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Letters Archive: May 2004 Back to our Homepage Dear loving Church Family and Friends, For every problem you face, the Bible has the answer. At the beginning of Psalms 41 we find a powerful answer to many problems. It states: “How blessed are those who care for the poor! When calamity comes, God will save them. God will preserve them, keep them alive, and make them happy in the land. You will not hand them over to the whims of their enemies. God sustains them on their sickbed; when they lie ill, you make them recover. ” Caring for the poor has always been a priority for us as an individual, as a family, and as a Church Family. For more than 20 years First Assembly has “cared for the poor” through our Total Life Center which is open three days a week, giving food, clothing, counsel and the gospel to people in need. We reach out to specific areas of the city through the mobile arm of this ministry called “Clothed With Love Trailer”. More than 20,000 people have received Christ during the 20 years that Saginaw First Assembly has opened our doors to the poor through the Total Life Center and Clothed With Love Trailer Outreaches. Psalms 41 is a scripture we turned to last Monday when “ calamity came....Dad Smolchuck lay ill in the hospital facing surgery.” As we received the news that Dad had an obstruction in his intestine and was hospitalized , we immediately called our First Assembly Prayer Chain to start praying for him. By Monday night, the Doctor said Dad was improving; by Tuesday morning, the Doctor said Dad was so much better that they were cancelling the surgery. After conducting several tests, Dad was sent home on Friday, feeling a little “weak”, but strong in the Lord. (He will be preaching at Saginaw this Sunday!) While in the hospital, Dad began to talk to the little Russian lady who cleaned his room each day. The story of how she got to the US from Russia is interesting. She had begun corresponding with a gentleman on the internet and he paid her way to immigrate to the United States where they were married. As Dad shared the gospel of Jesus Christ with her, she made a decision to receive Him as her Savior. While talking with one of his friends who sings with him in the Senior Choir, he shared about this experience of leading the Russian cleaning lady to the Lord. Dad’s friend wanted to know the lady’s name. When he heard her name, he began to rejoice. It turned out that Dad’s friend and his wife had been witnessing to a “Russian couple” that lived in their neighborhood. They had invited them to dinner, and had been unsuccessful in getting them to commit their lives to Christ. Dad’s friend was rejoicing, because the Russian cleaning lady was the same lady Dad’s friend had been praying for and doing everything possible to lead her and her husband to Christ. This made Dad feel like his trip to the hospital had a purpose. Since Dad speaks Russian, he was the instrument God used to break down the wall of resistance allowing this lady who had recently immigrated from Russia to receive Christ. The OASIS (Older Adults Still In Service) Room is making progress. The pews were sold to a Spanish Church. The walls have been painted and the fireplace installed. Pastor Marialke will be meeting with the OASIS Club this Sunday morning at 9:30 in their new “home”. Since the Older Adults in the Church Family have given sacrificially and ministered for so many years to make First Assembly a great church, we want them to have their own place that they can call “home”. The furnishings will soon be in place – comfortable couches along with tables and comfortable chairs. There will be a small kitchen so refreshments can be prepared without the “Seniors” needing use the downstairs kitchen. So many Senior Adults live alone and need an opportunity to fellowship with their friends in the Church Family. We honor you and appreciate you for your faithful ministry of prayer and loving service over these many years. The Bible tells us (Proverbs 16:31), “The silver-haired head is a crown of glory if it is found in the way of righteousness.” Thought you would enjoy this little devotional entitled, “Keep The Romance” centered around the scripture in Jude 21, “Keep yourselves in the love of God.” The great American statesman and lawyer William Jennings Bryan (1860 - 1925) was having his portrait painted. The artist asked, “Why do you wear your hair over your ears?” Bryan responded, “There is a romance connected with that. When I began courting Mrs. Bryan, she objected to the way my ears stood out. So, to please her, I let my hair grow to cover them.” “That was many years ago,” the artist said. “Why don’t you have your hair cut now?” “Because,” Bryan winked, “the romance is still going on.” Is the romance still going on in our relationship with Jesus? When we first came in faith to Christ, we experienced the joy of knowing our sins were forgiven and we were adopted into His family. Our hearts were full and overflowing with love for the Lord. We longed to please Him. As time passed, however, the zeal of our first love may have begun to cool. That’s why we need to take to heart the words of Jude in his brief letter. He wrote, “Keep yourselves in the love of God” (v.21). Jesus used similar terms when He said, “Abide in My love” (John 15:9-10). We nurture that love when we focus on pleasing Him instead of ourselves. Keep the romance going. To renew your love for Christ, review His love for you. Our grandson, Brandon, often reminds us to keep our eyes on Jesus and trust His healing power. Last Friday Brandon’s parents received a call from the school saying that Brandon was suffering with a severe earache. It was an important day for Brandon because his School Drama Club was presenting “Guys and Dolls” that weekend and Brandon had an important role as Assistant Stage Manager. The three weekend performances would not run smoothly if he was unable to fulfill his responsibility. Brandon’s parents immediately called the doctor and made an appointment. When Kendal arrived at school early to pick up Brandon and take him to the doctor, Brandon said, “You don’t need to take me to the doctor. I’m fine!” He then related this story. Brandon said his ear was hurting so badly he could hardly keep from crying. That’s when he finally decided to tell the teacher, who then called his parents. Then Brandon remembered that Jesus had always healed him, so right there in class he began to say, “I claim my healing in Jesus’ Name.” As he looked to Jesus and proclaimed the power in God’s Word, the pain lessened, just a little. So, Brandon said it again, “I claim my healing in Jesus’ Name!” Again, the pain became less. As he continued to stand on God’s Word, proclaiming, “I claim my healing in Jesus’ Name!”, the pain eventually left completely. They canceled the Doctor’s appointment and the ear ache never returned. Brandon’s faith in God’s Word and the healing provided by Jesus on the cross were more powerful than the excruciating pain in his ear. He enjoyed three successful peformances. Parents and Grandparents, please attend the Parenting Class that is beginning on May 12th. The Bible tells us to “train up a child in the way they should go and when they are old, they will not depart from it.” (Proverbs 22:6) It’s our responsibility to “study to show ourselves approved unto God, workmen that need not be ashamed, rightly dividing the Word of God.” (2 Timothy 2:15). Everyone in the Church Family is encouraged to obey this command from the Lord so that we may together become the mature Body of Christ for which He suffered and died. Rejoicing in Him, 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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