Heart Condition

Greetings my dear brothers and sisters in Christ Jesus. I wanted to share a testimony with you of an experience that I had with a fellow brother in Christ. As we were traveling to our MNSOM class, we were discussing grumbling and the consequences it has on our walk and others, especially the effect grumbling has on leadership. We were led by the Holy Spirit to the exodus of the Israelites and the effects that the grumbling of the Israelites had on Moses. 

1. Firstly, having a grumbling heart can prolong us from receiving what God has for us.

The grumbling of the Israelites caused the journey to the promise land to be extended to 40 years when it was only meant to be around 11 days. 

2.  Secondly, a grumbling heart can blind us from what is right in front of us.

The grumbling of the Israelites led to a portion of them dying from eating the quail when the Lord had provided them manna. A grumbling heart can blind us from what is right in front of us.

3.  Thirdly, a grumbling heart can lead to dissension and cause divisions.

The grumbling of the Israelites led to Aaron and Miriam doubting Moses and his ability to lead which caused Moses much grief and led to Aaron and Miriam being disciplined. 

4.  Finally, a grumbling heart saps the strength of those around us and can discourage our loved ones, leading them to operate in the flesh, the sinful nature and ultimately spiritual death.

The grumbling of the Israelites led to Moses striking the rock in frustration and taking credit for the water for which God provided this action. Moses could not enter the promise land due to this action and lack of credit to God.

Brothers and sisters, I would encourage you, if you are struggling with grumbling, examine yourselves with the guidance of the Holy Spirit that you may address your heart and repent. 1 Thessalonians 5:12-18 (NIV) addresses how we are to conduct ourselves from day to day in regards to grumbling:

“[12] Now we ask you, brothers and sisters, to acknowledge those who work hard among you, who care for you in the Lord and who admonish you. [13] Hold them in the highest regard in love because of their work. Live in peace with each other. [14] And we urge you, brothers and sisters, warn those who are idle and disruptive, encourage the disheartened, help the weak, be patient with everyone. [15] Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always strive to do what is good for each other and for everyone else. [16] Rejoice always, [17] pray continually, [18] give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”

Thanksgiving needs to be practiced as it is a stance of worship to our Lord.

Brothers and sisters, James wrote, through the power of the Holy Spirit, about taming the tongue: 

“[3] When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal. [4] 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. [5] 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. [6] 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. [7] All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and sea creatures are being tamed and have been tamed by mankind, [8] but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. [9] With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God’s likeness. [10] Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be. [11] Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring? [12] My brothers and sisters, can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water.”

James 3:3-12 (NIV)

It is also written in James 4:11-12 (NIV):

“[11] Brothers and sisters, do not slander one another. Anyone who speaks against a brother or sister or judges them speaks against the law and judges it. When you judge the law, you are not keeping it, but sitting in judgment on it. [12] There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the one who is able to save and destroy. But you—who are you to judge your neighbor?”

Before I conclude, brothers and sisters, I want to go back to the story of Moses not being allowed to enter the promise land. Many of us view that as a punishment, right? However, thanks to the Holy Spirit, I gained a deeper understanding of our Lord. God knows the motivation of our hearts. HE knows our heart condition, where we are and what we are facing. Moses was old; he was tired, frustrated and spent. There was so much more work that needed to be done. What was revealed to me is that as much as not entering the promise land was a punishment, it was more of an act of love and mercy to Moses. He would enter the Lord's rest and be delivered from a grumbling, disobedient and stiffnecked people.

Brothers and sisters, words cannot express the joy I experienced in the revelation I received from the Holy Spirit. How thankful am I that we have a loving Heavenly Father. My words cannot fully express this love. I am grateful that He has placed me in a position in which I am able to share my joy in Him with you and the insight HE has blessed me with. Our God is so good! GLORY BE TO GOD ALMIGHTY!

I pray this word finds you well and may the grace and joyous favor of our Lord Jesus Christ, the unambiguous love of God, and the precious communion that we share in the Holy Spirit be yours continually! 

Pastor Dakota Swinton 

Make Life Count!

                      

The struggle is real when we encounter people. We all have our set of opinions and life influences that affect our decision-making process. The best way to look at things is to try and look through and into things and see people through the lens of the eyes of Jesus Christ.

