Slipped discs

Last Sunday after church, the men went out and tried their hand at disc golf. These aren't the frisbees you chucked at the beach. No, these babies are made for distance. The accuracy, well, that depends on the tosser. As you'll see below, accuracy was sometimes lacking.

For some of our men, disc golf was better than pneumonia.

The muster at the first tee

Tyler, ready to pull a muscle.
Kidding aside, he won closest to the pin!

Pastor and Jerry figuring out how their going
to get through the trees...or their discussing eschatology,
I don't remember which.

Austin, out from under the tree, had the longest, most accurate drive.
Not bad, the thirteen year old beating all the men.

Jerry from amidst the blue spruce

Drew from the red spruce

Josh looks a ways away, but he took the low overall score. Semper Fi!

Is that pastor?!?

Finally, a wide open fairway!

The grill master, Jeremiah Smith

Are those BRATS???

We had a great time even beyond the disc golf and grilling. Pastor challenged the men to "man up" in the church and fulfill their God-given duties. Each one has been uniquely gifted, and the Body of Christ depends upon the men to exercise their gifts within the church.

We at MBC are blessed to have men who will stand up for the truth of God's word and for Christ, and who are willing to shoulder their God-ordained load.

Paintball, anyone?

Election 2008: How do we respond?

Tonight, Pastor Counterman poured out his soul to the saints regarding our nation's election.

Take the time to invest 25 minutes and 7 seconds to hear what God's word says and how a man of God feels about what went down on November 4th, 2008.

You can listen here.

"Come and see"

As our missionary, Segundo Rodriguez, challenged us a few months back, the simplest and often best witness we can be follows the example of the earliest disciples in John's gospel. No in depth theology. No bridges, roads, or EE to memorize. No tracts required.

"Come and see!"

Three simple words to encourage folks to meet the Man, to meet the God, who changed our lives.

Pastor Lukus inflated his sails into the wind of that simplicity and rode it into MBC's first "Come and See" Sunday. The purpose was simple. It focused on Christ and what He had done in the lives of our church's membership (like Mark DeBoe at right).

We had nine new visitors who clearly heard the gospel presentation. There were no professions of faith yesterday, but ground was tilled, seed was sown, and water was applied.

In an amazing way, too, the church was encouraged. Our souls were stirred and God was glorified as believers shared what Jesus had done in their lives through a simple cardboard testimony. On one side of the piece of cardboard, they had written what they were before Jesus' work, and on the other side, they had written what they have become because of His work (you can see most of them in the picture above). What an awesome testimony!

If you didn't get a chance to hear Pastor Lukus' simple and powerful gospel message, you can listen here.

"And such we once were"...ah, but no longer! Praise God!

Photos: Top right - Mark DeBoe tells of Christ's transforming power; center - cardboard testimonies (from l-r, Mark Deboe, Jerry Stevens, Susan Stevens, Caleb Stevens, Keith Pond, Mary Taylor (hidden behind Keith), Scott Eidson, Hannah Paul, Brian Moix, Jeremiah Smith, Randy York, Jay Brunt, Tracy Pond, and Sue Wagner going away); bottom left - A simple sermon: "God calls us to change: It's needed, it's available, and it must be His way!"

To Wichita Falls, the U.S, and the uttermost parts of the Earth.

Sunday we had our beloved missionary from Peru, Segundo Rodriguez, in for a visit. It has been almost 2 years since we started supporting Segundo, after he first visited our church at the request of Pastor Counterman. Pastor knew Segundo from a previous mission trip to Peru and through their mutual friend Tim Chapman.

Segundo spoke during our Sunday School hour, our morning service, and our evening service on Sunday. During Sunday School Segundo gave the church a report on his activities in Peru. It was a blessing to see God working through him, from the institute he is a part of to the remote mountains and forests he travels to.

