True Love
Have you ever wondered how to fully experience the true love of Christ?
Last week during my devotional time I came across a passage that I am fairly familiar with, the baptism of Jesus in John’s gospel, but for some reason (the Holy Spirit, I’m sure) I approached it with a different perspective. The first thing that really stood out to me was the fact that we get a intimate view of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit all at once, it’s like we are a fly on the wall during a conversation between the Trinity. How cool is that? After taking some time to marvel at this fact I read on a bit further, only to be stopped in my tracks yet again.
Think about the words God shares after the Holy Spirit ascends onto Jesus, “this is My Beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” Now you’re probably thinking, “yeah, so?” I mean we’ve come across these words so many times they probably lose their power to us but let’s think for a minute. Do you realize that at this point Jesus hasn’t done anything yet? He hasn’t walked on water, hasn’t performed miraculous wonders, hasn’t healed anyone, hasn’t chosen disciples, hasn’t given one parable, hasn’t been crucified, resurrected, or ascended. All he’s done up to this point is to live a normal life as a carpenter and yet God is already “well pleased” with him!
Maybe God is most pleased not with what we do for him but with the life of love we develop with him? This could be why Jesus seemed so free from needing the approval of men. He had all the approval he needed; the voice of his Father drowned out the voice of the world. If we are going to live a life that is truly pleasing to God, the first thing on our to-do list has to be to shift from doing things for God to living life with God. What we often forget about the early years of our faith is that very thing that captured our hearts in the first place, not getting to serve God in ministry but, rather, serving God with our whole lives (see Romans 12:1). The primary task of our lives is to prioritize time with God and learn to hear his blessing and love spoken over us. Only then will we be free from the crowd and the addiction to accomplish “things”.
This can be difficult for some of us, especially when we are so accustomed to earning our accolades. A close friend of mine used to say, “Our faith is a process, and the process doesn’t always look like progress.” Sometimes we get caught up, or we forget that God’s favor is unearned. May God give us all the grace to receive and respond, to position ourselves to see his immeasurable love spill into our lives in amazing and unimaginable ways. May we all experience, not just the rumors of God's love, but its overflowing reality as we remain in Him. The fruit that will result in this kind of living is listed in Paul’s letter to the Galatian church, “love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.”
“God loves you right where you are, but He loves you too much to leave you there.” -unknown
Remember In Prayer~Safety for farmers & families during harvest ~Our college students ~The Mesquakie Friends Center at Tama ~The Kaimosi Hospital and staff in Kenya ~Sam & Becky Barber & family in Belize ~Mowa Choctaw Friends Center in Alabama ~House of Compassion, clients, staff, & volunteers
Go “Deeper” with us on Wednesday evenings!
Discovering God’s Truth Enduring with one another Encouraging & lifting each other up Praying for one another Exemplifying Christ to others Recruiting others to Christ
Join us as we fellowship each Wednesday evening - there are groups for all ages, nursery thru adult, with various studies going on. Fellowship meals are held on the 2nd and 4th Wed. nights of each month, with family night activities being planned for the 5th Wednesdays. Call the church office for more details.
Deadline of December 7th Seniors who are on Medicare need to remember that December 7th is the deadline to choose a Medicare Part D plan or Medicare Advantage plan for 2012. SHIIP can help. The Senior Health Insurance Information Program volunteers based at MMSC are available to help anyone on Medicare with questions about the drug benefit. To make an appointment with a SHIIPCounselor, please call 641-754-5399. SHIIP’s services are free, confidential and objective.
You might be a pastor if… ~you’ve ever dreamed you were preaching only to awaken and discover that you were. ~you’d rather negotiate with criminals than the church organist. ~a church picnic is no picnic. ~you’ve been tempted to take up an offering at a family reunion. ~you’ve wanted to lay hands on a deacon, and you weren’t thinking of praying for him/her. ~you often feel like you’re herding mules rather than shepherding sheep. ~you’ve never preached on TV – your wife made you get down before you broke something. —The Anglican Digest (Note - October is Pastor’s Appreciation Month.)
“Your worst days are never so bad that you are beyond the reach of God’s grace, and your best days are never so good that you are beyond the need of it.” -copied
A grandfather was driving his young granddaughter to her softball game when she asked, “Grandpa, did God make you?” “Yes, indeed, God made me,” her grandfather replied. “Did God make me, too?” she asked. “Yes, He did, and He did a good job,” the grandfather answered. For a few minutes, the little girl seemed to be studying her grandfather, then looked at her reflection in the car mirror. “You know, Grandpa,” she said, “God’s doing a lot better job lately.”
“The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear?”—Psalm 27:1
Fill the HOC Closet – Easy as A, B, C Each month over 500 (over 600 in Aug.) needy families can choose 3 items from the House of Compassion Supply Closet that cannot be purchased with food stamps. While needs are growing, donations are shrinking. In October BLFC joins other churches to fill the shelves. To help you remember the needed items think of your ABC’s: A-aspirin; B-baby shampoo, diapers; C-cold medicine-kids & adults; D-dish soap, detergent & dollars. Take home a grocery bag from the entryway and bring it back with any of these items by Sunday, October 30. Thanks in advance for your generosity.
