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CALVARY HANFORD PODCASTS

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Romans 9:1-5 – Isreality

October 30, 2018

Did God hate Esau? Did God harden Pharaohʼs heart so that he could not believe? Is God a Potter Who routinely rejects the majority of the human clay He created, rendering them lost and damned? These are all found in Romans chapter nine. Your first inclination – and itʼs a good one – is to say, “No.” But then what are we to make of incredible statements, like “Jacob have I loved, but Esau I have hated”? (Pastor Gene Pensiero)

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Romans 9:6-13 – Don’t Call Me Ishmael

October 30, 2018

Letʼs say you were a first century Jew who had been born-again. And letʼs say you were a gracious individual who understood that Gentiles could be saved without conforming to Jewish rites and rituals. Still you would look out at what was happening spiritually and be confused. Israel was Godʼs “firstborn,” but they no longer had the birthright. God seemed to have set aside Israel as His firstborn nation in favor of the Gentiles. (Pastor Gene Pensiero)

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Romans 9:14-18 – Know Mercy

October 30, 2018

Has anyone ever broken a promise they made to you? Of course they have! Had God ever broken a promise He has made to you? Of course He hasnʼt! It seemed, however, to the first century Jews in Rome and throughout the empire that God had indeed broken His promise, specifically His promise to Abraham. (Pastor Gene Pensiero)

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Romans 9:19-24 – Clay Nation

October 30, 2018

Our text introduces us to a clay-nation, as it were. God is the Potter and Israel, in His sovereign hands, is like clay. Letʼs keep in mind the context of Romans nine, ten and eleven. Jewish believers were trying to reconcile Godʼs Old Testament prophecies and promises to Israel with their current circumstances in which Israel had been set aside while the Gospel was going out to the Gentiles. (Pastor Gene Pensiero)

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Romans 9:25-29 – The Remnants Of The Day

October 30, 2018

Why should it be so strange that Gentiles would be saved? In fact, the Jews were charged with spreading the knowledge of God to the surrounding nations. It was always God’s will that none should perish. He has always been a whosoever will believe God of salvation. It should therefore come as no shock to the Jews of the first century that God was saving Gentiles. (Pastor Gene Pensiero)

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Romans 9:30-33 – Stumble Thyself In The Sight Of The Lord

October 30, 2018

If the apostle Paul had a radio program, Iʼm pretty sure it would have been called, What Shall We Say Then? Those are the opening words of verse thirty, but itʼs now the fifth time heʼs used the phrase in Romans. It indicates he is about to draw a conclusion but, more than that, an inevitable conclusion. (Pastor Gene Pensiero)

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Romans 10:14-21 – O Sinner, Where Art Thou?

October 29, 2018

God is evangelistic. From the beginning He has been revealing His salvation to the human race. Immediately after Adam and Eve sinned, God came to them in the Garden of Eden and offered them what Iraneaus, in the second century after Jesus, called the proto-evangel, meaning the ʻfirst Gospel.ʼ He was referring to Genesis 3:15. (Pastor Gene Pensiero)

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Romans 11:25-32 – Apostle Paul: International Manifester Of Mysteries

October 29, 2018

The mystery here is the identification of the fullness of the Gentiles which was not a subject of revelation in the Old Testament. Paul seemed extremely concerned that Gentiles would “be wise in [their] own opinion” about God setting aside Israel and bringing the Gospel directly to the other nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues. Looking back over history, he was wise to be concerned as you see the prevalence in every generation of anti-semitism. There is no place for it in the church! (Pastor Gene Pensiero)

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Romans 12:2 – Make Up Your Mindset

October 29, 2018

When it says, “do not be conformed,” it means “stop being conformed.” It is a definite possibility that after youʼve been regenerated and have a new inner heart life you can still choose the values of this present evil age and go on being conformed by them. (Pastor Gene Pensiero)

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Romans 12:14-21 – Avengers Don’t Resemble The Lord

October 29, 2018

Some have likened the church to a hospital for those needing help and healing. A new, popular name for churches utilizes the word “refuge,” which promotes the idea that the church is a spiritual shelter from pursuit, danger, or trouble. The church is those things, and more. (Pastor Gene Pensiero)

