Calvary Chapel King's Lynn

Update!

2010-11-04T10:29:00.001Z

OK I know it has been so long since I last posted but I have an excuse: I started bible college! I moved out of the house in early September and moved to York and have been at the Calvary Chapel Bible college here since. It has been crazy busy so far and the adjustment to the student life has been hard but my time here has been amazing so far.

Every semester the college has outreaches to various places. Two trips really stood out to me: The first was to King’s Lynn! I had the chance to go back home and I really wanted to! I was tempted by the thought of my bed and my family and my Mum’s cooking. The second was to Romania. I know now that the only reason Romania was on my heart was because God wanted me there because I never would have picked that on my own. But here is a brief summary of the trip, which one I went on, and what happened:

“When the outreaches were put out, I had originally planned to go back to my house. I wanted to be able to see my family and have a break but God kept putting Romania on my heart. I had pretty much reserved myself to the fact that there was no way of getting enough money for Romania. A few days before my Grandpa called me and I told him about the outreaches. I very briefly told him about Romania and then went on to talk about other things. That night my Grandpa called my Mom and gave her a talking to saying that Romania was dangerous, and a waste of money, and that she should not allow me to go. This just cemented my plan of going back to King’s Lynn.

The morning of the outreach, I put my name down to go to King’s Lynn but I just felt like it was wrong. I opened my laptop and saw an email from my Grandpa. Opening it, he said he wanted to pay for my trip to Romania. I was blown away! My Grandpa is not a believer and it was crazy seeing God give him a complete change of heart. So I stood up and changed my name from King’s Lynn to Romania.

For the first few days, I was struggling. Outhouses, fleas, and cockroaches are defiantly not my thing and to add onto that, I had the thought of “I could be at my house right now” during the time there. I was praying to the Lord in a place of “Why am I here?” I knew God wanted me there because He clearly opened the door but I just felt lost and alone. In my morning devotions I read 1 Corinthians 1:9: “God is faithful…” and God really just spoke to me that He is faithful to be with me no matter where I go. After reading this it was time to do devotions with the group and the verse we read was Genesis 26:24 “…Do not fear, for I am with you…” and I just felt peace. God spoke to me that even though I was in a foreign country where they don’t speak my language, He was right by my side and He was faithful to never leave me or forsake me.

After this, I had the chance to teach the kids in a gypsy village in a town called Valeni. My group had a day where we were just preparing for the week and so we all broke off to prepare our studies for the week. I wanted to pour out what I had been learning so I put together a study with the disciples in the storm and Meshach, Shadrach, and Abednego showing that Jesus is right next to us in our storms. I had been outside and it got cold so I decided to go back in. When I did I saw Kirsten, one of the girls on the team, with a felt board of the ocean. I asked what she was teaching on and she said the disciples in the storm! I was so blessed to know God had given me my study and confirmed that by giving the same to Kirsten. After that I went to the next room and saw Kate surrounded by bits of red and yellow paper. When I asked her what she was doing, she said she was putting a craft together for her message which was on Meshach, Shadrach, and Abednego! I was so encouraged by the unity God had put in our group.

God really confirmed his faithfulness and goodness to me while I was in Romania. He is beyond faithful to us! Christ was faithful, to the point of death on a cross! He has demonstrated His love for me and I really fell in love with Jesus on the Romania trip.”

I hope to update this blog as often as I can so keep checking back. Please keep praying for the church in King’s Lynn!

The Holy Spirit

2010-07-31T15:46:00.002+01:00

“I would like to learn just one thing from you: Did you receive the Spirit by observing the law, or by believing what you heard?”

Galatians 3:2

With this post I want to explore the Spirit and what it means to receive the Spirit.
There are 3 Greek prepositions concerning the Holy Spirit which are important to know: Para (With), En (In), Epi (Upon). The Holy Spirit is with us before we are saved. We know this because the Spirit convicts us of sin and draws us to God. (But I tell you the truth: It is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Counselor will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. When he comes, he will convict the world of guilt [fn] in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment: in regard to sin, because men do not believe in me; in regard to righteousness, because I am going to the Father, where you can see me no longer; and in regard to judgment, because the prince of this world now stands condemned.- John 16:7-11). When we are saved the Holy Spirit came in us. (And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession-to the praise of his glory.-Ephesians 1:13). Baptism of the Holy Spirit is when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. Now there are so many verses where the Holy Spirit comes upon someone, that if I were to write them out this post would be huge so I will write out a few and list the rest. (But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."-Acts 1:8)
Luke 3:21-22, Acts 2:4, Acts 8:14-17, Acts 9:17, Acts 10:44-46, Acts 19:1-7.
Some believe you must speak in tongues to be truly baptized by the Holy Spirit.While this is one of the gifts of the Holy Spirit, not all of the verses listed above resulted in that particular gift. Some resulted in no immediate gift at all!
Gifts of the Holy Spirit according to: Romans 12:6-8, 1 Corinthians 12:4-11, and 1 Peter 4:10-11
Prophecy, Serving, Teaching, Encouraging, Helping Others, Leadership, Mercy, Wisdom, Knowledge, Faith, Healing, Miraculous Powers, Distinguishing Spirits, Tongues, Interpretation of Tongues, and Boldness.
I want to share how the Holy Spirit effected my life. When I graduated fifth grade, my Grandpa got me a guitar. After realizing you can’t just pick up a guitar and play it, it sat in the corner of my room being used as something to hang my clothes on. A few years later, a friend taught me my first chord and suddenly I began growing in my knowledge of guitar. The guy leading worship at a men's study moved away so I began playing guitar (The same 1 song every week) but I was terrified of singing so I didn’t. I was then invited to go to a worship leaders conference at Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa. During the final teaching, the pastor discussed baptism of the Holy Spirit. I knew that was something I want but I felt the Lord tell me to wait until I got back home. The day after coming back, it was the Men’s bible study night. The men laid hands on me and I was baptized in the Holy Spirit. I must confess I was still scared to sing. My Dad says I turned to him and said “Dad I can’t do this!” and he replied “You don’t have to anymore. The Holy Spirit will.” That was the first night I ever sang in front of a group. Since then the Holy Spirit has been growing my gift of worship.
3 Random things about the Holy Spirit:
The Holy Spirit was present during creation- Genesis 1:2

The Holy Spirit is the author of prophecy- 2 Peter 1:21

The Holy Spirit resurrected Jesus- Romans 8:11

What the Spirit’s job description is:
Our Comforter/Testifies of God-John 15:26

Convicts us of sin-John 16:8-11

Intercedes for us-Romans 8:26-27

Reveals the things of God- 1 Corinthians 2:12-14

"So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened. "Which of you fathers, if your son asks for [fn] a fish, will give him a snake instead? Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!"- Luke 11:9-13

The First Step

2010-07-15T19:10:00.002+01:00

“You foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? Before your very eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed as crucified” Galatians 3:1

· The word Paul uses here for foolish is not “Moros” which means someone who is mentally deficient. He uses “Anoetos” which means someone who can think but fails to use their power of perception. Perception is understanding so basically Paul was saying God had shown Himself to the Galatians through Jesus being crucified before their very eyes, but they were choosing to ignore understanding and believe that they could be saved by the law.

· I think we can take comfort in the fact that living by faith was hard at times, even for those who had seen Christ crucified. Even the people who had been around him and maybe even touched him, they were struggling with their faith when trials came up.

“In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed” 1 Peter 1:6-8

The Galatians were having a crisis of faith. It was do or die time. Paul was saying “You can’t live on the fence between God and the Law.” Trials like what the Galatians were going through, a conflict between what they knew was right and what they had know their whole lives, trials like that come to build our faith, not tear it down.

· Throughout the Bible, there are verses that really show how powerful our faith can be.

· “He replied, "Because you have so little faith. I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you." Matthew 17:20

· “Jesus replied, "I tell you the truth, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain, 'Go, throw yourself into the sea,' and it will be done.” Matthew 21:21

· Our faith is powerful! Trials don’t keep us from it, but make it stronger!

· “Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.” Hebrews 11:1.

· “We live by faith, not by sight.” 2 Corinthians 5:7

· “Faith is taking the first step, even when you don't see the whole staircase.” –Martin Luther King JR. There are things we won’t know until we stand before God. But we have the word. And that’s the step. And we have faith that this step leads somewhere. It would be foolish of me to NOT believe this. We have all seen God work in our lives and so our faith is acting upon that and taking the first step.

The Greatest War

2010-06-10T02:44:00.001+01:00

“But when I saw that they were not straightforward about the truth of the gospel, I said to Peter before them all, "If you, being a Jew, live in the manner of Gentiles and not as the Jews, why do you compel Gentiles to live as Jews? We who are Jews by nature, and not sinners of the Gentiles,knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, that we might be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law; for by the works of the law no flesh shall be justified."But if, while we seek to be justified by Christ, we ourselves also are found sinners, is Christ therefore a minister of sin? Certainly not!For if I build again those things which I destroyed, I make myself a transgressor.For I through the law died to the law that I might live to God. I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the [life] which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. I do not set aside the grace of God; for if righteousness [comes] through the law, then Christ died in vain."

Galatians 2:14-21

So basically Paul is saying “Why are you trying to put the Gentiles under the yoke of bondage, under Judaism, when you yourself have been set free?” “Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light."-Matthew 11:29-30 A relationship isn’t binding. It’s freeing! His burden is light if you are willing to learn.
Peter’s problem was pride. He was worried about how the Jews from Jerusalem would view him if he was hanging out with Gentiles. So he separated himself from them and in doing so put the yoke of bondage back onto himself. God is so good that even in the times of us being disobedient (Which Peter was being), He helps us out of it. God sent Paul to stop him from this.
Paul isn’t saying that the Gentiles are sinners and the Jews are not. That is totally contradictory to what he wrote in Romans 3:23 “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,”. No one was perfect not even the Jews. Paul is talking about the eating of foods the law said were sinful like Pork.
If there was one man on Earth who would know how justifying the law was, it would be Paul because he kept it to a tee. In the sense of the law, he was blameless. But in the sense of the Word, he was to be blamed. The works of the flesh hold no credibility before God. So Paul is saying “Knowing we can’t save ourselves, (Only Jesus can), we believe in HIM, so He can save us and not our works. My deed’s cannot save my flesh.” The gap between man and God cannot be bridged by works and deeds. It can only be bridged by the acceptance of Jesus Christ’s sacrifice on the cross.
In the first part, Paul says God doesn’t approve of sin. “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”- Romans 5:8. God doesn’t love our sin, He loves us. If Paul had tried to rebuild or go back to his former life which he had destroy and crucified with Christ (Will go into that a bit more in the next blog post), he would be a transgressor. The old life has dead.
While trying to be justified by faith, Paul was dead. The law was unkeepable so he was condemned. “For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all.”- James 2:10. So if you stumble in even the smallest point of the law, you are guilty. And the price is death. So he was dead so he could live for God.
What a mind blowing concept that we have been crucified with Christ. I can admit that there have been area’s in my life where I have been like “I have this, I give you, POOF it’s gone”. Many other areas are a constant struggle. I did a little research on crucifixion and here's what I found: a crucifixion didn’t instantly kill. It took anywhere between hours to days. The war against the flesh is a constant one, which will be fought your whole life until the day you stand before God.
The old life is gone. The self-serving, self-centered life is dead. The new life, with God at the head lives.
This all comes back to God’s unfailing love. Jesus gave himself away so that I might live. Jesus bridged the gap between God and Man by dying for all of mankind. If we could earn our way by good works, well then the Saviour of the world died in vain. But our works cannot save us, only Jesus can. Trust in Him with all your heart!

Agape Feast

2010-05-28T10:38:00.002+01:00

“But when Peter was come to Antioch, I withstood him to the face, because he was to be blamed. For before that certain came from James, he did eat with the Gentiles: but when they were come, he withdrew and separated himself, fearing them which were of the circumcision. And the other Jews dissembled likewise with him; insomuch that Barnabas also was carried away with their dissimulation.”

Galatians 2:11-13

So here, Paul opposes Peter to his face where just a few verses ago he took the disciples aside privately. This is a big change in the way Paul handled two issues. There are two possible reasons for this:

To know the first, we have to have a look into what was happening at the time when Paul opposed him. We need to look at the setting. They were having an Agape Feast (Love Feast). Basically everyone brought some food and they had a pot luck. Not only was this one of the only good meals some of the people would have in the week but it was a time of unity among various believers from different backgrounds. This was unifying the Jews and Gentiles. So Peter, by only eating with Jews, is causing a division in a feast that is meant to be filled with love.
The second is that Paul saw Peter slipping back into following the law. So when it says “Pail withstood him to his face” it wasn’t like he got all up in his grill. Paul cared enough for his brother to let him know and you can bet money that his response was in love. Peter didn’t want the Jews to see him in a bad way, so fearing them, he ignored the Gentiles.

“Fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is kept safe.”-Proverbs 29:25. Living your life for the approval of man binds you from doing the will of God. To be in His will you need to be sold out! Snares in life will come but we put our trust in God who is our shelter and fortress.
Peter was allowing the Jews to enforce their gospel that the Gentiles were unclean. “About noon the following day as they were on their journey and approaching the city, Peter went up on the roof to pray. He became hungry and wanted something to eat, and while the meal was being prepared, he fell into a trance. He saw heaven opened and something like a large sheet being let down to earth by its four corners. It contained all kinds of four-footed animals, as well as reptiles of the earth and birds of the air. Then a voice told him, "Get up, Peter. Kill and eat." "Surely not, Lord!" Peter replied. "I have never eaten anything impure or unclean." The voice spoke to him a second time, "Do not call anything impure that God has made clean."-Acts 10:9-16. God knew that this day at the Agape Feast would come and He was preparing Peter for it. After His time on the roof, Peter joined in fellowship in the house of Cornelius with Gentiles. So Peter began to really enjoy the fellowship of Gentiles until these Jews came and swayed him. And even Barnabas! Its kind of like Acts 17 where there was a victory, then a defeat, then a victory, then a defeat. Satan used the fear of man to attack the work of God, which is a weapon in his arsenal to this day! So watch out and know that the fear of man brings a snare!
“For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.”- 2 Timothy 1:7

Being a Pillar

2010-05-05T14:32:00.003+01:00

"On the contrary, they saw that I had been entrusted with the task of preaching the gospel to the Gentiles, just as Peter had been to the Jews. For God, who was at work in the ministry of Peter as an apostle to the Jews, was also at work in my ministry as an apostle to the Gentiles. James, Peter and John, those reputed to be pillars, gave me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship when they recognized the grace given to me. They agreed that we should go to the Gentiles, and they to the Jews. All they asked was that we should continue to remember the poor, the very thing I was eager to do."
Galatians 2:7-10

So here Paul was entrusted to preach to the Gentiles and Peter to the Jews. This totally blows my mind! Like I talked about in the last post, if man were trying to run this, you would reverse their roles and send Paul to the Jews and Peter to the Gentiles.
In Philippians 3:4-7, Paul lists all his reasons to put confidence in the flesh. He was a Hebrew of Hebrews, Circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a pharisee, a persecutor of the church, and as for legalistic righteousness: Faultless. Paul was like a role model for every Jewish person out there. And Peter was a fisherman, who left his nets to follow Jesus. So here the lowly fisherman is being sent to the proud Jews and the Model of the Jews is going to the gentiles. God gives the ministry! Things could have gone horribly wrong if they had done it mans way.
A ministry every believer on Earth shares is evangelism. This is the root ministry. 2 Timothy 4:1-2 says:

"In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge: Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage-with great patience and careful instruction."

If you are where God wants you, in the middle of His will, you will be used effectively. Now this doesn't mean there won't be times of dryness. It means that after those periods the harvest will be great. If you think of a farmer, he tills and waters and prepares the ground and does all this work but after planting the seeds, he basically sits and waits for months until the harvest is ready.
Revelation 3:12 says:

"Him who overcomes I will make a pillar in the temple of my God. Never again will he leave it. I will write on him the name of my God and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which is coming down out of heaven from my God; and I will also write on him my new name"

We are the pillars of the church. Now don't think for even one second that this means the church is dependent upon you or any one person. We are supporting the body as leaders. We support by serving. We are the physical examples to new believers. If you think about the role pillars, they connect the roof to the floor. That's what we need to do. When believers come to you, lead them to the Father. When there is a problem, lead them to the Father. That's your job as a pillar.

Donald Trump Church?

2010-05-02T23:52:00.002+01:00

"As for those who seemed to be important-whatever they were makes no difference to me; God does not judge by external appearance-those men added nothing to my message."
Galatians 2:6

One of the guys at our church uses the phrase "black belts" when referring to people who have known the Lord for a while. God doesn't use just black belts! God is not looking for ability but for availability. God took everyday people and did great things through them:

New Testament:

Simon, James, Andrew-Fisherman (This job wasn't anything to write home about)
Matthew- Tax Collector (Tax collectors were hated)
Paul- Not only a zealous Jew who persecuted the church but a tent maker (Paul wasn't just an OK guy like these other guys, but he actually was attacking the church)

Old Testament:

Nehemiah- Cup bearer (He basically drank the kings wine before the king did to see if it was poisoned. What a terrible job!)
Rahab- Prostitute (Enough said...)
David- Shepherd to king (He was a young shepherd and became king. He had many highs and lows)

If men were to start a church today, they wouldn't pick this rag tag group of people. They would have Bill Gates ushers and Donald Trump preachers. But since the Creator of men is the head of the church, you get me!
Ministry is not a business. Things like reputation and popularity don't factor in to God's choice of who to use. God looks past our attempts to look good with our painted on smiles and goes straight to the heart. "But the Lord said to Samuel 'Do not consider his appearance or height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance but the Lord looks at the heart'". 1 Samuel 16:7.
Christ set the example of a servant. Read Philippians 2:5-8 and you get an idea of just how far he was willing to go to serve. He lowered and humbled himself. Its a lot easier when you humble yourself than when God has to do it for you. "Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become among you must be your servant and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many." Mark 10:43-45. Jesus was a servant and that's what he saw in these people: a willingness to serve.
I've heard it said that Jesus is like the Sun rise. If you lower yourself and become a valley, He will only be seen earlier. And he will pick you up to meet Him. And if you make yourself a mountain, you only take away from the glory of the Sun rise and he will take you down.
So the question is, are we going to humble ourselves and leave everything behind so He can use us mightily or are we going to cling to pride and social standing? Because that's like being lost at sea and passing up a life raft to float on a toothpick!

Be sure to read the post under this. Its an update from the Cate's that was posted last week. I forgot to post telling everyone about it so make sure to give it a look over!

The Cate Family update

2010-04-24T04:17:00.003+01:00

It has been eight months. It seems like just yesterday, but eight busy months have passed since we moved from Kings Lynn. The Lord has done amazing things in and with our family since we left, so we thought it would be a good time to share what has been happening in those eight long months.
Leaving was a very sad decision for us, and it was only because we felt it was the Lord's leading that we were able to make that decision; we prayed very hard that He would give us the strength to make another move across the world, and we saw the Lord clear the way before us. Before we even packed up the house, the Lord provided a job interview for me, so I flew to Boulder, CO to talk with a company about managing a coffee shop; I started work there three days later. I have a friend that I knew moved to CO not too long ago, but wasn't sure where he was living, come to find out it was about 20 minutes from my new job and I was able to stay with him long enough to find an apartment to rent. The Lord also provided a car for me to use through our good friend Alex Spampinato, which was a huge blessing. So in a matter of days, I found a job, a place to stay then a place to live, and a car. What a huge God we serve! Carleigh and the kids joined me soon after, and we have since started settling in to our new life here. The job is still going well, and I enjoy every day. The biggest blessing here though has been our new church. We found a small church in our town called Whitefields Community Church, which is a solid Bible teaching church full of on fire people. We have been able to get involved in childrens ministry, website and graphic design ministry, and setting up for Sunday mornings. We have been blessed getting to know our pastor Pete Nelson, and his family, and look forward seeing how the Lord can use us; simple sinners.
We have been reminded once again about the faithfulness of the Lord. When looking at the possibility of moving from England, we were very sad, and couldn't understand how this could be God's perfect plan for our life; but once again we get to see (even if it's only little by little) God's plan coming together. And even though we still miss all of our dear friends in King's Lynn, we undstand all the better What our Lord says in Isaiah - ""For my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways," declares the Lord. "For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts."" (Isaiah 55:8-9)

The Attacks of Satan

2010-04-13T18:56:00.004+01:00

"And this occurred because of false brethren secretly brought in (who came in by stealth to spy out our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus, that they might bring us into bondage), to whom we did not yield submission even for an hour, that the truth of the gospel might continue with you."
Galatians 2:4-5

Satan won't always attack from the outside. When you think of any war, a key part is having people inside the enemy's camp. Satan will try anything to crush the work of God. He has many tricks up his sleeves. At our Men's study we are going through Nehemiah right now and it really shows the ways the enemy attacks. In chapter 4, Satan attacks from the outside using Sanballat and his people who said they were going to attack. In chapter 5, Satan attacks from within using poverty. In chapter 6, Satan sneak attacks using Sanballat to try and scare Nehemiah.
They didn't give in, not even for a second. There are 2 things that made this possible. 1. They were equipped with the armor of God and were able to extinguish the fiery darts of the enemy. So when he attacked, they saw it for what it was an stood strong. 2. They had a strong foundation in God, Matthew 7:24-27 talks about the man who built his house on the rock and was strong in the storm. If your prayer and devotional life is sandy, when the fiery darts come, you will be taken down. The greatest example in the word is when the crowd shouted "Crucify Him!" Just a few chapters before they were laying down palm branches when he entered the city. They went with the crowd because it was easy. They didn't have rock solid foundations so they were washed into condemning Jesus. Paul saw that making a stand on this point was vital because if they hadn't stood strong it would have changed the whole gospel.
So how do we spot false brothers? Phillipians 2:5-8 shows what WE should look like: humble, a servant, and obedient. Having a rock solid prayer life is key. God will reveal the counterfeits by the Holy Spirit in you. So don't be afraid to make a stand!

Band Together

2010-04-01T21:34:00.005+01:00

"Then fourteen years after I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas, and took Titus with me also. And I went up by revelation, and communicated unto them that gospel which I preach among the Gentiles, but privately to them which were of reputation, lest by any means I should run, or had run, in vain. But neither Titus, who was with me, being a Greek, was compelled to be circumcised:" Galatians 2:1-3

Here Paul is describing his second trip to Jerusalem. This time he took Barnabas (Acts 4:36-37, Acts 9:27, Acts 15:12) and Titus. Barnabas, Paul and Titus are like generations. Barnabas was like the father and vouched for Paul before the apostles. Acts 9:27. Titus on the other hand was like Paul's spiritual son. Titus had been one of the many Paul had led to the Lord in Tarsus. Paul and Titus were a team. 2 Corinthians 2:13, 2 Corinthians 7:6, 2 Corinthians 8:23. The reason they were united is because 2 Corinthians 8:6 says that Titus had the same earnest care for the people that Paul did. They were united by their love for the people. This made me think of a huge battle (In my mind it was something like Lord of the Rings but for you older folks it may be World War 2 :P). When they attack they fight side by side. When people separate, its easier for the enemy to pick then off. We as Christians will be much more effective if we band together like Paul, Barnabas, and Titus.
Paul went up because God told him to. He understood the importance of being in God's will. In his ministry, Paul probably had first hand experience with spiritual warfare and knew he was vulnerable when he was outside of God's will by himself. When you are smack dab in the center of His will, you are under his control not the enemy's.
During the time of this visit, the church was having an issue over gentiles (Non-Jewish believers). Some said gentiles could be saved only if they became Jews first. So the leaders of the church wanted to know what Paul taught so he "communicated the gospel he preached to the gentiles."
I love the sensitivity of Paul in these verses. He had to correct the leaders but he did it in private. Paul having unity in his heart was trying to build up not tear down so he took the leaders aside and laid it out for them. The whole situation was bathed in love and grace which is always how we should handle the situations in our life.
Paul was seeking to avoid a split with the church. He knew this was a hot point and didn't want to give the enemy any room to work. If he had cause division with the Jerusalem church, false teachers would have destroyed his work thus far and made his work in vain. I am so quick to say "Oh why God, are you letting Satan attack me! Poor old me!" when I am the one who opened the door up for the enemy to attack in the first place! Paul was quiet, attentive, sensitive, and graceful and because of this he avoided a fight and denied the enemy a foothold.
When you are faced with a problem, take the attitude of Paul and "Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time." Lower yourself and let God do the rest! Cover the whole situation in prayer and the enemy won't have room to move!

