“And if you walk in my ways and obey my statutes and commands as David your father did, I will give you a long life." 1 Kings 3:14 (NIV)

This was a promise spoken specifically to King Solomon, but it was also part of the covenant God had made with Israel as a nation. If they obeyed His statutes and commands, He would bless them with long life. (See also Deuteronomy 5:33 and 11:21)

And again…

Worship the LORD your God, and his blessing will be on your food and water. I will take away sickness from among you, and none will miscarry or be barren in your land. I will give you a full life span. Exodus 23:25-26 (NIV)

We see some repeat promises here. Once again, if the Israelites worshipped God and steered clear of idolatry and pagan worship practices, God promised He would bless their daily provisions, keep sickness from them, bless their child-bearing women and give them a long life.

These are pretty wonderful promises, you must agree. But there’s only one problem: God didn’t promise these things to the Christian Church. These promises were made as part of the covenant God made with Israel. And as such, they are not something we can just arbitrarily “claim” or stand on.

Remember, God told us, even in the Old Testament that there would come a time that a new covenant would be made. (Jeremiah 31:31) And when Jesus sat around a table with His disciples on the night He was betrayed, He inaugurated that new covenant by saying:

"This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.” Luke 22:20 (NIV)

Notice Jesus used the words “new covenant.” That night He was explaining that God was creating a new covenant with His people, and, like the Mosaic Covenant, this too would be a covenant of blood. But not the blood of bulls and goats and sheep. Rather this covenant was established in the Blood of Jesus Christ. (Take some time to read Hebrews chapters 8 and 9 for more on this new covenant.)

So, what are some of the promises of this new covenant? Well, try these on for size:

“…whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16 (NIV)

Here’s another one:

"Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off--for all whom the Lord our God will call." Acts 2:38-39 (NIV)

There are many more promises that are tied to the New Covenant and believers should become familiar with them.

Now, am I saying that there are no promises in the Old Testament that we can claim? NO, I AM NOT. There are many wonderful promises in the Old Testament that can—and should—claim today! Such as:

Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight. Proverbs 3:5-6 (NIV)

Here’s another:

The LORD is my light and my salvation-- whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life-- of whom shall I be afraid? Psalms 27:1 (NIV)

So, why are these promises ones we can claim? Because they are not tied to the Mosaic Covenant. They are simply promises from the heart of God to all His people for all time. They speak of His character—which never changes.

If you still have some questions about this, please shoot me a note or give me a call. My email address is paul@ccontario.com.

God bless you!

Paul

August September 2007

Hello Calvary Family,

I have some wonderful news! As I write this, work has officially begun on our fire suppression (i.e. sprinkler) system in the Auditorium! Pipes are being mounted in the ceiling of the Auditorium itself, and then the entryway and mezzanine areas will be fitted as well. After the system is installed, tested and approved there will be nothing stopping us from using our Auditorium once again for Sunday and Wednesday services, with virtually no limitations on our seating capacity.

As you can imagine, a sprinkler system is a pretty big investment. But, in this case, it was one we couldn’t afford to ignore. Without it, we wouldn’t be able to use the Auditorium for regular services—which is precisely what we need it for most.

The second issue that we faced regarding our Auditorium was that of timing. Our building permit was issued several years ago, and we were informed by the inspection authorities that we needed to retire our permit (i.e. get the project finished) or face the possibility of losing the permit altogether. I met with the elders and we decided that we had far too much time, energy and resources invested in this facility to merely set it aside or to settle for some inferior form of usage for that space. So after careful thought and prayer, we decided to contract with a local bank to help us pay for the sprinkler system and also to finish up the rest of the construction.

Our desire is to have everything finished and to be moved in by sometime in October. The Cry Room as well as a full-service Nursery will be set up and functioning in the new space. (The new restrooms are already working!) Would you please join us praying for the work that remains, so that it might progress according to plan and go smoothly? There are a lot of variables that need to come together but we know the Lord is able. Pray especially for Ian Fisher who is overseeing this completion.

