Bishop's Pen
God is in Control
God is in control! As we struggle to find some semblance of peace and calm, people are genuinely afraid. We are worried about our families and all of the other issues related to the coronavirus (COVID-19). But let me use this space to remind you that Christ is still powerful. Christ, who is still who He was before and who He will always be, is a healer and a comforter. He is still able to protect us from and heal us of all sickness and disease. In this time of struggle, shutdowns, restricted travels, resulting from this pandemic, let us all take a moment, breathe, and refocus on the faith and grace that has brought us and kept us to this day. The Church has always shined the brightest and been the beacon of light in some of the darkest times of history. When everything and everybody else is falling apart, the Church has been able to remain resilient. Every other institution has perished, but the Church is still around. This is the moment for us to show to the world the mercy and power of Christ. This is not to suggest that we do not take this virus and its implications seriously, but we cannot give up and give in lest we get swallowed up by this pandemic disease. God will take care of us. We, however, have got to do what we do best – pray and seek the face of God. The problem posed to us from the coronavirus is not over and above Christ. He is faithful when we are unfaithful. In this challenging season, may we not be discouraged so as to forget the God we worship, how powerful He is, and how He is moved to act on our behalf. The blood of the Lord Jesus Christ still works!! Oh Lord come to our aid! Oh Lord make haste to help us. Be not afraid! God is in control! #CalvaryForward #ReachRelateRenew #2020Clarity + WJT II
Lenten Season
We are in one of the highest, holiest seasons of the Christian Church: Lent. During this season, the sun takes a little longer to set, the weather gets warmer, and life emerges from the earth. Lent is our connecting point to the season of life. But more than that, Lent is a messy season. Lent is also a time when the leftovers of winter are exposed, muddy, and broken. Much like our lives, each day, the messiness of yesterday is leftover for us to deal with. Lent invites us to deal with our own messiness. Lent is a time of personal reflection. It is not a time where we clean up quickly and cover up what we do not want to correct. Lent is that time for us to be just as authentic about what is wrong with us as it is to celebrate what is right with us. That is one of the reasons we rub some ash (dirt) on our foreheads: to remind us of our humanity; from the dirt we came, and back to the dirt we will return. Lent allows us to see the part of ourselves that we would rather not deal with; it is that time that we expose our darkness to the light of God. And as we move toward Good Friday, we see just what our sin costs Christ: his life. We see the pain of that moment when cried out, “My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?” That one phrase sums up the darkness of Lent. Without death, there can be no resurrection, so Lent is important because it brings us face-to-face with our mortality and the death of Christ. But as we get closer to Resurrection Sunday, we are reminded that in the Kingdom of God, death does not have the last word! So, as we move through this Lenten Season, may we remember our humanity; may we examine our frail, flawed soul and, with Jesus, enter the darkness of our sin and death and journey with Him to the Cross. May we be crucified with Christ so that we can truly appreciate the resurrection.
Words Matter
Words matter! Words create an atmosphere of life or death. That is why it is so important to be mindful of what you say, speak over yourself, and agree with. The Bible provides us with several verses concerning decrees. “You will decree a thing and it will be established for you ….” (Job 22:28). “God confirms the word of His servant …” (Isaiah 44:26). Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit (Proverbs 18:21). God said, “My word shall not return void but accomplish all it is sent forth to do” (Isaiah 55:11). The Word of God is a powerful force that creates change in both the physical and spiritual world when we declare it. As we decree God’s word and will, the creative power of the Holy Spirit is released to bring it to pass. One of the most powerful things we can do to transform our life is to speak and decree certain scriptures into whatever area of life in which we are struggling. We create what we believe. Our beliefs control how we perceive life, how we react to situations, and what we think about ourselves. Whatever your life is now is based upon your beliefs, which drive your actions and reactions. Here are a few decrees to make daily: My spirit, soul, and body are blessed. All of my needs are met according to HIS riches and glory by Jesus. My prayers are powerful and effective (2 Corinthians 5:21; James 5:16b). I am blessed with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ (Ephesians 1:3). I am the head and not the tail, above and not beneath. Let us make speaking life a daily practice!! #CalvaryForward #ReachRelateRenew #2020Clarity + WJT II
The Year of Clarity 12/29/2019
