WLBC Today - Wonder Lake Bible Church

Autumn, 2007
Volume 7, Issue 3
WLBC Today
The View from the Pulpit
Pastor Dan Cox
In a great miracle recorded in all four gospels, Jesus
fed five thousand men (perhaps fifteen to twenty thousand people total) with five loaves of bread and two fish.
Through this, Jesus taught His disciples
a profound lesson. They too would feed
great crowds of people spiritually as
Jesus would take their meager resources and multiply them by His mighty
power. What an amazing lesson. Yet
just a matter of hours later, the disciples
were in serious trouble. After the great
miracle, Jesus had dismissed the crowd
and gone into the hillside to pray. He
had sent the disciples on ahead in a
boat across the Sea of Galilee. A terrible storm had
come up, and now they were in grave danger. Where
was Jesus? Had He abandoned them? Wait… what’s
that’s that coming toward them on the surface of the
water? At first, they were terrified- it’s a ghost! Things
had gone from bad to worse! But then, the ―ghost‖ said
He was Jesus. Peter wanted to be sure, and so, in an
incredible act of faith, he got out of the
boat and began walking on the water
toward Jesus. But then he took his eyes
off Jesus and looked at the waves instead. As he started to sink, he cried
out to Jesus and was saved. Jesus rebuked Peter for his inconsistent faith.
Have you ever played the role of Peter
in this story? God has done something
amazing in you, and then just a short
time later, you are in great distress.
Where is Jesus? Can He be trusted to see you through
this situation as well? Yes, He is with you. But, the
angry waves surround you and are threatening to pull
you down. Are you looking at the waves or at Jesus?
Reaching Your World
Luis Palau, © 2007 by Luis Palau Evangelic Association
Reprinted by permission.
Communion with God
Some years ago a doctor asked an elderly Christian
woman in England, "If I asked God for five pounds,
would I get it?"
The old woman answered with a question. "If you
were introduced to the Prince of Wales, would you ask
him for money at once?"
"No, not till I knew him better," replied the doctor.
(Continued on page 2)
(Continued from page 1)
"Well," remarked the woman, "you will need to know
God a great deal better before you can expect Him to
answer your prayer."
Someone commented on this incident by observing,
"Many people presume to ask God for things upon
mere acquaintance with Him." Isn't that often the case?
Prayer, as we said before, is simply two friends talking
together. The Bible is God's side of the conversation.
When I read the Scriptures, I soon find myself whispering a petition. When I pray, God's Word comes to mind.
When I listen to His Word, my soul bows in adoration.
Bible expositor W. Graham Scroggie wrote, "In the
Bible God speaks to us, and in prayer we speak to
God." The Bible and prayer are intertwined strands
forming the intimate cord of communion between God
and ourselves.
Read the great prayers of Moses, Nehemiah, Ezra, and
Daniel. In their petitions they spoke God's words back
to Him. This is the prayer language God delights to
answer. As you pray, let Him bring Scriptures to mind.
Pray them back to God as they apply to you.
Before you spend time reading and studying the Bible
each day, pray that God will make your heart sensitive
to His Word. Martin Luther said, "Having prayed well is
having studied well." We cannot have one without the
other.
George Müller fellowshipped with God as few men in
history have ever done. Through him, God cared for
thousands of orphans. Despite his tremendous financial responsibilities, Müller never asked other people to
help meet his needs. Extreme financial pressures only
motivated him to spend more time in intimate conversation with God.
Listen to what Müller said about his times alone with
God: "I begin to meditate on the New Testament early
in the mornings. . . . Invariably, I have found that . . .
after so many minutes of meditation, my soul is guided
to confession, or to give thanks, or to intercede, or to
make a request. So, even when you couldn't say that I
had given myself to prayer, but rather to meditation,
nevertheless, it turned out that almost immediately the
meditation turned into prayer."
2
As God's Word spoke to Müller's heart, he naturally
responded back to God in prayer. He enjoyed intimate
fellowship with his Lord.
Communication is the key to any relationship. Our relationship with God can grow only as we communicate
our adoration, confession, petition, intercession, and
thanksgiving to Him through prayer, and as we listen to
His voice through the daily study of His Word.
