​December 4, 2022
It is now December. What a beautiful time of year. I love the lights. Jesus is the Light. It is His name. There can be no darkness where there is light. “Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.” John 8:12 Lights remind me of His love.
 
The last few weeks He has been talking to me about faith. I’ve known to walk in faith in Him since I was saved at 9. I had hope, and believed the impossible. “Now faith brings our hopes into reality and becomes the foundation needed to acquire the things we long for. It is all the evidence required to prove what is still unseen.” Hebrews 11:1 Hope is the earnest expectation of good. We hope for what is unseen. Once it is seen, we can no longer have to hope in that. I think in March 2020 when there was a sudden tsunami of fear that crashed over this world there were so much deception and evil lies that the enemy blinded many eyes from ever having an earnest expectation of good again. People don’t want to hope for the unseen. The power of fear is still so apparent in the ways of the world and without a Savior people will not have earnest expectation of good. It is devastating to see the affects of fear that has no love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control because these are the fruit of the Spirit. Hopelessness makes the heart sick. Without faith there is no hope. Faith brings our hopes into reality. To walk in the fullness of this Christmas season we must focus on His love that casts out all fear and share this love with everyone.
 
This time of year, is an incredible time of anticipation. We focus on preparing for Christmas and anticipating what the season will be like for weeks before. We have hopes and expectations of good and anticipate, which is an excitement of something good that is about to happen, a peaceful, joy filled Christmas season. If that hope and anticipation are not founded in Jesus then we are we are headed for disappointments and fear gets ahold of us knowing our anticipations and our hopes, are not in Him. We go from anticipation and hope to expectation.
 
Whenever we have expectations in and on people, places, things or positions we have replaced our hope in what can fail. When people, places, things or positions fail us, which they will, we can lose hope in everything. We can only have our true hope in Jesus. No matter what plans you make, how well they are thought through, without them being the plans of our Father, they will fail to satisfy you. “For I’m releasing these words to you this day, yes, even to you, so that your living hope will be found in God alone, for he is the only one who is always true.” Proverbs 22:19
 
The only truth we can count on without doubt and put all our faith, hope, and anticipation in is our Lord and Savior. Anything you expect, hope or anticipate that’s not of Him will not satisfy the longing inside you. I read this the other day. Once you have been exposed to the Kingdom of God it is no longer acceptable to start with what you don’t have. Change your heart to have earnest expectation and anticipation of only good! Don’t give lack thinking a place to land in your heart and mind. “Here’s what I’ve learned through it all: Don’t give up; don’t be impatient; be entwined as one with the Lord. Be brave and courageous, and never lose hope. Yes, keep on waiting—for he will never disappoint you!” Psalm 27:14
 
“Human strength and the weapons of man are false hopes for victory; they may seem mighty, but they will always disappoint.” Psalm 33:17
 
“He’s the hope that holds me and the stronghold to shelter me, the only God for me, and my great confidence.” Psalm 91:2
 
 
“But hold your hope firmly to the end and you will experience life and deliverance.” Matthew 24:13
 
“Glory to God in the highest realms of heaven! For there is peace and a good hope given to the sons of men.” Luke 2:14
 
“God sent his word to the Jewish people first, announcing the wonderful news of hope and peace through Jesus, the Anointed One, the Lord of all.” Acts 10:36
 
“Against all odds, when it looked hopeless, Abraham believed the promise and expected God to fulfill it. He took God at his word, and as a result he became the father of many nations. God’s declaration over him came to pass: “Your descendants will be so many that they will be impossible to count!”
Romans 4:18
 
“Our faith guarantees us permanent access into this marvelous kindness that has given us a perfect relationship with God. What incredible joy bursts forth within us as we keep on celebrating our hope of experiencing God’s glory!” Romans 5:2
 
“And this hope is not a disappointing fantasy, because we can now experience the endless love of God cascading into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who lives in us!” Romans 5:5
 
“For this is the hope of our salvation. But hope means that we must trust and wait for what is still unseen. For why would we need to hope for something we already have?” Romans 8:24
 
“Let this hope burst forth within you, releasing a continual joy. Don’t give up in a time of trouble, but commune with God at all times.” Romans 12:12
 
