1 Samuel 12:21

Idols are generally considered a bad thing, especially in the bible.  The biblical definition of idol is anything that gets between you and God.  That can be good stuff and bad.  Most won't argue that wanting to get good grades in school is a bad thing, but if they become more important to you than God, then that could be an idol.  Other things, like money and politics, can be good or bad depending on your views and how much you focus on them.  If it is more than God. It could be an idol.

For some this devotion to these things goes even further, bordering on worship.  They may be in church on Sunday singing songs of praise to God but in their hearts their idol it's more important. 

That is why, in 1 Samuel 12 says "Do not turn away after useless idols. They can do you no good, nor can they rescue you, because they are useless."  The things we make into idols are just things.  They can be useful or entertaining or satisfying, but they wont save your soul.  They can't answer prayers.  They cant bring true hope and peace.  Only God can do that.

Next time you pray, ask Him if there is anything in your life that it's becoming an idol, and all Him to help you first on Him more than things of this world.  Because, while some may be good, compared to God they are useless.

Blessings,

Pastor Ryan Canaday

My Anti-Anxiety Scriptures: Philippians 4:4-13

4 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 5 Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

8 Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. 9 Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you. 10 I rejoiced greatly in the Lord that at last you renewed your concern for me. Indeed, you were concerned, but you had no opportunity to show it. 11 I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. 12 I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. 13 I can do all this through him who gives me strength. (Philippians 4:4-13, NIV)

Many years ago, in the mid-1990's, I was very anxious, during a time in my life that I was so sick I couldn't even fold socks. I discovered verses in Philippians Chapter 4:4-13 (what I call my Anti-Anxiety Scriptures) and would read them a few times in a row, even out loud sometimes, to help my anxiety dissipate. I didn't know it then, but years later (in 2009), I was diagnosed with Eosinophilic Esophagitis (allergic reactions to foods due to the white blood cells, the eosinophils, which were in my esophagus because of the foods, but they don't belong there), which was the cause of my being sick so much. Anyway, the reason I had anxiety was because I was afraid of being sick again, and again, and again. I was so tired of it. I began seeking medical help, visiting family practitioners, and gastroenterologists. They couldn't help and probably thought I was crazy. I was psychologically unstable as I wanted to end my life. I cried out to God multiple times to take my life (a request I later learned He never honors, nor fulfills). I was also saddened thinking about how it would cause my husband and sons great pain if I did anything rash. Elijah had asked God to take his life. Here are some Scriptures explaining that instance.

3 Elijah was afraid and ran for his life. When he came to Beersheba in Judah, he left his servant there, 4 while he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness. He came to a broom bush, sat down under it and prayed that he might die. “I have had enough, Lord,” he said. “Take my life; I am no better than my ancestors.” 5 Then he lay down under the bush and fell asleep.

All at once an angel touched him and said, “Get up and eat.” 6 He looked around, and there by his head was some bread baked over hot coals, and a jar of water. He ate and drank and then lay down again.

7 The angel of the Lord came back a second time and touched him and said, “Get up and eat, for the journey is too much for you.” 8 So he got up and ate and drank. Strengthened by that food, he traveled forty days and forty nights until he reached Horeb, the mountain of God. 9 There he went into a cave and spent the night.

And the word of the Lord came to him: “What are you doing here, Elijah?”

10 He replied, “I have been very zealous for the Lord God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, torn down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too.”

11 The Lord said, “Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.”

Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. 12 After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. 13 When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave.

Then a voice said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”

14 He replied, “I have been very zealous for the Lord God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, torn down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too.”

15 The Lord said to him, “Go back the way you came, and go to the Desert of Damascus. When you get there, anoint Hazael king over Aram. 16 Also, anoint Jehu son of Nimshi king over Israel, and anoint Elisha son of Shaphat from Abel Meholah to succeed you as prophet. 17 Jehu will put to death any who escape the sword of Hazael, and Elisha will put to death any who escape the sword of Jehu. 18 Yet I reserve seven thousand in Israel—all whose knees have not bowed down to Baal and whose mouths have not kissed him.”(1 Kings 19:3-18, NIV)

Some of my friends would come to visit and think I looked perfectly healthy. I think they didn't know what to say, mostly. I finally ended up admitting myself into a psych ward of the hospital as I didn't want to be responsible for what I might do to myself. I was thinking of ways to do myself in. My late husband Bruce prayed, "Lord, give me my wife back." Once I was in my room, I asked God if I was going to live or die. God said, "It's up to you." I told Him, "I want to live, so heal me." So, there I was for a week. I was put on certain medications. I learned a lot about myself while there, that I needed people. It's interesting, when the people in my group therapy were asked what good thing happened to them today, they all said that meeting me was their good thing for the day. My good thing, I explained was meeting them as well, but moreso learning more about myself.

Things didn't improve much after the week in the psych ward. I was still getting sick and weak. Only getting about four hours of sleep each night, bouts of crying. Fortunately, during this time, Bruce was home, not working, but seeking employment. He had just left the military. It was taking a long time for him to find a job. So, I was worried about that also. Looking back, I wondered, where was my faith. It wasn't that we didn't have finances. We had enough for at least another year, but I wasn't looking at one day at a time, I was looking to the future, which was not helping my anxiety either.

Later, my late husband Bruce did find a job, but was working in another town, three hours away, during the week, and would come home for the weekend. So I was having to manage the household. Sometimes, I'd have my older son make sure the younger son was up and ready for school, before the bus came, while I slept in. I also instituted a neighbor to stay overnight once to make sure the kids got off to school in the morning. After that, my older son asked me to get up with them again, so I did. It was the worst time in my life and I didn't know what was causing it. It was only by the grace of God that I was able to function at all.

Certain books that helped me were, of course the Holy Bible by God; Happiness Is A Choice by Frank Minirth, MD and Paul Meier, MD; and, Telling Yourself the Truth by William Backus and Marie Chapian, and the workbook Learning to Tell Yourself the Truth by William Backus; all of which I highly recommend. I also watched programs on TV that made me laugh, like Family Matters. At first, I had to make myself laugh, but my laughter soon became genuine. My laugh also changed from before all of this sickness began. About a year later from this, I wasn't healed, but I was able to function pretty much normally, with medication, and work a full-time job. But it wasn't the end. Once I finally was diagnosed with the Eosinophilic Esophagitis, I had to determine what foods were causing me to be sick. After eliminating all of them, I felt better, and since 2010, I haven't been sick from the disease and have been able to gain weight. Praise God!!!

If you are having a tough time with sickness, hang in there. Reach out to God to help you to manage whatever is causing it and to be led to answers. Keep your focus on Him and not your circumstances. He will get you through it.

Thanks for reading this! God bless you!

Vicky Conklin-Johnson

“You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had.”

“You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had. Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. Instead, he gave up his divine privileges; he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When he appeared in human form, he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross. Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor and gave him the name above all other names, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue declare that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”

— Philippians 2:5-11 (NLT)

“You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had.”  