How well do you know God? How intimate is your relationship with Him? Müller could come to God, ask Him
for five pounds, and know his heavenly Father would
somehow supply his need. Could you ask God for that,
or are you only an acquaintance?
To Ponder
As a child of God, how well do you know your heavenly
Father? How well do you want to know Him?
To Pursue
During your next time of prayer, begin by meditating on
a passage of Scripture. Then pray to God, listening to
what He is saying to you from that Bible passage.
Halloween…
What’s the Big deal…?
By Rick Pickell
With the arrival of October, and therefore Halloween, the
holiday season officially kicks off. And Halloween has been
a sticking point in Christian circles for many years.
Following is an article which outlines the roots of Halloween. I’ll also provide links to other articles that detail what it
meant to do certain things when the early pagans celebrated what became our modern-day holiday. So read on;
and I urge you to look up the other articles, too.
(The following article is used with the permission of Watchman Fellowship, Inc. * www.watchman.org * P.O. Box
13340 Arlington, TX 76094.)
Watchman Fellowship is a great source for information on
a great number of cults or alternative religions.—Rick
Samhain: History of Halloween
By Rick Branch
What is the history behind the holiday of Halloween? "The observances connected with Halloween are believed to have
originated among the ancient Druids, who believed that on the evening, Saman, the lord of the dead, called forth hosts
of evil spirits" (Funk & Wagnalls New Encyclopedia, 1979, Vol. 12, p. 152).
In the periodical Natural History, a brief overview of Samhain is provided. "The holiday had its beginning in a preChristian festival of the dead celebrated by the Celtic people of England, Ireland and Scotland. . .The festival observed
at this time, called Samhain (pronounced SAH-WEEN), was the biggest and most significant holiday of the Celtic year.
At this crease in time might not the spirits of generations departed find it appropriate to mingle with the living?. . .the
Celts practiced an elaborate religion through their priestly caste, the Druids" (October, 1983, pp. 43-44).
Samhain was the time when the physical and spiritual realms were, according to the Druid priests, very closely linked.
Anne Ross speaks of Samhain as a time when "malevolent beings used to come forth from the cave (of Cruachan) and
devastate the land" (Pagan Celtic Britain, p. 122).
The feast of Samhain, which took place on November 1, is described by MacCane as order suspended. "During this
interval the normal order of the universe is suspended, the barriers between the natural and the supernatural are
temporarily removed, the sidh lies open and all divine beings and the spirits of the dead move freely among men and
interfere sometimes violently, in their affairs" (Celtic Mythology, p. 127).
Ward Rutherford explains that "the Celtic festival of the dead, Samhain (was) an occasion marked by burning human
offerings" (The Druids and their Heritage, p. 24). In Richard Cavendish's book The Black Arts, he states, "In the eighth
century All Saints' Day was moved to November 1 or Samhain from its original date, May 13, which in Roman times had
been a day dedicated to the Lemures, malevolent gods which drank human blood" (p. 334). It would seem, not simply
from the sources cited above, but also from a variety of other sources that Samhain has been immersed in the blood of
human sacrifice.
In a section entitled Human Sacrifice, Lewis Spencer writes, "We are informed by Keating that the Irish Druids on the
eve of Samhain burned their victims in the holy fire" (The History and Origins of Druidism, p. 105). Spencer further
suggests, "human sacrifice was a frequent and common element in their religious procedure. No sacrifice might be
carried out except in the presence of a Druid" (Ibid, p. 104).
The festival of Samhain, while being an ancient practice, is not confined to the centuries of the past. In a book published
in 1986 is stated, "Another organization with a history of indoor gathering is the church and School of Wicca. Since the
late 1970's, they have held an annual Samhain Seminar, with worship, rituals and guest speakers. "Approximately
40,000 students have taken some part in their course of study" (Drawing Down the Moon, Margot Adler, p. 423).
It is important to know the historic background of holidays. While almost every major holiday has been tainted with some
form of paganism, none are so deeply immersed in the occult as is Halloween.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION (Type these URLs into your browser or contact Rick Pickell for them) :
―Halloween‖ by Rick Branch and James Walker (http://www.watchman.org/profile/halwnpro.htm)
―Halloween: Harmless Fun or Pagan Rituals?‖ by Ruth Gordon (http://www.watchman.org/occult/hallow.htm)
3
The Local Scene—What’s Happening at WLBC
Our Ministry Leaders fill you in!
