The Time is Near

I am writing this just after the conclusion of the National Conventions of America’s two major political parties.  Much of our primetime television in the past two weeks has focused on these two conventions, the speakers, speeches, fact-checking efforts, and political reactions.  Now more than ever, our nation is focused on one election (although many will occur in November):  Who will be our next President?

Seal of the President

Both campaigns have shown, and will continue to show, just how negative their advertisements can be with respect to each other.  I don’t believe it’s pessimistic at all to suggest that the next several weeks might be full of attack ads and fiercely negative communication from both sides.

In your devotional time, take a few moments to read Romans 13.  In this short chapter, Paul encourages Christians to submit to the governing authorities.  Remember that these people were living in Rome, the center of the Roman Empire and primary location of persecution of Christians in the early years of our movement.  For Christians to submit to the Roman emperor must have been very difficult indeed, especially when some of those emperors (such as Nero, Domitian, and Tragan) executed Christians regularly.

This chapter agrees with Jesus’s teachings in Matthew 22:34-40 that fulfilling God’s law is summarized by the requirement to “love your neighbor as yourself.”  Paul encourages this way of living through “understanding the present time”:  the time of salvation was drawing close for Paul and the early Christians.  This may suggest a belief in the second coming of Jesus Christ, which is always drawing closer, or it may reflect the potential for early Christians’ lives to end quickly due to Roman persecution.  In either case, understanding the present time was crucial for the church’s success in dealing with the hardships they were facing.

Friends, as we approach this presidential election, let us remember to pray for our elected leaders.  Let us give thanks that we do not face violent persecution for our faith, nor do we experience violent transitions of power like many other people groups throughout history.  Let us submit to our governing authorities, pay taxes, give respect and honor where it is due, and love our neighbors as ourselves.  No matter what the result of the election – whether you are pleased or displeased, frightened or calmed by it – remember that “our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed.”  Clothe yourself with the Lord Jesus Christ!

–Pastor David

The Olympics and Spiritual Life

By now, our fast-paced culture has moved on from the London Olympics and is gearing up for a presidential election that will take months to resolve.  But today I encourage you to think back on the Olympics for a moment.  Did you watch any of the events?  Did you take note of how various athletes responded to winning, losing, succeeding, or failing?

When we put athletes on display at the Olympics, we give ourselves an opportunity to see the most raw of human emotions in these categories.  For some athletes, the sheer joy of winning a gold medal – especially when such a victory was a surprise – brought smiles to our faces.  For many, simply competing in a certain event was enough of an honor to provide us with a positive experience as observers.  And for a few, the cold reality of not qualifying, not finishing, or not placing high enough evoked feelings of frustration and disappointment – at least in the athletes, if not in us.

I was impressed by how many athletes, in their post-competition interviews, gave thanks and praise to God for helping them to compete.  Usually, this acknowledgement of God’s help came in good times (such as medal-winning performances) or at least respectable times (such as simply finishing an event).  However, I rarely saw an athlete mention his or her faith in God when a frustrating or disappointing result came about.

This speaks to something in our human condition:  it’s easy to be faith-filled and thankful to God when the sky is blue and things are going our way.  It’s harder to remember our faith when things are not so good.

Why, then, do we spend most of our prayer time in supplication, asking God to bring about something good (such as healing, restoration, a job, etc.) in someone’s life?  Why do we spend so little time, in our personal devotional lives and in our collective church life, giving God thanks and praise for who he is and what he has done?

I believe that’s because people generally rely on their emotions to gauge their spiritual lives.  When you’ve won a gold medal (in the Olympics or, figuratively speaking, in real life), your emotions point you toward thankfulness.  When a tragic or disappointing result happens in the race, your emotions direct you to ask God for healing or a second chance.

What if our spiritual lives were to be God-centered rather than emotion-centered?  What if our relationship with Christ were so central to our daily lives that the events of each day could be understood in light of that relationship?  The gold medal would still be worth celebrating, and the tragedy or disappointment would still be worth uplifting in prayer.

But the constancy of our relationship with Christ would remind us that the most important thing in our lives is that relationship.  Win or lose, success or failure – the real race still lies ahead of us.

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.  Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.  (Hebrews 12:1-2 NIV)

–Pastor David

April Youth Update

Spring is going to be a busy time for your Youth as we prepare for the Michigan State Youth Convention for the Church of God.  As of this printing, we have almost twenty planning on attending. Super Early Bird registration occurred through March and students may still register for an additional $10 through April.  The $115 total is a great deal for a youth weekend as it covers lodging, food, speakers, conferences, recreational activities and much more.  We are looking forward to how God is going to work in our lives.

