[newsletter] Bethel Newsletter Oct 25
Ever wonder what Heaven will be like? Why can’t I just go to church and visit and listen to Dave or Rob and not worry about what comes next? Well, I think to have a right view of the Lord we have to understand what we are saved to and what we have been saved from. Randy Alcorn writes well on what Heaven will be like. Allow me to expound on some of His concepts from scripture, and how Satan would confuse us.
Because of pervasive distortions of what Heaven is like, it’s common for Christians not to look forward to Heaven. I think there’s only one explanation for how these appalling viewpoints have gripped so many of God’s people: Satan. Demonic deception. Jesus said of the devil, "When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies." (John 8:44). Some of Satan’s favorite lies are about Heaven. Revelation 13:6 tells us the satanic beast "opened his mouth to blaspheme God, and to slander his name and his dwelling place and those who live in Heaven." Our enemy slanders three things: God’s person, God’s people, and God’s place ----Heaven.Jesus used the phrases "kingdom of God" and "kingdom of Heaven" interchangeably (Matthew 19:23-24). God’s person and God’s place are that closely connected (Luke 15:18). Like a bride’s dream of sharing a home with her groom, our love for Heaven should be overflowing and contagious, just as our love for God should be (Revelation 19:7). Our passion for God and our passion for Heaven should be inseparable. The more I learn about God, the more excited I get about Heaven. The more I learn about Heaven, the more excited I get about God.
To derail us, all Satan needs to do is minimize our passion for two things—the person of God and the place of God. A.W. Tozer said, "Let no one apologize for the powerful emphasis Christianity lays upon the doctrine of the world to come. Right there lies its immense superiority to everything else within the whole sphere of human thought or
experience. . . . We do well to think of the long tomorrow." Perhaps the greatest weakness of the western church today is our failure to think of the long tomorrow---to take seriously the reality that Heaven is our home. Out of this springs our love affair with culture. What does Home look like?
The Bible teaches that for Christians, our home is where Christ is, in Heaven (2 Corinthians 5:8). Our home is a place we’ve never been--yet. When we arrive there, Heaven will immediately feel like home because we’ll instinctively connect it to all we longed for and occasionally caught magical glimpses of while on earth. But in Heaven we won’t just look back; we’ll look forward to and anticipate all that’s ahead of us there. The longer we’re in Heaven, the more memories we’ll make and the more our home will be…home. The world has a saying: "You can never go home again." It means that while you were gone, home changed and so did you. In contrast, when this life is over, God’s children will be able to come home…for the very first time. Heaven will never disappear and never lose the magic of home.
Jesus said, "I go to prepare a place for you" (John 14:2, KJV). He didn’t say, "I go to an indescribable realm devoid of physical properties, where your disembodied spirit will float around, and which is nothing at all like what you’ve ever thought of as home. "If that were the case, he might just as well have said nothing. But he didn’t say nothing; He said something. He told us of an actual place he was preparing. He also told us why---"And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am" (John 14:2-3).
"The LORD will take delight in you. . . . As a bridegroom rejoices over his bride, so will your God rejoice over you" (Isaiah 62:4-4). Now think about that for few million years!
Bill Willcutts
What’s Happening?
This Sunday
What does God want to do in our lives?
Why does He allow us to experience difficulties?
What keeps us from experiencing His glory?
On October 29, David Shelley will take us into the story of the blind man healed by Jesus, and the reactions of others. Jerry & Jane Casey will share about their mission in Alaska.
Harvest Party
Remember to join in the All-Church party on Wednesday, November 11. We need men to enter the chili cook-off and women to enter their cinnamon rolls. We need a few people to help set up carnival booths on Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday, and about six people to help run the booths for the children. We need a few biblically-costumed characters to mingle with the kids. Call the office (352-7373) and let us know how you can help.
Pray . . .
For physical healing: Mary-Lynne Cochrane, Opal Osborne, Joan Worthington.
Thank the Lord for His continue financial provision for our ministries.
Many in the church family are struggling with tremendous challenges and stress. Remember to uphold each other in prayer.
A growing number of UNC students is praying for the Lord’s work on the campus; please join in praying for spiritual awakening there.
Vote
The National Association of Evangelicals
Encourages you to register and vote. Among
important things on the ballot next month:
Initiative #43 is a simple amendment that
would secure in the Colorado Constitution
that marriage is a union between one man
and one woman.
