Visions of Hope. September 18, F4356 State Hwy 97 Edgar, WI 54426

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1 Visions of Hope September 18, 2016 F4356 State Hwy 97 Edgar, WI Mission Statement: Hope s Mission is to teach the bible and follow Christ s example by giving back to the community and those in need Website: hope4centralwi.com hope4centralwi@yahoo.com Sunday School 8:45-9:30 am Bible Study 8:45-9:15 am Sunday Worship 9:30 am Communion 1st, 3rd and 5th Sundays Pastor: David Lathrop (cell) (church) Secretary: hopelcsec@gmail.com Du es List September 25 October 2 Ushers Gary Ludwig Lowell Borchardt Andy Yoder Jay Borchardt Greeters Pam Ludwig Tom & Tammy Kirsch Readers Rachel Ludwig Elaine Mueller Some women of Hope church a ended the Ladies day out at Camp Forest Spring. The talks and break-out sessions were spiritually rich. I learned so much so I will share. Wendy, one of the leaders talked to us regarding the daily fight against the devil and his evil ways. These comments are not word for word but a summary from my has ly scribbled notes. We are all in an invisible, spiritual ba le - a cosmic conflict that has eternal implica ons in which souls of people of all over the planet are at stake. Yet, most of us as Chris ans don t really know our enemy. Spiritual warfare for the Chris an is about truth and falsehood, love and hate, good and evil, and the integrity of God's Word. These aspects are experienced in the realms of the world, the flesh, the devil and his devil spirits. Our weapons of warfare are found in the Wisdom of Christ: God's Word & Holy Spirit. Our greatest foe, Satan, is on a mission to destroy God s people and discredit the cause of Christ. But who is he? He is a fallen powerful angel who led a rebellion of a third of the angels of Heaven and now seeks to destroy all that is good and God ordained. Created as one of the highest angelic beings (Ezekiel 28), Satan had more power, intelligence and beauty than anything or anyone in the universe except God. But Satan wasn t sa sfied with what he had and his downfall was pride. He wanted to be God. So he fell from Heaven and has been at war with God and God s crea on ever since. Despite Satan s real presence and existence, many Chris ans either don t acknowledge that he exists or they give him way too much credit and blame him for everything that goes wrong in their life. The danger as we approach this is to think that everything has to do with Satan and demons or that nothing has to do with Satan and demons. Instead, we need an accurate and balanced perspec ve of our enemy and a be er understanding of his goals and tac cs so that we can have victory over the spiritual ba le he wages against us. For although God has already won the war when Jesus broke the power of sin and disarmed Satan at the cross, the ba le we fight against Satan and his demons s ll rages here on Earth. In the book of Ephesians, the Apostle Paul tells us we re in a spiritual ba le and we have a very real enemy who has specific schemes and plans of a ack against us. "Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authori es, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms." (Eph. 6:11-12) In this passage, Paul commands us to prepare ourselves in the strength of the Lord and to be aware of our struggle, which is "against the spiritual forces of evil." He makes it very clear that this real struggle or wrestling match isn't against physical, material adversaries but against a hierarchy of demonic forces doing ba le in the spiritual realm. If you are having difficulty at home with family, remember Satan does not want us to resolve conflict, he wants us to fight amongst ourselves, and all the while he is laughing because he thinks he can win against God. Speak the word of the Lord; the devil cannot fight against that. Does this mean we need to fear Satan and his demonic forces? No, but it does mean we need to develop a healthy respect for them. We need to become acutely aware of Satan s "methods" and "schemes" of a ack on our lives, yet not be preoccupied by them. 1 Peter 5:8 says, "Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour." Satan s plan is to deceive us, tempt us, cause hardened hearts, break marriages, split churches, and bring about depression. And he ll do this gradually by ge ng an unno ceable foothold in our lives by triggering rela onal conflicts, weighing us down with fear and anxiety, and temp ng us with escape mechanisms such as drugs and alcohol. We cannot be ignorant anymore of Satan s schemes and evil strategies. Ephesians tells us in depth this invisible but very real war we re figh ng. As we read the book of Ephesians we ll discover what God has to say about Satan s goals and tac cs, and we will learn about the "spiritual armor" God offers us so we can be confident of our certain victory over the scheming enemy. Although I want you all to know that Satan and his tac cs are very real and dangerous, we don t need to be discouraged or fearful either! We have a God who is greater than our enemy and He s greater than all of the evil in the world. We don t have to fear Satan because Christ has already destroyed Satan s works on the cross. So as believers, we don t fight "for" victory; we fight "from victory", Jesus Christ has already won our souls, our job is to make sure the devil does not win them back.

