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VOLUME 61 NO. 5

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“Thrilled to be Filled”Acts 2:39

(Continued, Page 3)

Rev. & Mrs. J. R. Alexander

I would like to take this opportunity to write a few lines aboutwhat I feel is the most pressing need and the most precious

experience available to this present Church age. Acts 2:39 says,"For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to allthat are afar off, even as many as the Lordour God shall call."The Baptism of the Holy Ghost is such anawesome experience. It is my desire thatevery believer that has not received theBaptism of the Holy Ghost would makethat their top priority in life. Some havealready been blessed to be filled with theHoly Ghost, however, I hope that hasn'ttaken away our desire to experience thisgreat gift over and over again.

Jesus told his disciples that He must leave,but that He would not leave them withouta Comforter. John 16:7 says,"Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It isexpedient for you that I go away: for ifI go not away, the Comforter will notcome unto you; but if I depart, I willsend him unto you.” What a great blessing it is that our Lordand Saviour JESUS Christ is on the right hand of the Fathermaking intercession for you and I, and that He sent the HolyGhost to guide us on our journey home!

One of the first things we need to look at is who is eligible toreceive this wonderful gift. The Bible is very plain on this.The Holy Ghost will only come into and abide in a vessel thatis clean. The Bible tells us in 1 Corinthians 3:16-17 "Know ye

not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of Goddwelleth in you? If any man defile the temple of God, him shallGod destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple yeare." We must be cleansed and redeemed by the blood of JesusChrist. 1 Peter 1:18-19 tells us, "Forasmuch as ye know thatye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver andgold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from

your fathers; But with the precious bloodof Christ, as of a lamb without blemish andwithout spot:" What we were in our past,no matter how terrible of a sinner we mayhave been, cannot in any way prevent usfrom receiving the Baptism of the HolyGhost. We know this because God's wordstates in 1 Corinthians 6:9-11, "Know yenot that the unrighteous shall not inheritthe kingdom of God? Be not deceived:neither fornicators, nor idolaters, noradulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers ofthemselves with mankind, Nor thieves, norcovetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, norextortioners, shall inherit the kingdom ofGod. And such were some of you: but ye

are washed, but ye are sanctified, but yeare justified in the name of the LordJesus, and by the Spirit of our God."

Those that seek after a deeper experience in God begin byhaving a close personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Afterthe resurrection Jesus showed himself to his disciples. At thattime he breathed on them and spoke the words, "Receive Yethe Holy Ghost" (John 20:22).This illustrates that it is the willof God for Him to come close to them that are willing to followCHRIST and remain faithful and obedient to his Word. To be

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ARTICLES of FAITHThe object for which it is formed is: To preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and promote abetter understanding among all breth- ren.

The Word of God alone shall be the Doctrine, Practice, and Discipline of this Boardof Members: it being understood that we receive it as the inspired Word of God and theDivine rule of faith and conduct.

We believe in God the Father Almighty. Maker of heaven and earth, and in Jesus Christ,His only begotten Son, who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the virgin Mary, sufferedunder Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried and arose on the third day accordingto the Scriptures, afterwards ascended into heaven where He is now seated at the right hand ofGod the Father, from whence He is come again to judge the quick and dead.

We believe in Water Baptism and that it should be administered to every believeraccording to the Scriptures given by St. Matthew 3:17;28:19; St. Mark 16:15; Acts 8:36-38.We teach that the Blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth from all sin, and sanctifies the believer, thusmaking him or her eligible to receive the gift of the Holy Ghost which is given to themthat obey (Acts 5:32) and the evidence of such experience shall be according to Acts 2:4.

We believe in the resurrection of the dead and the Commu- nion of the saints, the Lord’sSupper and washing the saint s feet. We believe that divine healing for our physical bodieswas included in His suffering as mentioned by the prophet Isaiah 53:5. It is still available toall who meet conditions and according to His will (James 5:14).

We believe that all ministers should be of good report (1 Timothy 3:7-12) includingPastors, Evangelists, Deacons and Elders (Titus 1:5-7); and husbands of one wife.We believe the Church of Jesus Christ to be a living Organism. The Body of Christ, andhabitation of God through the Spirit (Ephesians 2:20-22), and that each true believer is a memberof the Body (1 Corinthians 12:14; Acts 2:47). -By Brother Ira J. Roberts

Assistant EditorRev. Jimmy Millikin

PO Box 2772Claremore, OK 74018

(918) [email protected]

Assistant EditorRev. J. Kevin Lloyd

PO Box 703Annville, KY 40402

(606) [email protected]

Editor’s Desk“...My tongue is the pen of a

ready writer.” Ps. 45:1

We live in a day of rampantselfism. In his

book, Habits of the Heart, soci-ologist Robert Bellah and hisassociates interviewed a broadrange of middle-class Ameri-cans to discover how they makesense of their lives. One youngnurse, Sheila Larson, described her personal philosophy as“Sheilaism,” explaining, “It’s just try to love yourself and begentle with yourself.” (Newsweek.)

Melody Beattie, author of the best seller, Co-Dependent NoMore, (whose book, sadly, may be purchased in some Chris-tian books stores) sums up her philosophy in her dedication:“I dedicate this book to me.”

Self-help guru, John Bradshaw, says that you should say outloud and often, “I love myself. I will accept myself uncondi-tionally” (Healing the Shame That Binds You).

It would be one thing if all this “selfism” was outside thechurch but it has inundated the church. On any given Sundaymorning across America there will be more sermons aboutself-help and making us feel good about ourselves, than thecross of Christ and its demands of discipleship.

Selfism manifests itself from the starting prayer. How aboutthose absent at the opening prayer? People who are chroni-cally late for church are selfish. The lack of involvement inworship and the church’s activities, is because of selfism.What about when the offering plate is passed? Once again,by our lack of giving we manifest our self-centeredness.

I am told by biological science that there are three differentrelationships between living organisms:

There is the relationship of parasitism. That is illustrated bythe relationship between the tick and the dog. This parasitefinds him a ride and gorges himself on his host without anycontribution. The parasite eventually uses its host until itpotentially destroys the life of its host. It harms its host by itsselfish taking.

There is the relationship of commensalism. In commensal-ism, one organism benefits from the relationship while theother species involved neither benefits nor is harmed. Aremora is a fish that have on the top of their heads a flat ovalsucking disk that adheres to the bodies of their hosts. Theyattach to the underside of the throat of other larger fishes such

as sharks and whales. They just ride along. Not hurtinganything, but not giving anything. The reason they do this isso when the larger fish eats a meal, they are positioned sothey can catch the scraps that are left. It never harms its hostlike the parasite but it never gives anything either. Kind oflike some of Jesus’ Ddsciples who followed Him for theloaves and the fishes.