How did Jesus Christ do things? How did he treat people?  How did he go from here to there? Read John 4 and see how Jesus a Jew treated a Samaritan woman. The fact that Jews were not supposed to talk with Samaritans didn’t stop Jesus. Nor did the fact that she had several husbands making her status the low of the low. How would you treat someone of that social standing? How have you treated people like that?

Our first words when meeting someone can be the time that person may come to open their hardened heart and seek to know Jesus. I know I would have in previous encounters, being honest, would have thought, “oh she’s one of them kind of women”.  There is no way I would have been able to talk with her at all, but now Jesus has changed my heart and molded me enough to care about everyone so I can be of help to someone in need.

At one time, I sometimes saw others as hopeless or worthless. God reminds me how hopeless I was and how many times I have fallen short in all I do and speak. We all fall short of the Glory of God and need Jesus as our Savior.

 Are you willing to set your opinions aside to help someone? Are you willing to stay where God has planted you? Are you willing to go where God has called you to go? Are you willing to say Love into someone’s life? Are you willing to sacrifice a dollar to help someone who needs food to eat? Are you willing to sacrifice your time to help someone? Are you willing to give everything God has given you to that person that so desperately needs it? You already know of the blessings in your life that has come from God. Are you willing to care enough to act with what God has given you?

Stand Firm in your Faith. Serve the Lord with all you’ve got. Share the abundance God has given you. Give to those in need. Pray for people. Fast so that God opens your eyes wider than before, and you receive revelation.

Are you storing up your treasures here on earth where they will go to waste? You need to start storing your treasures up in heaven and putting some bling in your crown. Quit worrying because God provides. Ask and it shall be given. Ask, seek, and knock on the door so it can be opened.  

Why do you judge others when you fall short yourself? Narrow is the gate we choose, and it may be tough, but cast away your burdens. What kind of fruit are you bearing? Are you a wise builder who builds your house on the rock Jesus Christ, that is the firm foundation? Or are you that foolish one who goes with the flow to the wide gate with all the flashy things of this world? Are you headed for the Fiery Furnace?

God sees your potential, do you? Use everything you can that God has given you to help the people around you. Do what God is calling you to do. Be strong and courageous. Use every opportunity given to you by the Lord. Choose to do the right thing! That’s MAKING LIFE COUNT! 

  God Bless You All!  Your Associate\ Worship Arts Pastor Kent Furch

God Never Changes

People change.  As they grow older, they change physically.  As they learn new things their way of thinking can change.  It is not uncommon to hear that, after a traumatic event, someone "changed their ways".

The weather changes.  Anyone living in Minnesota knows this well.  We can experience all four seasons in a single day.  Even for people not living in Minnesota, the seasons still change from Winter to Spring to Summer to Fall.  Even lighting can change as clouds roll in and out or the sun rises and sets.

Everything changes.  There is a line in the song "Tom Sawyer" by Rush that says, "Changes aren't permanent, but change is."  It is something that we can count on.  Sooner or later, things change.

 In fact, there is only one thing that never changes.

God.

In James 1 it says, He does not change like the shifting shadows.  In Psalms 102 it says, He will remain the same, His years never end.  In Malachi 3 God is quoted as saying "Because I the Lord do not change…"  These and several other verses throughout the Bible speak of God's unchanging nature.  

For some, that might hard to understand but think about this.  The God that made the heavens and the earth is the same God who is listening when we pray.  The God that put the stars in the sky and separated the night from the day is the same God who is waiting for us with open arms, waiting for us to ask Him to forgive us and guide us.  The God that made the birds in the sky and the fish in the sea is the same one that loves each and every one of us.

God never changes.  He is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

Pastor Ryan Canaday

Love Jesus More

In John 14:21 Jesus says, “Those who except my commandments and obey them are the ones who love me. And,because they love me, my father will love them. And I will love them and reveal myself to each of them.”

 Before I became a Christian, I used to live a life of drinking and doing drugs. And after years of prompting by the Lord, I finally excepted Jesus into my heart.

 But, even though I had excepted Jesus into my heart, I was still having a hard time  giving up smoking marijuana. Finally, after months of still smoking, I felt a conviction on my heart. I had to ask myself, or maybe the Holy Spirit was asking me,” who do I love more?”  Do I love Jesus more? Or do I love marijuana more? And the answer was, I love Jesus more. So right then and there, I gave up smoking marijuana.