Alone with Him

2010-03-16T22:08:00.005Z

"For you have heard of my previous way of life in Judaism, how intensely I persecuted the church of God and tried to destroy it. I was advancing in Judaism beyond many Jews of my own age and was extremely zealous for the traditions of my fathers. But when God, who set me apart from birth to reveal his Son in me so that I might preach him among the Gentiles, I did not consult any man, nor did I go up to Jerusalem to see those who were apostles before I was, but I went immediately into Arabia and later returned to Damascus.Then after three years, I went up to Jerusalem to get acquainted with Peter and stayed with him fifteen days. I saw none of the other apostles—only James, the Lord's brother. I assure you before God that what I am writing you is no lie. Later I went to Syria and Cilicia. I was personally unknown to the churches of Judea that are in Christ. They only heard the report: The man who formerly persecuted us is now preaching the faith he once tried to destroy. And they praised God because of me." Galatians 1:13-24

First off, forgive me for not posting! I have been down with the flu and have just started getting better. I didn't forget about you guys!
Paul was the best of the best. Before being saved, he was going all out for Judaism. He was raised and lived his whole life to further Judaism. Philippians 3:4-6 says "though I myself have reasons for such confidence. If anyone else thinks he has reasons to put confidence in the flesh, I have more: circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; in regard to the law, a Pharisee; as for zeal, persecuting the church; as for legalistic righteousness, faultless." He was living the life everyone wanted. He had done everything perfect and was advancing in Judaism straight to the top. When God met Paul on the Damascus road, he did a 180 and left all of that behind because he "counted them as loss for Christ." He dropped reputation, pride, friends, and his future in Judaism to follow Christ.
After his conversion, Paul didn't go to man or go to the apostles to learn from them. He went straight into the deserts of Saudi Arabia and spent 3 and 1/2 years studying and listening to God. He didn't want to have any influences from man in his teachings but wanted to sit before God and just listen. So this gospel Paul taught was birthed through a time of intimacy with God. This shows the importance of alone time with God. We cannot grow if we aren't listening for that still small voice of God. James 4:8 promises that if we draw near to Him, he will draw near to us and meet us where we are at just like he met Paul where he was at.
The reason Paul had all the answers is because he was searching for them in the Word and through prayer. James 1:5. God will give wisdom to those who ask for it. And he has given us all the answers in His word but we need to dig in and search them out.
After Paul's 3 and 1/2 years in the desert, he returned to Damascus as a teacher instead of a persecutor . He spent 3 years teaching them before finally going to Jerusalem.
Paul stayed with James for 15 days. This is not James brother of John the fisherman because that James had already been martyred before Paul arrived. This was James brother of Jesus who wrote the book of James. After Jerusalem, Paul went back to Tarsus and went back to his old profession of tent making. Again this seems like a job where he would have plenty of time to think and talk to God. He grew in his relationship with God because he spent time with Him. If two people get married and never talk to each other, the relationship will never work. Every relationship requires that intimacy. Draw near to Him!
The church in Jerusalem was a little fearful because of Paul's old life. He has harshly persecuted the church and we responsible for many deaths. But when they received the report that he was serving God they rejoiced. Paul's story gives me hope. That God would take someone who imprisoned and killed HIS people and not only use him for His glory but to love him. This shows we can never mess up to the point of no return. He will always love you and will never leave you nor forsake you.
I encourage you to make alone time with Him. If you set aside that time He will make the most of it! Not only will you grow in a deeper relationship with Him but you will, like Paul, begin to have those answers.

Authenticity of the Bible

2010-03-10T21:17:00.004Z

"But I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me is not after man. For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught [it], but by the revelation of Jesus Christ" Galatians 1:11-12

After reading this, I begin contemplating the authenticity of the Bible. I have always heard arguments where people say "The Bible was written so long ago, we cannot prove its accuracy." or that there is no historical evidence of in favor of the Bible. So I decided to take a day and scour the web to try and find if our Bible 1. Is the Word God intended for us to have and 2. Has any historical standing.

When compared with other works, I was very surprised! Here is what I found:

OLD TESTAMENT:
Up until 1946, the oldest complete copy of the Old Testament was "Codex Babylonicus Petropalitanus" from AD 1008, more than 1,400 years after the Old Testament was completed. In 1947, the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered. These scrolls close the gap to about 200 years. So in that gap when man could have added whatever he wanted, such as prophecies about Christ, did he? The answer is: No! There were no changes between "Codex Babylonicus Petropalitanus" and the Dead Sea Scrolls. This shows the Jewish people were great at keeping records and that the Old Testament we have today is completely reliable and trustworthy.

The Bible mentions the Hittites forty times, but for centuries there was no secular record so they were presumed to not exist. In 1906, a German archeologist uncovered what is now known as the Hittite Empire capitol. This shows the Bible knew things before any human ever did!

NEW TESTAMENT:

WORK WRITTEN Earliest Copy Time Span Number of Copies

Herodotus------------488-428 BC-----AD 900------------1,300-----------------8
Thucydides-----------460-400BC-----AD 900------------1,300-----------------8
Tacticus--------------AD 100---------AD 1100-----------1,000-----------------20
Ceasar's Gallic Wars--58-50 BC-------AD 900------------950------------------9-10
Livy's Roman History-59BC-AD17----AD 900------------900------------------20
New Testament------AD40-100------AD 130------------300------------------5,000 Greek, 10,000 Latin, and 9,300 others.

From the table, we can see that the earliest existing documents concerning Roman history were found 900 years (Almost 1 whole Millenium) after the events happened and only 20 copies exist. Yet Roman history is taught as complete fact even to this day. The Bible manuscripts date from only 30-150 years after they happened and more than 30,000 copies exist. By comparison, Roman history becomes a mere fairy tale.

What makes the bible so special?
The Bible was written over a period of about 1,500 years by more than 40 authors from various backgrounds (Joshua-Military General, Daniel-Prime Minister, Peter-Fisherman, Nehemiah-Cup Bearer, ETC) in many locations (Wilderness-Moses, Prison-Paul, Patmos Exile-John, ETC) on three different continents (Africa, Asia, and Europe) and in three different languages (Hebrew, Aramaic, Greek) yet the Bible is in complete unity. There is not one place where it contradicts itself.

2 Timothy 3:16 is true where it says that all scripture is God Breathed. He gave us His very word and protected it for thousands of years. The Bible has not only proven the test of time, but it has history backing it up.

Outreach and First Service

2010-03-03T11:37:00.002Z

Hello, My name is Jerry Dayton and I am new to this blog because I just arrived in King’s Lynn last Thursday.

Coffee Outreach
The outreach on Saturday went very well. We served tea, coffee, doughnuts, and these sausage rolls that were served cold and I wasn’t brave enough to try. Mac and I also played/practiced worship for about four hours, while the rest of the team shared and ministered to the guests from the community. A couple of our first visitors were a pair of Bobbies, with whom God gave us great favor. They were not just impressed with what we were doing, but they informed us of a website we could visit to announce our activities as a church to the community. Then after enjoying their refreshments, they returned to their work of patrolling the town center, all the while telling people about the outreach. They said they plan to attend the opening service tomorrow. Overall I believe we had more than thirty people wander in for a dry space, hot drinks, a bit of food and warm conversation. That is not including our team of about nine. Unlike last time when Mac said people quickly ate their food and left, people milled about for quite a while, some for even a couple of hours. It was a blessed time of actually engaging with the community and many said they planned to return in the future. I thank you for your prayers and ask that you continue diligently because people are pretty skeptical. The comment was made today that if we are giving away free food, there must be something wrong with it. (Like it’s poisoned) I kid you not. And one couple said that if we have so much money that we can give away free food we could give them the money instead. While this sounds strange and even a bit amusing, so many here are hurting and desperate for connection.

Our First Service in the Church Building
I cannot even pretend to relate to the struggle and sacrifice those who have arrived before me have endured and overcome. The Proffits have worked extremely hard to carve out a place of ministry here in the hard soil of King’s Lynn and I was amazed to see it in action. I am not sure if my goose bumps Sunday morning were from the cold or the incredible sound of voices echoing off the old brick walls of the warehouse turned church as Mac lead worship. Vince continued in the book of Acts and as the trek took us to the end of chapter fourteen it fit our situation perfectly. After all the prayer and waiting on my visa it was a blessing to sit with my pastor at the feet of Christ, bathed in His Word. Having been given the honor of passing out communion, the sweetest moment of the service for me came when I offered the juice to a new fellow in the church. The joy on his face over partaking of the Lords sacrifice was overwhelming because many churches here will only permit you to join in communion if you have been baptized into that specific church. Oh how we take for granted our freedom of worship in the states. After service we fellowshipped, ate pastries and drank tea. There is always tea. Then after more than an hour of enjoying each other’s company church still was not over because most of those in attendance migrated back to the Proffit’s home for a late lunch. Marie prepared fabulous traditional English soup, perfect for warming the soul from the inside out on such a cold and rainy day. The Proffit family were joined by Tony, Sherry and myself from the states, Alex who came down from the bible college in York, and a handful of members of the church in King’s Lynn. We talked, Laughed and played games well into the night. The sense of community as the body of Christ, and the feeling of family are indescribable. God’s hand is clearly at work, but there are still so many unreached hearts in this place. Please go to war on your knees for the people of King’s Lynn

False Teachers

2010-02-24T22:19:00.004Z

"I marvel that you are turning away so soon from Him who called you in the grace of Christ, to a different gospel, which is not another; but there are some who trouble you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ. But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so now I say again, if anyone preaches any other gospel to you than what you have received, let him be accursed. For do I now persuade men, or God? Or do I seek to please men? For if I still pleased men, I would not be a bondservant of Christ."

Galatians 1:6-10

The way this whole false teacher business came about was that as Paul was travelling throughout Galatia teaching, a group of false teachers (the Judaizers) followed his every move. When he would stop in a city, some of the false teachers would branch off from the group and would stay behind to challenge his teaching. It was like they were playing a giant game of Wack-A-Mole, trying to crush the churches as they were popping up.

As Christians, we are not free from sin. When we get saved, a bubble doesn't come down and protect us from every sin and temptation. But this is for our good! Romans 5:3-4 says "And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance;and perseverance, character; and character, hope." The definition of tribulation is: pressure, affliction, distress. When tribulation is "pressing" in on us it develops character, perseverance, and hope. So when we go through trials, no matter how hard it may be, we need to see them as something that betters us. 1 Peter 5:8 says "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour." The enemy is always seeking to tear us down. Satan's goal is not to make ys bad or to further his kingdom. Its to make us ineffective in the Kingdom of God. Where we as Christians fail today is when we attempt to fight to fight off the enemy on our own. Psalm 46:1 says "God is our refuge and strength, A very present help in trouble." God will fight for us but it is a choice we have to make in those trials.

False teachers don't completely change or make a new religion: They subtly change an existing one. If they made a radical, obvious change people would notice. If they were to change one of the core beliefs such as the divinity of Christ, people would recognize the lie and steer clear of it. False teachers work on trickery and subtlety. The way to see false teachers is this: they always leave a wake of hurt, confusion, and trouble because their work is not of God. Romans 16:17-18 says "Now I urge you, brethren, note those who cause divisions and offenses, contrary to the doctrine which you learned, and avoid them.For those who are such do not serve our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly, and by smooth words and flattering speech deceive the hearts of the simple." We need to be rooted in the word so we can easily spot the fakes and stay away.

God has called believers by His grace and here Paul is telling them not to trade that in for a false teaching. It is easy to see false teachers when you know what you believe. The more you are in the Word, the easier it is to see through deception. When you have a crystal clear understanding of what the whole Word says, you can easily see when a teacher shares a message full of cracks.

Accursed means "Cursed to the lowest hell". That's some strong stuff! When I think of all the false teachers who have led millions away from God, who have hurt people in the name of God, it doesn't seem so harsh any more. These people pervert the truth for their own appetites.

Again Paul has stuck his neck out there and says he isn't seeking the approval of man. He lived his life to please God. Romans 12:1-2 says "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God." We are called to live a life like Paul, a life where we live totally for Christ no matter what the repercussions. Paul had it down! He presented himself to God and God renewed his mind. And because of this he was able to share with the gentiles what was good and acceptable. And he had such a close relationship with God he knew the perfect will of God and he lived it. We need to learn from Paul and find God's will and live it.

Galatians 1:1-5 "Intro to Galatians"

2010-02-16T15:26:00.006Z

"Paul, an apostle (not from men nor through man, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father who raised Him from the dead), and all the brethren who are with me, To the churches of Galatia: Grace to you and peace from God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for our sins, that He might deliver us from this present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, to whom [be] glory forever and ever. Amen." Galatians 1:1-5

OK here's a bit of a geography lesson. Galatia was not a city, it was a territory. Paul travelled throughout Galatia and planted several churches: Iconium, Lystra, Pisidian Antioch, Derbe, Tarsus, Syrian Antioch, and Jerusalem.

Since Paul was constantly travelling, he guided the churches through writing letters.
Jewish teachers had crept in and started perverting the gospel. Paul had taught that man is saved by grace but these teachers were saying man was saved by a combination of works and grace. Many people today think that by simply being a "good" person or following the ten commandments they can be saved. The law was never made to be kept by man. In fact, its impossible for man to keep the law. God's standards are so high that lust is adultery (Matthew 5:27-28) and that anger/hatred towards a brother is murder (Matthew 5:21-22). So if man was incapable, what was its purpose? The purpose of the law is to reveal the sinful nature of man and to lead man to Christ.

So Paul is writing to the Galatians to correct this false teaching. (False teachers will be a big subject to come in Galatians) At first I thought "What kind of people were they that they could meet Paul and be taught by him, and after he leaves slip into this false doctrine?" When you think about it, these people had lived under the law. This wasn't a radical new doctrine they were teaching but they took the message Paul had taught and added a little something. (How false teachers work!) These false teachers (Jewish teachers called Judaizers) went in for the kill by attacking who they thought was leading this movement: Paul. If they would have stopped and listened to Paul's teaching or read his letters they would see Paul always declares he surrendered to God, that he is an apostle of God, and had been sent of God. So in a sense, they were coming against a soldier when they thought they were attacking the commander!

Paul had to remind the Galatians that Jesus delivered them from that bondage of trying to earn salvation through works. When is enough enough? You could say "I helped that lady cross the street." and someone else could say "I was just in a plane and the pilots passed out and I broke into the cockpit and landed it and saved everyone." Well I would say helping the lady would pale in comparison. But then would all men need to land a full plane to be equal and earn salvation? You can either 1.Confess and believe in Christ and be secure in your salvation or 2.Try and be Good all your life, hoping your good outweighs your bad and not know until the day you die. God gave Himself for us to deliver us from trying to earn salvation. He gave us a free gift!

