Calvary Corner Devotionals

The Power of Blessings

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A blessing is a divine act bestowed upon an individual or group of people, meant to invoke favor and protection. Blessings can be viewed as a bridge between the divine and the human. For example, Moses instructed Aaron and his sons to speak the Aaronic Blessing of Numbers 6:24-27 upon Israel declaring, “You shall invoke My name on Israel and I will bless them.”

All the blessings that Jacob spoke upon his sons in Genesis 49 played out over time. Esau cried an exceedingly bitter cry because his brother Jacob stole his blessing, and Isaac’s blessing could not be reversed. When Jesus began His Sermon on the Mount He pronounced blessings on the poor in spirit, those who mourn, the meek and merciful, etc. With these powerful examples in mind, I am impressed by our LORD to pronounce and invoke God’s blessings of His divine grace, peace and increase upon your lives at this time of new beginnings, and fresh starts (Exodus 12).

Therefore; may the LORD our God empower each of you to forgive every person who has ever injured, robbed or slandered you in your past, remembering that Jesus said, “Father forgive them for they know not what they do (Luk 23:34).” As you release each person may God remove every spirit or soul which has been allowed to torment you (Mat 18:21-35).

May you be blessed exceedingly as you refrain from walking in the counsel of the wicked, standing in the path of the sinners, or sitting in the seat of scoffers. May your delight be in the Word of God as you meditate on it in 2025, day and night. Be like a tree firmly planted by the water, experiencing and displaying abundant fruit of the Spirit (Gal 5:22-23). May your life flourish, not wither, and may you prosper in all you do.”

In Jesus’ Name

Pastor Huck

Changing the Calendar

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Before Common Era (BCE) and Common Era (CE) are alternatives describing the years BC, which represents the years before Christ, and AD which stands for Anno Domini. In its fullness, AD reads more like, “Anno Domini nostri Jesu Christi,” which translates, “in the year of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Therefore, the year 2024 CE and 2024 AD each describe the same current year. Well big, fat, enormous deal. This Common Era nonsense is simply another attempt to eliminate Jesus Christ from our vernacular. There are always some intellectual knuckleheads afraid that Jesus may offend somebody. So what? He’s been offending people for a long time.

Jesus did not come to change the calendar. He came to change people. In case you haven’t noticed, we’re a mess. All have sinned and plenty of Christians have yet to die to self. That’s bad news. All of humanity should be terrified of hell, while a few non-believing eggheads are afraid we’re going to call this year, “2024 in the year of Our Lord.” Try as they may, they will never get rid of Jesus, and that’s the good news.

I remember the western musical called, “Paint Your Wagon,” when Lee Marvin sang, “God made the mountains. God made the sky. God made the people. God knows why.” Did you see that? A Hollywood movie giant declared that God made the people. God did make the people because He really loves the people, and He loves us enough to change us, not the calendar. 

As another Christmas approaches, with all the decorations, parades, light displays, shopping, eggnog, tree lightings, parties and a fair amount of drunkenness on our highways, let’s make a special effort to include Christ in our homes as well as any family gatherings. I love how Pastor Al Cicolelo of Calvary Dayspring in Prescott Valley has his family gather to read the Christmas story together after a great Christmas dinner. The calendar of current events reveals, He cometh soon.

Keep Looking Up

Pastor Huck 

That Most Expensive Tree

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Black Friday is regarded as the first day of the traditional Christmas shopping season, on which retailers offer special reduced prices and shoppers snap up some of the season’s best deals. Crafts, dinners, gifts, artists, Santa, parties, parades, lights and decorated trees have all highlighted the start of the season, with little attention given to the world’s most expensive tree of all time, and that tree would be the one God decorated.

Matthew 1:23 reads, “Behold, the virgin shall be with child and shall bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel meaning, God with us.” Some three decades later that child became the required innocent sacrificial victim, as He was hung on a tree fashioned into a cross (John 19:19). That most expensive tree was decorated with the body of our Kinsman Redeemer, the sinless Jesus Christ. The decorations included a sign declaring His Kingship, His cleansing blood, as well as spikes, thorns and wood that He spoke into
existence.