During Sunday worship, Segundo encouraged us on toward evangelism in a unique way. He called it the "Basic Approach." He walked us through examples of people coming to Jesus in the early chapters of John's gospel. These people that came were all the result of other people saying, "Come and see." Segundo said that this is the most persuasive method we can use in presenting the message of Christ. We are changed people. If we live that change and when people see it, all we have to do is share that change with them. "They can't ignore that, " Pastor Rodriguez shared.

Sunday evening, he came with the Great Commission and its relevance to us. Segundo related Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and the uttermost parts of the earth to Wichita Falls, United States, Canada/Mexico etc, and, well, the uttermost parts of the earth. He spent time on each region, expressing the need and offering methods for reaching each. It was a time well spent.

Segundo is a man blessed with the gift of handling God's word. His attitude of submission and servanthood is visible to all. We just say, "Praise God for such men!" Our prayers and thanks go with him and his work.

Also a big thanks to Arnoldo Matamoros for translating Segundo's message. He did an awesome job!

(Photos: Top - Segundo (right) and Arnoldo Matamoros, Middle - Pastor Lukus with Segundo, Bottom - MBC hears the word preached and translated).

To seek and save the lost

Since coming to know the Lord, Mark Deboe has ached for those who do not know Christ. That ache has translated to time spent going out to where the people are to be a witness to what Christ has done in his life.

Mark and Josh in a role play

Mark doesn't stop there. To pass on his passion for Great Commission work, he began a class out of his home to teach the folks in our church the basics of sharing one's faith. Hoping to have a few disciples to teach, Mark was overwhelmed by the response. Soon his livingroom would no longer accommodate the hungry saints, and the moved the study time over to the church.

Iron sharpening iron

Recently the masses went out to meet the masses during our town's 4th of July parade. Hundreds of tracts were passed out, but more than that, brothers and sisters in Christ went into the world to share the message of God's judgment and God's love to those who have likely never heard the truth before.

The 4th of July Team: Longoria's, Stevens', Smith's, Deboe's and a few Pond's

Please pray that through this ministry at Messiah Baptist Church, hundreds would come to know the grace of God.

Happy Campers

Front row: Cameron Longoria, Caleb Kettula
Back Row: Josh Longoria, Austin Pond, Tyler Pond

Several weeks ago our teens made their 4th annual trip to Southland Christian Camp. In the heart of Louisiana, Southland sits near the tiny town of Ringold, roughly 45 minutes south of Shreveport. As an attendee of the camp myself for 3 years I know that camp is always a treat. The ability to get away from everything else for a week and just chill, you and God--well, plus a couple hundred other people doing the same thing. The week incorporates, good food, crazy games, devotions, Bible memory, hot, humid weather, and powerful preaching.

The speaker this year was Will Galkin, a big hit with our young men. It's been neat to see the influence his speaking has had on the youth who attended camp. Our campers were, Caleb, Tyler, Austin, and Cameron. Josh Longoria, our youth leader, took the teens solo this year. When responding to the teens' gratitude, he said, "I know y'all view it like me taking you, but the time is just as blessed for me as it is for you."

Find one of our crew in the Camper Choir (hint: It's not Josh)

Galkin spent his morning services talking about the life of Joseph and living a life a purity and forgiveness. The nighttime services were centered around salvation and living for God.

Melee!

Look hard to find Cameron, Tyler, and Austin in this free-for-all photo!

The atmosphere of isolation from the rest of the world, and being surrounded by things of God for a whole week, makes you far more sensitive to the areas of your own life where you are failing; you really feel conviction. That and the godly fellowship are superb reasons for camp attendance. Any camper who has gone with us will tell you how worth it camp is.

From big ball and water games, to chicken sandwiches and pizza, to Bible memory and life lessons from Joseph, this year's camp was once again a blessed a time for our teens (both young and old).

A taste for Chile

Sometimes when family rolls into town, you batten down the hatches and make the most of it. When you have to finagle to figure out how you're related, that bodes doubly ill.

