4/17/2019
IT’S ALL ABOUT HOPE
Why do you think more people attend the church of their choice on Easter Sunday than any other weekend of the year? Why do people who hardly ever darken the doors of a church decide on this one Sunday that they are going to make an appearance?
It could be that they are going for a family member, their wife, their mother, their brother or sister. It could be that they are going to try to impress somebody. They might go to church to show off their new Sunday best that they might only wear one time this year. I’m hoping these aren’t the reasons they have chosen to go to church this Sunday.
It is my sincere belief that the reason more people show up on Easter Sunday is because they are looking for hope. Our world is filled with hopeless situations. Some people have no hope that they will get a good job that will meet their families need. Others have no hope that their children will turn out well. For many this Easter they are facing illness themselves or with a family member who doesn’t seem to be getting any better.
Hope, that’s what Easter is all about. It’s not about the bunnies, baskets or spring flowers. It’s not about egg hunts and how precious our children or grandchildren might be. It’s not about trying to impress someone. For the pastors and church staff, it’s not about how big your crowd is this year as opposed to last Easter. It’s all about hope.
The disciples of Jesus, these twelve men, who became eleven after Judas betrayed Jesus had left all that they had to follow Jesus. They left their jobs, their families, their homes and forsook all to follow Him. They watched their Lord and Savior get arrested, beaten and crucified. All that they thought would happen vanished in just 24 hours. The disciples on the road to Emmaus said, “we had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel.” Luke 24:21
What the disciples didn’t understand was that Jesus purpose in coming to earth wasn’t about the here and now, it was about eternity. They wanted a religious leader who would also overthrow the Roman government and deliver them from oppression. Much of what people are hoping for in this world is simply that, of this world. What we hope for in this world will not last. The hope that Jesus promises is not of this world, it is a hope which is eternal.
The Apostle Paul wrote in I Corinthians 15:16-20, “For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised either. And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile (worthless) and you are yet in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost. If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable, but Christ has indeed been raised from the dead.”
The old familiar hymn says it well, “My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus blood and righteousness. I dare not trust the sweetest frame but wholly lean on Jesus name. On Christ the solid rock I stand, all other ground is sinking sand, all other ground is sinking sand.”
The question you need to answer this Easter is not whether or not you will show up at church but whether you have made your reservation for heaven. In John chapter 14 Jesus shares the only way anyone can be sure of heaven. “Let not your heart be troubled, you believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house there are many mansions, I go to prepare a place for you.” He then told them “where I am going you know, but Thomas said, “Lord we don’t know where you are going and how can we know the way.” Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth and the life, no one can come to the Father except by me.” If you want to go to heaven and be in the presence of God forever you must go through Jesus. He is the only one who can give you eternal life. Place your faith in Jesus Christ this Easter and you will have the greatest hope you can ever have. I’d love to help you find this hope, come join us this Sunday at 10:00 am at Calvary Baptist, 1015 W. 16th St. or online at www.calvarybaptistsedalia.org. 

You can have your best year ever in 2019. Here is a summary of my message from 1/30/18.
Hebrews 11:1 says, "Faith is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen." We must believe that God can do bigger and better things than we ever imagined.

Remember David the shepherd boy who faced the giant. Read I Samuel 17:1-52
We all have giants that we face. Financial, physical, emotional, and then relationships at home, work and school. 

Here are four steps to expecting God's best.

1. Start your day with God's principles. Psalms 5:3, II Timothy 3:16 & 17

2. Saturate your mind with God's word.
Psalms 119:9&11, II Peter 4:5

3. Set your goals according to God's purposes. 
I Samuel 17:46 Believe that God will give you the victory.
I Corinthians 9:25&26 Run the race with purpose to win.

4. Spend your time with God's people. 
Psalms 119:63
Hebrews 10:25
Psalms 37:4
Matthew 9:29

Practical steps - Begin a daily time in God's Word and prayer. Get involved in a small group or Bible Study. Invite one person a week to join you at Calvary.

Remember that the biggest room in the world is the room for improvement. "Good, better, best, never let it rest til your good be your better and your better be your best."

