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Letters Archive: January 2004 Back to our Homepage Dear Loving Church Family, We have just celebrated the most joyous season of the year and for the
Smolchucks, it has been even more exciting with the addition of two new
family members this year, Stephen David Flora (Shari's husband) and Adeana
Marie Brown (Randal's wife). The “Family Feeling” is so strong when we gather for services or for times of fellowship. At the OASIS Holiday Dinner, John Wells told us to look up the scripture found in Psalm 133:1-3 because it talked about what we were experiencing. It says, “Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity..... there God commands His blessing....” Everyone had such a good time as we had fellowship and sang Christmas Carols together. God’s blessings were overflowing because of our unity. Nothing is impossible to a group that is moving together in complete unity. Loretta Becker was sharing with me about the love she has received while undergoing open heart surgery and being hospitalized for the many weeks of rehabilitation that followed. She said that Jamie Redburn visited her every day and looked after all of her needs during her extended stay in the hospital. She was overwhelmed by the expressions of love from the Church Family. During the Christmas Season, we kept hearing the Holy Spirit speaking to us from the Parable of the Sower in Matthew 19. He was saying, “don’t let the cares of this world or the deceitfulness of riches choke out the Word so that it becomes unfruitful in your life.” Reading this passage in the Study Bible, we were impacted by the Word Wealth section by Dick Mills, on the word care. It means: to divide the mind... the word denotes distractions, anxieties, burdens and worries. We now stand on the threshold of a new year. We look back with gratitude for all God has done and we look forward with anticipation toward the unfolding of His plans for the coming year. The Lord spoke the following verses of scripture to me to use as a “quick check-up” to see if I was staying in the flow of His Spirit: I Thessalonians 5:16-22 (16) Rejoice always, (17) Pray without ceasing, (18) In everything give thanks; .... (19) Do not quench the Spirit, (20) Do not despise prophecies, (21) Test all things, hold fast what is good, (22) Abstain from every form of evil. Check up on yourself. Ask the Holy Spirit to help you to stay in the flow. Our daughter, Kendal, was praying about the New Year and she heard this phrase, “The Lion of Judah will roar in 2004.” Last February we attended a Camp Meeting in Tulsa where we heard a prophetic word that said, “2004 is a year for ‘more’..... more salvations, more healings, more victories. ” God continues to move in the services and prayer meetings at First Assembly. Fredrick from Kenya met a man during the prayer circles who had led a Bible Study in Kenya. Fredrick’s father was in that Bible Study. His faith was strengthened during that Sunday morning time of prayer. God had arranged for this meeting. It couldn ’t “just happen”. Joan Hegenauer was talking to us about their grandson, Jarred, who weighed 1 pound and 11 ounces when he was born prematurely. Prayer brought the victory and Jarred is a completely normal little boy. At one point the doctors wanted to put tubes in his ears. But his parents, Craig and Deanna, had heard the testimony of their cousin’s son, Aaron Drayer.(who has graduated from high school.) When Aaron was young, the doctor wanted to put tubes in his ears, but he was healed while attending church on Sunday morning. Craig and Deanna believed God would heal Jarred’s ears without having tubes – and He did! Ruth Huerta gave us this Praise Report: "On a Saturday night at prayer meeting, you spoke a word about someone dealing with skin irritation, and that the Lord was healing you and it would be history. My daughter, Mercedes, shared that it was for her. She claimed the word and was healed." Prayer meetings are so important. Many years ago the Lord spoke this word to my wife, “the church that prays together, stays together.” Jesus said that His House would be called a House of Prayer for all nations. If the church does nothing else, it must meet together to pray. Recently as I was driving to Monday Night Prayer Meeting, I sensed that the Lord wanted us to focus on praying for Israel. I shared this with the people and we began to focus our prayer on God’s chosen people and the land that is His land forever. At the end as we gathered in a circle at the front of the church, a man began to share with us. It was his first time to ever be at First Assembly. He had felt drawn to the church. He was a doctor and had just returned after living in Israel for some time. God had brought him to a church where he could be encouraged as he heard people praying about the very needs he had seen first hand as he lived in Israel. I encourage you to join us at the Church Family Prayer Meetings, not just during the first week of the year, but make it your New Year’s resolution to attend at least one Prayer Meeting each week. Please be thinking about who you can invite to the Heaven’s Gates Drama that will take place at First Assembly on January 18, 19, & 20. Enclosed in this mailing you’ll find two tickets that can be cut apart and given to your friends and family. If you can participate as a cast member, you can sign up at the Information Center, or call the church office. New Christian Living Classes will begin on Wednesday, February 4th. Many people recommend “Healing for the Angry Heart” because they have received healing as a result of going through the class. A new class being offered this semester is called: Food and Love. Also new is a class on healing that comes through partaking of communion. We keep growing in our relationship with Christ and with His Body as we study God’s Word together. I encourage you to be a life-long Bible Student as part of the Church Family at First Assembly. Enclosed is one of Dad Smolchuck’s letters. I think you will enjoy reading it. He shares a story his father told him about a man who lived in the same village in Ukraine as the Smolchuck family. Dad will be 87 on Feb. 26th and is still very active for the Lord. His letters are being published on the Assemblies of God website. There is a biographical sketch about Dad on the home page to guide readers to his articles. You can take a look at www.sam.ag.org. Joyfully Serving the Master and His People, Pastor Fred and Jetta Smolchuck |
View the Pastor's
• July 2007 •
Meet Pastor Fred Words to Live By • Daily Bible Reading Guide • Better Life Course by Randal Smolchuck |
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