Grace Community Church of Caroline

Luke 19: 28–30

28 After this, Jesus, knowing^[e] that all things were now accomplished, that the Scripture might be fulfilled, said, “I thirst!” 29 Now a vessel full of sour wine was sitting there; and they filled a sponge with sour wine, put it on hyssop, and put it to His mouth. 30 So when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished!” And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit.

Many of us drudge through our day unaware of the battles that goes on around us. Over 2000 years ago there was one Man, known as the Christ. While walking this earth for 33 years He was very aware of the wars that were being raged on our behalf – He was at the immediate center. His entire earthly experience was for you and I.

It ended with Him being nailed to a cross and killed for us. While on the cross He said “It is finished”, but was it? The act of dying on that cross was the necessary key to open the door of Salvation for all people. That unfortunate and necessary task was finished. The supreme and ultimate sacrifice was complete. In His finishing of the act, it was the beginning of our lives and freedom. The fulfillment that is available to any Christian, is only possible because of His sacrifice.

So, where His earthly life was finished, ours found it’s beginning. When celebrating Easter, let’s remember that we aren’t celebrating chocolate bunnies and marshmallow peeps, but the Salvation to live in freedom, that required our Savior’s death. That death was necessary for the resurrection. Although Christ said “It is finished”, while on the Cross, I imagine that He said “It has begun” when He walked out of the tomb.

I found this YouTube video set to the Barlow Girl’s “Enough” song. It’s a great video:

Hi All,

I have been putting notes together from Hosea readings and sermon for another study.  Ernest touched on a few things today that made me feel that I should post this on the blog.

Sovereign Love
Hosea Ch 1 & 3
Story of God’s love for His people
Love Story:  About passionate/sacrificial love; a seeking love.  Jilted lover that won’t give up.  Wedding at the beginning (covenant love).

• Story of God’s Love initiated to sinners/so sinners can respond to love.
• Story of God’s judgment EXCEEDED only by His tender mercy.
• Story of God’s judgments to promote His people’s repentance.

Sovereign Love - a love from God that responds to sin in unique, distinct, particular ways so that it beckons and invites sinner to stop sinning and come to Him.Compares idolatry to spiritual adultery - wayward affection and heart of His people.  God uses marriage language to describe relationship and describe wayward nature of His people’s lives.

1. God requests Hosea to marry an adulterous wife, and have children whose names bear Israel’s sin. The marriage portrays Israel’s unfaithfulness to God and the names of the children symbolize God’s judgment.

2. The first son of Hosea, Jezreel, is named after massacre at Jezreel.  God says he will put an end to the kingdom of Israel in the valley of Jezreel. The prophecy for the destruction of Israel was fulfilled  when Assyria attacked and conquered Israel.

3. The second child (not Hosea’s) was a daughter’s named Lo-Ruhamah, translated as “No mercy”. The implication of this name is that God will not show mercy and compassion to Israel and will allow it to be destroyed.

4. The third child (not Hosea’s) was a son, named Lo-Ammi, meaning “Not my people”. Here God punishes Israel by redrawing his relationship with them.

Chapter 2:  The Lord’s Mercy on Israel - And I will have mercy on No Mercy, and I will say to Not My People, ‘You are my people’; and he shall say, ‘You are my God.  Hosea 3:1 And the Lord said to me, “Go again, love a woman who is loved by another man and is an adulteress, even as the Lord loves the children of Israel, though they turn to other gods and love cakes of raisins.” 2 So I bought her for fifteen shekels of silver and a homer and a lethech of barley. 3 And I said to her, “You must dwell as mine for many days. You shall not play the whore, or belong to another man; so will I also be to you.” 4 For the children of Israel shall dwell many days without king or prince, without sacrifice or pillar, without ephod or household gods. 5 Afterward the children of Israel shall return and seek the Lord their God, and David their king, and they shall come in fear to the Lord and to his goodness in the latter days.

Is there more to God’s Love?
So I bought Her for 15 sheckles of silver.  (Love, relationship bought with a price)
Hosea was innocent, was not the offender, but He went, He paid the price.  (Gospel Message)

Hosea was to GO again and LOVE this woman.  Not just be at peace, but in marriage relationship.  United.
When we are sinned against we are called to go and reconcile.  God does this for us, when we sin against Him.  Grace is the power of cover sin, but also the power to overcome sin.(God’s inviting Love so that we may respond in love.)  God’s Love is Holy, Pure, Jealous.  God’s Love will tolerate no rivals. 