We’re excited about finally getting the Auditorium finished, but we’re not allowing our excitement to cloud our judgment. Our goal is to retire the loan just as quickly as the Lord allows. We would like to see it completely paid off in 2 or 3 year’s time. But in the meantime, I want you to rest assured that nothing around here is going to change concerning how finances are viewed or conveyed to our fellowship. You will not start receiving letters asking you to give more, and we will not change the way we accept the tithes and offerings of our members. God’s grace has always been sufficient and we believe that will continue.

If you have any questions about the Auditorium project or any of the decisions I’ve written about here, please contact me or one of the elders. We would be more than happy to answer any questions you might have.

Upcoming at Calvary Chapel

The coming of September means that a lot of things are going to be happening here at Calvary Chapel. Be watching for women’s weekly Bible studies, Men’s Discipleship Group, Koinonia Groups and a whole host of other things. Stay tuned!

Pastor Paul

April - May 2007

Greetings! Spring is well underway, although there seems to be a general impatience with the Spring-like weather we've been having. Windy conditions, volatile weather and fluctuating temperatures are all par for the course for Spring. But we all know that the warmer, summer weather can't be far behind.

I want to give some updates on ministries around Calvary Chapel, and I will at the end of this Communique, but I also wanted to add some thoughts to my recent teaching through John chapter 10. We covered some "leadership lessons" from the first 21 verses of that chapter on Sunday April 15th.

Calvary Chapel Leadership

As we discussed the statement of Jesus that the Good Shepherd lays down His life for the sheep, I spoke about how that is an example that Jesus perfectly exemplified for us all, and how He provides a powerful and important model for leaders in the Body of Christ to follow. I believe that the quality of leadership that Jesus seeks most from those who lead His flock is a broken and surrendered heart that considers the needs of the flock above their own.

Related to that statement, I made the remark that such leaders are hard to find and commented regarding our own elders at Calvary Chapel that that was why we only have two men serving in that capacity. From some of the feedback I've received, I think some people assumed that what I was saying was that there are only two men in our fellowship who qualify as eligible for service as an elder. However, that's not what I said. I just said they are rare. The fact is, there are other men I am watching closely right now at Calvary Chapel and prayerfully considering as possible elders. But with the importance of the role of an elder, I'm simply determined not to move too quickly, in keeping with the biblical admonition. (1 Timothy 5:22)

Calvary Chapel is a fair sized fellowship and I think it surprises some people when they learn that I only have two other elders serving alongside me. They wonder how so few men can carry the load. But that question arises from a mistaken idea of what an elder really does around Calvary Chapel. That's one of the reasons I wanted to write this Communique.

An Elder at Calvary Chapel is fundamentally an overseer. That means he comes alongside me to help me oversee the affairs of the fellowship. That doesn't mean elders don't get involved in specific areas of ministry, because they do. But it's my intention to keep our elders from doing too much, so they are better able to step back and see the ministry as a whole. These men help me make directive decisions for the fellowship and they provide key insight and accountability to me personally. Their job is to be watching the overall direction of the fellowship.

Now when it comes to the day to day DOING of ministry, that's where other people come in. Stacey Burzota manages the office, David and Shannon Armstrong direct our Children's Ministry, Hector Jaurez leads the youth ministry and directs the ushers, Gary and Nicki McLean run the bookstore, my son Aaron directs our Worship Ministry, Vi Fisher manages the Nursery, my wife Sue directs the Women's Ministry, Jerry Gamb heads up the Men's Ministry and along with his wife Kathy take care of an ever-growing hospitality ministry. (The Gambs have recently brought Richard and Kami Teramura into that ministry as well.) And working under and alongside these people are many other faithful servants. They are the ones who have their hands on the oars at Calvary Chapel and they serve with great diligence and love. The elders, on the other hand, are the ones who comes alongside me to keep the ship heading in the right direction. They help me set policies for the fellowship and work to make sure we stay on course. Frankly, I don't want them to get too caught up in day-to-day tasks of ministry, lest their overall perspective of where the church is heading become clouded.

The position of Elder at Calvary Chapel is potentially for life. He is not an elected individual, but rather one who comes to that position through much prayer and discussion. He receives no financial compensation, and his service is a labor of love.

