Jesus, in Luke’s Gospel Chapter 12 verses 22-34, tells the disciples that they shouldn’t worry about much, that if the ravens and lilies are cared for, how much more God will care for them (and us). We are encouraged to seek first God’s Kingdom and all else will be added – but how? How can we not worry when the rigors of daily life sometimes create much turmoil and concern! This subject is touched upon in many areas of Scripture, with my personal favorite (on this subject) being Philippians 4:6, which reads: ” Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, present your requests to God, And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” This is not worded as an encouragement – it is a command! Rejoice! Do not be anxious! Great – now I’m anxious about not being anxious. But God (two wonderful words). But God never asks or tells us to do something without supplying a means. If we read onto verses 8-9 ” Finally brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable, – if anything is excellent or praiseworthy – think on such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me (Paul) put into practice, and the God of peace will be with you.” Back in Luke 12:34 ” For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” It’s a prayer issue and a heart issue! When we concentrate on the true, lovely, pure things and we pray until God’s peace fills our heart and mind, then a way will become clear or the issue will lose it’s priority. To try to attain “peace” through any other means, anything other than Christ, is akin to telling Him we don’t need His peace. The peace the world has to offer through humanistic psychology, alcohol, TM, yoga, or any other means ( see the myriad of self-help books available ) is only a copy ( and a poor one, I might add ) of the peace of heaven, the peace that surpasses all human understanding. When anxiety attacks (and it will) where do you reach first? Where is your heart? Not all programs are wrong – but if they attain to replace what Jesus offers – then – Well — Where is your treasure?

In Him,
Rev. Larry A. Sassmann

 I was studying the scriptures in Matthew 25:1-13 last week.  The Lord was telling a parable about ten virgins, five wise and five foolish. I felt impressed to share what I felt the Spirit was saying through these passages last Sunday in church. Without sounding repetitious, you have a picture of five wise virgins & five foolish virgins all who had lamps with oil and went forth to meet the bridegroom. The bridegroom was away for quite a while, and all the virgins slumbered and slept. At midnight there was a cry, “the bridegroom is coming; come out to meet him!” They all arose and trimmed their lamps. The five foolish virgins took no extra oil with them and their lamps were going out.  They said to the five wise, “give us some of your oil; for our lamps are going out. They were counseled to go out to the marketplace and buy some. While away, the bridegroom came and shut the door. The five foolish said, “Lord, Lord open the door!” But he answered with, “I know you not! “We cannot afford in this day nor hour to not have our own oil.  We need to be overflowing with the spirit and have an intimate relationship with our God. The key word here is preparation. Prepare your heart, your whole life to acquaint yourself with God.  He is waiting for you!

Written by

June Rosato and the Word of God

I got to thinking this week because my (our) beloved Pastor was taken to the hospital for more than a mere oil change and tire rotation, I got to thinking that I didn’t like such a stark reminder of his humanity, a reminder that as a human that he would likely precede me and likely most of us, into eternity. I got to thinking how he has been the chief cheerleader of my filling the God shaped hole in my heart, but pondering what I would do if God saw fit to make a Pastor shaped hole in my heart! This is not some maudlin or morbid rambling, but the result of an honest appraisal of my own relationship with both my God and my Pastor, one that I believe is not unique to myself, but has probably been reverberating in many hearts and minds in our congregation. Calvary Chapel of Monmouth County, while not unique, but more rare in its nature, has had a ministry that has had its character and personality largely defined by one man, Dr. Richard L. Shaw. It could be considered cultic if he were not such a fine representation of Christianity in as much that he & Nancy’s life’s work has been to have their ministry center around one person, Jesus Christ. We as a body must acknowledge the existence of our own approaching “Climate Change”. It is my own personal conviction, that Pastor & Nancy have many miles yet to travel and the tally of their labor for Christ not yet to be calculated. But, their age and health (Pastor’s assertions aside) is our call as a body to take up the mantle and lighten their load in a way as never before. It is our call to pray that God reveals to Pastor & Nancy a clear and unquestionable path of succession over the next months or decades whatever the case may be. Their devotion to the ministry and the sacrifices they have made to see the realization of the vision God gave them for our Home and His work on the Highway, will not be voided or brought to naught if we submit ourselves individually and corporately to our God with the same fervency and unrelenting passion that they have both exemplified.

Eyes & Ears, Dear Brothers & Sisters.