“Now may God, the fountain of hope, fill you to overflowing with uncontainable joy and perfect peace as you trust in him. And may the power of the Holy Spirit continually surround your life with his super-abundance until you radiate with hope!” Romans 15:13
 
“Living within you is the Christ who floods you with the expectation of glory! This mystery of Christ, embedded within us, becomes a heavenly treasure chest of hope filled with the riches of glory for his people, and God wants everyone to know it!” Colossians 1:27
 
The next few weeks as you continue to prepare for Christmas keep your mind and heart focused on the only true Hope. He is the only hope that is beyond a shadow of doubt. If you find yourself doubting Him and His love, then take extra time to get into the Word and know His love is true and never fails. Expect ONLY good from Him. Let all your hope and earnest expectations of good be in Him alone and watch how He will minister to your heart. Everything else in this world will disappoint and fail you. No matter what efforts you put forth in anything you do, it will never satisfy or fulfill the deep longing in your heart that only He can fill. Give Him a chance this Christmas season to be your All in all. “So now wrap your heart tightly around the hope that lives within us, knowing that God always keeps his promises!” Hebrews 10:23  Have a blessed, peace, joy and hope filled Christmas season knowing that He came to give you life and life more abundant. Expect that 😊
 
 

​November 27, 2022
One of my favorite parts of the story of the birth of our Savior, is when the angel told Mary she would have this baby Jesus. “During the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, the angel Gabriel was sent from God’s presence to an unmarried girl named Mary, living in Nazareth, a village in Galilee. She was engaged to a man named Joseph, a true descendant of King David.  Gabriel appeared to her and said, “Rejoice, beloved young woman, for the Lord is with you and you are anointed with great favor.”
 
Mary was deeply troubled over the words of the angel and bewildered over what this may mean for her. But the angel reassured her, saying, “Do not yield to your fear, Mary, for the Lord has found delight in you and has chosen to surprise you with a wonderful gift. You will become pregnant with a baby boy, and you are to name him Jesus. He will be supreme and will be known as the Son of the Highest. And the Lord God will enthrone him as King on the throne of his ancestor David. He will reign as King of Israel forever, and his reign will have no limit.”
 
Mary said, “But how could this happen? I am still a virgin!” Gabriel answered, “The Spirit of Holiness will fall upon you and almighty God will spread his shadow of power over you in a cloud of glory! This is why the child born to you will be holy, and he will be called the Son of God. What’s more, your aged aunt, Elizabeth, has also become pregnant with a son. The ‘barren one’ is now in her sixth month.  “Not one promise from God is empty of power. Nothing is impossible with God!” Then Mary responded, saying, “Yes! I will be a mother for the Lord! As his servant, I accept whatever he has for me. May everything you have told me come to pass.” And the angel left her.” Luke 1:26-38 Passion Bible
 
Mary was startled and didn’t understand what the Angel was saying to her but do you notice what the angel said? “Do not yield to your fear,”. Your fear. Wow! When we have fear, it is our fear we have chosen to yield to. That’s a powerful truth to mediate on. Mary believed. When she didn’t yield to her fear, Mary had peace. The past couple weeks the Lord has been showing me that I have made a decision to yield to my fear.
 
The last couple of years all of us have had a life shift, an actual “suddenly” that effected our lives in some way. The Word tells us what the reaping and outcome of a godless nation and world would look like. He has told us through His Word how to prepare our hearts for such a time. When our world got turned upside down almost 3 years ago, I didn’t have much fear. I listened to faith-based news believing and trusting the Lord. I trust Him with all my heart, but my own understanding creeps in sometimes. I have to resist the temptation to fear.
 