Whew! What a statement! We are to have the same attitude as Jesus! Even though He is Jesus Christ, God the Son, He gave up His divine privileges to become a human and live a lowly human life on earth. Quite often in His ministry, He was ridiculed, rejected, called a liar, and ultimately, Jesus “died a criminal’s death on the cross” so that we might be saved. Not only that, but He voluntarily went through all this, knowing that many would still reject His sacrifice. He laid his life down for everyone, in hopes that ALL would accept Him and the gift of salvation; even those that ridiculed Him and called Him a liar.  Romans 5:8 tells us, “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (NKJV)

And that is the attitude we are to have… An attitude where we don’t long for entitlement, recognition, or special honor, but that we are willing to give up ALL things to fulfill what God has called us to do and glorify Him in the process. God wants us to love our enemies, share the gospel, go where He calls us to go, and do what He tells us to do. Are you willing to do that? Jesus laid His life down for you, are you willing to do the same for Him?

It’s not easy! However, I assure you, if you contemplate on what Jesus did; His sacrifice on the cross, God’s faithfulness to you despite your shortcomings, the unconditional love He has for you, and the fact that He will “never leave you nor forsake you” (Deut 31:6, 31:8, Heb 13:5) it becomes much easier. As you walk with Jesus, and grow closer to Him, He will help you.  He will not only give you the strength for each day but also a sense of peace and joy that can only come from Him, because it is peace and joy that can stay with you, even in the toughest situations.  You will come to a place where you want to lay aside the things of this world and trust His plan for your life, and you will know that regardless of what happens around you, He is there for you, He will provide what you need, and His plan is best. I can promise you this; you will never regret accepting and fully surrendering to Jesus, giving it all to God, and asking Him to help you have the attitude of Christ.

Blessings,

Pastor Ann Canaday

Pastoral Care and Women’s Pastor

Unforgiveness

It's something that touches each of our lives, many times in a variety of ways. It is asked of us to do even when we don’t feel like doing it. We forgive because God asked us to. It's something that makes our lives better because I don’t know about you but a lot of the time it's myself, I must forgive. I’ve done something, said something, thought something. It didn’t even come out of my mouth, but I thought it. Or I acted in a way that was wrong and I knew it. I feel bad for it because it hurts another person. My guilt over it sometimes plays back in my head on repeat. That's not what God wants us to do. He wants us to repent to Him for it. He wants us to learn from our mistakes. He wants us to ask for forgiveness from the people, person or situation that it affected then He wants us to forgive ourselves so that we can move on.

Proverbs 17:9 says, “Love prospers when a fault is forgiven, but dwelling on it separates close friends.”

Are we not close with Jesus, is He not our friend as well. So, if we want to be close with Him. We must remember to forgive ourselves also. Because so many times we avoid the person we are mad at, angry with, ashamed of or what was done. And if that person is us, then the only thing we are accomplishing is moving away from God, away from His guidance, His love, His direction. That's not what God wants us to do, when we make a mistake. He wants us to draw near Him, into Him, so He can teach us the right way to do it next time. To be that Father that comforts His child when they fall down. How many times when our own children fall and one of the first reactions is to pick them up, dust them off, make sure they aren’t hurt.

Well, that is exactly what God wants for us. He loves us so much He gave His son to die for us. So, if we don't come to Him when we make mistakes which we all do because no not one is perfect. Then what did He send Jesus for? He wants that relationship with us. That close connection to our secrets, which He already knows anyways. He just wants us to come to Him and confess it. So, we can then start to work on the healing, the rebuilding of the relationship or the rebuilding of our faith. This life we live in is hard and every year that goes by it just keeps getting farther away from Christ. So, we need as Christians to make sure that every day we do a daily inventory of what we have let go of. Who we have forgiven. Have we set ourselves free of the burden that comes with sin, with choosing the wrong option, with saying the wrong thing in the wrong place. We all make mistakes daily. We need to learn to forgive ourselves just as Christ forgives us.

Daniel 9:9 says “The Lord our God is merciful and forgiving, even though we have rebelled against him.”

He already knows we will rebel, its human nature, it's a part of us. When they bit the apple. We knew sin. So, He’s not shocked by it, it doesn’t make us look undesirable to Him. God loves us so much that gave His one and only son to be crucified for us to become sons and daughters. If He loves us that much, then what are we waiting for. Why do we wait so long to go to Him and ask for forgiveness? Then, when we are forgiven. Why do we wait to let it go for us?

Ephesians 1:7-8 “In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace (not ours His) which He made to abound toward us in all wisdom and prudence.”

Now I had to look up the word prudence because it's not a word I use very often, and I realized I wasn’t using it correctly. It means to use careful good judgment. So, God is saying He is using wisdom and careful good judgment towards us through the blood of Christ.

So, what steps can we take to help with learning to forgive ourselves? Understand that God loves you first and foremost. With a love so big it covers everything. Then look at what it was we are having a hard time with. Did we say something to someone that was hurtful? Go to them and apologize for it, talk about what was said and how it wasn’t meant the way we were saying it. Can the relationship be repaired? If yes, then repair it. If you can’t then let it go and remember to be kind towards that person so maybe one day it will heal.

Sometimes we have done something we can’t take back. We can't undo it, but we can go talk about what led to it happening. We can talk about our emotions that helped make the choice. We can talk about what our mindset looked like at the time. Why we did what we did. Doesn’t mean it’s ok but explaining why to people can help them see the process of why we did it. But we also see what led us to doing it. That gives us time to rebuild that relationship even if it's just a distant one.

We can only change ourselves. So, when we make mistakes learning that our guilt is something we go to God for. Have a Godly sorrow and let Him heal us; it releases something in us that allows us to move on. Learn from it. But if we use shame because of what we did that is something the devil uses to keep us down. To make us look at ourselves in an ugly way. It becomes a repetitive habit and a hard cycle to break. So, we need to run to God with our mistakes. Understand that we are loved by Him and then go right the wrong as best as we can. Life is hard but Jesus gave us a manual to live by. Something to use in everyday life, every moment there's a way to make it different. To choose a different way.

So, as we pray, let's ask ourselves if there are any unforgiven things we need to repent and forgive for. To make it right.

Father, thank you for giving us a way out, someone to run to and be loved. We ask you to help us see any unforgiven thing we need to repent for and a way to make it right. Even if it's just inward for ourselves. Help us to forgive ourselves the things we have done, said, thought or acted in a way that was not for you. Help us to heal. Help us to show love and kindness. To show Christ through our daily living. Jesus Name we pray. Amen

Pastor Raelynn Stands

Connections Pastor Northwood Church

Achievements: Are they Bad or Good?

So, let’s think about this for a few minutes. We must look at the whole picture to really get an idea. Why don’t we use weightlifting as an example.

A lot of things could go into this for sure. Flat top Freddy goes to the gym, and he bench presses 150 lbs. Pretty good considering he never lifted weights, but he notices the guy 2 spots down from him is bench pressing 315 lbs. This guy is smaller than him and doesn’t look like he’s in that good of shape so Flat top Freddy says to himself I should be able to do this by next year.

At first thought I would say he is comparing himself with this other guy and we really need to steer clear of those thoughts because God calls us to be everything, He has for us to be. We will not be the same as the person that is next to you.