Larry Gould

We had a great gathering last Sunday for Pastor and Nancy’s 60th wedding anniversary.  Sixty years ago, June 12, 1955, Nancy Lee Sherman became Nancy Lee Shaw at Bethel Baptist Church in Joliet, Illinois.  The marriage produced Rebecca Sue, Linda Lee, and Daniel Richard.  They, in turn, gave us 4 grandchildren and one great grandson on the way.  So much for a brief family history.  Pastor and Nancy thank our family and church family for a fantastic celebration.  Our sanctuary was nicely crowded and beautifully decorated!  Thanks to Becky and Larry for planning, decorating, providing food, inviting folks, getting all those pictures together, and many other things to make our gathering memorable.  Linda for helping wherever needed, Liz Milford for the beautiful flowers, Judy Lovecky for helping with the floral arrangements and singing, Luke for playing the piano, John Esposito, Bobby Adams for singing, Brandan for taking the beautiful pictures, and all those who set up tables and served food, like  Larry Gould for emceeing it, others for putting all else aside and being there for us!  We knew the folks were planning a celebration but we had no idea it would be so elaborate!  And for all the gifts of your generosity and thoughtfulness.  If I’ve left anyone out, it’s not because you’re not appreciated, but due to limitations of space and memory. Nancy and I deeply love all of you, and pray for you.

Thank you, God bless all of you

Dr. Richard L. Shaw Ph.D., Pastor

Our hearts were stirred with mixed emotions this past week as we heard and watched accounts of the vicious, senseless, cold-blooded murder of nine worshipers in a Bible study at the historic African Methodist Church in Charleston, North Carolina.  The godly pastor,  was also a U.S.  Senator.  We are tempted to become philosophical and theological in the wake of such events.  Does such abhorrent evil militate against the existence of a good and holy God?  Quite the contrary.  The existence of a category we call “evil” argues for the existence of just such a God.  That is why it is so shocking and so violating of every normal person’s sensibilities and why we possess such moral sensibilities.  There is no evil act that means that God causes or accepts such atrocities.  But the only alternative to their existence would seem to be to create persons who were robotic rather than persons who could implement free moral choices.  Further, a Day is coming when all wrongs will be made right and all injustices remedied.  Until that Day, we can change circumstances and transform human hearts and lives through our prayers, within the parameters of God’s sovereignty and our derived freedom of choice.  Meanwhile, we pray earnestly for our brothers and sisters in Christ who will be years recovering from this terrible tragedy.  None of them will fully recover until the day they are with God and their slain loved ones.  But our prayers are for God’s richest blessing upon them, and for God to use this monstrous tragedy to showcase his glory and the beauty of redeemed lives who can sincerely say of the maniac who perpetrated this unspeakably awful deed, “I forgive you and pray God will forgive you and receive you.”#Jesus Saves #JesusForgives #JesusLoves

Dr. Richard L. Shaw Ph.D., Pastor

Father’s Day 2015 is a day to celebrate fathers and fatherhood.  But just what does it mean to be a father?  We all know the biological aspects of being a father, so we will skip that for now.  The Bible has much more to say about the spiritual, psychological, sociological dimensions of being a “daddy”.  The father’s role, it seems to me, is to lead his family (along with the help and advice of Mom) from the state of dislocation, into which we are all born, into a relocation into the family of God, the body of Christ.  We are born with a sin nature, which leaves us self-centered and self-directed.  The father of a household is to teach by example and word how to be God- centered and God -directed, which enables us to also be others-oriented.  It is an awesome responsibility, to bring eternal souls into the world and give them guidance that will serve them for this world and the next.  Teach the family skills that will help them now.  Don’t depend on the schools to do it all!  Teach them respect for all others, respect for knowledge, for authority, above all for God.  Have worship times together on the children’s level.  Don’t bore them!  In worship, we ascend into the heavens and join the heavenly hosts in proclaiming the glory of God and remembering his great deeds of salvation.  It must not be seen as a mundane, routine affair!  And Moms and kids give Dad honor and respect as the Bible says.  You might start by taking him out to dinner today!  Above all, pray for him. He has a big job with eternal consequences!

