First Baptist Church of Brownsville, Oregon

And he (Gideon) said to Him, “Please, Lord, how can I save Israel?  Behold, my clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father’s house.”  And the LORD said to him, “But I will be with you, and you shall strike the Midianites as one man.” (Judges 6:15-16)

What a great promise from the Lord!  I will be with you.  I did a quick search and found many verses that say the exact same thing.  And of course there are many other verses that say the same thing even if not in the exact same words.  God promises to be with His people.  No matter what the circumstance.  No matter where the place.  “I will be with you” is one of His most precious gifts to us!  I like what the Gospel Transformation Bible says about this passage: “Our God willingly condescends to meet His servants because He understands our fear and frailty – qualities much more evident in Gideon than his heroism… In spite of Gideon’s objections, neither the presence of difficult circumstances nor the absence of God’s dramatic work should be taken as evidence that God has forsaken us.  Neither does a flawed or weak family background impede our usefulness in advancing the kingdom of God.”  Amen to that!

Here are some other great “I will be with you” passages if you want to look them up (and I suggest you do!) — Genesis 26:3; 31:3; Exodus 3:12; Deuteronomy 31:23; Joshua 1:5; 3:7; 1 Kings 11:38; Isaiah 43:2; Matthew 28:20 (slightly different wording – I am with you always…); John 7:33; Hebrews 13:5.

This Sunday I will be speaking on “The Ultimate Super Bowls” from Revelation 16.  It is a very sobering passage.  I’d encourage you to read it before Sunday.  Obviously, these devastating judgments are not something any of us want to experience.  We can be eternally grateful that those who are in Christ will not experience God’s wrath, as it was already place upon His Son Jesus Christ on the cross.  But consider the people in your life whom you know, who have not yet trusted in Him for salvation.  Pray that the Lord will use you as His instrument in bringing those people to faith in Christ.  We don’t want anyone we know to experience these Super Bowls!

If you missed the note from this past Sunday’s bulletin about the All-church lunch and informational and Q & A meeting, here it is:  “Everyone is invited to join us next Sunday, July 26, after the worship service.  We will provide a simple lunch of sandwiches and salads.  This is not a potluck.  After lunch we will meet together as a large group for a time for the pastor and elders to share about the reasons for considering the addition of a new Associate Pastor of Youth & Family Ministries.  A draft of the proposed job description will be available.  Following the large group meeting we will break into four smaller groups for questions & answers and discussion.  The reason for smaller groups is to encourage the participation of as many people as possible, as some people are very unlikely to share in a larger group.  We will have detailed notes taken in each group.  The meeting will conclude with another large group gathering to debrief and share what was discussed in each group.  We hope to be completed with the entire process by 2:00pm.  Please be sure to join us as we discuss this important and exciting step for our church family!”

Childcare will be available – if you will be staying for the meeting and have children that will be part of the child-care, please RSVP to Elizabeth at 541-979-1774 (call or text) or reply to this email.

So please consider joining us for this time sharing together as a church family.  Please be in prayer about it as well.  Thank you!

Thankful for a God who promises to be with us…

Love From Your Pastor,

Michael

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This might be a shorter email than usual (I’m a little behind for some reason!).  We read again a lot of great stuff in our Daily Bible Reading.  But I was especially touched by Joshua 24:15, as I am every time I read through Joshua.  We all have a decision to make, and I hope our answer will be, “As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord!”

Men’s Breakfast – Saturday (tomorrow) at 7:00am!  Mike Riffle from Colombia Grace Foundation will be here to share with us.  And of course there will be lots of great food.  Please come join us men!

Revelation 15:1-8 will be our text for Sunday.  Please read and pray over that before Sunday.  What is the “Song of Moses”?  What is the “Song of the Lamb”?  Mike and Stacey Riffle from Colombia Grace will also be sharing during the worship service and the adult Sunday School.

July 26 – Everyone is invited to stay for a simple lunch and a time of information, discussion, and Q & A regarding the addition of an Associate Pastor.  There is more info in this week’s bulletin about this.

Thank you for continued prayers for Alan Blake and Bruce Landon.  Alan was transfered today to a rehab facility at or near the University of Oregon!  He’s working hard and making great progress.  Let’s keep praying for a complete recovery and for God’s glory.  Bruce is recovering from heart bypass surgery, and is expected to be able to come home Saturday or Sunday.  Thanks for praying!

