Sermons Podcast

Executive Director for Middle East Understanding

One day the guild of prophets came to Elisha and said, "You can see that this place where we're living under your leadership is getting cramped––we have no elbow room. Give us permission to go down to the Jordan where each of us will get a log. We'll build a roomier place." Elisha said, "Go ahead." One of them then said, "Please! Come along with us!" He said, "Certainly." He went with them. They came to the Jordan and started chopping down trees. As one of them was felling a timber, his axhead flew off and sank in the river. "Oh no, master!" he cried out. "And it was borrowed!” The Holy Man said, "Where did it sink? The man showed him the place. He cut off a branch and tossed it at the spot. The axhead floated up."Grab it," he said. The man reached out and took it. 2 Kings 6:1-7 (MSG)

“One day the wife of a man from the guild of prophets called out to Elisha, "Your servant my husband is dead. You well know what a good man he was, devoted to God. And now the man to whom he was in debt is on his way to collect by taking my two children as slaves." Elisha said, "I wonder how I can be of help. Tell me, what do you have in your house?""Nothing," she said. "Well, I do have a little oil.” 2 Kings 4:1-2 (MSG)

The king of Israel, the king of Judah, and the king of Edom started out on what proved to be a looping detour. After seven days they had run out of water for both army and animals. The king of Israel said, "Bad news! God has gotten us three kings out here to dump us into the hand of Moab." But Jehoshaphat said, "Isn't there a prophet of God anywhere around through whom we can consult God?" One of the servants of the king of Israel said, "Elisha son of Shaphat is around somewhere––the one who was Elijah's right–hand man." Jehoshaphat said, "Good! A man we can trust!" So the three of them––the king of Israel, Jehoshaphat, and the king of Edom––went to meet him. Elisha addressed the king of Israel, "What do you and I have in common? Go consult the puppet–prophets of your father and mother." "Never!" said the king of Israel. "It's God who has gotten us into this fix, dumping all three of us kings into the hand of Moab." Elisha said, "As God –of–the–Angel–Armies lives, and before whom I stand ready to serve

Elijah went straight out and found Elisha son of Shaphat in a field where there were twelve pairs of yoked oxen at work plowing; Elisha was in charge of the twelfth pair. Elijah went up to him and threw his cloak over him. Elisha deserted the oxen, ran after Elijah, and said, "Please! Let me kiss my father and mother good–bye––then I'll follow you." "Go ahead," said Elijah, "but, mind you, don't forget what I've just done to you." So Elisha left; he took his yoke of oxen and butchered them. He made a fire with the plow and tackle and then boiled the meat––a true farewell meal for the family. Then he left and followed Elijah, becoming his right–hand man. 1 Kings 19:19-21 (MSG)

A number of you have asked when I was going to share with the church what I learned during my attendance at a Peace and Justice Gathering in the Middle East. Well today I will begin to share a little of what I learned and how it impacts me as your pastor and Calvary as a Faith Community. This is the message I shared with Jerusalem First church during my stay there. It is just as relevant for our faith community as it was for there’s As I prepared this message I wanted a text that would encourage us to live out what it means be people of Justice in our day. The text that God has used to challenge, comfort and spur me on toward reconciling act and confronting injustice is Isaiah Chapter 58. Would you hear the key passage for message of God today as read from Isaiah. "This is the kind of fast day I'm after: to break the chains of injustice, get rid of exploitation in the workplace, free the oppressed,cancel debts. What I'm interested in seeing you do is: sharing your food with the hungry, inviting the homeles

I want to lay all this out on the table as clearly as I can, friends. This is complicated. It would be easy to misinterpret what's going on and arrogantly assume that you're royalty and they're just rabble, out on their ears for good. But that's not it at all. This hardness on the part of insider Israel toward God is temporary. Its effect is to open things up to all the outsiders so that we end up with a full house. Before it's all over, there will be a complete Israel. As it is written, A champion will stride down from the mountain of Zion; he'll clean house in Jacob. And this is my commitment to my people: removal of their sins. From your point of view as you hear and embrace the good news of the Message, it looks like the Jews are God's enemies. But looked at from the long–range perspective of God's overall purpose, they remain God's oldest friends. God's gifts and God's call are under full warranty––never canceled, never rescinded. There was a time not so long ago when you were on the outs with God. B

On a clothes Iron: "Warning! Never iron clothes while they are being worn." On a Superman costume: “Warning: Cape does not enable user to fly.” On a bottle of hair coloring: “Do not use as an ice cream topping.” On a toner cartridge: “Do not eat the toner.” On a portable stroller: “Caution: Remove infant before folding for storage.” And my favorite - In a microwave oven manual: “Do not use for drying pets.” Now, why would they make these labels? Doesn’t it seem obvious enough that you shouldn’t use these products in this way? Well yeah… but you just know somebody must have actually tried do the things these labels warned against! Warning labels often warn about the obvious. But as one person once said “The desire to make something foolproof vastly underestimates the creativity of fools.” Have you ever seen a sign on a wall that says “wet paint”? When someone sees that sign… what can you COUNT on them doing? (they’ll touch the wall, just to see…) So, the Bible often states the obvious because people are