But fear got in my heart big time! In what way? With making sure we had enough food, water, and were prepared for the nuke attack that is supposedly inevitable. I heard words that were not God based but fear based and let them in. I’m sharing this today because I know I cannot be the only one. The picture that has been painted for the holidays is very gloom. I took extra efforts to be sure we would have enough food. But then the thought comes, “What is enough?” Right there was the clue I wasn’t trusting Him because HE IS ENOUGH!! He told me to remember that I was taught from childhood to always have food. As farmers and a self-employed family, you always prepared for a tough winter. We always have food in our freezers, canned goods, a wood stove, a gas stove, and the basic stuff for eating for a couple months, probably more like 6 months at least. Yet, I thought I wasn’t prepared enough because of FEAR. I think my real fear was being sure I could take care of Mom. That’s a huge responsibility and I wanted ENOUGH☹. It hurts me to write this and that I let my heart go that far but I know I am not the only one. I got where I was snipping at Ed if he used too much butter since it was a staple I wanted to not run out of. He just went on using the butter😊. The Lord has been working on my heart daily for the last couple years peeling away the “not enoughs” that creeped in with all the situations that happened. Not enough help, not enough time, not enough finances, too many bills, not enough fellowship, not enough room, not enough at church, not enough love, and the list goes on.
 
I’m so grateful Mary didn’t have that answer. Mary didn’t yield to fear so her heart was open to say, “Yes! I will be a mother for the Lord! As his servant, I accept whatever he has for me. May everything you have told me come to pass.” As His servant, I accept whatever He has for me. That is how I want to answer Him when He speaks to my heart. That is my desire.
 
One of my next favorite parts of this story is in Luke 2:21-35. This is where Joseph and Mary take Jesus to be dedicated. An elderly man, Simeon, was waiting for them to come. “For the Holy Spirit had revealed to him, Simeon, that he would not see death before he saw the Messiah, the Anointed One of God. Keeping his promise, the Holy Spirit led Simeon to be in the temple court at the very moment Jesus’ parents entered to fulfill the requirement of the sacrifice.” (26-27) Simeon means, “he who hears”. I want to be a Simeon. I do hear and I do believe but this attack of fear coming from my position of responsibility took me off course. I did hear the Lord say, “you have prepared with supplies, you have enough. I AM ENOUGH”. Sometimes we hear, listen to understand, and take to heart the wrong advice. It’s “that take to heart” part. My heart wasn’t guarded but consumed with responsibility instead of faith, trust, hope, joy and love. We can hear and listen to warnings and suggestions but then we must filter those words through the I AM ENOUGH truth. We have made declarations, we’ve spoken His Truth into our lives and for me, I am living in His peace this Christmas season. “For God will never give you the spirit of fear, but the Holy Spirit who gives you mighty power, love, and self-control.” 2 Timothy 1:7
 
The last few months I cannot say that I answered as readily as Mary. I did yield to MY fear. We all do at some point but the answer is not to stay there but to spend so much time in His presence that you know that you know how much you are loved by Him. If He says we can do this, we can. He gave us a way to live and walk in all of His promises but we have to trust, believe and obey. When we give in to the power of deceit, we get going in in whirlwind of waves that tosses us to and fro, up and down. If we are not putting His truths in our heart, meditating on His promises, letting the Holy Spirit flow through us and not being still to know He is I Am, we end up with some fear.  Knowing without a shadow of doubt that He loves me no matter what and that His love is unconditional changed how I can come to the throne of grace. “So now wrap your heart tightly around the hope that lives within us, knowing that God always keeps his promises!” Hebrews 10:23
 
My fear is this area of “being prepared for the worst” is being healed and gone. I now choose His promises and  seek Him daily, hourly, minute by minute. I let His love saturate my heart so I can trust, believe and obey His words for me. “You’re my place of quiet retreat, and your wraparound presence becomes my shield as I wrap myself in your Word!” Psalm 119:114
 
During this Christmas season take extra time to seek Him. Desire to be as prepared in your heart, not in this world, as Mary was. To trust the Lord with all your heart, to believe him and know not one promise from God is empty of power. Nothing is impossible with God! His love for us is beyond our comprehension but with Him living in us and through His grace and the Holy Spirit we can have all He has for us if we choose to. Don’t yield to your fears. Cast your fears on Him.
 
For me, I am making this the best Christmas ever, not the worst. My heart is full of ideas to share His love with my kids, grandchildren, great-granddaughter and others in special ways that He is showing me. It’s not gloom time like some speak, but a time to speak and believe “Not one promise from God is empty of power. Nothing is impossible with God!” Make a choice to let Him guide you in amazing ways this Christmas season. People are seeking and we KNOW their answer.