By its very nature, man seeks to earn salvation. If you want to please someone or get something from them, you do something for them. If I want some money from my Mom I might do the dishes or wash the car. This is Legalism. Legalism is a problem when you view God as the best image you can imagine X10. "Man likes it when I was the car and do the dishes so God must need something too." What would be the purpose of Christ dying on the cross if you could earn salvation through works? This shows you cannot believe in the Bible, and believe in Legalism. They are in conflict!

Something I took from Paul here is that he wasn't afraid to stand up and defend the faith. He was willing to put his neck on the line to defend it. He wasn't worried of what people would think of him or if he would be ridiculed for his beliefs. There's a source to that power and bravery and Paul shares with us what that source is. He opens the letter by stating he is an Apostle of God and not of man. Paul straight out says "I have no connections to man. God sent me, God is empowering me, and God is using me." When we are in that kind of relationship with Him, He uses us too. There's a difference between Disciple and Apostle. Apostle means "Messenger, he that is sent out" and comes from the Greek word Apostolos. Disciple means "to follow his precepts and instructions" and comes from the Greek word Matheteuo. So one was raised up a disciple and sent out an apostle.

We as Christians can take a lot from the life of Paul. If he had backed down because of his own pride, Christianity would have reverted to a Jewish sect under the weight of the law. He used God as his power source instead of using his own strength. Its like comparing the power of a bike, with the power of something like a space shuttle.

Galatians opens the door between God and Man and destroys legalism. We will never be able to build a ladder, built of our own works and deeds, that is big enough to reach God. And if we could, our God isn't very big is He? How many people are going to stand before Jesus with a grin on their face because they opened doors for people but find themselves hearing God say "I never knew you." The people in your town are dying. They are literally inching closer to death with each second that passes and we hold life in our hands: The Word of God. If that doesn't spur us on to defend the faith like Paul regardless of how people view us, nothing will.

Long Time, No See!

2010-02-12T01:21:00.005Z

Hello everyone!

Forgive us for not posting in so long! So much has happened in the last few months. As you know the Cates moved to Colorado a few months ago. My Sister and I began college. The church is moving into a building soon and we have been hard at work with that as well. Overall we have had a lot happen in a short amount of time!

The good news is we are going to kick start the blog again. It will be updated every Tuesday and we may have a few random posts in-between.

So please keep an eye on the blog for devotions and updates on the church and all that is happening in Kings Lynn, England!

God Bless,

Mac Proffit

A Revival in Prayer

2009-11-16T05:23:00.003Z

Nehemiah 9 is such an encouraging chapter of the Bible. Here the people of Jerusalem have just rebuilt the wall and in the previous chapter they reconnected with His Word, and now here in Nehemiah 9 they are connecting with God through prayer, and I am so encouraged.
The people prayed to God and they reflected on all that He had done for the Jewish people, going all the way back to Abraham. They listed the faults of the past but more importantly they listed God's faithfulness. And man is His faithfulness great! Every time the people failed God stayed strong.
"Nevertheless in Your great mercy You did not utterly consume them nor forsake them; for You are God, gracious and merciful." (Nehemiah 9:31)
And as I look back at the last few years, I see continually the Lord's faithfulness throughout every aspect of Calvary King's Lynn, from getting the Proffit family to England, to starting a Bible Study in our home, to now having a building of their very own. And so I am convicted to continue to pray for Calvary King's Lynn and those that are serving the Lord there. As we look to the future, and wait to see what the Lord is going to do in the city of King's Lynn, my hope is that those of us praying for this town would be convicted to pray faithfully, myself included. I pray that we would not grow weary in praying but that we would do our best to stay faithful to the call that God has for us in this church plant.
Let us come together as one body and pray without ceasing for the Lord's work in King's Lynn.

Carleigh

You will always be.

2009-10-27T17:14:00.000Z

Fall is here. The Walks is covered in bright leaves. I love the feeling of leaves rustling past my feet. The residents of Kings Lynn are adorned in sweaters, scarves, and wooly jackets. The seagulls are so beautiful in the gloomy skies. The cherry tree in front of our house is bright pink, orange and yellow. The changing seasons remind me of this scripture.

“To everything there is a season, A time for every purpose under heaven: A time to be born, And a time to die; A time to plant, And a time to pluck what has been planted; A time to kill, And a time to heal; A time to break down, And a time to build up; A time to weep, And a time to laugh; A time to mourn, And a time to dance; A time to cast away stones, And a time to gather stones; A time to embrace, And a time to refrain from embracing; A time to gain, And a time to lose; A time to keep and a time to throw away; A time to tear, And a time to sew; A time to keep silent, And a time to speak; A time to love, And a time to hate; A time of war, And a time of peace.” Ecclesiastes 3:1-8

Life mirrors the seasons, and there's a purpose to every season we go through. We see children born, and we see children die. We see the farmers sow their seeds, and then fields ripe for the harvest. We see buildings torn down, for newer ones to rise in their place. We have times of weeping, and wonderful times of laughter with friends. We mourn, and we dance. We gain, and sometimes we lose everything. We see many young men and women shipped out to go fight in the middle east. As we go through this economic crisis we see people who had businesses, and investments, now homeless. Many of you who are reading have lost a home, or are barely holding on to the home you have.

My family was invited to the Vineyard church, by the Pastor and his Wife. During worship we sang a song called “Forever You.” I was in the process of writing this blog, and it fits perfectly. Here it is:

“Even in a world, where nothing stays the same.
There is still a truth, a truth that still remains.

Forever You will always be
Our God on high, the Lord in me
The King of hope, the Lord of love
The Prince of Peace, the Lamb of God

Even though the heart, always seems to change
There is still a love, a love that stays the same.

You will always be exalted
King of Kings and Holy Father!”

“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.” Hebrews 13:8 Our hope, forever. No matter what. The death of a friend or family member, losing your job, house, a unsuspected illness. In ever circumstance He will always be God on high, the Lord in you. The King of hope, the Lord of love. The Prince of Peace, the Lamb of God. Place all you cares, and needs in His hands. Know that your circumstances are a season, but God is forever. During every season He is.

Please pray for us here at Calvary Chapel Kings Lynn, pray that as we enter our new building we would look to Jesus to supply our every need. Pray that through having this building we would be able to introduce the people of Kings Lynn to Jesus, and His unchanging love. That we would be able to comfort all with the comfort we have received from Jesus Christ. Pray that God would use the seasons we've been through. To minister to the people of Kings Lynn who have lost a house, business, or job. Who are sick, dying, or who have lost a loved one. All those who are in need, homeless, without food, or running water. To the widows, the orphans and abused children. That we would be a light in the darkness.

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God."
2 Corinthians 1:3-4
Amen, thank you.

Calling All Saints!

2009-10-17T23:12:00.008+01:00

Calling all Saints!!!!!

Ruth Graham, beloved wife of Billy Graham once said “If there are any tears shed in heaven, they are going to be shed over all the answers to prayer for which no one bothered to ask!”

I am sending out this newsletter with such hope! I am standing in faith and calling on each of you, to stand in faith with each of us here in Kings Lynn. We need your prayers. “...The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.” James 5:16b

It is with great joy that I write to ask you to pray with us for a building!!!
It is a building in the town center, across from the bus station. We have been praying for a building to become available in this location for a year! The building is across from the bus station, a taxi ramp, a grocery store and the museum. It is next door to a pub and the phone company. The building has big double doors, that when opened, will allow people waiting for a bus, taxi, or coming to or from town, to hear the Word of God and worship music!

Jesus said “...if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, Move from here to there, and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you.”

Here is the mountain we need our Jesus to move... we need one thousand pounds just to get into this building. The landlord is asking for three months rent up front. Then, there is work to be done inside, all of which is cosmetic. Further, there is a need for a cross, sign, lighting and seats. Eventually, there will be a need for a sound system.

By faith, I have told the realtor that we will rent the building and I am trusting God. On a side note... I tried to rent a building from this landlord about nine months ago, but he would not rent to me if I was going to make the building a church! Although he was resistant when I met with him this time, he said yes!!! The building can be used as a church!!! God is moving in this place and our prayers are being answered!

We trust the Lord to meet all of our needs here, but I do ask that you pray and consider how the Lord might have you partner with us. Nothing would bless us more than to know that you have committed to pray with us for this work.

Pray for God's favor with this building and how it can be used to impact this community for His Glory. I have enclosed photos, so you can “see” what you are praying for. Also, pray for wisdom in how to proceed and what is needed. You all know, I have never done this before, so I am going forward in the Lord's grace, because this is HUGE for me!

Finally, if the Lord leads you to make a donation or love gift, you can drop it off at Calvary Chapel in Phelan, Calvary Chapel in Apple Valley, or you can contact me directly.

“Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.” (Eph 3:20-21)

“I thank my God upon every remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine making request for you all with joy, for your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now...” whoo hoo! I'll keep you posted, God Bless You!

His plans.

2009-10-04T00:44:00.004+01:00

So, it has been quite a while since the last blog entry, and for that I apologize. It has been a crazy couple months, that have tried our patience and our trust. Carleigh, the kids, and I have moved back to the states after what we felt was the Lord's direction, and have just settled down in our new house just outside Denver, Colorado. As I look back at how the Lord brought us from our comfortable home in Southern California, across the ocean to England, and again back to the states to a place we had never even been, I was just thinking about God's plans, and how different they are from ours. We could have never planned all this on our own, and there isn't enough room on this page to go into all the little (and big) details the Lord worked out on our behalf, and it had me thinking about one of my favorite verses. Jeremiah 29:11-13 says:

'For I know the thoughts I have for you', declares the Lord, 'plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart'.

God says He has a plan for each and every one of us, and He promises it is better than anything we could come up with on our own. When things seems too dificult, we need to remember these promises, and know and trust that in the big picture that only God can see, it is what is very best for us. We can take comfort in knowing that we truly serve a loving and gracious God.

above is a picture of our new home (not the literal barn, but the area :-)
Boulder County, Colorado.

Pray for Us.

2009-09-14T14:35:00.004+01:00

“And the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will Himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.” 1Peter5:10

I am so thankful for the living word! So thankful that I can stand on this truth today. Brethren, this has been a tough month. As many of you know, the Cate family has left England. After having been here in England for two years, their support dried up. They had always said they would stay here as long as the Lord provided, and they did!

I am overwhelmed by their love for the Lord and excited about what God has for them next. The reason it has been hard, is that we have been through so much together. Without them, I don't know what would have happened when I got to Kings Lynn. Remember I stayed in their home for four months whilst waiting for Marie and the kids to get here! Their work here for the Lord has been fruitful. All of the first people who came to our church, were people that Jared met and invited from the coffee shop where he worked. From the beginning we met in the Cate's home. Carleigh's gift of hospitality was seen and experienced every single week. The thing is, this is just the “easy to see” stuff. They did so much behind the scenes. They ran the youth night on Fridays in their home. They started the blog. Jared did the designs for every single thing that has a design for Calvary Kings Lynn. They started our Speiro ministry for missions. They were faithful from the start to pray, pray, and pray for this ministry. When you think of someone giving their all, well these kids did it. They gave their all. They left America two years ago with the clothes on their backs and some in a suitcase. They arrived with nothing and saw the faithfulness of the Lord as He provided for all of their needs. They leave here the very same way, with the clothes on their backs and some in a suitcase. This kind of faith is not seen everyday and that is why I feel so strongly that I must share it with you all.

Here in England, as many of you know a terrorist was just released from prison. He was responsible for the Lockerbie bombing. He was released because he has terminal cancer and was sent back home to Libya to die a peaceful death at home with his family. This has been all over the news here and maybe there too. The thing that struck me, was when he arrived home, he got a hero's welcome. They had a parade and fanfare. Music, food, and fun. It was a total celebration. I began to think of the Cate family and their going home. I thought that even though they didn't receive that type of fanfare upon arrival back in the states, they will certainly receive it upon arrival in Heaven! Our Lord must be so pleased with this young family giving up all to follow after Him.

They moved to England with two small children. Their son Corey was born here. Their daughter, Madison went home to be with the Lord while they were here. They experienced the ups and downs of the mission field to the fullest extent.

Now they have packed up and gone to Colorado. Never having been there before, they sense the Lord's leading to plant themselves there for now. I am truly amazed. Not many I know would make these kinds of moves even once in a life time and yet this young family is pressing in. I am sure they would tell you that they are not special, many before them have done what they did and maybe even had it much harder. But I am humbled by their focus on God and His will for their lives. Trusting Him to be exactly who He says He is. I know if they could do what they wanted to do, they would spend time with family and friends first, after serving Him so long abroad. But this family is extraordinary because God is first at all cost. Carleigh did land at LAX with the kids and will see her mom and dad for a week or so. Then off to Colorado for them all to be reunited with Jared after more than a month apart.

There was a time when books were written about people like these. People who would go where ever the Lord sent them. People who trusted God for their every provision. People who understood what self sufficient faith is and yet decided to live totally reliant on God. People who count the cost and still go! So although I am no author, I did think it appropriate to make mention of them in this newsletter.