There is also the relationship of Mutualism. Mutualism is theway two organisms of different species exist ina relationship in which each individual benefits from theactivity of the other. The bee and the flower exemplifies this.Bees fly from flower to flower gathering nectar, which theymake into food, benefiting the bees. When they land in aflower, the bees get some pollen on their hairy bodies, andwhen they land in the next flower, some of the pollen fromthe first one rubs off, pollinating the plant. This benefits theplants. In this mutualistic relationship, the bees get to eat, andthe flowering plants get to reproduce. This is how ourrelationship with Christ should be. He blesses us, but He inreturn gets glory from our life.

I would ask the question, what relationship best describes yourrelationship to Christ? Do you enjoy thebenefits of God’s blessings but yourselfishness actually harms the church,through your character and conduct? Orare you just along for the ride? What doyou do with the blessings God gives you?Do you merely consume them orcommunicate them?

Bishop Bob Morgan, tells a powerfulstory about a Dutch pastor and his familywho during the second World War got into big trouble withthe Nazis. The Dutch pastor and his family had been hidingJewish people in their home to keep them safe from Hitler'sforces. They were eventually found out. And one night inthe darkness, they heard the sound of heavy boots and theloud impatient knocking on the door. They were arrested andloaded into a cattle car to be taken to one of the notoriousdeath camps. All night long the Dutch pastor and his familyrode along in heart-breaking anguish, jostling against oneanother and against the other prisoners who were jammedinto the train cattle car. They were stripped of any form ofdignity and absolutely terrified. They knew they were beingtaken to one of Hitler's extermination centers. But whichone? Would it be Auschwitz, Buchenwald, or Dachau?

Finally, the long night ended and the train stopped. The doorsof the cattle car were opened and light streamed into thattragic scene. They were marched out and were lined upbeside the railroad tracks, resigned to unspeakable pain, asthey knew they would be separated from each other andultimately killed. But in the midst of their gloom, theydiscovered some amazing good news… good news beyondbelief. They discovered in the bright morning sunlight that

they were not in a death camp at all, not in Germany at all. Rather, they were in Switzerland! During the night, someonethrough personal courage and daring had tripped a switchand sent the train to Switzerland - and to freedom. And thosenow who came to them were not their captors at all, but rathertheir liberators. Instead of being marched to death, they werewelcomed to new life. In the midst of his joy and relief, theDutch pastor said, "What do you do with such a gift?"

Something like that happened to the disciples at Pentecost. They were afraid, confused, unsure, overwhelmed… and thencame this incredible gift. Always remember that withprivilege comes responsibility. After the ascension, Christtold His disciples to go back to Jerusalem to wait for thePromise that had been given them. Heaven had a very specialgift for the obedient. That promise was not one of wealth,health, prestige or exemption from life’s ills. They would yetsuffer poverty, get sick, be hated and face struggles with life.The gift was not given to them for them to be a consumer, buta communicator. It was not for their enjoyment, it was to helpthem evangelize. They were not given the gift of the HolyGhost to be some earthly elite, but as Heaven’s operative.

The question of the Dutch pastor, “What doyou do with such a gift?” has beenresounding in my spirit since its reading.Should not our gratitude for God’s gifts,inspire us to make the best use of them?

The only way that you can really outliveyour life is take all that God has blessedyou with and dedicate it back to hisservice.

Graffiti from the 1800's was discovered byworkers renovating the Washington Monument. TheWashington Monument, dedicated to our first president, haskept his sacrifices and leadership visible to generations ofpeople in America. That bit of graffiti has quite a differenttone from that usually found today on the sides of buildingsand train cars.It reads: "Whoever is the human instrument under God in theconversion of one soul, erects a monument to his own memorymore lofty and enduing than this." It is signed BFB.The markings in the lobby of the monument were coveredover when it was decorated at the turn of the century. Theywere found when workers removed marble wainscoting aspart of a year-long $500,000 renovation a few years agoIn Eternity’s estimation, more grand than that toweringmonument, more lofty and enduring, is the the man thatreaches one soul. The greatest way we can give back to Godfor His blessings to us is to give to the world the witness ofJesus Christ. As with the bee and flower, we get blessed andChrist reproduces His kingdom through us.

Thanks for your encouragement and financial support. -BP

Lesson

of a

Bee and a Flower

as the Spirit gave them utterance." These verses are sopowerful and so wonderful that in just reading and studyingthem they seem to come alive in my heart over and over again.It is not possible to bring out all of the great truths about theHoly Ghost, but I'd like to bring out a few things the Lord hasgiven me in my studies.

We understand that Pentecost means the fiftieth day from thePassover (the feast of Pentecost). The phrase 'one accord andone place' speaks of the unity that comes when Christians areobedient to the commands of the Lord. The word 'suddenly' inthis text comes from a Greek word meaning unexpectedly. Yes,they were sent there for the purpose of receiving the Promiseof the Father, however, the manner in which the Holy Ghostwas to come was a complete mystery to them.

In the book of Acts chapter 2 and verse 2, the sound of a mightyrushing wind is just as it implies; a roar. The Holy Ghost canmanifest Himself as powerful as a mighty rushing wind, or astender as a tear streaming down one's face. The word filled inverse 2, comes from a word meaning “to cram.” So, thisimplies that the room was completely filled! Can you imaginein the upper room there was no place you could go and not feelthe presence of the Holy Ghost? It would be wonderful todayif sinners came into the House of God, and there would be noplace to go where Holy Ghost conviction was not present. It is

my belief that the Church will grow andprosper as long as the Holy Ghost fills theHouse.

In verse 4, the word “filled” comes froma word meaning “to supply or to furnish.”The Holy Ghost is limitless. He can fillthe entire church world and not diminishHis supply. This great power is given untothe church. Paul writes in Ephesians 3:20,"Now unto him that is able to do

exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, accordingto the power that worketh in us." That which is available to usis far greater than our comprehension.

Lastly, I would like to look at the word “utterance” whichsimply means “to enunciate plainly.” The Bible teaches thatthey were filled with the Holy Ghost and began to speak withother tongues (or a different language). Notice closely, “as theSpirit gave them utterance.” The person seeking the baptismneeds to remember that he is not seeking after the tongues, buthe's seeking to be filled with the Holy Ghost. He is the thirdperson of the Godhead. When someone is baptized with theHoly Ghost, the Spirit gives them the utterance. Using yourvoice, the Spirit gives you a different tongue or language. Thatlanguage is totally His doing. The Holy Ghost will take careof the utterance if you take care of the praise.