God the Father also decorated His tree with lights, for His Son who was nailed to it is known as the Light of the World, although not much light is shed on Him by the masses these days. On that most expensive tree the wrath of God against all sin was satisfied as Colossians 2:14 declares, “God canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us, which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the (that) cross.” Thus, Jesus Christ becomes the greatest gift ever offered, and to receive this gift one must repent of sin and entrust their spiritual well-being to Christ for eternal life (John 1:12).

I have no higher goal in this life than to increase my love and deepen my friendship with my Savior, my God and best friend ever, Jesus Christ (John 9:38). May we demonstrate our commitment to Him whenever and however we can, for He has certainly demonstrated His commitment to us.

Including Him
Pastor Huck

Do Yourself a Favor

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Inside every one of us there is a contest going on for the right to dominate. Is it going to be Jesus Christ, or will it be me who rules the day? In Luke 9:23 Jesus said, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me.” The word “deny” in this context means to say no to oneself.

Many years back when I was a very new Christian, I went to our church retreat and had some great one on one time with my pastor. We were out on the deck on a beautiful sunny day in Page Springs, Az when I said something regarding my rights. In an instant he shot back saying, “But Huck, you don’t have any rights. You gave them up when you came to Christ.”

Paul introduced himself as a bondservant and back in the day, these servants possessed no will of their own. Today our rebellious flesh wants to superimpose its will over God’s will. Choosing my will over God’s only slows down the growing up process. When we Christians ignore the will of God, a sense of conviction will set in until we surrender. This feels like being stuck in a spiritual mud hole. Have you ever seen these truck or tractor pulls where the sled slowly grinds these powerful vehicles to a stop? That’s what disobedience will do to a believer’s progress.

Until we’re brought to the place of total dependence on Jesus Christ, allowing Him to be the supreme authority in our lives, it is impossible to be an authentic disciple of Christ. The Holy Spirit looks deeply into our lives. When He puts a finger on known disobedience, a true disciple will address that sled that is slowing him or her down with repentance.

We do ourselves a big favor by walking in obedience, and keeping ourselves under the spout where God’s blessings are pouring out. For serious disciples, read Psalms 32 and 51, then follow David’s lead.

The World is Watching

Pastor Huck

Defining a Disciple

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A disciple is a learner who is also a follower of Jesus Christ. There is a big difference between being saved and being a disciple. Not all people who are saved are disciples, but all people who are real disciples are definitely saved. Are you sure about where you stand regarding this? Many people will say they like Jesus, but they’re not behaving like Jesus. Jesus said, “Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple (Luke 14:27).”

Jesus called His first followers from their fishing businesses, which indicates that sacrifices were expected. Their initial interest began with curiosity but after hearing Him teach, they were willing to be taught more. In Matthew 13 Jesus sent the multitudes away who had heard the parable of the tares, but His disciples were the ones asking Him to explain the parable. The only people Jesus explained the parables to were His disciples, who were eager to learn more.

Being a disciple involves more than being a great student of scripture. Discipleship means Jesus owns all the rights to my life, to do as He sees fit. True discipleship will shake up your former lifestyle and priorities. Author J. Dwight Pentecost rightly declared, “As long as a man pursues the affections of his natural heart, he cannot be a disciple of Jesus.” Paul wrote, “Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth (Col 3:2).”

True discipleship focuses on a moment by moment, day by day walk with Christ. It goes way beyond any Bible class, Bible study or program. A disciple is someone who grows in their thinking, speaking and behavior. This would describe the Christian who is honestly glorifying God with their life.

Ask yourself: How has my life really changed since receiving Christ? Do you think you could tell anyone how they too could be saved? These are marks of a true disciple.

Go therefore and make…

Pastor Huck

It’s Not Fixed

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Your doctor may encourage you to get a physical or take a stress test, and the results may indicate internal problems. The physical itself does not fix anything. It only verifies that you’re healthy or not so much. After this recent election it would be wise for the average American Christian to get out of their lazy boy and embrace a sense of responsibility, to vocalize the gospel in this nation that requires a complete overhaul. It is ludicrous to assume mere humans can fix America.