​November 20, 2022
Happy Thanksgiving!! What a blessing to have a holiday that hasn’t been too corrupted by the world. Thanksgiving is about Giving Thanks. Thanksgiving’s beginning is our roots. This part of history has been taken out of school. How sad. I was teaching the Children’s Church class that if there wasn’t a first Thanksgiving, there wouldn’t be an America as we know it today. The Pilgrims came to a new land because they wanted freedom to worship God as they desired. England told them what church to go to. The first Thanksgiving was about the Pilgrims thanking the Natives for all their help and friendship. They were thankful to God daily throughout that first winter and thankful for their harvest. That thankfulness to God is the foundation of this country. The country has strayed far from that. Thanksgiving is to celebrate our country’s birth. I can say so much about the beginnings, but thankful hearts to our heavenly Father was the foundation.
 
We all have so much to be thankful for. No matter the circumstances and challenges life has thrown at us, we walk through those valleys because of the love of our Father and Jesus. He loves us with an everlasting love and His mercies are new every morning. Each day as I watch the sun rise, the display of His glory for this new day is just breath taking. How can we not believe in Him and His love?
 
We’ve been pastoring for close to 30 years. The heart of a pastor cares so much for the people. We can’t even explain our love and thankfulness for each of you. The Lord called us to share His love with you. We don’t always know how to do that but we can sincerely say our hearts have always been to love people, no matter what, and show them that love through Him. The last couple weeks I have been reading through 1 and 2 Thessalonians in The Passion Translation. There’s so much wisdom and revelation in these Books but the main thread running through it is how Paul is so grateful for these Believers. It touched my heart as I read it and I decided I wanted to share this with you during this Thanksgiving season. These scriptures share our heart of how we feel for you. We pray for you and we care as a mother and father. We appreciate each one of you and rejoice in your love for Jesus and that you are going forward sharing His love everywhere. We thank the Lord for bringing you to this church family. We take our calling seriously, with deep commitment, thankfulness and honor. Thank you for loving us. We are so blessed.
 
We are grateful to God for your lives and we always pray for you. For we remember before our God and Father how you put your faith into practice, how your love motivates you to serve others, and how unrelenting is your hope-filled patience in our Lord Jesus Christ. 
Dear brothers and sisters, you are dearly loved by God and we know that he has chosen you to be his very own. 
The message of the Lord has sounded out from you not only in Greece, but its echo has been heard in every place where people are hearing about your strong faith. We don’t need to brag on you, for everyone tells the story of the kind of welcome you showed us when we first came to you. And everyone knows how wonderfully you turned to God from idols to serve the true and living God. 1 Thessalonians 1:2-5, 8-9
 
  We cared for you in the same way a nursing mother cares for her own children. With a mother’s love and affectionate attachment to you, we were very happy to share with you not only the gospel of God but also our lives—because you had become so dear to us. 
   And you know how affectionately we treated each one of you, like a loving father cares for his own children. We comforted and encouraged you and challenged you to adopt a lifestyle worthy of God, who invites you into his kingdom and glory. 
This is why we continually thank God for your lives, because you received our message wholeheartedly. You embraced it not as the fabrication of men but as the word of God. And the word continues to be an energizing force in you who believe.
For what will be our confident hope, our exhilarating joy, or our wonderful trophy that we will boast in before our Lord Jesus at his appearing?  It is you! Yes, you are our glorious pride and joy! 1 Thessalonians 2:7-8.11-13,19-20
 
  How could we ever thank God enough for all the wonderful joy that we feel before our God because of you? 1 Thessalonians 3:9
 
 There’s no need for anyone to say much to you about loving your fellow believers, for God is continually teaching you to unselfishly love one another. Indeed, your love is what you’re known for throughout Macedonia. We urge you, beloved ones, to let this unselfish love increase and flow through you more and more. Aspire  to lead a calm and peaceful life as you mind your own business  and earn your living, just as we’ve taught you. By doing this you will live an honorable life, influencing others and commanding respect of even the unbelievers. Then you’ll be in need of nothing and not dependent upon others. 1 Thessalonians 4:9-12
 
