(November 7, 2011)
Prayer House News!
Our Missions Convention is over and it was a huge success. The spirit of God was working through Dean Niforatos with a specific word for our church. It’s going to have a long lasting affect on us. If you were not able to be there you would benefit greatly by getting the CD of the service.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
We will be having all of our mid-week classes on Wednesday. See you at 6:30pm.
=====================================
Devotional!
Psalms 119:147. I rise before dawn and cry for help;
I have put my hope in your word.

There was a determination in David’s life that shames most of us. He had an aching in his soul for the Word of God. Because of the hope he had in God’s Word, he would rise early just to hear from Him. David said, “I have put my hope in Your word.” The hope of our life lies not only in God’s written Word, but also in His spoken Word. Whenever and however God speaks to us, it is a powerful and moving experience.

That which determines whether or not we “hear” from God is our love for the Word. Our love for the Word is tested by our obedience to it. If we are not obedient to it, if we do not have the kind of resolve David had, we will be open to deception.

In Deuteronomy 13:1-4 we read about the power of the false prophet. The account tells us that they can perform miraculous signs and wonders. However, in verses 3-4 it says, “You must not listen to the words of that prophet or dreamer. The Lord your God is testing you to find out whether you love him with all your heart. . . . It is the Lord your God you must follow. . . . Keep his commands and obey him.” Those who love God and keep His commands will not be taken in by the miraculous power of the false prophet. This “testing” sorts out the true bride of Christ from those who are simply church-goers.

The “test” of the Lord comes in the form of experiential Christianity versus biblical Christianity. Today, it seems we are trying to prove whether or not something is from God by our experience rather than by the Word of God. If we are a biblically uninformed society, then anything that appears miraculous will be considered to be from God. The problem with this is that not all things miraculous are from God.

====================================================

Medication: A Merry Heart
Friendly Pastor
After the birth of their child, an Episcopal priest, wearing

his clerical collar, visited his wife in the hospital. He

greeted her with a hug and a kiss, and gave her another hug

and kiss when he left.

Later, the wife's roommate commented, "Your pastor is sure
friendlier than mine."

(November 4, 2011)
Prayer House News!

We had a great start to our Missions Convention. Renae Pilsing did a great job. Lot’s of people were touched by the spirit of God – many were healed. There was a powerful presence of God there. We will continue with the convention on Saturday night at 6:30pm with Dean Niforatos and a World Missions prayer meeting.
---------------------------------------------------
Keep in mind that Daylight Savings is this weekend. We get an extra hour of sleep, isn’t that something....I think it is, so set your clocks back on hour before you go to sleep. I’ll see you in church Sunday for our 10:30 ONLY service.
------------------------------------------------
Sunday morning will be the big wrap-up of our convention. I trust you are praying about your Faith Promise Pledge for Missions. We will be collecting your cards in church.
-------------------------------------------------------
After church on Sunday (after lunch) Dean and I are going to Rio, Wi to my brother Barry’s church. Dean will be speaking there in the PM service. If any of you want to go with us let me know. We will be returning Sunday evening. May not get home until around 11:00pm.
=====================================
Devotional!
Commit
The last part of the Missions Theme is Go. Pray, Give and Go.

Numbers 15:40 in order that you may remember to do all My commandments, and be holy to your God.

Often when we read of being holy to God we relate it to our life style. We are to be holy; therefore we refrain from certain worldly activities. The old saying was, don’t drink, don’t dance and don’t go with girls who do. That saying has long been shelved by the church but it sort of describes the perspective the church used to have on holiness. I want to suggest another perspective on holiness. The word “holy” is derived from the word sanctify which basically means separation. To live holy we are to live separate from the world. The same would be true of anything that is sanctified; it is something set apart.

Holiness has a lot to do with being willing to go. We are to Commit to pray, give, and go. But going forth into the all the world with the gospel basically refers to the life style change required to do such a thing.

Kate Alderks - is a little homesick today. Saying goodbye to dear friends (Pastor Alonzo and Brian) was hard but the reminder of all the family and friends back home is what hurts. Miss you and love you all!

When a missionary commits to going forth with the gospel they simultaneously commit to separation from all the comforts they knew all their lives, especially family. That is a part of what it means to be holy. When a person commits their life to Christ they also commit to separation from their old life. You might ask – why is that. Why does it have to be that way? It’s because we are compelled by a love for Christ that out measures our love for our former lifestyle. We do not lose our love for our family by any means – it’s just that our love for Christ is stronger than any other bond we have.

So whether we are talking about going forth with the gospel to another country or simply separating ourselves from our former lifestyle by not doing the things we used to do – in either case – it serves as a testimony of the love we have for Christ.

