Author - Clay Corvin

How do we take the measure of a man?
Carefully of course
Many not until the end of life
On occasion there are young men
That exhibit God’s measure

James is that type of man
Exuberant and controlled
Determined and kind
An insightful visionary willing to reach for the stars
Wise enough to value reality

A knowledgeable learner
Committed to growth
A warrior for success
A friend – A planner
Positive about life
Ingenious in conquering challenges

Yes young men have a long road ahead
There will be many obstacles
James has the core beliefs
That will equip him in the face of life’s storms
He will measure well
Life will recount – James lived his life well

Clay Corvin – UPON JAMES NEARING NEW ORLEANS
July 26, 2018

Call me says the Lord God – A clear command
With promises in a world of pain and chaos
No where can we find the answers that the Lord gives
To life’s perilous journey

Shout out your needs
Desperate days
Life hurts
We don’t know what is going on in the spiritual realm

The fear of death constrains our courage
We don’t believe His word
Walking with the Lord becomes a journey of folly
We stand with the world wondering why we fail

The Lord God will answer you
His promise to each of us
His Word is clear
He will give us the guidance and direction we need

Seldom are His answers detailed
We wouldn’t understand them if they were
He doesn’t ask what we think
Remember we are but dust – Alive today – Gone tomorrow

His revelation will equip us to grow in Christ likeness
We never say – I am helpless – I can’t do anything
We may be bound but the Word isn’t bound
We can do what the Lord says

We have a different world view than the lost
The humblest Christian knows more about the things of God
Than the greatest lost statesman
Therefore the Lord commands us to pray – His phone is never busy

Pray now – pray today – pray everyday
Lord teach us to pray – to pray when hurting
Pray in rejoicing – pray without ceasing
God says pray – He will answer us and tell us what to do

Clay Corvin
New Orleans – Saturday – July 20, 2018

Surprising the work is still hard
When I wake up each morning
The challenge encourages me

The opportunities for sharing the Gospel
Lift me up-call me to account
Reminding me what is important

People count with Jesus
They count with me
So many lives affected
When I kneel at Jesus feet

This place
This time
Exciting what will be

A blessed place
Satan’s challenges abound
Thank you Lord for using me

Gratitude, humility, need
Equip me to serve
Jesus walks with me
I know I’m heard

Israel pilgrimages (74 so far), MissionLab, Lifesongs
At work changing the world
No other place I’d rather be

October 4, 2017
At NOBTS Trustee meeting

SALVATION IS A CHANGE

Come to Jesus – He is the way, the truth and the life
Everything changes in the instant you repent of your sin
Ask Christ to come into your heart and save you

Change of purpose – your life is turned over to God
Now you will serve the Lord – every moment, every hour, every day
It’s permanent – can’t live in the world and follow God

Salvation – No longer dead in your trespasses and sin
Alive in Jesus – new birth – a new creature in Jesus
A gift from the Lord so that no one can boast

Justified – no longer at war with God
New life brings peace with God
Real joy birthed in this new life-Alive in Jesus

Adopted – removed from the world
Now belong in God’s family – we are His
The Lord brought us unto Himself in Christ Jesus

Redeemed from the sin and evil of the world
No longer in chains to sin
The death of Christ on the Cross paid the price for our sin

New life in Christ – sanctification
The process of holiness begins
God is faithful and He will do it

God calls us to give Him our bodies-no longer copy the world
Consecration begins and it is a surrender of our will to His will
He changes the way we think – We learn His ways

In the blink of an eye Salvation is accomplished
We begin with Jesus, Grow with Jesus and are on the way to Jesus
Jesus is God’s everything – HE saves us completely

Clay Corvin
June 30, 2018
Preparation for Bethel Community Baptist Church

Christ came as a servant

To show that God was true

The realization of promises made to me and you

He remembered

Jesus is able to deal with real life

I will have trouble

It will include pain and heartache

Failure will occur often

Today is the only day I have

Jesus will never leave me

I want my life to change

The pain, the evil, the bad

Almost too much to handle

But God came for a time such as this

He gives us the power to change

He breaks the bondage to sin

Christ makes our life valuable

My experience may be negative

My relationships may be poor

Jesus changes everything

He puts us on a new course

He gives us value and worth

We discover the joy of giving

I am always going to be who I am

My experiences will always be mine

But I will always be part of the human race

The things I experience happens to others

I am not deprived or a victim

Christ will never leave me

Jesus will meet my needs

I can become the person Christ created me to be

I can celebrate my value

Because the Lord set me free

One day soon life will end-everyone will die

Then I will see what Christ began

Face to face no dark glass

Jesus the Lord cares for me

Clay Corvin 8/20/02

FELLOWSHIP 1 CORINTHIANS 1:9

We are called to fellowship with Christ, Jesus is life
Reality or ruse, we decide by the way we live
My willingness to confront the things I do
Those in fellowship have fellowship, simple and true

