The Church of God of Carmichael

In Christ Alone, My Hope Is Found
He Is My Light, My Strength, My Song
This Cornerstone, This Solid Ground
Firm Through The Fiercest Drought And Storm
What Heights Of Love, What Depths Of Peace
When Fears Are Stilled, When Strivings Cease
My Comforter, My All-in-all
Here In The Love Of Christ I Stand

There In The Ground His Body Lay
Light Of The World By Darkness Slain
Then Bursting Forth In Glorious Day
Up From The Grave He Rose Again
And As He Stands In Victory
Sin's Curse Has Lost Its Grip On Me
For I Am His And He Is Mine
Bought With The Precious Blood Of Christ

No Guilt In Life, No Fear In Death
This Is The Power Of Christ In Me
From Life's First Cry To Final Breath
Jesus Commands My Destiny
No Power Of Hell, No Scheme Of Man
Can Ever Pluck Me From His Hand
Till He Returns Or Calls Me Home
Here In The Power Of Christ I'll Stand
Till He Returns Or Calls Me Home
Here In The Power Of Christ I'll Stand
Here In The Power Of Christ I'll Stand

John 14:27  Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

Let us ‘walk in grace’ together.
May we find ‘joy in the journey and good times in the going.’

Sunday's Coming fills my heart with hope and thankfulness for God's redeeming plan.

It was a simple sermon, starting softly, building in volume and intensity until the entire congregation was completely involved, repeating the phrases in unison. The sermon went something like this.

It’s Friday. Jesus is arrested in the garden where He was praying.

 But Sunday’s coming.

 It’s Friday. The disciples are hiding and Peter’s denying that he knows the Lord.

 But Sunday’s coming.

 It’s Friday. Jesus is standing before the high priest of Israel, silent as a lamb before the slaughter.

But Sunday’s coming.

 It’s Friday. Jesus is beaten, mocked, and spit upon.

But Sunday’s coming.

 It’s Friday. Those Roman soldiers are flogging our Lord with a leather scourge that has bits of bones and glass and metal, tearing at his flesh.

But Sunday’s coming.

 It’s Friday. The Son of man stands firm as they press the crown of thorns down into his brow.

But Sunday’s coming.

 It’s Friday. See Him walking to Calvary, the blood dripping from His body. See the cross crashing down on His back as He stumbles beneath the load. It’s Friday;

but Sunday’s a coming.

 It’s Friday. See those Roman soldiers driving the nails into the feet and hands of my Lord. Hear my Jesus cry, “Father, forgive them.” It’s Friday;

but Sunday’s coming.

 It’s Friday. Jesus is hanging on the cross, bloody and dying.

But Sunday’s coming.

 It’s Friday. The sky grows dark, the earth begins to tremble, and He who knew no sin became sin for us. Holy God who will not abide with sin pours out His wrath on that perfect sacrificial lamb who cries out, “My God, My God. Why hast thou forsaken me?” What a horrible cry.

But Sunday’s coming.

 It’s Friday. And at the moment of Jesus’ death, the veil of the Temple that separates sinful man from Holy God was torn from the top to the bottom

because Sunday’s coming.

 It’s Friday. Jesus is hanging on the cross, heaven is weeping and hell is partying. But that’s because it’s Friday, and they don’t know it,

but Sunday’s a coming…”   

S. M. Lockridge

  For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost. Luke 19:10

Let us ‘walk in grace’ together.
May we find ‘joy in the journey and good times in the going.’

Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities:
for we know not what we should pray for as we ought:
but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us
with groanings which cannot be uttered.
Romans 8:26

Much that perplexes us in our Christian experience is but the answer to our prayers.

We pray for Patience,
and our Father sends those who tax us to the utmost, for "tribulation worketh patience."

If thou hast been here. John 11:21

"If only my circumstances and my environment were altered...
"If only So-and-So were not so trying to live with...
"If only I the opportunities, the advantages, that other people have...
"If only that insurmountable, difficulty,
that sorrow, that trouble,
could be moved out of my life;
then how different things would be!
and how different I would be."

Ah, dear friend, you are not the only one who has had such thoughts. No less a person than Paul the Apostle besought the Lord three times that the thorn in the flesh might depart from him, and yet, it was allowed to remain."

For he hath not despised nor abhorred the affliction of the afflicted;
neither hath he hid his face from him;
but when he cried unto him,
he heard.
Psalm 22:24

You can talk to God because God listens.
Your voice matters in heaven.
He takes you very seriously.
When you enter into his presence,
he turns to you to hear your voice.
No need to fear that you will be ignored.
Even if you stammer or stumble,
even if what you have to say impresses no one,
it impresses God, and he listens.
He listens to the painful plea of the elderly in the rest home.
He listens to the gruff confession of the death-row inmate.
When the alcoholic begs for mercy,
when the spouse seeks guidance,
when the businessman steps off the street into the chapel.
He listens.
Intently.
Carefully.
Max Lucado, The Great House of God.

Let us ‘walk in grace’ together.
May we find ‘joy in the journey and good times in the going.’

He answered and said, . . .
one thing I know, that,
whereas I was blind, now I see.
John 9:25

It's one of those strange moments in Scripture – Jesus makes a pair of mud balls and places them over the empty eye sockets of a man who was born blind, telling him to go wash his face at the pool. The man does so and – bam! – he can see!

It is at this point that the story gets really bizarre. The religious leaders become so agitated by this man's excitement and his confession of faith in Jesus, that they ultimately toss him out of the Temple!

How ironic — a blind man sees, and sighted men are blinded by their self-righteousness. William Yeats said, "All empty souls tend to extreme opinion." Such were the religious leaders in Jesus' day – empty, and extreme. And such are those who prefer religion over relationship with Christ in our own day.

Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine,
and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man,
which built his house upon a rock: Matthew 7:24

Am I building completely on the Rock, Christ Jesus and his teachings or is part of my building resting on my own sandy ideas of God's Way? I know God's word says, His thoughts are not my thoughts nor His ways my ways, I want to know that in the storms of life my building will be secure and stable, not a corner of the house shifting in the storm causing ruin.

 IF in a difficult life decision, especially one in which God is asking you to quit doing something, to give up something, to change something that is dear to your heart; and you find yourself saying:

I'm stilling praying about that,
I'm thinking that over,
I'm trying to decide what is right for me,
I just want to be fully convinced,
I'm trying to figure out what that looks like in my life,
I'm afraid of ____________.
What will people say if _______________.

By not making a decision, you have made a decision.

2Corintians 12:7-10

And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure. For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.

 Paul sought God's will first.
Earnestly, pleadingly, prevailing and wrestling in prayer.
God said, "This thing is from me,"