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Romans 13:1-7 – Conscientious Subjectors

October 29, 2018

I want to tell you I have what I consider to be a control belief through which I approach the text. It is this. Christians all over the world, in every nation, hold a dual citizenship, but one citizenship takes priority over the other. We are citizens of Heaven first, then citizens of our nation, in our case the United States. (Pastor Gene Pensiero)

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Romans 16:25-27 – Proestablishmentarianism

October 29, 2018

We talk about getting established in a home or in a business. We mean that there is a lot of work especially in the beginning but, afterwards, we can enjoy the benefits. Paul ends his letter to the Romans telling them God “is able to establish” them. Notice it is a work God does, not something you do. It’s like a father turning over his successful business to his son. (Pastor Gene Pensiero)

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Luke 24:36-53 – 40 Days Of Jesus

October 26, 2018

Jesus suddenly popped-in while the disciples were gathered together. A week later He would appear like this again, suddenly through closed doors, and present Himself to these same men along with Thomas, who initially doubted that the Lord was alive. The emotional effect of these appearances is captured in a strangely beautiful phrase in verse forty-one, which says, they still did not believe for joy, and marveled. (Pastor Gene Pensiero)

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Luke 24:13-35 – Road’s Scholars

October 26, 2018

Lovers sometimes take walks. They don’t do it to get somewhere. They do it to be with someone. The progress that they make is not measured in distance, but in devotion. They spend time getting to know one another, deepening in their love. Often they arrive at the same geographical location from which they started – but feeling very different about themselves, having made a romantic progress that puts everything in an entirely new perspective. (Pastor Gene Pensiero)

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Luke 24:1-12 – Spice Girls

October 26, 2018

It should have been standing-room only outside of the tomb. Jesus told His followers more than once that He would be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again. The place to be was outside of that tomb, waiting for the Lord to appear. Instead, some disciples were preparing to head home to Emmaus; the apostles were in hiding; and the women were hopeless as they were preparing spices to finish anointing Jesus’ dead body. (Pastor Gene Pensiero)

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Luke 23:26-43 – Cross Words Muzzled

October 26, 2018

Taking-up and bearing the Cross were vivid images in the first century. The Romans executed by crucifixion. Often a condemned person could be seen taking-up their cross and bearing it to the place of crucifixion. When Jesus used this imagery, His listeners and followers understood that the way they lived was to be noticeably different from the rest of the world. They should be seen and heard as if they were taking-up and bearing the cross in their daily lives. (Pastor Gene Pensiero)

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Luke 22:54-62 – I’ve Fallen And I Can Get Up

October 26, 2018

The Christian life is sometimes compared to a walk with Jesus; sometimes to a long-distance race. It’s not going too far to compare it to a climb to the summit of a mountain. In any case, you don’t want to fall behind and lose sight of Jesus and become lost in some wilderness of sin. (Pastor Gene Pensiero)

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Luke 22:39-46 – Blood, Sweat And Prayers

October 26, 2018

If you are a Christian, there are many temptations in the world. Some are in Sin Cities; but some are right here in your own city. Some are in your home, office, or school. It would be nice if they were clearly marked with signs that said, Now Entering Temptation – so you could recognize and resist them. Jesus spoke to His disciples about temptation almost as if it were a place on the map. (Pastor Gene Pensiero)

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Luke 21:37-22:23 – The Lasting Supper

October 26, 2018

Leonardo da Vinci’s painting, The Last Supper, is for many Christians the clearest image they have of Jesus Christ’s last meal with his disciples. Though it is considered great art, da Vinci’s painting is bad history. All the details in da Vinci’s painting are inaccurate. (Pastor Gene Pensiero)

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Luke 21:5-19 – Apocalypse Now And Then

October 26, 2018

The Jews were quite proud of the first century Temple in Jerusalem. It was a beautiful and magnificent structure. Herod had given it an extreme makeover. Jesus took a look at it and told them it was about to be destroyed – stone-by-stone. It started an incredible conversation about the future. (Pastor Gene Pensiero)

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Luke 20:45-21:4 – Of Mites And Men

October 26, 2018

Jesus warned His first disciples, beware of the scribes… who devour widow’s houses. Jesus’ words would have seemed radical to those listening. The scribes were considered pillars of the community. The Lord was exposing them as parasites. They were like termites devouring the house of a poor widow. (Pastor Gene Pensiero)

