The Stable

The Stable

Wow its almost Christmas…that’s the first thought I had come to mind this morning as I awoke from a good nights sleep. However freezing cold in my house, I was warm in my bed. Then the Christmas story began to play out in my thoughts… What Mary was feeling in that cold and lonely time yet somehow knowing she was in the perfect plan for her life. And Joseph, how he may have been thinking here we are in a stable, no heat, no food, no future plans of a job. Yet they were comforted in that lonely stable by knowing that God had a plan. He had given them a promise and they knew HE would fulfill this promise of a savior.

The stable what was it like, my mind began to race…. It probably had a stench… it was nothing more than a “barn” a house for animals. There was probably animal stench everywhere… it was dark…. no light coming in from the outside. It was lonely; Joseph was the only person in the city Mary knew. Yet for some reason the stable kept coming to my mind.

Stable…Stable…Stable… I thought to myself and then it hit me…the “Stable is the place where Jesus was born”. The stable was the first place that welcomed our LORD and SAVIOR into this world… but wait what if we looked at the stable as a symbol… A symbol of the dark and lost, the lonely, the empty.. the one Jesus wants to be born into…born again… reborn.. But this time by the Holy Spirit…what if we looked at the “Stable” as a soul of the lost women on the streets, the soul of the homeless drug abuser, as the drunk sitting on the side of the road, or the child who sees no end to his torment of an abusive parent… What if we see a stable in them?

Then the thought came to me, will I be willing to stop in my business of the Holiday Season and share this Jesus with them, the Jesus that filled the stable with HIS presence that first Christmas day? Will I be sensitive to the leading of the Spirit to stop and pray for the lost and lonely? I don’t know for certain the answer to these questions but my prayer is “Lord help me to be sensitive to the lost souls of this world this Holiday Season”… AMEN

Carma Wirth
Faith Tabernacle
Womens Ministry Director

The Power of a Moment

Don't ever underestimate the power of one moment. It seems like some of the greatest miracles in life are seen in an inconspicuous moment of time: a brief word of encouragement, a chance opportunity at generosity, a split second decision that can effect the rest of your day or even the rest of your life. All too quickly I find I'm too busy to be "inconvenienced" with a powerful opportunity.
How long does it really take to hold the door open for somebody at the restaurant or compliment somebody on a job well done? It may seem insignificant to you, or it may seem like the biggest put-out you could imagine, but for the ones you touch it could mean the world.
The other day I was driving along and saw somebody in need of help holding a sign at one of our local super-markets. I made eye contact with this individual and then drove away. As soon as I did, I felt a deep urge to turn around and do what I could to help them. (I know: this story seems all too familiar...we've all been there!) When I came back around to talk with them, the conversation very quickly turned to God and how He had been meeting needs in miraculous ways for this individual. I asked if they attended church somewhere and they said, "I don't right now, but I've been thinking about going to that one on the corner. What's it called? Oh, yeah, Faith Tabernacle." I briefly stated I went there as well and asked if I could pray for them. They very graciously accepted.
When I got back into my vehicle, the thought occurred to me: what if I didn't turn around to help? That individual and I looked each other right in the eye before I drove on. They would have recognized me had I took the stage and sat down behind the piano if they visited our church. My hope and desire for my life, the life of my family, and the life of my church family at Faith Tabernacle, is that we would be people who put our religion where our mouth is. That not only would we be Extra Mile Christians inside our walls, but that this community would be impacted by a group of sincere and compassionate Disciples of Christ who are willing to do whatever it takes to change even ONE life for eternity. May God grant to us willing hearts and may we do whatever it takes and pay whatever it costs to be who God is calling us to be.

-P. Jimmy

Puzzle #3 ~P. Billy

Hey guys and gals, here's another puzzle to get your mind juices flowing. Try your hardest to solve this without using hints. This one is at medium difficulty, but I've got confidence in you!

