As much as we like to boast about our individual independence, we are really created for community.  We are born dependent on others, and we rely on relationships throughout our lives.  In a very real, though not absolute sense, community is the essential form of reality. One of the hardest things for the naturally self-centered human heart to realize is that we are here for each other. Christians must avoid ” Burger King Christianity ” (have it your way)  and see that it is as we put others’ interests and needs and honor above our own that we can fulfill our calling to be individuals, yet not allow our individualism to trump our being for the other. Many things in our society militate against this sense of community and relationship.  We have been inculcated with a rugged sense of individualism in our Western world drama and education so true community is hard to come by.  We are also so accustomed to big government taking care of the needy that we have almost forgotten that government handouts can never replace person-to-person giving, receiving, and sharing. Further, the exponential use of technology in the last years built barriers between people as they find their communication via cellphone or other computers, and often virtually ignores communication by old-fashioned talking face to face, eating meals together, playing games together, even arguing the issue of the day. And, not surprisingly, the Bible is decidedly community and relationship oriented.  The Trinity is himself community of three without obscuring the individuality of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Most of the New Testament letters and exhortations are directed to the Church as a body.  Much of the rebuke pertains to the unity and community of Christians.  Of, salvation is personal and individual, but once one is born again, he or she is to be a vital, functioning, loyal, faithful participant in a group of united people called the church, the People of God, the temple, the holy nation, the family, and other definitions that describe Christians as a relating group of loving people with an experience.

Rev. Dr. Richard L. Shaw, Pastor

What is morality? What is the moral life? We are so used to thinking of morality solely in sexual terms, that we miss the full, deep, broad meaning of morality.  Of course it includes sexual responsibility and obedience to our Creator’s standard of sexual fidelity.  But it is much more than that.  Morality is the concern for the respect of another’s life, well-being, flourishing.  When we injure others, steal what belongs to them, or cause them to fear or be insecure, on the one hand. Or, negatively, when we simply fail to help others when they are in distress and we have the resources and capacity to help.  When we fail to teach others and show them how to flourish, we are acting in an immoral way.  And these inner compulsions regarding attitudes and behaviors toward others are universal.  No society is without them.  This is what the philosopher Emanuel Kant called “the moral imperative.”  It separates human from the beast. It serves to verify one aspect of being created in God’s image, so it is a strong point in Christian Apologetics, the discipline that points to the reality of God and the supernatural dimension.  Morality also calls the Christian to faithfulness in leading others into the Christian way of life.  It demonstrates, as do many other data, the superiority of Christianity and its perfect “fit” in our universal society.  And morality illustrates Paul’s words in Romans 1:19-20, “…what may be known about God is plain to them because God has made it plain to them.  For since the creation of the world, God’s invisible qualities — his eternal power and divine nature — have been clearly seen, being understood from what he has made, so that people are without excuse.”

Rev. Dr. Richard L. Shaw, Pastor

The wise man spoke wisdom when he declared, Where there is no vision, people perish.”  Sober, visceral words.  “People perish.”  Have we really thought through the terrible implications of those two words?  People — eternal souls created in God’s image, yet forever missing all that God created them to do and to be.   Perish — forever separated from God, and all that is good and beautiful.  Do we at Calvary have the kind of vision for God’s work, his kingdom, eternity, precious souls for whom Jesus died, that will lead us to put God and his work and his worship, above everything else?  Family – friends – pleasure – reputation – career – money – convenience — all that pertains to human existence? Luke 14:26 merits much careful meditation — “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters — yes, even his own life — he cannot be my disciple.”  Of course, we cannot understand such radical statements with only Western mindsets. Would the One who taught us to love everyone, even our enemies, tell us to hate our own loved ones?  Of course not! In the hyperbole of his day and culture, Jesus is saying that our love for our loved ones must seem like hate compared with our love for him. Pretty clear claim to Deity — also a clear call to discipleship.  Do the claims of family, friends, etc., supercede Jesus’ claim to our radical, no-holds-barred love and commitment? Let’s ask God for a vision that comes from truly loving him. Then we will see our church filled with people finding God, loving God, serving God.  But only if we love him above all else.