I have enjoyed serving with them. I have learned so much from them. I could not love them more if they were my very own children and grandchildren. Nor could I be any more proud of them. My heart is bursting with admiration and breaking at the same time. The thought of living here without them is heavy. I've read about these athletes who climbed Mt. Everest together. They say they are a team. Then after having done something like that together, you are forever connected. I think the same applies here. For the Proffit's and the Cate's. This was huge for all of us. None of us were missionaries before coming to Kings Lynn. We did this together. In the beginning there were so many lumps and bumps. The struggles, the loneliness, the illness, the homesickness. We encouraged each other and sharpened one an-others iron. We've laughed, cried, suffered and rejoiced. All the while watching in faith as the Lord did amazing things among us. Our families are forever united because of our call to Kings Lynn and it will not be the same here without them. To say we love this family is not enough. We love them, respect them, admire them, and esteem them better than ourselves.

I am afraid that many will discount what they have done for the Lord because of their age. I think many already have. I do believe that maybe they were not taken as seriously on the mission field as they should have been. My prayer is that they would not let that get to them or change who they are for Jesus. My prayer is that they would go forward in total strength and courage in this new work the Lord has for them. My prayer is also that those of you who have loved them would continue to do so and support this new move. They are going where the Lord is sending them to work for Him. They are going with nothing but faith and each other. Pray for them. Pray for God's will, His provision and His direction as they settle into their new home. Pray for their kids to adjust to this life changing move. Pray for the Lord to surround them with believers who will encourage them and come alongside of them to make this transition smooth.
Also pray for us and this huge whole left in our hearts that Jesus longs to fill. Pray for Kings Lynn. That the Lord would continue to reveal Himself here and that the people would have eyes to see Him. Pray for the McGinty's, as they adjust to living here and seek the Lord's will for their lives here in Kings Lynn. Pray that God would give them hearts to love the people here and that He would continue to provide for them.

The Lord is at work here in Kings Lynn. We are watching our fellowship grow spiritually and we are thankful, yet heartbroken feeling this loss. We look to God in all things, but sometimes your heart just hurts and this is one of those times. Our eyes are fixed and focused on Jesus, but we do covet your prayers.

Pray for the other Calvary pastors, church plants and missionaries here in England. These are difficult times. Many are watching as their support dwindles and wondering how God will provide for His people. Many are struggling with problems in their churches. We see the enemy coming against the Lord's work here in England. From problems with visas, to finances and a general weakening of the moral fiber here. So, this is a cry to the saints for prayer for this place too. Pray for us to focus on the truth of His Word where we will remain strong, steadfast and standing on our firm foundation.

How we pray for our Lord to bless your obedience and thank Him for you all.

Changes

2009-08-23T08:31:00.003+01:00

I have been talking to God quite a bit lately about all the changes that are taking place. Sometimes things that God does just don't make sense. Sometimes, they seem downright crazy and yet when we finally see the big picture it all comes together perfectly and everything makes perfect sense. And so I have been reflecting on Hebrews 11 for the last few weeks, because the Lord has done some crazy things which have caused the people to have to trust in Him completely as well as bring Him glory.
Here are a few examples:
Noah: "By faith Noah, being divinely warned of things not yet seen" (Hebrews 11:7) God was going to flood the earth. It had never even rained before and God told Noah to build an ark...and he did. Noah did something crazy because the Lord told Him to and in the end, he was saved, along with his family and all the animals, all because he listened to God.
Abraham: "By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises offered up his only begotten son, of whom it was said, 'In Isaac your seed shall be called,' concluding that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead.." (Hebrews 11:17-19) Abraham waited years for the son that God had promised him and when he finally receieved that son, God asked him to give him up. It made no sense and yet Abraham was obedient to the Lord even at the cost of his son. In the end we see that God spared Isaac's life and from him came the nation of Israel.
Gideon: Gideon had an army of 22,000 men and the Lord told him that was too many to fight for Him. It made no sense to dwindle an army of that size down to 300 and yet that is exactly what the Lord did. With those 300 men the Lord delivered the Midianites into their hands. And this brought glory to the Lord.
There are so many more examples of the things the Lord has done that don't make sense and yet know we can look back through the Bible and see how each of those examples brings glory to Him.
And I am thankful for those examples in the Bible, especially now, when things don't make sense. Jared and I are preparing to move back to the states. We are unsure why the Lord would call us to leave King's Lynn and the work here. We are unsure why the Lord is sending us to Colorado, a place we have never before been. But He is and so we are stepping out in faith and trusting that He will show us the big picture in His perfect timing and that all will bring glory to God.
Please be praying for Calvary Chapel King's Lynn as well as the Proffit family and the McGinty family. Pray that the Lord would use them to further His kingdom. Pray that they would be able to find a building to meet in and that the Lord would provide all the funds needed for that.
And please pray for our family as we step out in faith and go to a new place. Pray that the Lord would give us opportunities to be missionaries in Colorado. Everyone needs Jesus!

Revival 101

2009-08-09T12:10:00.006+01:00

"If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land." 2 Chronicles 7:14

This was the verse in a daily bible study I have been doing a few days ago, and it was so impressed on my Heart. It was like when I read it it was etched onto my Heart and it was all I could think about. I feel like this is a call on our lives! The thing that stood out to me most about this is it was an answer to a phrase I have heard so many times.

Over the years, I have heard many people pray "Lord Bring Revival!" or "We pray for Revival." or some other variation of that. Its easy to say "God bring Revival" then go home and live our Lives. This verse shows that Revival doesn't start in the hearts of the unsaved, but in HIS church! God lays out the steps to revival:

1.We must Humble Ourselves. When we have that mentality that we are nothing and God is everything, we are right where we need to be. The bible says "all our righteous acts are like filthy rags."Isaiah 64:6 and "Certainly every man at his best state is but vapor." Psalm 39:5. If we come at the unsaved world in our own strength thinking God will help us, we will fall. We are nothing, while He is everything. As a friend once told me "At best, you are a surrendered vessel at the Mercy of the desires of the Master." We need to humble US and let God work in us and through us.

2.Pray and seek Him. This makes me think of war movies. (I am a huge WW2 fan so bear with me!) Before major invasions, the leaders of the army come together and stratagize and plan their assault. This is a vital step! If they were to just say "Lets just deal with it when we get there." we all know what would happen. It would be a disaster! Its the same with missions, Evangelism, or even just sharing the Good News with a friend. If we skip this step, Seeking Him and His will, we jump out in our own strength and we will fail.

3.Turn from Sin. A house divided against itself falls. Luke 11:17. This is our hindrance against revival in our heart and in our communities. The same friend I quoted earlier also said "Satan's goal is not to make you bad, or to further his kingdom, its to make you ineffective in the kingdom of God." Sin is a crippling disease that make you ineffective. The definition of Ineffective is : Not capable of performing efficiently or as expected. When we turn TO the Cross, that means we turn FROM sin. We as the church need to turn from our sin because Satan is using it as a hindrance to make you and the rest of the body ineffective.

Next God tells us what his promise is if we fulfill these three commands.

1. He will hear. What a comfort to know God is listening! Waiting for us to turn to him! An analogy would be this:

Imagine in one hand you are holding a rope that is connected to God and in the other a rope that's connected to the world. God isn't having to fight for you, or fight against the power of the world. Yes, every now and then he gives a little well needed tug, but it isn't that God has to battle the enemy for us. If we just let go of the world, we can climb directly to God. And that's the beauty of it. He is waiting for that moment.

2. He will forgive our sin. He will wash us anew. The definitions of Forgive in Hebrew are: to Cover, to Relieve, to release, to pardon. This is the power of the blood of Christ. He covers our sin and releases is from sin. He will look upon us with Mercy, with Love and he will forgive us. His Love is greater than my sin! We know that all have sinned and fall short of the Glory of God. (Romans 3:23) "But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." Romans 5:8 Christ died so we could be healed from our sin, from our shame. "But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed." Isaiah 53:5.

3.He will heal our Land. He will bring healing to our land. This is what we pray for when we pray for revival. He will pour out His Spirit on our land, on our people and we will have revival.

So I challenge you with this. Now you have read this, Next time you pray for revival, look at your heart and ask God to find the parts that are unsurrendered, Are sinful, and give it to Him. Revival begins in OUR hearts, not the hearts of the unsaved. And if you have read this and have not made a decision to come to the Lord, the bible also says "And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved." Acts 2:21. I encourage you to call out to the Lord and seek him. He has shown his love for you, he bore our transgressions and iniquities and has offered you the healing power of his blood. Call on God and be saved!

(Overview)

If we

1.Humble ourselves

2.Pray and seek Him

3.Turn from our sin

He will

1.Hear us

2.Forgive us

3.Heal us

One Accord

2009-08-02T09:00:00.001+01:00

It's amazing how God always goes before us. He prepares the way, so that we can walk in it. We have been praising the Lord for blessing us with the one year anniversary of Calvary Chapel Kings Lynn! For having waited as long as we did to get here, this year has gone by like a whirlwind. I began to think about our experiences here. All that has happened, and it then made me think about the early New Testament Church. Over and over again in the Bible, Gods people met with one mind, in one accord, with one mouth, in one place, and one purpose.
“Therefore, if there is any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and mercy, fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others. Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” Philippians 2:1-11
Paul's joy was full when he heard that the Christians of Philippi were being like-minded. I'm sure that Gods' joy is full when His kids do the same thing today. This scripture made me think about 1 Corinthians 12:12-27, unity and diversity in one body.
I love science, and I've always loved learning about how things work in our bodies. The body works in perfect unity, with one purpose, to keep us alive. Each part of our body is diverse. Each part is needed for our benefit. Take the big toe for example, you wouldn't think that it's important. It's on the end of our foot. But if we didn't have our big toe, did you know that we would not be able to walk! Consider our eye lashes. Another member that you wouldn't think is that important. The eye lashes keep dust particles from going into our eyes. Have you ever wondered why you have hairs in your nose? They are your first protection against allergens. These weak parts of our bodies are needed. “No, much rather, those members of the body which seem weaker are necessary.” 1 Corinthians 12: 22
Every member of the body has a specific purpose, and function because our brain tells them to do so. Our mind tells us to breathe, to pump our blood around our body, and it tells us to eat if our stomach is hungry. Jesus does the same to the spiritual body, the Church. Just as the body works in perfect unison, we are to do the same as the Body of Christ today.
The body should not only look out for its own interests, but the interests of others. The nose doesn't just think about it's self. It gets a order from the brain to inhale, and it does. So that the lungs can become full of oxygen, to saturate the blood, to make something as simple as doing dishes possible. The lungs are then told to exhale, and they do. Carbon dioxide leaves the lungs, and exits the nose. If are lungs were to remain full of carbon dioxide, we would die. This simple function of breathing, is essential to life. If the nose said, “The lungs aren't functioning well, they think I'm useless.” Or if the lungs said, “I will not work with the nose.” Then the body would die. Each member of the body does not only look out for its own interests, but the interest of the body as a whole.
It's important for the body of Christ to realize that when we look out for only ourselves, we begin to kill the body. Every member of the body of Christ is valid, and important. We also have to realize that our sin affects the whole body. Sin is like a cancer. We all know what cancer does to the body. I am praying for the Lord to help me in these areas. I encourage you to do the same.
How is it possible to have one mind, be in one accord, with one mouth, in one place, and one purpose? Jesus the One and Only. If our total focus is His Name being Glorified. His Name being spread over all the earth. His fame and not our own, then we should strive to see that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. Then we will never act selfishly or try to be personally more popular than Him or think that we are ever better than any part of the rest of the body. We will know that it is only Him, all for Him and through Him we can love with a pure heart.
Please pray for us at Calvary Kings Lynn. Pray for unity in the body here. Pray for the missionaries here, and then ones who will come. Pray that we would cut the sin out of
our lives, so that we don't hurt the body here. That we would have one mind, that we are last of all, and servants to all. In one accord, in agreement and harmony with each other. Having one one mouth, lifting up one voice, in praise, and preaching the gospel. In one place, having the people of Kings Lynn etched on our hearts and minds forever. Finally in one purpose, that all would come to know Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord. He has gone before us, and prepared our way that we should walk in it.
All my love, Madi.

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!

2009-07-24T00:03:00.002+01:00

One year ago today was the official start of Calvary King's Lynn. It's hard to believe that one year has already passed. We are praying for the Lord's wisdom and guidance as we enter this next year.