Dear brothers and sisters, make sure that you show your deep appreciation for those who cherish you and diligently work as ministers among you. For they are your leaders who care for you, teach you, and stand before the Lord on your behalf. They value you with great love. Because of their service to you, let peace reign among yourselves. Let joy be your continual feast.  Make your life a prayer. And in the midst of everything be always giving thanks, for this is God’s perfect plan for you in Christ Jesus.
1 Thessalonians 5:12-13, 16-18
 
We always have to thank God for you, brothers and sisters, for you are dearly loved by the Lord. He proved it by choosing you from the beginning for salvation through the Spirit, who set you apart for holiness, and through your belief in the truth. To this end he handpicked you for salvation through the gospel so that you would have the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. So then, dear family, stand firm with a masterful grip of the teachings we gave you, either by word of mouth or by our letter. Now may the Lord Jesus Christ and our Father God, who loved us and in his wonderful grace gave us eternal comfort and a beautiful hope that cannot fail, encourage your hearts and inspire you with strength to always do and speak what is good and beautiful in his eyes. 2 Thessalonians 2:13-17
 

​November 13, 2022
Oh, it’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas! Yes, I am one who loves Christmas, the lights, the decorations, the music, the older movies, and most of all sharing the true story of Jesus coming to earth as a baby who will be our Savior. He came to make a New Covenant with God. He took our place as a sacrifice and we can now be in Him if we receive Him into our hearts. I know Thanksgiving is just a few days away also. Giving thanks for all He has given us, for the precious Word of God that guides us and leads us in all ways and for Him coming to earth to take our place and redeem us from all unrighteousness, is the very greatest gift of all. There’s nothing comparable in this world. Thankfulness is one of the greatest heart attitudes we can have to receive anything He has for us.
 
As I sought the Lord this week, He asked me a question and then asked me to ask Him a question. This is what He said to ask Him, “What is on Your heart, Lord?”  So, I asked and this was His answer, “My heart is for you to know how much I love YOU. I’m not focused on your flaws, your impatience, your plans. Even though I will guide you when you ask for guidance that isn’t my focus. Do you truly know I love you? Do you know My love deeply? Do you feel My love pouring over you? You cannot take credit for the love you have for Me. You have MY love because you have Me. Care for My love in your heart like a precious treasure. Protect it, guard it, fight for it. Don’t let other thoughts and ways cover it up. Let it shine! Don’t blend in with the world to avoid persecution. Shine! Smile My love through your lips. Breathe Me and My love into the lives of others. Hug others with My love. Touch others with My love. My love will go through you to them. My love is in you because you know Me. You have all my love so let it out. You already received My love so believe the truth that you already have it. It’s impossible to have My mind without experiencing My heart!” Wow. That sat me down and I saw His heart. What is on His mind? That we all know how much we are loved. We say we know but we haven’t even begun to experience the depth of His love for us.
 
Then the Lord asked me, “What is on your heart for the holidays? Tell me your desires. Write them down. It’s alright to have special thoughts, ideas and ways to share My love. This time of year people’s heart’s are about sharing, loving, giving, encouraging, and helping others. What brightens your eyes, makes you wide-eyed during the Christmas season?”
 
I thought about this. I have goals, dreams, desires. I think we all go into this season desiring to keep the focus on Him and His birth and distractions come, the enemy comes to steal the seeds sown. What we share with others this time of year is the same thing we are sharing with them everyday of the year. The difference is that people’s hearts seem to be more open. Even though the holidays are very secular, the power in the truth that Christmas is about His birth and His coming to earth is a truth that cannot be denied. People feel that Spirit even if they do not know what they are feeling. They have to on purpose determine not to feel it and to avoid it. Many do reject the whole Truth that Christmas is about Jesus – Christ mas. Others do not understand what they are experiencing. As Believers the more we share Jesus this time of year, I believe the more hearts that are open to hearing.
 
I do have some personal goals that I am asking Him to help me with. One would be getting my cards out before Christmas. 😊 The others are about not letting the distractions the enemy sends take over my thoughts or time. And I love lights. I want lots of lights. Light always repels darkness.
 
I read 1 Thessalonians this week. What an encouraging Book of the Word. There were a few things he shares with us to do in chapter 5 verses 14-24. These are instructions Paul was giving us through the Holy Spirit on how to help others.
 
