Dave's Deliberations

Gratitude

2010-09-14T15:16:00.000-07:00

Are you a grateful person? I think that most folks would answer,well I try to be. The question is then, How well do you succeed? I was thinking today of some folks to whom I owe a great deal of appreciation and thanksgiving. So, i wrote them an e-mail appreciation gram and sent some other material that I have written and sent it on its way. that made me feel better and be happy (joyful) and right that I had made an effort to let these could folks know how I appreciate them.

Well, I thought to myself, how many folks should you be writing too, to share the same thoughts with them? My list keeps getting longer, so I will try to do better everyday. Do you know that the idea of gratitude comes from God, in scripture? Not from Islam, nor Budda, not Ben Franklin but from God! I double dare you to research that! Most people left to ourselves, at least in history are very selfish, self-centered folks, but when God made man and women(Adam and Eve) He made us to be grateful human beings! (Please excuse me for a few moments, my wife just hollored down that the hot rolls were ready. I would certainly be ungrateful if I didn't go upstairs and participate.)

What is the best guard against self-centeredness or selfishness? I believe it Jesus and His teaching on gratefulness. I have may folks to thank for the good life I have lived. Take Good Ben, you know Benjamin Franklin. If he had not been involved in the revolutionary war,the Declaration of Independence and a great many other projects my life might have been as good as it has from the standpoint at of living in the United states of America. What about Mrs. Smith, my first grade teacher, I was a shy little boy? It is my guess that you can think of many people to put on a list of your own. I could not leave out my parents who taught me the idea and action of being thankful. Let me tell you, If you want to be happy in this human life, learn to thankful and first thankful to God for sending Jesus to save us! Dave Dowlen

Who's in Control?

2010-09-03T16:05:00.000-07:00

Dave’s Deliberations;
I’m sure many of you have read the reports and heard the news about the oil spill and clean up in the Gulf of Mexico over the last several weeks. This last week the bit of news that really caught my eye was that scientists have discovered that there is a microbe that usually lives in the deeper part of the water that is coming to the upper areas and is eating the oil molecules and not cutting down on the oxygen in the water. I guess because of all the media coverage and scientist clamor over global warming I get really sick of hearing ‘men” say we have to do a better job of taking care of our planet, which is leading to some really ignorant laws coming out of Washington D.C. .

Don’t get me wrong, I believe should take care of our planet as best we can. We should,
Recycle when possible and police our garbage, do a better job on harmful gases, not try to be wasteful etc… But, I think some of those folks think that man is supreme and in charge of our destiny. I think they deny there is a God in heaven who is charge because they want to do what they want to do instead of being in subjection to the One God of the universe! You will notice in the story of creation in the Bible that God said to Adam and Eve to tend the garden or
work in it. He didn’t say that they were totally responsible for the garden or the rest of the planet, because they could not take care of it, nor we can totally manage our planet either. We after all are only part of the creation itself, not the creator.

In my cynicisms I believe that scientist have known about the microbe that eats the oil molecules for along time. They might not have known much about it and I sure that that would not have been as good in selling news reports and putting those who wanted the publicity for really caring about it. BUT, let me point a fact that was pointed out to me, that oil is a natural occurring substance that is part of our creation. Isn’t it great that God the creative force knew that one natural force (oil) might sometime overcome the natural mix of creation and need a natural answer to keep oil in balance with the rest of nature? This speaks of a creative force who is far more intelligent than man, creating the world and our universe instead of the ‘big –bang” theory. Perhaps the people who want to believe that our planet and universe just happened when some big rock blew up and then oil just developed, well I’m getting a little carried away, but perhaps that those who believe in that theory simply don’t want acknowledge there is a God because they don’t’ want God to tell them how to live?

Let me share two other proofs to me that the care of the world is not man’s to be in charge of. First there is the Bikini atoll that we blew up with several nuclear bombs that has come back to life and is beautiful instead of dead rock; the second is something that I have seen as I visited China several years ago. China when I was there didn’t much sewage services for its people so most of their rivers and waters were polluted and flowed down to the Sea of Japan. (Between Japan and China) When you were flying over it you could see the pollution stop about half way between Japan and China instead of completely polluting the Sea of Japan, I wonder why? Could it be that God provided for the hurt we as man would do to our world when He created it? What do you believe? Dave Dowlen

Who's got Control?

