Finding God on the Mountain

Transcription

1 Finding God on the Mountain February 2012 By Tim Archer Elijah had gone to the mountain looking for God. He'd been ready to give up. Ready to lie down and die. He saw no hope, no future, no point in going on. Then an angel told him to go to the mountain. And Elijah was there, waiting for God. But he didn't know what to expect. A powerful wind came, ripping apart the very rocks that made up the mountain. Surely this was God! But no, God wasn't in that wind. Next there came an earthquake. As Elijah felt the very mountain tremble, he must have been certain that this was God revealing himself. But no, God wasn't in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire. Again Elijah looked for God. But God wasn't in the fire. Then came what the King James Version translates as "a still, small voice." A whisper. A barely audible murmur with a question on its breath: "What are you doing here?" (1 Kings 19:12 13) Elijah poured out his tale of woe, telling of his faithfulness to God compared with the unfaithfulness of the people around him. He told of the queen's persecution of God's prophets and her specific efforts to kill him. He explained to God that no else was faithful, not even one. Only Elijah was left. Don't expect hurricanes or earthquakes. Don't expect to be swept in a holy fire. Listen for the still, small voice. That's when God explained to Elijah that he couldn't see the whole picture. That God was doing things that Elijah didn't know about. That God had plans in motion, some of which included Elijah. And there were still six thousand people faithful to God that Elijah wasn't aware of. Have you ever reached that point where dying seemed to make more sense than living? The extreme of frustration and hopelessness that leaves you doubting whether God Himself can fix your problems? Maybe you need to go to the mountain. Go looking for God. Don't expect hurricanes or earthquakes. Don't expect to be swept in a holy fire. Listen for the still, small voice. Listen for the question: "What are you doing here?" And once you've poured out your heartaches and your fears, you may just find that God is doing things you don't know about, both in your life and the lives of others. But you'll never see it, if you don't look for Him. PENTECOSTALS OF BILLINGS SERVICE TIMES SUNDAY 10 AM 6 PM WEDNESDAY- 7 PM SATURDAY PRAYER- 7 PM REVIVAL SATURDAY FEBRUARY 7 PM SUNDAY FEBRUARY AM & 6 PM FEBRUARY 26TH 10 AM ONE SERVICE 2335 Lewis Ave

2 ~ 73% of people who buy flowers for Valentine s Day are men, while only 27 percent are women. ~ About 1 billion Valentine s Day cards are exchanged each year. That s the largest seasonal cardsending occasion of the year, next to Christmas. ~ 15% of U.S. women send themselves flowers on Valentine s Day. ~ In the Middle Ages, young men and women drew names from a bowl to see who their valentines would be. They would wear these names on their sleeves for one week. To wear your heart on your sleeve now means that it is easy for other people to know how you are feeling. ~ Teachers will receive the most Valentine s Day cards, followed by children, mothers, wives, and then, sweethearts. Children ages 6 to 10 exchange more than 650 million Valentine s cards with teachers, classmates, and family members. Valentine s Day Trivia ~ About 3% of pet owners will give Valentine s Day gifts to their pets ~ Some people used to believe that if a woman saw a robin flying overhead on Valentine s Day, it meant she would marry a sailor. If she saw a sparrow, she would marry a poor man and be very happy. If she saw a goldfinch, she would marry a millionaire. ~ Hallmark has over 1330 different cards specifically for Valentine s Day. ~ The Italian city of Verona, where Shakespeare s lovers Romeo and Juliet lived, receives about 1,000 letters addressed to Juliet every Valentine s Day. ~ Red stands for strong feelings which is why a red rose is a flower of love. ~ Wearing a wedding ring on the fourth finger of the left hand dates back to ancient Egypt, where it was believed that the vein of love ran from this finger directly to the heart. ~ Chocolate manufacturers currently use 40 percent of the world s almonds and 20 percent of the world s peanuts Pentecostals of Billings Offering Bible College Courses God's people must be prepared for the challenges presented to us by our society and times. The vision of ExCeLL is to equip the church to accomplish this task. Paul expressed our goal well: To prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ (Eph 4:12, 13 NIV). For many people, the dream of attending a distant Bible college is only that a dream. ExCeLL offers an unprecedented opportunity for training and study of the Word right in the local church The program is not limited to ministers, and anyone who desires this level of learning is welcome to enroll. Even new converts have found that it provides a sound doctrinal foundation. Students earn Texas Bible College credit hours just as if they were enrolled at the campus in Lufkin. Instruction is provided by the local pastor and/or his ministerial staff able word handler (II Corinthians 4:2; II Timothy 2:15) who are apt to teach (I Timothy 3:2). A certificate will be awarded for the successful completion of each course, and a transcript will be available on permanent file. Details Each course is $100, and includes manuals and course materials. Textbooks, when required, are additional. The first course is Doctrine, and enrollment forms will be made available later this month. The first class will be held on March 11th, and the course lasts for eleven weeks. All classes are at 8:30 am on Sunday mornings. If you have any questions, please see David Rennich. (see saint in the spotlight)