2 We're in a ba le in this world. We may not see it; we might forget it's there. But the enemy would love nothing more than to steal you away with discouragement and defeat, bringing fear and stress. He convinces us we don t really need to forgive as long as our anger is jus fied, at least to us. Don't let him win. If you're a believer who is living in God and showing your light in a dark world, you won't go for long without encountering spiritual warfare beware of the obstacles and a acks Satan will hurl your direc on. God reminds us in His word to stay aware of Satan s schemes, to live alert in this world, and to stay close to Him. Remember just saying the name Jesus Christ scares the devil away. He arms us with the sword, the Word of God, to stand against the enemy s lies. He equips us with strength, wisdom, and discernment through His own Spirit to stay strong in the spiritual warfare ba le. He invites us to spend me in His Presence, through prayer and worship, pressing in to know Him more. As we grow to know God s Truth and what is real, we also know more what is false, and we are stronger to stand against it in the powerful name of Jesus. He never leaves us to fend for ourselves in a dark world, but reminds us He is constantly with us, figh ng for us, even when we cannot see Him, faith...believing without seeing. Praying God s words back to Him is a powerful weapon against the forces of evil. It is Truth going out. It reminds us that God knows our way and understands what we face today. It builds our faith and our trust in God. It guards our hearts and focuses our minds back on Him. It wins the ba le. The devil loses. It is wri en; Christ is risen; Jesus you are Lord of all. Your servant in Christ Rosie Schilling P C : Please remember the following people in your prayers Jorey Podevels Fell out of tree serious condi on Arden Viegut s great nephew Emery Rahm cancer friend of the Viegut s Sco Campbell stage two leukemia rela on to the Streckert s Rosie Borchardt lung cancer Bonnie Blake recupera ng at Rennes Nursing & Rehab Ctr Rhinelander Luke Zarins neck surgery Ken Schilling s nephew Ione Lathrop home recupera ng Pastor Dave s mother John Hamann home rehabbing from broken hip Kim Heller breast cancer cousin of Jodi Krause Gloria Everhard breast cancer (sister to Kim Heller) cousin of Jodi Krause Don Hansen Bladder cancer undergoing chemo treatments Paule e Kroll Myleloid Leukemia receiving chemo treatments in Milwaukee Bill Brayton DeE a Peterson s brother Jim Decker doing well a er tumor surgeries friend of the Streckert s Amy cancer friend of Barb Mohr-Borchardt Dylan, Logan Weichelt sons of Bryan & Stacey Sawyer Mueller microcephaly Daryl & Beth s son Anne e Schultz breast cancer Tom Kirsch s sister Jennifer Bohman prayers of healing Dennis Bohman Colby Nursing Home.thank you for your dona on to Gideon Interna onal. Your dona on will provide for the purchase and placement of Scriptures throughout the world, It will provide approximately 50 Bibles here and across the globe. This includes all costs of ge ng a Scripture into he hands of someone who need it. Ken Millert, Gideons Interna onal.thank you all so much for your generous dona on to our ministry of making and pu ng up signs: God s Word. We are commi ed to con nue this effort of ge ng God s Word out to the public and your dona on is a great help in that effort. Your buildings and grounds look wonderfully kept up and what a great place for the Bible verses. Tom & Lori Harrison

3 Hope s Happenings Sunday: September 18 A endance 142 Offering: Regular Building Mission Sunday School Loose Ronald McDonald Total $ $ $30.00 $14.00 $45.00 $ $ Children s Choir will be held Sunday September 25 8:30-8:45 am All children are welcome to par cipate. September 26 Gideon Ministry at Hope October 14, 15 & 16 Mark VanderTuig LCMC Service Coordinator October 16 Mortgage Burning Celebra on October 23 Quarterly Mee ng October 29 4:30-7:30 pm Hope Spaghe Dinner October 30 Reforma on Sunday special skit Trunk or Treat November 6 All Saint s Sunday November 23 Community Thanksgiving Eve Service at Hope February 26, st Communion Mission Money: Bonnie Blake; Intervarsity; Interna onal Messenger; New Tribes Mission (Wiederhoe s); Ronald McDonald House We will be doing a pictorial directory in January. Si ng dates for pictures are January (January special 20% discount on your order) Watch for more informa on as date gets closer We now have a Memorial Book. Guidelines established for entries in the book are: Any dona on either monetary or physical of $ or more given In Memory Of someone will be placed in the book. Council askes if you have given such a dona on in the past or know of such a dona on in the past history of Hope Church, please inform a council member or Barb Giese. We ask this informa on be turned in no later than October 24. Dona ons will then be entered in the book by date received. The Promise Quartet