2010-09-03T16:03:00.000-07:00

It 's A Heart Issue

2010-06-19T13:11:00.000-07:00

I am listening to a program I have on a CD called “Highlights from the Messiah.” You may recognize it better as the Christmas Messiah! It was written by Handel earlier in time than I remember. It is being sung in part in Italian. Whether it is sung in French or English the music is the same. It is a “classic “to say the least! It is a classic because it celebrates the gift of God who gives, his Son, Jesus, who is “our Lord, Savior, loving big Brother, our defense lawyer in judgment, the head of the church, which he gave His body physically for! It celebrates that Jesus over comes death and death is no longer a problem! It celebrates the gift of Jesus for mankind!
We celebrate that gift of Jesus in many ways! We first celebrate that gift by coming to Jesus and being Baptized into the blood shed by Jesus on the cross! We celebrate it as part of his church or kingdom in communion on the 1st day of the week! WE celebrate everyday as we try to live a Christian life in every action, word etc… Being a Christian and part of His church calls us to celebrate everyday that Jesus is Lord! Jim and his ministry of “Lifeline of Hope is celebrating everyday by caring for children. Others are in other ministries that are celebrating everyday that gift of God, Jesus our Savior! In being an honest business man or woman, in being an honest and good employee, not lying, not stealing, not being drunk with alcohol, not causing damage to some one or some ones property, not being a slander or gossip, being a servant to people …

IF

The heart is right? If you are good businessman because you don’t want to go to jail or a good employee so you will not get fired then you may be missing God’s point! It takes dedicated effort that comes from the heart to be celebrating “the gift”, the gift of Jesus! Do I think you have to consciously be thinking about Jesus while you are doing what you are doing for the gift of Jesus? No! In fact I hope that after doing good for a number of years because of Jesus that it does in fact become “”second or first nature”. I hope that in your heart it is so engrained in you that you are indeed living every part of your life for Jesus. But, every so often it is a good thing to do to look honestly at your heart! See what is still motivating you! Looking a fresh at your heart will also give you a spiritual energy boast for difficult or tiring times that we all go through. Looking at your heart also gives you a rest from your labor for Jesus!

DON’T FORGET

It is a heart issue, it is a heart measure! Since only you and God know your heart, how do you measure up? Dave

Groupies

2010-06-19T13:04:00.000-07:00

Groupies, has and always had an unpleasant sound to me. I never wanted to be a “groupie” for anyone or anything. I was watching a show that had a singing group that I think is a joke and woke up this morning with this “groupie thing on my mind. I have to admit my thoughts that all of us are groupies for something or someone, because that is the way God made us! “Oh, come on Dave, surely you don’t think that? Yes I do, let give you an example”.

I will name some groupies, Seattle Mariners fans, Dallas Cowboy fans, Brewster, Bridgeport and Pateros school & school athletic supporters, Kansas basketball fans, Bass fisherman and fisherwomen, Pilots of any flavor, Fruit canning folks, Starbucks coffee drinkers (don’t you just love the new McDonald advertisements), People who work for the Federal government, people who are teachers, Tennis players, people who play baseball, people who have children in Marylou’s pre-school, people who grow fruit, rodeo clowns and stock people, people who owned farms and ranches, well did I get everyone?

You might have guessed my point that all of us are in groups and need to be part of a group. I always wanted to be an individual (must be the time I grew up in) and many in my generation thought we were and could be just individuals. Well we are certainly individuals, but we are also people who need a group! Still not convinced, take my little test; How many of you like steak, chicken, Coke, Pepsi, ice cream, fruit, pancakes, bacon, etc…? Well for all these foods there are people who like them also and like them the best. Which group are you in?

A couple of weeks ago 5000, people gathered in the evening as a group and in six weeks another 800 to 1000, folks will gather as a group in Portland. The group I am talking about is the part of The Church. The group I am referring to is the Pepperdine Lectureship in LA and the Renewal Workshop in Portland. They who attend are a group because The Church is a group worldwide. A group who follows just Jesus! It is interesting that the smallest group that God created is called The Family! Which by the way is a name that The Bible calls The Church!