My prayer is that the desire for the baptism of the Holy Ghostwould increase in these last days, and Holy Ghost revival wouldsweep the Holiness movement. -Bro. J. R. Alexander

close enough to feel His breath and to hear His words, is aplace to be desired.

When Jesus spoke of the Holy Ghost to his disciples he toldthem of a Comforter and Guide. He told them that through theHoly Ghost they would receive power. Jesus also let themknow that the Holy Ghost would glorify Him John 16:14 says,"He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shallshew it unto you." One of the greatest sights in all the Churchworld is when the Spirit falls upon a Holy Ghost filled saint,and they begin to Praise and magnify the name of Jesus.Shouldn't it seem natural to a Holy Ghost filled saint to GlorifyJesus?

Jesus led them out as far as Bethany and He lifted up His handsand blessed them, then he ascended up into heaven. Thedisciples worshipped Him and returned to Jerusalem with greatjoy and were continually in the temple praising and blessingGod. When seeking the baptism of the Holy Ghost, we canlearn from those that we read of in the book of Acts. First, asa Church, there was unity. It is so important as a church bodythat we gather around those with prayerful support that areseeking the baptism of the Holy Ghost. Second, individualpraise and obedience are keys for those to receive the Baptism,not only to those seeking, but also to thosepraying with them.

Jesus did not tell the disciples how the HolyGhost or the Comforter would come, butonly that they should tarry at Jerusalemuntil they be endued with power from onHigh. Luke 24:49 "And, behold, I send thepromise of my Father upon you: but tarry yein the city of Jerusalem, until ye be enduedwith power from on high." Endued is not aword that we commonly use today. In theGreek form it means to clothe in the sense ofsinking into the garment or totally covered by a garment. Thisspeaks volumes to us about how the Lord wants His Churchto appear to the world. The Church's image should be that weare covered by the power of The Holy Ghost.

The time that we spend seeking the Baptism of the Holy Ghostis time well spent. When the desire to receive the Holy Ghostburns in our heart until we can hardly think of anything else,all we want do is to get in the presence of God and to feel Histouch. Praise comes from our heart with such overwhelmingpassion that tears flow down our face and drop onto the altar.We raise our hands and look toward heaven with suchexpectancy as if we look for God himself to come down to us.

Here is what the Bible states in Acts 2:1-4, "And when the dayof Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord inone place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven asof a rushing wind, and it filled all the house where they weresitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like asof fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filledwith the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues,

The Holy Ghost is limitless…

That which is available to us

is far greater than our

comprehension.

Rev. & Mrs Joseph Brashear

EARNINGS of YOUTHY“Even the Youths shall faint and be weary…

But they shall renew their strength; they ShallMount Up with Wings as Eagles…

In the story of the birth of Christ there are many excitingthings going on, but there is one thing that I would like to

point out that Mathew recorded in his gospel. ”And she shallbring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for heshall save his people from their sins. Now all this was done,that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by theprophet, saying, Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shallbring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel,which being interpreted is, God with us" (Mathew 1:21-23KJV). This passage of scripture quotes from the Old Testamentprophet Isaiah. This is only one out of the many propheciesconcerning Christ which were to be fulfilled. In verse 23,Mathew gives the interpretation of the name“Emmanuel” as "God with us." The name itselfis a promise that brings a great comfort to theChristian who puts their trust in Him. So arethere any stipulations on when He will be withus? Or for how long He will be with us?

Mathew 28:20b says, "and, lo, I am with youalway, even unto the end of the world" (KJV).Those words were spoken by the very God-manHimself. The God of all the universe, theCreator of the heavens and the earth, the sameGod who came to die for the sins of all mankindspoke these words after His resurrection. HereJesus is telling His disciples to go and preachthe gospel and teach all nations. Along with thiscommission, Christ gives them a promise thatHe will be with them always! Throughout thenext several decades the disciples would face great persecutionfrom many sources, but they always had the promise thatChrist gave them that He would be with them, "alway, evento the end of the world." Jesus gave no greater promise thanthat He will always be with us. No matter what thecircumstances, we have a God that will always be with us.

"For he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee"(Hebrews 13:5 KJV). We serve a God that is eternal and whenHe says He will never leave nor forsake us and He has theability to keep that promise because He is eternal and there isno natural or man-made force that can pull the God of heavenfrom our side. The promise brings comfort to the one who hasgiven their all to God. Once we give our all to Him He willalways be by our side and help us through the trials of life.

”Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall sufferpersecution" (2 Timothy 3:12 KJV). Throughout the entirethird chapter of 2 Timothy, Paul is writing to the young

Timothy about the deeds of the wicked and how they willcontinue to grow worse as time goes on. Paul goes on andtells of some of the places that he has faced persecutions. Heinforms Timothy that living for God will come at a price.There are different kinds of persecution in the world and thewicked hate the righteous. When the world sees a person whois dedicating their life to God they will try to pull them intothe same wickedness they are involved in. After Paul tells ofhis persecutions he makes sure to tell how that God helpedhim through every scenario of persecution. In Genesis, Godcreated time itself and God Himself is beyond time. So wehave an eternal God who gave an eternal promise that Hewould never leave us nor forsake us and there is nothing thatcan make God break that promise.

Death is something we all must succumb to. To those whoare not saved the thought of death is one of terror, but to theChristian there is great hope in knowing they will be withGod forever. David wrote "Yea, though I walk through thevalley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art

with me"(Psalm 23:4 KJV). David wasconfident in his God that He would always bethere for him, even unto death. David did notfear death because he knew that his God wouldnot leave him in the valley of death without away out. To the Christian, we have thepromise that, even if we are persecuted to thepoint of death, our God will not forsake us inthe valley of hard times. David had someexperiences in his life that tested his faith inGod, but in the end he always held to the factthat he served an Omni-present God that wasalways at his side. In the busy world in whichwe live it is often easy to feel so overlookedor even forgotten, but the promise is still thereto the believer that no matter what, Christ iswith us. It doesn’t matter the condition of the

stock market or the chaos known as politics, Christ is withus.