3 Up Coming Events: Feb 12- SOC Coin offering Feb 14- Valentines Day Feb 18- Out Reach 10 am Feb 18,19 - Revival with Rev. Eugene Guerrero March 3- Quiz Tournament - Hardin - 10 am March 18- SOC Coin offering March 31- Quiz Retreat- Billings CHURCH PRAYER REQUESTS Tyler Sapp Louie & Dale Dauenhauer Michael Kruger Medicine Crow Family Marty McFate Carol Penrod Galen Walter If you have a prayer request that you want posted for others to pray for please submit them to my coonfare03@yahoo.com Over 60 people have made a commitment to spend daily time in the Word! Our Wednesday night bible studies are providing practical tools for how to study the Word in 6 different ways. Your 40 days can start today! We are believing that this time of intentional focus on the Word will help us all live the life that God intended from now on! We have 5 groups that are studying on their own outside of church, and we are thankful for those who have opened their home for bible study!

4 Quiz Tournament Youth 7 PM Missionary Tolstad PM 12 Coin Offering Youth 7 PM 18 Outreach 10 am Revival 7 pm Revival 10 am & 6 pm Outreach 10 am Monthly Leadership & Planning 7 pm Quiz Tournament Hardin

5 Ingredients 1 cup chocolate cookie crumbs 3 tablespoons white sugar 1/4 cup butter, melted 1 (10 ounce) package frozen raspberries 2 tablespoons white sugar 2 teaspoons cornstarch 1/2 cup water 2 cups white chocolate chips 1/2 cup half-and-half cream 3 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened 1/2 cup white sugar 3 eggs 1 teaspoon vanilla extract In a medium bowl, mix together cookie crumbs, 3 tablespoons sugar, and melted butter. Press mixture into the bottom of a 9 inch Spring-form pan. White Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake In a saucepan, combine raspberries, 2 tablespoons sugar, cornstarch, and water. Bring to boil, and continue boiling 5 minutes, or until sauce is thick. Strain sauce through a mesh strainer to remove seeds. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). In a metal bowl over a pan of simmering water, melt white chocolate chips with half-and-half, stirring occasionally until smooth. In a large bowl, mix together cream cheese and 1/2 cup sugar until smooth. Beat in eggs one at a time. Blend in vanilla and melted white chocolate. Pour half of batter over crust. Spoon 3 tablespoons raspberry sauce over batter. Pour remaining cheesecake batter into pan, and again spoon 3 tablespoons raspberry sauce over the top. Swirl batter with the tip of a knife to create a marbled effect. Bake for 55 to 60 minutes, or until filling is set. Cool, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 8 hours before removing from pan. Serve with remaining raspberry sauce. In the next couple of months I am going to be adding a prayer tool for those expanded prayer times in your life that can change your life, the church and all you do. These tools will help you to push back darkness and go push forward in your walk with God. Mark 1:35 And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, he went out, and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed. WORDS OF INSIGHT 2 Thessalonians 2:10 And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might b e saved. 1 John 3:18 My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth. LOINS GIRT ABOUT WITH TRUTH Loving Truth A girdle was used to keep the rest of the garments from hampering your progress. It also could be used to carry your sword and money. Gird me about with truth; wrap your self around me. Let truth keep me from lies and error.