No one makes their way alone in this world; we all need a group to help us get through this world. You can be an individual, who likes, pink, blue, fish, cars, sports, sewing or whatever, but you can’t get through life without being in and receiving help from a group! We are just not made that way. The good news is you can choose which groups you will be part of. You can choose to be part of a group that God created or man’s has created. The question is which group will be first on your list? Dave

Actions Speak Louder then Words

2008-02-02T09:46:00.000-08:00

I grew up in that noted time when”everyone” my age and my age group was trying or encouraged to be individuals. We were the last of the “hippie” group, that group which is now

(the oldest of the group) hitting social security. We were all trying to be individuals so we all grew our hair a little or a lot longer! (Ha) Certainly today there are young adults trying to be individuals just like we were so they dress a like. What I have discovered is we are all individuals and we are all SHEEP as well! Maybe, instead this discovery being part of the deep meaning of galaxy, it simply tells us we were made that way by our creator, The only God of heaven and earth!

Let me give you a couple of examples, one person likes the East side of the mountains, the simple quiet shades of the brown that dots our mountains and hills. Another prefers the bright blues of the Puget Sound and the deep greens of the fir trees. One likes the East side of the state the best and other likes the West side the best. Some are hunters and outdoor people, others prefer indoors the best. Some prefer one kind of food, others wouldn’t even touch. Politics, shows us we are for most part one kind or another individuals and or group! Look at the sports teams and their supporters, whether we are Gonzaga or Seahawk fans! We dress up in their colors and chant their slogans (cheers). WE even do that as a society, look how many have become Starbucks followers even to speaking their (Starbucks) lingo? I don’t think this is bad or good in of itself! I think this is just human and the thing we need to watch about being human is not to be extremist!

Soooooo, Dave why write about this? It has to do with our lesson this Sunday morning out of 1 Corinthians 1-3! Two things I know, we’re always watching other people! And other people are always watching us! Remember you are being watch and what you do or say is being conveyed to others somehow; be sure as Christian you are communicating what Christ would want you to communicate. Second, as you watch people watch them to see their need for Jesus and if you can help them find Him do so! Dave

The Painter

2007-12-15T22:31:00.000-08:00

The Painter of the Coulee

Sunday we were returning home and notice there seem to be a little more snow on the shoulders of the road from Bridgeport south to Leahy Jct., Then from there to Grand Coulee it was very evident that there had been light frosting of snow while we were at church services.

We live in such a beautiful place in this land; it is hard for me to understand when people cannot find beauty here. When it snowed in the Coulee last time and this time I was overcome by the beauty of The Painters strokes!

The Painter took the white of the snow and matched it with the dark gray of the slide plies of crumpled rock, some far up towards the rim and others some distance from the rim of the Coulee to make a soft gray that stands out in the Sun. With white of the snow in other places, He had the snow stand out white against the lighter big rocks that dot the roadway. If you look out my back door, the one out of our bedroom, he added the deep green of huge evergreen trees that line the mid part of the cleft. Down in the Coulee on the water in the bay by Electric City He lined a then layer of ice that even the ducks could not have walked on that shimmered in the sunlight. Have you ever noticed, when it snows that every road or path, paved or dirt shows up instantly? He then contrasted the snow covered south walls of the Coulee with the Southwest side of Steamboat rock where there is very little or no snow at all, and with the blue water, there is simply not a better masterpiece to be found except maybe in the next Coulee where Dry falls is located.

