The Return
The Return
1. Hayden 8-25-20
On September 26, 2020, Christian believers from all walks of life and many denominations will be descending on the Washington D.C. Mall in a historic gathering of Church leaders and followers of Christ. This gathering will take place in our nation’s capital approximately 40 days before one of the most important elections our country has ever faced. This election will decide the direction of our Union and could very well be a pivot point for an entirely different form of government. Much is at stake. So what is this gathering in D.C. all about? Well the event is called, “The Return.” The Return is not a reference of Christ returning, but of His people and the world returning back to Him. It is anticipated that thousands, possibly hundreds of thousands will gather to pray for our nation and the Church to “Return” back to the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and our Lord Jesus Christ. We will pray for repentance and God’s blessings on our land as we humble ourselves before Him, seek God’s face and turn from our wicked ways (2 Chronicles 7:14).
The Return is a movement, an appointed time, and a specific day set apart for one purpose – the return to God by coming before His presence in humility, in sincerity in prayer, and repentance. The movement begins now and will continue through the entire year of 2020 leading up to 10 Days of Vigilant Prayer – Starting with the Biblical Feast of Trumpets and ending with the Day of Atonement (September 18-September 28). The central day of The Return will be Saturday, September 26, 2020 on the National Mall and throughout the nation and world. Here at Central Christian Church, we will be hosting a simulcast of the event live in our facility on that day. The day will begin at 9am with speakers and prayers throughout and closing with a prayer service starting at 6pm and lasting til around 9pm. We are inviting members of Central Christian Church along with any in our community that wish to attend. Please join us on that day, even if only for part of the day, as we join our fellow believers and neighbors in returning to God with a renewed commitment and zeal for the salvation of the lost and unity of the Body of Christ.
Pastor Chris
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The Creature Walks Among Us!
8-13-2020
C. Hayden
This past weekend I had the opportunity to catch one of my favorite 1950s monster movie characters on the television. It was “The Creature”! You know, the Creature from the Black Lagoon, to be exact. It was a particularly hokey flick being the 3rd installment of that monster movie franchise titled, “The Creature Walks Among Us” (1956). That generation just could not get enough of this terrifying xenomorph in the previous two films including the original “The Creature From the Black Lagoon” (1954) and its sequel, “Revenge of the Creature” (1955).
In “The Creature Walks Among Us,” the Creature or “Gill Man”, is taken from his natural habitat and imprisoned in the world of human beings. A scientist (there is always a scientist involved), experiments on the Gill Man and removes said gills, giving him lungs so that the monster is transformed into an air breather and no longer a water breather. This gives him the ability to, as the title of the movie suggests, walk among us. Does this remind us of anything? I think you know where I am going with this. The only difference in this film from its, obvious to me, coming of the Lord Jesus’ first advent, is the Creature is inundated with human faults and failings. The monster begins to experience and act on people’s fear, anger, hate, jealousy, pride, greed, and all manner of sinful emotional displays. The plot is then revealed as the Creature becomes violent over and over again as result of being exposed to these human failings.
The Bible reveals a somewhat different scenario. The Word of God reveals to us that the Son of God, Jesus, humbled Himself willingly, took on human form and, for the purpose of saving us from these human failings (SIN), walked among us that we might become like Him; not vice versa. John 1:10-12 says this, “10 He was in the world, and through the world was made through Him, the world did not recognize Him. 11 He came to that which was His own, but His own did not receive Him. 12 Yet to all who did receive Him, to those who believed in His name, the Creature from his home against his will to become like us and live with us, Jesus willing left His home to walk among us. And Jesus still walks among us in order to make us like Him and to take us back to His home in glory. Oh what a great day that will be.
Be blessed even more,
Pastor Chris
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Faith, Family, Freedom!
C. Hayden 7-8-20
I love the messages that we have been putting up on the Central Christian Church marquis the past several years. They have displayed messages that have been meaningful, relevant to our time and community, and brief enough to be seen by passing vehicles as they glance at our sign while driving to and fro each day. The current offering has been not only one of our briefest sermon, but oh so relevant and meaningful. It reads, “Faith, Family, Freedom”, and that is it. This communication is so simple, yet saying so much.
In these three words, we are able to capture the most important institutions and values of our day. And it is these institutions and values that have come under heavy attack in our country. The first word, FAITH, representing everything we know to be true about God and our Lord Jesus Christ. Faith also represents our connection with our God as the scripture tells us, “Without faith it is impossible to please God…” (Hebrews 11:6).
The second word, “Family”, has also been under attack. Forces in our nation and world have been attempting to redefine the family for years, trying to erode the Biblical view of the nuclear family. Now we know that sometimes tragedy and death, sin and selfishness, can cause the creation of non-traditional families. God still loves them and God can still cause those families to thrive. But the ideal, God’s model has always been this: “For this cause a man will leave his mother and father and cleave to his wife and the two will become one flesh” (Genesis 2:24, Matthew 19:5). When we try to downplay God’s model, when end up with a society that is forever redefining God’s Word.
Finally, the word freedom closes our marquis message. One of the most important of values cherished by Americans who often left their country of origin to come to a new land whereby they could freely worship God in “Spirit and Truth” as revealed to their own conscience. And freedom is so important to God, and coincidently, is also under attack! Galatians 5:1 says this, “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free.” We have been set free by Christ so that we might be free in Christ! So as you are driving around Huntington over the next couple months and catch a glimpse of the Church marquis this summer. Don’t let any politician, or anyone else, try to take these things away from you. Remember those three words representing those gifts that God wants all to have, “Faith, Family, Freedom!”
Be blessed even more,
Pastor Chris
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