“We appeal to you, dear brothers and sisters,
**to instruct those who are not in their place of battle.  
**Be skilled at gently encouraging those who feel themselves inadequate.  
**Be faithful to stand your ground.
**Help the weak to stand again.
**Be quick to demonstrate patience with everyone. 
**Resist revenge, and make sure that no one pays back evil in place of evil
**but always pursue doing what is beautiful to one another and to all the unbelievers.
**Let joy be your continual feast.  
**Make your life a prayer. 
**And in the midst of everything be always giving thanks, for this is God’s perfect plan for you in Christ Jesus. 
**Never restrain or put out the fire of the Holy Spirit.  
**And don’t be one who scorns prophecies,  
**but be faithful to examine them by putting them to the test, and
**afterward hold tightly to what has proven to be right.  
**Avoid every appearance of evil.
**Now, may the God of peace and harmony set you apart, making you completely holy.
**And may your entire being—spirit, soul, and body—be kept completely flawless in the appearing of our Lord Jesus, the Anointed One. The one who calls you by name is trustworthy and will thoroughly complete his work in you.
These are instructions for this season in the conditions of the world sytem we live in and great
encouragement during the Christmas season. This year Christmas may look different in many homes. That may be a good thing. People are looking for Truth right now and the Truth of the birth of Jesus is life changing.
 
Here are some verses about the powerful, anointed love of God towards us. Then He asks us to share this love, through Him, with those around us. 
“For here is the way God loved the world—he gave his only, unique Son as a gift. So now everyone who believes in him[b] will never perish but experience everlasting life.”
John 3:16
 
“Those who are loved by God, let his love continually pour from you to one another, because God is love. Everyone who loves is fathered by God and experiences an intimate knowledge of him. The one who doesn’t love has yet to know God, for God is love.” 1 John 4:7-8
 
“The light of God’s love shined within us when he sent his matchless Son into the world so that we might live through him. This is love: He loved us long before we loved him. It was his love, not ours. He proved it by sending his Son to be the pleasing sacrificial offering to take away our sins. Delightfully loved ones, if he loved us with such tremendous love, then “loving one another” should be our way of life!”
1 John 4:9-11
 
“Even if the mountains were to crumble and the hills disappear, my heart of steadfast, faithful love will never leave you, and my covenant of peace with you will never be shaken,” says Yahweh, whose love and compassion will never give up on you.”
Isaiah 54:10
 
“Give thanks to the great God of the heavens! His tender love for us continues on forever!” Psalm 136:26
 
“Yet even in the midst of all these things, we triumph over them all, for God has made us to be more than conquerors, and his demonstrated love is our glorious victory over everything! So now I live with the confidence that there is nothing in the universe with the power to separate us from God’s love. I’m convinced that his love will triumph over death, life’s troubles, fallen angels, or dark rulers in the heavens. There is nothing in our present or future circumstances that can weaken his love. There is no power above us or beneath us—no power that could ever be found in the universe that can distance us from God’s passionate love, which is lavished upon us through our Lord Jesus, the Anointed One!” Romans 8:37-39
 
 
 “But Christ proved God’s passionate love for us by dying in our place while we were still lost and ungodly!” Romans 5:8
 
“My old identity has been crucified with Christ and no longer lives. And now the essence of this new life is no longer mine, for the Anointed One lives his life through me—we live in union as one! My new life is empowered by the faith of the Son of God who loves me so much that he gave himself for me, dispensing his life into mine!” Galatians 2:20
 
“But God still loved us with such great love. He is so rich in compassion and mercy. Even when we were dead and doomed in our many sins, he united us into the very life of Christ and saved us by his wonderful grace!” Ephesians 2:4-5
 
“But Lord, your nurturing love is tender and gentle. You are slow to get angry yet so swift to show your faithful love. You are full of abounding grace and truth.”
Psalm 86:15
 
“The Lord your God is in your midst, A Warrior who saves. He will rejoice over you with joy; He will be quiet in His love [making no mention of your past sins],
He will rejoice over you with shouts of joy.” Zephaniah 3:17
 
“Look with wonder at the depth of the Father’s marvelous love that he has lavished on us! He has called us and made us his very own beloved children. The reason the world doesn’t recognize who we are is that they didn’t recognize him.” John 3:1
 