Thank you to everyone for supporting my adventure coaching the junior high Central Linn baseball team.  The journey came to an end today with our second loss at the State Tournament.  But it was a great season with a lot for the kids to celebrate, including a 16-0 regular season and winning the Valley League Championship tournament!  Also it was a great opportunity for impacting kids and building relationships with families.  Pray for fruit from any seeds planted!

See you this weekend!

Love From Your Pastor,

Michael

Then children were brought to Him that He might lay His hands on them and pray.  The disciples rebuked the people, but Jesus said, “Let the little children come to Me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven.”  And He laid His hands on them and went away. (Matthew 19:13-15)

This week we are thanking the Lord for the little children who are coming to Jesus through the 5 Day Bible Clubs at Pioneer Park in Brownsville and Halsey Park through the ministry of C.E.F.  Each days seems to be having an increase in attendance.  The Brownsville club had 27 kids today.  Thank you so much for those who have helped with supplies and making lunches!  Thank you for praying for these clubs and the kids and their parents.  There’s still one more day!  Please pray that tomorrow’s clubs will be tremendous and the Lord will use them to bring little ones to our Lord Jesus.

This Sunday I will be speaking on “Harvest Time!” from Revelation 14:14-20.  Sounds like an appropriate topic for our community at this time of year, doesn’t it?  And no, I didn’t plan it this way, but apparently the Lord did.  As you are working in the harvest, or seeing it take place while driving around the valley, consider the great harvest that will occur at the end of the age!  Also, remember that Jesus said the Harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few; so ask the Lord of the Harvest to send out workers into His harvest.  Are you harvesting?  Are you praying for the harvest?  Are you planting seeds?  Are you watering?  Remember, God causes the growth, but we have our part to play!  See you Sunday as we consider “Harvest Time!”

Some important events coming up this summer;

• July 18 – Men’s Breakfast with Mike Riffle of Columbia Grace Foundation, 7:00 a.m.
• July 19 – The Riffles sharing with the adult Sunday School classes, 9:00 a.m.
• July 26 – All-Church lunch & information, Q & A groups, 12:00 Noon
• Aug. 2 – Bob & Teresa Reister, missionaries in Japan, joining us in the morning service, 10:30 a.m.; followed by Annual FBC Picnic at the Miller’s Playground in Halsey – after the worship service.
• Aug. 2-7 – Camp Praise for kids entering 3rd – 7th grades.  Contact Elizabeth if you are interested in having your child/ren attend.

The people of Israel needed continual reminders of the Lord’s gracious dealings in their lives.  So do we!  They were commanded by God to pass on to their children the stories of God’s faithfulness.  So are we!  Let us thank Him that His hand is mighty.  Let us remember all He’s done for us, His marvelous work and saving mercy.  And let’s pass on to the next generation the great truths about Him and all He’s done!

I just spoke with Zsuzsa, and it sounds like Alan had a great physical therapy session today.  They found some movement in his right shoulder, for which we thank the Lord!  He continues to struggle to try to speak.  Please continue to diligently uphold them in prayer.  They still need much intercession.  We need to continue to seek the Lord’s face on their behalf.  Thank you for all your prayers.  I hope to fast and pray again tomorrow and would encourage any of you who can to join me.

Also, Diana Evans had a successful hip replacement surgery.  She is already in way less pain than she was before the surgery.  Please pray for her recovery.  She’ll be coming home tomorrow and staying with some friends while she recuperates.

Elizabeth would love some more help with the CEF 5 Day Bible Clubs that will be happening in Brownsville and Halsey next week, July 6-10!  She could specifically use more help packing lunches.  There is a chart on the table in the foyer showing which days need help.  Contact Elizabeth with any questions.  Thank you!

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Hello FBC!

This week I attended a 4-day seminar at Corban University called: “The Spiritual Life of the Leader: How Leaders are Transformed.”  It’s been an amazing experience, for which I am extremely grateful.  In my devotional Bible reading this morning, one of the verses I wrote in my journal was the above passage from Isaiah 50.  And this afternoon, one of our sessions was about how Bible reading facilitates spiritual transformation.  During the discussion, one of the relevant passages talked about was this one from Isaiah 50.  As we were talking about it, I thought it sure sounded familiar.  I looked in my journal, and there it was from this morning!