4 Hope s Happenings September Mission Project is for the Hope Life Center in Wausau. Hope Life Center understands that the choices women make will affect the rest of their lives. They provide physical, emo onal and spiritual support in a confiden al, judgment-free environment. Services that they provide are: Pregnancy Tes ng, Limited OB Ultrasound, Op ons Counseling, Abor on Recovery Support, Pregnancy & Early Paren ng Educa on and Sexual Health Informa on. Hope Life Center is compassionate, confiden al and free. I will have a bassinet placed in the entry by the coffee counter along with copies of the Wish List. Any items donated can be placed in the bassinet. If you have any ques ons regarding this mission project feel free to contact Debbie Bauman at or db_369@msn.com. Thank you in advance for your compassionate and generous hearts! Wish List: Infant carrier style car seats with handle (new in box), Cozy covers for infant car seats, Pack-nplays (new in box), Socks and Slippers for teenage girl, Full size body wash and deodorant, Toothbrushes, toothpaste and lip balm, Student Folders, Gi bags for teens (empty, non baby prints), Bo led water (for ultrasound pa ents), Gi cards to Target or Wal-Mart, Copy paper, Postage stamps, Post-it notes, Paper plates and plas c ware, Paper towel, Toilet paper, Toilet bowl cleaner "On the kids bulle n board in the narthex, there are sheets that include addresses of most of our college/military young adults. Please take one and use this to send them le ers or care packages as you like. Some needed/wanted items are listed for some, otherwise snack items, gi cards, books, and miscellaneous grocery items are good to send. Ques ons, please ask Ron Kunkel." Looking for dona ons of aluminum cans to go to Fellowship of Chris an Athletes (FCA). The money goes toward $100 scholarships for sending middle school and high school to FCA camp in Decorah, Iowa in June. If people are interested they can contact Jodi Krause at jodikrause@fron er.com.to the Women's Group for paying part of the registra on for 6 women to a end the Ladies Day at Camp Forest Springs. Our features speaker was Jill Briscoe, a highly soughta er Bible teacher and author. She gave us wonderful insights into her world of ministry as well as ideas on improving our devo onal Life. We also went to break-out sessions on the Social Media Craze, Next-door Evangelism, and Spiritual Warfare. It was a wonderful day all around. Have you checked out our church library lately? There are lots of different op ons there to enjoy including 3 new books by Jill Briscoe tled "A Li le Pot of Oil"; "Improving With Age"; and "Prayer That Works". All books, DVD's, etc. are there, free for your use. Just return them in a mely fashion so someone else can enjoy.

5 Gideons Ministry Informa on Sheet This past year the Gideons distributed 91.8 million Bibles and Testaments in 200 countries in about 100 different languages and dialects. Since the beginning of this ministry, we have placed over 2.2 Billion scriptures. In the United States, Gideons now use the English Standard Version for most of their distribu ons, except in areas where people s ll prefer the King James Version. Approximately 80% of the funds for these scriptures comes from the U.S.A. In over 100 countries that we distribute scriptures, the per capita income is less than $3 a day. So, if those people will ever have copies of the scriptures, it will have to come from countries like the United States. Gideon and auxiliary members are not paid in any way for their expenses or their me. The only paid people are the full- me workers at the Interna onal office in Nashville, TN. Through the dues that we pay, the cost of maintaining this organiza on is covered. Any money received from offerings goes for the purchase and shipping costs of scriptures. In most years, money le over from our dues will also purchase addi onal scriptures. Gideons, Interna onal is the largest Chris an missionary organiza on in the world with over 300,000 men and women who belong. There are different degrees of involvement. Some only contribute by paying their dues, while others will spend me in distribu ng scriptures at sidewalk around schools and colleges, and visi ng hotels, motels, hospitals, nursing homes and medical wai ng rooms. Others are involved in sharing what the Gideons are doing in church services. Members also give out scriptures as they personally witness to individuals. Locally In this area, our local Gideons and auxiliary have distributed testaments at the University of Wisconsin Marathon County Center, Edgar Public School, Merrill and An go Middle Schools, and at the University of Wisconsin Stevens Point campus this past year in addi on to checking on some of the ministries men oned above. Why do we do this? We want people to come to a saving knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. We are not in compe on with the local churches, but consider this ministry an extension of the local church. People who become believers join churches such as the ones you pastor. Recent Exi ng News Almost every month, we are hearing stories about Moslems coming to know the Lord through this ministry. One story that just has been told to us was how Gideons in Germany are providing scriptures to the refugees who come to commodity centers and centers where they are trying to learn the language and the culture. The Gideons there are giving these people New Testaments with the Arabic language on one side of the page, and the German on the other side. Many refugees are disenchanted with the Moslem religion, and are looking for answers that the scriptures can give them, and some have become believers in Christ through those scriptures. God s Word Does Not Turn Unto Him Void Going to the Gideon Web site, we see tes monies almost every day of how someone who has come to know the Lord. An example is Mary Kaye Beard, who was on the FBI s Most Wanted List. While in prison, a er refusing to take a Bible many mes, she finally took one, and became a believer. That changed her life so drama cally that a er she was released from prison, she began the Angel Tree Ministry which ministers to families of prisoners. This ministry is now in many countries of the World.