We will be in SLC, Utah for a few weeks. I will be preaching at the House of Prayer of Assembly on Sunday Oct 5 at 10AM and 5PM so come by and say hi if your in the area. We will be visiting with a few other churches as well, and doing some maintenance on the rv.
Update 10/12/08
Sorry it took so long to get back here with an update! I was having issues logging in, but that's all fixed now.
I had a great time in Salt Lake City! I preached at a Spanish assembly, that was interesting, and i enjoyed it. I don't know any Spanish at all, they had an interpreter. I was concerned about the language barrier, but of course that didn't matter to God. I preached the morning service, and then in the evening service God really showed up in a mighty way. It ended up being a healing service. I just threw out my notes, and didn't even get to open my bible. People just started piling up at the alter, and before i knew it three hours had just come and gone. It's really awesome to see God at work when we will just be obedient. I can't help but think of the blessing i would have missed out on, and everyone else there, had i just decided to "do my own thing". Ironically enough, the message i had prepared was about obedience. Obviously God had me prepare that message for a reason.
We are in Helena Montana, and will be preaching at Living Hope Fellowship on Sunday morning, Sept 28 at 10:30am. Come join us for a good word, and good fellowship!! God Bless You and see you there!
Update: We had a great time at this Church. Though they are small in number, they are large in heart and in Spirit. We could feel the presence of God as soon as we walked in the door. These are a great group of people, who truly have a heart to serve God! We can't wait to come back next year! May God continue to bless you all.
We have arrived in Ulm Montana. I will be holding bible study Sunday at 10AM , followed by worship service at 11AM. Come join us!!
I am not sure how long we will be in town here, but most likely for a few days anyway. Please continue to offer prayers for us, that God will continue to open doors, and that people have a heart to receive God's word.
We have arrived in Thompson Falls. I will be preaching the Sunday morning service tomorrow, September 14 at the Community Congregational Church. Service starts at 10:45, so come on out and see us. We will be in town until Tuesday morning, then we are off to Glacier National Park for a few days R&R before heading to the next town. Next on the schedule is Ulm, Mt on the 21st. Then is Helena, Mt on the 28th.
We have been in Kellogg Idaho ministering at the United Church of Kellogg. We have had a good time here, and the people are great. I started out Thursday evening, going through the rest of the week, and will finish up tomorrow (Sunday) morning. I have gotten some very good and encouraging feedback from some of the members, and so it seems we are accomplishing what God has sent us here to do!! The interim pastor (Pastor Ed) is such a great guy, with a heart of gold, and this church is lucky to have him even if only for a while. Please offer up your prayers as we prepare to leave this place and move on to the next location, in Thompson Falls, Mt.
Denominational walls are killing Gods church. Being in the mission field as a church evangelist, this fact becomes more and more evident every day. I have gotten such a wide variety of responses from pastors ranging from one extreme to the other. I have been told I was not saved and going to hell, all because I believe that God still heals people today; and I have been welcomed with open arms into places where I don’t even speak their language and an interpreter has to be used. You probably assume these responses came from denominations of differing fundamental beliefs, but they were all from people who are supposed to be Christian brothers and sisters.
The issue of denominational walls has been on my mind for some time. I was reading a daily devotional recently, and came across something regarding that exact issue. The following is an excerpt from that:
We must recognize that there is only one body. The longsuffering of God reaches out to believers who have the idea that only those in their church are right. That way of thinking is foolishness. It is foolishness for people to come to their communion table and think that their table is the only table. What about the hundreds of people who are sitting around their tables partaking of the bread and wine? Friend, the body of Christ consists of all who are in Christ.
The scriptures definitely say that all who are Christ’s at his coming will be changed. It seems that we cannot be all Christ’s unless something is done, and God will sweep away so many attitudes that are spoiling our unity. We must reach the place of perfect love.
Let us be careful that we do not in any way defile the body, because God is chastening the body and fitting it together. There is something deeper down in the spirit of the regenerated person when the impurities of life and of the flesh fall off. Oh, there is a resemblance, a likeness, a perfection of holiness, of love. O God, take away the weaknesses and all the depravities.
You will never advance in the kingdom unless you see that in every church there is a nucleus that has as real a God as you have.
Just because one believes in tongues and another does not, does not make one more holy than the other. Just because one believes in divine healing and another does not, does not make one more Christian than the other. These are the non-fundamental beliefs and have no bearing what so ever on a person’s salvation. What matters is the fundamental beliefs, that God sent his son Jesus to die on the cross for us to be raised again on the third day, that we might receive eternal life through him. If we share those fundamental beliefs than we ought to be united, regardless of denomination, working toward the same goal, God’s purpose.
It has been evident for some time that there is such complacency in the church today. So many people do not have the fire and passion to serve Christ. They come on Sunday morning, wear a smile and shake your hand, they sit lifeless in the pews, and that is all the contact they have with God until the next Sunday. They are set in their ways and that is just the way they like it. They are comfortable, and that is a dangerous place to be. I am beginning to realize that it doesn’t just stop there though. The complacency reaches far beyond the pews, and has taken hold of the men and women standing behind the pulpits. This is much more dangerous folks, because it does not just effect themselves, it is killing everyone in front of the pulpit as well.
It’s time for a change folks; it’s time to put our focus back on Christ. The church is not ours, it belongs to God. We are the bride of Christ, and it is time we started acting like it. But it all starts with you, if you expect nothing, that’s exactly what you will get. If you want to see a change then come expecting change. The key to seeing fruit come forth is expectation. We have to change the way we think. If we think we have it all figured out, that we have “arrived”, we couldn’t be farther from the truth. That is a dangerous place to be. If we feel we have nothing more to learn, then God can no longer use us.
We held service at the Four Square church in Saint Maries, Id yesterday. We have been here for a few weeks and really gotten to know some of the people here, and they have truly made us feel welcome. In the short time we have been here they have really made us feel like family. I would like to thank Pastor Steve for letting me be a part of the Sunday morning service while he was away on vacation. We are planning on a revival service here in a few weeks. I am excited about what God is going to do, we can't wait. Also thank you to Amy for allowing me play and sing with the worship team too.
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