Portland LINK

1 Messages from March Meetings

2 World Report

3 March Meetings Youth Weekend

4 We Give God All the Credit!

5 Gallery PICS

6 Our Mission: Pray, Preach, Publish

6 A Lesson on Temptation

The annual week of March Meetings was held March 1-10, and the Portland congregation was blessed to have several visiting ministers bring the Word of the Lord during the week. Following are some of the highlights of the inspiring messages shared during the services.

“Don’t be stingy with your consecrations to God, because the blessing that God would like to pour out on you is proportionate to how much you

believe, how much you obey, and how much you consecrate to God. God will multiply what you give to His control.” –John Baros

“Maybe you have been seeking the Holy Spirit for a long time. It is not a secret

i n t h i s i s s u e

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Messages from March Meetingshow to receive: just acknowledge the authority of God in your life, recognize that God has already paid the price for that blessing, and follow His commandments. You can’t help but be blessed by God when you do these things.” –Tony Boyce

“Salvation is wonderful, but there is something greater. God’s intent was greater than to save us from our sins; it was that we might be

joint-heirs with Christ and to live with Him forever. He saved us for eternity, and we anticipate the day of the Lord’s coming.” – Jack Chasteen

“When someone tells you, ‘There is light at the end of the tunnel,’ it brings

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“Ruth looked beyond the present. She exercised faith! She did not know what was ahead of her, but she had gotten to know the God of Israel. She had witnessed the power of God in that home. It was worth following the true and living God rather

than going back to the land of Moab.” –James Timbilla

March 2019

a ray of hope in your soul. But by the authority of God’s Word, I say there is light for you in the tunnel! The Lord does not just wait until we get to the end of the tunnel. Jesus will stand by us every step of the way.” – Olusola Adesope

“It never ceases to amaze me that out of the earth’s population of about 7.7 billion people, the Lord looked down and saw me. How marvelous, that He would be that personal.” –Wayne Butler

James Timbilla of Wharton, New Jersey.

Excerpts from Friday, March 1 Harlan Lee of Roseburg, Oregon, and Wayne Butler of Port Angeles, Washington, recently returned from Romania where they attended the annual ministers’ conference and also visited many of our churches to encourage the saints. At an evening service in Craiova, where the congregation had been holding “prevailing prayer” meetings, our team was told that visitors had been attending from other churches which did not have altar services. Pavel Balanoiu gave the first message, taking his text from Acts 1:4-8. This happened to be the same Scripture reference Brother Harlan was planning to use. When he went ahead with his message next, the congregation understood that the Holy Spirit was leading, and many began to rejoice and weep. A great prayer meeting followed. When it was time for the team to leave, no one wanted the service to end, though it had continued for three hours. Two days later, the team received a phone call from Brother Pavel letting them know that thirteen in Craiova had received the baptism of the Holy Spirit!

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Excerpts from Monday, March 18 Debbie and I continue in the Caribbean, traveling with Tim DeBusk, Director of the Caribbean Work, and his wife, Lisa; Michael Anthony, the Eastern Caribbean District Superintendent, and his wife, Monica; and Deivys Pichardo, the Dominican Republic District Superintendent. On March 14, we took a ferry to Tortola, British Virgin Islands, and toured the Road Town church, which has been rebuilt since being struck back-to-back by two category-five hurricanes in 2017. Today, the church building (pictured) is nearly complete, and on Friday we held a rededication service as well as celebrated the 25th anniversary of its original construction. The Road Town church is now a monument to what the Lord can do. We give Him the glory for providing the means and the way for the saints to be able to worship together again.

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Excerpts from Monday, March 25 John Musgrave, Director of Africa Work, and his wife, Rodica, traveled to Nigeria last week and were met by Bayo Adeniran, the Western and Central Africa (WECA) District Superintendent. On Friday they met the WECA management team; many of the workers have served for over forty years and about ninety percent are volunteers. Brother John remarked that the “the scope of the work as they manage hundreds of locations across Nigeria is staggering. Many wear several hats and they do a tremendous job.” He thanked the team on behalf of the world headquarters for their dedication to the Gospel work.

