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There are several interesting stories about Judah’s King Jehoshaphat in 2 Chronicles 17 through part of 21. One particular story was recently brought to my attention by my dear wife; the story of a battle against three neighboring armies in chapter 20. The story begins with the king’s alarm at hearing about the impending threat. Another translation says he was afraid. An army of Moabites, Ammonites and Meunites came to make war with him.

This has been a week for me in which I have succumbed to fear on several accounts. I was being threatened by fears of my enemies, and I had to do battle.

• COVID is back, attacking friends, and causing me to fear for us all.
• The news is full of tragedies, as in Afghanistan, causing sadness and fear.
• Physical maladies are pressing in, causing me fear of being old and in the way.

Experiencing mild depression, and irritability with those I love most, I needed help from the Lord. I needed help to get out of this funk I’ve been in. I needed a rescue. I needed to break the chains of fear from overcoming me. It is hard to ask for help, but I began by reading this passage of scripture, hoping for a rescue.

In the king’s alarm, he did some things:

1. He inquired of the LORD and proclaimed a fast for all of Judah.
2. He and the people of Judah came together to seek help from the LORD.
3. He prayed to the LORD, acknowledging His greatness and faithfulness, asking for the LORD to help, acknowledging no power to face the vast army. “We do not know what to do, but our eyes are upon You.”
4. He listened to what the Spirit of the LORD spoke to the assembled people, to not be afraid or discouraged, “for the battle is not yours, but God’s”. “Take up your positions, then stand firm and see the deliverance the LORD will give you.” “Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Go out to face them tomorrow, and the LORD will be with you.”
5. He and all the people bowed down in worship and praised the LORD with very loud voice.
6. He led the people into battle singing, “Give thanks to the LORD, for His love endures forever”, and the LORD annihilated the vast army.
7. He led the people home rejoicing over their enemies.

Father God, Lord Jesus, Holy Spirit I need your help. I am in desperate need. I feel like a sinking ship. I’m having dreadful thoughts. I’m miserable. What can I do? I try prayer. I try different activities, try reading, try exercise, try taking a nap. LORD, you have been so good to me, to us, to our family. We have recounted the ways. I know your presence is with me. Why do I feel so overcome? I feel surrounded by my enemy. LORD open my eyes to see the unseen realm – to see the reality of your mighty army fighting for me.

Sunday came, and I felt like staying home, but my dear wife urged me with “let’s get to church”. I was encouraged to “set (my) heart on things above … and set (my) mind on things above”. I was reminded that I am “one of God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved”. I was encouraged to sing spiritual songs, being overwhelmed with gratitude for the messages to my own heart and mind. I worshipped. Monday evening came, and we have worshipped again, our family group has come together singing the old hymns of the faith. I have had time to recollect how my experience gave me the opportunity to encourage a couple of brothers Sunday and Monday. I feel that God is rescuing me from a pit. I am thankful. The battle belongs to the LORD. “Rejoice in the Lord always, and again I say rejoice.”

Chris Willadsen                                                                                                                                              August 31, 2021

MCC has partnered with Food for the Hungry (FH) since 2008. The focus of our partnership has been Sucre, Bolivia. FH strives to rebuild relationships between parents and children as well as husbands and wives by first strengthening their relationship to their Lord and Savior. MCC has been a part of this work through financial support, child sponsorships and annual trips to Bolivia. While we have seen the transformation in the lives of the Bolivians, our engagement has also brought transformation to those at our church. You simply have to talk with one who has traveled to Bolivia as they will relate experiences similar to that of Joan Tallant:

How God’s timing works in our lives!  I started attending Mtn Christian Church in March 2009.  When I heard about sponsoring a child in Bolivia, I thought that would be something good to do, so I signed up to sponsor a child.  Then, when MCC talked about visiting your sponsored child in Bolivia, my gut reaction was “no! – I don’t want to travel over-seas, etc.”  I’m not the adventuresome type of person.  Then … through God’s holy spirit, and another announcement about the MCC team going to Bolivia to visit their sponsored children, He spoke to me, and said “Go.”   So my first trip was in 2015.  My second in 2018, and my last in 2019.  Then, of course, Covid prevented another trip in 2020.  Once I passed that initial fear of traveling overseas, I looked forward to visiting our friends and family in Bolivia.  And, not knowing anyone initially, God’s grace provides for us to make instant friends and family.  To this day, I contact my sponsored child and a family from Food for the Hungry.  They are so loving.  I have to say, this is a “short-term” mission trip, about 9 days in country.  For those that go to places for months/years at a time, God has not led me to that yet.  Nine days works well for me. 

The experience in Bolivia?  Being with our team of MCC people (around 12-15), and then being with the Food for Hungry team, what an awesome experience.  I never felt afraid of the surroundings.  And what a beautiful country.  And then visiting with our team’s sponsored children/families, it’s hard to put into words the relationship that God puts in our lives to love and care for one another.  The love that our Bolivian families give us … I sometimes feel guilty, are we returning enough love to them? 

On Tuesday, September 14^th the Missions Team is hosting an evening event to celebrate our partnership with FH in Bolivia. An authentic Bolivian meal will be catered, we will see first-hand how the Lord is using FH to transform the community of Villa Margarita in Sucre, and we will participate in a live simulcast with our FH partners. Also, as part of this evening we want to be an instrument of blessing by helping bring clean and safe drinking water to our brothers and sisters in Sucre.

Over the years many from our number at MCC have traveled to Bolivia to be an encouragement to the FH community. These short-term mission trips are expensive—often beyond the means of many of our travelers. Nevertheless, the members of our body have been generous, raising tens-of-thousands of dollars each year to support these travel expenses. This year, we were not able to send a group to Bolivia. Since we have not had the chance to support to our travelers, we would like to redirect our generosity to meet the very real need for safe drinking water for our brothers and sisters in Sucre. So as part of our festivities and worship on the fourteenth we want to extend the opportunity for our body to make a special offering. Funds collected will go directly to support a new water project in Sucre.

Please plan to celebrate and worship with us on Tuesday, September 14. Space is limited so please reserve your spot immediately (https://www.punchbowl.com/parties/2222e5f1fe768cd9fe3c). If you are unable to attend but want to contribute toward the special offering, you can simply mark your gift and drop it in the offering box at your convenience.

I recently rejoined a Saturday Morning study that is focusing on the book of Proverbs. We are diving into the topics of wisdom, greed, foolishness, pride and selfishness.  

Although we all struggle with these issues at one time or another, selfishness is of particular interest and is defined as being excessively or exclusively concerned with oneself.  Selfishness is said to be the number one problem among all marriages and the cause for all divorces.

The corresponding book to go with Proverbs, is a small book by Tim Keller, called The Art of Self-Forgetfulness, which deals with the topic of selfishness in a unique and biblical way. The main scripture associated with that book is from 1 Corinthians 3:21-4:5.

So then, no more boasting about men! All things are yours, whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or the present or the future—all are yours, and you are of Christ, and Christ is of God. So then, men ought to regard us as servants of Christ and as those entrusted with the secret things of God. Now it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful. I care very little if I am judged by you or by any human court; indeed, I do not even judge myself. My conscience is clear, but that does not make me innocent. It is the Lord who judges me. Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait till the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of men’s hearts. At that time each will receive his praise from God.

What is truly remarkable about Paul’s words? He is saying that he does not care what the Corinthians think of him. In fact, he doesn’t care what anyone thinks of him. His self-worth is not tied to their evaluation of him. If you read carefully, Paul goes one step further in saying he doesn’t even care what he thinks of himself and that his conscience is clear but that does not make him innocent. He knows that his worth is judged only by the Lord and that is the opinion that counts. Not his peers, enemies or the Corinthians and not even himself. The verdict is in and he is guilty and he knows it. Christianity is the only faith where the verdict leads to performance instead of the other way around. Paul has forgot about himself as a result.