On my way home from a day of shopping  as I was pulling out of the parking lot I saw two people whom I felt compassion for. I started looking at others and thought about how God sees them. In my heart, I know He loves us all unconditionally.  Insecurity, anger, bitterness, un-forgiveness, or a self-righteousness attitude can cause us to see each other in in the wrong light.  I decided to read what God’s Word says in the Bible. Read Luke 7:35-48.  Luke 7:39-40 says when the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would know who is touching him and what kind of woman she is that she is a sinner.” Jesus told Simon this parable in Luke 7:41-43 “Two people owed money to a certain moneylender. One owed him five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. Neither of them had the money to pay him back, so he forgave the debts of both. Now which of them will love him more?”  Simon replied, “I suppose the one who had the bigger debt forgiven.” “You have judged correctly, Jesus said.” Luke 7:47 says. Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven—as her great love has shown. But whoever has been forgiven little loves little.” So what is Jesus telling us here? Read it over. But whoever has been forgiven little loves little. Jesus helps Simon the Pharisee to see love and compassion for others. Simon had a self-righteous attitude. He judged and condemned the woman who lived a sinful life.  Jesus looked at the woman with love and compassion. He saw her heart, the hardship of her life; he saw she felt unloved, judged, and unforgiven. Jesus also knew that forgiving her would set her free. Matthew 18:21-22 says. Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?”  Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times. So, when you see someone on the street, at work, in church, wherever you go look at him or her the way Jesus looked at him or her, with love, compassion, and forgiveness. After all it was hatred, judgement, self-righteousness, jealousy, and every sin you can think of that nailed Jesus to the cross. He came here to seek and save the lost to teach us to love one another. 1 Peter 4:8 says. Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.

#Jesus #Love #Judgement # #compassion #Forgiveness

Written by, Janet Emley church secretary and God’s Word, the Bible

“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere — in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

           The Great Commission of Acts 1:8 gives us power, responsibility, and mission.

All of us and each of us share the power, responsibility, and mission, but not every one of us is to go to the ends of the earth. For some, it is to go. For some, it is to teach us here. For others, it is to pray for those who go and who teach. There are different kinds of service, but we serve the same Lord (1 Corinthians 12:5).

Those of us who share in this great commission through prayer have an immense responsibility. Remember that Paul, one of the mightiest of the apostles, begged the believers “through the Lord Jesus Christ, and through the love of the Holy Spirit, to strive together with <him> in your prayers to God” for him (Romans 15:30). He counted as a gift the prayer of the people (2 Corinthians 1:11).

Yet some people neglect their responsibility and question the power of prayer. How can it be that prayer can change anything? How is it that the all-powerful God can be limited by our prayer or by our failure to pray?

We know that the Almighty God, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, is powerful. Job tells us that the foundations of heaven shudder at his rebuke, and that creating the horizon and hanging the earth on nothing are “…just the beginning of all that he does, merely a whisper of his power. Who, then, can comprehend the thunder of his power?” (26:14). God’s power is awesome.

We know that God loves justice, and yet we also know that God loves us. He gave the life of his only son out of his love for us, his created human beings (John 3:16). God’s will for us is goodness.

We know that God does not change. He is “…the same, yesterday, today, and forever” (Hebrews 13:8).

What God wills is awesome goodness forever.

But we live in a sinful world, and our holy God cannot tolerate any sin.  Sin, and its horrific consequences, must be covered by the salvation we have in Jesus. This covering is done through prayer in Jesus’ name. Paul tells us in Philippians (4: 6, 7) that we should not “worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.” If you are new to daily prayer, start out with five minutes every day, praying with thanksgiving for your church and your family. If you already are praying daily, try increasing your prayer time by five or ten minutes, praying with confession and thanksgiving for your Pastor, church, family, Israel.

Our prayer does not change God. Neither his will nor his power is changed through our prayer. What prayer changes is the course of God’s action. It is this action — God at work in our lives — that changes our situations and transforms our being. If your responsibility is to bring the mission into the power of God’s goodwill action for his beloved people, then pray earnestly, and pray daily.

Linda Lee Karanja Sebastian

Board Secretary

What in the world is going on? Good question, with good answers.  For probably the first time since its inception, people are genuinely and rightly concerned about the very existence of the United States. The nations seem unwilling to stop Iran in its development of nuclear weapons, even though they blatantly announce their intentions to wipe Israel, then the U.S., off the map. Iran is becoming more and more brazen in its defiance of the U.S., having recently seized a vessel in one of their ports, and in other ways seeing how far they can push us. Meanwhile, Russia is also doing some defiant muscle flexing, and all while we are cutting back on our capability to defend ourselves. While all this and much more is happening on an international scale, our internal situation deteriorates. In a time when we desperately need to stand together in the face of increasingly threatening forces, we are torn apart by injustice and anger. But the chaos, violence, injustice, and divisions in society can be alleviated by the world seeing a renewed Christian community in action. The redeemed community of the born-again can set an example of relentless love that only deepens through every difference we might have. The sustained and pure love that we show for each other can be a model for society. Our model for resolving differences of opinion and policy can demonstrate to a watching world what it means to live in love even with our differences. Human difficulty to accomplish this can be remedied by seeing that we have a Wonderful Counselor to advise us, the Holy Spirit to enable us, and a loving Father to console us. Read and digest once again, II Chronicles 7:14.  Claim it for our own.

Linda Lee Karanja-Sebastian

Board Secretary