WLBC WEBSITE MINISTRY
We continue to have a steady attendance of about 20
teens every Sunday night. With the school year starting,
Have you been to our church website recently? You can we will begin meeting Friday nights from 7-10 PM to
visit it at wlbiblechurch.org . We have added a couple of make it easier for teens to attend. Information about the
new features in the past few weeks.
group, including an event calendar and Fall Retreat pictures, is available at the church website.
A new Audio Archive is available, where recent sermons
can be downloaded and listened to at home. You can
In Christ, Shane Schnaebele, Curt Grimes
also subscribe to email notifications when new sermons
are added! (Recordings on CD or cassette tape can be NEWS FROM THE MISSIONARY MINISTRY
made too. See Curt Grimes or Dave Sellek if you would
be interested in getting a recording in those formats.)
We can’t all be full time missionaries, but we can have
an active role in missions through our prayer support.
In addition, there are new ministry sections. Information Consider making it a daily part of your prayer time to
about Awana is now available online. The Teen Impact remember the needs of our missionaries. Some of their
section includes details about the youth group and a
needs include:
schedule for upcoming events. Past issues of WLBC
Today are available. There is also a history of our
Open Doors: Pray for favor from governments and auchurch, including pictures, if you are interested in learn- thorities for missionaries needing visas and for churches
ing about the church's past.
seeking places to meet together. Pray that the Gospel
would prosper, even in the face of persecution.
And as always, the same announcements that you find Understanding: Pray that God would enable missionarin your Sunday Bulletin are available on the website's
ies to learn new languages and customs so they can
main page if you need a reminder about an event during reach people at a heart level.
the week.
Changed Hearts: Pray for hearts to be softened and
If you have any questions or comments about the web- ready to receive the Gospel, growing in the knowledge
site, you can send an email to feedof God's word and boldly sharing it with others.
[email protected]. Your comments and suggestions are greatly appreciated!
Healthy Churches: Pray for the establishment of God's
kingdom as churches grow and multiply in the least
TEEN IMPACT YOUTH GROUP
reached places. Pray for unity among believers so that
churches would work together to impact their communiGod has been doing some great things with the Teen
ties and the world.
Impact youth ministry recently. At the beginning of October, we went camping at Chain O'Lakes State Park. The Safety and Family: Pray for good health and safety for
youth went canoeing, horseback riding, played games, missionaries and their children, often living in remote
and fellowshipped. Everyone had a great time!
places far from medical care.
(Continued on page 5)
4
Your Sisters in Christ, Jackie Gizel and Cindy Martinez
(Continued from page 4)
Perseverance: Pray for missionaries to persevere with
joy in the work God has called them to. Pray against
discouragement and the attacks of the enemy.
Wisdom: Pray for wisdom to discern God's will. Pray for
their faith to grow as they trust God for all things.
(Adapted with permission from World Team)
A WORD FROM OUR AWANA COMMANDER
AWANA is in full swing now, having started last month.
There are AWANA groups for kids from age 3 through
Jr. High, and we meet at 6:30 on Wednesday nights.
David Martinez, Commander
In addition to these prayers, also see specific praise and
prayer requests in the Sunday bulletin and on the mis- WLBC TODAY: OUR NEWSLETTER MINISTRY
sions bulletin board.
There were, as we noted last issue, some changes in
Susan Grimes
the format and content of WLBC Today. We’ve tried to
make it easier to read by making things a bit more conGOD LISTENS: NEWS FROM THE PRAYER LINE
sistent, and we are experimenting with the content.
In this nation we as its people have the freedom to practice our faith. As Christians we can take all things to God
in prayer. Are we praying for the war, our President,
abortion, the homeless, our churches, our Pastor, the
youth, and one another? We have been blessed by
God. Why? It is because we are His people and He
loves us.
The last three months, God has been answering prayers
for healing, provision, family difficulties, and much more.
