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The Current News letter is always published on the Home Page!
Past Newsletters
A New Year! It’s like starting over. A new start; a new beginning. What will 2008 bring? Change is part and parcel of the human condition here on earth. But two things are unchanging; God’s love for those who turn to him and the Purity of his Holy Character. First, God’s love for his people. God doesn’t have any grandchildren. It doesn’t matter how strong the faith of your mother or father were; you must become his child in order to take part in the blessing of God. God loves his kids. He nurtures them, admonishes them and leads them into the promises and image of Christ. You have to be born of the Spirit of God to take part in that new nature. Wouldn’t the New Year be a great time to start a new life in Jesus Christ. It’s not hard to do, just be willing to change as he leads you in His Word the Bible, and ask Him to come into your heart. He doesn’t posses you in lives with you and gives comfort and peace. Ask him in to your heart today. Secondly, God’s unchanging Character. He is pure! The Apostle Paul wrote about the fruit of the spirit! Galatians 5:16-25 (NIV) 16 So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. 17 For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under law. 19 The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; 20 idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions 21 and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God. 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. 24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. 25 Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. Those who truly have experienced the life of Christ will find Jesus at work in their lives creating and ripening these fruits in their life. There are many imposters out there proclaiming a Jesus is forgives them but that doesn’t change them. They proclaim light while walking in darkness. Do not be fooled by them. God has greater things in store for you. Come into his light and enjoy the blessing and peace that only Jesus Christ can bring. I pray you have a blessed 2008 in Jesus our Lord Sincerely, Pastor Stephen Mandeville
Lately, in our Adult Sunday School class we have been going through Rick Warren’s book The Purpose Driven Life. Chapters 4 and 5 have really been a blessings to me. He speaks of our life’s metaphor in chapter 5. Life is a party! Life is a roller coaster! This is all there is! Life is a drag! Life is an adventure! But I realized that my life metaphor was described in chapter 4; living for eternity. Those who have been involved in the mass shootings in the last number of years all felt that there is nothing beyond the grave, and that they were cheating people from exacting any judgment by taking their own lives. There life’s metaphor was “This is all there is!” The Apostle Paul said that if there is no resurrection for the just and the unjust, then we should eat, drink and be marry for tomorrow we die. But Jesus told the story of the the rich man and the beggar in Luke 16:19-31 (NIV)19 “There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day. 20 At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores 21 and longing to eat what fell from the rich man’s table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores. 22 “The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried. 23 In hell,a where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side. 24 So he called to him, ‘Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.’ 25 “But Abraham replied, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony. 26 And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.’ 27 “He answered, ‘Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my father’s house, 28 for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.’ 29 “Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them.’ 30 “‘No, father Abraham,’ he said, ‘but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.’ 31 “He said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.’” Living for eternity changes your perspective on how you live now! Those who kill people thinking that either there is nothing after this life or that God is pleased and will reward them for their actions will wake up on the other side of the vale to find there is more to life than here and now and God does not take delight in the death of the ungodly Ezekiel 18:23 A person can only Live for Eternity if they come to personally know the Eternal One through the person of Jesus Christ. It is my prayer that you will not just know about Jesus Christ, but know him personally, intimately, Eternally! Blessings, Pastor Steve January 2007 Whenever we enter a new Year we automatically think of New Beginning, a new start. This year is no different. Especially for me as I await the Annual Business meeting in February to see if I will continue here or turn a corner into another form of ministry. But transitions are not new starts, just a continuation into another season in our lives. Only God can truly give someone a New beginning, a fresh start. It’s called New Birth. Some have asked the Spirit of Jesus into their lives but haven’t experienced a life change because it wasn’t with a repentant spirit. God is looking at the Heart, not just the words that come out of our mouths. That is why Jesus said you would know them by their fruit; spiritual fruit. Jesus explained to his disciples how this new beginning would take place. The Apostle John records it in the 14th chapter of his Gospel. John 14:15-21 (NIV) 15 “If you love me, you will obey what I command. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever— 17 the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. 18 I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. 19 Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. 