 “For the greatest love of all is a love that sacrifices all. And this great love is demonstrated when a person sacrifices his life for his friends.” John 15:13
 
“We have come into an intimate experience with God’s love, and we trust in the love he has for us.” 1 John 4:16
 

November 6, 2022   
Dear Church Family,
It’s been on our hearts for quite some time to share with you the details of the ministry of Mtn High.  We’ve tried to find time for sharing in person but that right time hasn’t worked out yet. As you may know, we’ve been in ministry full time at Mtn High since September 1993, 29 years and pastoring since June of 1994, which is 28½ years. Many people have come and gone and some have been here since the beginning. We’ve learned so much, we had to “grow up”, we’ve made plenty of mistakes, been hurt, hurt others in our immaturity and ignorance. In 28 years, we have also been blessed beyond our imaginations, have ministered to thousands of people and been able to share the Good News Gospel. There’s been times of abundance financially and times of little. Through it all we’ve kept moving forward with the vision and cause God gave us. We feel we’ve been true to our call and can honestly say we love pastoring and don’t even want to do anything else or go anywhere else. We don’t even think about retiring or slowing down. We pray daily and continue to grow in His grace and knowledge. We seek His wisdom for our direction and feel we lead in all He guides us to do. We are reachable, teachable and faithful.
 
In the Spring of 2020, the pandemic took a toll on most ministries since that is what the enemy designed it to do. We are blessed and thankful that we can still be here as many churches have had to close down. That is so heart breaking.  We took a strong stand against the enemy that wanted to destroy families, churches, the lives of Believers and America. We continue to take that stand against the wiles of the enemy but with this stand comes attacks that means we have to continue standing firm in His truth and to be unshakeable. Many from this church family did not come back after the 2020 attack. Many were older and in fear. Many supported the church financially for a few months afterwards. We miss these people and continue to pray for them but are so thankful to God that wasn’t the end. The Lord has brought new people – unshakable people, strong people and we are building a new foundation. “The earth was rocked at the sound of his voice from the mountain, but now he has promised, “Once and for all I will not only shake the systems of the world, but also the unseen powers in the heavenly realm!” Now this phrase “once and for all” clearly indicates the final removal of things that are shaking, that is, the old order, so only what is unshakable will remain. Since we are receiving our rights to an unshakable kingdom we should be extremely thankful and offer God the purest worship that delights his heart as we lay down our lives in absolute surrender, filled with awe.” Hebrews 12:26-28
 
We feel so blessed that God is bringing us others that want to stand with us to bring Light and Love to this extremely dark world. We are also so grateful and humbled that many have not left but have stood strong, firm and faithful with us through it all! We will continue as the Body of Christ at Mtn High to listen and “So we must let go of every wound that has pierced us and the sin we so easily fall into.  Then we will be able to run life’s marathon race with passion and determination, for the path has been already marked out before us.” Hebrews 12:1 TPT. To run this race on the path already marked out before us with passion and determination is our vision. Pastor Ed’s vision of people lined up and down 285 that want to come and receive what God has for them is real! As we go forward on the path marked out we will focus our attention and expectation on Jesus.
 
As we submit, pray and surrender this ministry to Him He directs us. As we have sought Him we feel He is directing us to make some changes. The first change we would like to do is have praise and worship in the beginning of the service. We made the changes for the Live Streaming audience but most people are watching it on social media when their time allows and those watching live will be about to adjust by a few minutes. ”Your hand-to-hand combat is not with human beings, but with the highest principalities and authorities operating in rebellion under the heavenly realms.  For they are a powerful class of demon-gods and evil spirits that hold this dark world in bondage.” Ephesians 6:12    “And when he had consulted with the people, he appointed those who should sing to the Lord, and who should praise the beauty of holiness, as they went out before the army and were saying: “Praise the Lord, For His mercy endures forever.”” 2 Chronicles 20:21 We will start this on Sunday, November 20.
 
