August 26

 

Ponderosa Fire, CA

Thanks for your prayers this week.  they are very much appreciated.  Below is a link to the California Fire.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/calfire/sets/72157631184077308/

Here is the report we received from VM Mike Stiener this evening, Saturday.
VMs may want to share this with your congregations tomorrow:

“Well, so far, the fire is contained. Firefighters are still all around watching hot spots, but it appears everyone is safe, as long as the winds remain mild and heading northeast. It reached over 28,000 acres and was attended by over 2500 firefighters and 47 dozers, making fire breaks. They really worked hard to get a quick handle on it. Today (Saturday) was spent in meetings with various relief organizations. The Red Cross and Salvation Army will stay a couple more days, and then we will be the focus point. They are already bringing extra food to the church for meals for the victims and rescue workers. The Southern Baptist Disaster Relief Team is setting up camp at the church. They brought a large trailer for free showers and a washing machine and dryer for the volunteers and victims. Their organization provides cleanup and meals for the victims, and are much appreciated. A number of people have come by with clothing, but we have advised them to hold off at this time. We are trying not to become inundated like we were in 2005. It appears that most of our victims have insurance, so it is a different situation this time. We are still in a process of assessing needs, since the final evacuations were just lifted this afternoon. Though it has been reported that 64 homes were lost, it appears that many of them were weekend and summer cabins. However, some of those were rented out. We learned a lot in 2005, so we are trying to be cautious this time. Already, donations are coming in because the donors remember that we made sure 100% of the monies received went to the victims. Pray for the fire victims, who lost everything. It was a very hot fire. Pray that we will make wise decisions in providing for those in need. Pray for conversions to come out of this tragic event.  In Christ, Mike and Gayle Stiener”

Thank you to a great team of prayer warriors! Thankful for you, Walt & Rosanna

Pastor Walt Jacoby
Village Missionary Southwest District Representative
Village Missions

 ******************************************************************************************** We now have video files of our worship services posted to the Internet.
To view/view 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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August 19

A TIME FOR PRAYER

As we gather together

We Pray

Where two or more are

gathered in His Name…

…There He is in their midst.

Our Nation Needs Our Prayers!

We now have video files of our worship services posted to the Internet.
To view/view 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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August 12

You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. 

Jeremiah 29:13

                                                

  Lord Teach us to PRAY!

  We bow our heads and SEEK HIS face for our life!

       

      We serve Him in Word and Song!

We gather with a Smile, a hug, and a Handshake!

                                   

Our Fellowship becomes Sweeter Day by Day!

                               

The Word of the Lord (the Bible)

is our Strength, and our Joy! 

We now have video files of our worship services posted to the Internet.
To view/view 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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It would be encouraging to us if you would let us know that you received our newsletter. We welcome your comments.

August 5

                                         THE APPLE OF HIS EYE

A few years ago a group of salesmen went to a regional sales convention in Chicago . They had assured their wives that they would be home in plenty of time for Friday night's dinner. In their rush, with tickets and briefcases, one of these salesmen inadvertently kicked over a table which held a display of apples.  Apples flew everywhere. Without stopping or looking back, they all managed to reach the plane in time for their nearly-missed boarding.
 
ALL BUT ONE!!! He paused, took a deep breath, got in touch with his feelings and experienced a twinge of compassion for the girl whose apple stand had been overturned.  He told his buddies to go on without him, waved good-bye, told one of them to call his wife when they arrived at their home destination and explain his taking a later flight. Then he returned to the terminal where the apples were all over the terminal floor.
 
He was glad he did.  The 16-year-old girl was totally blind!  She was softly crying, tears running down her cheeks in frustration, and at the same time helplessly groping for her spilled produce as the crowd swirled about her; no one stopping and no one to care for her plight. The salesman knelt on the floor with her, gathered up the apples, put them back on the table and helped organize her display. As he did this, he noticed that many of them had become battered and bruised; these he set aside in another basket.
 
When he had finished, he pulled out his wallet and said to the girl, "Here, please take this $40 for the damage we did. Are you okay?"  She nodded through her tears. He continued on with, "I hope we didn't spoil your day too badly." As the salesman started to walk away, the bewildered blind girl called out to him, "Mister...."
 
He paused and turned to look back into those blind eyes. She continued, "Are you Jesus?"  He stopped in mid-stride ... and he wondered. He gently went back and said, "No, I am nothing like Jesus - He is good, kind, caring, loving, and would never have bumped into your display in the first place."

The girl gently nodded: "I only asked because I prayed for Jesus to help me gather the apples. He sent you to help me, so you are like Him - only
He knows who will do His will. Thank you for hearing His call, Mister."  Then slowly he made his way to catch the later flight with that question burning and bouncing about in his soul: "Are you Jesus?" 
 
Do people mistake you for Jesus?  That's our destiny, is it not?  To be so much like Jesus that people cannot tell the difference as we live and interact with a world that is blind to His love, life and grace.  If we claim to know Him, we should live, walk and act as He would. Knowing Him is more than simply quoting scripture and going to church. It's actually living the Word as life unfolds day to day.  You are the apple of His eye even though we, too, have been bruised by a  fall. He stopped what He was doing and picked up you and me on a hill  called Calvary and paid in full for our damaged fruit. 
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We now have video files of our worship services posted to the Internet.
To view/view this week's message, click here.
Continue to pray for us as we seek to serve the Lord here in the desert.
**********************************************************
It would be encouraging to us if you would let us know that you received our newsletter. We welcome your comments.