Rules: I'll post an image that is a puzzle. The answer to the puzzle will always be one word, and will always have a biblical theme.
The way to solve the puzzle will always be different.
Feel free to post comments about the puzzle - but PLEASE don't give it away.
The point is to stretch your mind a little and come up with the one word solution.
For the first few, I'll post hints and the solution that you can highlight - in case you get frustrated ;)


Puzzle 3:
Hint #1: Get out your New Intnl. Version, if you don't have one - go to biblegateway.com
Hint #2: Count the number of books in the bible. Then chapters, then verses, then words.
Solution: The first number in each row corresponds to a book in the bible, the second is the chapter and verse in that book, the third is the word in that verse. Example: 27 1:7 11 corresponds to Daniel 1:7, the 11th word is "name". Following through the pattern, you should get: "Name of God in". Then you take the last clue (Ruth 1:20) and find the name of God: Almighty!

Thankfulness

Thankfulness

Its that time of year again…”Thanksgiving”… as I sat pondering writing in this blog, I felt the moving of the Holy Spirit to share about what Thanksgiving is to me.

It’s more than a word, more than a thought, more than a feeling, it’s my very life.

When I think on things my heart can do nothing but give the LORD thanks and praise.

I began to think of Paul and Silas, how it must have been for them in prison. {Acts 16:16-34} The jailer was commanded to keep them secure, so he put them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks. {Acts 16:23-24} But at midnight Paul and Silas were praying, and singing praises unto God and the prisoners heard them. {Act 16:25} (NKJV) As they were singing praises and thanking the Lord, the earth shook and immediately all the doors were opened and all the chains were loosed.{Acts 16:26} Then when the jailer awoke and saw what was happening and thought all the prisoners had escaped, not knowing that they had all just been set free from their bondages he was about to take his own life when Paul began sharing with him what he needed to do to saved and have his chains loosed.

Not only was the jailor and his family saved that day {Acts 16:33-34} NKJV but Paul and Silas were set free too. No more chains to bind them, no more darkness, no more damp smelly dungeon, they were set free. Their chains were broken.

As I continued my thoughts, I remembered that not only were Paul and Silas’ chains loosed that day at midnight, but all the prisoners were, “everyone’s chains were loosed”. {Acts 16:26} NKJV

What if we praised and thanked the Lord when we are in our dark, damp, gloomy dungeons, when life dishes out the hard times, the money is to short, there is sickness in our family, etc. Would the chains in our life be loosed? But what about the others around us who would hear us praising Him and thanking Him, would their chains be loosed? Would they be set free from their dark, damp, and gloomy dungeon? When the people of the lost and hurting world see and hear the praises of His people would they be set free from the chains that bind them? And what if we thanked and praised Him all year long, not just at Thanksgiving?

I don’t know the answer to these questions, but I challenge each one of us this Thanksgiving Holiday, to give our thanks and praise to the Lord and give it loudly so that the entire world may hear and know “How Great is Our God”!

Carma Wirth

Women’s Ministry Director

Faith Tabernacle Assembly of God

Greetings from the Senior Adult Department
You are never to old to learn new things. Who would have ever thought I would be blogging!!
So here goes.
The Seniors are getting ready for Christmas. You say "so soon?" We have a special missions project that we are involved in for Christmas.
Steve and Julie Kramer from The Netherlands will be with us in December. Steve has a need for a special bicycle. He has cerebral palsy and is difficult to get around. Bicycle is the most popular mode of travel and we are going to help him get a special folding 3 wheel bicycle that he can take with him. Our partner is this project will be Chi Alpha college ministries. I am very excited, because I believe between the two of us we can raise the $1000.00 needed.

We also expect to have a fun time at our annual Christmas party Dec. 5th at noon, we also think that when we get together we should have fun and food, so this will be a potluck. For more information contact Pastor Pat.

I want to take this opportunity to encourage all to enjoy the holiday season, we have the power to be grateful to our Lord or to be grumpy. Let's choose joy, peace, and all the things Jesus gave to us on that Christmas morning!! Phillipians 4:4

Kids Harvest Party

This Friday from 6:30 to 9:00 we are having our Kids Harvest Party, in the gym.
Please invite kids that you know.