The “Sticky Questions and Jesus” teaching series on Sunday night has concluded and we will be on to new things.  On April 1 we will be looking at Baptism and the Crucifixion then there will be NO YOUTH on Easter Sunday.  The remaining April meetings will be focusing on the 360 Revolution and how we incorporate it into our life.  It’s a fantastic tool for reaching people for Christ.

We have several fundraising opportunities on deck in the next couple of months.  As I am working on this, we are in the process of completing the Raking Project for Olive Deitsch and we appreciate her for providing this opportunity.  On Saturday, April 21st we will be have a Bake Potato Bar (and other menu things) at the Church from 4:45 to 5:45 for donation prior to the Forresters in Concert that evening.   On April 27 & 28 we are having a Youth Garage Sale at our home, 712 Stillmeadow, in town.  We are in the process of collecting donated “treasures” and will collect them through the sale. Sale items may be dropped off initially into the church garage, then will be transferred ASAP to the Grahams. Items can also be dropped off at our home.  Leftover items will be donated the Salvation Army after the sale.  Our last opportunity will be the selling of Hanging Plants from Kutchey’s Greenhouse.   Plants are usually the same price as the greenhouse, however, we receive them at cost, and then the students reap the profit.  The Hanging Plants would arrive at the church the week of May 8-11, just in time for Mother’s Day.   Our goal is for every student to earn their way to State Youth Convention and then even have funds for summer projects.

Speaking of summer, our tentative plans are to have our regular youth meetings on various dates throughout the summer so we can incorporate lessons/devotions/God’s Word into relationship with recreational activities.  For example, we might have our weekly lesson in conjunction with a trip to the TEXAN in Midland to enjoy their gigantic banana splits. Summer without school hours & responsibilities gives us more flexibility and other options.

For those people who follow FACEBOOK, we have a Mt. Haley Youth Ministry group page.  If you would like to be part of the group, just type it in and we will get you approved.  We post weekly with announcements, a summary of the week’s youth lesson and general comments and questions.

Once again, we would like to relay how important and how appreciative we are for our prayer partners.  Your daily prayers really make a difference.  As we enter the Easter week of celebration of the Resurrection of Christ, we encourage you to participate and be involved in Maundy Thursday services, Good Friday services at the Midland Missionary Church and come celebrate that HE is RISEN on Easter morning.  Easter begins at 8:00 with a service, followed by breakfast, an Easter Egg Hunt for children and then morning Worship Service and Baptism.  A day of celebration of His Resurrection and the saving grace of Jesus Christ, our Lord.

Blessings,
Pastor Jerry 

Focus 40 is coming soon!

I am writing this on February 10, but many of you will be reading this in early March when our monthly newsletters are printed and distributed.  By that time, the title above should read “Focus 40 has come!”

This is the second year in which the Church of God movement has put together this event, “Focus 40,” which is to be an intentional time of prayer and fasting during the 40 days leading up to Easter.  Last year’s emphasis was on prayer and fasting for spiritual renewal and revitalization; this year’s emphasis is on prayer and fasting for specific people to come to know the Lord.

Prayer and fasting often appear together in our scriptures.  Perhaps most notably, Jesus spent 40 days fasting (and presumably praying) in the wilderness just before beginning his ministry on earth (Matthew 4:1-11, Mark 1:12-13, and Luke 4:1-13).  In the Old Testament, Moses fasted for 40 days on two different occasions while he received the tablets of the law of God (Deuteronomy 9:7-21).  In the New Testament, the apostles appointed leaders for young churches after praying and fasting to determine God’s will (Acts 14:23).

This year, we are gathering together as Church of God people in a concerted effort to pray and fast regarding those friends, family members, and acquaintances we have who are not in a saving relationship with Jesus.  This is surely very important work!  We cannot keep the good news of the kingdom of God to ourselves; we are called to make disciples and to instruct others to keep Christ’s commands.

I encourage you, friends, in the time leading up to Easter (and beyond!):  invest yourself in prayer for people who do not know the Lord.  If you are able, skip a meal once in a while and use that time and energy to come before God in prayer.  If you feel led to do so, fast for longer periods of time.  (Remember that you should discuss any extended fast – even for a few days – with your doctor ahead of time.)