So here is my question to you. Will you go? Will you do something radical for God? I’m going to read something that Oswald Smith wrote about a man named Alexander Duff.

Alexander Duff from Scotland was a missionary to India. He had served most of his life there. He eventually returned to Scotland as an old man to die. He had an opportunity to speak to his church organization. He made his appeal for men to go to India as missionaries – there was no response. In the midst of his appeal he fainted – as a doctor tended to him he opened his eyes and said, Where am I, where am I. The doctor said, you have had a heart attack you must lay still. Alexander said, but I haven’t finished my appeal – take me back. Against the doctor’s orders the old warrior struggled to his feet and went back to the pulpit.

He said, “When Queen Victoria calls for volunteers 100’s of men respond – but when King Jesus calls no one goes.”

He paused and then said, “Is it true that the fathers and mothers of Scotland have no more sons to give for India? Silence.

Very well, then aged though I am I will return. I will lie down along the bank of a river in India and I will die. I can then let the people of India know that there was one man from Scotland who loved them enough to give his life for them.

Missionary Dick Brogden wrote in response to this challenge – “In our country today – the government can call for help and many young men respond – but when King Jesus calls his church today – there seems primarily to only be a few brave young women who will answer the call.

Is it true that the families in our churches today have no more sons to give to the nations? “

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Medication: A Merry Heart
One-Liners
** If marriage is outlawed, only outlaws will have in-laws.
** Birthdays are good for you - the more you have, the
longer you live.
** Constant change is here to stay.
** Buy one for the price of two and get another one free!
** Vanna White's in a rehab center. She's hooked on phonics.
** A watched clock never boils.
** A word to the wise is unnecessary.
** All generalizations are dangerous, even this one.
** I'd like to go to an assertiveness training class. First
I need to check with my wife.
** The teacher asked my son, "If you have five apples and I
ask you for one, how many will you have?" My son answered,
"Five."
** Money isn't everything. There's Mastercard & Visa.
** Success is a relative term. It brings so many relatives.
** "Your future depends on your dreams." So go to sleep.
** There should be a better way to start a day than waking
up every morning.
** God made us relatives; thank God we can choose our
friends.

(November 2, 2011)

Prayer House News!

Tonight we start our missions convention with Renae Pilsing. I hope you can be there at 6:30pm. Everyone will be in the sanctuary.

---------------------------------------------------

The schedule for our convention is as follows: Wednesday at 6:30pm with Renae Pilsing. Saturday at 6:30pm with Dean Niforatos for a world missions prayer meeting. Sunday at 10:30am our Main service with Dean Niforatos.

---------------------------------------------------

Thanks to all of you who have been praying for me. I have a stress test and a couple other tests to go through Wednesday morning.

-------------------------------------------------

Devotional!

Commit
The second part of the missions theme is to give. Pray, give and go.
Mark 12:41 And He sat down opposite the treasury, and began observing how the multitude were putting money into the treasury; and many rich people were putting in large sums. (42) And a poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which amount to a cent. (43) And calling His disciples to Him, He said to them, "Truly I say to you, this poor widow put in more than all the contributors to the treasury;

(44) for they all put in out of their surplus, but she, out of her poverty, put in all she owned, all she had to live on. "

I would imagine you have heard a hundred sermons on the widow’s mite and how she gave more than all the rich people did because she gave out of her poverty whereas the rich people gave out of their surplus.

I was very intrigued by the idea of Jesus observing their giving. He sat down opposite the treasury, and began observing how the multitude were putting money into the treasury. Can you imagine that? Can you imagine going to the temple to pay your tithes and suddenly see the Lord Himself sitting there watching how much money you are putting in? What if that actually happened today? What if when you put your money in the offering plate, or while you are filling out your faith promise card, you find that Jesus is standing there watching you? Before you drop your envelope he picks it up and looks at the amount. And then he compares that amount to what he knows you bring home each week. How would you feel about that? Would you even continue to attend a church where Jesus was the usher?

Do you see what all is going on in these verses? These verses are showing Christ as the observer and judge of human actions. Christ observes all men and all things: all our actions are before his eyes; what we do in public and what we do in private are equally known unto him. He observes the state and situation we are in: his eye was upon the abundance of the rich who had given much; and he was well acquainted with the poverty and desolate state of the widow who had given her all. God sees every penny we possess, and constantly observes how we lay it out. What an uncomfortable thought for those who struggle in supporting his work.

Christ sees all the motives which lead men to perform their particular actions; and the different motives which lead them to perform the same action: he knows whether they act through vanity, self-love, self-interest, hypocrisy, or whether it’s through love, charity, zeal for his glory, or just a simple desire to please him.

