Three Steps to Lowliness (From Feed My Lambs, by Rex Andrews) MEEKNESS Meekness is the blessedness of bearing one another’s burdens and getting along with one another. Thus we get the life of patience: for patience means to stay down under. IN this is the subjection of pride which should be subjected to Jesus. In this meekness is also the submission of the will. ‘Blessed are the meek for they will inherit the earth.’ Matt. 5:5 MOURNERS These are those who suffer loss (if we are but willing to go through it). The loss we suffer of anything, if it is something we love, is to our good. In this suffering of loss we become more and more conscious that we are away from Him. The thing we loved has taken His place in our hearts. We begin to be aware of the conflict in giving up something we desire and want to dwell on. It may be our home, our loved ones, thoughts or things that we unconsciously love more than Jesus. But if we are willing to go through the degree of loss so that we can say with our whole heart, ‘I am willing to suffer the loss of anything or persons that my heart holds dear,’ we will be brought into the realization of just Himself. Happy are the true mourners. The Comforter comes to all who suffer this total loss. ‘Blessed are they that mourn for they shall be comforted.’ Matt. 5:4 POVERTY OF SPIRIT ‘Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.’ Matt. 5:3 Poor like a beggar – dependent upon God for everything. This is the utter lowliness one comes to in utter lowliness: ‘I AM NOTHING, I KNOW NOTHING, I HAVE NOTHING, I CAN DO NOTHING, AND I WANT NOTHING BUT JESUS.’ Adopt an Intern - A Letter from the PresidentAmos 8:11 Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord God, when I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but [a famine] for hearing the words of the Lord.
Dear folks and friends of Evergreen Center, Today, in nations all around the world, those words from Amos are true. However, God is not leaving us to that famine! Peoples of all nations, languages, skin colors, and religious affiliations are aware that something is happening in the world that surpasses previous visitations of God, namely, “God’s Word is Rising!” Little groups of people, here and there, have been praying for a “rising of His Word in the earth, now!” It is not a call for Christians to get involved in political activism; that is partly what has got us into the trouble we’re in now. The call is to “hear the words of the Lord and obey them.” While this applies to every Christian, it is especially directed to ministers, evangelists, priests, rabbis and teachers of the Word. God has, for His Glory, raised up Evergreen Center to be a “voice in the wilderness” not only to its congregation, but also to the young people who go through the discipleship training program. They learn to know Jesus as He really is. At the outset of the program, we felt we should not enroll more than ten interns per term. At present, in term 21, for the first time we have full enrollment. For term 22, which begins at the end of January 2019, it looks like we will be full again. I wish all of you reading this could visit and see for yourselves what God is doing in the lives of these young people. Some have, literally, given up everything to be here: house, land, cars, all worldly goods, and even well-paying jobs. In addition, God has sent teachers that will drive for hours, one way, to come and share with the interns what they have learned of Jesus. When one intern was asked what it is like to be at Evergreen Center, he answered it with one word: “FIRE”. A former intern described it as “a slow transition back to sanity.” Has this been the experience of all interns? Honestly, no. However, Jesus is offered to everyone who comes to Evergreen Center, whether they are a part of the discipleship program, the congregation, or as visitors and retreat attendees. We have nothing to offer anyone, except Jesus. Up to now, most of the interns that have come to Evergreen have been from the United States. We are now starting to get real interest from overseas. Some of them are from very poor countries and do not have finances to come to the US or to pay the fee for the discipleship program. Therefore we are introducing a program that many of you may be interested in. It is called “Adopt an Intern.” The goal is for friends of Evergreen to pray and ask the Lord if this is something you would be willing to invest in. I say “invest” because that is what we do here at Evergreen Center we invest in the lives of young people. Did not Jesus invest in your life and mine on the Cross? At this time, the “Adopt an Intern” program is designed only for those from overseas that do not have the means to attend Evergreen as an intern. For anyone interested in investing in a young person’s life from overseas, please write or call and we will send you detailed information about how you can bless an intern from another country. God Bless, Pastor Dan We are so grateful for all of you, your prayers and support! Every blessing, Elizabeth Metz on behalf of the Evergreen Center Staff
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Live the BibleLive the Bible – “Lord, give me an obedient spirit.” Obedience is the great lesson. If you won’t let Him have possession in the times when you are being tried in your daily life, in the hours of your testing, you will soon be the one to be testing other people. Hasn’t He picked out a sweet way for our crucifixion, a beautiful way? Suppose He had said, “Now you must be sad and sorrowful, dark and gloomy, crabbed and cranky? There are two holy things—“peace and joy.” “Great peace, have they that love thy law.” If I haven’t “great peace” I don’t love His law enough. Have you greater peace at some times than at others? Look up all the ways to find peace. The Lord will point a kindly finger at your fault. Run to Jesus when you are lacking peace. Look to see what others did to get peace. “In everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made know unto God, and the peace of God which passes all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus,” Go to your Bible – examine yourself. Who lacks joy? What are you not doing? There are lots of good recipes. EC Annual Retreat
EC Alumni Wedding
We are so grateful for all of you, your prayers and support!