Is the leadership style of Calvary Chapel like other churches. No. Many other churches employ different leadership models and each has its own pros and cons. This is the model we have adopted and for almost 17 years it has worked pretty well. I want you to know that if you ever have questions about how we have structured our leadership, all you need to do is ask. I know I speak for the other guys when I say that we would be more than happy to sit down and explain anything. Meanwhile, might I also suggest a book in our Calvary Bookstore called The Calvary Chapel Distinctives by Pastor Chuck Smith. This book will go a long way toward answering a great many questions you might have.

Ministry Updates

Our completion of the Auditorium entryway is moving along, and we're working on some more time-consuming jobs, such as floors and so forth. Doors and door frames should all be in tomorrow (Tuesday April 17th) which means that our getting to use the Cry Room is closer than ever. Completion is not that far off now and we're continuing to press forward. Ian Fisher is overseeing the entryway completion and doing a wonderful job. Get with him if you have some time you might be able to give.

We're about to start a couple new Koinonia Groups, which means the folks in the Nyssa-Parma area will soon have a local group, and we will be starting a new group especially for the 50+ crowd. That group will be located in or very near Ontario since that is a central location for most of our members.

This summer is going to be very full of activities and ministry opportunities around Calvary Chapel. So many that I don't have space to name them all, but you'll be hearing about everything as the time draws near. Stay tuned!

Personal Note
This past Easter Sunday we said goodbye to one of our members. Robert Sanders Sr. (age 64) passed into the waiting arms of his Savior after a relatively brief bout with pneumonia. Robert was a quiet and unassuming man who had been through his share of hard times. But we rejoice knowing that he is now being comforted in the presence of Christ.

On a family note, Sue and I will be taking some time away in May with our younger kids as my own dad is turning 80 this next month. So we will be traveling back to the Midwest to visit family. It will be 2 years since we've taken a family vacation so we're looking forward to getting away and resting. Even while we're gone, know that we will praying for you.

We love you!

Pastor Paul

February - March 2007

Hello everyone!

Well, once again here I am overdue for writing. I guess the beginning of 2007 was busier than I expected. Here's an update on what's happening around Calvary Chapel.

Building Update
This past Wednesday (Feb 21) we invited everyone at the service to take a look at the progress of the Auditorium entryway and rooms. The sheetrock has been hung, and taping and mudding has been started. Texture should go on next week and we hope to paint soon thereafter. We're in the process of picking out lighting fixtures and bathroom fixtures. Although the toilets have already been purchased, there's still a lot to pay for and at this time we don't have the funds for it all. But we continue to pray and trust the Lord for what remains.

When you see Ian Fisher next, be sure and thank him for his hard work and diligence in overseeing the completion of this project. He has done a super job and has worked tirelessly. We would love to see the downstairs section of the entryway completed by Easter, and that's what I'm praying for, but as always we submit to the Lord's timing.

On another building note, we are also very close to doing some much needed remodeling work in the women's restroom in the Children's Ministry building. The wallpaper, sinks, faucets and such are quite old and badly in need of replacement.

Ministry Update
There is always a lot happening in ministry.

As most of you know, we started a new ministry outreach to former Mormons called "Life After Joseph." This ministry, which is headed up by Brad Thompson (a former Mormon), is designed to help those who have already made the decision to leave the Mormon church. There are some statistics that tell us that some 90% of former Mormons become atheist after leaving the Latter Day Saints. I don't know if those numbers are accurate for sure, but it is our desire to provide a place where former Mormons can come and work through the issues of understanding what the Bible has to say about what it means to be a Christian. The Life After Joseph groups meets Sundays at 2pm at Calvary Chapel.

Our Koinonia Groups have really taken off! So much so that I've been scrambling to get folks connected, and in some cases even had to tell some folks to wait until we get some new groups started. Groups meet weekly, twice monthly and monthly, and we are always in need of host homes to meet in. If you feel that your home is large enough to host a group, with a good place for adults to meet and kids to play, please call the church office or shoot me an email.

I'm in the process of working with David and Shannon Armstrong (our Children's Ministry Directors) to make some fairly sweeping changes to our Wednesday Evening Children's Ministry. (This would involve children through the 6th grade.) We are working on remaking that ministry into a Calvary Kid's Club that will focus on a club-like setting for each age group. Emphasis will be placed upon understanding God's Word, Scripture memorization and some good old fashioned FUN! We're still working on the details and hope to give you more information soon!