Jesus shows us by this that all men are in a state of equality; for though there is and ought to be a difference in outward things, yet God looks upon the heart, and the poorest person has it in his power the ability to make his mite as acceptable to the Lord, by simplicity of intention, and purity of affection, as the millions given by the affluent. It is just in God to rate the value of an action by the spirit in which it is done.

There are two important lessons to be learned from her conduct:

1. A lesson of humiliation to the rich, who, by reason of covetousness and greed on the one hand, and luxury on the other, give very little to God and the poor.

2. A lesson of reproof to the poor, who, through distrust of God's providence, give nothing at all.

The widow gave sacrificially and Jesus did not stop her. She gave everything she had and Jesus did not step in and say, “Hold on there – you don’t have much you better keep this.” Sacrificial giving is an acceptable thing to God because it’s an indication of the spiritual condition of the heart.

I remember several years ago sitting in a missions convention when the speaker challenged us to give sacrificially. I was a seminary student at the time and yet that hit me so powerfully and I realized that I didn’t have that kind of heart – but needed one. Sacrificial giving is different than giving out of our abundance. It actually hurts to give sacrificially.

I struggled with whether or not I should share this but the bottom line is that we are coming into some tough times in our nation and if we don’t learn how to give to God sacrificially we are going to have a very difficult time. As a minister with the Assemblies of God I am required to send my tithe to the district office. All of our pastors credentialed with the A/G have to do this. Lou and I determined a long time ago that we would send our tithe to the district and then give an additional 5% of our income to the church. We have been able to increase that to where today our total tithe is 18%. That’s our tithe – for missions we give over $400 a month – that is on top of our tithe. We all owe God our tithe that’s why God said in the book of Malachi

Malachi 3:8-9 "Will a man rob God? Yet you are robbing Me! But you say, 'How have we robbed Thee?' In tithes and offerings. (9) "You are cursed with a curse, for you are robbing Me,

Tithes and offerings are two different things. We are not to take from the tithe and give part of it to missions. Missions and love offerings are over and above the tithe.

I didn’t tell my wife that I was going to share this info because she probably would not have wanted me to do so. However, I want you to know as that your shepherd, I too give and sacrifice for the kingdom of God. I don’t ask you to do something I do not do.

Some might say – you have it so it’s easy to give it. I say – we have it because we give it. If we won’t give it then we won’t have it. This is a matter of trust. Can God trust you with a financial blessing? When He blesses you are you true to Him.

If God is going to be successful in bringing us into all He wants for us, our hearts have to want what He wants. If our hearts want what He wants we will give sacrificially. After this incident I would imagine Jesus would trust the widow, who gives sacrificially, with a financial blessing much sooner than he would the Pharisee who only gives out of his abundance.

These verses deal more with the widow’s heart than her mite. We need the widow’s heart. We need the same spirit in our church that she possessed. We need to be completely comfortable with Jesus looking directly into our hearts and seeing exactly what we are offering Him.

I have often heard pastors talk to their congregations and tell them that their offering was a part of their worship. I sort of understood what they meant by that but there always seemed to be something missing. As I was putting this message together and I came upon the phrase that Jesus purposely sat and observed what they were giving I finally made the connection. What we give the Lord is a measure of what’s in our hearts.



---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Medication: A Merry Heart

BABY BOOMER TEST
(Have a paper and pencil handy to record your answers... Your mind isn't as sharp as it once was!)

This is NOT a pushover test. It's a Baby Boomer Era test!

There are 20 questions. Average score is 12.
This one will be difficult for the younger set..

Have fun, but no peeking!

Good luck, youngsters,

1. What builds strong bodies 12 ways?
A. Flintstones vitamins
B. The Buttmaster
C. Spaghetti
D. Wonder Bread
E. Orange Juice
F. Milk
G. Cod Liver Oil


2. Before he was Muhammed Ali, he was...
A. Sugar Ray Robinson.
B. Roy Orbison..
C. Gene Autry.
D. Rudolph Valentino.
E.. Fabian.
F. Mickey Mantle.
G. Cassius Clay.


3. Pogo, the comic strip character said, 'We have met the enemy and....
A. It's you.
B. He is us.
C. It's the Grinch.
D He wasn't home.
E. He's really me and you.
F. We quit.
G. He surrendered.


4. Good night, David.
A.. Good night, Chet
B. Sleep well.
C. Good night, Irene.
D.. Good night, Gracie..
E. See you later, alligator.
F. Until tomorrow.
G. Good night, Steve..