Comment on Halloween and Harvest Parties:
The history of Halloween spans many centuries and has Christian and pagan mixes. It used to be known as All Hollows Eve or All Saints Day. It has changed allot over the years. Today, however there are many Christians, including myself, that don't feel it is right to celebrate Halloween. Although some parts may be harmless, the way our culture takes this time to celebrate death and gore is not something I want to partake in. We can't watch a commercial or even some kid shows without seeing zombies and ghosts.
Therefore, my purpose and goal for our Harvest Party is twofold: One is for kids to have a fun and safe alternative that celebrates the blessings of God and not death. The second is to be an outreach. By church kids inviting their friends we can get them into church and be a positive influence. In addition to games and candy we are have the Way Of The Master booth and we will be playing Christian music. We are also not allowing any scary or bloody costumes.
PLEASE pray for the children of our community that they will be safe.

Blessings to you and your family!
Pastor Earl

The Extra Mile

WOW!! God has truly been moving on our behalf with the desire to be extra mile Christians. For a long time my hearts desire for this basin and this body of believers here at Faith Tabernacle is a unified group of people with one heart, mind, and soul desiring to see God move and change us with a fresh renewal and revival of God's holy presence as spoken by the prophet Joel (Joel 2-28-29).
We are closely approaching some of the major outreach events for the end of this year. We are having our "Evening of Honor" on December 9th this year honoring the Klamath City School District, and our Christmas outreach and production entitled "Mary Did You Know" will be on the Sunday before Christmas. Please be in prayer for these major events that lives will be blessed and touched by God's presence and power and by our extension of His example with going "The Extra Mile!"
I recently found a story that blessed my heart immensely of what it is to forgive and forget and go the "Extra Mile" I hope it touches and blesses you as much as it did me:

A young girl grows up on a cherry orchard just above Traverse City, Michigan. Her parents, a bit old-fashioned, tend to overreact to her nose ring, the music she listens to, and the length of her skirts. They ground her a few times, and she seethes inside. "I hate you!" she screams at her father when he knocks on the door of her room after an argument, and that night she acts on a plan she has mentally rehearsed scores of times. She runs away. She has visited Detroit only once before, on a bus trip with her church youth group to watch the Tigers play. Because newspapers in Traverse City report in lurid detail the gangs, drugs, and violence in downtown Detroit, she concludes that is probably the last place her parents will look for her. California, maybe, or Florida, but not Detroit. Her second day there she meets a man who drives the biggest car she’s ever seen. He offers her a ride, buys her lunch, arranges a place for her to stay. He gives her some pills that make her feel better than she’s ever felt before. She was right all along, she decides: her parents were keeping her from all the fun. The good life continues for a month, two months, a year. The man with the big car--she calls him "Boss"--teaches her a few things that men like. Since she’s underage, men pay a premium for her. She lives in a penthouse and orders room service whenever she wants. Occasionally she thinks about the folks back home, but their lives now seem so boring and provincial that she can hardly believe she grew up there. She has a brief scare when she sees her picture printed on the back of a milk carton with the headline, "Have you seen this child?" But by now she has blond hair, and with all the makeup and body-piercing jewelry she wears, nobody would mistake her for a child. Besides, most of her friends are runaways, and nobody squeals in Detroit. After a year, the first sallow signs of illness appear, and it amazes her how fast the boss turns mean. "These days, we can’t mess around," he growls, and before she knows it she’s out on the street without a penny to her name. She still turns a couple of tricks a night, but they don’t pay much, and all the money goes to support her habit. When winter blows in she finds herself sleeping on metal grates outside the big department stores. "Sleeping" is the wrong word--a teenage girl at night in downtown Detroit can never relax her guard. Dark bands circle her eyes. Her cough worsens. One night, as she lies awake listening for footsteps, all of a sudden everything about her life looks different. She no longer feels like a woman of the world. She feels like a little girl, lost in a cold and frightening city. She begins to whimper. Her pockets are empty and she’s hungry. She needs a fix. She pulls her legs tight underneath her and shivers under the newspapers she’s piled atop her coat. Something jolts a synapse of memory and a single image fills her mind of May in Traverse City, when a million cherry trees bloom at once, with her golden retriever dashing through the rows and rows of blossomy trees in chase of a tennis ball. God, why did I leave, she says to herself, and pain stabs at her heart. My dog back home eats better than I do now. She’s sobbing, and she knows in a flash that more than anything else in the world she wants to go home. Three straight phone calls, three straight connections with the answering machine. She hangs up without leaving a message the first two times, but the third time she says, "Dad, Mom, it’s me. I was wondering about maybe coming home. I’m catching a bus up your way, and it’ll get there about midnight tomorrow. If you’re not there, well, I guess I’ll just stay on the bus until it hits Canada." It takes about seven hours for a bus to make all the stops between Detroit and Traverse City, and during that time she realizes the flaws in her plan. What if her parents are out of town and miss the message? Shouldn’t she have waited another day or so until she could talk to them? Even if they are home, they probably wrote her off as dead long ago. She should have given them some time to overcome the shock. Her thoughts bounce back and forth between those worries and the speech she is preparing for her father. "Dad, I’m sorry. I know I was wrong. It’s not your fault, it’s all mine. Dad, can you forgive me?" She says the words over and over, her throat tightening even as she rehearses them. She hasn’t apologized to anyone in years. The bus has been driving with lights on since Bay City. Tiny snowflakes hit the road, and the asphalt steams. She’s forgotten how dark it gets at night out here. A deer darts across the road and the bus swerves. Every so often, a billboard, a sign posting the mileage to Traverse City. When the bus finally rolls into the station, its air brakes hissing in protest, the driver announces in a crackly voice over the microphone, "Fifteen minutes, folks. That’s all we have here." Fifteen minutes to decide her life. She checks herself in a compact mirror, smooths her hair, and licks the lipstick off her teeth. She looks at the tobacco stains on her fingertips, and wonders if her parents will notice - if they’re there. She walks into the terminal not knowing what to expect, and not one of the thousand scenes that have played out in her mind prepare her for what she sees. There, in the concrete-walls-and-plastic-chairs bus terminal in Traverse City, Michigan, stands a group of 40 brothers and sisters and great-aunts and uncles and cousins and a grandmother and great-grandmother to boot. They are all wearing ridiculous-looking party hats and blowing noisemakers, and taped across the entire wall of the terminal is a computer-generated banner that reads "Welcome home!" Out of the crowd of well-wishers breaks her dad. She looks through tears and begins the memorized speech, "Dad, I’m sorry. I know . . . " He interrupts her. "Hush, child. We’ve got no time for that. No time for apologies. You’ll be late for the party. A banquet’s waiting for you at home." A story by Phillip Yancy found in Christianity Today 10/6/97

In His Service,

P. Jim Boyd

Obedience

I went for a walk with the Lord this afternoon. It was the first time I truly felt like I "walked with the Lord in the cool of the day" much like Adam and Eve did in the garden. His presence was near as I watched the wind tickle the fields of grain. I breathed deeply of fresh, country air and took my time praying and listening for His voice. I began to wonder to myself as I enjoyed the evening, "how can people not believe in God?" It seems preposterous for anyone to see the beauty of a sunset, the branches of mighty trees swaying in the breeze and birds of every unique configuration darting to and fro and not come to the conclusion that God is real and He is very present. I realized that like the Bible says in Romans, "creation declares the glory of God". Why doesn't the world listen? I felt the Holy Spirit whisper, "I'm speaking to every person all the time in so many ways. They either choose not to listen or are getting the wrong information. That's why I've asked you to tell them. I love them so much I decided to use you as a mouthpiece for my story. Will you tell them?" Wow...I'm part of God's plan of salvation in someone's life? Is it possible some won't hear and believe because I didn't tell them? Why put that kind of a heavy on myself? Because Christ Jesus told me to "go into all the world and preach the gospel" (Matthew 28). The question is, will I be obedient?

Puzzle #2 ~P. Billy

Hey guys and gals, here's another puzzle to get your mind juices flowing. Try your hardest to solve this without using hints. This one's a bit harder than the first, but I've got confidence in you!