Flat top Freddy was not looking at the guy in this way he just wanted to set some kind of goal and get a little stronger. I guess there’s nothing wrong with that. Time goes by one month 2 then 3 then 6 then 8 and he’s only at 205. He is kind of disappointed, so he starts looking at what others are doing to help them and asks a guy he sees what do you do before you work out? Good idea, right? Well could be. So, he gets the low down on this guy’s routine, and he goes to the nutrition store gets some protein powder and goes to the store gets a dozen eggs. He’s only out 90 dollars and he wants to make his goal. So, another month goes by, and he is only upped to 225 disappointed again he finds another really in shape fella and asks him, he says “…ah that’s where you are going wrong you need to not only do this before but during your work out…”

Flat top Freddy realizes that he is running out of protein powder, so he gets twice as much so he has enough to last. So twice the money twice the prep time. Time goes by and he’s 11 months now and only was able to get to 255. Now frustration sets in. He’s been asking all the right questions but just not getting the results he wants. Once again, he finds another guy who is in phenomenal shape, and he is told what you do after your work out to help your tired muscles. Yep, you guessed right this guy does it after as well. So thrice the amount of time to take it now, thrice the amount of money and thrice the amount of time he spends on it.

Another month goes by and Flat top Freddy has not reached his goal. Well, I am just going to have to spend more time at the gym and maybe go at night as well. Meanwhile he has been losing out on time with his wife and kid. I am going to get this no matter what. He’s made up his mind and he’s going to do it. Another 3 months go by and he’s exhausted all the time irritated and missing out on his family.

He almost has it jumped all the way to 295 and he’s only got 20 to go. Focused even more now it has become this thing that has consumed a lot of money and taken a lot of time away from other things. Not realizing the toll, it has had on himself and his family he goes ahead spends more time away from them and 7 months more he finally hits the weight the goal the achievement!

Let’s look at the positive things that happened. He made his goal weight, he learned a few things to help him, learned to train harder and paid attention to details from others to help him. The negatives are, he spent too much time over his 1 year plan and spent a lot more money and time away from his family than he should have.

He became obsessed with the final achievement at all costs. His wife decided she had enough of his never being home, so she gives him an ultimatum. So, he quits the gym and is starting to get back on track at home but realizes all the muscle he had gotten in the past over a year and a half has left him and now he has gained a lot of weight. In only 6 months lost muscle and gained a lot of unwanted pounds.

So, the point I am making there is always good things that happen but there is also bad when we are striving to achieve something in life. We have to pay attention and really ask ourselves, but more importantly those around us too, because we get caught up in things and before you know it we have gone too far and taken a wrong turn and created more of a mess than what we did good for ourselves. I am sure Flat top Freddy is a good guy and weightlifting is a great way to stay in shape if you desire that and have ample amount of time.

Ask yourself a few questions. Does my goal achievement better me and my loved ones? Is this what God wants me to be doing with my very valuable time and what will I have to quit doing to allow time for this? Should extra money be spent on this and what else must get cut out so I can do it? Now it is getting real.

Is there more bad that is going to happen or more good going to happen when I strive towards this achievement? You can find bad and good in any one thing you do, however the most important thing you need to ask yourself is this, Is this in Gods plan for my life?

I will leave you with this. Our checks and balances in life the people that are closest to you and who Love you. 1 God, 2 Spouse, 3 Children, 4 Close friends relatives and people you know who have your best interest at heart. Jer. 29:11 For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

Love Ya’ll Thanks for reading

Your Worship Arts Pastor

Kent Furch

"...slow to anger..."

It is human nature to get mad when someone does something that we take offense to.  Maybe it is because of political views.  Maybe it is because of something someone said or did.  Maybe it is a ref who missed an obvious holding penalty that resulted in your favorite team losing a big game.  In situations like these it is instinct some times to get mad.

Sometimes lashing out has no consequences.  That driver who cut you off will probably never know you were swearing at them.  The after mentioned ref wont know you threw a foam brick at your tv.  But what about when you say something to a family member who made you mad?  What about when you react in anger to the guy who has spilt his drink on you?  There will be consequences, and the probably won’t be good.

So how should we handle anger?  James 1:19 says we should be "quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to anger."  In other words, don't react instantly when someone says or does something that angers you.  Take a breath.  Look around.  Maybe they are having a bad day.  Maybe it was simply an accident.  Sometimes, by taking a moment to look at the situation, we see that it isn't as bad as we first thought.  Sometimes "Hulk Smash" isn't the best solution.

Don't get me wrong.  Sometimes anger is justified.  Genocide, human trafficking, mass shootings, and more are all situations where you should understandably be upset.  But even then, take a step back.  Think before you write an angry post on social media.  Pray and ask God how to best help the victims or keep something like this from happening.  

It may be cliched, but sometimes we need to ask ourselves "what would Jesus do?"

Blessings,

Pastor Ryan Canaday

This is how we fight our battles.

Greetings my brothers and sisters in Christ I pray all is well and peace be with you.

Speaking of prayer, I wanted to share with you a testimony of the power the Lord has given us through prayer and testimony of the Lord's generosity and kindness as well as the freedom we receive when we are obedient to His word.

Wednesday evening, I went from feeling great during praise practice to feeling ill and weak as well as familiar pain rearing its ugly head in my body once again.

I went to my office and put my feet up as the feeling of weakness got worse, I found myself giving thanks to God for my beautiful babies cuddling into me and for the gift of the office I was resting in. Not wanting to go through this routine of suffering that is all too familiar again. As well as not having the strength to pray I surrendered to the prompt of the Holy Spirit and by HIS power began praying in tongues.

Once I had finished this scripture came to my mind

Is anyone among you in trouble? Let them pray. Is anyone happy? Let them sing songs of praise. Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven. Therefore, confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective. Elijah was a human being, even as we are. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years. Again, he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops.

James 5:13‭-‬18 NIV

I then reached out to Pastor Tony to see if he was available to pray with me. He quickly came to my office with Pastor Ryan in toe and as they laid their hands on me and began to pray. I could feel a radiant pulsing warmth flow through my body. Relief was not immediate, but it did come in quick succession to now as I am writing these mere hours later and I feel 100% PRAISE BE TO GOD!

Brothers and Sisters, our Heavenly Father should be our first choice to run to when trials come not our last resort because of Christ Jesus we can boldly approach our Heavenly Father as adopted children as it is written.

And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.

Ephesians 6:18 NIV

I encourage you all dear brothers and sisters to pray without ceasing for prayer is how we fight our battles!

All glory and honor and power be to the Alpha and Omega the Great I AM!

And may the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you always!

Blessing,

Pastor Dakota Swinton

Where is your sting, death?

Greetings my Brothers and Sisters in Christ I pray all is well and peace is with you.

As many of you are aware I have attended several funerals in the past couple years and the past two have really caused me to do some deep reflecting on the scripture:

A good name is better than fine perfume, and the day of death better than the day of birth. It is better to go to a house of mourning than to go to a house of feasting, for death is the destiny of everyone; the living should take this to heart.