Our Father wants us to keep praying and looking to Him
for all our needs. Please continue to take everything to
Him.
“And pray in The Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of
prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and
always keep on praying for all the Saints.” – Ephesians
6:18
We also went to a less rigid publishing schedule. We’re
no longer married to a strict quarterly schedule, but
have, instead, opted for a seasonal schedule—Spring,
Summer, Fall, and Winter. This gives us the flexibility to
delay publishing to accommodate seasonal articles like
the one on Halloween in this issue.
One disappointing bit of news to report is, sadly the position of Church Reporter is still open. Our reporter
would keep in touch with the ministry leaders, Sunday
School teachers, the Board, and Pastor Dan, and compile an article similar to this one sketching out what everyone is up to. So don’t forget, if you’d like a ministry of
your own and think that this is where you can fit in,
please talk to Pastor Dan or myself. We’ll be glad to fill
you in on all of the details.
Blessings! Rick Pickell
E-Mail Inspirations
—things that end up in your Inbox just when you need them most.
By Rick Pickell
(Legal stuff: all items are “Author Unknown” unless otherwise noted.)
So, this bird walks into a store … a true story.
A seagull in Scotland has developed the habit of stealing chips from a neighborhood shop.
5
The seagull waits until the shopkeeper isn't looking, and
then walks into the store and grabs a snack-size bag of
(Continued on page 6)
Customers have begun paying for the seagull's stolen bags of
chips because they think it's so funny.
(Continued from page 5)
cheese Doritos.
Once outside, the bag gets ripped open and shared by other
birds.
The seagull’s shoplifting started early this month when he first
swooped into the store in Aberdeen, Scotland, and helped
himself to a bag of chips. Since then, he's become a regular.
He always takes the same type of chips.
HANDY LITTLE CHART
God has a positive answer:
YOU SAY
You say: "It's impossible"
You say: "I'm too tired"
You say: "Nobody really loves me"
You say: "I can't go on"
You say: "I can't figure things out"
You say: "I can't do it"
You say: "I'm not able"
You say: "It's not worth it"
You say: "I can't forgive myself"
You say: "I can't manage"
You say: "I'm afraid"
You say: "I'm always worried and
frustrated"
You say: "I'm not smart enough"
You say: "I feel all alone"
6
GOD SAYS
BIBLE VERSES
God says: All things (Luke 18:27)
are possible
God says: I will give (Matthew 11:28-30)
you rest
(John 3:16 & John 3:34 )
God says: I love
you
God says: My grace (II Corinthians 12:9 & Psalm
91:15)
is sufficient
(Proverbs 3:5-6)
God says: I will
direct your steps
God says: You can (Philippians 4:13)
do all things
God says: I am able (II Corinthians 9:8)
God says: It will be
worth it
God says: I Forgive
you
God says: I will
supply all your
needs
God says: I have
not given you a
spirit of fear
God says: Cast all
your cares on ME
God says: I give
you wisdom
God says: I will
never leave you or
forsake you
(Roman 8:28 )
(I John 1:9 & Romans 8:1)
(Philippians 4:19)
(II Timothy 1:7)
(I Peter 5:7)
(I Corinthians 1:30)
(Hebrews 13:5)
An Angel hiding in a tomato!
A DOG’S PURPOSE
Being a veterinarian, I had been
called to examine a ten-year-old
Irish Wolfhound named Belker. The
dog's owners, Ron, his wife, Lisa,
and their little boy, Shane, were all
very attached to Belker, and they
were hoping for a miracle.
I examined Belker and found he was dying of cancer. I told
the family we couldn't do anything for Belker, and offered to
perform the euthanasia procedure for the old dog in their
home.
THE ROAD TO SUCCESS
The road to success is not straight. There is a curve called
Failure, a loop called Confusion, speed bumps called
Friends, red lights called Enemies, caution lights called Family. You will have flats called Jobs. But, if you have a spare
called Determination, an engine called Perseverance, insurance called Faith, a driver called Jesus, you will make it to a
place called Success.
Philippians 4:13 --- I can do all things through Christ
who strengthens me.
ALL MEN / ALL GIRLS?
When my daughter, Kelli, was 3, she and my son, Cody,
would say their nightly prayers, together. As most children
do, we have to bless every family member, every friend, and
every animal (current and past).