We are having a challenge with finances. It’s always hard to talk about this since it’s an area the enemy attacks immensely. Yet, we know we must let you know what is going on. We are a small church comparatively but great in our visions, faith, hope and love for others. The smaller in numbers makes it harder to meet all the increases in utilities and insurance. We are going to take a Building Offering on the first Sunday of the month. We have done that before and a couple years ago stopped because of the circumstances. This offering will be designated to building insurance, electric bills, natural gas bill, needed repairs, new security equipment and other physical building and property needs. He always supplies and bills have never been late. He continues to supply and this special offering is His direction. Winters are more expensive and the costs have increased. Our building insurance increased $150/month as of October. Our monthly insurance bill is now almost $1200. Church insurance is extremely expensive. Our 1st payment of the year is always double so the amount due right now is $2390. Our highest bills for the Natural Gas are usually December – May and run about $900/month which is predicted to increase. The electric for both buildings is about $600/month in winter. Our phone lines and internet service are pretty reasonable, costing about $450/month. These are the main maintenance bills for the church. These DO NOT include the church house. We have been blessed with guests at the house that give us enough for the utilities. Please pray the Lord continues to send guests. At the moment there are no scheduled guests for our church house but we are calling them in weekly😊.  We thank all of you for what you give! Sometimes a weekly offering is less than the monthly insurance bill so continue to pray and believe!
 
We continue to give to different missions and the Lord has not directed us to change any of that at this time. We were trying to do a Mission Sunday each month so you would be able to know who we are giving to and get to know them a bit. Right now, I have no one to help with the putting together of the information the missionaries send me. It takes more knowledge than I have to take what they send and make it work on our equipment so it is a good presentation. All our media staff are very busy also. The Lord will provide the right person soon.
 
We also no longer have anyone contracted for snowplowing. Our wonderful snowplow man is no longer in the business. He did our church yard and parking lots as a gift. He’s a great young man and we were blessed with him for many years. We now need a new contractor so pray about that. Most of us do not have the equipment or time to do it each snow.
 
Now I want to thank everyone who help with so many things around here. I don’t have room for names today but thank you to those who keep this place spotless week after week. That is so important. Thank you for keeping our property looking so nicely groomed all summer. You did an amazing job. Thank you to all that helped us get Handicap accessible this year from bathroom adjustments, elevator, signage and asphalt ramp. Thank you Praise team for always leading us into amazing praise and worship. Thank you sound and media team for all you do! You have a challenging job. Thank you to our security team who always have their eyes and ears open and keeping us safe. Thank you to all who take time to teach classes, men’s group, ladies’ group. Thank you, prayer warriors! Our prayer team is absolutely so powerful. Thank you to those that help me with detail stuff, putting together constant contact, calling out people, loving Mom and helping me remember what is next. Our greeters and ushers are fantastic! Thank you all for being a part of the pantry ministry, helping on work days, serving at special events, and for making every time we come together special. Also, a huge thank you to all who ministered to the youth, young people and help with children’s ministry. This our America’s next leaders! I also want to thank our Elder team, Art and Chris, Joe and Robin, Josh and Aimee. These wonderful leaders have been with us from the beginning and stood through lots of trials, attacks and shaking. They are a gift to this ministry.
 
There are still lots of ministries that still need more attention and inch by inch we are getting things done. There is so much more we can do. The Children’s Ministry needs another teacher and a nursery worker when there are little ones. Our mission’s communication is not up to date. We want to have a weekend marriage conference, marriage and relationship classes, Leadership classes, and a Foundation class will be vitally important as new people come in. We are planning to start doing mission trips again in 2023 and Kenya is on the list for next fall. Our men’s conference is always a blessing and we need to have a Ladies Conference next spring. Next week we start our evangelism outreach and believe we will reach many people who are looking for a home church and those who are hurting and need a loving church family to encourage and pray for them. The vision is beyond what we can think or imagine. It’s all possible with Him. If you have thoughts or questions, be sure and talk to us. Let me close with this prayer from Hebrews 13:20-21 “Now may the God who brought us peace by raising from the dead our Lord Jesus Christ so that he would be the Great Shepherd of his flock; and by the power of the blood of the eternal covenant may he work perfection into every part of you giving you all that you need to fulfill your destiny. And may he express through you all that is excellent and pleasing to him through your life-union with Jesus the Anointed One who is to receive all glory forever! Amen!”