Children’s Church This program meets in the fellowship hall twice a month, following the children’s message portion of the worship service. Those age 4 through grade 5 are encouraged to participate in lessons and service projects on the 2nd and 23rd of October.
CROP Hunger Walk 2011A CROP Hunger Walk is set for Sunday, October 16th, starting at First Friends Church, 2409 S 6th St, Marshalltown. Registration begins at 1:30 pm with the Walk at 2:00 pm. This annual walk, the third Sunday of each October, raises money for food, water, shelter, and healthcare for over 80 countries and the USA through Church World Service. 25% of the money raised stays locally to be divided among the Emergency Food Box, the House of Compassion, and the Salvation Army. The walks will be 5K and 10K. Maps will be provided. Last year’s walk raised a total of $5,462.18. An individual person or any church group is welcome to join this CROP Walk. Your participation would be appreciated! -Sheryl Eisenbeis, CROP Team Phone - 641-752-1193 You Can Make a Difference -Help Stop Hunger!
Forward Movement All youth, 7th-12th grade, are invited! Forward Movement Youth Group 1st meeting - Sunday, October 23rd Pastor Manny and Jenalee’s home, 6:30-8:00 p.m. Will meet next on November 20th. Youth, invite your friends to join you for fun & fellowship at the Garcia’s!
Bangor USFWOn Tuesday, October 18th ladies will carpool to the Mesquakie Friends Center for a 1:30 tour of their facilities and sharing time with Victor and Brenda White. Anyone interested in this mission work would be welcome to come along. We encourage all attending to bring a few dozen cookies to help with the Wednesday night meals when 40-50 are fed.
Liberty USFW Ladies will tour the Iowa River Hospice Home in Marshalltown on Thursday evening, October 20th. Guests are welcome to join the group that will carpool from the church at 5:30, meet for supper at the Marshalltown Pizza Ranch at 6:00, then on to the Hospice Home for the 7:00 p.m. tour. Contact Sharon Johnson if you would like to accompany the group.
Art & Compassion Soup LunchSunday, October 23, 2011, 11:30-1:30 p.m. Fisher Community Center, 709 S. Center St. Choose a hand-crafted bowl to keep - Enjoy a delicious lunch of soup, corn bread, dessert and beverage. Silent Auction of original pieces by local artists Benefit for House of Compassion & Arts & Culture Alliance $10 tickets available at HOC or at the door
Missions Kids for Kids Update The Summer ‘Kids for Kids’ project we helped support with our VBS giving has over reached their goal with $10,593 received at the end of August! These funds will be used to purchase dairy goats, build pens and provide security lighting at the Friends Theological College in Kenya. The students will use money from selling the goats’ milk to help pay for their tuition. The nearby Kaimosi Hospital is a willing customer as goat’s milk is rich in nutrients and good for people with HIV/AIDS. The milk will also be sold to local schools. Recently a pharmaceutical supplier to Kaimosi Hospital donated dairy goats as a thank you for their business. The Kenyans send their thanks to those in the US who have been God’s instruments in helping with this project. Remember to pray for Kaimosi Friends Hospital and give financially on the 3rd Sunday of each month to support staff salaries and help pay for repairs needed to keep the hospital functioning.
News From the Barbers in Belize “A bright spot is that one of the students we expelled last year returned. After much discussion with all involved, we re-enrolled him and look forward to a new year. We were excited to receive some used curriculum that is at our student’s level and reading material that is necessary for our student’s imagination. On the home front, Becky, the kids, and I are getting used to each other again. One never realizes the gift of family that God gives us until it is gone even temporarily. The Prime Minister brokered a peace treaty between the gangs and hopefully (with prayer) it will hold. We must also say thanks for all the support, it is appreciated.”
Meals from the Heartland Thanks to those who gave $80 for the food and to Vi, Manny, Lucas, Kari, Ann, John, Margaret, Isaac and friend Toby who spent 2 hours filling 20 cases with food bags equaling 4320 meals. These meals were just a part of the 4,214,592 prepared at HyVee Hall to share with hungry people in Iowa and around the world. The volunteer effort over the four days totaled 13,568 children and adults.
Library Ledge: Biography Buddies Buddy up to a biography … make a new friend or learn more about an old one by checking out the library ledge in October. When you read a biography you can learn about history, experience adventure from the safety of one's armchair, learn something about life by someone who’s lived it, or be inspired to a closer walk with God by other people’s stories. Accept the challenge…read a biography this month. Examples: Ahead of the Game, by Pat Williams senior executive of the NBA’s Orlando Magic; Seven from Heaven by Kenny & Bobbi McCaughey; Amazing Grace in the life of William Wilberforce; Soul Surfer by Bethany Hamilton; Second Row, Piano Side by Chonda Pierce.
HOC Meal ReportOn September 29th, 19 from BLFC provided a meal for 62 guests. Our menu was fish, chicken or hamburger patties on a bun, vegetable soup, crackers, French fries, breaded cauliflower, garlic green beans, raw carrots, pasta salad, mixed fruit, dump cakes or cupcakes, milk, tea and coffee. One man gave his thanks saying this was his only meal of the day. A family with several children had recently moved from Texas and were looking for work. The kids really smiled when they saw the cupcakes. Our next meal will be Thursday, October 27th. |