5. You'll wonder where the yellow went...
A. When you use Tide
B. When you lose your crayons.
C. When you clean your tub.
D. If you paint the room blue.
E. If you buy a soft water tank.
F. When you use Lady Clairol.
G. When you brush your teeth with Pepsodent.


6. Before he was the Skipper's Little Buddy, Bob Denver was Dobie's friend...
A. Stuart Whitman.
B Randolph Scott.
C. Steve Reeves...
D. Maynard G. Krebs.
E. Corky B. Dork.
F. Dave the Whale.
G. Zippy Zoo.


7. Liar, liar...
A. You're a liar.
B. Your nose is growing.
C. Pants on fire.
D. Join the choir
E. Jump up higher.
F. On the wire.
G. I'm telling Mom.


8. Meanwhile, back in Metropolis, Superman fights a never ending battle for truth, justice and......
A. Wheaties.
B. Lois Lane .
C. TV ratings.
D. World peace.
E. Red tights.
F.. The American way.
G. News headlines.


9. Hey kids! What time is it?
A. It's time for Yogi Bear.
B It's time to do your homework.
C. It's Howdy Doody Time..
D. It's time for Romper Room.
E. It's bedtime.
F... The Mighty Mouse Hour..
G. Scoopy Doo Time..


10. Lions and tigers and bears....
A. Yikes.
B. Oh, no..
C. Gee whiz.
D. I'm scared...
E. Oh my.
F.. Help! Help!
G. Let's run.


11. Bob Dylan advised us never to trust anyone....
A. Over 40.
B. Wearing a uniform.
C.. Carrying a briefcase.
D. Over 30.
E. You don't know.
F. Who says, 'Trust me'..
G. Who eats tofu.


12. NFL quarterback who appeared in a television commercial wearing women's stockings...
A. Troy Aikman
B. Kenny Stabler
C. Joe Namath
D. Roger Staubach
E. Joe Montana
F. Steve Young
G. John Elway


13. Brylcream...
A. Smear it on.
B. You'll smell great.
C. Tame that cowlick.
D. Grease ball heaven.
E. It's a dream.
F. We're your team.
G. A littl e dab'll do ya.


14. I found my thrill...
A. In Blueberry muffins.
B. With my man, Bill.
C. Down at the mill.
D. Over the windowsill.
E. With thyme and dill.
F. Too late to enjoy.
G. On Blueberry Hill.

15. Before Robin Williams, Peter Pan was played by...
A. Clark Gable.
B. Mary Martin.
C. Doris Day.
D. Errol Flynn.
E. Sally Fields.
F. Jim Carrey.
G. Jay Leno.


16. Name the Beatles...
A.. John, Steve, George, Ringo
B. John, Paul, George, Roscoe
C. John, Paul, Stacey, Ringo
D. Jay, Paul, George, Ringo
E. Lewis, Peter, George, Ringo
F. Jason, Betty, Skipper, Hazel
G. John, Paul, George, Ringo


17. I wonder, wonder, who.
A. Who ate the leftovers?
B. Who did the laundry?
C Was it you?
D. Who wrote the book of love?
E. Who I am?
F. Passed the test?
G. Knocked on the door?


18. I'm strong to the finish...
A. Cause I eats my broccoli..
B. Cause I eats me spinach.
C. Cause I lift weights.
D. Cause I'm the hero.
E. And don't you for get it.
F. Cause Olive Oyl loves me.
G. To outlast Bruto.


19. When it's least expected, you're elected, you're the star today.
A. Smile, you're on Candid Camera.
B. Smile, you're on Star Search.
C. Smile, you won the lottery.
D. Smile, we're watching you.
E. Smile, the world sees you.
F. Smile, you're a hit.
G. Smile, you're on TV.


20. What do M & M's do?
A. Make your tummy happy.
B. Melt in your mouth, not in your pocket.
C. Make you fat.
D.. Melt your heart.
E.. Make you popular.
F. Melt in your mouth, not in your hand.
G. Come in colors.


Below are the right answers:
1. D - Wonder Bread
2. G - Cassius Clay
3. B - He Is us
4. A - Good night, Chet
5. G - When you brush your teeth with Pepsodent
6. D - Maynard G. Krebs
7. C - Pants on fire
8. F - The American Way
9. C - It's Howdy Doody Time
10. E - Oh my
11. D - Over 30
12. C - Joe Namath
13. G - A little dab'll do ya
14. G - On Blueberry Hill
15. B - Mary Martin
16. G - John, Paul, George, Ringo
17. D - Who wrote the book of Love
18. B - Cause I eats me spinach
19. A - Smile, you're on Candid Camera
20. F - Melt in your mouth not in your hand