Does it honestly take a rocket scientist to understand that men should not be competing in women’s sports, that budgets should actually be balanced, that we cannot continue spending money we do not have, or that men should use the men’s restroom? Hello! Christians need to stand up during this window of opportunity and call things as God see them according to His word.  

The USA’s problem is a spiritual problem that can hardly be denied. Abortion was a front and center issue as liberals cheered the murder of babies at the Democratic National Convention Abortion Van.  When they announced the number of babies terminated, the self-centered, thoughtless crowd cheered. That is a pagan response from this nation God has so abundantly blessed. Therefore, will all the Hollyweed elites and godless entertainers please hurry and scurry away, to the country you threaten to inhabit if your candidate is not elected? Just go. You only hinder the fixing of our backslidden nation.

Our nation has known great turbulence. Do you recall Jesus being asleep in the storm on the Sea of Galilee (Mark 4:36-41)? He was in the boat with His apostles, but not in their fear. Jesus never gave us a spirit of fear, but of power, love and a sound mind. Now is no time to hit the mute button on welcoming people to Christ. Our Nation’s beginnings may be removed from history books, but we still have a great commission.

But It’s Fixable

Pastor Huck

Get Divorced

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If the church in America would ever embrace hell robbing prayer, and stop elevating entertainers, cease from trying to combine Hollywood and holiness, and divorce its amusement with worldliness; I believe we would see true revival. I believe that if the body of Christ does not embrace revival, then Black Canyon City will never experience awakening.

G Campbell Morgan declared, “The church is the most, when it is least like the world.” To keep asking, to keep seeking, and to continue knocking on Heaven’s door unleashes far more spiritual power than any new program, or the latest behavioral analytics with demographic studies. When Christians are willing to do away with their worldly pleasures, then God will incline His ear to our tear drenched, intercessory prayers. “They that sow in tears will reap with joy (Psa 126:5).”

Why such urgency now? By both popular and electoral vote, we are about to experience a victorious president, with the majority of both chambers in congress belonging to his party. This was never going to happen in 2020. The world economy has already responded favorably, as well as the hope that we and others, would cease our involvement in wars.

The Bible tells us, “While they are saying, ‘Peace and safety!’ then destruction will come upon them suddenly (1 Thes 5:3).” Jesus said, “On that night there will be two in one bed; one will be taken and the other will be left. There will be two women grinding at the same place; one will be taken and the other left. Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left (Luk 17:34-37).” That would cover night time, morning, and late afternoon worldwide. People have jobs in a working economy. Does this not describe the sudden event we often call the rapture?

Divorce every worldly habit. Begin to strive in prayers beyond convenience. Prayer is hard work and an inconvenient fight for souls. Are you willing? Are you rapture ready?

No Bags Allowed on This Flight

Pastor Huck

Flourishing Faith

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“She Struck Oil”

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She was in a bind; she was way behind; and she was will’in to make a deal. In 2 Kings 4:1-7 we meet an unnamed lady, who found herself in debt upon the death of her husband. The creditor had come to take her two sons as slaves, unless she could pay the bill.

She sought the prophet Elisha and informed him that she had  nothing in her house, but a small jar of olive oil. Elisha directed her to borrow as many empty vessels as possible from her neighbors, and do not gather a few. He said, “You and your sons shall pour from your little jar, into all of the borrowed containers, and set aside what is full.”

Imagine pouring gallons and gallons of oil from a Gerber baby food jar, until all the numerous larger empty vessels were full. It was a miracle of God. Elisha ordered her to sell the oil, pay the debt, and live on the rest.

Oil was used for anointing kings, lighting lamps and healing. Oil is symbolic of God the Holy Spirit, who indwells each and every-born again Christian. Folks, we were never meant to be containers, but channels that pour into all the lost people that cross our path. They are the empty vessels, and we have the endless supply of God’s Spirit to be dispensing daily. This is God’s plan. The more we give out, the more we get in.

If this lady had grain silos to fill, it would be no problem at all. The limit on this miracle was not on the Divine side, but on the human side. Envision all the empty people right here in Black Canyon City, desperate to know the real Jesus Christ, whether they realize it or not.

We’re the people filled with an endless supply of Jesus Christ, who have what empty people need. Will you be a container, or a channel of His saving grace?

Lord have mercy

Pastor Huck