Week-end worship attendance……………...187
Special funds…..…………..…….…..…….$100
Weekly budget needed…………………..$7,553
Giving towards budget…………..………$9,525
YTD giving toward budget……….…..$270,444
YTD expenses…………………….…..$267,711
YTD budgeted amount……………….$324,779
Next level giving…………………………..$100
Next Level TD………………………..$181,166
Coming Events . . .
Oct. 27 6 p.m. Berean Class Potluck at the Asmus’.
Oct. 29 11:45 a.m. Volunteer Meeting for Heroes Unmasked in Fellowship Hall
Nov. 1 Heroes Unmasked Fall Festival
Nov. 9 Bethel Women’s Fellowship potluck in the Fellowship Hall
Nov. 19 10:30 a.m. Member’s meeting
Children’s Ministry News:
Nursery News* We are in need of one teacher’s helper for the Preschool Sunday School Class at 10:30 every other week.
→ Please contact Christy Aldridge, 356-5858 if you are interested.
* We are in need of the following items for our nurseries: boppy pillow covers, a clothes dresser, shelves for the wall, cabinet with shelves for the wall, play food items, play shopping cart, batteries, latex gloves, tissues, paper towels, snacks, baby wipes, and sippy cups.
If you have any of these items to donate, call Christy Aldridge at 356-5858.
HEROES UNMASKED our fall festival will be Wednesday, November 1st from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. This will again be coupled with our MEN'S CHILI COOK-OFF AND WOMEN'S CINNAMON ROLL BAKE-OFF. Sign-up for the Chili Cook-off & Cinnamon roll bake-off will be in the foyer.
Needed immediately! Candy and trinkets are needed for the fall festival. Please put in box in foyer. Contact Kristi Weimer at 304-1749.
***There will be a brief meeting (11:45-12:15) in the Fellowship Hall on Sunday, October 29 for all volunteers who are helping with the Heroes Unmasked Fall Festival.
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Weekly Praise Factory Highlight:The Big Idea #65: God’s People Delight in His Glory.
Week 2 story: "Glorifying God with a Bent Body – Genesis 12 - 14
Memory Verse for Big Idea #65—Psalm 66:1-2, 5
BIBLE BLITZ REMINDER: our memory verse for the week is Proverbs 18:24b. Jason & Gina Fast will be our leaders this week.
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PRAYER CHAIN NOTICE:
Prayer Warrior on our Prayer Chain,There is a revised list for the Prayer Chain in your folder in the foyer.
This is just temporary until I get more people to participate. As of this week Arlysse Buettel has graciously offered to lead the prayer chain temporarily until I’m back on my feet again.
Also, anyone with a prayer request, please call the church office or Arlysse Buettel 587-9822.
Thank you and Blessings to all,
Mary Lynne Cochrane
MISSIONS CORNER
From Camp RedcloudMark and Sarah Anderson write:
We would like to begin by thanking you for your continued support of us in our ministry at Camp Redcloud. You are a tremendous blessing to our family.
We had a wonderful summer of ministry here at camp. It was exciting to watch kids come and have their lives challenged and changed in so many ways. The Lord definitely worked here.
Now that the season is finished we are entering our time of evaluation and planning for next year. It’s exciting to dream about how we can make the program even more impactful in teens lives. We would appreciate your prayers for both this and our support raising trips which we will be taking this winter.
Thank you again for all you do. It’s an honor to be a part of the Bethel Family.
Justin and Becki Casey write:
Fall is here! The trees are golden, the mountain tops have powdered sugar snow sprinkled on them and we’ve begun a new outdoor education season once again. After a short break, we dove right into a great staff training week with a handful of new staff members and a big group of returning workers. The biggest thing going on in our lives at the moment is the equestrian program. For the past six months Becki has been overseeing the two full-time equestrian staff. We are waging a full blown search for a full-time equestrian manager at the barn.
When it comes to things at home, we are doing really well. Thankfully, Sara and Kristy both enjoy spending time at the barn and love the horses.
We are praying that you are feeling the closeness of the Lord as He surrounds us all with His careful protection and love.
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The audio CDs of the sermon for last week are now available in the foyer. You can also listen to them on your computer by clicking the link below:
(To download the audio file right-click the link and select "Save Target As")
MENTORING RELATIONSHIPS
Young women, single or married, would you like to talk with someone regarding being a Christian, relationships, marriage or children? We have older women available to meet with you, please contactChristie Roberts – 339-5348.
THANK YOU!!
To all who made the chili for the
Pumpkin Patch Boogie.
It was greatly appreciated.
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