DAY OF PRAYER. You are called to set aside Friday, July 1 as a day of prayer and fasting. Let us unite in petitioning heaven for a mighty outpouring of His Spirit throughout our conference so that we can work in harmony with our Lord’s great last-day movements on earth. “So we fasted and entreated our God for this, and He answered our prayer.” Ezra 8:23.
“Nothing can be more helpless and yet more invincible than the soul that feels its nothingness, and relies wholly upon the merits of a crucified and risen Saviour. God would send every angel in heaven to the aid of the one who places his whole dependence on Christ, rather than allow him to be overcome.” Signs of the Times, January 12, 1915.
The Ooltewah church will be open for a season of prayer this Friday, July 1, from 6 to 8 pm.
MESSAGE: “Those who honor me — I will honor” (1 Samuel 2:30). All of history attests this. Those nations which have honored God, and circulated His Word, have been most blessed by Him. Those churches which have preached His Truth and depended on His Spirit have been the fruitful and flourishing ones. Those individuals who have honored His Son and followed the Scriptures have enjoyed most peace and joy in their souls.
God is reminding us in Malachi 2 that Levi was faithful to Him; Levi’s tribe revered God and stood in awe of His name. Because of that the Lord blessed them with “a covenant of life and peace.” Isn’t that what we want for our nation? How can we expect this blessing to be granted to this land? This will be the topic of my message this Sabbath morning. Please read Malachi 2.
MINISTRY. This week the OAKS gym was buzzing with dozens of kids playing basketball. Not all of them knew how to play basketball, but this camp helped them to learn some new technics, or at least the basics. A heartfelt thank you to E.W. Dempsey for coming up with this initiative. Thank you pastor Aubrey for all your efforts in making this camp a success.
Here is a brief note from Aubrey: “This past week we had a basketball camp for ages 9-13 and it went great! The kids learned various skills throughout the week and about God as they worshipped together each day. They had positive attitudes and encouraged each other every step of the way. We had 34 kids attend our camp and many are excited and looking forward to attending our upcoming VBS.”
YOUTH MINISTRY. “Bible Themed Lego Competition and Fundraiser: July 17 from 6-8pm the youth will be putting on a Lego competition in which YOU can get involved. No matter the age, we are encouraging involvement across the board. It will be a Bible themed Lego competition and you must have your creation completed before the start time. If you need a copy of the rules or have any questions, please contact Pastor Aubrey. It will also be a fundraiser for gifts for children at Erlanger Hospital. All donations and proceeds from food sold will go towards purchasing gifts for these children.” – Aubrey
VBS. Our next big event is the Vacation Bible School. Please pick up VBS flyers this Sabbath morning and share them with your friends and neighbors. This will be an excellent program for the kids. If you have a Facebook account please go to the official Ooltewah church Facebook page and share the VBS post on your own page. Spread the word… Here is a link to our church Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/OoltewahSDA/?ref=bookmarks
PRAYERS. Please uplift the Schwark family in your prayers. Connie’s mother passed away last Sunday. Pray that the Lord grants them comfort and courage during this trying time in their life.
I am asking you to pray for a young lady, Kristy Kelly, from my apartment complex, who fell off the third-floor balcony this afternoon. She was airlifted to Erlanger Hospital. Kristy and her family are close friends of Danielle Ware. I just talked to Kristy’s mother, she is asking our church to pray for her daughter. Kristy is out of surgery, but in a coma and in critical condition, but her mother believes that God can save her life.
Please pray for the Seventh-day Adventist church in Russia. A new bill restricting religious freedom and any kind of missionary work has been approved by both chambers of the Russian Duma (parliament) and if signed by the president will come into effect on July 20.
PRAISE. In a circular letter to the Governors of the several States in June, 1783, George Washington wrote:
“I now make my earnest prayer that God would have you and the States over which you preside in his holy protection; that he would incline the hearts of the citizens to cultivate the spirit of subordination and obedience to government …; and, finally, that he would be most graciously pleased to dispose us all to do justice, to love mercy, and to demean ourselves with that charity, humility, and pacific temper of mind which were the characteristics of the divine Author of our blessed religion, and without an humble imitation of whose example in these things we can never hope to be a happy nation. (Morris, p360, Federer, p646, and Barton, pp 108f)
Happy 4th of July weekend to you, my friends! Let us remember to always thank the Lord for the blessings we enjoy as citizens of the United States of America!
Peter.
Ooltewah Seventh-day Adventist Church 