April 29

Faithful Men and Women

We are so blessed to have such loyal God honoring people attending our Sunday morning services.  You can’t see Diane, but she’s here, sitting behind Steve, but we are so thankful that we have the privilege to minister to you wonderful people who come out Sunday after Sunday.  May you forever be blessed.

We Are to Be Prepared For Rough Assignments

Two hundred years ago, Cambridge students were required to attend church and, periodically, receive the Lord's Supper. Charles Simeon, a 1779 Cambridge freshman, was not a Christian but somehow understood the importance of communion.

One day he fell to his knees crying out for God's mercy. It was a true conversion from which Simeon would never recover.

Upon graduation, Simeon, with an assist from his influential father, was ordained and appointed Pastor of Holy Trinity Church at Cambridge.  It was Simeon's dream job... but not for long.
Alone with his newfound faith, he wrote: "I longed to know some spiritual person who had the same views and feelings”. True believers were hard to find. 

To make matters worse: * The congregation of Holy Trinity didn't want him as their pastor. * Church members boycotted his services and pew-holders locked their pews. * To provide seating, Simeon placed benches in the aisles but the wardens threw them out. * At times the church leaders locked the doors, preventing him from the services. * Rowdy university students protested Simeon's preaching with obscenities and riots, and Simeon was pelted with rotten eggs as he left church. * The faculty treated him with contempt. They slandered and ostracized him.

Why all this abuse? Because Simeon faithfully and consistently taught the truth of man's sinfulness and the bountiful forgiveness available in Christ. But how much can one man take? Even godly pastors have a breaking point!

One day Simeon took a long walk into the woods to offer God his resignation: "I can't take it any more, Lord! I just can't!" Finding a stump to sit on, he randomly opened his Bible, hoping for divine confirmation. Instead, his Bible fell open to one, lone verse: "They found a man of Cyrene, Simeon by name, and forced him to carry Christ's cross."  Charles Simeon, an exhausted and defeated pastor, finally saw his situation through different eyes. "Lord, lay it on me; lay it on me! I will gladly carry the cross for Your sake."

For 54 years he remained pastor of Holy Trinity Church. Finally, at age 77, Simeon was called into God's presence. He had become so loved that when he died all shops in Cambridge closed, university lectures were suspended, and mourners lined 4-deep all around the college, waiting to pay their final tribute to their faithful pastor.

Some pastorates are more difficult than others. I am no exception when it comes to relating to Pastor Simeon, yet, even in rough times, we must be willing to carry the cross of Christ into, and through enemy territory, for Christ's sake.

BIBLE STUDY

      
                 A few attended our Bible Study- It was a wonderful time of learning and fellowship.
   

ARIZONA 

Arizona- From the White Mountains and the Salt River Canyon Basin, to Agricultural Valley and out into the beauty of the Desert  with the colorful  Cactus blossoms- with wide open eyes we see God’s handi-work is readily before us.
 
We now have video and audio files of our worship services posted to the Internet.
To view/hear this week's message, click here.
Continue to pray for us as we seek to serve the Lord here in the desert.
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