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Luke 20:20-26 – Image Is Everything

October 26, 2018

It’s not always easy to know where your loyalty to God draws a line you cannot cross. To help you in those times of deciding whether to obey the government or not, Jesus provided this principle: Render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s. (Pastor Gene Pensiero)

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Luke 20:9-19 – Vintage Jesus

October 26, 2018

Of all the possible environments God could have created, He chose a garden. He didn’t choose a temple, for example, with rites and rituals. He chose a garden; and not just any garden. A perfect garden, that watered itself, where nothing ever died, where there were no weeds or pests or parasites. He didn’t want Adam and Eve to have to work, but only to walk with Him. (Pastor Gene Pensiero)

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Luke 19:28-44 – Find The Missing Peace

October 26, 2018

We call it Palm Sunday and describe it as The Triumphal Entry. It’s the Sunday Jesus entered Jerusalem to the shouts of Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord! It might be more accurate to call it Donkey Sunday, and describe it as The Tearful Entry. (Pastor Gene Pensiero)

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Luke 19:11-27 – Mina Your Own Business

October 26, 2018

Is God a giver or a taker? I’ll give you a clue. This is what Job said about God: Job 1:21 …“Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return there. The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD.” It sounds as though God is both a giver and a taker. (Pastor Gene Pensiero)

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Luke 19:1-10 – Savin’ Safari

October 26, 2018

I can’t help but think of Zacchaeus as being treed! Even though he climbed the sycamore tree voluntarily, by the end of the story you get the idea that Jesus was hunting for him, hounding after him. After all, Jesus said of the episode, the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost. (Pastor Gene Pensiero)

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Luke 18:35-43 – Show Me The Mercy

October 26, 2018

If Jesus asked you, What do you want Me to do for you?, what would it be? Peace in the Middle East? The cure for cancer? An end to all ethnic prejudice? An end to poverty? Or would it be something more personal – a healing for yourself, or a loved one? It’s a pretty intense question, packed with a lot of responsibility and ramifications. How you answer it says a lot about who you are and what you value. You answer the question every time you pray. (Pastor Gene Pensiero)

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Luke 17:20-37 – You’ll Want To Be Left Behind

October 19, 2018

The title, Left Behind, is a warning to be ready when Jesus returns to Rapture the Church. If you’re not ready, you’ll be left behind to endure the awful tribulation that is coming upon planet earth. You definitely do not want to be left behind at the Rapture. But there is a time when believers will want to be left behind. (Pastor Gene Pensiero)

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Luke 17:1-10 – The Best Defense Is No Offense

October 19, 2018

Parents and siblings will go to great lengths to protect their children and younger brothers and sisters. Woe to the person or people who try to harm your children! Jesus taps into this universal feeling, but He applies it to your spiritual family, to your brothers and sisters in the Church. (Pastor Gene Pensiero)

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Luke 16:14-31 – The Abominable Show-Man

October 19, 2018

Jesus gave His listeners a guided tour of Hades. Call it the Gulf Tour if you want, because He mentioned the great gulf, or chasm, that separates paradise from punishment. He showed them, and us, two possible destinations after death so that you can choose where you want to go. (Pastor Gene Pensiero)

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Luke 16:1-13 – Make The Most Of Mammon

October 19, 2018

Jesus and His disciples had their own words for money. The words they used do not seem as playful. For example: You’re warned five times in the New Testament letters to watch out for the dangers of money, but it’s called filthy lucre. Whatever that means – it can’t be good! (Pastor Gene Pensiero)

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Luke 15:1-10 – Sinner Seeking Savior Meets Savior Seeking Sinners

October 19, 2018

Maybe we should designate the preaching of the Gospel as Spiritual Search and Rescue! Men and women are lost, all over the planet, in every geography and cultural condition. Some realize they are lost, and will reach out for the lifeline. Others do not sense the danger they are in, but need rescuing just the same. (Pastor Gene Pensiero)

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Luke 14:25-35 – Saltiness Is Next To Godliness