A Vancouver pastor picked up a visiting missionary at theairport on a Sunday morning some time ago. As they hurriedlydrove across the city, it seemed as though every light wasgreen as they rolled along towards the church. The pastor wasoverjoyed and jubilantly exclaimed, “My, isn’t it wonderfulhow we have had all the green lights. We haven’t encounteredeven one red light all the way from the airport. Surely God iswith us”!The missionary very wisely replied, “If we would have hitonly red lights along the way this morning, would God havestill been with us”?

Yes, through the red lights and green lights of life, HE isalways with us.

Joseph BrashearHouse of Prayer, Tulsa OK

…Upon this rock I will build my church; andthe gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

Matt. 16:18

Praise from Pioneers

When I was five years old, my father pioneered a SpanishAssembly of God church in the Central Valley of

California. The dynamics of pioneer pastoring is all I everknew. We had services in our living room, afternoon servicesin other churches and various store front office buildings. Soit came as no surprise when the Lord called me to be part of apioneer work in Hot Springs, Arkansas.

I had been youth pastoring in Willits, California, under myfather-in-law, Brad Moss. It was there that I learned a newdynamic of ministry. My pastor was one of the greatest soulwinners I had ever been around, and it was there that the Lordtrained me in ministry. Dealing with the homeless and drugaddicted taught me to look beyond circumstances and lovepeople for who they could be in Christ.

While the Lord was shaping me into a biblical minister on theWest Coast, He was also raising up a work in Hot Springs. Acouple of families began a church in a doublewide trailer. Overthe span of a few years there were two pastors that led the work,plowing the ground, soto speak, and plantingthe seeds. After aperiod without a pastorand a decline inattendance, the decisionwas made to shut thedoors. Before followingthrough with thedecision, a phone callwas made to ask if I’dcome and hold a revival.Knowing a little bitabout what was goingon, my wife Rebeckaand I prayed throughbefore we ever gotthere, and we knew that if they asked us to come and try, wewould follow the Lord’s call to Arkansas.

The revival was in April of 2006 and we arrived in Hot Springsthe first week of June to pastor. I was in a U-Haul with no joband no place to live. The Lord opened the doors that neededto be opened for us and a new chapter in our lives began. I was22 years old and full of zeal…the wisdom, however, wouldcome with time. I stood behind the pulpit on my first Sundayand proclaimed we needed to be in a new building in sixmonths. It didn’t happen exactly how I dreamed, but in eightmonths, we had new service times, a new name, and a newlocation!

I had found what I thought was an empty church building. Asit turns out, there were older people who had been havingchurch there on Sunday mornings. They were saved in the tentrevival that started that church in 1949. After a coupleconversations, I had a key to the church and was told to be thereon Sunday. We cleaned the church from top to bottom, had ayouth rally on the Friday prior, and I put my name on the signbefore the people had ever heard me preach! Faith is thesubstance of things hoped for.

We had our first Sunday in the new church with the remnantof people remaining there. Our music…our teachers…and mepreaching. We never had a bump in the road. Nine years later,I’m still the pastor, and I’ve buried most of those who werethere. The Lord gloriously brought us together. After furtherinvestigation, I found out that the founding pastor was JumpingJohnson who preached the very 1st Mt. Tabor Campmeeting.

We labored for years. Ourattendance would get up to 40and then drop to 20. Then up to45 and back down to 15. Forthose of you pioneering a newwork, and you’ve seen fastgrowth, don’t be discouraged ifyou drop again; it comes withthe territory. I fought off

discouragement for aslong as I could, but itfinally hit me hard afterseven years when Ilooked across acongregation of 15people. I planned onresigning in January of2014, but the Lordwould not release me.

In April of 2014, westarted a revival that hasnever ended. Twogentlemen came intothe service on a Sundaynight. The next night,

those same two guys became eight guys, and the next night, Iwalked into the church and there were 32 people I had nevermet before sitting in my pews!

Since that time, we have seen people filled with the Holy Ghostand healed in their body. We’ve had ministry homes birthedout of our altars to help those battling with addictions, and myfavorite part…since April of 2014, we’ve seen at least 550sinners pray in our altars! And it hasn’t stopped. Our churchis far from perfect. But I do know this, God is doing somethingspecial and I’m humbled to be a part of it.

Pastor Andrew GonzalezThe Everlasting Gospel Pentecostal Lighthouse

712 Leonard St., Hot Springs, Arkansas 501-366-5881

Seal not the sayings of theprophecy of this book: for thetime is at hand. Rev. 22:10

Principles of Prophecy

Rev. & Mrs. Ryan Ralston

As I begin to write this article for the Holiness Messenger,I am boarding a flight in San Francisco that will be flying

to Savannah. The headlines of today’s newspaper have mysubject in bold headings: CANDIDATES SHOW SUPPORTFOR ISRAEL. The leading candidates for the presidentialelection feel compelled to share their views on the currentrelationship that exists between Israel and America. Also, theyoffer how this relationship would be affected if, indeed, theywere elected to become the next president of the United States.It seems it is this way on a daily basis. It is an amazing realitythat almost daily, the United States broadcasts headlines aboutthe tiny nation of Israel. What seems like such a small nationplays such a huge role in the unfolding ofdaily events! This is not by accident, butrather God’s design to focus our eyes onthe return of Christ!

I. The importance of America’srelationship with Israel

The Scripture is abundantly clear: Godblesses the nations that bless Israel andGod curses the nations that curse Israel(Gen. 12:3, Zech. 2:8). David Jeremiahdescribed the importance of America'srelationship with Israel as a “question ofsurvival” (Jeremiah, 2011, p. 241). Thinkof that for a moment! Joel Rosenbergwrites succinctly, “I believe God’spromises if that we as Americans continueto bless Israel and the Jews-God’s chosenpeople-then God will bless us. But if theU.S. abandons or works against Israel andthe Jewish people, then God will curse us”(Rosenberg, 2012, p. 102). It is of great conviction that Ibelieve America should support, without hesitation, Israel’sright to exist and govern.

Bro. Kevin Lloyd wrote about this aspect extensively in Juneof 2015 in the Holiness Messenger. I encourage you toreference that article. If for no other reason than self-preservation, America should support Israel as a nation. Therehas to be a fundamental understanding of the Scripturalprinciple that God will bless the nation that blesses Israel.Without this perspective, leaders will be short-sighted andprone to disregard the consistency necessary to continue amutually beneficial relationship between the allies. I don’t

believe this point can be overemphasized: God’s favor willbe poured out upon the nation who shows favor and supportto Israel.

