Pastor Chuck Smith, 86, dies after cancer battle

With a view that disciples make disciples who make disciples of Jesus Christ, then I was part of the fruit of Chuck Smith's ministry. For that, I am eternally grateful.

From link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chuck_Smith_(pastor)

At its beginning, Calvary Chapel operated as a cross-cultural missions organization that bridged the "generation gap" as it existed during the Vietnam War period. Calvary Chapel was a hub of the "Jesus People" phenomenon that existed at that time and was featured in Time Magazine for its success among "hippies" and young people. Calvary Chapel pioneered a less formal and contemporary approach in its worship and public meetings; for example, it did outreaches on the beach, and baptisms in the Pacific Ocean.Much of Contemporary Christian Music (CCM) has its roots in Calvary Chapel worship music. Calvary Chapel's rolling commentary-style of preaching kept the Calvary Chapels close to the text of the Bible and was readily understandable by many hearers. Calvary Chapel developed its own internal training early for multiplication of church leaders and pastors; by pioneering a more informal and contemporary style in its church practices, Calvary Chapel reached large numbers in Costa Mesa, CA and expanded easily by adding many pastors and new congregations in many locations.

Twitter: @davidguzik As for me, I will see Your face in righteousness;
I shall be satisfied when I awake in Your likeness.
Psalm 17:15 #chucksmith

the world just got a little dimmer...you will be missed pastor chuck...sigh...but congratulations for finishing the race so faithfully! i look forward with hope to worship the Lord with you again soon, but with the whole family of God, face to face with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ!

Maybe someone can help me with a struggle re- chuck smith... I evangelise to Mormons and say to them "if my teacher was a known false prophet, I would never listen to him." And then I go on to prove that their founders were false prophets. But then I felt like a hypocrite for saying it because I sometimes listen to chuck smith... This is all I know (from Wikipedia) "In his 1978 book End Times, Smith predicted the generation of 1948 would be the last generation, and that the world would end by 1981 at the latest.[7] Smith supported his convictions again in his 1980 manuscript "Future Survival," postulating that from his "understanding of biblical prophecies... [I am] convinced that the Lord [will come] for His Church before the end of 1981." He identified that he "could be wrong" but continued in the same sentence that "it’s a deep conviction in my heart, and all my plans are predicated upon that belief."[8] Calvary Chapel held a New Years Eve service in 1981 for their followers to wait for the end to occur in accordance with Smith's prediction. When the world failed to end, many disillusioned followers left the Calvary Chapel movement." ... In the OT, false prophets were stoned to death and I always said "I'll never listen to a false prophet"... ps - sorry that my grammar is a mess, lol

hi JoshG,

not sure how much you know about pastor chuck and his ministry but he is a faithful man of God and you would do well to at the least show some compassion and mercy given the fact that he PASSED AWAY THIS VERY DAY...also, and just to be clear, that i am not trying to justify anything pastor chuck might have done in the past, i am certain that he has repented of his mistake...which gets to the reality that we are all human and prone to sin and error and need to be shown grace especially if we have already moved on from our past..how would you like it if someone were to label you a false prophet (basically condemning you to hell for a mistake you made in the past and have since then turned from it) and that on the very day you passed on from this life? the bible says that even a fool appears wise when they keep silent, because there is a time and place for everything, and to be honest, your words and the timing of it were not in wisdom and according to the fruit of the Spirit, namely kindness and gentleness. zeal without knowledge is presumption just as sacrifice without mercy is disobedience. let us not be so quick to write anyone off without having first put much thought and soul searching into it, but rather be quick to pray and love and build each other up in the bond of peace. this is what would be well pleasing in the eyes of our God and so i sincerely exhort you in love to do the same.

When I was 3 years old in the Lord, struggling to reconcile "conflicting" ideas within the Bible, a young 29 year old Calvary Chapel pastor said these words..."If it is in the Scriptures I believe it." The Lord works in diverse ways, but those who rely on the Holy Scriptures will not stray far from the path. Chuck Smith was a man used by God to return man to "simply" learn and then teach line by line from the Scriptures. I have been in many Calvary Chapels, and most have been very similar. The people come from all races and walks of life, but they share the unity of Scripture which overcomes the cultural differences amongst the people. One of the first things I look for when I enter a church...are there blacks, whites, asians, and latinos gathering to worship the Lord. Are there wealthy people sitting next to former drug addicts? Are there wholesome families hugging former gang bangers. This is the outward evidence of what the Holy Spirit is able to do for those who feed on the Holy Scriptures together. Many of the Calvary Chapels are filled with these kinds of people.

Pastor Chuck was blessed by the Lord. He never had to retire...He was like Caleb.

Thank you Lord for him,It feels like another great is gone though.His voice His voice I will remember.
Thanks for Calvary,Amen
Staff

hi rookie,

wow, i love how you put it and totally feel you on what you wrote. the thing that stood out to me the most about calvary chapel was the genuine love the members showed to one another and to newcomers/visitors like myself. you could truly sense the presence of God through the bond of peace and love that was so clearly evident and all that stemming from a foundation on the expository preaching of the Word...and regarding the whole caleb analogy, pastor chuck had over 60 years of faithful ministry! quite an impressive amount of time and what a blessing it must have been for him as it also clearly was a blessing to so many around him, myself included. i truly wish and pray i could be even half the man of God that pastor chuck was, not in regards to ministry and popularity, but in regards to his humility and gentleness and kindness and love and compassion...i am so thankful to the Lord for giving me such a clear and tangible example of what it means to be Christlike in every facet of ones life...o what God can do with a man by His amazing grace, our God is so faithful and wonderful in all that He does!

Sorry if I offended you or seemed insensitive. I didn't mean to. I like Chuck's preaching a lot. I've just been troubled by that one incident for a while... Thanks for your response :)

Thank you so much brother Greg for the sermon you posted by Pastor Chuck. I just listened to it and it was a tremendous blessing and timely reminder for me. It really spoke to my heart as I have been striving to be a "vessel set apart for noble use." Man...I miss him so much, but at the same time it stirs my heart to press on toward Christ all-the-more. Thanks again for the post and hope you have a blessed week in the Lord :)