Such was NOT the case when David and Kristi Flink tumbled into town from the great green north. David and Pastor Counterman, while not blood, are related in that their siblings, sister and brother respectively, married up a few years back. Since that time, God has burdened David's heart to serve Him as a missionary to Antofogasta, Chile. He's blessed him with a wondrous wife who grew up as an "MK" (missionary's kid) in Chile, and now three young children, Jordan, Ben, and Kaylee.

Our church family met them during meals on Saturday, Sunday, and Monday, and we grew in our knowledge of God's work in South America as David wonderfully handled God's word during Sunday school, Sunday worship and during our Sunday evening service. You can access his messages on our Church's web-site here.

Please pray for them as they are now resituated in Edinburg, Texas (about as far south as you can get and still stay north of the Rio Grande) as David finishes up his foreign language training. They have almost attained to the total need for their support to head down to Chile next January. Please pray for God's provision to that end, too.

We sure had a GREAT time with them as God's family should. Please check out the latest with the Flinck's on their blog here. You'll even see our church.

Vaya con Dios!

3 Items in the Box.

Hi all, I apologize for getting a little behind here, but I encourage you to check back here throughout the week. I'll be posting on three exciting stories including our 4th of July ministry success and our Way of the Master program, teen camp, and our missionary service.

Thanks for your patience. God's peace.

A Sweet Smelling Aroma

No we don't offer burnt offerings to God anymore, but we can still offer savory sacrifices. Music, for instance.

Recently our church was blessed with a visit from a vocal team of Maranatha Bible College students, the Heritage Singers. Members of our church opened up their homes to the team so they could minister to us on Friday night, June 27th.

The team has been traveling all summer, spending their time out of school on this mission trip, sacrificing the summer free time they could have spent with their family, friends, and fiances.

Not only did they bless us with their voices but they also helped with a special Teen Time after their service. Good times had by all.

Many thanks to the Heritage Singers

Thanks, too, to those who housed the Heritage Singers. Thank God and pray for them during their travels.

Make a joyful noise!

Tracking Down the Truth

The evening of Sunday, June the 1st, we celebrated the end of our 3rd year of Truth Trackers, our Wednesday night discipleship program for children Pre-K thru 6th grade.

It was a joy to watch and listen as the kids recited the numerous Bible verses they had committed to memory over the past year. When all was said and done, I'm sure I was not the only one of 18+ years that was put to shame. What a blessing to see the faith of parents being passed on and hidden in the hearts of the young.

Many of our kids memorized all of their verses and did all of their devotions for the entire year. A majority of those who did not were simply not here the whole year. Great effort by the kids, but even more so on the part of the parents. "Train up a child in the way he should go..."

Lastly, special congrats to Jeremiah Stevens. This was his last year in Truth Trackers. He was one of the students who memorized every verse and did all of his devotions. In addition, he also memorized each week's bonus verse. He won the "Truth Tracker of the Year Award" here at Messiah Baptist Church. Keep up the effort in Youth Group, buddy!

How good it's been to watch this program grow in our body. Praise God for his blessings in this regard, and pray for the continued growth of the program abroad for the purpose of training up little saints and the spreading of the gospel.

Summer Sunday School Series....

....say that five times fast.

A week ago our adult Sunday School class started a new series led by Pastor Counterman. The series is focusing on Men and Women, including their roles in the family, church, and workplace, and how they are to act as members of their gender.

This is a highly relevant matter for Christians today. As our culture seeks to blend the differences of men and women together, we need to go back to the Bible and see what it says. That's what this class is about.

Pastor Counterman will continue to show us how we were created to function, while alerting us to the corruptions of our culture and how we can protect ourselves, our families, and our church from them. True to the gospel and certainly not politically correct, the men of our church seek to teach the Word of God only. This class is no different.

So come on out and join us for Sunday School if you're not already a regular attendee. Good stuff from God's Word.