For several weeks, after we had finished the nightly prayer,
Kelli would say, "And all girls."
As this soon became part of her nightly routine, to include
this at the end, my curiosity got the best of me and I asked
her, "Kelli, why do you always add the part about all girls?"
As we made arrangements, Ron and Lisa told me they
thought it would be good for six-year-old Shane to observe
the procedure. They felt as though Shane might learn some- Her response, "Because we always finish our prayers by
saying 'All Men'!"
thing from the experience
The next day, I felt the familiar catch in my throat as Belker's As seen in Thisnthatnographics via Cup-O-Cheer
family surrounded him. Shane seemed so calm, petting the Please join us for the newsletter every other Saturday
[email protected]
old dog for the last time, that I wondered if he understood
what was going on. Within a few minutes, Belker slipped
peacefully away.
The little boy seemed to accept Belker's transition without
any difficulty or confusion. We sat together for a while after
Belker's death, wondering aloud about the sad fact that animal lives are shorter than human lives. Shane, who had
been listening quietly, piped up, "I know why."
Startled, we all turned to him. What came out of his mouth
next stunned me. I'd never heard a more comforting explanation.
He said, "People are born so that they can learn how to live
a good life - like loving everybody all the time and being nice,
right?" The six-year-old continued, "Well, dogs already know
how to do that, so they don't have to stay as long."
7
The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim
the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech;
night after night they display knowledge.
Psalm 19:1-2
The Merry Heart
More Bulletin Bloopers
Everyone is asked to bring a jar of peanut butter which will
be forwarded to Potter's House for distribution as part of the
Food Baskets for greedy families during the month of June.
The new parking area looks great. Thanks to the men who
turned out Saturday to help with the groveling.
A special thank you is extended to the members of the congregation who supported the dinner at the Community Outreach Center on Friday, May 11. Thank you for the generous
amounts of food and to the shavers who came:
We "raised the roof" both in monetary donations and excitement to help get started on construction effort. Thank you to
the over 100 people who filled the Community Center to help
us with our destruction fund for the new fellowship hall.
Remember our time, talents and our financial resources are
all gifts from God. Stewardship of these gifts is important.
Praise God from whom all blassings flow!
Are you ready for this? Invite some neighbors and come
along for the Vacation Bible School picnic! Please register so
we will have enough food on the clipboard in the fellowship
hall.
You May Quote Me— on Luck
The only thing that overcomes hard luck is hard
work. - Harry Golden (1902-1981)
We must believe in luck. For how else can we
explain the success of those we don't like? - Jean
Cocteau (1889-1963)
I'm a great believer in luck and I find the harder I
work the more I have of it. - Thomas Jefferson
(1743-1826)
The new landscaping looks wonderful. Special thanks to the
ladies who have been working in beds around the church
grounds.
Puns 'R Us
~ A good pun is its own reword.
~ Energizer Bunny arrested; charged with battery.
~ A man's home is his castle, in a manor of speaking.
~ A pessimist's blood type is always b-negative.
~ Dijon vu: The same mustard as before.
~ Shotgun wedding: A case of wife or death.
~ I used to work in a blanket factory, but it folded.
~ Marriage is the mourning after the knot before.
~ Corduroy pillows are making headlines.
~ Is a book on voyeurism a peeping tome?
~ Sea captains don't like crew cuts.
~ Does the name Pavlov ring a bell?
~ A gossip is someone with a great sense of rumor.
~ Santa's helpers are subordinate clauses.
~ Acupuncture is a jab well done.
~ Without geometry, life is pointless.
~ Reading whilst sunbathing makes you well-red.
~ When two egotists meet, it's an I for an I.
~ A bicycle can't stand on its own because it is two-tired.
~ What's the definition of a will? (It's a dead giveaway).
~ A chicken crossing the road is poultry in motion.
~ A lot of money is tainted. It taint yours and it taint mine.
~ A boiled egg in the morning is hard to beat.
Received from: Mikey's Funnies via Cup-O-Cheer
To subscribe to Mikey’s Funnies: http://
www.mikeysfunnies.com/sub/index.html