Song of Solomon 8:6-7 Set me as a seal upon your heart, as a seal upon your arm, for love is strong as death, jealousy is fierce as the grave.  Its flashes are flashes of fire, the very flame of the Lord.
Many waters cannot quench love, neither can floods drown it

Gospel Message in Hosea Ch 1 & 3 

• Gomer (Us)
• Deserved no mercy.
• Not God’s people.
• Sinner

• Pursued by God
• Gomer (Us) recipient of Grace.
• Bought by a price
• Free gift of God’s love and mercy.

At the Cross Jesus Life as payment in full for our sins.  Though we are the  sinners, we contribute nothing to the ransom, cost of freedom.  Relationship restored.  Relationship of unity.  Fruitfulness.  Children of the Living God.  Jesus united us.  We are God’s people.  We are recipients of Mercy.   Fulfillment-God glorified, Jew and Gentile saved by God’s grace, fulfilling His plan - God’s plan of salvation for all people that he may have mercy on all. . (See Romans 11)   

Application Questions:  1.  What are our tendencies when we are sinned against?

2.  How does the application of Sovereign Love change the way we would respond?

3.  Can you discuss a time when you felt God’s mercy instead of judgment?

4.  Who can we most relate to, Gomer (the sinner), Hosea (the faithful spouse).

5.  In what way does God call us to respond like Hosea?

I’ve made a logo, I’ve decided a direction and now to write. 

For the past six months or so, I’ve been on a search.  I’ve been unsettled in my spirit and looking for direction.  I’ve been asking and praying for my call and for the blanks to be filled in.  I know that I am a teacher, that I have a desire to share. 

The question is, what venue and in what timing.  The answer – there were other questions that I didn’t know needed to be asked.  So, I asked them.  Rarely do we like the answer to unasked questions.  I embraced my answers.

The title of this blog series, is a reflection of recent heart changes.  I am abandoning my pretense and personal expectations of others.  I am not worried about if I wear a tie or blue jeans to church.  I have watched the emerging generation of believers begin turning the world on end.  They are stretching me….  I have been undone by the black t-shirts and blue-jeans.  But, what I realized was the my heart was envious.  I have spent YEARS being overly concerned with other people’s expectations.  I have tried to re-create myself to make other’s feel more comfortable, yet not give up the belief system.  It doesn’t work….  I am a Gen X’r and have forsaken the freedom that those of my and the following generation seemed to embrace, because of the fear of man.

I admired from afar the freedom that folks in blue-jeans and black t-shirts seem to enjoy.  I’ve had a change of heart.  I’ve been recently listening to a myriad of podcasts from various churchs and I have found that I most identify with the teachers walking out in blue jeans.  Their relaxed demeanor and day to day life teaching, have resonated with me. 

Not because of their “greatness” but because of my failures.  For too long I have buried myself in trying to understand theology and to appear like I think a good Christian should appear.  The reality of the  matter is that they reached a point in my heart – the pretense that I thought was necessary to show Christ’s love. 

I failed to recognize that Christ looked like and had dinner with “the common man”.  The difference between He and they, were His words, His Heart and His authority.  Christ knew who He was and didn’t need his apparel or those around Him to establish His identity. 

So, with that intro, i will be writing my next series of Blue Jean Theology soon!

As the energy and level of expectation builds, and as the worship team practices, I was able to steal a second with Senior Pastor Ernest Custelow. It was a quick exchange but we were able to chat about being stretched with the youth revival of today. Wearing blue jeans, shorts during February, guys with long hair and lots of black clothes, coming from of all backgrounds and ages this large Worship Center is filled.

With colorful banners and Bibles open, Believers prepared their hearts and minds to receive what the Lord was preparing to deliver. We are at Awaken the Dawn, an amazing annual event held in Fredericksburg, Virginia at Grace Church. This church is the one in which we were planted in Caroline, Virginia. It is a vision of where we will be one day. God has blessed this great body with an amazing facility that hosts this event.