20 On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you. 21 Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me. He who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love him and show myself to him.” You can believe in God without having a desire to follow or obey him. You can believe and have not received the indwelling of the Spirit. I was a believing non-receiver the first twenty-five years of my life. But when I finally came to the place where I decided to put what I knew about Jesus into action, in being obedient, that I came into a new relationship with the Lord. True Christians are not necessarily religious people, but people who have come to not just know about Jesus, but to know him intimately through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. The world no longer sees Jesus, but his followers do! God the Father, Jesus His Son, and the Holy Spirit have a gift all wrapped up and waiting for you. All you have to do is repent, turn from your own way, and seek His path and you will find him revealing His presence in your life. Ready for a New Beginning? We look forward to seeing you this Sunday and praying for you. God Bless, Pastor Steve March 2006 I ended the January Newsletter with the following: “I see all of this as the Lord preparing us for an increase in the fellowship of believers that Worship here. God does not always, usually never, do things in our timing, but as he determines. But as your Pastor and His spokesman he has given me a burden for this body and a vision for this coming year. That vision is found in the words of Habakkuk 3:2 (NIV) Habakkuk's Prayer 2 LORD, I have heard of your fame; that the Nations may proclaim your fame!” I feel the need to revisit this Passage of Habakkuk's prayer. But first let's look at a passage in Judges. Judges 2:6-13 6 After Joshua had dismissed the Israelites, they went to take possession of the land, each to his own inheritance. 7 The people served the LORD throughout the lifetime of Joshua and of the elders who outlived him and who had seen all the great things the LORD had done for Israel. 8 Joshua son of Nun, the servant of the LORD, died at the age of a hundred and ten. 9 And they buried him in the land of his inheritance, at Timnath Heres in the hill country of Ephraim, north of Mount Gaash. 10 After that whole generation had been gathered to their fathers, another generation grew up, who knew neither the LORD nor what he had done for Israel. 11 Then the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the LORD and served the Baals. 12 They forsook the LORD, the God of their fathers, who had brought them out of Egypt. They followed and worshiped various gods of the peoples around them. They provoked the LORD to anger 13 because they forsook him and served Baal and the Ashtoreths. Our children grow up seeing an empty belief system without the power of God. Those who were faithful to the Lord were those who had seen his deliverance and power. They knew Him. Unlike the Sadducees and Pharisees who wanted to see a sign in order to have faith, Habakkuk's prayer comes from faith and with a desire that God be glorified. There is no doubt in this prayer but a longing desire that others come to know the power and glory of God. This is my prayer also. Will you make it yours? Pastor Steve February 2006 This is an interesting topic that the Lord has laid on my heart as I write the February newsletter near the end of February. We live in busy times and though the average American household, with all of it's appliances and helps, have enough going on that in ancient times it would have taken a twelve servants to accomplish all that we get done. But with all the gadgets come a new set of worries and costs. Vehicles need to be maintained, appliances fixed, upgraded or replaced. Outside services such a electric, garbage, telephone, internet, cell phones, cable and the like, add to the costs of living to where most as strapped even to have time to sit down and have a meal together. Believe me I understand the pressures. Add to that extended family needs and helping out a stray teenager or two, life is not boring. Are you depressed yet? That is not my purpose! My point in all of this is a simple one. In Old Testament times the people where to keep one day set apart to the Lord, doing no regular work in it, but it was to be a day dedicated to the Lord. In the New Testament the truths are to be amplified in the hearts of people who are indwelt by the Holy Spirit. Every day should be a day where our hearts are fixed on our Glorious King. And Sunday? It is to be a day set apart to worship, serve and fellowship with one another and encourage one another for the coming week. Yet with all the business of modern American life, many if not most, set apart a small portion of the day for the Lord and are angry if services spill over or get in the way of their plans for the day. We are like children visiting a parent and all the while thinking about how quickly we can get out of there and go on about our business. We want God to visit us quickly, do His miracles in our lives and do it before our scheduled time to be at Costco. Where is the honor in that? We need to give the Lord's Day back to the Lord in our lives. With the speed of our lives Christian Service becomes a burden, a mere momentary distraction, easing our conscience perhaps, but bearing little in any fruit. Individually we need to find the breaks. Stop the train. Get off this track. Back the truck up! To serve takes time to listen, to care and earn the right to speak life into someone's life. What happened to waiting upon God in Prayer. Seeking the infilling of the Holy Spirit afresh and anew. Lingering to hear God's still small voice. Visiting the needy and those who are struggling. If Sunday is mostly your day, what day is the Lord's Day? For me as a Pastor of a small town congregation I see a disturbing trend. I spend time seeking the Lord for His word to the congregation each week. And as I look back I see a direction and purpose in where the Lord is leading. But those who are infrequent or sporadic in there participation in weekly services come into the middle of a series and misunderstand the purpose and direction of the preaching. They do not move forward at the rate of others because they are getting bits and pieces rather than the full meal deal. Corporate worship and prayer is an integral part of spiritual growth. It was with purpose that Jesus said, " For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them." Matthew 18:20 (NIV) Together the presence of the Lord is guaranteed. One of the saddest parts of all is we are training our children. They see your priorities. Training isn't teaching. It is guiding them in an acceptable action and then rewarding that choice. Many parents are guiding & rewarding their children by choosing not to be in the House of the Lord. And sad to say they will be angry with God when their children, when grown, chose other things than being in God's House. Hebrews 10:24-25 (NIV) 24 And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. 25 Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another-and all the more as you see the Day approaching. God Bless, Pastor Steve