Ecclesiastes 7:1‭-‬2 NIV

I used to wonder what Solomon was saying here. But after my most recent encounters with the sting of death,I Believe I understand. Funerals are sobering like a splash of ice cold water to a groggy face. Funerals wake you up and make us face a destiny that comes for us all. They make us face tough questions such as is my life to busy? Do my loved ones know how much I love them? Do I have my house in order? Is that grudge really worth holding on to? Now these are just some of the questions we may ask ourselves but I think the biggest one I came up with between my last two encounters with the sting of death is this

What will people my wife my children friends and family say about me when my time comes?

I got the answer I want for myself from a graduation ceremony (As Pastor Carl would have put it) of a believer the grandfather of my best friend. Even though we were all sad and grieving over the loss of the wonderful man of God the was in the midst of the tears joy, laughter and peace as stories were shared. And as his children were sharing there testimony of their father 2 things really stuck out to me. They all said that he loved God and that he ran his race well. They described there father as a God fearing man who prayed every morning in his chair for his family. He was a man of peace of joy of wisdom of patience of kindness of gentleness.

It was a wonderful experience for as much as it was a testimony of their Father it was also a testimony of the grace of God. Everyone left with the peace and the hope of seeing this wonderful man because his life was a testimony of his love for Jesus Christ.

I was also given an example of what I don't want my life to be I attended a funeral it did not feel like a graduation ceremony it felt like a funeral the air was filled with bitterness unforgiveness anger and the like. The stories of this individual painted the picture of someone who loved life not someone who loved Christ and when it ended there was no feeling of hope or peace only grief.

Brothers and sisters I share these examples to illustrate the way we live our life has an impact on the ones we live behind we have a choice to make we can either run our race well and our lives be a testimony of how wonderful Christ is leaving our loved ones with peace and hope. Or we can love this life and lose it leaving our loved ones with questions anxiety and grief.

So my brothers and sisters what choice will we make will our last moment on this earth be a graduation ceremony? Or a funeral a life with Christ or without?

Pastor Dakota Swinton

Saying "Thank You" to God

Many years ago, I had a conversation with my late husband Bruce. I expressed how I didn't hear from God. Bruce heard from God. He asked me if I was thanking God. I wasn't, I hadn't thought about it, and didn't know it was something I needed to do, but I started to from that point on and then I started hearing God and God and I have had a two way conversation since.

As an example: Back in 1991, my dad was dying with cancer. We had plans to go visit him during the Teachers' Workshop that happens in October. About a week before that I got a call and was told Dad was back in the hospital. I asked God if we needed to go right away to see him or if we could continue with our plans. God simply said, "It's okay." So we waited and visited him the following week, while the kids were out of school for the four-day weekend. Dad went to be with Jesus about 5 weeks later. This is just one example of God speaking to me in my life. Many Christians have experienced God speaking to them, but every Christian should be hearing God speak to them. The way that God worked this out with me was by thanking Him. So, I would like to share some stats and scriptures with you on thanking God.

In the King James Version (KJV) of the Holy Bible, there are 7 forms of the word "thank" in thanks to God, the Lord; whether directly, indirectly, by inference, or thank offerings. These words are: thank, thanked, thankful, thanking, thanks, and thanksgiving. All Scripture references are from the KJV and all italics of the forms of the word thank are added.

Thank is mentioned 22 times; below are 2 of those Scriptures.

23I thank thee, and praise thee, O thou God of my fathers, who hast given me wisdom and might, and hast made known unto me now what we desired of thee: for thou hast now made known unto us the king's matter. (Daniel 2:23)

8First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, that your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world. (Romans 1:8)

Thanked appears 2 times. One example is below.

17But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you. (Romans 6:17)

Thankful appears 2 times. One example is below.

4Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name. (Psalm 100:4)

Thanking is mentioned 1 time. That Scripture is:

13It came even to pass, as the trumpeters and singers were as one, to make one sound to be heard in praising and thanking the Lord; (2 Chronicles 5:13a)

Thanks is mentioned 69 times; below are some of those Scriptures.

50Therefore I will give thanks unto thee, O Lord, among the heathen, and I will sing praises unto thy name.(2 Samuel 22:50)

12To the end that my glory may sing praise to thee, and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give thanks unto thee for ever. (Psalm 30:4)

Even Jesus gave thanks 36And he took the seven loaves and the fishes, and gave thanks, and brake them, and gave to his disciples, and the disciples to the multitude. (Matthew 15:36)

So, how much more should we? Much more!

18In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. (1 Thessalonians 5:18)

15By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name. (Hebrews 13:15)

Thanksgiving shows up 26 times; below are some of those Scriptures.

17I will offer to thee the sacrifice of thanksgiving, and will call upon the name of the Lord. (Psalm 116:17)

6Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. (Philippians 4:6)

12Saying, Amen: Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honour, and power, and might, be unto our God for ever and ever. Amen. (Revelation 7:12)

Since so many Scriptures deal with thanking God, it is very important for us to do. He provides so much for us and meets our every need. The most important need was the sacrifice on the cross for us by the Lord Jesus Christ. He died for us and for our sins, so that through Him we can have salvation by receiving Him as our Lord and Savior. He is the only way to heaven, to the Father! Receive Him today by praying this prayer:

Lord Jesus, thank You for dying for me and shedding Your blood. I ask You to forgive me and come into my life. Help me to follow You and serve You all the days of my life. I thank You and I praise You for what You have done and what You will do in my life. In Jesus' Name I pray. Amen!

Now, if you don't have a church home find one that preaches the Holy Bible, the Truth. Get a Bible and read it. Pray to God!

God bless,

Vicky Conklin-Johnson

Let Us Break Bread Together

Greetings Brothers and sisters in Christ I pray all of you are doing well and peace is with you

I wanted to share with an interesting fact the pastor perry and I learned when we were at class when the Pentecostal revival movement started in Los Angeles in the early 1900s the congregation gathered 5 times a week worked together and shared what they had the revival movement lasted 3 years and went from a small assembly to over 600 million Pentecostals worldwide today! Brothers and sisters does this sound familiar?

They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.

Acts 2:42‭-‬47 NIV

Brothers and sisters powerful things happen when we as the body gather together daily in the name of our most High King and Savior Jesus Christ Let us gather together as much as we can there is a parent's group that happens the first and third Thursday every month we break bread and share our burdens as parents as it is written

Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.

Galatians 6:2 NIV

We are not meant to do this alone being a parent is hard especially in this day in age post covid where it seems as this generation my generation seems to make excuses of why we can't get together like we look forward to canceled plans we owe it to each other and our children to show and live out the importance of gathering together as it written

Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the day approaching.

Hebrews 10:23‭-‬25 NIV

We need to gather together that we may strengthen each other bearing with those who are weak in the faith for the Day of the LORD is approaching and our enemy prowls around like a lion seeking those he may devour

Have you ever seen a lion hunt? He doesn't charge into the heard of antelope no he is patient and lies in the grass looking for the old the weak the sick the feeble and the young.