God Bless

Empty Religion

2009-07-17T23:19:00.001+01:00

I had the blessing and privilage of getting to spend another short amount of time in King's Lynn this past week. This time was a much needed time to slow down and focus my eyes back on Jesus and be refreshed in Him. The team there without knowing it did that for me and so much more. Through their friendship, love, and hospitality they blessed me and refreshed me beyond measure. Thank You Family! Now on the other side having been to King's Lynn again and just continuing to see what the city is like and where the hearts of the people are it added to the burden on my heart not just for King's Lynn but the whole of the Uk. For those of you who reading this blog i just wanted to briefly share with you what and where i see this "christian nation" heading and where it is. I say "Christian Nation" because much like the United States, English religion is just that religion and for the most part is dead. The Church Of England is the national church set up here, but unfortunetly on the inside is dry and dusty. There is a church building in every city or town in the entire UK but sadly most of which are no longer used or if they are used they are very spiritually dead ( one church here in york is a nightclub/pub) Also it has shocked me speaking to people in this "christian nation" who have never heard the name of Jesus Christ before. Along with those things withcraft is a very real and "powerful" thing here that satan is using to bind people and keep them from the truth. ( be praying for that especially in King's Lynn ) I wanted to share just a few of these things with you to maybe show you a bit more of where this country is going and how vital it is that we are praying for it and we are pouring into this nation. I pray that this would just open your hearts to see a bit more of what is going on here in the Uk and would lead your heart as to how to pray for this nation, the city of King's Lynn, and our brothers and sisters that the Lord has placed there for His work.

God Bless

Alexander Spampinato.

Contentment.

2009-07-13T21:43:00.003+01:00

Contentment is something that I have been struggling with a bit recently (ok, pretty much all the time...), so this is more for me than anything; but I just wanted to share my thoughts on the subject.

There is a very well known verse about contentment that I'm sure you know, but before reading that, I wanted to share another verse that make the comitment verse that much more convicting (and encouraging once the initial sting of conviction wears off), so lets start with that verse;

2 Corinthians 11:23b-28 is the story of Paul's life after becoming a follower of Christ; it reads:
in far more labors, in far more imprisonments, beaten times without number, often in danger of death. Fie times I received from the Jews thirty-nine lashes. Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, a night and a day I have spent in the deep. I have been on frequent journeys, in dangers from rivers, dangers from robbers, dangers from my countrymen, dangers from the gentiles, dangers in the city, dangers in the wilderness, dangers on the sea, dangers among false brethren; I have been in labor and hardship, through many sleepless nights, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure. Apart from such external things, there is the daily pressure on me of concern for all the churches.

Now keep this verse in mind as we look at the next verse. Remember, the same man who endured these things written in 2 Corinthians, is the same man who wrote 1 Timothy 6:6

But Godliness actually is a means of great gain when accompanied by contentment. For we have brought nothing into the world, so we cannot take anything out of it either. If we have food and covering, with these we shall be content.

Two things really jumped out at me when I read that verse (besides being amazed that Paul could actually write on this subject with what he was regularly going through), and the first has to do with verse eight. Is it the food and covering themselves that make us content? No, I don't think it is. Those things are just the evidence that God is indeed taking care of us as He promises. Seeing this promise fulfilled in our life should bring us contentment. We know what kind of God we serve, and that no matter how it seems, God has His hand on our lives. In that knowledge we can be content.

The second thing I was thinking about had to do with verse six. What does it mean that Godliness with contentment is great gain? It reminded me of the story in numbers, when the twelve spies went into the promise land to spy it out Joshua and Caleb, you remember, were the only ones that came back with good reports. All twelve saw the exact same things, so why do you suppose Joshua and Caleb's report was different? Because they too knew the kind of God they served, and they knew He had His hand on their lives, and in that knowledge they were content. While I'm sure the other spies were godly, they didn't have the contentment to be effective for God. To have that "great gain" we need not only to follow the Lord, but follow Him with contentment.

God is Big Enough

2009-07-06T15:36:00.003+01:00

This week I wanted to do something a little different and just share a few of the verses the Lord has really used in my life the past few weeks. I pray that you are blessed, encouraged, and challenged by them just like I was.

"God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea,though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging.Selah" Psalm 46:1-3

"When I am afraid, I will trust in you.In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I will not be afraid. What can mortal man do to me?" Psalm 56:3

"Moses answered the people, "Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again.The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still." Exodus 14:13-14

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11

"The Lord is a refuge for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble." Psalm 9:9

"Out of the depths I cry to you, O Lord;O Lord, hear my voice. Let your ears be attentive to my cry for mercy.If you, O Lord, kept a record of sins, O Lord, who could stand?But with you there is forgiveness; therefore you are feared.I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in his word I put my hope.My soul waits for the Lord more than watchmen wait for the morning, more than watchmen wait for the morning.O Israel, put your hope in the Lord, for with the Lord is unfailing love and with him is full redemption." Psalm 130:1-7

"And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved." Joel 2:32

"He said: "The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer;my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation. He is my stronghold, my refuge and my savior- from violent men you save me. I call to the Lord, who is worthy of praise, and I am saved from my enemies. The waves of death swirled about me; the torrents of destruction overwhelmed me. The cords of the grave coiled around me; the snares of death confronted me. In my distress I called to the Lord; I called out to my God. From his temple he heard my voice; my cry came to his ears." 2 Samuel 22:2-7

"You are my lamp, O Lord; the Lord turns my darkness into light.With your help I can advance against a troop; with my God I can scale a wall. As for God, his way is perfect; the word of the Lord is flawless. He is a shield for all who take refuge in him. For who is God besides the Lord? And who is the Rock except our God? It is God who arms me with strength and makes my way perfect. He makes my feet like the feet of a deer; he enables me to stand on the heights. He trains my hands for battle; my arms can bend a bow of bronze. You give me your shield of victory; you stoop down to make me great." 2 Samuel 22:29-36

"The Lord lives! Praise be to my Rock! Exalted be God, the Rock, my Savior! He is the God who avenges me, who puts the nations under me, who sets me free from my enemies. You exalted me above my foes; from violent men you rescued me. Therefore I will praise you, O Lord, among the nations; I will sing praises to your name." 2 Samuel 22:47-50

God really spoke to me through these verse the fact that He is big enough to take care of our problems! He is a stronghold that keeps me safe in times our trouble. When we are in the valleys in our lives, God is always with us, keeping us safe. He fights on our behalf! We only need to step back and let Him move. He sees the whole picture, from first to last and he knows the plan that had been laid out for our lives. So stand back and let God be God! He is a greater refuge than we could ever find, a more caring Father than we could ever have, and he never leaves us nor forsakes us. Another thing that God really spoke to me about these verses was that He hears every word I cry out to him. He is always listening! How often I abuse the connection I have to him through prayer! Prayer is our lifeline, our direct connection to God. Call on his name! He is waiting for you to turn to HIM for safety and deliverance.

"May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The one who calls you is faithful and he will do it. Brothers, pray for us." 1Thessalonians 5:23-25

Hebrews 11:31

2009-06-30T11:58:00.003+01:00

"By faith the harlot Rahab did not perish with those who did not believe, when she had received the spies with peace." (Hebrews 11:31)

I love how God will use us despite our backgrounds, mistakes, or circumstances, and that He can use any of those things to draw people to Himself. He doesn't have to use any of us, but He chooses to because He loves us.

Take the harlot Rahab in Joshua 2. She brought the spies into her home and then hid them from the king and helped them to escape. God could have stopped there but He didn't because He wanted so much more for Rahab's life. She had heard the stories of all God had done for the nation of Israel,and she believed. Rahab knew that she wanted their God to be her God. And so God saved her life physically (by letting her escaped the city of Jerich0) as well as eternally. But God is so awesome and the story doesn't stop there. Rahab goes on to be grafted into the nation of Israel and ultimately is part of the genealogy of Christ. Did God have to do that? No, but He did because He loved her, and He loves us too.

My prayer is that I would be willing to be used by God no matter how big or how small, the opportunity may seem. Please pray for those of us serving here in King's LYnn, that we would be living by faith and looking for opportunities from the Lord to reach the lost here.

Carleigh

The Upward Call

2009-06-26T14:10:00.001+01:00

This week I have been looking back on my past. I was wishing that some things could have worked out differently. Why do things change? I found myself dwelling in the past, and in things that cannot be changed.

As I was praying about what to blog, the Lord lead me to Philippians 3:3-14

"For we are the circumcision, who worship God in the Spirit, rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh, though I also might have confidence in the flesh. If anyone else thinks he may have confidence in the flesh, I more so: circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of the Hebrews; concerning the law, a Pharisee; concerning zeal, persecuting the church; concerning the righteousness which is in the law, blameless. But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith; that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead. Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”

Wow! What powerful verses! We are the circumcision. We are to be living a life that is cut off from the world and cut off from sin. The rite of circumcision was God's way
of requiring the Jewish people to become physically different because of their relationship with Him. We are to have no confidence in the flesh.

Personally, I have always struggled with confidence. When I was in elementary school, a teacher told my parents "Madison has no self-confidence." I thought it was a curse, but now I see it as a blessing from God. Low self confidence has made it so much easier for me to have confidence in Jesus Christ! (Proverbs 3:26)

If you have walked with Jesus for any time, you can point to ways in which your spiritual circumcision results in proof that you are different than you originally were.

"In Him you were also circumcised, in the putting off of the sinful nature, not done by the hands of men, but with the circumcision done by Christ." Col 2:11

Paul gives us a glance back on his life as Saul. By worldly standards, Saul had all his ducks in a row. I love how he shares his pedigree, so to speak. Concerning the law, Saul was blameless. Saul did not realize he needed a Saviour, until he was on the road to Damascus. (Acts 9)

Each one of us who know Jesus as Saviour, has been on that road. The scales having been removed from our eyes, we recognized Him, the One and Only. But it’s funny how often we can think we don’t need a Saviour in our day to day circumstances. This is where I believe that our spiritual circumcision is so profound. Often, we rely on ourselves, on our past, on our pedigree to get us through. We need only follow Paul’s example of counting all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus.

Without Jesus, our lives look put together on the outside, but they are falling apart on the inside. With Jesus, we can walk with one foot in the world at times. Trying to live our lives for ourselves AND Him.

I'm sure that Paul hated the fact that he persecuted fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. I'm sure that if He could have changed that, He would have. What I love about Paul is that he KNEW who he was IN Christ. Forgiven. Paul was forgiven by the blood of Jesus, and he lived without a guilty conscience. His righteousness from God through faith!

Living in the past can keeps us from our future.
Like Saul, we have to move on. We are forgiven our sins past, present, and future. We have to move forward from our pasts, to our future in Jesus. To know Him!

Sometimes that means sharing in His sufferings. That’s the hard part. I am sure that it was hard for Saul, becoming Paul. Imagine having to come to grips with the fact that nothing in you is worth holding on to. It’s easy to say, but that’s where the rubber meets the road and I realized it is what God is saying to me.

I said I had been dwelling on the past, wishing some things had turned out differently. The thing is, change is hard. This kind of growth is hard and sometimes painful. Giving up me for Him… is stretching me and frankly, sometimes it hurts.

This circumcision done by Christ in me, has made me want to cry out at times. It has made me want to throw myself on the floor and kick and scream at times. Yet I feel His Presence and Know He is with me and I surrender my plan for His, my life for His, over and over again. My parents tell me I am growing up in Him and that they are proud of me. Sometimes I wonder what He thinks. Does He tire of my battle with my flesh?

He hasn’t changed my name, but He wants me changed. He wants me to understand that there is no good thing in me apart from Him. I can look back all I want, with longing even… but apart from Him I am just Madison Proffit, living in Kings Lynn. In Him, I am Madison Proffit, daughter of the Most High God, called to Kings Lynn, England to be His witness, whom He has chosen, to do good works which He prepared in advance for me to do!

“For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not evil, to give you a future and a hope.” Jer 29:11

I want to live with both feet on His path for my life. I want to press into Him and know Him and be found in Him! Yet as I write this fear creeps into my mind, of what will happen next.

Pray for me here, pray for all of us serving here in Kings Lynn. That we would see past our light and momentary circumstances and Live for Jesus while we can. Pray for the people in Kings Lynn to seek Him while He can be found.

“Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you.” Jer 29:12

For those of you who find yourselves in the same place that I am, even though I don’t know you by name, I will be praying for you. For those of you who don’t know Jesus as Lord and Saviour, my heart breaks for you. I pray that in His Word, read on this page, you will encounter Him and surrender your life to Him, He is worth it!

“And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart.” Jer 29:13

Speiro Ministries.

2009-06-15T16:51:00.010+01:00

We have been talking for a while about starting a ministry to support Church plants and missionaries, and on Friday we started taking steps to make that happen. After our young adult study on Friday, we were talking about the vision behind and ministry, and how to make it all happen. We believe supporting missionaries is one of the most vital parts of the church, as we, like I am sure you, take Matthew 28:19-20 very seriously.

We know from having moved across the world, that often times the most stressful things for a missionary is the finances, and we wanted to be able to be a blessing to people or churches that are struggling in that area. For us the most encouraging verse regarding this subject is definitely Matthew 6:26 which says: "Look at the bird of the air, they neither sow, nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they?" We want to encourage missionaries in the promise that God will supply all their needs.

We have decided to call this ministry Speiro, which is the Greek word for sow, as is found in the verse in Matthew mentioned earlier. The verse in Matthew can be taken two very different ways whether you are looking at it from a missionary's point of view, or from a believers point of view. If we are at home, supporting missionaries around the world, we can read this verse as having the opportunity to supply the needs of missionaries, and this can be seen as sowing into the Kingdom of Heaven. Someone involved in missionary work can read this as being able to focus on the task given them, and not having to worry about the sowing or reaping or gathering into barns in the financial sense.