 People that knew me back then, used to wonder how I gave up smoking marijuana, because I smoked it so much. And the answer was, and is, because I love Jesus more. Amen!

 And ever since, the Lord has always revealed himself to me. Even when he didn’t have to. Blessed be His name!

 God is Good!! Amen!

Pastor Perry Stands

Lukewarm

When you first think about the word lukewarm, you probably don't think about God or what it means beyond the water running from your faucet. But the Bible describes it as something negative in Revelations 3:14-22. Verse 16 it says, “So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth.”  It sounds harsh, but if you look further into the verse, you realize it means that someone may believe Jesus is real, but it doesn’t go much further for them. It only goes skin deep. Unless of course there's trouble in their lives. Then suddenly they start praying, asking for a change and listening to God’s music or reading the Bible. But when the storm is over, or they get what they need, all the praying stops and they go back to the same person as they were before. They forget the things they were promised or the reason for the blessings.

The Bible says even the devil believes so simply believing isn’t enough. James 2:18-26 talks about the fact that we need faith with our works to show we are followers of Christ. Because if you love God you will work to follow Him. Everyone's walk with God looks different. We all have gone through different traumas, experiences, hardships or struggles in our lives that will bring us to different goals. So do not compare yourself to another person, because what you went through is different than what they may have gone through. You will deal with something easier or harder than the next person. God wants us to follow Him, not someone's else's version of their story. We are all unique and special because we are creations of God. He wants to use us for His glory. So, comparing ourselves to another will dim the light God has in us because we have a unique purpose and reason for being here. Our purpose will look different from someone else's, but we should always be bearing the fruit of the Lord. Jesus should be seen coming through our lives not just from our mouths. Other people should be able to see the faith, see the works, see the Jesus in you. If you're in the beginning of your walk with God, remember that as long as you are seeking God's direction every day, He is walking with you. Even when you make mistakes, repent, and start anew. What God asks all of us to do daily is to renew a right spirit in us from Him.

Blessing,

Pastor Rae Lynn

Keep Your Word

Greetings my brothers and sisters in Christ,

I pray this message finds you well. In my walk with Christ over the past couple weeks, I have been faced with many trials and temptations with discipline and correction, as well as many revelations, one being the importance of knowing the Word of God so when the enemy is screaming at you lies and temptations you will be able to recognize the voice of the Holy Spirit reminding and guiding you in truth when we are tempting to go the way that seems right but leads to death. I have also been reminded of the importance of waiting on the Lord before making any kind of decision, whether it be small or large. For if we do not learn to go to God with the things that seem small and insignificant, how do we know to go and recognize him with the big and overwhelming things? As it is written:

“Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much. Luke 16:10 NIV

As I said, I have been through many trials as of late and my character has been tested immensely, yet I am grateful for it is written:

"In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed." 1 Peter 1:6-7 NIV

With all this being said, I want to share with you a lesson the Lord walked me through. With these trials, I faced the temptation to withhold something I had given my word to give. As I went to the Lord in prayer over this situation, I was led to these scriptures.

"When you make a vow to God, do not delay to fulfill it. He has no pleasure in fools; fulfill your vow. It is better not to make a vow than to make one and not fulfill it. Do not let your mouth lead you into sin. And do not protest to the temple messenger, “My vow was a mistake.” Why should God be angry at what you say and destroy the work of your hands?" Ecclesiastes 5:4-6 NIV

“Again, you have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘Do not break your oath, but fulfill to the Lord the vows you have made.’ But I tell you, do not swear an oath at all: either by heaven, for it is God’s throne; or by the earth, for it is his footstool; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King. And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make even one hair white or black. All you need to say is simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything beyond this comes from the evil one. Matthew 5:33-37 NIV

“What do you think? There was a man who had two sons. He went to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work today in the vineyard.’ “ ‘I will not,’ he answered, but later he changed his mind and went. “Then the father went to the other son and said the same thing. He answered, ‘I will, sir,’ but he did not go. “Which of the two did what his father wanted?” “The first,” they answered. Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you; the tax collectors and the prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God ahead of you." Matthew 21:28-31 NIV

And then, finally I was led to the story of Anaias and Sapphira which reads:

