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wednesday may 28, 2008
Immediate Prayer
Friends, I'm asking for you to stop and pray right now on behalf of Jackie Albert. As her brothers and sisters in Christ, we need to lift her up to our God in prayer. Jackie is going to be in Degraff Memorial Hospital for a few days. I'm not sure of the severity of her situation or why she is there, but regardless of the issue - big or small - our prayers will not be wasted. Dad is on his way as I write to visit Jackie and encourage her, letting her know that all of us are praying for her. Out of respect for Jackie and her privacy, I'd ask that you do not bombard her with visits at this time. Send a note of encouragement, send flowers, and above all pray. This is the best thing you can do for Jackie right now. "The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much" (James 5:16). If a few of you ladies are particularly close to Jackie, then by all means express your love to her by visiting, all the while keeping in mind that she needs rest to regain her strength. Men, let us commit ourselves to fervent prayer as James has said, knowing that it avails much. Thank you on behalf of Jackie for your prayers. I will have an update for you on Thursday night at our Bible Study. In Him, Jonathan
posted by jonathan drake
tuesday may 27, 2008
God is SO Good
Good Morning! I hope you had a great Memorial Day weekend. It was so good to see many of you on Sunday at Clarence Town Park for our joint picnic with Eastern Hills Wesleyan Church. We had a great time - plenty of food, lots of games, and our softball players are feeling the pain (even today!). But we are already looking forward to Labor Day when we will do it all over again. ************************************************************************* I hope this doesn't sounds silly, but I really want to focus this morning on the goodness of God. It is something that has dominated my thinking as of late. I've often repeated the great statement by A.W. Tozer, "What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us." If that is true, let me assist you in thinking that God is good...incredibly good. The Bible is replete with examples and passages that affirm His goodness. Like one of my favorites says, "Every good and perfect gift comes from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variableness nor shadow of turning (James 1:17)." Why is it so important to truly believe He is good? Very simply, it will shape your perspective on the things that happen to you. Understanding that God is in charge of your life and that He is (as Paul said in Romans 8:28) shaping all things for good in your life, makes you accept the difficult stuff that comes your way. But not only accept it, look forward to how God will use that difficulty to accomplish a good purpose. Now, that might cause you to redefine "good" in terms of the way God sees it, but I can guarantee that you will not be filled with resentment and negative thoughts about your life when you thank God for being so good to you. I truly am praying that you and I will do that today. ************************************************************************* This Thursday, in our series entitled, "EVERYBODY LOVES A GOOD STORY," I want to address a very important issue: Who is your neighbor? It's a question that Jesus was asked a long time ago by someone who wanted to be nice to as few people as possible. Jesus deconstructed that man's thinking, and he will do it to ours if we let Him, by telling the famous parable of the Good Samaritan. The issue, "who is your neighbor?" will make us realize that Christ has called us to touch other people for His name in very tangible ways. It's this idea: I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; thirsty, and you gave Me drink; naked, and you clothed Me. I hope you will look at this issue with me. Our Bible study starts at 7:00 p.m., so bring a couple people who need to hear this message, even if one of those people is you. ************************************************************************* Things for your calendar to know about: our annual Buffalo Bisons outing with the fireworks display will be Thursday, July 3. This will preempt our normal Thursday Night Bible Study. Stay tuned for ticket information. Blessings to you all... Pastor Deone
posted by deone drake
tuesday may 20, 2008
Letting Go and Moving On
I have done a lot of counseling in my years at The Chapel. Despite the fact that I am the Singles Pastor, and have been for 17 years, most of the counseling I have done has been with married couples in trouble or couples about to be married. Not only have I done a lot of counseling than I have. Men like my brother David and Pastor Rich George, the shepherding pastor at The Chapel. So we talk -- about common issues we face and what's the best way to help people. Because that's what we really want to do -- help people. You might wonder (I would) what one issue we face in counseling more than any other. You might wonder if there is such a thing -- one thing that surfaces more than any other in a person's life or a person's relationship. I think I could say there is -- actually, with a great deal of confidence. And what is that? The one issue people struggle with, more than any other, is the inability or refusal to let go of their past. Whether it's something they have done or something done to them, and whether it was done last week or whether it was done when they were five years old, people really struggle with letting go of a past hurt or wound. ANd you know they struggle with it because it seems to impact everything they do and say in the present. That past hurt does exactly what the writer of Hebrews 12:15 said it would do -- it springs up from the inside, it troubles you, and many other people are influenced by it. One of the wonderful benefits of walking with Jesus Christ is that you can be freed from your past and live with a clean slate. And you can offer the same to others -- give them another chance to start fresh in your life. How? It's called forgiveness. Forgiveness is a decision to release someone from the debt they incurred by hurting you. Is it hard to make that decision? Usually. But what makes it easier is to realize the incredible forgiveness God has granted to you. Forgiveness will be the issue examined during this Thursday's Bible Study as we look at Jesus' wonderful parable in Matthew 18. We will give some good reasons to finally begin the process of forgiving. It will be worth your while to hear what Jesus says about the subject. I hope you will join us. ************************************************************************* I am also looking forward to telling you some of the ideas we have regarding this fall and beyond for our Singles ministry. I will abbreviate the lesson a little so I can talk to you for about 15 minutes and give you some of those ideas. We will do it over our snack for the week: personal pizzas that we will cut in half (unless you want a whole one). We'll have lots of fun. ************************************************************************* Remember, we offer childcare for children between the ages of 3 and 11. It's free, and all we ask is that you give us 24 hours notice. That's just being considerate to those who are willing to provide this service for us. ************************************************************************* Don't forget - our joint Memorial Day Picnic is this Sunday, May 25, @ 2 p.m. at the Clarence Town Park (Large Pavilion). I know most of you are waiting for the final weather report, but Thursday is your last opportunity to get in on the $5 price. It's $7 at the door. ************************************************************************* Well, blessings to all of you. I hope to see you Thursday @ 7 p.m. Pastor Deone
posted by deone drake
tuesday may 13, 2008
A wise man once said...