Another reason it is important for America to support Israel,is because the church does not “replace” Israel in God’s planof future things. Replacement theology has been supposedby a few scholars to suggest that God is finished with Israeland the church has replaced Israel. While I believe we areliving in the time of the Gentiles and the days of saving gracemay be drawing to a close, God has a future plan for Israel(Ezekiel 38 and 39). A new branch of replacement theologyis a form of “Christian Palestinianism”, which, in essence, isrooted in the same error as replacement theology. The churchis not the fulfillment of Israel. God has a distinct, future rolefor Israel to experience, and America needs to support thenation of Israel!

II. The history of America’s relationship with Israel since1948

Most scholars would agree that one of, ifnot the greatest, strongest signs that weare living in the last days of Bibleprophecy is the birth of Israel as a nation.Many scholars refer to this as the “supersign” of Biblical prophecy. JoelRosenberg describes the currentconditions and states “the most definitiveand conclusive sign that we are living inthe era the Bible calls the last days wasthe miraculous rebirth of the State ofIsrael in 1948” (Rosenberg, 2012, p. 83).Mark Hitchcock shares that Israelbecoming a nation is the number one signof end-time prophecy because Israel mustexist for many prophecies in Scripture tobe fulfilled (Hitchcock, 1999).

Over the last sixty years, America has beenIsrael’s strongest ally. On May 14, 1948,

President Truman’s statement that the “United Statesrecognized the provisional government as the de factoauthority of the new State of Israel” ushered in theunderstanding that America would be the first and strongestworld leader to recognize Israel’s right to exist (Clifford,1991, p. 22). A decision of this weight was not reachedwithout intense dialogue, yet Truman set forth a consistentpattern of support from American presidents toward Israel’sexistence that has endured six decades. The list of presidentsthat have publically supported this relationship includeEisenhower, Kennedy, Johnson, Nixon, Ford, Carter, andReagan (Jeremiah, 2011). Most of the recent presidents havecontinued to support Israel, but that support has wanedconsiderably over the last few years.

III. The current status of America’s relationship withIsrael

The final aspect of this article will detail the current status ofthe relationship between America and Israel. Fifty-twopercent of Americans believe President Obama’sadministration supports Israel less than the previousadministrations (Jeremiah, 2011). This is an alarming trend.On June 4, 2009, President Obama set the tone for hisadministration’s perspective toward the American-Israelirelationship during a speech in Cairo, Egypt. The speechalluded to several tensions, of which, the President desired toalleviate. The second tension mentioned in his speech wasthe tension that exists between Israel and the Palestinians.Speaking to a mostly Palestinian crowd, President Obamadeclared, “For more than sixty years, they have endured thepain of dislocation. They endure the pain of dailyhumiliations.” (Obama, 2009). David Jeremiah shares thatthis statement underscores the President’s belief that thenation of Israel is occupying Palestinian land unlawfully(Jeremiah, 2011). I encourage you to read the transcript ofthe speech because it alludes to the idea that the president’sadministration believes the Palestinians were the original landoccupants. Yet Genesis gives the account of Abraham andhis seed as God promised them their inheritance. ThePresident’s latter suggestions of the land borders beingreturned to the 1967 lines falls exactly in line with the desireof Hamas, certainly no supporters of Israel.

It seems President Obama has consistently allowed therelationship between America and Israel to become moredistant during his administration. Has this been intentionalor just the natural tensions of international relationships? Ibelieve the former answer is correct. When Prime MinisterNetanyahu came to speak to a joint session of Congress during2015, there were pronounced tensions in Washington. Duringhis speech, Mr. Netanyahu alluded to the Iranian nuclear dealthat was supported by President Obama and the desire fromIran and ISIS to completely annihilate Israel, the onlycompletely Jewish state (Rubin, 2015). Yet, with clarityunaccustomed to American politicians, he declared Israelwould never again leave her homeland. If Israel continues toabide by these convictions, these words are monumental. Itdoes not serve us well to have a president that will align witha terrorist nation such as Iran with a stated intent of wipingIsrael off the face of the map! I understand God’s protectinghand upon Israel, but I also understand the need for Americato support Israel as a means of retaining the favor of God aswell. There are many theories about America’s role, or lackthereof, in last day prophecy. Could the lack of our influenceor existence be directly related to a failure to support the appleof God’s eye?

I remember distinctly the first time I heard President Obamause the phrase ISIL to describe the terroristic aggressions ofthe Middle East. I thought I had misheard what he had spokenbecause everyone else was speaking of ISIS. Is there any

difference between ISIS and ISIL? I believe that thedifference between the use of the term is dependent upon theperspective you have concerning the right of Israel to exist.Let me explain. ISIS refers to the Islamic state of Iran andSyria. That is pretty straight forward. While some wouldargue the idea of “state” should not be used describing theseterrorists, we do understand the region of Iraq and Syria beingnoted. ISIL is the Islamic State of Iran and the Levant. Thelatter part of the phrase is what changes the scope significantlyof the meaning. The Levant refers to a region along theeastern Mediterranean shoreline, which includes Israel. So,in essence, the description of the entire region is a depictionof an Islamic state. In the middle of the Levant is the nationof Israel. My opinion is the Levant is used to deny the rightof Israel to exist, so they are just considered part of the wholePalestinian region. It denies their existence, identity, andindependence. It delegitimizes them as a nation. Let us praymore fervently than ever for the “peace of Jerusalem” (Psalms122:6).

Rev. Ryan RalstonSavannah, GA

References:Clifford, C. (1991). Counsel to the President: A Memoir. New York:Random House.Hitchcock, M. (1999). The Complete Book of Bible Prophecy.Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House.Jeremiah, D. (2011). I Never Thought I’d See The Day. New York:Faith Words.Office of the Press Secretary (2009).https://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/remarks- president-cairo-university-6-04-09.Rosenberg, J. C. (2012). Implosion. Can America Recover from itsEconomic and Spiritual Challenges in Time? Carol Stream, IL:Tyndale House.Rubin, J. (2015). https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/right-turn/wp/2015/03/03/what-benjamin-netanyahu-just-did/

Several centuries ago in a mountain village in Europe, awealthy nobleman wondered what legacy he should

leave to his townspeople. He made a good decision. Hedecided to build them a church. No one was permitted to seethe plans or the inside of the church until it was finished. Atits grand opening, the people gathered and marveled at thebeauty of the new church.Everything had been thought of and included. It was amasterpiece.But then someone said, "Wait a minute! Where are thelamps? It is really quite dark in here. How will the churchbe lighted?" The nobleman pointed to some brackets in thewalls, and then he gave each family a lamp, which theywere to bring with them each time they came to worship."Each time you are here'" the nobleman said, "the placewhere you are seated will be lighted. Each time you are nothere, that place will be dark. This is to remind you thatwhenever you fail to come to church, some part of God'shouse will be dark"

And the things which thugh has heard ofme…, the same commit thou to faithful men.