Rev. Dr. Richard L. Shaw, Pastor

America is in deep trouble! We keep hearing about the terrorist army called ISIS, and now we hear that several more similar terror groups have formed. As I write, ISIS is five miles from Baghdad, and possibly, by the time this is read, the city will have fallen to the brutality of ISIS. And the terror groups are not being stopped, and, in fact, barely slowed in their bloody conquest.  The U.S. and the rest of the world is standing by, doing virtually nothing to stop them.  It is incredible that we could sit by doing nothing while they behead, crucify, bury alive, and in other ways brutalize thousands of innocent people. Wasn’t the United Nations organized to stop this very thing from happening? Why do our leaders maintain their denials regarding the advances the terrorists are making throughout the mid-East? It is time they acknowledge that we don’t have the terrorist groups on the run, that they are not deluded “JV teams,” but present a real threat to the entire world.  And this plea is not “political.”  It is moral.  It is time the Church throughout the world also wake up and cry out against the brutality of the terrorists and the indifference of the rest of the world.  We are reminded of World War II when much of the European church was silent while Hitler murdered millions of Jews, Christians, and Gypsies.  We need more Martin Niemollers, Dietrich Bonhoeffers, and Karl Barths who had the courage to speak out against Hitler’s atrocities.  America, wake up!  Church, wake up! They’re here, too.

Rev. Dr. Richard L. Shaw, Pastor

The precision of the Greek language is remarkable! Take, for instance the word love – it can carry so many connotations when you say I love you to someone, yet in Greek, there are four distinct words and meanings  used for love. Eros is the intimate love that God ordained for a husband and wife. Phileo – the brotherly love for friends. Storge is the word for love between family members, and Agape represents the unmerited gift the love that gives without receiving or expecting and isn’t qualified like the other three. Eros is qualified by physical attraction, which we all know can wain over time – hair grays, wrinkles appear, our faces show wear, stomachs sometime enlarge beyond our belt lines. Phileo is usually based on mutual likes and dislikes, friendship is also limited by circumstances and as time proceeds we can lose touch with some, meet new, and yes – keep connected for long periods with some. Phileo does not need Eros to survive, yet Eros is short lived without friendship. One of the main causes of divorce in our society is Eros without Phileo. Storge – the family love also changes with time and circumstances, brothers, sisters and other family members move, acquire new and different interests. The bond usually always exists but tends to fade to occasional phone calls, holiday or birthday cards, or a few days visitation on vacation. Storge can continue – yet with Phileo has a much better chance of functioning continually rather than intermittently. Now we come to Agape. With this love all the others, not only survive – they prosper! Eros is enhanced, because with Agape we look deeper, to the heart and soul. Phileo and Storge are more real, for now the relationships are enveloped in a lasting concern, not based on the action of the other person. With Agape, we look beyond the temporal and see with eternal eyes. Paul, in 1 Corinthians 13 describes this love (Agape). As we read, let us pray that God, through His Spirit, helps us to incorporate this love into the other three and every aspect of our lives. 1 Corinthians 13: 4-8 ” Love is patient, love is kind, and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek it’s own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; bears all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails…” (NAS)

Rev. Larry Sassmann

Love is a theme that pervades all of the Bible.  The Old Testament (Hebrew language) word for love is “ahabah” and to love is “aheb.”  The Greek language (New Testament) for love is agape (a ga pa), and to love is agapan. The words for New Testament “love” are rare in writings outside the New Testament, and when agape is found, its meaning is primarily emotional, sexual, or ecstatic. The agape love of the New Testament is a new creation of Christianity. The New Testament takes an essentially pagan word and instills it with new meaning.  This New Testament love is unconditional, indifferent to prior value. It is the love God has for all of us, and the love to which he calls all of us. Nothing we can do can make God love us any more or any less. It is love that represents the power of  God’s kingdom. It is love that places the welfare of the other above the interests and welfare of the self — the one who loves. It is not without emotion but it above all shows itself in the act of will and concern for the good of others. The supreme paradigm of love therefore is the cross. There God in Christ gave his all for the benefit of the entire human race through all time. Thus, love abides as the character of heavenly existence. It is therefore to be the mode of life for all of God’s people in all circumstances. It is not an unattainable and ideal goal for the redeemed of God; it is that stance and attitude of life to which we are called. And that to which God calls us he provides our enablement to do. A community (church) of agape love is one where each one is more concerned for the blessing, giftedness, joy, comfort, and advancement of the other than for him or herself.  It is a community bereft of competitiveness, rivalry, possessiveness, defensiveness; and one characterized by rejoicing in the talents, gifts, and advancements of all the others. If our church does not radiate these latter qualities, then we are light years away from the church Jesus envisioned when he declared, “On this rock I will build my church.”