6 God holds out directions for a full, satisfying life. Our role is to align ourselves with that plan. We are to keep our eyes on Jesus and His ability, not on ourselves and our disabilities. - Battlefield of the Mind Devotional CELEBRATING HOME FUNDRAISER FOR BIBLE QUIZZING Through the whole month of March Donna Huffmon will be doing a fundraiser through Celebrating Home to help the Bible Quizzers raise money. For more information please see Donna Huffmon SAINT IN THE SPOTLIGHT David Rennich 1. Where are you originally from? Born and raised in Billings, MT. 2. How did you come to find God? Like many in our congregation, I was witnessed to and discipled by Chris Trevino while we worked together. 3. How old were you when you were baptized in Jesus Name? I was How old were you when you received the Holy Ghost? I was What is your favorite scripture in the Bible? Isaiah What has God done in your life, just this past year, that is a testimony to you. God has provided a way for us to sell our first home and purchase our new home. 7. Do you have any hobbies? Video gaming 8. Favorite type of food? My wife s

7 GOD IS LOVE, by Larissa Timme Matthew 22: Then one of them, which was a lawyer, asked him a question, tempting him, and saying, 36 Master, which is the great commandment in the law? 37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. 38 This is the first and great commandment. 39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. The first of this is usually easier than the second part of what God commands of us. It is so much easier to love Someone that loves us and has done nothing to offend us. Someone we have not seen. It is another story to love someone that hates us and persecutes us. People we see everyday. But the Bible tells us in 1 John 4:20-21 that we can not love God while at the same time hate our neighbors, and if we do so we are liars. 20 If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen? 21 And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also. When someone does something to make you upset, that does not make it right to just ignore the second greatest commandment. Because even when Jesus was angry, everything He said and did was out of love. And even when we are not perfect, God's love is. He isn t going to love us any more or less because of our mistakes. He will never leave us, never abandon us, never give up on us, never disown us, never quit on us. Never stop loving us! In 1 John 4:8 the Bible tells us that God is love. 8 He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love. Then in 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 it explains what love is and all the characteristics of love. 4 Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, 5 Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; 6 Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; 7 Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. 8 Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away. 1. Love endures long, it has the ability to put up with stuff for a long time. 2. Love is never envious, it doesn't want what it doesn't have. 3. Love is not boastful or vainglorious, it doesn't call attention to itself. 4. Love is not conceited or rude. 5. Love doesn't insist on its own way. 6. Love pays no attention to a suffered wrong. 7. Love never gives up! The world is full of darkness. It's full of hate, discord, and everything else that is not of God. The greatest thing that we can learn, to do for the world is to love it like the Lord loves. So.the next time you read the thirteenth chapter of 1 Corinthians try to remember that every thing we read is describing to us who God is and that we should strive to be more like Him everyday. So we can show our friends, colleges, and anyone we meet how much God loves them. Check out SOLD OUT Youth Group Pentecostals of Billings on Facebook! We are the young army of God and we are to Christ! Come join the fellowship and fun nights on Friday nights at 7 pm and our Youth Service every Sunday morning at 10 am Ages 12 + is welcome to come.

8 FEBRUARY BIRTHDAYS 1-Sherry Hanson 6- Sarah Coonfare 7-Kayla Coonfare/ Mikah Ruff 9-April Coonfare/ 10-Joann Walsh 11-Lucinda Ludwig 15-Matthew Rennich 17-MJ Shield 20-Randy Timme FEBRUARY ANNIVERSARIES 9- Manuel & Susan Sifuentes 14-Barry & Linda Ziegler 15- Mike & Becky Jordan Ponder This... To love another person is to see the face of God. Lyrics from Les Misérables, Claude-Michel Schönberg If we had no winter, the spring would not be so pleasant; if we did not sometimes taste of adversity, prosperity would not be so welcome. Anne Bradstreet Faith is a knowledge within the heart, beyond the reach of proof. Kahlil Gibran If you would like a private Bible study simply give us a call. In your bible we will show you where the Lord commands us, that we are to be born again.