"Now a man named Ananias, together with his wife Sapphira, also sold a piece of property. With his wife’s full knowledge, he kept back part of the money for himself, but brought the rest and put it at the apostles’ feet. Then Peter said, “Ananias, how is it that Satan has so filled your heart that you have lied to the Holy Spirit and have kept for yourself some of the money you received for the land? Didn’t it belong to you before it was sold? And after it was sold, wasn’t the money at your disposal? What made you think of doing such a thing? You have not lied just to human beings but to God.” When Ananias heard this, he fell down and died. And great fear seized all who heard what had happened. Then some young men came forward, wrapped up his body, and carried him out and buried him. About three hours later his wife came in, not knowing what had happened. Peter asked her, “Tell me, is this the price you and Ananias got for the land?” “Yes,” she said, “that is the price.” Peter said to her, “How could you conspire to test the Spirit of the Lord? Listen! The feet of the men who buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out also.” At that moment she fell down at his feet and died. Then the young men came in and, finding her dead, carried her out and buried her beside her husband. Great fear seized the whole church and all who heard about these events. Acts 5:1-11 NIV

And I will ask you dear brothers and sisters the same question the Holy Spirit asked me: Do you need such an extreme example as Anaias and Sapphira to keep your word? Or will you be a child of the Lord and be one of integrity and high reproach?

Brothers and Sisters, we are to live out this life as ambassadors of Heaven, to be carriers of the light of Christ to be images of the highest God. I implore all of you, if you are struggling to keep your word, repent and go to the Father to be corrected and built up that you may be men and women of integrity, not just hearers of the Word but doers also.

May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you always and may his peace be with you.

Pastor Dakota Swinton

God Provides, But We May Have to Go Get It Or Do Something For It To Happen

We serve the One True God who supplies all our needs.

·         Philippians 4:19 - But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.

While the Israelites wandered in the desert, God provided manna from heaven that had to be collected each day and twice as much the day before the Sabbath.

·         Exodus 16:4-5; 15-27; 31 - 4Then said the Lord unto Moses, Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you; and the people shall go out and gather a certain rate every day, that I may prove them, whether they will walk in my law or no. 5And it shall come to pass that on the sixth day they shall prepare that which they bring in; and it shall be twice as much as they gather daily.

·         15And when the children of Israel saw it, they said one to another, It is manna; for they wist not what it was. And Moses said unto them, This is the bread which the Lord hath given you to eat. 16This is the thing which the Lord hath commanded. Gather of it every man according to his eating, an omer for every man, according to the number of your persons; take ye every man for them which are in his tents. 17And the children of Israel did so, and gathered, some more, some less. 18And when they did mete it with an omer, he that gathered much had nothing over, and he that gathered little had no lack; they gathered every man according to his eating. 19And Moses said, Let no man leave of it till the morning. 20 Notwithstanding they hearkened not unto Moses; but some of them left of it until the morning, and it bred worms, and stank: and Moses was wroth with them. 21 And they gathered it every morning, every man according to his eating: and when the sun waxed hot, it melted. 22 And it came to pass, that on the sixth day they gathered twice as much bread, two omers for one man: and all the rulers of the congregation came and told Moses. 23 And he said unto them, This is that which the Lord hath said, To morrow is the rest of the holy sabbath unto the Lord: bake that which ye will bake to day, and seethe that ye will seethe; and that which remaineth over lay up for you to be kept until the morning. 24 And they laid it up till the morning, as Moses bade: and it did not stink, neither was there any worm therein. 25 And Moses said, Eat that to day; for to day is a sabbath unto the Lord: to day ye shall not find it in the field. 26 Six days ye shall gather it; but on the seventh day, which is the sabbath, in it there shall be none. 27 And it came to pass, that there went out some of the people on the seventh day for to gather, and they found none.

·         31And the house of Israel called the name thereof Manna; and it was like coriander seed, white; and the taste of it was like wafers made with honey.

An omer is a dry measuring tool, equivalent to about 7.5 pints.

??? Why wasn't there manna on the 7th day?

God designated the 7th day the Sabbath, a day of rest.

·         Exodus 16:28-29 - 28And the Lord said unto Moses, How long refuse ye to keep my commandments and my laws? 29See, for the Lord hath given you the sabbath, therefore he giveth you on the sixth day the bread of two days; abide ye every man in his place on the seventh day. 30So the people rested on the seventh day.

Also, in the wilderness, God provides water.

