Our beloved church celebrated its 13th anniversary this week. I still cannot believe it has been that long. God has done so many unbelievable things and brought in so many amazing people over the years. Our church has truly been used by God to be a blessing to so many that have entered those doors. As I reflect on those beginning days, I can still remember the first official service. It was such a thrilling moment. Our dear pastor, whom I served under for many years at a different church, was embarking on a new journey to lead a new congregation. One that would eventually become Calvary Chapel of Gloucester County.
None of what we currently experience and enjoy as a church body and family would be possible if not for the faithfulness of Pastor Gary Clark to answer the call that God placed on him. It could be easy to forget those early days when we currently enjoy the daily blessings and connections from a church that has grown and matured to what it is today. Our church provides a healthy teaching of God’s Word along with continual growing and thriving ministries that put His Word in action. It truly is a spiritual home. There were definitely some questions and uncertainty at the outset, which is perfectly natural when you are starting something completely new. It left you feeling both excited and nervous. One thing was certain though. When God births a plan in you, like He did with Pastor Gary, He will carry that out as a result of faithfulness. The vision was given and executed by complete trust in God’s unbounding power. It all started with that vision, followed by a group of faithful followers to see God’s plan come to life.
The same can be said for all of us. God lays specific callings on our lives. Can they be exciting? Of course. Can they be a little scary and take us out of our comfort zones? Absolutely. We always need to remember, however, that when God calls us, He will see it carried out when we exercise our faith in Him.
One of the many great examples of this in scripture is Moses. He was on his way to possibly becoming the next Pharaoh, the richest and most powerful man on Earth. God had other plans. He called Moses to lead the Israelites out of captivity in Egypt. Did Moses have doubts? Of course. Did he make excuses not to do it? Yes. Did he trust and obey God though? Absolutely. Despite this incredible worldly opportunity, Moses carried out God’s calling on his life as a result of his faithfulness.
Hebrews 11:24-26 NKJV
24 By faith Moses, when he became of age, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, 25 choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the [a]passing pleasures of sin, 26 esteeming the [b]reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures [c]in Egypt; for he looked to the reward.
Now that’s faith! He did not have the information that we do about how God works since there was no written Word when he made these huge decisions. He had little information, but took a huge risk, determining that the God of Abraham could be trusted. His choices are almost mind-boggling. He went against everything that the world tells us is important: power and wealth, to identify with Christ. He saw the Lord so clearly and trusted Him so deeply that he was willing to go from the throne of Egypt to the lowly fields of a shepherd.
Let that be an encouragement to us all. Through those uncomfortable and scary moments in God’s calling on our lives, stay the course He laid out. Trust in Him to deliver. Walk in unwavering faith. It will bring us to a place far surpassing our expectations and into an even deeper relationship with Him.
Isaiah 25:1 NKJV
O Lord, You are my God.
I will exalt You,
I will praise Your name,
For You have done wonderful things;
Your counsels of old are faithfulness and truth.
Wayne Errig