P o s t s F r o m

B r o t h e r

D a r r e l L e e ’ s

J o u r n a l

Read more at apostolicfaith.org/world-reportWorld Report

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From the

Superintendent ’s

Desk

The week of March Meetings opened with a weekend of youth activities. On Saturday, the morning started with a hearty meal of breakfast casserole and orange rolls in the Fellowship Lodge, followed by a time of singing to help wake everyone up! Next, the young people were separated into two large groups to compete in a Bible Bowl on the Book of 1 Timothy. Three representatives from each team came forward and were challenged to answer trivia questions about 1 Timothy. Questions were posed to one team, and if they could not answer correctly, the other team had a chance to steal the point. Once each team had been asked a question, three new representatives came forward from each team, giving everyone a chance to participate.

Typical questions were, “What two Old Testament names are mentioned in 1 Timothy 2:13?” and, “Where did Paul encourage people to pray?” The battle of the minds lasted for a couple hours, including a song-filled intermission to prevent Bible Bowl burnout. In the end, the score was even, so a tie-breaker question was presented: “What is the last word of 1 Timothy?” After one team answered correctly, it was pointed out that the question had already been asked, and so a second tie-breaker question was asked: “Where was the Book of 1 Timothy written?” The teams thought long and hard and guessed,

The lesson for the evening given by Peter Sletmoe of Grants Pass, Oregon, was titled “A Soldier, an Athlete, and a Farmer: A Study of Paul’s Second Epistle to Timothy.” It began with a video showing numerous people who traded valuable items, such as their time, money, or comfort, in order to share the love of Christ with others, which is of eternal value. At the end of the video,

the question was asked, “What would you trade for God’s best?” Brother Peter related that the Book of 2 Timothy was perhaps the last words Paul wrote to Timothy before he died, and it appears that he was imparting some of his greatest wisdom for life. In the first chapter, Paul highlighted the heritage Timothy had in the Gospel, and Brother Peter related some testimonies of the pioneers of the Apostolic Faith Church to demonstrate the rich heritage that we also have.

In verse 13 of chapter 1, Paul told Timothy to “hold fast the form of sound words.” Brother Peter pointed out that the rest of the book explains how to hold fast to the sound words, and he discussed twelve specific steps mentioned by Paul: Stir Up, Be a Partaker, Keep, Commit, Study, Shun, Purge, Continue, Preach, Watch, Endure, and Evangelize. As he mentioned each one, Brother Peter expounded on the practical application of Paul’s admonition in our lives. He closed by saying that Paul’s primary goal in life was to please Jesus, and if we also have that desire, we will succeed as Christians. The evening closed with the song “One Day (When We All Get to Heaven)” followed by a time of prayer.

“Jerusalem?” No. “Rome?” No. In fact, no one knew the answer and the game ended dramatically in a tie. Further investigation revealed that the location of the writing is not known for certain, and it could have been Rome. So in a sense, one team was possibly the winner. In another sense, everyone won because they all left with more Bible knowledge than they had before.

Lunch included burgers, chips, and potato salad, which was followed by free time. The campground activity center was transformed into a laser tag arena where groups of eighteen at a time could compete, and another area was available for board games. Some just visited in the Fellowship Lodge or outside, and others left the grounds to see parts of the city of Portland.

At 6:00 p.m., everyone returned for another great meal—brisket with mac and cheese, and marionberry cobbler for dessert. This was followed by a youth rally, which began with singing and then a time for testimonies. Several shared how God saved them—some who were born in Christian homes and some not, some who had gone deep into sin and some who had not. It was clear that God can give victory to everyone in every situation!

(Left) Laser tag in the activity center. (Right) Nikita Jones, Tyler Lopez, and Payton Lee represent at the Bible Bowl.

March Meetings Youth Weekend

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“ . . . Paul’s primary goal in life was to please Jesus, and if we

also have that desire, we will succeed as Christians.”