A living relationship with Christ is the foundation
Spending time with Jesus, letting Him guide me
Trusting the Holy Spirit to connect me, keep me in Christ
Jesus is the light, He provides the common life united in Him for me

Am I willing? Do I surrender myself to Him? Is there a change in me?
The canary in the coal mine – how I treat those I know and live with
If I don’t love my fellow man (or woman), I don’t have a relationship
Living a life steeped in sin cuts me off from Christ, repentance and renewal required

All of us by the grace of God share in the life of Christ
The greatest battle I face every moment every hour is sin
Always seeking to rule me, destroy me, claim my every waking moment
Intruding in my dreams, sin is now and always seeking a hold on me

I am called to the battle, deal with myself, HOW?
Recognize that I have no reserve of strength that will get me through the little sins
When the big sins strike I kneel to Christ is evil’s lie
I must do all things in Christ, Jesus is everything

Christ calls me to time with Him, time necessary to get my attention
Reading His Word, thinking about what it says, applying it to my life
Every minute, every hour surrendered to Him, longingly, desperately seeking Him
Lord I can do nothing without YOU, then I know I’m walking in the light

Jesus is light and life, all that I am and will become is bound up in Him
The Christian life isn’t a little me and a lot of Jesus, it is all Jesus
My heart attitude is Christ focused, my daily walk is Christ directed
Lord guide me is my plea, I walk and I live in thee, Jesus is Lord.

Clay Corvin
March 3, 2018

Life has a way of pressing on us, confining us, defining us
We find ourselves out of place, the old days renewed, failure all around
I did, I was, I can’t – time’s short – not enough money seems to say it all
You are not what you were, you are who you are, now, tomorrow
Define yourself in Christ-Begin now to be who He says you can be

Realize that the Christ life is a process, it has a beginning so start, now
Christ like living is a process, not a performance, we are now creatures
Be what you are called to be, forget the past, forget the failures
I will not let yesterday define today or tomorrow, I belong to Jesus, He is Lord
Christ created me and He will build victory into everything I do-claim it, it’s true

Step one is to get a grip. Jesus is Lord. He has a hold on me. It is His grip
It’s not my feeble services that I live on, it is Christ in me, alive and active
I am pressed at every point of my being, overwhelmed but not overrun
Jesus gives me His victory, His strength, His wisdom, mercy, grace and understanding
I am free, Jesus uses me, as He sees fit to use me and I trust Him

I see myself, it’s not my efforts, it is my surrender
Jesus is Lord of me and everything I touch, including failure and faltering
He knows me, all of me, every day there will be a me, Jesus really is Lord of all things
Therefore, I can trust Him, I can turn to Him, Christ encourages me in the midst of life
Every moment from this moment forward, I surrender to Jesus, change me Lord, change me

The way I was is not the way I have to be, I am new in Christ, a new creature
Created by Him to live as He lived, in confidence and surrender to the Father’s will
I have important things to do, everyone I come in contact with needs Jesus
They need His love, His life and His gift – relationship is critical, people count
Each one counts with the Lord – He calls me to care for them, to tell them the News

God has called me, and you, to strive to grow in Christ likeness, to be like Him
Service is critical, the question is not how much I do, it is will I serve God’s purpose
Am I surrendered? Am I usable? Will I do as the Father calls me to do?
He calls me to be with Him, spend time with Him, grow and know Him
He calls me to be like Jesus, care for others like Jesus cared

Will I get the picture? Will I change and be like Jesus?
It’s a choice. The Father, the Holy Spirit, Jesus provide everything I need to Press On
Today, this moment is like no other in my life-I will live like Jesus live
Change will be part of my daily walk-prayer, forgiveness, love, surrender, sacrifice
I am pressing on under the powerful strength of Jesus-all to Jesus I surrender-He is Lord

Clay Corvin February 10, 2018

Fear not the angel said
Fear sidetracks us
Claims our attention
Takes the focus off of Jesus
Jesus meets us at the point of our fear

Mary faced the fear of inadequacy
Unmarried, unwed, a virgin
Pregnant, maybe 14 or 15, skepticism, Son of God
What was she to do? What was happening?
This precious child to be Messiah? Do not fear!