I am convinced God is willing to be “The Painter “in our lives. He still gives us the choice to let him paint in our lives’; never does He take that away! He would paint us using only the best or choicest paints. He would paint our faces with both the yellow, bright yellow of Joy and sky blue of peace, calm soft sky with no wind in it. He than is willing to paint us a patient green you know the green from evergreen trees that last hundreds of years. Next it is the pink if kindness and the orange of goodness. Pink is so soft and so is kindness! Orange is alive with color Orange just shouts good for you! Then there is the gold of Faithfulness, it shines in your eyes and almost blinds one to everything else that a goes on! Don’t forget the soft purple, that royalty that shouts gentle, gentle, gentle and then the Black and white of self-control! Don’t ever forget the God promises that we can run away from evil any time we choose too! It is pretty black or with the choice always being ours! The question is; Who is painting you? Will you be masterpiece or simply a water color? Dave

love

2007-12-03T18:43:00.000-08:00

I mentioned last week that I bought a Barbra Streisand CD and one of the first songs is a number called “Down with Love”. In the song is the wording such as, down with cupid and it mentions all the “romantic” associated words, settings such as moonlight. The song is of course supposed from a broken – hearted victim of another’s rejected love. In the end she comes back to all the wonderful words used when love is returned. Can you imagine this world without love? It is impossible for me to really imagine a world without human love, let alone the Love from God! The Bible tells us that Love comes from God, that He loved us first! That God is love and that we are modeled (made in His imaged) after Him! We are of course are familiar with the ups and downs of human love, simply because we are human! Maybe you love someone who doesn’t love you, maybe you have been hurt because you gave your heart away and didn’t receive any love in return. Maybe you have experienced some one who broke their vowel of love to you?

Because we are humans we measure everything as we as humans can see or feel it. Sometimes we measure God’s love for us wrongly because we measure it and understand it only by human thought. I have heard from people who are disappointed in God because thy have troubles in this life. They suppose that if God loves us so, and we say that we love God that nothing bad or wrong will every touch us? This is misunderstanding of the promises God makes to us. In fact just the opposite is said by Jesus in John 15. “If the world hates you keep in mind it hated me first…Remember the words …No servant is greater than his master, if they persecuted me, they will persecute also.”

Maybe more so is our understanding or misunderstanding of God’s love for us? It is actually God’s love that He lets us be tempted. Jesus has told us that there is no temptation that we can’t say “no” too and can’t escape from. The ability to go through temptation allows saying no to Satan and yes to God. When we say yes to God, He pours more blessings in the form of Spiritual growth and I believe sometimes that includes physical blessings! You see God’s love is deep, mature love that takes working on. You can not love God and enjoy His love unless you are willing to put in the time, effort, heart… The marvelous answer is God will provide you and I help and understanding if we will preserve! I really believe we have difficulty in our human love relations with persevering. I don’t think we have as many troubles with human love in stop loving, but in persisting and not growing discouraged. You see I think we have the same problem with God’s love, in order to feel God’s love as we grow we must persevere in following Him! We as human being are sometimes not very good with perseverance, so God made us to help each other! You cannot go to heaven without help from other Christians! You cannot go to heaven by yourself. That is why God made us a family. Maybe, if you are having trouble feeling God’s love, it is because you are not loving God’s family enough? Dave

Singing to one another

2007-12-03T18:40:00.000-08:00

I like all kinds of music! Admittedly the Polka maybe at the bottom of the list along with some others, but most music I like. Some styles are again at the bottom of the list while others are at the top. Recently I bought a Barbra Streisand CD, some of you may be already saying Barbra who? If truth is known, I like the back –up Orchestra as much as Barbra’s singing, although I like her singing. Another recent acquisition was a Dean Martin CD where someone had cut out the real “named” star Dean sung with in a duet and replaced them with a lesser known artist. But! More than just listening to them I like to sing with them. While, I enjoy just listening to music I love it when I can sing alone with it.

Most of us are closet singers I’m afraid, while studies show that the Car is the place most of us gather to sing along especially when we are alone in the car. It seems a shame that people in the world have convinced us that only people with “good voices” should sing in public. I have found that most folks have voices that are not too bad. There is something about people singing the “Star Spangled Banner rather that just hearing the music played. To hear and to see the folks standing in a ball park singing the national anthem is just inspiring! Maybe, that is why Paul writes in Ephesians 5:19, and Colossians 3: 16-17 that we are sing to one another and God! While these verses have been used wrongly in saying that they prohibit singing with instruments which is incorrect in the contextual reading, they do not! What they say speaks only to singing to one another and God. That is why I buy a Streisand CD and not just a Boston Pops Orchestra only. There is something about hearing people sing that is different to just listening to played music.