Brothers and sisters when we dedicate a child here we all take an oath to help raise that child in the way they should go we take an oath to hold each other accountable and help each other with one of the most important task we have as believers raising our little ones up in the Lord that they may be firey arrows in his quiver against the enemy

We as parents need help especially from our elders who have the wisdom of experience as it is written

You, however, must teach what is appropriate to sound doctrine. Teach the older men to be temperate, worthy of respect, self-controlled, and sound in faith, in love and in endurance. Likewise, teach the older women to be reverent in the way they live, not to be slanderers or addicted to much wine, but to teach what is good. Then they can urge the younger women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled and pure, to be busy at home, to be kind, and to be subject to their husbands, so that no one will malign the word of God. Similarly, encourage the young men to be self-controlled. In everything set them an example by doing what is good. In your teaching show integrity, seriousness and soundness of speech that cannot be condemned, so that those who oppose you may be ashamed because they have nothing bad to say about us.

Titus 2:1‭-‬8 NIV

This culture is so broken so against the sound doctrine that teaches.

For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope—the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good. These, then, are the things you should teach. Encourage and rebuke with all authority. Do not let anyone despise you.

Titus 2:11‭-‬15 NIV

let us gather together Brothers and sisters in unity in love let us be iron that sharpens iron and remember it is written

For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.”

Matthew 18:20 NIV

And if God is for us who can be against us!

Let us be confident and doers of his word not just hearers only let us be the light in this dark world that shines brightly glorifying our Savior redeemer King and LORD Jesus Christ

Blessings to you and your family

Pastor Dakota Swinton

Addicition

Addiction! When we say addiction the first thoughts that come to mind are drugs, alcohol, and sex but addiction goes much deeper than a single pathway. Most people don’t realize that it stems from a place of undealt with sin, trauma, self-control, emotional issues and fear. It takes over our lives and leaves us empty.

But it is more, it is the sweets that you can’t put down or the soda you just must have. The book that’s so good you have to finish, disregarding important areas in your life that should come first. It’s eating until you are stuffed at every meal because you need that fullness filling to stop. Or what about talking about people to the point where you just have to say it, that impulse, it's uncontrolled. That cup of coffee that will make the world right again after we drink it. The desire for video games, to pick up your phone or computer seem to be a huge thing in today's world. What happens to people's mental health and emotions when they don’t get it or have to live without it for a moment.

All of it is what the Bible considers addiction. It keeps us from the relationship with God. For Him to be our fullness, to fill the empty space and to give us a way out from the world's temptations. Throughout the Bible it talks about being tempted however there is an option to choose something different to choose Him. To let Him get us through the hard stuff. To heal the wounds that have been left from either our own mistakes or someone else's. Either way it leaves us broken.

In 1 Cor 10:13 says “No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear

it.”

That tells us that we will be tempted but God will always give us a way to escape it. He never leaves or forsakes us. He will always help us to go down another course. But we must choose to follow Him. Choose to let our flesh die in order to gain spiritual strength through Jesus. So instead of choosing the Butterfinger in the candy machine go for the almonds. When your people are gossiping about something, excuse yourself to the bathroom. Choose a movie that isn’t rated R because of sexual images. Choose a different course, give yourself a chance at having a better life. A more filling life because Jesus is the center and today, you're going to take care of your mental, physical, and spiritual health. Today is going to be a step closer in getting truly free from what you are suffering from. God works everything to those that love Him. So, I challenge you to start somewhere, read your Bible, pray about how God wants you to overcome the addiction in your life. Then make the first step and start. May God bless you and help you get closer to breaking free.

Blessing,

Pastor Rae Lynn Stands

God's Love For Us

What does this look like? One-word sums this up. JESUS!

So lets start at the beginning. In Genesis we read that god created man. Seeing that man needed a helper he made woman to help man. God loved us enough to give us a lifelong companion. He picked our spouse ahead of time to help complete who we are.

             Many blessings we cannot even count have happened in our lives. Brenda, my amazingly beautiful wife has been with me for over 31 years. We will be married for 30 years on November 20th this year. God brought us together and has blessed us with 4 children. God loves us and gave us these beautiful children.

  Miranda, my oldest, is such a gift to us she was gifted a beautiful daughter our granddaughter Daisy Mae what a beautiful ray of sunshine she is to us. She is married to Jake who loves to race cars and loves Miranda and Daisy.

           Our oldest son Malachi our second gift from God is married to Cassie who had a son already Aiden a gift from God and together they had a beautiful daughter our granddaughter Tessa who is as sturdy as they come and so joyful.

         Our youngest daughter Samantha our 3rd gift from God is married to Zack and they were given a daughter our Granddaughter Sophie and were also given a son our grandson Zander so much energy these 2 have wow.

   Our youngest son Kent Jr. the miracle that wasn’t supposed to happen God said I Love you enough to give you another son. Miracles are Gods business. He loves us enough to give us the desires of our heart. Many prayers and hard years God loves us and sometimes we just have to wait for years even but it doesn’t mean he forgot about us or doesn’t love us he knows best and has the right timing.

Psalm 37:4 English Standard Version

4 Delight yourself in the Lord,

    and he will give you the desires of your heart.

Like I just said before its not always right away your way we live in a fast food thinking state and that is not how God works. He is not a God of our timing he is a all-knowing God who has the best for us in his timing.

  If you have never read Psalm 37 take the time and read this. God loves me enough to give me 4 children and 5 grandchildren and many more to come. The thing of it is God Loves us so much and blesses us each and every day!  

               God gave his one and only begotten son to die on a cross for all of us. This is true love by our father in heaven to send his son to be a sacrifice for us. To stand in place of us so we could spend eternity in heaven with him. He could of just let things be and we get what we deserve but he is a forgiving loving God who longs to hear from us.

The Lord Will Be Gracious

Is.30:18 Therefore the Lord waits to be gracious to you,

    and therefore he exalts himself to show mercy to you.

For the Lord is a God of justice;

    blessed are all those who wait for him.

So I challenge each of you reading this count the things that God has blessed you with. Gods love is all around us everywhere we go everything we see. From spring flowers to the first cry of your newborn baby to the gift of music God has placed in you to the gift of his word to learn by to the friends God has put in your life to your family or new family church family work family. God has done so much for us because of love. Our example is right in front of us we need to choose to live like God loves us we need to love others so they can know that Love God sent for us Jesus Christ died for us the ransom so we could fellowship with him forever!

The ultimate action of Love sacrificing his own son Jesus so we could fellowship with him forever. Love is first from God. Then Jesus obeyed his father and followed through with the plan and showed us Love. He gave us 2 commands Love God and love our neighbor as ourself. He showed us (actions) by the many acts of the things which he did while here on earth from healing the blind to healing the leprosy to making 5 loaves of bread and 2 small fish feed 5000+ by leaving the Holy Spirit to guide us. How can I possibly begin to comprehend the love God has for us?

    Pray for a heart and mind to show love in all we do to be like the examples God has given us. Lord I ask right now everyone reading this is given eyes to see like you ears that hear like you and a heart that can receive what you have for them so they can be that love people see and wonder what do they have that makes them this way, Lord let us Love people enough so they  to come before you and learn of your son Jesus who died for them on the cross in Jesus name Amen.