Joseph faced the fear of disapproval
Fiancé pregnant, a virgin? No relations!
It’s God’s child? How can you explain?
I’ll break off the engagement, that’ll fixit
In a dream-Joseph do not fear! The child is from God

What faith these two had. They believed God
Their belief was an action belief
Doing as the Angel said-do not fear
Continuing the engagement
Joseph went to Bethlehem where Christ was born. Do not fear!

Unexpected change for the shepherds-suddenly an angel appeared
A scary sight, a scary night, Shepherds guarding their flock
Do not fear, we are from God, we’ve brought you good news-A Savior is born
They were not looking for God-He showed up – Remember God is Sovereign-
He is working out history before our eyes-do not fear

All is calm, all is bright-NOT- the angel had to declare do not fear
Surrender your life completely, let Jesus have control-begin each day this way
Take your fear to the Lord-fear is sin-surrender your sin
Praise God-develop an attitude of gratitude-do with what you have
Claim every one of those 7,000 plus promises in the Bible-they belong to you

In all things we are more than conquerors through Christ who loves us
Claim His love and love those you are with
Be God’s love in this world, gracious and quick to forgive
Let Jesus work in your mind and in your heart – know that the world is a hard place
Jesus is Lord and Creator – He knows all things – He knows you – FEAR NOT

Clay Corvin – December 23, 2017

O the JOY!

A joyful noise, praise ye the Lord
Singing praises, lauding His Holy Name
Head lifted up, enemies set aside
We do in Him and through Him
Our aim honor His name

Jesus born in Bethlehem, praise ye the Lord
Shepherds were the first to hear, praised His name
Came to Bethlehem to see the God child
Worshipped Jesus and shared what they had seen far and wide
They went with joy and peace, they saw salvation

Why did the announcement come to the Shepherds? Praise ye the Lord
They were not wise by any one’s eyes
No power there, just lonely shepherds
No privilege, no titles, no academic accomplishments
They were just shepherds, the world had overlooked them

Everyone counts with the Lord, praise ye the Lord
All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God
Jesus died that all might have access to the forgiveness of God
If you choose Jesus, He chooses you, a free gift from the Father
Let us go to Bethlehem and see what God has done

God chooses everyone who responds in faith, praise ye the Lord
Herod, the wise, the nobility, the religious all ignored God
The lowly, the meek, the misfit, the disenfranchised-good news
God chooses you, listen to Shepherds call, the Lord has come
Choose freely all and one, Jesus God’s son was born in Bethlehem

Born that you might have forgiveness, praise ye the Lord
Bringing healing in His touch, access to the Father
Membership in God’s family, everything about your life changed
Father, Son and Holy Spirit One, the angels praise the Son
Jesus is God’s everything, He has come for you

Clay Corvin December 16, 2017

CAROL: KIND – FORGIVING

Another birthday-I know you don’t want to be reminded
We owe you big time-for a multitude of things you do every day
Thank you for partnering with me these 49 years
I never thought I would lived that long-but we have together

Kindness is your strong suit
You care for me, our children and grand-children without a second thought
No matter how grumpy we are, how difficult
You move through your day with grace
Making us feel value and worth by your consistent kindness

Sacrifice is a close second
I’ve traveled all our married life and it has been tough on you
You’ve never complained, never shirked taking 100% of the responsibility
We are truly partners but so often you pull my share too
I am so blessed by you, thank you, thank you, thank you

Love for me and each of our family members runs deep
You express it in so many ways
By the meals you make, washing clothes
Organizing our household, keeping the house running in good order
I am overwhelmed at times with the work pace you keep

Peace and joy undergird your day
I feel it, I need it, I am grateful for it
Jesus in you, shared with me and all of us
It’s who you are
Precious to the Lord and me and our family

Wise and caring, forgiving and understanding
I am so blessed to be with you
To have a wife like you
The recipient of your devotion
HAPPY BIRTHDAY CAROL – HAPPIEST OF BIRTHDAYS!

CLAY CORVIN 11/29/17