2 Tim. 2:2

T orch of Truth

The emphasis in this section, in the next few publication will be onthe Gifts of the Spirit and their operation. The Gifts will be

emphasized, explained and testimonies shared of them beingexperienced. In these last days of the Church age, we certainly

need their emphasis.

Gifts of the Spirit: Interpretation of Tongues

So much depends on clear communication. The differencebetween success and failure depends on quick and clearcommunication in so many realms of life. Consider

military maneuvers, medical procedures, business transactions,political success, building projects, human relationships andalmost everything to do with our society is connected to clearcommunication. It is no wonder that the judgment of Babelquickly stopped the rebellious plans of an ancient society. AtBabel, God judged men by confounding their tongues. At

Pentecost, He confirmed the baptism ofthe Holy Ghost by speaking throughtheir tongues.

The essence of speaking in tongues isthe same miracle today as it was on theday of Pentecost. As the churchdeveloped in the book of Acts, thescripture reveals a “gift of tongues” thatis different in function from what theyreceived on the day of Pentecost. Whenwe receive the Baptism of Holy Ghost,

we speak in tongues as evidence of that experience. It is as theSpirit gives utterance. It edifies the speaker. It speaks praisesto God. And in all of those occasions that are recorded in thebook of Acts, they are never instructed to interpret thosetongues of praise. Sometimes they were understood, andsometimes they were not. Then there is that use of tongues thatis different. It is not the Holy Ghost speaking praises througha believer. It is the Holy Ghost speaking a message throughthe believer to those who hear. The essence of speaking atongue by the power of the Holy Ghost is the same, but thefunction is different. When we are baptized with the HolyGhost, He speaks praises to God through us in a language thatwe do not know. But the Holy Ghost gives a gift to some called“the gift of tongues”. It is by this gift that He speaks throughus to men. This is the gift that is spoken of in I Corinthians 12and governed in I Corinthians 14. It is clear from the scripturethat this “gift of tongues” must be accompanied by aninterpretation. This gift of the Spirit is not an infusion ofknowledge that allows someone to understand a particularlanguage. But the same Spirit that speaks a ‘message’ in a

unknown language then supernaturally interprets the meaningof that message in a language that the hearers understand.

How many of us have stood in awe as the Holy Ghost tooksomeone's voice and spoke a message to us. We did not knowthe language. But we could clearly sense that God wasspeaking among us. The Holy Ghost does not want to simplygive us a sense of awe. He wants to speak. That is why He alsogives us this gift of interpretation.

Brother Michael Johnson from Goshen Indiana will talk to usabout that gift in this issue. -JKL

The Apostle Paul, under inspiration of the Holy Ghost,made it clear that there is a variety of gifts whereby the

Spirit works through men and women. By these varying gifts,the Holy Ghost remains actively involved in the Church. AsPentecostals we are certain this is not a unique phenomenonof the past, but it is clear evidence of the present working ofthe living God in the world today. It has already beenmentioned in this ongoing series that the great apostle to theGentiles did not want us to be ignorant of these spiritual gifts(1 Co. 12:1). It is important for us to understand that this holymanifestation is given for the benefit of every one of us – “Butthe manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profitwithal.” (1 Co. 12:7)

Among the gifts of the Spirit there are some that may appearto be more prominent than others. We may say that they aremore “manifest” than the rest. I am sure that many Spirit-filledmen and women have been used in the gifts of a word ofwisdom or a word of knowledge, but it was not as apparentbecause it is often less recognized. On the other hand, it isvery obvious to us when one has exercised the gift of tonguesor when there has been a bold prophecy or interpretation oftongues in our churches. Our topic in this issue focuses uponthe reality of the interpretation of tongues. The apostle wasclear. He that speaks in an unknown tongue speaks inmysteries for the simple fact that no man understands (1 Co.14:2). While speaking in tongues is good and not to beforbidden, Apostle Paul admonishes us to prophesy, or thatthe tongues be interpreted so that the church might be edified. Therefore, the ultimate aim of the practice of spiritual gifts inthe church ought to be the edification of the body. The verylast verse of 1 Corinthians chapter 12 says, “But covetearnestly the best gifts…”

That was my earnest prayer as a student during my junior yearwhile attending Free Gospel Bible Institute in the late 1980’s. I wanted God to use me in the “best gifts.” Someone mightask, “What is the best gift?” Can we say that any one gift isnecessarily better than the rest? In reality, the best gift is theone best suited for the moment. At that moment, the entirestudent body had taken up the burden of praying for one ofour classmates who had not returned to school that year. Herfailure to return had nothing to do with being frustrated withanyone at the Bible School or that she had decided on a

Rev. J. Kevin Lloyd

different course for her life. It was because her body had comeunder a severe attack by a dreaded form of leukemia – acutemyelogenous leukemia to be precise. What looked like thebest gift at that time would be the gift of healing, or theworking of a wonderful miracle.

Leah (Thompson) Keene (Bro. W. F. Thompson’s daughter)was dying, and it looked like all hope of recovery from sucha dreadful form of cancer was impossible. The doctors hadtold the family that Leah would need a bone marrow transplant,and without a transplant there would be less than 1 percentchance Leah could survive. She was also told that with thevery slim possibility of survival, she would most certainlynever be able to have any children. Brother Thompsonrecently told me that all the others they met that had gonethrough with the procedure had died. But people were prayingand asking God for a miracle for Leah.

Now, I cannot speak for others,but I can tell you my personalexperience. We called on Godas a student body, and webegged Him to heal our friendand classmate. Suddenly,someone yielded to the HolyGhost and gave a message intongues. All fell silent acrossthe room where we werepraying. Students continued topray silently as we waited for a

possible interpretation. Meanwhile in my spirit I wasfeeling a deep stirring, and very

specific words had been inserted in my mind. My heart beganto race as I felt that God was moving me to give theinterpretation! At that same moment, however, the distinctmessage introduced to my mind was met with the grim realityof the facts that Leah had a disease that was killing her, andwithout the bone marrow transplant was promising less than1 percent chance of survival. I had a decision to make. I coulddoubt that this was real and reject the moving of the Spiritupon me, or I could surrender in faith believing that God wasprepared to use me in the best gift suited for just this time. Idon’t really know how long I lingered. It was probably just abrief moment, but I yielded and spoke out the words that Godhad placed in my mind.