Anyway, these verses were discussed as we talked about one way Bible reading facilitates spiritual transformation is when it is done reflectively.  That is, when we 1) Seek to be mastered by the Word rather than mastering it, 2) Listen deeply for a personal word from God, and 3) Explore personal thoughts and feelings evoked by the Word.  The Isaiah passage from today was relevant to the idea of listening deeply for a personal word from God.  Notice what Isaiah says: “Morning by morning He awakens… my ear to hear…”  “The Lord GOD has opened my ear…”  Other passages that deal with listening to the Word include Psalm 119:124-125; Psalm 81:8; and Ecclesiastes 5:1.

When you read your Bible, are you reading it reflectively?  Are you reflecting on it?  Meditating on it?  Listening closely to what the Lord is saying to you through it?  May we be those “who have ears to hear” what He is saying to us as we read, study, chew on, meditate on, memorize, and listen to His Word!

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The LORD has established His throne in the heavens, and His kingdom rules over all. (Psalm 103:19)

In difficult times it can be a challenge to remember the above truth.  But it is precisely when we think things seems to be out of control that we need to remember this!  God is on His throne.  He is ruling over all.  He is sovereign.  We can take comfort in that.  When everything doesn’t seem to be good in life, we can at the very least know that He is good.  And sometimes that’s all we need to know.

Thank you for the many of you who have been praying for Alan & Zsuzsa Blake.  In case you hadn’t heard about this yet, they are members of our church family that we sent off on a short-term mission trip to Ukraine, close to the border with Hungary.  Yesterday we received a call from Zsuzsa informing us that Alan had what she thinks to be a severe stroke.  I asked many of you to pray for them.  This morning we had a good group of people gather at the church to pray together for the Blakes.  Before we met I got another call from Zsuzsa.  At that time they were making plans to transport Alan to a hospital in Budapest, Hungary.  It is a 3-hour ambulance ride.  Zsuzsa and Zach were going to have to make other arrangements to get to Budapest.  I have not yet received another update from Zsuzsa, but she told me this morning that Alan had a stroke on the left side of his brain.  His right side is currently paralyzed, and he is unable to speak.  He does however understand what is being said to him, and Zsuzsa was even able to make him smile at one point.  This continues to be a very dangerous time for Alan, though as of this morning the swelling on his brain had not increased, which is good news.  Please continue to pray fervently for Alan’s safety and recovery, for strength, comfort, and wisdom for Zsuzsa, and for Zach and their other sons.  Be watching your email for updates as I hope to fill you in as I hear from Zsuzsa.  Pray for God’s glory to be made known in and through this situation!  Thank you!

This Sunday I will be speaking on Revelation 13:11-18, “The Beast from the Earth”.  I want to encourage you to prayerfully read that ahead of time, and come Sunday prepared to hear from the Lord.  As we consider this future False Prophet, it’s important for us to be discerning even today, and to be aware of the many false prophets currently deceiving people and preventing the worship of the One True God and His Son Jesus Christ.

Also Sunday, from 4-6pm, is a BBQ and celebration of Lisl Ruckert’s graduation from Biola University, at the Ruckert home .  You are invited!  Let’s thank the Lord for His work in Lisl’s life!

Thank you for loving one another and for praying for each other during times of trial.  Please especially continue to uphold the Blakes in prayer.  Remember, the Lord is on His throne!

Love From Your Pastor,

Michael

He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. (Psalm 91:1)

There are times when I’m out coaching baseball, that I see the dark, gloomy clouds overhead, and start looking for shelter!  There are also times when the bright, hot sun is beating down on me that I start looking for a shadow, or shade, for relief!  Good ol’ Oregon weather – if you don’t like it, wait 5 minutes and it’ll change, right?  We often have much more serious things that we are concerned about than getting rained on or a little overheated in the sun.  And no matter what is concerning us, we have a shelter – the Most High.  I love that.  There is no one higher; there is no one above God.  He is The Most High, and we can dwell in His shelter.  When we do, we abide (or dwell) in the shadow of the Almighty.  I love that too!  Remember when Jesus said, “If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will bear much fruit”?  To abide is to dwell with in an intimate relationship.  We have the unspeakable privilege of abiding in Him – abiding in the shadow of the Almighty, the most Holy, the most powerful, the most loving, the awesome God!

Tomorrow (Friday) morning, Alan, Zsuzsa, and Zach Blake will be heading off to serve in Ukraine for a month!  Please, please, please, be in much prayer for them.  May the Lord use them mightily in His service, work powerfully in their hearts as they serve, and bring them back to us safely so we can rejoice together in what God has done there.  Thank you.

This Sunday we will be blessed to have Jessica Taskinen sharing with the adult Sunday School classes and in the worship service.  Please be sure to be here and listen to and encourage one of our own as she shares about her life and ministry.