One of the wonderful things about Christmas is hearing people sing! I am convinced in my own heart that people singing the Carols together is the draw that makes them (Carols) special to the holiday! Christmas Carols just are meant to be sung together! Another example is “Jesus loves me”, I just can’t imaging singing that song without children singing? Another example of the power of singing to someone is a mothers or father voice singing to our little children as they go to sleep. I sung to ours and whether they liked it did wonders for me to sing to them, Of course when they were teens and I would sing in the shower early in the morning it wasn’t such a hit!

Obviously there is something that God enjoys when we sing to Him and I believe that He created us to like that also! There is just such encouragement when the people of God sing out loud to one another and in the Praise to God that gives encouragement! After the Americans were driven out of The Philippines by the Japanese, they gathered all the allied prisoners and march them to an area of the Country called the Bataan Peninsula. One of the reasons those prisoners made it, was they sang as they marched! Keep on singing for Christmas, for others and God!

Dave

Thankful

2007-11-20T11:10:00.000-08:00

I am thankful to Randy and Erica because they are raising four great kids, for Don and Marilou for sharing Caleb with us this year, I am thankful for Dale and Joella for their hospitalty and friendship, for Magen Allen and her committment to be a Godly teen, For the Harding’s Mike, Kathy, Sam and Tim for the meal and family gathering we shared not too long ago, for Laura and John and how they take care of her aged parents, I am grateful for Marcell because she is so up! What a great attitude! For Casey and Joni and their love and compassion for children who are hurting, and Caton for the great joy you are as a great kid, for Sheldon and his love for scripture for Becky for Kathy and Andrew. I am thankful for Grace and Art and their family, Grace matches her name, for Dale and Joni (Nana), and their success in overcoming… for Michele and Dave Rogge for sharing Chase and McKenzie with us! For Norma who’s name should have been Grace also! For Doug and Sandy for all the love they have for this congregation, neighborhood children and teens. I am thankful for Frances who loves the Lord! For Jeff and Audrey who stand in the gate and say we will serve the Lord personally and in community! For Jim and Ellen, Ellen has opened doors in the trailer park for us on Wonderful Wednesdays. For Carolyn, for being such a good example of a Christian being happy! For Dave McCarter who loves God and teens. I am grateful for Mike and Michelle that they love God’s family here so very much, for my granddaughters who bring so much joy. I am thankful for Brent and Sarah and their commitment to Christ, for June for being the best mother –in –law still! For Betty and her maturity and love for others, For all our teens Magen, Kari, Katherine, James, Patrick, Madeleine, Dustan, Aaron, Grace, Daniel, Andrew, Synnova, Shawna and Karsten ( I know he is grown up now) you bring me great joy as I watch you growing in Christ! Last but not least my great lady Kathy! She is my Spiritual partner as well as partner in life! I am grateful for the church, Kingdom family at Pateros! Thank you for letting me be a part here! Dave

Our Witness

2007-11-20T11:06:00.000-08:00

Will you lay down your life for me? Would you be my servant? Do people know you are/we are God’s people by the way we love each other? Three questions that are asked in this week’s text in John 13! What would your answer be? Oh sure Jesus I will be your servant, you can tell by what I do when I …., Yes my Lord I will lay down my life for you, but first let me go bury my ___________! (father, friends, mother, education, what I am doing today, my plans for life, my hopes my goals, my dreams) How can people in community know we love each as Christ loves us if we don’t ever spend time with one another or be willing to set aside what we would do to be with our brothers and sisters? There was a time when in our belief that churches of Christ might have been accused of that, because we were always ‘At church”! But, I doubt that could be used as a reason in our present time in this Country! Extremism by humans is never a witness for right in our Country or Church. Christianity is always a balance not a chaotic approach or action. If we need to fight against evil then fight, if we are at peace then be peaceful, if we love one another then be committed!