Good morning everyone! I understand that last Thursday's dinner was outstanding. We had some good chefs cooking those first hot dogs, hamburgers, and sausages of the season. Thanks to everyone who made it a special evening. My family celebrated a major milestone in Jonathan's life over the weekend -- as he graduated from Liberty University with his bachelor's degree in Biblical Studies. We are so thankful to God for how He is already using Jon to accomplish great things for God's glory. God is good and we are grateful. I am looking forward to resuming our Bible study series on the Parables of Christ. This Thursday, we will look at a parable that came with a son when I was a kid (and hand motions too!): "the wise man built his house upon the rock." It's a great story about what is truly important to Jesus. The story is preceded by scary words from Jesus about how some people get it all wrong -- thinking they can say the right things and be OK with God. There is a common denominator in the life of every true believer. We will talk about what that common denominator is...this Thursday. See you at 7 p.m. AFTER OUR BIBLE STUDY, we will have a BRIEF MEETING to see how many of you are interested in possibly going with us to MEXICO. The dates are October 4-11. We will meet in the PRAYER ROOM. Speaking of which, why don't you plan on joining men and women in prayer at 6:30 p.m.? It's a great opportunity to go before the Lord and ask Him to intervene on our behalf. I hope you are also getting your tickets this week -- either from Eastern Hills Wesleyan Church or from us -- for our upcoming Memorial Day Picnic. It is going to be on Sunday, May 25 at Clarence Town Park. I understand there is a rematch of our great softball game brewing. Either way, we will have a lot of fun; but we will have more fun if you come. Tickets are $5 for adults. I am praying that you will live out this week in the reality of a God who deeply loves you and wants to accomplish good things in you. Remember, He is thinking about you all the time (Psalm 139) and HIs thoughts toward you are good (Jeremiah 29:11) because He is good all the time. Blessings to you, Pastor Deone
posted by deone drake
tuesday may 6, 2008
It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year
Good Morning to you all! I looked outside and saw a perfect opportunity for bike-riding later this afternoon (after I get all my work done, of course). I hope you will do whatever you can today to enjoy God and His creation, to enrich your walk with God, and to encourage others to follow Christ. I am so glad I gave you a challenge in a previous Thursday Bible study to take 30 days with God and let Him speak to you. Just last night, I received my third report within a week from someone who knows God is significantly changing them. What a blessing that is to watch and hear of God's goodness to His people. I want to remind you of something John Piper wrote recently: Faith is being satisfied with all that God is in Christ. That's a great encouragement - because it reminds us that God has all you need today and will provide it for you if you will be in fellowship with Him. It is my prayer on this Tuesday morning that you and I truly will walk with God today. Now, for some information for your calendars: Don't forget our annual Spring Break-out is this Thursday, May 8, starting at 6:30 p.m. We have a full menu of Sahlen's hot dogs, hamburgers, and Italian sausage, along with potato salad, chips, and "skippy cups" for dessert. If you don't have a ticket, there are a limited number of tickets left on a first-come, first-serve basis for $5. I hope you can come and enjoy some good food and great fellowship. We will resume our Bible Study on the Parables of Christ the following Thursday, May 15. We will take a good look at an oldie, but a goodie - the parable of the wise man who built his house upon the rock and the foolish man who built his house upon the sand (sorry, I don't have a cool title for this lesson yet). It really is a great story about the value of obedience - value to God, value to you, and value to others. I'm looking forward to it! Finally, you can get your tickets at Eastern Hills Wesleyan Church OR The Chapel for our joint Memorial Day Picnic. It will be on Sunday, May 25, from 2-7 p.m. at the Clarence Town Park. Lots of games and lots of food and lots of fun. Fliers are also available at both ministries so you can see what you should bring and how to get there. It will be a great opportunity to have some great, outdoor fun while we express thanks for those who have lost their lives protecting our freedoms here in America. I hope you have a tremendous week. Blessings on all of you. Pastor Deone P.S. I must let you know about a SERVICE OPPORTUNITY coming up. Joanna Schoemaker, a faithful member of our Singles Ministry, is moving this weekend and needs some help. Please call Joanna at 563-1403 for more details and updates on the times to show up. I know she will greatly appreciate it!
posted by deone drake
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