Under New Management

Hi all,

Drew Pond here. Just wanna give a shout out to let you know that I have been entrusted with keeping this blog up to date. If you have news from the church or photos of church functions please email them to me at messiahbaptistwf@gmail.com . I appreciate it.

God's Peace.

Ann

I wish I had a picture to post of Steve and Ann S. who visited with us for a few months this past winter. Ann was seeking cancer treatment here in Wichita Falls. She and her husband met Faith and Grace L. at a store and then worshiped with our body for the time they spent here in town.

Ann has stage 4 cancer and is now in Hospice Care. She is a SPECIAL and wonderful Christian woman who has lived a hand-in-hand walk with Christ. Her husband has and is serving the Lord as a seminary professor. During her time here, Ann held a Bible study with 2 women in her treatment center. Both of them had stage 4 cancer. Pastor Lukus had the privilege of being with Ann while they both witnessed to Pam and Nancy. To God be the glory, they both received Christ. Pam has gone on now to meet the Lord.

Ann's daughter Ann Janel (a missionary wife to Brazil) writes the following letter about her mother. I hope you will be blessed in reading this and reminded to pray for dear Ann and her family:

In the midst of all of the sad news I've had to share recently I wanted to take a moment to share how good God has been.

Through all of this I'm truly seeing how loved my mom is. She gets at least one to two cards in the mail daily from people all around the world. She gets so many phone calls it's hard to keep up, but keep up she does. She just finished writing individual Thank you notes to 25 second cousins and relatives who sent a generous gift to her. When she is able she returns phone calls to the many who just want to hear her voice and express their love and concern.

In just the past week we have received several meals from neighbors and friends. A church had a ton of groceries delivered. One neighbor paid the Schwan man and sent him over to let us pick out whatever we wanted! What a treat! Also mom's house is full of fresh beautiful flowers from so many who love her.

This weekend mom and I were invited to a tea hosted by a friend. She wanted to encourage 5 of her friends that are suffering from cancer. What an event! Up to the day, each person wasn't sure whether their health would even allow them to be able to attend. 4 precious women made it. From 34 to 70 years of age these women are battling for their lives. As each took time to share how God has worked in their lives through the midst of cancer I wept. What stories, what suffering, what a faithful God. My precious mother really broke my heart as with struggling breaths she shared her story. When she said that Pam's and Nancy's salvation made the whole thing worthwhile I stood in awe. She has suffered much and done so graciously!

Mother's Day was very special. Marcus and his family were here. Jon surprised mom and flew in from New York just to be with her. She wasn't feeling well so we had a service together in our living room. It was a precious time of singing and sharing (and tears!)

Patrick arrived safely! Praise the Lord our family is together again. Many ask me how the kids are handling this time. God has truly blessed me with precious, flexible children. They've gone 2 months with just a mommy, a mommy trying to take care of Grandmom AND them. They've done so well. They just go with the flow, whether it's sitting in a waiting room playing "I spy" and reading Highlight magazines or being quiet so Grandmom can rest or shopping (not Nathanael's favorite thing) for things Grandmom might need or having to stay with someone so mom can take Grandmom to a doctor, they just adapt and keep going! Thank you, God, for these precious kids!

We started Hospice yesterday. I think that was the most difficult thing I've done-- calling them. It broke my heart. Then as mom signed Do Not Resuscitate papers my heart broke even more. I can't believe this is happening. The hospice nurse encouraged us when she said "I can't believe she isn't in pain, Someone is looking out for her." It is wonderful mom isn't in pain, and we praise the Lord. The cancer is aggressive, very aggressive. The nurse was shocked to learn that the tumor on mom's breast and the cancerous fluid in her lungs didn't show up in a PETscan in March. This cancer is moving quickly! But God has been good.

There is much sorrow around our house and many tears. We love this woman and are sad to think her life on earth is coming to a close. She is up and around and not in pain, for this we are so grateful!Thanks for letting me share what God is doing! Continue to pray for us.

AnnJanel