   REV. DR. RICHARD L. SHAW, PASTOR

It is safe to say that no one alive today has seen the world in such turmoil, and it shows no signs of letting up.  All indications are that it is getting worse by the day.  Our great country seems to be paralyzed, unable to respond effectively to the mounting crises.  Suggestions for stopping the brutal and murderous ISIS, for example, lead only to endless circular debate as to the best way to accomplish this.  If we don’t soon stop them in the mid-East, we will be fighting them for our very lives on American soil.  And it’s not about “fighting someone else’s war.”  Everything ISIS does is with the aim of taking down the United States as a necessary step to taking the total world, which is their ultimate aim.  Radical Muslims, followers of the religion of ISIS, believe they are pleasing Allah when they kill “infidels” (non-Muslims), thus fulfilling Jesus’ words, “It shall come to pass that they will think they are doing God a service when they  kill you.” John 16:2. This kind of religious fervor is hard to counteract.  All of this, in addition to many other factors, is indicative of Jesus’ return to earth.  It all cries out to the world, “Get ready!” And to every born-again believer, pray earnestly for a great spiritual revival. And evangelize.  Be diligent and faithful in your Christian witness. Ask neighbors and others to join you at your church for our Second Year Celebration and Visitors’ Sunday, September 14.  Coming soon! Tell them they can stay and join us for lunch – on us!

Rev. Dr. Richard L. Shaw, Pastor

When I was first asked to write something for the bulletin, my reaction was “I’m not a writer”. Then I thought about God asking Moses to speak to the Pharaoh to free the Jews. Exodus 6:30 – But Moses said to the LORD, “Since I speak with faltering lips, why would Pharaoh listen to me?” Then when I was talking to Nancy, Pastor’s wife she reminded me that God used common fishermen to write the Gospels. God uses ordinary people to do extraordinary things. Not to say that this is extraordinary, well me writing anything extraordinary is. Think about what happed to Jonah when he disobeyed God. Jonah 1:17, Now the Lord provided a huge fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights. I can’t speak for everybody but I don’t want that to happen to me. Paul said it well in 2 Corinthians 12:10 “That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”  Therefore, if we let God turn our weakness into His strengths we can achieve great things for Him – 1 Chronicles 16:11. Look to the LORD and his strength; seek his face always – 2 Corinthians 12:9. “But he said to me, My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness. Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.” So in turn I hope that this small writing will strengthen somebody including me, as to aspire to God’s will.

Written by Brandan Emley,

Deacon, Calvary Chapel Monmouth County

The world is in rough shape. That we are living in the “terrible times” (perilous times, KJV) of 2 Timothy 3:1 can hardly be seriously doubted. We are seeing the rapid spread of a vicious organized army called ISIS, for which nothing is beyond their limits of barbaric cruelty. They bury little children alive. They behead babies and others just for the sake of spreading death and destruction. They certainly fit the description of the four horsemen of Revelation chapter 6. ISIS is spreading rapidly, bringing otherwise innocent children, and young people into its murderous fold by the thousands. Day after day their leaders stir them into a frenzied urge to kill all Americans and all others who are not of their brand of Islam. And sadly, the international community is doing virtually nothing to stop them. They stand by indifferent to this present day holocaust, and at best make mild protests and empty threats that bring nothing but cynical laughter from the enemy. ISIS has made it ultimate intention known – ISIS is preparing daily for that time when they can come to take the United States. They are out to get us! This is not a political issue. It is a moral humanitarian issues. And we need to make our voices heard loud and clear. If the nations of the world would act together on this now, this demonic horde could be stopped almost overnight. Meanwhile, thousands of innocents are being crucified, beheaded, buried alive, and murdered in other vicious ways. Let’s get serious in prayer about this. And a letter to your congressman urging U.S. action wouldn’t hurt.

REV. DR. RICHARD L. SHAW, PASTOR

As evangelical Christians, we believe wholeheartedly in salvation. But just what is “salvation”?  The word in the original Bible languages (Hebrew, Old Testament Greek, New Testament) means “deliverance”, “liberation”, “wholeness”, “soundness”. Wholeness and soundness are the positive aspects of salvation.  The emptiness of life is filled with purpose, meaning, and direction.  Deliverance and liberation refer to being set free from self-centeredness and addictions that once set the direction for the total life.  So salvation is that act of God that sets us free from an old way of life — what the Bible calls the “flesh”.  And sets us free to something as well as from something. We are saved to a new life of freedom and purpose.  The saved one has something lasting to live for.  He or she is saved into a new society or community called the Church, the Body of Christ, the new People of God.  Salvation means the surrender of the life to the Person, will, and purpose of God.  Jesus never made it so easy for potential converts that they simply repeated a little prayer and then went on their same merry way.  He called for commitment, surrender, and dedication.  “He who would be my disciple”, he told the hearers of his day, “must take up his cross daily and follow me”. When one heard his message and turned and walked away, it broke Jesus heart”. Watching him leave, Jesus loved him”, we are told.  Yet Jesus didn’t run after him offering to compromise his message if he would only follow him! Let’s not make it more difficult than it is — but let’s not compromise Jesus message, either!   REV. DR. RICHARD L. SHAW, PASTOR