 Have a great week God Bless Ya’ll

 Your Worship Arts

Pastor Kent Furch                                

Why Complain?

With everything going on in the world right now, it is easy to find things to complain about.  Between politics, co-workers, and countless other things,  there is plenty of thing to complain about.  It isn't uncommon to see nothing but complaints on social media like Facebook or Twitter.

As followers of Christ, the Bible says that we are to "do everything with out complaining" (Philippians 2:14), the reason why is simple.  The more we focus on negatives, the more that is all we see.    Eventually, you get to the point where all you see is the negatives, and never the positives.

If you find yourself complaining about something involving politics or paying your bills, whether in person or online, what should you do instead?  The Bible has an answer for that.  "Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds" (James 1:2)  Yes, there are a lot of hardships and difficulties right now, but by resisting complaining about them, we will be able to see how God wants to bless us through them.

So what is a follower of Christ to do?  First, trust that God has a plan for you, and anything that you are going through is part of that plan.  You and I might not see how anything good can come of something, but God can. 

Second, instead of complaining about others, try complimenting or encouraging them instead.  The Bible says that we are to "not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up" (Ephesians 4:29).  The more we build up one another, the easier it becomes for them to also focus on the positives and not the negatives. 

Third, pray.  Instead of complaining about something, give it to God.  Ask Him to help you through the situation or with the person or people you don't like.  He can help you see the good, no matter how bad things are. Remember, God knows exactly what we are going through, and He will never leave us or forsake us.  Bring your difficulties to Him and trust that He can provide everything you need during these times.

Pastor Ryan Canaday

Burning the Candle at both ends

Greetings my brothers and Sisters in Christ! I pray that all is well, and that peace is with you.

As I was studying Proverbs, a certain verse stuck out at me, causing me to pause, reflect, give praise and Thanksgiving to our Heavenly Father for his mercy and discipline. This verse: 

Do not wear yourself out to get rich; do not trust your own cleverness.

Proverbs 23:4 NIV

This is something I wish I was privy to back in my early twenties. I was so obsessed with doing well by the world's standards: have a house, a nice car, money in the bank, a college degree, no debt, a wife, kids, and a high paying job, oh, and I wanted to retire by 30…. Try not to laugh too hard, lol, I was very ambitious, very headstrong and driven by fear that my body would give out as told to me by my doctors before I was 21. So, I pushed myself. I worked 2 full time jobs and went to school. I took naps in my car in-between classes, had no social life, neglected my health and my relationships and my faith, but I was achieving my goals, so it was worth it, right? I had 2 houses for 25, a nice car, a good job, a fiancé, good credit money in the bank. In my eyes and in the world's eyes I was doing great. But was I really? Running on 2 to 4 hours of sleep, living off of fast food, a porn addiction for loneliness and a weed addiction for the pain. I had a string of failed relationships and barely anyone around when I did have time off and almost as quickly as I had achieved everything, I lost it all. I was so depressed and in so much pain I couldn't focus, and I lost my job. I lost my ability to drive. I totaled my car and pushed myself so hard that my body was so broken and so exhausted. I would go through episodes of severe pain and was almost bed bound. There was much more that happened but to keep things short it was through this pain that I was disciplined, that I turned back to God and learned the foolishness of trying to live this life for myself and in my own strength. The Lord has been very kind and patient with me, and I now know it is only by his grace that I achieved or accomplished anything. In the same way, it is by his grace and mercy that I did not lose everything and in fact by living and serving His will I have more than I ever could have hoped for.

So dear brothers and sisters, let my story and the Word of our LORD be a lesson.

Do not wear yourself out to get rich; do not trust your own cleverness.

Proverbs 23:4 NIV

For God is the one who gives you your skills and talents in the first place. Take it from me as someone who had to learn the hard way.

Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and he will establish your plans.

Proverbs 16:3 NIV

Blessings!

Pastor Dakota Swinton

I DO WHAT I DO NOT WISH TO DO!

Greetings my brothers and sisters in Christ, I pray that you are all doing well and it is my prayer that this writing may be an encouragement to all of you.

I must confess to you Brothers and sisters I have been struggling.  Struggling with the sin nature, my worth and fear of failure. I have struggled to love my wife as the word instructs:

Husbands, love your wives and do not be harsh with them.

Colossians 3:19 NIV

And, I have struggled to bridle my own tongue:

Not many of you should become teachers, my fellow believers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly. We all stumble in many ways. Anyone who is never at fault in what they say is perfect, able to keep their whole body in check. When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal. Or take ships as an example. Although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go. Likewise, the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole body, sets the whole course of one’s life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.

James 3:1-6 NIV

It is my hopes that in sharing this with you all that we may fellowship and be open with one another as it is written:

Is anyone among you in trouble? Let them pray. Is anyone happy? Let them sing songs of praise. Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven. Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.

James 5:13-16 NIV

I have done much reflecting and meditation on these scriptures and praise be to God my mentors and brothers and sisters in Christ have come around me to lift me up in prayer and love. They also have edified me and helped me by confirming for me, through the power of the Holy Spirit, that I may have stumbled, but my purpose, my assignment, my calling and most of all that God's love has not changed.

This brings me to another point:

What shall we say, then? Is the law sinful? Certainly not! Nevertheless, I would not have known what sin was had it not been for the law. For I would not have known what coveting really was if the law had not said, “You shall not covet.” But sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment, produced in me every kind of coveting. For apart from the law, sin was dead. Once I was alive apart from the law; but when the commandment came, sin sprang to life and I died. I found that the very commandment that was intended to bring life actually brought death. For sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment, deceived me, and through the commandment put me to death. So then, the law is holy, and the commandment is holy, righteous and good. Did that which is good, then, become death to me? By no means! Nevertheless, in order that sin might be recognized as sin, it used what is good to bring about my death, so that through the commandment sin might become utterly sinful. We know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin. I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it. So I find this law at work: Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me. For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me. What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God’s law, but in my sinful nature a slave to the law of sin.

Romans 7:7-25 NIV

We must remember brothers and sisters, I must remember, we children of God are not the sin nature in us, but we are made new in Christ by the power of the blood and the Holy Spirit we all stumble and fall short for there is no one righteous, no not one. We also must remember to consider it pure joy when trials come upon us as it is written:

Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

James 1:2-4 NIV

And my final point be sure dear brothers and sisters, to equip the armor of God daily for our enemy prowls around like a lion seeking those he can devour spend time in prayer and fasting meditating on the word so that you come to truly know the voice and character of our Heavenly Father that you may not be deceived. The enemy will use the word to condemn shame and guilt you to fill you with doubt, fear of failure and punishment. Our Heavenly Father is not a hard or harsh man. He is the definition of love. Learn his voice when the word comes from HIS Holy Spirit. The word corrects, convicts, challenges, confirms, heals, educates, edifies, lifts up, nourishes, empowers and so much more.

In short dear brothers and sisters in Christ if you are struggling do not be afraid to humble yourself to your Heavenly Father Christ who took our punishment that we may come to him freely as his children and be looked upon with love.  Do not hide or carry what you were never meant to.   Go to our Heavenly Father with childlike faith and allow yourselves to receive his unfailing, unfathomable love as it is written:

Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death. For what the law was powerless to do because it was weakened by the flesh, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.