·         3 And the people thirsted there for water; and the people murmured against Moses, and said, Wherefore is this that thou hast brought us up out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and our cattle with thirst? 4 And Moses cried unto the Lord, saying, What shall I do unto this people? they be almost ready to stone me. 5 And the Lord said unto Moses, Go on before the people, and take with thee of the elders of Israel; and thy rod, wherewith thou smotest the river, take in thine hand, and go. 6 Behold, I will stand before thee there upon the rock in Horeb; and thou shalt smite the rock, and there shall come water out of it, that the people may drink. And Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel. 7 And he called the name of the place Massah, and Meribah, because of the chiding of the children of Israel, and because they tempted the Lord, saying, Is the Lord among us, or not?

God provides jobs - we need to go to work to earn money to buy what we need. Sometimes, God has others bring food when we are experiencing hard times.

God did provide food for Elijah to eat. This time He sent ravens to bring it to Elijah.

·         Exodus 17:2-6 - 2And the word of the Lord came unto him, saying, 3Get thee hence, and turn thee eastward, and hide thyself by the brook Cherith, that is before Jordan. 4And it shall be, that thou shalt drink of the brook; and I have commanded the ravens to feed thee there. 5So, he went and did according unto the word of the Lord; for 6And the ravens brought him bread and flesh in the morning, and bread and flesh in the evening; and he drank of the brook.

Gifts for Service - We need to use the gifts God gives us.

·         1 Corinthian 12:31 - But covet earnestly the best gifts and yet shew I unto you a more excellent way.

·         1 Corinthian 14:1 - Follow after charity, and desire spiritual gifts, but rather that ye may prophesy.

God provides seeds, bugs, and worms for the birds, but they have to hunt for them. Have you ever seen a robin pull an earth worm out of the ground? It takes a bit of effort, but they do it!

Another name God has is Jehovah-Jireh, my provider.

·         Genesis 22:14: And Abraham called the name of that place Jehovah-jireh: as it is said to this day, In the mount of Jehovah it shall be provided. (ASV)

Thank you for reading! Make sure to thank God for all He provides!

God Bless!

Vicky Conklin-Johnson

Seek Him and He will Guide You

  As a Little House on the Prairie fan (books and 1970s/80s tv show), you may hear me talk about Laura Ingalls or the highly fictionalized tv show about her life.  This is one of those moments. There is an episode where the girls are getting ready for their very first day of school and Laura asks Ma, “How long is all this learning going to take?”  Ma replies, “We start learning the minute we’re born, Laura.  And if we are wise, we don’t stop until the Lord calls us home.”

The Bible is FULL of scriptures that talk about learning, wisdom, growing, and attaining knowledge; just look at Proverbs.  Proverbs is an entire book full of wise advice and guidance for living life.

Over the past couple of weeks, God has been teaching me about seeking Him regarding how I spend my time and order our weekdays. The older kids are back in school, and we have said goodbye to the carefree days of summer and are adjusting to the new “school year routine”.  For most of us in the family, we function well with a plan, so I decided to make a basic daily schedule.  I sat down to start putting it together, and just felt off, almost like a fish out of water.  It was odd to feel that way, as this is not a new thing to us, but I pushed through, made a schedule, and felt good that it was done and ready to implement.

The next morning, I woke up and the second I opened my eyes I had an “Ah-Ha” moment! I thought “I didn’t ask God to help me!!” That was why it felt so off!  As believers, we can go about our days without the Lord guiding us, but how much better will it be when we ask Him to?  Psalm 143 is David pleading with God for guidance and deliverance from his enemies, but we can apply a lot of that chapter to our lives, as well. 

“Cause me to hear Your lovingkindness in the morning, For in You I do trust; Cause me to know the way in which I should walk, For I lift my soul up to you.”                                   ~Psalms 143:8

“Teach me to do Your will, for You are my God”                                                               ~Psalms 143:10a

            These are a couple of the verses that stood out to me that morning. Needless to say, I have been praying specifically about our school year routine/schedule, found a devotional on my Bible app on Time Management, and we’re getting there.  It’s a busy season of life, but with the Lord showing me “the way in which I should walk”, I’m learning how to better manage our home, our family and our time, even after all these years.  Life changes and brings new seasons of life, we need to be open to changes the Lord wants to see in us, as well.

