Living a Pure Life

“Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.” (Philippians 4:8)   David said in the Psalms, “Create in me a clean heart O God.”  (Ps. 51:10). The more you grow in purity of heart, the more you will see God.  You will begin to see Him in all areas of life.  You will see Him in worship, see Him in his Word, and even when you face trials and temptations you will see God and His presence in your life.  This is easier to say than to do.  Just about the time you might feel you have victory in an area of life, Satan goes on the attack to trip you up.  However, do not lose hope my friends.  God is with you.  He is stronger than anything in this world.  He can give you the power (through the Holy Spirit) to overcome sin and temptation.  It is true that we will never attain perfection until the return of Christ but don’t allow Satan to have victory in your life.  Rely on God and give Him the glory for great things He has done.

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Edwin Reynolds is reporting on the Health Ministry project: “The Reversing Diabetes seminar on Thursday night was a great success. The Wickhams presented on carbohydrates (pro and con), which was very helpful and informative. High-fiber lasagna made with brown rice noodles and black beans was served for everyone to illustrate a good balanced carbohydrate. It was not only healthy but quite tasty. Beside the 31 participants present (3 were absent), there were 8 spousal support people and visitors, and 35 volunteers. There was a lot of discussion at the tables between coaches and participants afterwards. The spirit was very good, and some commented after the seminar that this was the best, most practical seminar they had attended. Others have noted that it is well organized and runs smoothly. Changes are made each night to improve efficiency. We are grateful for the many volunteers who have worked hard to make this seminar a great success. I would add regarding the sack-lunch program that things went well also on Monday morning. We had plenty of help as the fifth-grade classroom came over and helped. We have gotten increasingly efficient, and are usually finished and cleaned up before 9:00. Thanks especially for the regular helpers that we depend on in order to keep things going even when the students are not available to assist us. The next sack-lunch event is on April 19. No need to call ahead. If you would like to help, just show up and we’ll put you to work.”

 

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OAKS board met on Thursday night to make a historic decision. Here is a brief report from Shelly Caswell, our school principle: “In 2 Kings 6, the story is told of a school of the prophets that was too small. The students took the initiative and asked Elisha for his blessing to go and cut down trees to build a larger school. “The disciples of the prophets said to Elisha, “The place where we’re staying is too small for us. Let’s go to the Jordan River. Each of us can get some logs and make a place for us to live there.” When I read this story, I am reminded that having enough room to educate children has been a challenge since the times of Elisha. It’s encouraging that God has always led in providing materials and opportunities for our schools to fit more students.  

OAKS is embarking on an exciting journey of expanding the lower grade program to have each grade in single teacher classrooms. This will open up many more seats for students in our community who want to come and enroll in the unique, God filled program that we offer. Last night, the OAKS operating board voted to open a new classroom next year to accommodate more students in the elementary program. Enrollment for next year is already the highest in the history of OAKS, which is a tremendous blessing considering the pandemic dropped enrollment to 100 this last school year. There are some risks that come with this expansion, but God has clearly opened the doors, and we are continuing on our “faith walk” at OAKS.  Thank you for your continued prayers for OAKS. More information will be provided as details emerge. For now….tell your friends and neighbors….”the school of the prophets is expanding…..come and join us!”

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On Tuesday night the Building committee met to review modified plans for the church building project. We had a thorough discussion. Lots of details were reviewed by the committee members. The modified version of the expansion helped to reduce the construction costs by a considerable amount. The committee voted to recommend these plans to the church Board. A special church Board meeting is scheduled for April 12, @ 7 PM. There will be only one item for discussion: church building plans. All church members are invited to attend. This will be a good time to hear the building committee report and to ask questions. Please keep this big project in your prayers.

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Next Sabbath, April 17 is the opening night of the Light of Hope satellite evangelistic meetings in the Russian language to Eastern Europe and Asia. I feel humbled by this huge responsibility. It Is Written provided assistance with the prerecorded portion of this event. The “live” portion will be uplinked from my office daily at 12 noon, (7 PM local time in Moscow). In the next few days my office will be converted into a broadcasting studio. The program will continue daily from April 17 to April 24. Please pray for the people who will be watching and learning about the hope in Jesus on the other side of this planet.

Here is a promotional video in the Russian language 🙂 https://youtu.be/lWk7Ct8J-v8

Happy Sabbath,

pastor Peter