Romans 8:1-4 NIV

Know that you are well loved my brothers and sisters in Christ and may the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you always.

Pastor Dakota Swinton

Longsuffering

Back when I was in tenth grade, my mom told me that she had excepted Jesus in her heart. That she had become a Christian and was changing her life.
Now I didn’t think anything of it, she’s my mom and can do whatever she wants.
But the rest of us, her family, wasn’t making that change. We kept on with our drinking alcohol and some of us, doing drugs. But my dad did not like her becoming a Christian. He used to always come home drunk and complain about her being a Christian. Me and my brother would be in and out of jail and my sister was running the streets, doing drugs.
And every time we came to her about the problems in our lives, she would always say ”you should come to church with me” or “you need to read the Bible”. Essentially pointing us to Jesus. And we would always Say “no”. But she continued loving us (and praying for us), and just being our mom.
It was about fifteen years later, that me and my wife accepted Jesus in our hearts, and my brother about a year later. This made my mom the happiest person in the world. Even to the point of crying for several minutes straight, looking at a picture of me and my brother in front of a cross.
This makes me think of the scripture John 3:16 ”God so loved the world....”.
We are all of Gods favorite creation, but we are not all choosing to be his child. But God is patient and in long suffering in waiting for us to choose to be his children.
Numbers 14:18 says “The Lord IS long suffering and abundant in mercy, forgiving iniquity and transgression; but he by no means clears the guilty,...”.
Like my mom suffered 15 long years before me and my brother excepted Jesus in our hearts, so is it with God in his long suffering, waiting for us to except his sacrifice and choose to become his children.

God Is Good!! And may he bless you all always.

Pastor Perry Stands

Someone I used to be

Greetings my Brothers and Sisters in Christ!

Lately, the accuser has been reminding me of who I used to be and how I used to live. It is amazing, really, how the enemy uses friends and family to do this: the people who were with us before we gave our lives to Christ and who remember what we looked like or how we talked when we lived in depravity or debauchery in rebellion to God. It also takes me by surprise, although it should not, that these people who have not yet found Christ still try to keep me in the perception of who I was. Maybe you, my brothers and sisters, face this yourselves, having loved ones wanting you to be the you they knew before you were crucified with Christ and were made new in Him. I have faced this a lot lately with my family hearing statements such as: "I don't want Pastor Dakota, I just want my brother." or "I just want  things to go back to the way they used to be." In these moments, I am so grateful for my wife as she loving states: "I don't know how they expect to get you without Christ because Christ is part of Who you are." Also, in these moments when I have been reminded who I was, these scriptures have flooded my mind and I would like to share with you.

If I rebuild what I destroyed, then I really would be a lawbreaker. “For through the law I died to the law so that I might live for God. I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

Galatians 2:18‭-‬20 NIV

Or do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor men who have sex with men nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.

1 Corinthians 6:9‭-‬11 NIV

I want to bring special attention to verse 11:

And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.

1 Corinthians 6:11 NIV

In short brothers and sisters, the next time you are reminded by the enemy of who you were you can say, "That may be who I was but that's no longer who I am! Glory be to God the most high I have been washed clean by the blood of my Savior Jesus Christ!"

May you walk in boldness and confidence knowing that you have been washed by the blood of Christ and it is no longer you that live but Christ that lives in you!

May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you always.

Blessings,

Pastor Dakota

Titles

Greetings my Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

It has been about a month since I was commissioned as the teaching pastor of Northwoods Church. It is an honor that still has not really sunk in yet, however, Pastor Tony is helping me with that by showing just how much more I will be preaching and teaching. This is great because now I'm going to our Heavenly Father even more for help, so He is glorified! (And so I don't mess up) However, I am not writing this to share with you my newly given writing schedule. No. Since I have been given the title of pastor, several brothers and sisters have asked what they are supposed to call me and have apologized for not calling me pastor. Brothers and sisters, I can assure you, I take no offense to being called Dakota or brother Dakota instead. In fact, this situation has led me to prayer and meditation and, glory be to God, I was led to just the right instance in Scripture.

Matthew 23:1-12 NIV - “Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples: “The teachers of the law and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat. So, you must be careful to do everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach. They tie up heavy, cumbersome loads and put them on other people’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them. “Everything they do is done for people to see: They make their phylacteries wide and the tassels on their garments long; they love the place of honor at banquets and the most important seats in the synagogues; they love to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces and to be called ‘Rabbi’ by others. “But you are not to be called ‘Rabbi,’ for you have one Teacher, and you are all brothers. And do not call anyone on earth ‘father,’ for you have one Father, and he is in heaven. Nor are you to be called instructors, for you have one Instructor, the Messiah. The greatest among you will be your servant. For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”

Brothers and sisters, it is an honor to be called pastor, but at the end of the day I am still a servant of the most high God as are you. Believe it or not, when I am referred to as pastor, it is a stark reminder of the greater responsibility I am now held to. I'm sure you all know how my mind works with scripture and every time I hear Pastor Dakota, a whirlwind of verses floods through my mind. I shared one above, but allow me to share a few more:  Not many of you should become teachers, my fellow believers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly.

James 3:1 NIV - Here is a trustworthy saying: Whoever aspires to be an overseer desires a noble task. Now the overseer is to be above reproach, faithful to his wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not given to drunkenness, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. He must manage his own family well and see that his children obey him, and he must do so in a manner worthy of full respect. (If anyone does not know how to manage his own family, how can he take care of God’s church?) He must not be a recent convert, or he may become conceited and fall under the same judgment as the devil. He must also have a good reputation with outsiders, so that he will not fall into disgrace and into the devil’s trap. In the same way, deacons are to be worthy of respect, sincere, not indulging in much wine, and not pursuing dishonest gain. They must keep hold of the deep truths of the faith with a clear conscience. They must first be tested; and then if there is nothing against them, let them serve as deacons. In the same way, the women are to be worthy of respect, not malicious talkers but temperate and trustworthy in everything. A deacon must be faithful to his wife and must manage his children and his household well. Those who have served well gain an excellent standing and great assurance in their faith in Christ Jesus.

1 Timothy 3:1-13 NIV - An elder must be blameless, faithful to his wife, a man whose children believe and are not open to the charge of being wild and disobedient. Since an overseer manages God’s household, he must be blameless—not overbearing, not quick-tempered, not given to drunkenness, not violent, not pursuing dishonest gain. Rather, he must be hospitable, one who loves what is good, who is self-controlled, upright, holy and disciplined. He must hold firmly to the trustworthy message as it has been taught, so that he can encourage others by sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it.

Titus 1:6-9 NIV - So, in closing, my brothers and sisters, call me Dakota, Brother Dakota, Pastor Dakota, it makes no difference. Just know that the title of pastor means a lot to me and it humbles me and reminds me all the more of how seriously I must take my walk with Christ and because of the position HE has allowed me to be in, my steps are being watched by all who see me.