“It will be thirty years this camp meeting since the Lord saved me. I was running around with people who weren’t really good, and God just asked me, ‘Do you want this life, or do you want the life you’ve been raised in, with Christian parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents?’ I knew that was the life I wanted. At camp meeting, I wanted to get saved so badly. I was sitting on the second row in the tabernacle thinking, Lord, please make this sermon end; I want to go to the altar and get saved! In His sweet Voice He said, ‘You don’t have to wait,’ and I didn’t even get the words ‘I’m sorry’ out before the peace that passeth all understanding came over me. It was so wonderful!

“I went to the altar and wanted to be sanctified, and God showed me that I needed to make something right, so I went and called that person and they said it was no problem. As I put the handle down on the phone, I felt electricity go from my hand all the way up to my head and down, and it was pure sanctification of the Lord. All I could do was cry and thank the Lord, and I knew without a doubt that sanctification is a real experience. A few days later, God filled me with His Holy Spirit. I am so blessed and I give God all the credit.”

– Julie Friesen

“I was thinking today that I actually have an old testimony. My grandparents on both sides came into the Gospel, and that was a long time ago, and then my parents were raised in those homes, a long time ago, and they raised my brothers and me in the Gospel, a long time ago. What was taught at church was lived at home, so it was very easy for me to get saved when I was young, a long time ago. I’m thankful that I have that testimony from back then, and in my teenage years I re-established that commitment and made sure it was secure, and since that

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live, and a car since we work in opposite directions. Someone came up to us and said, ‘You are probably going to look for a place to live. I have a place; do you want to look at it?’ It was perfect for us—it’s very near my family and right down the street from church. Someone else came to us and said, ‘I heard you are looking for a car’—we had not told anyone we were looking for a car—‘I have one that we are looking to sell, would you like to look at it?’ It was perfect.

“A few months after our wedding, the center where I was working closed, so I was out of work. About two weeks after that God told Troy to put in his two weeks’ notice, so both of us were out of work right before camp meeting. I was praying and he was praying, and God said, ‘Just trust Me.’ Soon I got a message from my former boss asking me to join them again, and just a couple of weeks later someone offered Troy a job too. Our jobs didn’t start for a while, so I was still worried about that, but during camp meeting multiple times people came to us and with no reason handed us envelopes with money inside. God provided our every need and I praise Him tonight.”

–Caitlyn Ross

“I was raised in a home where I went to church once a week for an hour, and that was all I knew of being a Christian. When I got out of college and went away from home, I found out that God can save you and be with you every day, and help you live above sin. Before, I hoped that I was going to make it to Heaven, but I didn’t know for sure. But after I got saved and Jesus came into my heart, I knew for sure that when I died I was going to go to Heaven, and that gave me peace and contentment. I have peace and contentment every day, and I love Jesus with all my heart.”

–Matt Hanson

time I am still deciding to continue in this way. I could tell you about blessings throughout my life and also trials that I hope I have learned from, but what I am really thankful for is that my name is written in the Lamb’s Book of Life, and I’m on my way to Heaven.”

–Barry Morgan

“Years ago, I came into a service just like this on a Sunday night with a small group of friends who were seeking a better way to live. During the sermon I thought, How could this man know so many things about my life? and later I realized that God knew, and nothing was going to be secret because He knew me and my sin.

“Though I didn’t pray that night, I felt a love and a hope from that night on and I came back. I kept coming and heard through the beautiful, powerful testimonies how lives were changed in the twinkling of an eye, habits were broken, and darkness fled. I thought, That is exactly what I need and want. I was just twenty years old, but I was deep in sin and darkness. When I heard that I could be forgiven of my sins, it was wonderful. I prayed and the Lord met me and gave me victory and peace. He was my Savior and became my Defender. He is my hope and my Rock. We cast our lot here over forty-three years ago, raised our children, and we have grandchildren now. I’m very happy in the Lord. I thank Him for all He has done for me.”

– Glenda Andersen

“There is a song that says, ‘All of my needs He has provided,’ and that is definitely true for me. A couple of years ago I was feeling lonely so I prayed for a friend, and God sent me Troy, who became one of my best friends. Soon we were were engaged and decided it was time to look for a place where we would

We Give God All the Credit!