January 2006 As we move into the New Year I look back and toward the future. In looking back, it is to examine what the Lord had done among us with an eye toward what he may be doing in the coming year as well as hopes and dreams for the future. In the two years that Ellen and I have been here I see a clear leading and direction of the Lord. The first year we saw the Lord leading us into Doctrinal unity with the Assemblies of God and Holy Living. Some have chosen another direction, and though we wished they could have stayed, we pray the Lord’s blessing and leading in their lives. We also saw the Lord lead into our body a number of people to accept, disciple and mature in the image of Christ. There were distinct spiritual battles that took place in the endeavor to do this, not only in their lives but within our fellowship. This battle culminated in our defining our purpose and vision statements and stating clearly who we are as a body. The following vision statement was developed as we met together and discussed who we were as a body. Vision Statement 1) We are first and foremost “Full-Gospel”; Acknowledging and seeking the work of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit in our lives. 2) We are Pentecostal; Seeking and functioning in the empowerment of the Holy Spirit to be witnesses of God’s life Changing power in both word and deed. 3) We are Assembly of God. Founded in the Azusa Street Revival, and based in the sixteen fundamentals, through the Word of God. 4) We are a Family. More than a group, an association or a fellowship, we are a Family of Believers. We have a blood connection. In that we support one another through the hard times and the good. We are accountable to each other for what we say we will do and how we live our lives. Being of like mind we pull together and in the same direction. “We are a Full-Gospel Pentecostal Assembly of God Family!” The second year has been a year or building ministries and ministers. The teenage Youth have been a primary focus of the body. The extent of this vision has permeated the body from Teen Sunday School classes and Worship Services; to including a Youth Pastor and turning most all evening services into a Teen emphasis; to the Church Board spending $900.00 to send them to Youth Convention. There has also been a focus on outreach and deliverance in the creation of a Church web site and plans to classes in setting the captive free. The Church Board has had a focus on upgrading the facility both for fellowship and to be a pleasant place for new believers to come into. I see all of this as the Lord preparing us for an increase in the fellowship of believers that Worship here. God does not always, usually never, do things in our timing, but as he determines. But as your Pastor and His spokesman he has given me a burden for this body and a vision for this coming year. That vision is found in the words of Habakkuk 3:2 (NIV) Habakkuk’s Prayer 2 Lord, I have heard of your fame; I stand in awe of your deeds, O Lord. Renew them in our day, in our time make them known; in wrath remember mercy. Renew your deeds in our day, dear Lord, that the Nations may proclaim your fame! May the Face of the Lord shine upon you! In the Love of Christ Jesus, Pastor Steve
December 2005 As we enter into December 2005, and the Christmas season, life tends to become a rush; and a flash in time. So much to be done and so little time - presents to buy, food to prepare, gatherings to go to. The old concept of “the tyranny of the urgent” falls into play. Urgent things shout and scream for attention. But the important lay quite, waiting for us to recognize how important they are. We can focus on those who are close to us and not remember that Christmas is a time when we should be remembering that “God so loved the world that he gave His only begotten Son” as the means of our being able to be reconciled to him. We can be reconciled and not pray. Reconciled and not seek his will for our lives through His Word. Reconciled but too busy to glorify His name. Reconciled without being thankful. Reconciled without making room for Him in our Hearts. God the Father gave to a people who were poor in spirit even when they thought themselves rich. He made Himself known to a people that were not looking for him. He reached out to a people that had their backs to Him. Are we only striving to show God’s love to those who love us? Or like Him are we reaching out to those who have not, who know not and trust not! Take time out, this busy “Holiday Season,” and turn it into a Christmas you will never forget. Pray and seek the Father through the Spirit of Christ for ways to act that will change your life and the lives of others. Remember the words of Jesus… Luke 14:12-14 (NIV) 12 Then Jesus said to his host, “When you give a luncheon or dinner, do not invite your friends, your brothers or relatives, or your rich neighbors; if you do, they may invite you back and so you will be repaid. 13 But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, 14 and you will be blessed. Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.” Remember to include those around you who do not have much to celebrate because you can give them much to be thankful for. As the Apostle wrote … 2 Corinthians 9:12-15 (NIV) 12 This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of God’s people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God. 13 Because of the service by which you have proved yourselves, men will praise God for the obedience that accompanies your confession of the gospel of Christ, and for your generosity in sharing with them and with everyone else. 14 And in their prayers for you their hearts will go out to you, because of the surpassing grace God has given you. 15 Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift! Lets give as God did and find the blessing hidden in our Obedience. Merry Christmas and may the Lord Bless you, and keep you. May His face shine upon you and give you peace. Pastor Steve
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