The Return Part 3

Pastor Chris & Heidi Hayden

 

                                                                      

The Return Part 3

  1. Hayden 9-29-20

 

Well, the event known as “The Return” is over and this morning is a new day. Saturday was a wonderful day as Christians gathered in Washington DC and throughout the world by simulcast, praising God, repenting of sin and sharing the message that all of us need to return to God. It was a blessing. However, now we need to carry that message to others and live out the mandate of the Scriptures to walk out our salvation with our Creator. Always leaning on Him and staying faithful to the commitment of being a disciple of Christ. It says in Matthew 16:24-25 the Bible reads, “24 Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone wishes to follow Me [as My disciple], he must deny himself [set aside selfish interests], and take up his cross [expressing a willingness to endure whatever may come] and follow Me [believing in Me, conforming to My example in living and, if need be, suffering or perhaps dying because of faith in Me]. 25 For whoever wishes to save his life [in this world] will [eventually] lose it [through death], but whoever loses his life [in this world] for My sake will find it [that is, life with Me for all eternity].” (Amplified).

 

The Scripture we read in the first paragraph is a serious mandate that is meant for a serious people. To be a disciple of Christ is not just a tag we put on ourselves as believers in Christ, it is a way of living that God has called us to. And for many in the Church, it is a call to return to the commitment we made when we first declared in our hearts that Jesus Christ is Lord. Throughout the history of the Church, God calls His people to come closer and to return to their First Love. After giving the believers in Christ a compliment, Revelations 2 has Jesus speaking to the Church at Ephesus and saying these words, 4 “Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love. Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works, or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place—unless you repent.” Sometimes we can get caught up in worldly things, even us “good Christians.” Often we have a tendency to walk away from God when we are drawn away by the affairs of life and forget our God. God calls us to return to Him. If this describes you, do not hesitate to call on the Name of the Lord. He has open arms for you and is ready to receive you back in His arms. Return to Him, He will in no way reject those who wish to draw close to Him.

 

Be blessed even more!!

 

Pastor Chris         

 


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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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