You are invited to nightly. Bible Teaching. For more information call (425)

Transcription

1 You are invited to nightly Bible Teaching at the Tent beginning Sunday, July 1-13, 2018 at 7:30pm every night Grant County Fairgrounds, Moses Lake Blue Gate Parking Lot (off Valley Rd.) AGES 5 and UP Join us for VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL, Monday - Friday, July 2-13 see details on the back cover. Speakers: Dan Harvey (Mexico) & Tom Hoy (Arlington, WA) For more information call (425) All Welcome No Collection Bring a Friend

2 Shelter THE THE DAY STARTED OUT bright and sunny but afternoon clouds began to roll in and the temperature was dropping as we climbed the mountain trail. The Indian Summer weather of late September had enticed us to explore Necklace Valley in the Cascade Mountains. As it started to rain and we were becoming soaked, it was obvious our preparation had been a little sketchy. Rain changed to snow and we clearly needed to pitch our tent, get a fire going to warm up, and dry everything out. Daylight was fading but we found no place to make camp. Finally, we dropped our packs in the trail and fanned out to make one last, desperate try at finding a campsite. With the uneven terrain, thick trees, underbrush, and snow, we were running out of options. I prayed sincerely for God to help us and started to search the area. Within a few minutes I broke out into a small clearing and stood staring at the most beautiful, snug and dry little shelter you could imagine! I hurried back to where we had left our packs and found my fellow hikers with hopeless looks on their faces. Hey! Guys! I found a completely dry shelter where we can spend the night! As I got nearer, I could see the fear, anger, and frustration on my brotherin-law s face. He yelled back, This is no time for jokes! This is serious! Deadly serious! Stop fooling around. We ve got to find a place to dry out, right now! No, really, I said. Come and check it out! We hoisted our packs and I led them through the trees to the shelter. I don t believe it, my brotherin-law laughed in amazement. This is a miracle! God is really looking out for us, isn t He? We threw our packs into the shelter and quickly started building a fire using some dry wood that was stacked inside. The shelter even had three bunks built into the walls! Let it snow! We were going to sleep dry and comfortable. Looking back, I ll never forget how quickly our despair turned into one of the most delightful nights we ever enjoyed. By morning, the sky had cleared and the snow quickly melted in the warm sunshine, allowing us a perfect day to explore the beautiful string of lakes we had come to see. I m reminded of the perfect shelter, the Lord Jesus Christ, that God has provided each of us who are perishing in our sins. As we look at society, consider the sin within our own hearts, and heed the warnings of God in the Bible, it is clear that we are in trouble and need His salvation. Our sin problem will not take care of itself. Neither will it go away if we ignore it. By dying on the cross, Jesus Christ took the consequences of our sins and provides a shelter from the coming judgment of He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, HE IS MY REFUGE AND MY FORTRESS, MY GOD, IN WHOM I TRUST PSALM 91:1,2 (NIV). God. Those who fail to confess and repent of their sin will be left exposed to eternal punishment. Seek shelter now! Because Jesus paid the price for our sins and was raised again from the dead, He is able to guarantee eternal life to all who put their trust in Him. For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life JOHN 3:16 (NKJV).

3 What if someone ran ahead of the Port State Control and helped those on the ship to be prepared? Someone who reminded them of the rules, helped them check everything out so that when the inspector arrives everything would meet their requirements? This person would be very helpful and could save them a lot of problems. Those who preach the Word of God are seeking to do this very thing. The Bible makes it clear that not even one of us is righteous before God and that the very best attempts that we make to clean up ourselves fall miserably short (ROMANS 3:23; TITUS 3:5). One day we will meet God, who knows everything about us. If we are found to be still in our sins, admittance to heaven will be barred and the wages of sin, which is death, will be required (ROMANS 6:23). what WILL THE INSPECTOR FIND? Recently I was boarding a ship with gospel literature for the crew. As I was talking to the man on gangway watch, a government official from Transport Canada came on board. In each country there are ship inspectors called Port State Control who randomly visit ships to inspect them. I always know when the inspectors are on board because the crew seems a little nervous. These inspectors have a lot of power. They can issue a fine or even stop a ship from leaving if they find something that is not up to the international standards. I certainly don t blame the crew for being concerned. Nobody likes to have someone checking their work with a critical eye and that s what the inspectors do. There is always a sigh of relief when they leave and have only found a few small problems. If the presence of the Port State Control, who can t possibly check every detail, causes fear, what will it be like when we stand before God? The Bible says There is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are open and laid bare to the eyes of Him with whom we have to do (HEBREWS 4:13 NASB). But into this scene of hopelessness comes the message of God s complete provision for us! God demonstrated His love for us, in this way, while we were still sinners (unclean), Christ died for us (ROMANS 5:8). The penalty for our sin was completely paid by the death of Christ on our behalf. Jesus Christ was raised from the dead on the third day and has ascended to heaven, which verifies the reality of His sacrifice being accepted by God. All who trust Him will be accepted and given eternal life, on the basis of His completed work (ROMANS 4:24). Like a lighthouse, the Bible warns of danger but guides to safety. That safety is found only in the Lord Jesus Christ. At the Gospel Tent, you will hear messages of how you can know Peace with God through the Lord Jesus Christ. The Bible tells us that it is possible for you to know that you have eternal life. You can be free from the fear of meeting God in your sins. To all who believed Him and accepted Him, He gave the right to become children of God (JOHN 1:12). When I was 19 years old, I accepted what Jesus Christ had already done for me, and I pray that you will do the same. Then you do not have to fear death or fear meeting God. I thank God for His gift of salvation to a sinner like me. WHILE WE WERE STILL SINNERS CHRIST DIED FOR US ROMANS 5:8 BY RAY HANNA