Rules: I'll post an image that is a puzzle. The answer to the puzzle will always be one word, and will always have a biblical theme.
The way to solve the puzzle will always be different.
Feel free to post comments about the puzzle - but PLEASE don't give it away.
The point is to stretch your mind a little and come up with the one word solution.
For the first few, I'll post hints and the solution that you can highlight - in case you get frustrated ;)

Puzzle 2:


Hint 1: It's a judge (remember biblical theme)
Hint 2: The right hand is crossed out, which means this judge is left handed
Hint 3: Read the amazing story here.
Solution: This is the only left-handed judge in the bible: Ehud

Hello Faith Tabernacle and Klamath Falls ~ P. Earl

Coming to Faith Tabernacle has been exciting for our family. Everyone we have met has been fantastic. We look forward getting to know everyone. God has truly blessed us by bringing us here.
As time goes on we will get fun photos and videos on the website. Below are some links to Tangle.com and youtube so you can check out some of the videos we have made in the past. Most are from activities at our last church; New Life Church. You can type in Earl Faunce in the "search" to get a list of all our videos.

http://www.tangle.com/view_video?viewkey=2ffaa28c369047c0e5ea
http://www.tangle.com/view_video?viewkey=09c4858a3e1db23dc5ac

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EliYusOgc0M

A Challenge ~ P. Jimmy

I've been challenged lately with the thought of how much God has available to us as His children, and how little we actually pick up and use. Jesus said in John 14:12-14 "I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it."

I believe where we get stuck is that we don't understand that the "greater things" are to bring glory to God and build and expand the Kingdom. They are performed by God through faith-filled vessels. God will share His glory with no one. But He is willing to use us in the Power of the Holy Spirit if we'll have the faith to believe He'll use us. Are you willing to believe that the infilling of God's Spirit is for you and God wants to pour Himself into you? Are you willing to not only believe for, but also ask for, bigger things than you've ever dared? What is your dream? What is the passion of your heart? What is your spiritual gift? What are you desiring to do for God that scares the daylights out of you?

I wonder how many would dare to tarry before the Lord and ask Him for a fresh overshadowing of His Spirit. I wonder how many would dare to ask God what He wants for your life and actually be willing to do it. I wonder how many would dare to "fan into flame the gift that is in you..." as Paul instructed Timothy to do in 2 Timothy 1:6. I wonder how many would dare believe God for (and begin to walk in) miracles, signs and wonders that would point our city to Jesus Christ?

Let me encourage you today: you have all you need to be a POWER HOUSE for Jesus Christ through the power of His Spirit dwelling in you. Are you ready to walk by faith and in obedience? Are you willing to be stirred up and let your life burn with passion for His name? He's waiting for you...

Puzzle ~P. Billy

For the first post, I'd like to experiment with a little brain teaser / puzzle type game.
Rules: I'll post an image that is a puzzle. The answer to the puzzle will always be one word, and will always have a biblical theme.
The way to solve the puzzle will always be different.
Feel free to post comments about the puzzle - but PLEASE don't give it away.
The point is to stretch your mind a little and come up with the one word solution.
For the first few, I'll post hints and the solution that you can highlight - in case you get frustrated ;)
So, here it goes - the first puzzle:
Now, try to come up with the one word solution to this puzzle.

(Highlight the text to see the hints and solution)
Hint #1:Just say what you see out loud.
Hint #2: The first two images are a "jay" and a "cob", put those together and you get Jacob.
Solution: This puzzle is called a cryptogram. Solve by putting the images into words. jay + cob + and + E + saws + mother = Jacob and Esau's mother. Remember the answer is always one word - so the answer is: Rebekah!

Welcome ~Pastoral Staff

Welcome to the Faith Tabernacle Pastors Blog.
Our plan is to have one pastor make a post every week.
The content will be a wide variety of random thoughts, lessons, puzzles, links, or any other things we can think of.
Check back every week for the next post.
Enjoy!

~ Faith Tabernacle Pastoral Staff