Calvary Chapel Of Crook County - Main

Cornelius, a devout man who is also a Roman centurion, is told by an angel to send men to a certain house in Joppa and bring a man (Peter) back with them. Meanwhile, Peter was shown in a vision that nothing was unclean in God's eyes. The Gentile men came and Peter left with them. Welcomed to Cornelius' home, Peter explained the gospel to Cornelius, his family and friends. They believed and were filled with the Holy Spirit.

There is only one door into the sheep pen, and those who try to enter any other way are thieves and false shepherds. Jesus, the True Shepherd, enters by the door where the sheep hear His voice, they know His voice, He knows them, and there is an intimate relationship. Jesus also willingly lays His life down for the sheep, something a hired man won’t do. Jesus called himself the “door” of the sheep, and so there is only one way to salvation, i.e. through the door, through Jesus. The Jews thought He was insane.

Continuing with the familiar story of the man, blind from birth, who was healed by Jesus. He was brought before the Pharisees who refused to believe Jesus had healed him, that perhaps he was a different man. After questioning the man’s parents and once again the man, their foolishness was exposed by the man’s simple answers. They refused to believe he could be healed by a sinner, as they also refused to acknowledge who Jesus really was. They were religious leaders who looked obedient to the Lord – self-righteous – and didn’t think they needed the righteousness from above. They thought they could see but were blind. The man, on the other hand, met Jesus and worshipped.

Peter begins his missionary work and miracles begin. A paralyzed man is healed. Tabitha is risen from the dead. These were done by the power of God, through Peter, and he was quick to give God all the glory. Our lives should reflect that we are believers in Jesus by the things we do, giving God all the credit, and focus on others instead of ourselves.

This is the familiar account of the man blind from birth who was healed by Jesus. Some have said this relates to the sight of the blind and the blindness of the sighted. We are all blind, not from our parents, but from our inborn sin. It’s through Jesus’ power that this man was healed. Without Jesus, like us, he was destined to live in perpetual darkness.

Continuing with Jesus’ confrontation with the Jews, He makes it clear that religious privilege does not guarantee a right attitude toward the things of God. Heaven will never be gained by pedigree. Interestingly, the Jews were seeking to kill the very one that their “father,” Abraham, was looking forward to. Jesus told them they had the devil as their father, and not wanting to hear the truth, they called Jesus Satan. Those who are truly God’s children will honor the Son, and the Jews weren’t willing to do that. Finally, Jesus claimed to be God and the Jews blew their collective gasket.

Philip, a deacon and evangelist to Samaria, is told by an angel of the Lord to go to the desert. This was odd since people were getting saved where he was. Nevertheless he was obedient and came across an Ethiopian eunuch, sitting in a chariot, reading Isaiah. He asked Philip to help him understand, believed on Jesus, and then wanted to be baptized. He was and then Philip was miraculously transported to another area. Philip was obedient to the Lord no matter how strange it may have seemed and the result was another soul coming to the Lord. Baptism is obedience to the Word as well. It doesn’t save but is a reflection of salvation.

Jesus confronts the legalistic Jews who might have believed what He said but didn’t come into a saving faith, and who resented Jesus for telling them that they were slaves to sin. Only Jesus can set us free to be who we were intended to be in God’s love. He who the Son sets free is free, indeed.

By Jesus saying He is the light of the world, He is saying he is divine. His light is global and He is our illumination. The Pharisees judged Him according to the way of the flesh, and the Jews tried to rest in their pedigree instead of Jesus. Who will die in their sins? The self-reliant, those who remain worldly and have never repented, and those who don’t know Him and are blind.

When people serve well as deacons, they become bold for the gospel. This is evidenced by Stephen, who had great boldness with signs and wonders. The Jews opposed him and he gave them a history lesson about how the God of grace had worked with and for them throughout history, but still, the Jews were stiff-necked people, full of idolatry and hypocrisy. When he rightly said they killed Jesus, they became furious and stoned him. Saul, later Paul, assented to his death.

Three types of people are in this familiar encounter of the woman caught in adultery: the accused; the accusers; and the One to whom the accused is brought. The religious leaders set a trap for both the woman caught in adultery and also for Jesus. Adultery is serious (lust is also adultery) and sympathy for the woman should not distract from her sin, however, Jesus neither condones it nor condemns her. Those who came to shame Jesus leave in shame, but the woman stayed in His presence. Jesus gave her hope, forgave her and transformed her future.

Many were added to the early church, some were removed, and it greatly multiplied. There came a time when the physical needs of people weren't being met and the first deacons were established.

As opposed to an exhaustive teaching on fasting (resources are available both in print and online for those interested), Rory summarizes the history of Calvary Prineville and the important role prayer and fasting have played throughout the years, as the local Body prepares for a churchwide fast this coming week. This is an excellent teaching both from the standpoint of how fasting plays into the life of the believer and the church, as well as a short history of this local fellowship and the Lord's provision. Note: the beginning of the audio has been clipped.

A special message re: fostering and adoption and God's heart for orphans

The Holy Spirit, as the third Person of the Trinity, is not an “it.” Jesus gave the Holy Spirit to the disciples and then promised a further “baptism with the Holy Spirit,” the promise of the Father. Pentecost ushered in the age of the Spirit who gave the disciples power to be witnesses. Beyond having the Holy Spirit within us, we need to have the Holy Spirit come in power upon us. All we need to do is ask.

In Acts we see the start of persecution after Peter and John are taken to task for healing a paralytic. Filled with the Holy Spirit, Peter preaches Jesus to the people and to the Sadducees. We can expect persecution if we believe in Jesus, and even more so if we speak His Name. If we haven’t experienced persecution we should ask ourselves “why not?”

During the last day of the Feast of Tabernacles, Jesus proclaims that as God provided water in the wilderness from the rock, He will satisfy those who thirst with Living Water, the Holy Spirit.

Jesus gave his disciples a “new” command – to love one another. This was not really “new” but fresh. He is the example of how to love one another with sacrificial love. We need to love and expect nothing in return, and show no partiality. Are we loving people who are hard to love? What is hindering us? We cannot profess to love God and not love people.

A special Christmas Eve service at Calvary Prineville. Rory's mic is off for the first 90 seconds.

Jesus hangs back from going to the Feast of Tabernacles, but eventually sneaks in to the celebration before he is found out. During this incident five important questions about Jesus are posed: Where is He? How does He know so much? Who wants to kill Him? Who is He? and will you come to Him?