In the great book, Mere Christianity, C.S. Lewis has some remarkable insight on a term he calls “gospel humility” which was so well displayed by Paul in the scripture above. C.S. Lewis indicates if we met a truly humble person, we would never know they were humble. A gospel-humble person is totally interested in others without boasting about himself. In fact, the essence of gospel-humility is not thinking more of myself or thinking less of myself, it is thinking of myself less. Self-forgetfulness.

How do you obtain gospel-humility or self-forgetfulness? Paul makes it clear in Corinthians that he is not innocent, as none of us are. But for those of us who have put our faith in Christ, the verdict is in. We are guilty but have been saved by Christ’s sacrifice on the cross. He was put on trial for all of our sins that we deserved to be punished for. This is the grace given to us that leads to us living our lives for Christ and realizing that the only opinion we need to be concerned about is His.

There is no doubt we all struggle with selfishness at times in our lives. However, by trusting in Christ and realizing there is no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus, we can move to the stage of self-forgetfulness and live a life free from guilt, shame or comparison. A life where the verdict leads to performance and a life of gospel-humility.

“There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death.” – Romans 8:1-2

Give that teacher assurance that she/he is called.

 

Give that teacher and her class health.

 

Give that teacher insight.

 

Give that teacher grace and extra love.

 

Give that teacher energy.

 

Give that teacher the gentle authority she needs.

 

Give that teacher peace today and let her kids love on her.

If you would like to help encourage teachers at A. Montoya, Shine Cookie Posse needs you:

In-Person, VBS was AWESOME!

Wow, what a wild, amazing week!!! Last week, MCC hosted 65 children at Vacation Bible School. It was different this year; we hosted it outside, had no ability to use Video, hosted a smaller number of attendees, we didn’t spend lots of energy decorating, planned and put it together in a month, and had lots of new workers. Many changes.

And yet, it was so very much the same. 

The overall theme was Christ-centered: TRUE confidence is learning to see yourself the way GOD sees you. This was supported by the daily themes; I can have confidence because I am known by God, I can have confidence because I am forgiven, and I can have confidence to make a difference. Jesus was tied into each activity – crafts, games, small group, and snack. 

Workers.  This year’s VBS was blessed with 53 volunteers, 17 of whom were new this summer, and four were from the local community!  The volunteers  ranged from 9 to 80 years of age. Everyone found their role and utilized their talents/strengths, including one young lady who dressed up and acted like a sheep!

God Provided what we needed, as we needed. God used this body in mighty ways.  We had the perfect number of group leaders and helpers.  When someone was unable to attend, another volunteer would pop up. On Monday, two days before VBS, we did not have a leader for Games, and I started to worry.  And then, out of the blue, a young man contacted me, asking what we needed.  Within 30 minutes, the whole team had signed up. God's hand was upon these three days in many ways! 

Everyone had fun! Fun is key when teaching kids, and fun was everywhere to be found.  The stories, the skits, the activities, and the games – all were geared to be fun while learning about Jesus. Even the daily lessons, taught by Pastor Frank, were fun.  (Your pastor is fantastic with kids and VBS)

The 2021 VBS was different AND the same.  So, the question: What did we learn?  What do we take away from this experience? A reminder and a lesson. The reminder: This is God’s program.  It will work because he makes it work.  He brings the workers and the kids. He sustains the energy. The Holy Spirit is active in our hearts and our groups, encouraging love, mercy and grace for one another.

The lesson: We don’t know what the effect will be on people, just that it will glorify God and be within His will. Is it that a seed will be sown into a young person, or their family? Is it that a family will venture into public groups for the first time in 17 months? Is it the first time that a child will be away from a parent without being upset?  Will volunteers find purpose and inspiration while working at VBS? Is the effect that the community will see the light and love of Christ in the body of MCC?

The truth is that all of these effects happened last week.  All of them and more.  God has been glorified, and He has blessed MCC and this community mightily.  Thank you for whatever part you played in the VBS at MCC. Each part, no matter the size, counts. And honors the Lord!