4 My Story - BY WALTER GUSTAFSON My mother brought me up strictly, so I didn t drink, swear, smoke or dance. I preached a high standard of morals to all with whom I worked. The men kidded me a great deal and that helped me to see that I needed something myself. One Sunday, some young people from Providence Bible Institute were responsible for the meetings at my church. One young man said he was a Sunday School teacher before he was saved. He was the first person I ever heard say that he was saved. He had Christ as his own personal Savior and I only had a religion without Christ. While he was speaking I asked myself, Why is it that I have been trying so hard and I don t have any love, joy, or peace in my heart like he does? Shortly afterwards, Thomas Harvey invited me to come with him to hear the gospel preached. Hugh Thorpe preached that night about Nicodemus. Like Nicodemus, I was moral and religious, but I had never been born again. At the second gospel meeting, one verse they quoted that especially pierced my conscience was ISAIAH 64:6, But we are all as an unclean thing and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags. I found out that I was unfit for God s presence be- cause I had the loathsome disease of sin. The next Sunday I spent with the Harveys. He asked, Was there ever a time in your life that you saw that you were a guilty sinner and received Christ as your own personal Savior? I hesitated and then said, No, there never has been. That ended my religious conversation. Waiting in the living room to go to the meeting, I asked myself for the last time, What is the difference between me and these people? They are trying to live a good life and so am I. As soon as I had asked the question the Spirit of God brought home to me forcibly, These people have accepted God s way of salvation and you are just trying to work your own way to Heaven. I fully realized then that I was lost, but I did not know how to be saved. I was anxious now to get saved. I thought, If there is any possibility that I can get saved tonight, I want it more than anything else in the world. After the meeting Fred All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned everyone to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on Him the iniquity of us all. ISAIAH 53:6 Squire read some gospel verses to me. One I remember especially, ISAIAH 53:6, All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned everyone to his own way. He stopped right there and asked if that was me. I thought back to how I went my own way as a boy and then reformed to go another way, but it still wasn t God s way. So I answered, Yes, that s me. He then finished the verse, and the Lord hath laid on Him the iniquity of us all. Then Mr. Squire suggested that we pray. I felt a horror of desperation thinking, In a moment or two we will be up off our knees and I m not saved. I then thought of the end of the verse, and the Lord hath laid on Him the iniquity of us all, and was instantly saved because I realized for the first time in my life that when Christ died on the cross, God laid on Him all my sins. At last I had found peace with God, not through any works of my own, but simply accepting Christ as my own personal Savior.

5 KIDS & TEENS... JOIN US FOR VBS! FREE! LOCAL POSTAL CUSTOMER PRSRT STD ECRWSS U.S. POSTAGE PAID EDDM RETAIL for Youth ages 5 thru teens! Monday-Friday, July 2-13 in the Gospel Tent at the Fairgrounds 10:00 am-12:00 noon Crafts Bible Stories Separate Teen program More! WHO WE ARE We are Christians who believe the Bible is the inspired message of God to mankind. It presents the Lord Jesus Christ as the Son of God, who came to reveal the Father. By His death, burial and resurrection, Christ made possible the forgiveness of sins. Salvation and eternal life are God s free gifts to all who, by faith, receive Jesus Christ as Savior and confess Him as Lord.