As the promise of warmer weather begins to draw closer, we're looking ahead at our Summer BBQs that will take place again this year. That ministry is currently being headed up by Jerry and Kathy Gamb. If you would like to help this year, they could really use some couples to come alongside them and carry the ministry. Contact them by email or grab them after a service and let them know you can help.

Hope to see you soon!

Paul

December 2006

reetings in the wonderful name of Jesus!

Welcome to our new online version of the Calvary Communique. It seems that more and more things are going paperless today, and the Communique is one of them. (Actually each Communique will continue to be available on the information desk in the Auditorium for those who don't have Internet access.)

As a fellowship we’ve just come through a hard time. And yet, in the midst of it all, the Lord has shown Himself to be faithful—a fact that is even more evident now that we are a bit further down the road. There is so much good fruit the Lord has caused to come from the events of these past weeks. Not only has there been a wonderful outpouring of support and encouragment, but this event has challenged several people to search their own hearts before the Lord. It has also motivated some in our fellowship to gather on their own and pray weekly for our leadership--something I greatly appreciate!

One of the Bible passages that gave me so much comfort through this all is Hebrews chapter 12, which says:

Endure hardship as discipline; No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it. (Hebrews 12:7a, 11 NIV)

Yes, there are times when God exposes His children's sin, and that can be terribly painful—but we must remember the pain is all part of God’s gracious training program. One that eventually produces in us a “harvest of righteousness and peace.” But please notice the end of that verse. It says: "...for those who have been trained by it." It is vital that we not just endure difficulties...but that we allow the Lord to train us by them. That means being open to receive His training and instruction. "Lord, allow me to learn everything you want me to know through this, and to apply that learning to my daily walk with You. Amen!"

There are a lot of things going on around Calvary Chapel during this busy Holiday season. Here are some thoughts and reminders.

Holiday Schedule
Please note that we be offering one morning service on Sunday December 24th and Sunday December 31st. That one service will be at 11:00 AM, so effectively that means there will be no early service (9 AM) on both those Sundays.

Now, on Christmas Eve (the 24th) we will also be offering our much loved Christmas Eve Candlelight service at 6:00 PM. Bring the whole family as we celebrate together the birth of Christ! This time is really special and we also look forward to it.

Koinonia Groups
I wanted to start our Koinonia groups (small home-based fellowship groups) this Fall but it just didn't come together as I planned. But we're on schedule to start the groups in January. I am just now organizing the initial groups that will start up which you'll be hearing more about soon! Several of you turned in a response slip letting us know you would like to be part of a Koinonia Group, and soon you'll be contacted by a group leader inviting you personally. So, hang in there! It's happening!

Building Update
Our current project on our new Auditorium is getting the entry way, bathrooms and cry room completed. The electrical work is done and we passed that inspection. Now it's on to installing the heating and air-conditioning for that part of the facility (a separate system from the one in the Auditorium). Total cost for heating and air is $26,000 dollars and we've put down half that amount so the work can begin. Installers should be getting started soon and they expect to take around two weeks to get everything finished.

We're closer than ever to actually having the entire building finished. I want to personally apologize for the inconvenience of not having rest rooms in the Auditorium, and I know it's hard having our nursery and Cry Room in a completely different building. But we're praying that God would provide everything we need to get everything finished real soon. Please pray with us.

Prophecy and Our World Today
Beginning this coming Wednesday, we will be showing a series of messages recorded this past August and September at Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa on the subject of Biblical Prophesy and how God's Word speaks to the world in which we live. It's called the Maranatha! Prophecy Series.

You'll hear Guest Speakers: Mark Hitchcock, as he speaks about Iran: The Coming Crisis; Thomas Ice, with his message, Come Quickly, Lord Jesus; David Hocking will speak about Messiah and Fall Festivals; Dave Hunt will teach on Israel and Islam; Joel Rosenberg will share a message entitled Epicenter: Jerusalem, Center Stage and Chuck Smith will give a Prophecy Summary. Come join us!

Do you like to discuss biblical and Christian-related subjects with other believers? Come join us online on our Calvary Chapel Discussion Forum.

If you have any thoughts you would like to share with me, you can email me personally by writing to paul@ccontario.com

God bless your December!!

Paul