Every blessing, Elizabeth Metz on behalf of the Evergreen Center Staff Prayers Which God Cannot Answer(Article by Thomas Hogben, from Feed My Lambs) SIN, in however obscure a form, is an absolute hindrance to power. One cherished evil habit can make it impossible for the soul to see God. A spirit of jealousy or unforgiveness will completely shut out the Power and Presence of God. A grudge, bitterness, a desire for retaliation will break the wings of faith and hush the cry of real prayer. A callous conscience concerning some unpaid bill, or act of restitution, has turned aside the incoming tide of blessing and grace from many a soul. It is pathetic to hear poured forth on all sides – hundreds of prayers to which God is unable, by the very nature of things, to respond; prayers full of agony of desire, prayers for the choicest gifts God has to bestow, prayers offered in the Name of Jesus and based upon His own Word, but which God cannot answer because the way is blocked in the soul of the man who prays. Of what use would a mighty gift of faith be to a soul which was occupied with human slights and grievances? Could a baptism of burning love to God and man be bestowed upon one whose chief thought was for self, for position, for fame? How should the Spirit of Pentecost be poured out upon one who had never yet walked down the way of humiliation to Calvary? The common prayer-cry is, “Fill me, and lift me up!” The Divine answer is very often: “Be emptied and go down!” Revival Conference in CAWe would like to ask for your prayers regarding Pastor Doug’s upcoming speaking engagements in California this October. The founder of Sermon Index, Greg Gordon invited Pastor Doug and eleven other men to speak at a conference in Southern California entitled, “How Long, O Lord?” Each speaker is required to spend time weekly in prayer for the conference and for each other, and to attend the other speakers' sessions. Pastor Doug will speak Saturday, October 6th, in the late afternoon. You can watch the conference for free on a simulcast. Please see sermonindex.com or their Facebook page for more info. On Sunday, October 7th, Pastor Doug will share at Pastor Yuriy Litvin’s Russian church in the morning and again with the young people in the evening. The following Sunday, October 14, he will speak at Calvary Chapel Malibu, where our graduate Brian Laspada is the Pastor. Rev. Liz Fritz will be accompanying the Deterts at all three of these speaking engagements. The last week of Doug and Millie’s trip, they will stay with their friends Greg and Karin Larkin. We do ask for your prayers and intercession for both Doug and Millie, their travels, the conference and the other speakers, and both churches. Thank you! EC Alumni WeddingsOur summer was filled with joy as we witnessed more of our graduates find godly spouses, and join the ranks of married folk. David Carlson married Mikayla Roberts on June 23rd on the EC property down by the lake. It couldn’t have been a more beautiful day! Abby Zupke married Ryan Korporal on July 14th in Iowa. There was such a sweetness of Jesus presence in their ceremony. Please keep these couples in your prayers as they grow in oneness and seek the Lord for direction in ministry. We are so grateful for all of you, your prayers and support! Every blessing, Elizabeth Metz on behalf of the Evergreen Center Staff |
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