Dear friend, when you extend hospitality to Christian brothers and sisters, even when they are strangers, you make the faith visible. They've made a full report back to the church here, a message about your love. It's good work you're doing, helping these travelers on their way, hospitality worthy of God himself! They set out under the banner of the Name, and get no help from unbelievers. So they deserve any support we can give them. In providing meals and a bed, we become their companions in spreading the Truth. Earlier I wrote something along this line to the church, but Diotrephes, who loves being in charge, denigrates my counsel. If I come, you can be sure I'll hold him to account for spreading vicious rumors about us. As if that weren't bad enough, he not only refuses hospitality to traveling Christians but tries to stop others from welcoming them. Worse yet, instead of inviting them in he throws them out. Friend, don't go along with evil. Model the good. The person who does good does God's work. The

As Scripture says, “Anyone who believes in him will never be put to shame.” For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile —the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can anyone preach unless they are sent? As it is written:“How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!” Romans 10:11-15 NIV

"Believe me, friends, all I want for Israel is what's best for Israel:salvation, nothing less. I want it with all my heart and pray to God for it all the time. I readily admit that the Jews are impressively energetic regarding God––but they are doing everything exactly backwards. They don't seem to realize that this comprehensive setting–things–right that is salvation is God's business, and a most flourishing business it is. Right across the street they set up their own salvation shops and noisily hawk their wares. After all these years of refusing to really deal with God on his terms, insisting instead on making their own deals, they have nothing to show for it. The earlier revelation was intended simply to get us ready for the Messiah, who then puts everything right for those who trust him to do it. Moses wrote that anyone who insists on using the law code to live right before God soon discovers it's not so easy––every detail of life regulated by fine print! But trusting God to shape the right living in us

Jesus gave his followers, and thus us who are following the leader in 2013, a new command at the end of his ministry. Jesus instructed that our love for others should be modeled after His love for us. One author has pointed out that Jesus New commandment directs the way we are to “do unto others” far beyond the “Golden Rule”. The Golden Rule says, “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you” Notice, we are the standard (and some of us wouldn’t have someone “bother over us” for any reason. Our privacy is the highest value). There is another rule, this one championed by the business world (specifically a business consultant named Tony Alexander) It is the Platinum Rule (Remember, gold cards are trumped by platinum ones). This rule says “do unto others as they would have you do unto them”. You know, “the consumer is always right!” (Some churches are so busy with this mentality with their ultimate goal being to meets the needs of their “customers”, thus Happy members = success). Jesus’ rule for how we t

Then Jesus turned to the Jews who had claimed to believe in him. "If you stick with this, living out what I tell you, you are my disciples for sure. Then you will experience for yourselves the truth, and the truth will free you." Surprised, they said, "But we're descendants of Abraham. We've never been slaves to anyone. How can you say, 'The truth will free you'?" Jesus said, "I tell you most solemnly that anyone who chooses a life of sin is trapped in a dead- end life and is, in fact, a slave. A slave is a transient, who can't come and go at will. The Son, though, has an established position, the run of the house. So if the Son sets you free, you are free through and through. I know you are Abraham's descendants. But I also know that you are trying to kill me because my message hasn't yet penetrated your thick skulls. I'm talking about things I have seen while keeping company with the Father, and you just go on doing what you have heard from your father.” John 8:31-38 (MSG)

1 Joshua called together all the tribes of Israel at Shechem. He called in the elders, chiefs, judges, and officers. They presented themselves before God. 2 Then Joshua addressed all the people:"This is what God, the God of Israel, says: A long time ago your ancestors, Terah and his sons Abraham and Nahor, lived to the east of the River Euphrates. They worshiped other gods. 3 I took your ancestor Abraham from the far side of The River. I led him all over the land of Canaan and multiplied his descendants. I gave him Isaac. 4 Then I gave Isaac Jacob and Esau. I let Esau have the mountains of Seir as home, but Jacob and his sons ended up in Egypt. 5 I sent Moses and Aaron. I hit Egypt hard with plagues and then led you out of there. 6 I brought your ancestors out of Egypt. You came to the sea, the Egyptians in hot pursuit with chariots and cavalry, to the very edge of the Red Sea! 7" Then they cried out for help to God. He put a cloud between you and the Egyptians and then let the sea loose on them. It drowned

Jesus talked allot about giving in it’s many forms. In fact some of his most passionate teaching of his followers deals with GIVING because Kingdom leaders give. The Bible says in Mark that Jesus sitting near the Treasury in the Temple and He saw Many of the rich were making large contributions. (Mark 12:41-44). This was impressive, and yet HE was not impressed. He knew that they could easily afford the sums thrown into the Treasury. What did those gifts really cost? Would their standard of living be affected by their generous giving? But a poor widow threw only a couple of coins-- a measly two cents into the Treasury and this was indeed a very small gift, yet Jesus called his disciples over and said, "The truth is that this poor widow gave more to the collection than all the others put together. 44 All the others gave what they'll never miss; she gave extravagantly what she couldn't afford-- she gave her all." The 'cost' to the widow was enormous! One way of looking at the extent of giving is not to ask