The way this ministry works is we, as a church, make handmade journals and jewelry and sell them, with 100% of the proceeds going directly to missionaries and church plants. As things start to come together, we will continue to update you on the growth of this ministry, as well as opportunities for you to get involved. Below is some pictures of a few of the journals we have started. Please be praying for this ministry, that it would be used by God to bless people around the world. If you have any ideas, please feel free to share them with us!

Front cover (one of many designs)

Back cover

Hand saddle stitched pages

God With Us

2009-06-10T10:56:00.003+01:00

If you're my friend on Facebook, you may recognize this as my "theme song." It was written by a student at the School of Worship in Costa Mesa, CA and so perfectly sums up where we all need to be with Jesus. The Lord laid it on my heart to do this song, but I didn't feel like He was leading me towards a specific verse for it. On Fridays, we have our Youth Night and we started doing a study of Joshua. There was one verse that jumped off the page at me:

“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go."-Joshua 1:9.

The end of the verse is what I love most. It says "Don't be Terrified". That's not just scared, but terrified! Joshua was in a position where he had reason to be terrified. God says "Don't be terrified" and then He says that He will be with us wherever we go. What a promise to hold on to. When we are in valleys, God with us! When we are in darkness, God with us! Whether we know it or not, God is always with us! How comforting that is. No matter what the world will throw at us or where in the world we are, we have Jesus to rest in. When we need strength, we find it at His feet. When we are weak, He is strong. Best of all, when we are faithless, He still loves us! He is the perfect match for us. These past few weeks have been really hard on me, but God is faithful!

So here's my question.... Is all that's in you Blessing Jesus? Or are you holding a little something back? No matter how small that little something is, Jesus wants it. Surrender all to Him, and He will take you places you couldn't even imagine.

Here's a quick sum up of what I wanted to share...

1.Emmanuel, God with us, He is the “WITH US” God. No matter where we are, no matter who we are, and no matter how we are doing.

2.Is all of you Blessing Jesus? Are you giving Jesus your 100% or just 99%?

I pray that whoever reads this would really search their heart in prayer to see if there's something that they are holding back. Jesus is so worth leaving everything for and giving everything to. He is our comfort, our Shelter, and our Provider. I challenge you to surrender all to Jesus and see the amazing things he does with you and through you. It will blow you away!

“Finally, brothers, pray for us that the message of the Lord may spread rapidly and be honored, just as it was with you. And pray that we may be delivered from wicked and evil men, for not everyone has faith. But the Lord is faithful, and he will strengthen and protect you from the evil one.” “May the Lord direct your hearts into God's love and Christ's perseverance.”-2 Thessalonians 3:1-3 and 2 Thessalonians 3:5

The Lord never grows weary.

2009-05-31T08:21:00.000+01:00

“Have you not known? Have you not heard? The everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, neither faints nor is weary. His understanding is unsearchable. He gives power to the weak, and to those who have no might He increases strength. Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall, but those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.” Isaiah 40:28-31

I think if we are all honest with ourselves, we can say that each of us grow weary at some point in our lives. I know I have. But these verses brought such hope to me this week. I looked up the definition for the word weary in the Greek and it means: to be utterly spiritless, to be wearied out, exhausted. How awesome is it to know that our Lord never gets exhausted, or becomes utterly spiritless?
This last week was a rather exhausting week for me. We were struggling a lot financially and I couldn’t understand why the Lord was allowing certain things to happen. And then I found out that my Dad has cancer. It isn’t easy to be away from my family to begin with but then to have to be so far away while my Dad is sick, it’s almost unbearable. I felt I had reached my limit. Part of me wanted to just throw in the towel and go back to be near my Dad but deep down I knew that the Lord had brought me to England and that He would prove Himself faithful even in my weakness.
And He did! The Lord performed miracles. He provided the money we needed to get caught up on our bills. He showed me that He is taking care of both me and my Dad and He confirmed that I am exactly where I need to be. And He did all of it in His perfect timing. I am reminded of Isaiah 55:8, “’For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways’ says the Lord.” Looking back over these last few days I see how the Lord’s plan was perfect and He allowed things to happen in a certain order for a reason. I am so thankful that my God never grows weary.
So I ask you to pray for us, the missionaries this week. Pray that we would not grow weary while doing good. Pray that we would wait on the Lord and He would renew our strength. And pray for the people of King’s Lynn that they would come to know the living Saviour who can give them the strength to “run with endurance the race that is set before them, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the Joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God”. -Hebrews 12:1-2

Carleigh

Guest - Alex Spampinato

2009-05-26T15:46:00.001+01:00

I had the wonderful privilege, blessing, and opportunity to spend this past weekend with the Proffits and the Cates in Kings Lynn, Eng. It was a wonderful time of just fellowship and catching up on what the Lord has been doing both in the city and more importantly in their own lives and hearts. It was exciting to see what the Lord has been doing in the fellowship there, i got to meet new members and see how old ones have grown closer to the Lord. Its also amazing to see the difference between the city in the winter and in the summer. There was a tremendous amount of young people there many of which hang out in " the walks" or the city park. This is something that we really need to keep in prayer you can feel the hardness in the people just walking around the city. Pray as to how to go about reaching out to them, they needed it. Also just for the city and the fellowship in general its a very cold and dark place spiritually and you can feel it physically. PLEASE BE PRAYING!

Guest- Matt Camphuis - Blessings through Obedience

2009-05-25T22:19:00.006+01:00

The main thing that was on my heart was to give testimony of Jesus Christ and the joy and blessings He gives when you follow Him in obedience to do what He tells you to do. Even when that thing He’s telling you to do doesn’t make sense, is beyond your abilities, or is something you think would not make you happy.

Two years or so ago God asked me to go to Bible College. It wasn’t through any sort of audible voice or anything just a thought that I knew wasn’t mine own and wasn’t from the enemy. I was driving by church one day having just recently been fired from my job and struggling in my heart with what am I doing with my life? I had re-made a commitment for the thousandth time to follow God four months before but this time it had been real. God had been pruning me and taking away friendships, allowing chastening, and giving me joy as I read through the Bible every day. Most of the time I didn’t know what I was reading or understand it, but I knew that even if I didn’t feel like God was speaking to me at the time my days were better when I spent time with Him. God had gone after me all the way through my life and I always knew I could turn to Him when I was alone. He was faithful and still is. For example one time (I dont know how old I was, probably 17 or so) I was going to drive off a cliff in Wrightwood after a fight with my parents, I was racing through Wrightwood in my jeep when I finally just pulled over and turned the radio to Air One. I started to listen to the songs and I was reminded of God’s love for me and began to cry and pray. I always wanted to follow God with all my heart mind and soul but these desires kept being stolen away through all the millions of temptations and addictions that are in this world. Usually it was lust that pulled me away from Him and the party scene. Since the age of 12 or 13 when I walked away from God it had been torture, having the desire to serve and worship Him with all my being but then doing exactly opposite of what I wanted to do. I went back and forth but it never really lasted that long outwardly. But God never gave up on me, He was always faithful. He saw into my heart and I never stopped loving Him I just couldnt and alot of the time didnt want to be free.

Now back to three weeks before Bible College started. I was driving by my church as I said and then got a thought “what about Bible College?”. I knew this was from the Lord and not me since the last thing I ever wanted to do was go to Bible College, I thought that’s for like super-saints and religious monk fanatics… they don’t have any fun anyway. I had no idea what it really was because its nothing like that at all. So I shot up a prayer saying If He wanted me to go then I would but in my heart I was hoping He wouldn’t make me do it and the prayer was only just to clear my conscious. But the dead line came after one week and I procrastinated hoping I wouldn’t have to go. The deadline passed by and I thought I was in the clear. Interestingly enough I was driving down to Murrieta (the place where the school is in California) once a week anyway because I was working 2 blocks away from the school. The day after the deadline I was driving to work and my sister asked to go with me so that I could drop her off at the Bible College Campus so she could visit some of her friends there. I told her yes and while we were driving down there she mentioned that she heard on the radio they extended the Bible College application date another 2 weeks. When she told me I knew it was God. I still was wrestling against Him not wanting to go. I told her not to get to excited but that I actually had prayed about going, but that only meant I would turn in an application now. So I waited the two weeks prayed about it with Doug at my church and a few others then finally right before the deadline I knew I had to at least turn in the application. In fact I knew I had to go but I still didn’t want to. So I called up my Pastor Zeke and asked him to fill out the application and that I needed it for tomorrow (it was already night time when I called him) and got a friend to fill out the other part of the application. Then drove down the day of and hand delivered it to the office. But during that drive to Murrieta God just began to change my heart. As I obeyed what He asked me to do He started to give me joy and a sense of purpose. The crazy thing was… I actually wanted to go now. In fact I was afraid that I wouldn’t get accepted and this whole thing would have been a lesson on obey when your told to not 3 weeks later. But I had a sense of purpose and direction in life that I had never had before, I had no reason for existing except to just get by until the next momentary pleasure was possible. It was so satisfying and exciting and I spent the rest of the ride thanking and praying to God.

I got accepted the next day (Saturday) then moved in on Monday. And its been an adventure ever since. My life has moved at such a exciting and fast pace. I left all to follow Jesus and knew almost nothing of the Bible except for what little I had learned in Sunday school. I turned my back on the world when I went to Bible College and reserved to never go back. Sure it was hard and there were many things God had to change me and deliver me from. I still had a bad mouth when I first went to Bible College, was still addicted to sexual sins, had a longing to party. But I opened up my mouth to be filled with His Spirit instead, and He satisfied me. It was a battle every day and it still is. But God has proved His faithfulness and power to me. He has been changing me from the inside out and all I ever did was tell Him that I was willing. And he has done the rest and moved me along and shaped and molded me.

I have by the grace and mercy of God now lived in York England for the past year and half and have seen hundreds come to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. From the Prisons to the streets, from young people lost and broken to beggars hooked on drugs having nothing but their addictions to hold on to. I have been blessed to go to Ukraine and show love to orphans and hospital babies… people who probably have never had a chance and will have to grow up on the streets when they hit their teens. God provided for me to fulfill a lifelong dream and go to Rome for a missions trip. Not only did I get to serve God their but I got to see things I had only dreamed and wanted to such as the Coliseum and the Roman Forum. I have been blessed abundantly with friends from all over the world who are like family to me that I know would lay their lives down if it came to it. We have fought alongside each other for the Kingdom of heaven and torn down spiritual strongholds though we may not have always seen it happen or may yet still. God has given me a purpose, a hope, a life. I believe I was saved when I was just a kid cause I remember being God’s friend. But I allowed the things of this world to choke out the seed and desires put there by God to serve Him fully. And there is nothing more fulfilling and satisfying then doing what God created you to do. Which is to love Him and love others, to live a life honoring to Him and to worship Him through your actions as well as your words and even your thoughts.

Now, there is nothing else I want to do in life than serve Him full time. I don’t really know what all that entails for its just one step at a time. But each step is taken knowing that He has gone before me and prepared the way and that He also holds my hand and guides my way removing all fears and doubts that hold sway trusting in the promise that He will not forsake or fail those who call on His name.

This poem I wrote in Bible College for a school assignment. It was one that we were asked to be creative with. I had no creativity what soever… so I prayed about it and God told me to write a poem. I thought there is no way I can write a good poem Lord. But He promised to help me. So my prayer to you is that you will be encouraged by it and that you will never let the things of this world choke out those seeds and desires of your heart to be used by Him. That you would just be willing to surrender all that He asks. All you have to do is say yes and He will do the rest.