The invocation is given and the entire room falls quite. There is a reverence here… Each soul is quite and preparing for worship.

Then the worship team begins….

It’s high energy, it’s LOUD, it’s amazing and everyone is moved by it. The God of creation is here. He has ordained this time…who am I to judge the modality, the venue or the response of the Saints!?!?

Joel 2:15-16 (King James Version)

I walked in the door hesitant. It’s been a long season and I’ve been struggling to keep the fire burning. I’ve been here for about a half of hour and can’t stop shivering. I walked in to hear Shara Pradhan pleading with God to forgive our arrogance, ask for the focus to be on Him above all. I truly believe that it was God speaking to me at registration. Well, isn’t that just great?!?!?

I’m glad I’m here within minutes and they have my attention (with exception of blogging the event). There is a mixing bowl of Millennium, Gen X, Gen Y, Boomers and event the Silent generations, whoa re anything but silent here. Everyone is her and the room is full of energy and expectations.

I’ve turned off the e-mail, turned off the cell phone and rolled up my sleeves. My plan is to have a weekend without pretense.

It was just a small event, but we found it encouraging.

My mother (age 91) had surgery this morning which could have been done with a local anesthetic (removing a precancerous place on her face), but the surgeon planned on putting her to sleep (general anesthesia? - not sure the term).  However, I felt that this was somewhat risky since she had caught a slight cold earlier in the week and was hoarse, etc.

This morning Leslie and I were discussing the day, our hopes and plans, etc. when suddenly around 10 a.m. I said, “Let’s pray for my mother”.

We felt led to pray for wisdom for the doctors and for the Lord’s hands to be upon my mother and the doctors if and when they operated (with snow/ice on the roads, there was doubt about the appointment being kept).

I called my sister shortly after our prayers, and our mother was in surgery at the same moment.  Linda (my sister) called back in a little while saying that all went fine and the doctors had decided not to put her asleep because of the congestion.  We praised the Lord for His infinite care for us.

Once again, the timing and the specific burden given to us by our gracious Father, adds to the great evidence of His love, and for His desire for us to participate in the spiritual realm into which He has called us, and seated us there in the heavenlies, in our Elder Brother, Jesus Christ.

Eph 2:4-10

“But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up with Him, and ___seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus___, so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.  For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them. “

Blessings on you all.

Boyd and Leslie

In this day of gender confusion and “political correctness” we’ve began to loose the identity that is typically unique to being a man.  It has become inappropriate to say “be a man”, which held some specificity once upon a time.  What does being a “man” mean? That’s a time for another post, in and of itself, but for now, let me say that I think we’ve not spent enough time studying Christ as a Man. 

Christiandom has softened who He is, so that it’s more palatable to the masses.  I don’t like watered down doctrine.  Being a peculiar people, means that people may become offended.  Good, offended people and they tend to pay more attention to what he said. 

Christ has been referred to as Scandalon.  The closest English translation is “stumbling block” .  Hmmm, so Christ was offensive!?!?!  Don’t believe me?  Go read the end of the Gospel; remember when they killed Him?  Would they have done so, had they not been offended? 

I have been reading the Gospel of Mark recently… no not a study book telling me what to think, but really just reading the Word – interesting concept, isn’t it?  Read the book of Mark and concentrate on the fact that this book is in an interpretation of Christ’s authority.  How He handled it, that it existed and what the results were.  It’s my favorite book and one I’ve read more than any other, because I can best identify Christ as an authoritarian.  He demanded my respect.  

I’ve recently been working on a Facebook quiz that asked what my favorite movies were.  I have lots of choices, as I love stories, books, audio books, movies, all of it….  My favorite two movies are Gladiator and The Castle.  Until this Facebook quiz, I hadn’t put together that these two movies were similar in certain aspects.  Gladiator is staged in the Roman era, at the height of their power, when they had just beaten the Barbarians and were struggling more with their internal politics.  Maximus is a Roman General who had significant favor with his men and with Caesar.  Caesar’s son being spiteful of this, kills his father and orders his men to kill Maximus.  Maximus overcomes, but becomes a slave after realizing that his wife, son and home has been destroyed.  The movie continues to illustrate his rise in favor with men and his fellow slaves simply by being a man.  He makes no effort to lead these men, but by his heart and passion for overcoming wrong delivers these slaves, from slavery… even if it was only in their minds.