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Gallery PICSphotos from our events this month

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(Clockwise from top left) Big brother is excited for new little Luke Garrison to be in church; Glenda Andersen testifies; Tobias Temneanu celebrates his third year; Caitlyn Ross testifies; Skepticism from Daisy Andersen; A special from the Primary Department; Diana Lambert and Anne Ajayi at the youth weekend; A time of prayer; Gary Wolfe with granddaughter Addie.

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Our Mission: Pray, Preach, PublishThe Friday night Bible study was a

combination of parts 3, 4, and 5 of the Highlighting Our Heritage series. Karen Barrett (pictured) led the study, which focused on the three elements noted in the church’s mission statement: Pray, Preach, and Publish. She related that in the year 2000, the church decided to create an official mission statement. It had to not only refer to the organization’s past calling but also look ahead to the future, and it had to be appropriate for branch churches as well as the world headquarters. Eventually they settled on this statement, “The mission of the Apostolic Faith Church is to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We accomplish this as we: Pray, Preach, and Publish.”

As the presentation continued, Sister Karen gave an in-depth description of Pray, Preach, and Publish, individually:

last means is a method which any individual can act on, and Sister K a r e n noted the importance of living a godly testimony before the world.

In closing, Sister Karen read Psalm 16:6, “The lines are fallen unto me in pleasant places; yea, I have a goodly heritage,” and spoke of the wonderful heritage of the Apostolic Faith Church, but also warned that this privilege comes with responsibility. She encouraged everyone to consider what they want to leave behind for future generations.

• Prayer. Christians can pray anywhere at at all times—in church, at home, over prayer requests, as a congregation, and as individuals—and prayer is powerful. Sister Karen related some specific answers to prayer which had immense effects, not only on the lives of the individuals involved, but those around them and future generations of their families.

• Preach. This church has its historical roots in the prayer meetings held in the house on Bonnie Brae Street and the Azusa Street Mission. The doctrines taught there are still taught in the Apostolic Faith Church today, not only from the pulpit but also through the testimonies shared during services.

• Publish. There are a variety of ways one can publish the Gospel: in printed word, electronic media, the spoken word, and through personal lives. This

A Lesson on TemptationThe March youth focus session

started with dinner—chicken salad with bread, and brownies and ice cream for dessert. Following the meal, everyone stayed seated at their tables for a game of “Name that Sunday School Tune.” Julianne Luka was at the piano to play the first few notes of ten well-known Sunday school songs, such as “I Am a

C” and “I’m All Wrapped Up.” Each table conversed amongst themselves and wrote what they believed to be the correct titles for the songs, and at the end the answers were read to everyone. The result was a three-way tie, forcing an exciting sudden-death round. Eventually one team emerged

encouraging the young people that God will keep them if they want to be kept. He reminded them that when Satan tempts someone to sin, he tries to make sin seem fun and exciting and hides the negative consequences—the temptation to sin is always full of empty promises and lies. Brother Ryan emphasized the importance of reading God’s Word daily and obeying the leading of the Holy Spirit, even if your peers do not have the same convictions. In closing, he said it is important to serve God with all of your heart, because there is no such thing as a lukewarm Christian; turning away from God means turning toward the devil. However, when Christians determine to follow God wholeheartedly, their lives will shine brightly in a world that is very dark with sin. The evening closed with a time of prayer.

victorious, and each of its members happily went home with a token for a free ice cream cone at Cloud City.

Everyone relocated to the general seating area for a time of sharing prayer requests and then a lesson on the topic of temptation. Ryan Erdmann began by reading the account of Jesus’ temptation

in the wilderness from Luke 4:1-13. He said that a time of temptation is not what one hopes for, but sometimes it is reality and it is important to know how to handle it.

Brother Ryan shared verses such as 1 Corinthians 12:13 and 1 John 2:15,

“ . . . there is no such thing as a lukewarm Christian;

turning away from God means turning toward the devil.”