Being, I think a realist most of the time, I realize that church attendance or even sharing times together in out of “church” time is not going to be a witness to most people in general that in God’s kingdom we love and/or trying to love each other as Jesus loves us! BUT, I do think there is witness to family members or maybe all folks, one at a time. It is difficult to balance our lives with the purposes of our hearts and yet God calls us to do just that! I would imagine it was difficult for the Apostles to do that, especially after the church was driven out of Jerusalem after Stephen’s death. They didn’t have text messaging or IPhones. So, Preacher tell us how we do this? After all that is why you have written the first part of this article?

Well since you asked! The WORD scripture uses is COMMITTED. I expect Kathy to know that I am committed to her first because I said I was in exact words! I want her to see it in the way I look at her! The tone I use with her is one way to communicate to her that she is first in my life under God! Sometimes I have had to ask her forgiveness because the words and tones didn’t convey what is truly my heart. My touch whether it is physical or just a brush, or a look

or…….. You see the same way I expect Kathy to see from me my commitment to her is the same way I expect you to see my commitment to you as a brother or sister in the kingdom. It is our witness to a sinful world. Give it a thought! Dave

Harvest Outreach

2007-11-20T11:05:00.000-08:00

Wednesday is our “Harvest Party “we are having at our building in order to reach out to the neighborhood children and families as well as the families of Marylou’s Day school. Please be praying for a good number of families and kids! Time is 6:00 to 8:00 so we need you to be there at 5:30 to be ready to help. Yes we still need help with different games and food service. We are serving Hamburgers. On Sunday we need to take quick 30 minutes and pass out more flyers to neighbor’s doors and cars.

I hope you saw the ad in the Quad-City Herald this week! (Bulletin board) I want to thank Jeff and Audrey for providing this service in their paper and Cheryl for the writing. We are working with the Bridgeport Community church in a combined effort to serve our communities. Our teens and theirs will be helping in the operation of the Harvest Party at both locations. I appreciate our teens as they see we can join with other church groups to do community serve.

If you are not in one of our two life groups let me urge you to get in one and be involved with other church family members during the week. Doug and Sandy’s are Sunday night and Jeff’s and Audrey’s is Thursday nights. Check the times and invite a friend or family to come with you! Kathy has a ladies class at the building on Tuesday’s at 1:30 if you would rather go there.

We had 6 little girls and 1 boy last Wednesday night as we studied about the Angel appearing to Joseph. As you might have guessed we are working our way to Christmas. The last five girls are there because Ellen talked to them at the trailer park. There may be someone in Pateros you can talk to and tell them about our one hour program were we feed them and teach them about Jesus and do a craft. Time is 6:00 to 7:00 Pm. Marylou picks the five girls up and walks with them over to the building and Kathy and I walk them back. Laura is coming to clean-up while we move into the story and craft, which helps us to be able to accomplish what we can accomplish in the hour’s time. I want you to know that my sister Betty Whiting is paying for all the food we serve. Betty lives in Colorado Springs and was looking for a

Mission project and decided to help us. Be sure to thank God for her and hr help in this program!

Let me remind you that “Daylight Savings time ends next Saturday night. We are to “Fall back” or go back an hour! Everyone remember to set your clocks! Dave

Dear Season

2007-11-20T11:04:00.000-08:00

This last weekend was the opening of deer season in this state for bucks with at least 4 points. Several of our folks are hunters and were gone. I do hope they got their deers. I took Chelly to run at Steamboat Rock State Park last Sunday evening and I saw that the smart deer in our area were comfortably grazing inside the Park. I saw at least 17 to 20 of various deers from doe’s, babies to bucks. The season will go on into November for each type of animal. I would like to propose that in this deer season that we at Pateros celebrate “DEAR SEASON”!

DEAR season would last as long as deer season does on the calendar. We would NOTICE how precious the “DEARS are to us in our lives! We would SPEAK to our DEARS with dearest words and feelings so that our DEARS would never miss how wonderful they are to us! We would ACT to our DEARS in ways to show them how marvelous they are to us. Surely they could not miss our intention to see that they are DEARS to us? Did you know that DEARS are people you believe in and as in the scripture when you believe in something you take action! You may even want to WRITE your DEARS and let them know that they are special to them! I realize that this might open a whole new type of businesses, such as DEAR mail, DEAR buttons, DEAR nights at restaurants, DEAR specialty stores! Well we are always looking for new jobs. You might even buy a “DEAR Gram” to put in the paper! Wait one more thought, how about “DEAR PHONES”, can’t you just see it now “DEAR M INUTES”.