            What are some areas God has been prompting you to grow or learn more in?  Take time to seek His will, ask Him to help you find resources that will help you grow or learn more in that area, find others that have experience in that topic.  The point is, seek Him and He will guide You. 

“Show me Your ways, O Lord; Teach me Your Paths.  Lead me in Your truth and teach me, For You are the God of my salvation. On You, I wait all the day.”                                          ~Psalms 25:4-5

Pastor Ann Canaday

Leading a Double Life

You know or maybe you don’t know about going to church, doing great when your there, but as soon as the next day rolls around, Bam!! back to the same things you were doing. We should not be living like this if we are a Christian. When we pray for people at church and sing songs of praise declaring the word of God over things and even say verses throughout our Sunday and Wednesday services but when we leave, that other guy is the one in control for the rest of the week. We claim things when we are in the church building but then do the opposite when we leave. 

It’s not what we do inside of the church building but outside of it that has the biggest impact on people. You are the one that is going to be effective in your circle of influence enough that people would want to have a relationship with God. We can either share our life led by the Holy Spirit or else it’s just our weaknesses we share with them. 

Leading this double life or being double minded may be a better way of saying it. A double-minded person is always going to be confused because he is always fighting against himself in all he does, never being able to use all his energy and motivation for good. There will be Constant chaos because being our old self is completely opposite of what God has for us. Our minds are constantly fighting with good and bad things about what we should do versus what we do. Our own hearts lie to us and are deceitful. 

Double-minded comes from the Greek word dipsuchos “meaning a person with 2 minds or 2 souls”

James 1: 5 If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. 6 But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. 7 That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. 8 Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do. 

Matthew 6:20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. 

 22 “The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are healthy, [a] your whole body will be full of light. 23 But if your eyes are unhealthy, [b] your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!  24 “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money. 

James 3:3 When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal. 4 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. 5 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. 6 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 4:8 Come near to God, and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Living a double life, you don’t have the faith you need to succeed. Faith is what brings us to the right thinking with the right mind and pure heart. 17 Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ. 

Luke 11:9 “So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 10 For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.  11 “Which of you fathers, if your son asks for[a] a fish, will give him a snake instead? 12 Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? So, our Father in Heaven if we ask will give us a pure Heart!

Faith and building our faith is what gives us that solid foundation and our old self is not fed anymore. Hebrews 11: 6 And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him. 

I know for sure I want that reward in my life! Read Chapter 11 of Hebrews and you will find men of faith. Hebrews12: 1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.  

Run the race God has set out before you! So, we should build up our Faith so we can be of strong mind never staying to the left or the right but staying focused on Jesus Christ our perfector of our faith! When we leave our place of worship and forget everything we have read and heard and said we are like the one who looks in the mirror and forgets what he looks like. If we constantly train ourselves to read, speak and pray and sing the word we will be changed into what God wants us to be. 

We need to live by the word of God and focus on receiving from the Holy Spirit. We do not have to live like the rest of the world. We have the power of the Holy Spirit in us if we have had the Romans 10:9-10 experience.  9 If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved . 

So are you doubting what Jesus has done on the cross? Come on People! Gods word never changes and His plan for our lives does not change He wants to reach us and reach people through us being a vessel that the Holy Spirit can work through.  

Do you do everything the world does? Ask yourself that. Brothers and sisters this should not be so. Praising and cursing coming from the same mouth? Can both salt water and fresh water come from the same spring?  

We should be focused on the truth and that truth that never changes is the word of God. I want wisdom that will be of sound mind from Heaven! James 3: 17-18 is what I want my heart to be. We should pray Duet. 30:6 6 The Lord your God will circumcise your hearts and the hearts of your descendants, so that you may love him with all your heart and with all your soul, and live. Love him with all your heart and Live! Looking back on my life I want to remember those I have talked with and helped because of God and led to Christ knowing that they will someday be in heaven! 

What is it you can help people with? Be the blessing that God has called you to be. It always starts with one step in the right direction. Asking Jesus into your heart would be a great first step, reading the word would be another great step, helping someone out would be a good step. Whatever the first step is ask God to be the leader of your life and follow in the steps he has already made for you. 

I hope you all have had a great week and pray this has reminded you who you are called to be or for the first time you know there is a God that calls you to a greater life led by following His word and Him, Jesus! God bless ya’ll                                                                      

Your Associate / worship Pastor  

Kent Furch 

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