2019 has been an “interesting” year. A lot has happened – some good, some bad, some wins, and some losses. For some, the struggle has been real. However, we have managed to make it to the end of the year by the grace and strength of God. As I walked into my office this week, the Lord shared with me a simple revelation. When I walked into the office, it was dark. I knew where certain things were, but because of the darkness, I was unsure whether I could put my hands on those things. Once I turned on the light, the things of which I was unsure, I suddenly became confident. When the light came on, I could not only see what I knew was in the room, but I could see things for which I was not looking. Then it came to me – once the light comes on, clarity occurs. In nature, some things only grow and flourish in the light. Some flowers require light. Some plants require light. From there, the revelation was obvious – there is something powerful on the horizon for the Body of Christ. That “something” is the Holy Spirit is about to give light to every seed we have planted. Every seed we have sown has been watered with our patience and our sacrifices. God is now bringing us into a season of fulfillment. We will see growth and we will experience clarity in areas where we did not understand. We will see why some things did not work, why some relationships could not continue, why some doors were closed, and why some answers to some prayers were delayed. Some of us have endured seasons of darkness, delay, trials and tribulations where we had no clarity of what it all meant – especially when we did our part to experience manifestation. But clarity is coming. Make sure you are in position to see the things God has spoken fully manifest. 2020 will be a year of perfected vision, and we will be able to operate with greater focus and divine clarity. We will begin to see things bloom and produce. As we approach 2020, expect to see clearly what God will do. The seasons of confusion and delay are ending! #CalvaryForward #ReachRelateRenew #Favor2019 +WJT II By cbcdover|December 29th, 2019|Bishop's Pen
Be Thankful
The Bible teaches us to be grateful no matter what. I am sure we could all find something to complain about, and some of our complaints are difficult and challenging. We may even feel as though we have a right to feel as we do. But let me challenge you to be thankful – if for nothing else, the little things that we take for granted. As I read through the Scriptures, the Apostle Paul was one of the people who would have had a lot to complain about. He lost some “good” relationships, he was lied on, he was brutally mistreated, his integrity was challenged; yet, from a prison cell in Rome, he wrote, “Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Ephesians 5:19-20, NIV). Being thankful should not be a once-a-year thing; every day should be a day of thanksgiving. No matter how challenging things may be, never allow a spirit of ingratitude to lead to bitterness and make you an ugly person. Ingratitude is a sin, just like lying, stealing, or immorality. One of the most stinging indictments in Scripture is in Romans 1:21 – “…although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him” (Romans 1:21, NIV). An ungrateful heart is a heart that has forgotten how dependent we are on God for everything. We are particularly grateful as a congregation to be celebrating our 135th Church Anniversary this month. Calvary Baptist Church has been able to make such a profound difference in the lives of people in this community, and throughout this city. We may not be a perfect church, but we are the perfect place for imperfect people. When you appreciate the love of God toward you, you cannot help but show that love to others. A spirit of thankfulness makes all the difference. In the words of the Apostle Paul in 1 Cor. 1:4, let me end by saying, “I always thank God for you” (NIV). #CalvaryForward #ReachRelateRenew #Favor2019 + WJT II
I Praise God for you
Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised! God has been so good to us. God’s goodness has afforded me the opportunity to meet some incredible people, do some incredible things, and enjoy some amazing opportunities. For each moment and each opportunity, God has done more than I could ever expect or deserve. And God has done it once again. He has given me the privilege to serve as the Senior Pastor of Calvary Baptist Church. These past two years have been good. They have not been without their challenges, but God has been faithful and kind. The love and support that has been shown have been incredible. We have all grown, been stretched, taken steps of faith, and enjoyed the goodness of God. We have rejoiced together, mourned the loss of loved ones together, served our community together, and witnessed the power of God together. Calvary Baptist Church is a great church. As I publicly stated, Calvary was great before I ever arrived on the doorstep…and it will continue to be a great church. This church has been a beacon of light and lighthouse of hope in this community for 135 years. That means that we stand on the shoulders of a host of great men and women who loved, served, gave, and sacrificed so that we might enjoy where we are right now. I pause in solemn reflection to remember my predecessor, Apostle Richard M. Avant. His love for people has become the trademark of this congregation. He has left an indelible impression upon the very fabric of what makes Calvary the church that it is. Our only desire is to continue this great legacy, dream bigger dreams, and prepare what is to come – GREATER! We are grateful to each one of you for every expression of kindness you have demonstrated, not just on one day, but all year long. Your love makes us all the more grateful. Shout out to the best Pastor’s Aid Committee anywhere for making the love “live.” The BEST is yet to come! #CalvaryForward #ReachRelateRenew #Favor2019 Bishop W. James & Elder Antonia R. Thomas