The second movie, The Castle chronicles Robert Redfords character as a high ranking general with a significant level of respect by all who know him.  The character disobeys an order, takes men into battle and get’s them all killed.  He is then ordered to a military prison ran by Col. Winters who is a megalomaniac that is mistreating and even killing the inmates. Winters is the antithesis of Redford’s character.  The general comes to the prison with the intent to simply do his time and leave.  He has carried the burden of command for his entire life and now wants to simply do his time.  However, by his nature and passion for other’s dignity he becomes a leader of men and ultimately pays the supreme price for his leadership.  He wins ,but at great cost to himself.  The end result is that men who were imprisoned are now freed of oppression and restored to being men.

People, like myself are drawn to these dramas because we’re captivated by men of passion and charisma that can motivate and deliver individuals from being lost.   Men, who regardless of their situation, overcome…  Conversely we have a very poor view of men who manipulate others in their hunger for power.  Great man carry authority well and others are gravitated to them without fear or trepidation.

Christ was a real man.  Read Mark – look at the multitudes of people who sat for countless hours to listen to Him speak and lead them.  Look at how he carried His authority, never did he engage the rulers of the time.  They came to Him.  They had to lower themselves to come to Him as a teacher.  He never went to them to tell them what they must do, He knew that they would come.  Christ was engaging and did not surround Himself by the rulers of men or of the wealthy and influential.  He was strong enough to know that He didn’t derive His identity from those around Him.   He is the “I am” not because we surround Him or follow Him.  We follow Him, because He is the Christ. 

Christ was able to command the winds and the storms, He controlled and overcame death…. How much more must he do to illustrate to you His authority.  He faced death and horrible ridicule and abuse to save you and I from a punishment that we rightfully earned.  He stood in the gap and faced off unrighteousness and than forgave us for your transgressions against Him.

These are not traits of a weak and quite individual.  This is not the gentle and almost motherly Christ that many want to dilute Him to be.  He is capable of being gentle and loving.  He is our friend, but these are all by-products of his authority and occur once we’ve submitted to this love and protection.

This is sometimes difficult for me, as I am a control-freak; but when I fully submit that all that occurs in my life is occurring, because Christ orchestrated it or allowed it, it reassures me that I am safe.  I hope that Christ’s masculinity reassures you, as well.

From Today’s Free Lance Star

Grace has new home in Caroline

February 16, 2008 12:15 am

By MEGAN GRIGORIAN

Grace Community Church of Caroline now holds Sunday services at Miss Alyson’s Countryside Daycare in Caroline County.

The congregation moved from Lake Caroline Lodge, holding its first service in the new location near Ladysmith last Sunday.

The move is an effort to provide a more visible and central meeting place to stimulate growth. The new facility offers a larger space and classrooms for children.

Currently, 20 families make up the congregation, with 45 to 55 in attendance on any given Sunday. Pastor Cash Beveridge said that since the move he has seen more guests who he hopes will return.

Members also hold weekly care groups at their homes for a more intimate setting to pray, discuss that week’s sermon and establish relationships.

Beveridge, previously associate pastor at Grace Church of Fredericksburg for 10 years, has officiated the services since the church originated 21/2 years ago.

Grace Community Church of Caroline meets every Sunday from 10 to 11:30 a.m. Miss Alyson’s Countryside Daycare is off Ladysmith Road, across from Giuseppe’s Italian Restaurant.

Megan Grigorian: 540/374-5000, ext. 5658
Email: mgrigorian@freelancestar.com

We are very thankful to Miss Alyson’s Daycare for allowing us to meet in her building. 

Grace Church has a Blog as well:  www.GC3Family.wordpress.com

I don’t often hear this because I do not seek to condemn people, but today I heard the phrase “oh, you’re one of ‘those’ people.” 

I grow weary of this division that people seem to create in and of their own bias.  I grow weary of people who desire to judge me, presuming that I judge others. 

I am a fundamental conservative.   I believe in God the Father and that his Son came to earth to die for me, even though there was nothing in me worth His life.  I do not think that people have a right to destroy a life for the sake of convenience and I know that I was created and did not evolve from a slug.  None of those beliefs mean that I do not value people who don’t agree or don’t share my beliefs.