There was once a great king. His love for his people knew no limits. Although the
kingdom was very large, the king knew every person by name. Everything the people of the
kingdom had was a gift freely given by the loving king so to show their love and appreciation to the king for all he had done for them, the people decided to have a great celebration to honor his birthday. Everyone agreed it was a
marvelous idea. Preparations for the celebration were very elaborate. No expense was
spared by the people. They adorned their homes with lights, decorations, and expensive
ornaments. There were parties, dinners, and celebrations throughout the kingdom.
All the people brought gifts for their friends and family. Many of the gifts which the
people gave each other were quite expensive, involving considerable indebtedness. In fact,
the people spent more on the birthday celebration than they spent at any other time of the
year.
Many who were not citizens of the kingdom, and who did not even know the king,
joined in the celebration. Their celebration of the king’s birth was marked by excessive
drinking. Since they did not know the king, they invented a good natured, fat fellow in a red
suit. He laughed a lot, but never said anything. But that didn’t matter because they were too
busy celebrating to listen anyhow.The day set for the birthday celebration drew near. The gifts which the people had
brought for each other were piled high. The decorations were beautiful. Huge amounts of
food were prepared in all the homes and banquet halls.
The king watched eagerly during all the preparation. A number of people
mentioned him and spoke of what a great king he was. The king waited
each day expecting at any time to hear from the people about his role in the celebration. Weeks in advance, he
prepared his house to receive the many people who would be coming with their presents for
him.
The great day of celebrating his birth finally arrived, and some of his people did
come bringing gifts and thanking him for his goodness to them. But to his dismay, most of
the citizens never came to his house at all on this day of celebration. And the gifts brought to
the king by those few who came were meager when compared with the gifts they had given
themselves.
For the most part the people said they had been so busy with all the celebrations
and personal plans that they had forgotten about the king. Several said they had thought of
him, but really could not work it into their schedules or budgets to come to see him or bring a
gift. A few were known to be quite put out when it was suggested that going to the king’s
house or remembering him with a gift was important. Those people who did come to his house and who brought their loving gifts were welcomed and blessed by the king. He told them again of his great love for each of them.
And each received from the king a priceless gift. But when they had gone and he was alone
a gain, the king fell to thinking of the vast numbers of his people who had forgotten and
forsaken him. How could they have forgotten? How could so many of his beloved people
who had found the time and money for shopping and feasting and partying and decorating
and all sorts of celebrations how could they possibly be so thoughtless, so ungrateful, or
so selfish? Did they not know that he too, had feelings? Was not the purpose of the birthday
celebration originally planned to honor him? When the king was alone, pondering these questions,
he felt the tears well up in his eyes. And in his loneliness, he wept.
One thought brought some hope and consolation. Even though they had forgotten
him, he had not forgotten them.

In my message this past Sunday I spoke about one thing we can't do in heaven. You can view the video of the entire service on this website. 10,000 years from now most of the things that matter the most to us on the earth won't matter for all eternity. Money, cars, careers, sports, popularity, and beauty won't last. Only one life will soon be passed and only what's done for Christ will last.
In heaven we will have all of our questions answered about God and His Word. We will have a great time of fellowship. We will experience worship at it's best. We will enjoy the presence of God. One thing we can't do in heaven is tell someone else how to get there. Everyone in heaven will already be saved. The only time  and place that we can share the good news of Christ is here and now. Who have you told lately about Jesus? What kind of difference are you making on planet earth for heaven's sake.
We have a great opportunity coming up, Round Up Day on September 9th. Invite family, friends and neighbors to join you for this very special day. We have a goal of 125 in Sunday school and 200 in worship. Will you help us meet that goal? There will also  be a meal served after the service.
Together let's round people up on that Sunday for the glory of God.
In His Love,
Pastor Don

Most weekends I spend at least one or two days, Friday and Saturday with my family. This is because when all is said and done they will be the one's who will be with you in the end. You start together with them in life and ministry and hopefully if the Lord is willing you will end with them. I'm very thankful that God has blessed me with a loving and caring family. I'm speaking not only of my wife, children and grandchildren but also of my brothers. I believe that heritage of a close family came from the long and loving relationship of my parents and from the way that we stuck together when things weren't so good. We had our share of troubles but God carried us through every trial.

The family of God which exhibits itself through the local church is also a family. How we relate to each other is a reflection of our relationship with the Father. We share a common faith, "For you are all the children of God through faith in Christ Jesus" Galatians 3:26. We also share a common mission, "to know Him and to make Him known." When troubles and trials come we need to love one another and stick together for the common good and the glory of God.

I love serving as the pastor of Calvary and trust that God is going to do greater things in the future as we are obedient to Him.
Yours for the Family,
​Pastor Don