During the worship service, I will be preaching on Revelation 13:1-10, “The Beast from the Sea”.  Not a pretty picture – but one we need to understand.  Please read that ahead of time with a prayer that God will speak to us powerfully through His Word.

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I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.  (3 John 4)

What powerful statements from the apostle John to those whom he considered his spiritual “children”!  As he wrote to them (though he desired much more to see them face to face), he expressed his love for them, as well as the vital importance of walking in the truth!  As a pastor, I feel the same thing.  I long for us to be a family of believers who represent Jesus Christ well, who came into the world “full of grace and truth.”  And I desire for us to live out Paul’s admonition about “speaking the truth in love.”  When I see or hear of our people walking in the truth, there really is no greater joy than that!  I also have similar thoughts as a parent.  We all want to see our kids be “successful” in whatever they do, but far more important to me is that they love the Lord & walk with Him!  There is no greater joy in my life than seeing and hearing evidence that my children are walking in the truth!

Last week I asked you to say a prayer for Caleb, as he turned 14 (!).  Well today, I would like to ask a similar thing on behalf of Micah, who is turning 12 (!) in five days.  Our desire for Caleb from day 1 of his life has been that he would live up to his biblical namesake in being a man of faith & courage.  Our desire for Micah has been that he would also live up to the meaning of his biblical name: “who is like the Lord.”  Someone replied to my email last week with a powerfully written prayer on behalf of Caleb – and it brought tears of joy!  Thank you for loving my family and praying for us!

HALLELUJAH!  Praise the Lord for answered prayers regarding our two special projects we were raising funds for!  We had a goal of raising $6,000 by July 1 for the purchase of a diesel powered welding machine for the Kibuye Hope Hospital in Burundi, and as I write this we have received $8,175!!!  Thank you for your generosity!  Also, we were raising funds for Thurman Falk’s summer mission with Cru (Campus Crusade) to East Asia.  His goal was $5,100, and that goal has been met!!!  Thanking the Lord for a generous church family!

FBC has also been know to have people who generous with their time and muscle.  This Saturday Rich & Mary Snead are having a moving party at their house from about 8am to Noon.  If you can make it, they live at 33964 Powell Hills Loop in Shedd.  Contact one of our trustees for more info on this Saturday.

Another thing to Praise the Lord for: Congratulations to Nick & Erika on the birth of Luke!  He was born May 26 at 4:41pm, weighing 7 lbs., 2 oz and was 19 inches long.  Thank you for praying for this young and growing family!

This Sunday’s message will come from Revelation 12, “A Great Woman & a Great Dragon.”  Please read that passage and be in prayer about this Sunday!  The evil one does not want people talking about his impending downfall!  But that’s what we plan to do this Sunday.  There is an intense spiritual battle going on, so please pray, pray, pray!!

As we walk together in the truth, I have no greater joy!

Love From Your Pastor,

Michael

Since all these things are thus to be dissolved, what sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness, waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be set on fire and dissolved, and the heavenly bodies will melt as they burn!  But according to His promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.  (2 Peter 3:11-13)

This is a great reminder today from Peter that as we near the end of the age, and the coming Day of the Lord, we are to commit ourselves to lives of holiness and godliness.  We have the tremendous hope, as believers in Christ, the He will keep His promise.  We are waiting for new heavens and a new earth where righteousness dwells – this current earth is not our home!  Let’s live with our eyes, minds, and hearts focused on our eternal destiny.

This Sunday I will be preaching on the 7th Trumpet from Revelation 11:15-19.  This is a powerful testimony about our God’s dominion over the earth, and it’s also a sobering reminder of the wrath that will be experienced by those who turn their backs on the offer of salvation through Jesus Christ.  Please prayerfully read the passage and come Sunday prepared to hear from Him.

This coming weekend is of course Memorial Day weekend.  Let’s take time to remember those who have made the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom.  How thankful we are for men and women who have served and are serving our country!  Jesus said “Greater love has no man than this, that he would lay down his life for his friends.”  Christ is the ultimate example of sacrificing for our freedom.  Let’s remember to give Him thanks!

On a personal note, it’s hard for me to believe that today is our son Caleb’s 14th birthday!  We are so grateful to God for this young man.  He loves the Lord and His Word, and is growing in his faith.  If you would, please say a prayer for him today, that he will continue to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ!

Waiting for the new heavens and the new earth…

Love From Your Pastor,

Michael