Let us pray that we will see a new generation of believers come to know the Lord in our midst!

–Pastor David

Youth in the New Year

As I sat this afternoon watching a gentle snowfall in my living room with the Christmas tree still beaming and the fireplace keeping us warm, I reflected how God had worked in our life and how grateful we are with his love and the plans He creates in completing His work.  Once again, I thank Mt. Haley for their support, their love and their generosity in having us as part of their family.  We were truly blessed with your Christmas gift that supports building a home in Guatemala for a family that has become very dear to us.

Our prayer requests for the upcoming year would be for the Winter Retreat  – that God might touch the hearts and minds of youth not only from Mt. Haley, but the youth and counselors from all over Michigan who will be attending.  This is Connie’s big week as she completes all the preparation for Winter Retreat and may you pray that she relaxes and rest after God’s work has been done.  We are expecting changed lives in the hearts of our kids.

Closely upon the heels of that request is for our annual mission to Guatemala beginning Saturday, January 28 through Saturday, February 4.  This will be our 5th year going to Guatemala to work with David Beam and the Shack Attack.  We will be working to build house #32 and worshipping, fellowshipping, praying and renewing friendships with people along an area called the “Tracks” in Guatemala City.  It costs a group $5000 to build a small cement house for a family in need and we pay for the transportation, food and lodging for the week.  We are not skilled laborers, but we are working with the people of the Tracks to improve a family’s life.  This has been one of Connie’s and my greatest blessings in life and we appreciate your prayers.

We will begin our “Jesus & the Sticky Questions” series on Sunday nights in January & February.  We are planning a Super Bowl party on Sunday, February 5th plus some other activities.  Our Spaghetti dinner was a super success despite the change in dates and we wish to thank everyone who participated and supported the youth.  We hope to have another gift card ordering time soon, so watch for that in the upcoming weeks.  Our next major event will be the State Youth Convention in May plus Connie and I are making plans to attend the International Youth Convention of the Church of God in Denver, Colorado this summer.  We hope the church might have some youth delegates. Something to pray about!

This month we hope to launch the Youth Prayer Partners ministry.  We hope to match a youth with a family in the church. (Other than those related to particular students).  We are strong believers in prayer and we hope to change our group, our kids and our church through prayer.  To pray is to change.  Prayer is the central avenue God uses to transform others and us.

We would base the Youth Prayer Partner ministry on these tenets for praying for a youth:

1.   Pray that they know God’s will for their lives. (Colossians 1:9)

2.   Pray that they would do God’s will in their lives. (Colossians 1:10)

3.   Pray for productivity in their lives. (John 15:16)

4.   Pray for them to have a growing relationship with God. (Philippians 4:11-12)

5.  Pray for them to have a right attitude. (Colossians 1:11-12)

6.  Pray for their families, their peer relationships, home and school. (Psalm 145:18 & Isaiah 41:10)

Thank you for another great month. May God’s blessings be with everyone!  Love God, Love Others.

In Christ,
Pastor Jerry

Youth Ministry Update, December 2011

The Thanksgiving through Christmas Season always brings times of special joy and opportunities to spend one of our most important treasures – “time” with friends and families.  We were blessed with the area “Thanksgiving” service followed up with the “Hanging of the Greens” plus our opportunity to provide 540+ Thanksgiving Baskets to families throughout Midland County. Our youth ministry and other helping adults made this service project extremely successful blessing not only families in need but “us.”  Thank you for everyone who helped!

Our youth meetings of December 4th and December 11th will be discovering the topic “Called At Christmas” where we will explore being called to Believe, called to Serve, called to Rejoice and called to Witness.  On December 18 there will be a youth Christmas party from 2:00 to 4:30 then there will be no youth meeting on December 25 (Christmas) and January 1 (New Year’s Day and Winter Retreat).

During January & February we will be studying “Jesus & Sticky Questions” with no youth on Sunday, January 29 because Pastor Jerry & Connie have the opportunity to travel and serve in Guatemala.  There will be a Super Bowl Party on February 5th, then we will study “Jesus & Sticky Questions” on the remaining Sundays in February.

We hope everyone has enjoyed their new Mt. Haley T-Shirts, Hats, and Hoodies.  The sale was very successful and we collected some money for Winter Retreat.  We will have another sale in the future. Our Scripts gift cards netted us some money for Winter Retreat and we thank those who participated.  Pop Bottles & Cans still are a valuable resource for funds and we appreciate those who contribute.