In the beginning it's quite clearly stated
That there was One by whom all things were created
Void and without form a sphere resided
Where on the face of the deep darkness abided
Was not even the slightest of motion
Except for the Spirit of God who shook still waters of the oceans
Eternal silence eradicated as words came forth
Let there be light, a joyous chorus followed with mirth
What had been said had been done
For great was the power from whom it was from
Darkness violently torn asunder by the blinding light of thunder
How awesome a sight to behold, mere words containing chaos in order
And so it was that light was named day and darkness named night
This was the end of day one, demonstrated in might

Next came the sound of trumpets abounding
With the voice of the Lord utterly surrounding
All the earth trembled at one small phrase
And all the angels gazed in astounding wonder and amaze
Let there be a firmament so that I can show it conquered
Without delay terrifying storms blundered at the command so rightly rendered
Water reluctantly giving way to the strength of power arrayed
Rumbles and sprays the giant blue roared in dismay
Waters beneath and vapors above
I shall name this expanse heaven so all can see my hard work done in love
Ended thus day number two dual blue giants swaying in tune

Faithful to finish what He began a purpose unfolded
Whispers gently pummeled as water gathered, shaped, and molded
The secret now unveiled dry land ready for birth
Rocks, sand and dirt all came forth from the abundance of the earth
Grass, Herb and Tree he placed ever so diligently
All yielding to its kind their fruit and seed unceasingly
Caring for each tiny detail till He was pleased and concluded glorious day three

Seeing in foresight He placed a great many lights, sun for day; moon for night
Burning flames unquenched and bright, reflecting glory assures and promises darkness despite
Replicated till infinity and more
Just so that earth could dwell in starlit galore
One and a third of the stars drawn by a dragon's tail
Pride comes before the fall cursed in the path of a mortal's trail
Truly a reign established everlasting
Leaving nowhere for darkness a place of resting
Except earth to dwell bitter and exposed in plain sight
Victoriously in delight it was over, the fourth day done outright

Just as the great oceans had started to settle and the winds calm
Another surprise was gracefully given in the greatest of alms
Long and drawn out singing echoed down in the deep
Notes and chirps the winged creatures could keep
Spoken into existence with a simple "let it be"
"Birds of a feather and fish of the sea be fruitful and multiply" said He
Satisfied as life was rampant finished in full was day five
Still yet these were but the least of the presents to arrive

From the bosoms of the elements of the earth
All living creatures were instructed to come forth
This was no small task of two parallel paths able only to meet in the mind of a King
Beast to Bug worship by simply being would bring
Of all that was made something still vital was missing
None could truly relate to the maker of all things living
Communion needed to be greater than all created
Image and form hewn into a shape of that which was replicated
Humble beginnings clumped, lumped and bolted
Dust of the ground gathered and folded
Breath seeping from heart to heart a precious eternal soul it did impart
Undeservingly made His precious treasure destined to be set apart
A phantom of the Almighty Three in One, spirit, flesh and soul
A stewardship given to have dominion with responsibility close in toll
The day of mans observation had begun
Complete day six was with not a single thing left undone

Pulse of creation symphonizing the glory of just one sound
"Holy, Holy, Holy" sung all around
Hallowed day seven arrived, His will fully done
Rested and blessed, sanctified and purified forever to remain until Kingdom come

As awesome a story to be retold the truth is it's such a small part all in all
True love must be made with a choice no desire for a simple thrall
Through one man's sin death instantly resulted
Ashamed and unclean Adam and Eve's Eden abruptly halted
A lesson had to be learned through the curve of pain and sorrows
For through that one discovers that joy always follows
Just and righteous in good conscious this deed could not be left unpunished
In mercy and love a completed plan left unfinished
For one's actions there is a consequence even for a steward's providence
Fellowship shattered and broken, so earnestly desiring to be regained
Looking for hope to come is all that remained

Child of man under guardianship of the Law
Until the age of accountability was held in awe
None able to open the scroll except for Him who died alone
A barrowed throne destroyed without the breaking of a single bone
Because of the death of another salvation reigned
Upon His shoulders He stoutly held bondage of death sustained
Name above all names exalted as the lamb was led to the slaughter
Call out to Jesus your savior for He shall never falter
Believe in your heart and confess with your mouth
This is all that's required to be transformed to His Temple Mount

Lies from the enemy can prevent faith's leap
Self-centered desires of a wicked heart hand over a soul for the enemy to keep
Behold, I AM the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End
I come quickly like a thief in the night so make your amends
If you are thirsty then drink of the fountain of life
For he that overcomes inherits all things without strife
Yet still what you sow, that you reap
Eternal torment, gnashing of teeth, not a moment of sleep
All this for moment's pleasures
None to blame but yourself forever

A sure sign of responsibility
Is the evidence of accountability
This daily choice is yours to make
Words from your heart with actions do take
Not by your own strength can this endeavor be done
But only by the simplicity of humility before The Son

By Matt Camphuis

Those who sow in tears will reap in Joy!

2009-05-17T14:59:00.002+01:00

The last time I blogged, it was about the Prodigal Son coming home to His Father. This week, the Lord is speaking to me about another side of this Parable... the older brother.

The parable of the Prodigal Son can be found in Luke 15:11-32. The older brother is introduced in verse 11, and his role is developed in verses 25-32. The older brother was in the field. He was doing the right thing, serving his father and working hard. So what happened to make the older brother go from good guy, to bad guy in just five verses? I've always heard it taught that the older brother was jealous of his prodigal brother, getting all the attention when he returned home. I don’t think he was only jealous. I believe this brother was discouraged too.

"And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart." -Galatians 6:9

I believe that he grew weary in the field. He lost sight of his purpose. He lost heart.
Verses 29-30 are the voice of a discouraged brother. "I have served you well, so where’s my reward?" Even tough you do the right thing consistently, those who don't sometimes seem to get more attention.
I love that the father met his oldest son exactly where he was at. "Son, you are always with me, and all that I have is yours." Luke 15:31. Everything that the Father has is ours too! Amazing! That’s why we serve Him. We have all we need in Him. The older son didn’t need a goat or calf, he had his father's love all along... Like the older son, our Father, meets us exactly where we are at, we have His love and our reward IS Him!

Psalm 126:5-6 says, "Those who sow in tears will reap in joy. He who continually goes forth weeping, bearing seed for sowing, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him." We have to believe this promise... our tears will water the harvest. We have to go out to the field and say "I will serve You, I will serve You, I will serve You,"... dispite any tears.
My brothers and sisters, are you discouraged? Continue to follow your Heavenly Father. Continue to sow Spiritual seeds through Prayer and reading the Word. Your tears are watering the Harvest. You will not be disappointed with your efforts. One day you'll return from the field with sheaves.
Jesus is worthy of your blood, He is worthy of your sweat, and He is worthy of your tears. He is the only One who is worthy. You are in the field for Him, wherever your field is. You sow for Him, and there will be a harvest too.

"Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope. Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us." Romans 5:1-5
Please don’t be discouraged. Please don’t lose heart! Don’t grow weary while doing good.... perservere!

Pray for all of us here at Calvary Chapel Kings Lynn. Pray that we wouldn’t grow weary while sowing in the field of Kings Lynn. Pray for us because being on the mission field is hard, but worth every sacrifice.

Jesus is worth every tear that I have shed in the past three years of waiting. He is worth leaving my friends and family. He was worth leaving a church that was my home. He is worth every illness, every hurt, every trial... The Lamb is Worthy of the Sacrifice, Amen!

God Bless You always, all my love, Madi

Sheep

2009-05-12T18:57:00.003+01:00

John 10:3-5
"...The sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he puts forth all his own, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice. A stranger they simply will not follow, but will flee from him, because they do not know the voice of strangers."

As we went through this chapter of John on Sunday night, these couple verses really stood out to me. As I was reading it, I was picturing the scene in my head, and was thinking how it would be taking place. First of all, the shepherd calls the sheep by name. I used to apply that to salvation, and that before we ever accept Him, He is calling to us. But as I read it the other night, I was thinking how that applies to our lives after salvation as well. God has things planned for our life, things that He is calling us to. He knows each of us individually, by name, and has a plan for us.
But notice, there is no lasso involved. He calls us, then the ball is in our court, and that is why the next part is so important - "the sheep hear his voice". It doesn't matter how much God is calling us, if we refuse to listen, and ignore Him, His plan for us doesn't go any further. He doesn't force His plan on us, He simply calls for us, then waits. We need to make sure we are listening for God. We need to be looking for His direction.
The next part is my favorite - "...He leads them out. When he puts forth all his own, he goes ahead of them". God doesn't send out to fulfill His plan without going ahead of us. He equips us for the job He gives us, and the whole time He is out in front of us paving the way. Sometimes we think things are so rough, and we feel so alone, but if we are heeding Gods voice, he is already a step ahead of us, smoothing the way.
We are blessed to have such a wonderful loving shepherd. A shepherd who is commited to our safety, and who wants nothing but the best pastures for us to graze in. Be listening for the voice of the Lord in your life, and be prepared to be blessed.

-Jared

Pour Out Your Spirit Lord

2009-05-05T06:22:00.004+01:00

"In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams. Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy. I will show wonders in the heaven above and signs on the earth below, blood and fire and billows of smoke. The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and glorious day of the Lord. And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved."- Acts 2:17-21

Two things stand out to me in this verse. First, that God will pour out his spirit on his people. As Jared said in the first blog, England is now such a Spiritually dead place. Great churches, once full of life, now stand empty. In the past, England sent out some of the greatest missionaries the world has ever known. I believe England is ready for a fresh outpouring of God's Spirit. England is ready for and in need of revival! The second part of the verse that stands out to me is that "Everyone who calls on the Name of the Lord will be saved". This is the first step towards having an outpouring of the Spirit. "The Name of the Lord is a Strong Tower; the righteous run to it and are safe." Proverbs 18:10. The people here turn to everything but Jesus. There are a few things you could pray for:

THat the people here would run to Jesus.

That God would pour out His Spirit in England and raise a generation of People for Him.

And lastly... Pray for revival in England and around the world!

Yours prayers are so appreciated. I love and miss you all!

God Bless

Mac

Temporary

2009-04-27T16:23:00.001+01:00

On Saturday I was able to attend a Calvary Chapel Teach the Word Conference and it was so refreshing. Twenty-seven different bodies of believers sitting together hearing the Word and worshiping together was just amazing and exactly what I needed.

One of the speakers was Brian Broderson and he spoke on trials and there were a few things he said that really stuck out to me and encouraged me.

1 Peter 1:6 “In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials.” Trials are temporary. They don’t last forever. That isn’t to say that there won’t be another trial after this one but each trial is just for a season to grow us in our walks with Him. It is in these trials that our faith grows stronger and we rely more on Jesus and less on ourselves.

Trials are necessary to strengthen our faith in the Lord as well as the faith of others. God uses these trials that we go through to encourage other people in the same situation. If a trial I go through will one day encourage and draw someone closer to the Lord than it is worth going through.

Now, I have days where it seems like these trials I have, no matter how worth it in the long run they are, just seem like they are too much to handle. But then the Lord gently reminds me that He never gives me more than I can handle. “No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.” (1 Corinthians 10:13) How awesome is that! Even in the midst of trials our God is looking out for us.

Please pray for the lost people of King’s Lynn who don’t know that there is a God who will make a way of escape for them and take care of them even in the darkest moments. Pray that they would find the light of Jesus before it is too late.

Pressing on,

Carleigh

Stained and Broken

2009-04-19T21:12:00.001+01:00

For my 20th birthday, my family took me to the Stained Glass Museum in Ely. Out of all the stained glass, one panel caught my eye. It was very plain and simple. It was the parable of The Prodigal Son. He was asking for his inheritance, wasting it, living with pigs, returning home to his Father,... then his brother, who wasn't very happy and finally the fatted calf... who wasn't very happy either! Even in a stained glass window, Gods word does not return void.

The parable of the Prodigal Son, can be found in Luke 15:11-32. It's a parable of Gods love for us. When the Prodigal son asked for his inheritance, he was saying to His Father, "You are dead to me." How heartbreaking is that? The truth is, before we are saved, we live a life that says to God "You are dead to me" whether we know it, or not. I looked up the Greek for "Prodigal," and was surprised to find that it means indifferent to moral restraints or given to immoral or improper conduct. Prodigal living isn't just back sliding, it's walking in the flesh.

The money ran out, severe famine was in the land and the prodigal son began to want. He had a need.
We can all relate in one form or another. We've all experienced that want or need deep in our soul. So hungry and thirsty for the truth. Anything other than God, will leave us wanting. "And Jesus said to them, 'I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst.' John 6:35.

In verse 20, the Father sees his son coming from a far distance, and runs to met him. Our Heavenly Father is always watching out for us and will always run out to meet us. That's fervent, unconditional, immeasureable love. Not only does God forgive us, He will throw us a Holy "welcome home" party!

God proclaims, "For this my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found." John 15:24
Who are you? The one saying to God "You are dead to me" or the son who asked for forgiveness? You are one or the other. There's no gray area. Jesus said... "I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through Me." John 14:6
The only way "Home" to the Father is through Jesus, His Son. We can't get to heaven through good works. We have to come to Him and seek forgiveness, just like the prodigal son. And I promise, your Father is waiting for your safe return "Home." So I encourage you to run to Him!

With stained glass, the artist selects each piece of broken glass for a reason. It's color, or texture, it's vibrance or dullness. The artist takes into account the design, nature and structure available for his own specific piece of work. The Master artist selects us for the same reasons. He takes the stained, broken, shards of our lives and turns them into a panel for His Glory. "For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus, for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them." Ephesians 2:10.

Please pray for the prodigal Sons and daughters in Kings Lynn, and in England as a whole.
Pray for their safe return "Home." Thank you for reading and God Bless You. ~Madi

The state of the heart.

2009-04-14T20:56:00.001+01:00

We wanted to start this blog for several reasons; partly just to keep people informed of what we are doing here, but also to make people aware of why we are here.

When I think of England, I think of people like Hudson Taylor, and Charles Spurgeon, and Alan Redpath. But times have changed since those great men of God were preaching His Word throughout the earth. England has become a very spiritually dead place. We decided to interview people around town, and find out what the general view on God and Christianity in this town was, and the response may suprise you. Take a look at this video.

Pictures

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"The Walks"

The Town Centre

The Custom House and the River

Pray for the People of King's Lynn.

The churches in England were built so big hundreds of years ago because they were filling them up. Sadly, today most of them stand empty. Pray that the Lord would work a mighty revival in the hearts of the people here and that once again these buildings would be overflowing with people.

Contact

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Thank you

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Thank you.

We love hearing from you and will get back to you as quickly as possible.

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