Well by now I can see you beginning to have momentary lapse of attention. Go ahead and take two minutes and come back. Then when you come back you might have even thought isn’t that what we are suppose to do, and don’t we call it Valentines Day? I have to admit I might have gotten at least a little carried away with “DEAR DAYS”. But, if I was going to call it by a different name I wouldn’t use Valentine‘s Season, I would use Christianity! Dave

Rushford's Morning

2007-03-31T19:21:00.000-07:00

Good Morning and welcome to our special day with Jerry Rushford! If you are our guest, we are particularly honored that you would come share this day with us! Jerry is the Director of Church Relations at Pepperdine University in Malibu California. He directs the annual lectureship program in which 5,000 plus folks attend, as well as many other activities. In May Jerry takes people around the world on a hymns tour and is the author of “Christians on the Oregon Trail” WE welcome you Jerry to our part of God’s family today!
There is a quote that says in part, “No one lives or dies to himself” We are all part of one another’s lives, but even more we are part of the lives of those who came before us and after us!
Isn’t it amazing that people who lived over one hundred years ago effects our lives today in Pateros and in the Pateros community. That people who came to this part of Washington after a long hard journey knew for sure that they needed God in order to survive? Before electricity, and the control of the river by the Dams, and the water usage to be able to grow fruit trees in mass, the needed God! Sometimes I think that today as people who live in “modern” times’ people think ,or they don’t think, they don’t need God because after all we can control heat or cold, feast or famine to some degree.
I wonder what our fore-fathers and mothers would think of us? Certainly they were not perfect, nor were they without sin. They were not mere innocent human beings. I would wager that they were every bit as human as we are. They fought with their wives and husbands and with each other. I think there were some who cheated other people. My guess is that there were some drunks and other social struggles. YET they were people who knew two truest! Number one, if they were to survive they needed God and His help. Number two, they needed each other as a Christian or church family!
There is something different about being in an extended family because you choose to be and they choose to have you! A church family still allows you to be an individual because God allows you to be an individual. In a church family people choose to surrender at times their individuality to be what God wants the church family to be. A loving, caring group that tries to follow what God wants instead of what they want. When they do that a wonderful blessing occurs, other people start caring about one another as if they were a good physical, born into family. Life whether in the 1890’s or 2007 is hard! Each time period has its trial and struggles, because we are human and humans will always struggle! The good news is, we don’t have to go through those struggles alone! We can humble our hearts and therefore our lives before God and He will bless us! We can humble ourselves before God and He will bless us with other family who is not perfect, but forgiven and because they are forgiven also team up with us to be family! God calls that in the Bible, His Church or Kingdom!
What will our lives and history say to those who come one hundred years after us? Will our history proclaim that we were as smart as our fore fathers in that we needed each other as a spiritual family, and we needed God! Whoever reads this, I would like to try to love you with God’s love! Dave Dowlen