October 19, 2018

Salt was once one of the most valuable commodities on earth – traded ounce-for-ounce with gold. For one thing, salt was one of the few preservatives available. It preserved fish, meat, olives, cheese, and pickled vegetables throughout the year everywhere in the world. There are, in fact, some 14,000 known uses for salt. Salt meant something far different, and far greater, than it does to us in our technologically advanced age of electricity and refrigeration. There is a lot more we could say about salt; but this should be enough for you to better appreciate what Jesus had to say in our text. (Pastor Gene Pensiero)

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Luke 14:15-24 – Trivial Pursuits

October 19, 2018

Jesus told a parable about a wedding supper to which all the invited guests offered various excuses. In their case, they would not simply miss out on supper; they would miss out on salvation! The supper represented an invitation to receive eternal life, enter the kingdom of God on earth, and then spend eternity with the Lord in heaven. (Pastor Gene Pensiero)

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Luke 13:31-35 – What Love’s Got To Do With It

October 19, 2018

Jesus compared Himself to a hen. Given the number of animals available, it is curious that Jesus chose a hen. What about the mighty eagle of Exodus, soaring over danger? What about the proud lion of Judah, mowing down his enemies with a roar? Compared to either of those, a mother hen does not inspire much confidence. (Pastor Gene Pensiero)

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Luke 13:22-30 – Seeker Insensitive

October 16, 2018

There are some party-crashers in our story. They are unable to get in to the banquet – even though they had been invited! In their case, they waited too long to get in, and the door was permanently shut. The banquet in this Bible passage represents salvation and eternal life. (Pastor Gene Pensiero)

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Luke 13:10-21 – Every Which Way But Loosed

October 16, 2018

For all this woman’s suffering, her spiritual focus was upward. As difficult as it was to get ready, and to get around, she was in the synagogue. Apparently she was a regular worshipper, because no one took any special notice of her. Her quality of life was first and foremost spiritual. Her physical condition was secondary. (Pastor Gene Pensiero)

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Luke 12:49-59 – The Accu-Weather Foresight

October 16, 2018

Fires, fire season, and firestorms, are the images Jesus used in our text. He first talked about the fire season, saying, I came to send fire on the earth (v49). The fire He spoke of is not yet kindled; but, when it is, it will be a firestorm of enormous magnitude. (Pastor Gene Pensiero)

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Luke 12:35-48 – Steward Little

October 16, 2018

You and I, if we are Christians, are servants in the Lord’s household on earth – the Church. When He returns to earth, and we return with Him, it is His desire we all be promoted to stewards, to aid and assist Him in governing His kingdom on earth. These verses, like any good want ad, list those prerequisites and
performance. (Pastor Gene Pensiero)

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Luke 11:37-54 – The Dead Pharisees Society

October 16, 2018

While many will tell you that Lent and Ash Wednesday were celebrated by the first followers of Jesus, they are not in the Bible, and you can’t find them in Church history until about the fourth century. Still, it grew as a religious ritual – especially among Roman Catholics. Religious rituals are becoming more popular among Christians. What do we think about religious rituals? (Pastor Gene Pensiero)

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Luke 11:14-36 – Dust Devils

October 16, 2018

Sweeping-out your heart is a picture of reforming your life. You’ve got problems, or issues; addictions or compulsions. So you set out to improve yourself; you set out to reform your ways. You can accomplish a great deal of reform. But reform always leaves you vacant and vulnerable. God is not looking for reform. He is calling upon you to repent! (Pastor Gene Pensiero)

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Luke 11:5-13 – Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door

October 16, 2018

Jesus had just given His disciples what we call the Lord’s Prayer. It was really a model, or a pattern, for them to follow when they prayed. In the verses that immediately follow the Lord’s Prayer (the verses we have read and are studying), it’s as if Jesus was saying, “Now go and ask your Father!” Except that, in this case, you want to hear those words; they do not mean “No!” but seem to mean “Yes!” (Pastor Gene Pensiero)

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Luke 10:1-24 – The Magnificent 70

October 16, 2018

The measures of success are different; but they are usually something quantifiable: More money, higher test scores, the acquisition of territory. These concepts are good so far as the world is concerned. You want to see results, and you want to gain more resources. What about in the Church? Are results and resources the true measure of success? (Pastor Gene Pensiero)

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