The Michigan Church of God Winter Retreat happens over the New Year’s weekend.  The cost for each student is $99 which includes 2 night’s lodging, 5 meals, a New Year’s Eve pizza party, the worship band, “Sanctified” and our speaker, Steve Van Fossen.   There is a $49 registration fee needed by December 7, 2010.  The Spaghetti Dinner originally scheduled for December 9th has been changed to Friday, December 16 because Pastor Jerry & Connie need to attend a funeral memorial service for a family member in Phoenix, Arizona.  Thank you for your flexibility in this situation, however, we hope you can still support our youth in this much-needed fundraiser. Please pray for Connie and I as we take care of our family matters and then plan for the Winter Retreat for our group and the state CHOG.    Winter Retreat has been an exceptional CHOG weekend where the hearts of many youth have been changed and their lives touched by the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Last month, we spoke of Prayer Partners for the different members of our youth ministry.  This is something I would like to begin in January and we will be matching up families and youth.  I spent some time explaining the prayer partner ministry in the November newsletter and we feel we now know the “regular” attendees in the youth ministry.  The list includes Brennan Mudd, Jaylee Martin, Thomas Jenson, Lacinda Vinson, Sabrina Torres, Shane Mudd, Isabella Krolikowski, Chase Brenske, Nick Torres, Corey Forster and Paul Hassen.  We have others who attend, but haven’t settled into regular attendance patterns.  We are averaging 12-15 students a week and hope to increase as we reach out the hands of Christ.

We continue to thank you for your prayers, love and support.  May we wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!


Pastor Jerry

Focus 40

The season of Lent, which leads up to Palm Sunday and Easter Sunday, is nearly upon us.  Lent begins on Ash Wednesday, which this year falls on March 9.  Traditionally, this is a season of preparation, introspection, and repentance for Christians around the world.  This year, the Church of God is observing Lent in a unique way:  it’s called “Focus 40.”

For the forty days leading up to Easter Sunday, the entire Church of God movement is being encouraged to spend time in prayer and fasting for the sake of seeking the Lord’s direction for our movement and for our congregations.  This is an exciting opportunity for us to participate in a unifying event with our brothers and sisters in Christ.  To date, over 400 congregations in the United States and around the world have signed up to participate – including us!

Now, I’m not calling for any of us to spend the entirety of these forty days in prayer and fasting.  In fact, it’s not a good idea to go on a forty-day fast without your doctor’s permission, because that’s a long time to go without food.  But perhaps you would consider fasting for a day or for a meal, once or twice or three times during the 40-day period.  And certainly I hope you will consider praying consistently for Mt. Haley Church of God, for our sister churches in the area, and for the Church of God as a whole.

Prayer is a no-brainer for most of us.  But why fast?  Historically, prayer and fasting have been the means by which God’s people have expressed their deep desire to be in relationship with him.  Fasting occurred in the Old Testament during times of distress, confession, repentance, and seeking God’s will (Ezra 8:23; Nehemiah 1:4; Psalm 35:13; Daniel 9:3).  In the New Testament, prayer and fasting went together as a means of determining the will of the Lord in selecting missionaries and church leaders (Acts 13:1-3 and Acts 14:23).

When we abstain from eating food for a certain length of time, we are reminding ourselves of our weakness and our dependence on God.  Hunger pains remind us that we depend on God for life itself and for our daily bread; with that in mind, we can also remember that we depend on God for guidance, health, safety, leadership, and answers to prayer.  Fasting is a method of practicing deep spirituality that has stood the tests of time.

We also have the opportunity to practice our unity with fellow believers through a shared program of daily devotionals.  Each day during this 40-day season, we will share in a devotional thought written by someone in our movement to help us unite our thoughts and prayers around a specific request or idea.  These devotionals will be available on our church website and on Facebook in early March, and paper copies will be made available soon as well.

I invite you to join me and thousands of other Christian brothers and sisters as we ask the Lord to move mightily through our congregation, community, nation, and movement in the upcoming season of Lent.

–Pastor David

Silence before the Lord

If you were in church with us last Sunday, you know that I’ve been battling a cold for the past several days.  I had something of a voice on Sunday, but by the following day, my entire voice was gone.  Have you ever had that experience – where you can whisper, but not much more comes out?  Well, as the day wore on, I began to think about just how “noisy” I usually am – especially before the Lord.

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