We had a wonderful Missions conference. Many people came from other churches to take part and it was encouraging listening to Pastor Marlin Driskell and Missionary Nathan Roberts preach. Unfortunately I don’t think anyone took pictures during the services but here are some pictures as we showed the missionaries around the area.
Earlier I wrote a brief post about buying a house and preparing to move. We didn’t have much notice about the move and once we signed the papers we were told that the keys are on the counter. We signed the contract on Thursday and could begin moving as soon as possible. Bill Walker was coming with a backhoe to do some work at church Friday morning and I knew it would be a long weekend. I couldn’t see how I was going to get everything done. After Bill finished with the backhoe Dave Corneliussen Walked across the street toward me. I had never met him before and didn’t know him. He had parked across the street with his camper and told me that he had heard about us and was coming through the area helping out small churches. It wasn’t long before we struck up a bond and the whole family Dave, Chris, Even, and Savannah all jumped in helping us move and get many projects done around the church.
I can’t honestly say that I prayed for the Lord’s help for the weekend, but He answered my prayer before it was uttered. Lee and Cindy Griebe and Leroy Clark were planning on coming over on Friday to help clean the house so with many hands the work was made light. We are mostly moved in and about ready for our missions conference. With the Corneliussen family here to help we were even able to get some new laminate flooring in the dining room where the white carpet had been torn up by the previous renters dog. We owe a big thank you to the Corneliussen family and are praising God for his provision of much needed help.
In his book The Christ Life For Your Life, F. B. Meyer tells of traveling by train. He saw a man in his compartment reading the famous devotional book, Imitation of Christ by Thomas à Kempis. Dr. Meyer said, “That’s a grand book.” “Yes, it is,” replied the passenger.
“But I have found something better,” said Meyer, who proceeded to use the illustration of painting a picture. He said, in effect, “What if I saw a beautiful masterpiece in the museum and I wanted a copy for myself? I could try to imitate it, to copy it onto a canvas using my own abilities of imitation. But how different the picture would look if the spirit of the great artist himself could somehow flow into my heart, into my mind, into my body, into my fingers and paint the picture through me.”
Christlikeness isn’t just a matter of imitating Christ. It is Christ Himself living His life and doing His work through us.
Robert J. Morgan, Nelson’s Annual Preacher’s Sourcebook, 2002 Edition (Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 2001), 6-7.
I was sitting upstairs reading Romans and I came to the words, “Knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him....” Knowing this! How could I know it? I prayed, “Lord, open my eyes!” and then, in a flash, I saw. (Watchman Nee, on how he first realized he had been crucified with Christ.)
When God calls a man, he bids him come and die. (Dietrich Bonhoeffer, German Christian martyred by the Nazis.)
There came a day when George Mueller died, utterly died! No longer did his own desires, preferences, and tastes come first. He knew that from then on Christ must be all in all. (George Mueller, when asked the secret of his victorious Christian life.)
Robert J. Morgan, Nelson’s Annual Preacher’s Sourcebook, 2002 Edition (Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 2001), 6.
Today we were very excited to close on a house. We are now officially the owners of our own home.
“There are no sins God’s people are more subject to than unbelief and impatience; they are ready, either to faint through unbelief, or to fret through impatience. When men fly out against God by discontent and impatience, it is a sign they do not believe “that all things work together for good, to them that love God.” Discontent is an ungrateful sin, because we have more mercies than afflictions; and it is an irrational sin, because afflictions work for good…. The devil blows the coals of passion and discontent, and then warms himself at the fire.”
Robert J. Morgan, Nelson’s Annual Preacher’s Sourcebook, 2002 Edition (Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 2001), 161.
.jpg?height=200&width=136)
Pastor Ron VanderHart, the pastor I grew up under, stopped in for a visit with is wife Donna on their way to Yellowstone National Park. They rolled in just in time for our Church service and I asked him to preach for us. He preached a very powerful sermon from Mark 4:35–41 on trials and trouble that we face. After the service they scooted on to Yellowstone so they could check in before their reservation was canceled. It was good to see them again and we made sure we got a picture with them before they left.