You see, God had sovereignly decided to heal Leah down inFlorida, and by the Spirit, He chose to speak to us inPennsylvania through the gift of an interpretation of tongues.I don’t recall precisely everything that was spoken in thatinterpretation, but the basic gist of that message was this:“Your prayers have ascended up into my throne room like acloud, and I have heard them and will answer!” It gives megoosebumps just to type those words out just now. After theinterpretation was given, everyone began to worship and shoutpraises to God. I felt the devil come to me right afterward tomake me doubt that it was really God. But another student

came up to me and looked me in the eye saying that he wasstanding with me in faith that the Lord was going to do justwhat He said.

I recently contacted Bro. Thompson and Sis. Leah to confirmthese details since I had not seen her in over 25 years. Shetold me that another student, Linda (Norsworthy) Walker, hadcalled her during that time and told her what had happenedand what the Lord had said in the interpretation of tongues. Leah did not know who had given the interpretation, but whenI told her what I had remembered, she said it was exactly whatLinda had told her many years ago. After that phone call, shefelt that since God had spoken, there would be no need of abone marrow transfusion. From that day on her numberswould improve, and she continued in remission until her healthwas completely restored. In fact, the very next bone marrowtest revealed she was in full remission, but the doctors nevershared that information with them for several weeks becausethey were sure she would relapse. She never did, and 3 yearsof chemo treatments were cut in half. She later returned toFGBI to graduate. She has been married for 25 years and has2 healthy sons. Brother Thompson said that he always creditsthe students of FGBI for the prayers that brought her through. Of course, we know that neither the healing nor theinterpretation of tongues would have been possible, except forAlmighty God.

In a more recent conversation, Sis. Leah, knowing that I waswriting on this topic, shared a couple other experiencesregarding this with me. She told of a dear sister in the Lordwho was struggling with the reality of tongues andinterpretation of tongues. While in prayer one day the Spiritmoved upon her with a personal message in tongues followedby an interpretation. She wrote it down. Later, that samemessage came forth in an interpretation of tongues in church. It was an exact confirmation to her that it was real and thatthe Holy Ghost was definitely still working!

There are times when people feel that inner working of theHoly Ghost, but they are afraid to give the interpretation, sothey hold back and quench what the Spirit is attempting to do. At that point, the Spirit may move upon another, but what ifthe other also refuses to yield? Sis. Leah said that happenedto her one time, but while she hesitated, another person gavethe exact same interpretation she was thinking. Once againwe see a confirmation of its reality.

Let us conclude by saying that this gift of the Spirit is notreserved for great spiritual giants. God only needs a yieldedand willing vessel. Sure, the devil will try his best to makeyou second guess the working of the Holy Ghost because hedoesn’t want you to be used. God is able to do “exceedingabundantly above all we ask or think,” and it is according tothe power that “worketh in us.” (Eph. 3:20). Let us covet thebest gifts, then yield ourselves to Him by faith and allow theSpirit of God to work in and through us in this great hour.

Rev. Michael Johnson

Rev. Michael Johnson

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leWomen of WorthWho can find a virtous woman? For

her price is far above Rubies.Proverbs 31:10

A Peace that Passeth…

Phillipians 4:7 And the peace of God which passeth allunderstanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through

Christ Jesus.

Suppose we had a race today. Let's imagine a stadium fullof people who have come to watch. Who will win? There

are only two contenders in this race. It is, “All understanding”against “the peace of God.” After the signal, “on your markget set, Go!” The peace of God would leave all understandingin the dust. “All understanding”, is knowledge of the situation

at hand. It is information from pastcircumstance that helps us understandthe present situation. Yet Gods peacepasses all understanding.Through Christ we can have peace thatwe don't understand keeping our mindand our heart. It is only through ChristJesus and not from the world.

There are needs in many people thatwe want to reach out to. We want to

bring healing to their hurt. Their needs can be critical. . Yethow can I help bring peace to their situation? It's ThroughChrist Jesus. In this world there is turmoil in People. Theyare full of anger, bitterness and sin . The only peace that theycan find is through Christ Jesus. The world is searching for thatpeace and can never find outside of Christ. I've read of thewealthy who seems to have everything… except peace! I'veread of famous people who are depressed, without God, andwithout peace.

Our church at Bond Kentucky has cried many tears over ayoung man in our youth group who is very loved. This summerhe was in a four wheeler accident. As I write this, he is still ina rehabilitation center. We are still praying for his recovery.During this horrible situation, our youth leader, Brother TylerCombs, exhorted the church. He was talking about the turmoilall around, and yet he couldn't explain the settled peace in hisheart. While the storm raged all around, Jesus is with us in theboat. He is peace. He has the power to calm the storm and say, “peace be still.” This Jesus, the Son of God, lives in our heartand he gives us “peace that passeth” what we see andunderstand . He is our peace. It doesn't come from a vacation,a new car, fame or fortune. It is definitely not from a politicalparty. Peace is being sought today in the newest mostinnovative ways. People look for a way to be rejuvenated sothat they can feel relaxed and peaceful. Peace will never befound in the perfect weight loss or the perfect chocolate pie!Jesus said in John 14:27 “peace I leave with you, my peace I

give to you: not as the world gives, give I unto you. Let notyour heart be troubled. Neither let it be afraid.”

To me , the opposite of peace is fear. I find it interesting thatJesus said… “let not your heart be troubled!” And, “neither letit be afraid!” Sometimes we have to take charge and say,“heart straighten up!! I'm not allowing you to be troubled!”Take your heart by the neck ( if it has one) and say, “listen palJesus himself left us peace and he gave it to us! Get it togetherI'm not allowing you to be afraid!” Peace was left by Christhimself to his children.

We should pursue peace. II Corinthians 13:11b: “Live inpeace; and the God of love and peace shall be with you. “ Onestruggle I've had is Pursuing peace. Daily peace ,that settlesin the heart, can be Jarred by fatigue and fret. Today I wassetting in a soft chair with my feet propped up in another chair.I was trying to relax for just a moment. Our youngest justrecovered from strep throat. I left the Dr. yesterday withanother child diagnosed with strep throat. Tempted to hideuntil the storm of strep throat has passed, I find a small windowto relax. Realizing at any moment I may have to run tosomeone's rescue. I quickly close my eyes and pictured abeautiful pond in the sunset. Next to it is a lawn chair, and nomosquitos to bother me. No bleach or Lysol smell disturbs me.There is no laundry piled up to wash and disinfect. Ahh, allthis picture needs is a candy bar. Yet this tranquil moment isstopped with a loud crash! What happened now? You get upto investigate. “God”, cries your heart, “let me feel a settledpeace from you… I long to live in the spirit.”