Pray for me that the Holy Spirit would lead me, guide me and protect me, that HE would help me stay humble and walk in a manner worthy of my calling.  Thank you all for your prayers, your love and your support. Thank you all for this opportunity to serve you.

May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you always.

Blessings

Pastor Dakota Swinton

Recognize our Blessings

Life is full of looking at our days and communicating about them. So let me tell you about the weekend.

Oh man, I must get up just as early as I usually do; drive for 2 hours and go to school, then sit in a chair all day. It’s my only day off and my back is going to hurt so bad, and my legs will fall asleep so I can’t feel my legs then they will hurt. The food they give will probably be cold and rubbery. Its nice outside for once and I am stuck in this class all day. Why can’t it be over? Then I am going to have to drive 2 hours home and drop a guy off that rides with me. Now it’s too late to do anything.

Sunday morning trying to get ready, and my pants button comes off. Now I have to pick out something else. Oh, great really, 40 minutes before we are supposed to be there someone cancels. Now I must lead. What a day already. Someone else just 15 minutes before worship is not going to make it, wow ok. The sound system is acting up again, in-ears buzzing bad, and I can’t hear anything. Great, now what keyboard isn’t working; what else can go wrong?  After this I’ll be back at work tomorrow and I never even got to rest at all.

Don’t even mention the roads, potholes everywhere yesterday on the way. Also, being blinded by the stupid sun I could hardly even see, and where do these other drivers get their license from, a cracker jack box? Wow some people anyways. Do not get me started on the roads that are closed. It seems I take a different way every single time I go and if it’s not the roads I always miss my turn. Stupid GPS is loud and annoying and gives me wrong roads. I bet the guy that rides with me doesn’t even like me, he just needs a ride and he’s probably not even a true friend he just talks all the time because he thinks I am boring. Not to mention my wife probably doesn’t even remember what I look like, I am always at work hardly ever home. And my grandson is scared of me because he thought I was someone else that sounded like Papa.

Lord, are you even paying any attention to what is going on? 

How would you ever be able to see a Blessing in this mess of a situation? We are so busy focusing on the things that are bad and we give no thought to what God has blessed us with. Now all these things happened, and the negative thoughts do come into your head, but we need to focus on the good in every situation and dwell on them. So let me tell you about the same weekend with a thankful, grateful, and loving heart. Maybe at the end of the next story you will realize there is always a different way to look at things. Blessings are always there every day every minute we just fail to see them because we are focused on the situation and not having our eyes where they need to be.

Proverbs 4:18-27, KJV

18 But the path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day.  19 The way of the wicked is as darkness: they know not at what they stumble.  20 My son, attend to my words; incline thine ear unto my sayings.  21 Let them not depart from thine eyes; keep them in the midst of thine heart.  22 For they are life unto those that find them, and health to all their flesh.  23 Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.  24 Put away from thee a froward mouth, and perverse lips put far from thee.  25 Let thine eyes look right on and let thine eyelids look straight before thee.  26 Ponder the path of thy feet and let all thy ways be established.  27 Turn not to the right hand nor to the left: remove thy foot from evil.

Story #2: So, let me tell you about my weekend. Praise God I get to go to school tomorrow its going to be great! Dear Lord, I ask you keep us safe and give us the route that we will enjoy the most keeping us away from danger. Hmm never thought of this. WO! I know why I never take the same way twice; God is protecting me from accidents and things that will hurt me! He is so great! Also, with having so many ways I have seen so many different lakes and trees and nature and God knows how much I love to see these things. Thank you, God. I wouldn’t have to leave quite so early but we found this restaurant that is super great, and the price isn’t bad either. It gives us time to talk and encourage one another. Thank you, God, for directing us to this place off the main road, and also good I don’t like traffic so thank you for clearing the way.

Lord, I know it was kind of a bright drive today, but I am so glad to see the sunshine and so beautifully off a bunch of pheasants along the road. Worship is always good in the morning and gets us ready to learn your word. I am grateful to have someone riding with me to help with directions because of the different roads we take. I have had a chance to hear many scriptures from my rider and he even reads questions, so we study, and have had so many prayers and got to know some of the things on his heart that are things on mine. Thank you for a brother in Christ who builds me up and helps me with my studies and be a navigator. You knew I needed one. Well, on our way home now; earlier than I expected and then I can prepare for tomorrow.

Sunday morning, oh no button broke; that’s ok maybe time to retire those old pants that are getting faded.  Besides God gave me better stuff anyway for free that was a tailored fit! The sound board is acting up, but I know you have it under control and when things go wrong you always have a great message to be heard. In-ears were buzzing but it will get better, and it did. Well, got a call and I am leading today last minute. But it’s all good, I know all the songs. Thank you, Lord, for giving me so many talented people and allowing me so many breaks so I can focus on school. They were all songs I love to lead, and the service was off the hook even though rehearsal was tough.  You made it all happen and the Holy Spirit showed up and touched people today.  Seems as though I do not get much time with my wife, but she was able to go out with her sister and our 2 daughters. So funny that my grandson was afraid of me, I shaved my beard, and he sure was looking at me weird.    

It would be very easy to focus on the bad things and never see the blessings that are right in front of us all day long every day. 

Lord keep our ears hearing Your word, our hearts filled with Your love our eyes fixed on You, let us be that light to others. 

Start the day off praying, reading the word and look to God.   You will start seeing blessings if you slow down and pay attention to all the little things that make you smile and warm your heart.  Surround yourself with those that build you up. I have had so many blessings this past year I could not possibly list them. So I say to all who read this, quit focusing on things that are negative, thoughts and situations; and find the good things to think on and you will find the blessings that were there all the long.

Thank you all who read these and God please show them the blessings in their lives!                    

Have a great week Sincerely Your                                                                                                                                 

Worship Arts Pastor Kent Furch

Don't Judge the Book by its cover!

In 1 Samuel 15 we read about God rejecting Saul as the king of the Israelites.  Saul had failed to follow God's instructions so He decided there had to be a new king.  In chapter 16, Samuel is sent to anoint one of the sons of Jesse as the new king.  The first one Samuel saw as Eliab, and he figured that must be who God chose.  But God had someone else in mind and chose David.

The reason why Samuel thought Eliab was the one was because he apparently looked good and was tall.  A lot of times we do the same thing; base our opinion of someone on what we can see.  We see the clothes they are wearing, hear the music they listen to, any tattoos or piercings, the car they drive, etc. and base our opinion on that.  We go to their house and determine how good their family is by how nice or messy it is.  Even if we don't consciously do any of this, in the back of our minds we are forming an opinion of that person.

God doesn't work like that.  He looks at what is inside.  He looks at our heart.  He doesn't care if we have a nice clean home or a messy one.  He doesn't care if we have a ton of piercings or tattoos.  He doesn't care what kind of car we drive.  He cares about whether we have repented of our sins and made a choice to follow Him.

So what should we do?  Get to know that person you might not otherwise talk to based on how they look.  They might surprise you.  As Bob Beeman wrote in the Metal Devo "We all have something to add to this great mix of people we call "Christians” Even if they might not look like it.

Blessings,

Pastor Ryan Canaday