CPM just finished up another site. This time for a church! One of our thoughts was to attempt more of a European web look; lots of white space, over-sized photography, and large sans-serif typography.

Another facet to this site was the need for an easy way to tag and categorize the sermon audio, which would be getting updated multiple times throughout a regular week. So again, Wordpress was a solid route to go, so as to meet all of our goals for the client.

We’re stoked on the site, and we’re excited for Calvary Chapel Quakertown to be able to use it for ministry. Enjoy as you check out the work! And be sure to leave any thoughts or comments you might have about it.

“Happy is he who has the God of Jacob for his help, Whose hope is in the Lord his God…The Lord raises those who are bowed down.”

Psalm 146: 5, 8

God states He’s the “hope” and “help” of our life. He promises that he won’t be moved or shaken up, or thrown for a loop by what we see as scary, or uncertain, or even a bit loopy.

Growing up I was pretty good at baseball. I love the game. However, one thing I have always feared is the curveball. I can’t hit a curveball to save my life. That’s why I’m so grateful for the help of a designated hitter. Often I was hanging my head from many a strikeout, but with a good “DH” I watch as every pitch gets knocked out of the park.

Just like in baseball, life has curveballs. The only differences are that they are thrown faster, harder, and it’s not a game. I’m increasingly grateful for Jesus’ abundant faithfulness and grace in my life. The times that we might swing and miss or even strikeout, are the moments where we can take hope, we have a friend on the roster that is willing to stand in on our behalf and deliver a grand slam, bringing us all home with him.

Why?

Because Jesus is Immanuel (God with us) He’s right at the center of our hearts willing to offer his stability, peace, and love in and out of every loopy situation we find ourselves in day after day.

“And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”

2 Corinthians 12:9, 10

“There is a river whose streams shall make glad the city of God, the sacred home of the Most High. God himself lives in that city; it cannot be destroyed or shaken. God will protect it at the break of day.”

Genesis 46:4-5

I like that, this passage states God’s dwelling place. The place He protects, makes glad, and calls home. It reminds me of another passage in Scripture that talks about God’s home. In Ancient Israel the Temple was constructed as the place of residence for worship and ministry unto God. The Glory of God would fall and rest in the most Holy place of the temple, and He would dwell there in the midst of the city of David.

1 Corinthians 3:16 “Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? ”

God makes His home in you upon Salvation. It’s the place He protects, makes glad, the place he enjoys dwelling in.

“I don’t feel glad.” you say.

“I don’t feel protected”, you say.

“I don’t feel close to God”, you say.

Understand it’s not the city that makes the gladness happen. It’s not the house that makes the home. Sure you might be able to make yourself happy for a bit, but your lasting Satisfaction, your gladness isn’t drummed up on your own strength. It’s brought by the river that flows through the city of your heart.

What river?

John 7:37-38 “On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, “If any one thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.”

Throughout the bible the Word of God is often described as the living water (Eph 5:26). It’s important we stay in the word, because as we draw near to God, he will draw near to us (James 4:8). The depth that we dive into the water of God’s word is the same proportion we are immersed by Gods presence in our hearts and lives.

I love diving into a pool on a hot summer day. I take a good jump, gather a bunch of spring off the diving board and as gracefully as I can find my way to the water. There’s nothing like the first dive of the summer season, on those scorching hot days it’s nice to be able to find refreshment. In the same way we dive into the pool and come up to exhale a breath of refreshment, we can find ourselves breathing a sigh of refreshment spiritually on those hot days of life where the gladness seems lost, we feel unprotected and shaken up, and it seems as though life is burning you.

Jesus is described as the Word made flesh (John 1:14) Jesus dwells among us, He dwells inside us, and if we believe (John 7:38) He is the river whose streams make glad the city of your heart.

“And he moved from there to the mountain east of Bethel, and he pitched his tent with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east; there he built an altar to the Lord and called on the name of the Lord. So Abram journeyed, going on still toward the South.”

Genesis 12:8-9

If you had the chance to invite anyone to dinner, who would it be?

Sometimes while on the road I ask myself random questions like this. I find myself imagining what it would be like to sit down in a local diner with a guy like Abram. Sure people might stare at his threads and unkept facial hair, but I reckon he would probably be one of the most interesting and heartwarming guys to share a cup of Joe with. Think about it, the man that we’re reading about at the moment is one of the rare few throughout the history of mankind to have journeyed to the inner circle of friendship with God. I would love to listen to what went on in his heart and mind while becoming “God’s friend” as the bible refers to him. Most people through history have barely bothered to even acknowledge God much less be His friend. The story of Abram is such a pleasure to read, it stands as the detailed trailblazer of how to abide intimately with God. As I read the word and witness the life of guys like Abram play out, it only stokes the combustion of passion for the Lord in my own heart.

We saw Abram’s response to God’s promise in verse 7, now we see what follows after the reminders have been established and the worship has been given. Abrams life and family go south.

I’ve often experienced the same thing in my walk with the Lord, I hear God’s voice, everything seems so awesome and I’m worshipping Him, and not soon after I set a memorial of the moment to remind myself of God’s promise, my circumstances take an ugly turn south. I believe this is of the Lord; He will lead us through a turn for the worse in life only to test and approve our character.

Why?

Because our time here on earth is only a preparation and molding for eternity in heaven.

Starting in Ur, which is translated flame, Abram travels just under 200 miles from the northwest coast of the Persian Gulf. He then hikes it about 600 miles northwest to Haran, meaning Mountaineer or Mountain. From Haran he traveled another few hundred miles southwest to the land of Canaan, meaning lowland. Passing through Canaan Abram now pitches his tent between Bethel, translated House of God, and Ai, meaning ruin. Abram’s life has been a long road, He’s been through the fiery suffering of loss, climbed the mountains of disappointment where he first began to hear God, then “Passes through” the lowlands only to hear God speak more blessing, and now he’s dwelling between God’s house and utter Ruin. On our own travels towards a deeper relationship with the Lord I believe all of us hit these places along the way. Life sometimes gets a bit fiery as we set out from the familiar to the unknown areas of faith. Then we seem to climb up and over the mountains to draw close to God and hear His voice in our personal lives. As we grow, circumstances in life sometimes bring us low, leaving us smack between God’s house and the utter ruin of our old natural life.

Not only does God allow us to suffer in life for our own character growth and development, but He allows us to go through the fire to be a living testimony to those around us. As Christians people are always watching us to see if the God we believe in is real. They want proof, and the way we walk through life is God’s way of displaying His truth to them. When Abram went through the ringer, He didn’t cave in and complain, He took the opportunity to proclaim God’s goodness to all those around. He “called on the name of the Lord”. The Hebrew suggests a public proclamation; Abram was literally the first dude in the Bible to be known for street evangelism. Even though he had every reason to complain, even though he seemed like the only guy seeking the Lord in the grossly idolatrous culture of Canaan (Genesis 15:16), Abram chose to praise the Lord and proclaim the good news to everyone watching and listening. In the same way, Jesus had every reason to complain, He was perfectly righteous in a fallen world, He was mistreated and life was hard…but He chose instead to Praise His Father, and proclaim to all the good news of salvation…in fact He laid down His life so we might see and follow His example in our own difficult circumstances.

You see all of us are between Bethel and Ai on earth. We’re between the House of God and Ruin. Abe chose to give glory to God when it got tough…what about you? When given life’s lemons are you surrendering those lemons on the altar and allowing God to alter your lemons to lemonade? Or are you just gripping those lemons and complaining about your sour situation?

It’s your choice.

”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.”

Romans 12:1-2