I do not care what your lifestyle is and I will treat you as a equal or better than I; simply because I believe that God created all men as equal.  Judgment is not in my purview. 

Please don’t presume that I sense any level of superiority because of my beliefs.  Yes, there are many people who share my beliefs and use them as a blunt tool, but there are extremist and misguided individuals in all areas of life.

We, as a people, desire too often for reasons, to look down on another.  There is something called The Doctrine of Relative Filth, it’s a principal that ‘I look better so long as there is someone worse out there’.  It’s dangerous because we’re all looking for someone worse (in our judgment) to gossip about, to exclude, or to ensure that we’re at least a step above.

I hope that one day when people speak of me and my time is done, they will grant me that I was a good husband who loved his wife; that his daughters felt blessed to have me as their father and that I was willing to help anyone that I could.  I aspire to be better at the end of the day, than I was at the beginning, to educate anyone who desires to learn and to learn from anyone willing to share.

Who doesn’t aspire to these ideals?  I would image that most would.  I don’t demand that you agree with me….I desire that you understand who I am.  I do not feel that my beliefs weaken me, I do not feel that I am intellectually inferior to those to rely on science and I certainly don’t feel that I am not capable of independent thoughts.  I do feel that it makes me a stronger better man and that I find encouragement from things that are more than me.

I feel that many do feel condemned because of people who are not like them, I think that those living a life of despair are anguished by those who are happy.  I was there.  I hated myself and everyone around me; and now I have purpose, strength that is not my own and after 8 years of this foundation I know it’s not a passing fad or just some “feeling” that is going to leave me.  I hope that you also know this fulfillment. 

I’ve been reading a book lately and it went into what your life means.  Think about a tombstone, I know it’s a little morbid right off the top, but keep up with me…. 

The tombstone usually has the year in which one was born and the year of passing.  Between the two numbers, is what is important, really important… the hyphen.  The hyphen in the dates refelcts that there was something that occurred between the year of birth and the date of passing.  So, what is your hyphen going to represent?

Have you left a legacy?  Are you proud of what you are doing in your life?  I mean all of it…not just what you’ve done today or the good job you may do at your place of employment.  I don’t mean the last mistake that you made and that those around you won’t allow you to forget. 

I, like many, have made poor decisions and mistakes.  I was blessed to have a wonderful wife that has stood by me and helped me to become the person I wanted to be.  We’ve taken great strides in our life and have become a family that I am very proud of.  Our belief system has been a strong foundation and has delivered us through many challenges.  I try every day to instill in my daughters those qualities that I think will make them a good person.  I want them to remember me as a good father and loving husband, in the hopes that they will look for those fundamental traits in their future husbands. 

So, here’s my challenge for today… Take a look at your life - from someone else’s perspective.  Are your actions actually enhancing someone else’s life, or merely breaking them down?  Are you being benevolent toward others?  Does your action, words, decisions and behavior reflect the person you want to be?  Do the battles that you choose actually make a difference?  Are you actually rolling up your sleeves to work toward a common goal, or are you sitting in judgment and trying to destroy another – just because you can?

I’ve been reading many articles on-line and many blog posts (especially those related to my industry) and I am dishearten  to see that a majority of them are simply devised to attack others….  My question is: to what end?  What benefit do you and your readership have when you take time to disgrace your company, family, others….   Is it building something?  Does it count?  Does it matter?

Likewise, I see families in turmoil.  I see parents that are attacking their kids or worse neglecting their children.  I am not talking about appropriate discipline, I am talking about cursing at, yelling at, embarrassing them to try to get them to “shutup” or simply be non-existent.  The sins of the fathers (and mothers) will continue for generations.  I know…. For those who are insistent on abusing or neglecting your children, understand that you are doing so to their future children as well.  We learn inherently from our parents and family.

I am forever thankful to those who have spoken wisdom into my life over the years.  They have done so at times that I didn’t even really want to hear it.  They were persistant and now I, my children and their children will benefit from the positive affiramations, trust and enhancements they’ve made in my life.

What will your hyphen represent when your time here, on earth is over?