Some days you try so hard to be Mary at the feet of Jesus. Andcranky Martha comes out and says, “Hey, is somebody gonnahelp me in the kitchen or what?” Life demands attention. Yetthe soul longs for peace and time with God. God sees ourstruggle to pursue peace. Even psalm 34:14 says “depart fromevil, and do good, seek peace and pursue it.”

Pursue ladies. Seek after God. Don't despair. Remember ourframe. We know God does. I wish my frame was more petite,while I'm remembering it. But large or small we are emotional.And sometimes we can be robbed of peace through ouremotions. Real trauma can affect our emotions.Yet the wordimplies, “ live in peace” and “seek peace” and also “pursue it.”Peace can be as simple as believing Gods word. I recall anincident in our personal life in which I had a real worry. Forseveral days I sought the Lord in turmoil of heart. During atime of prayer, God gave me a word. The peace came. But notafter much pursuing. Peace after pursuit is precious. I stoodon the word from God and God was faithful to his word.Pursue!

This recipe for Easy Yogurt Pie is a good treat on those busydays…Easy yogurt pie: 2 yogurt (I prefer strawberry), 1 tubof cool whip. Mix and place in a graham cracker crust Cut afew strawberries for the top. Chill and serve / or place in thefreezer for a few hours. Very low fat light dessert.

Sis. Kim Lloyd.

VAlbany, GA

Bethel Holiness TabernacleAnnual Campmeeting, Dec. 27-30

10:00 am................Bro. Bruce Johnson6:00 pm.....................Bro. Corey herod7:30 pm......................Bro. Tim BrimmPastor Noah Philips 229-449-2465 or

229-438-7210

Conferences, Retreats

VPigeon Forge, TN

Minister’s Conference, Jan. 24-26Tues. 10:00 AM,

Bro. Randy Webb, Bro. Steve GentryTues 7:00 PM:

Bro. Jamie Holcomb, Honoring Bro,Neil Bridges

Wed. 10:00 AM:Bro. Dwain Galiher, Bro. Bill Preskitt

Wed. 7:00 PM:Bro. Kevin Lloyd, Honoring Bro.

Charles Barnett

Thurs. 7:00 PM:Bro. Lloyd Shuecraft

For Info: bluespringschurchofgod.comPastor Don Ingram 865-776-1050

Special Services

Fellowship, Camp Meeting

Elkton, VABible Holines Church

Campmeeting, Oct. 20-2310:00 AM.................Bro. L. D. Savage

& Visiting Ministers7:30 pm....................Bro. Randy Webb

Pastor Brent Gabbard540-405-7121

VThayer, MO

Midway Pentecostal ChurchFellowship Meeting, Oct. 21-23

10:00 am...................Visiting Minsiters7:00 pm...................Bro. Terry GuthriePastor Anthony Woods 417-264-2530

or 870-223-6407V

Louisville, KYHelck Ave. House of Prayer

Fellowship Meeting, Nov. 3-610:30 AM................Rev. Mike Roberts6:30 PM....................Visiting Ministers7:30 PM.................Bro. Rusty JohnsonPastor Jimmy Deckard 502-541-7781

VPrague, OK

Lighthouse Holiness ChurchFellowship Meeting, Nov. 4-6

Day Spkr...................Bro. David MillerNight Spkr...........Bro. Shad McDonald

Pastor Aaron Brock 405-830-1928

VMoss Point, MS

Trinity Pentecostal TabernacleAnnual Fellowship Meeting

Nov. 9-1210:00 AM................Rev. Mike Roberts7:30 PM...................Rev. Randy Webb

Pastor Russell McDonald 228-990-8329 or Rev. Shad McDonald 251-

533-9321V

Gadsden, ALTrinity Holiness Church

Annual Fellowship Meeting, Nov. 16-19

10:00 am...................Bro. Randy Webb& Visiting Ministers

7:00 pm...................Bro. John GabbardLodging available, bring linnens.

Pastor Steve Shaneyfelt256-438-3761

NOTE:

Please send camp and specialservice announcements as early in

the year as possible. Many plan theirvacations to attend meetings and

must do so early in the year. We getnumerous call concerning these

dates.

This is a Bi-Monthly Publication sothe announcements need to be sentto us at least 3-4 months before thedate of the meeting. IF they are sent

sooner they will be announcedmultiple times.

IF you email an announcement anddo not get a reply confirming the

meeting. Please call or text, 918-638-3070. We have had some problemswith email in the past months and

want to make sure every meeting isannounced

Taking the Time To CareDouglas Maurer, 15, of Creve Coeur,Missouri, had been feeling bad forseveral days. Mrs. Maurer took Douglasto the hospital in St. Louis where he wasdiagnosed as having leukemia.

The doctors told him in frank termsabout his disease. They said that for thenext three years, he would have toundergo chemotherapy. They didn'tsugarcoat the side effects. They toldDouglas he would go bald and that hisbody would most likely bloat. Uponlearning this, he went into a deepdepression.

His aunt called a floral shop to sendDouglas an arrangement of flowers. Shetold the clerk that it was for her teenagenephew who had leukemia. When theflowers arrived at the hospital, theywere beautiful. Douglas read the cardfrom his aunt without emotion. Then henoticed a second card. It said: "Douglas- I took your order. I work at BrixFlorist. I had leukemia when I wasseven years old. I'm 22 years old now.Good Luck. My heart goes out to you.Sincerely, Laura Bradley."His face lit up. "Oh wow!" he said.

It's interesting: Douglas Maurer was ina hospital filled with millions of dollarsof the most sophisticated technologicalequipment. He was being treated byexpert doctors and nurses withcompetent medical training. But it wasa sales clerk in a flower shop, a youngwoman making $170 a week, who - bytaking the time to care, and by beingwilling to go with what her heart toldher to do - gave Douglas hope and thewill to carry on.

It is so with the church that with all thefineries of elaborate furnishings andbeautiful buildings. We can neverdispense with the human connection.We can organize, speak, sing, worshipand display our human talent -but do wecare?

The person that cares is the person thatis most beneficial, even if you onlywield a pen and piece of paper.

“thrilled to be filled”holinessmessenger.com/uploads/3/4/5/0/3450972/sept._oct.pdftionally”...

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