One Church

2007-03-31T19:18:00.000-07:00

Next Sunday is our Sunday with Jerry Rushford! We are inviting folks from our community to join us! Be sure to notice our visitors and greet them. It is amazing to me the connection this church has with this community. It is equally amazing that the people who braved the trip across what we call the United Sates decided one of the first things they needed was to meet as a church! Maybe if we had to suffer the struggles they went through, we as a community, might have a different view of needing God. Be sure to invite your friends personally. We will need to make sure we have some extra food, while I am not worried abut it, I thought I would remind us!
The following week as you know is Easter Sunday! Easter Sunday is the Sunday that most folks who normally do not go to church, GO TO A CHURCH! We are simply going to
have our regular worship assembly but in the process have our Elders pray for the little children. We are going to stretch our assembly out a little, so notice on that Sunday only
we are going to start at 10:30! So come at 10:00 bring some break feast stuff and we will enjoy each others company and be here to welcome our guests.
I appreciate that Erica and Becky want to do a Jewish Sadar. We are doing this for our community as well as anybody in the congregation would like to see what a Passover feast was like. We are doing it as another outreach to get people in our building for us to meet. The Passover feast was for the Jews not something that Christians are commanded to observe. One of the most interesting facts in the Bible about the Passover feast is that it was there that Jesus instituted a new command for His followers, therefore us also. In John 13 Jesus said, Love one
Another! As I have loved you, so MUST you love one another!” (v35) Take it as another opportunity to reach out to your friends. I know it will be a busy two weeks, but make time for the opportunities to share with our friends and neighbors!
If I told you the Bible says there is only one church, would you be offended? Would you think that I said we are the only church that is right? The Bible says there is only one true church or kingdom, any other is of Satan. Remember from Matthew 12 that Jesus taught us that we are either for Him or Satan. As I understand it, we at Pateros are trying to be part of that worldwide One Church. Our sign says it; we who meet at this building are simply trying to follow Christ as part of His church pure and simple, nothing more, nothing less! Today’s lesson also speaks to that point. The term church has become applied to man’s thinking if you ask me. We use it in many ways, but if you apply it the terms as in scripture, it is always singular! It is always used interchangebly with The Kingdom! There is only one Church or Kingdom of God, and our right response is to be part of that Church or Kingdom! Whoever reads this, I am trying to love you with God’s love! Dave

Add's for a church

2007-03-31T19:13:00.000-07:00

I picked up one of those advertising papers this week and saw an ad for a church. I found it very interesting in the light that I have talked with two other area ministers (non-church of Christ) and heard them both say that there are a lot of churches in the area where the ministers do not believe the Bible to be the inspirited word of God. That homosexuals can be in ministry. Homosexuality is sin according to the Bible! I am going to reproduce the ad first and then do a second time as I would want it to appear for us

Name of church in Ad
. Elder rule * Fundamental * Independent
Six Day Literal Creation * Pre-Millennial
A church where preaching God’s word is paramount
And worship is not worshiped.
A Church where truth is the basis of our unity –
Not where truth is sacrificed to have unity
A church that brings families together through
Biblical principles
Address Time of meeting
Phone E-mail

Pateros church of Christ
Elder Guided* Non-Denominational* Independent
Bible Believing * People Loving trying to Love like Jesus
A church where God’s word is preached & taught-
assembled worship is enjoyable –Worship is a seven-
day a week action in how we live our lives!
A church where the truth of God’s word is the most-
Valuable gift we have. We do not sacrifice God’s word-
For unity. God’s word as truth is where our unity begins.
A. church where families can find a church home together-
Based on Jesus as the son of God!
Beech & Independent in Pateros Sunday services at 10:00
509-923-2662 Mcchrist1@yahoo.com

While I think I know what the first ad is trying to say, I like the second better. While assembled times of worship should be enjoyable and point to share with each other, it is also pointed to God to pleased, honored, given respect as we humble ourselves toward Him as a part of His Kingdom, true worship is everyday trying to
Be obedient to Jesus in all we say and do and the actions of living! Unity comes because we believe that Jesus is the Son of God and He died for our sins so, we try to practice what He says to do! There seems to be some
Churches (congregations) that don’t believe in Jesus as The Son of God! Be sure to tell your friends that we do!
Dave

Stuck in the Ice

2007-02-06T18:05:00.000-08:00

I hope that you had a good week this last week! I finally got myself stuck in the ice and I hope it will be the only time for this year. In process I got to meet a very nice gentleman. I’m sure that is the way I wanted to make a contact in the community but we will see. I really enjoyed the “Sweetheart Banquet” and I want to thank all you helped! I want to mention I appreciate the teens doing the child care. I talked to a women in the community who had gone to the Dinner before when Jim was here and invited her to come. Although she didn’t come, it is another way to influence the community.
This next Friday at 6:30 we are having our first “free Move night” for the community!
We are going to show Disney’s “Lady and the Tramp”. We are particularly targeting the families from the Pre-school. We need some of you to show up to help with meeting these families. We will have popcorn and something to drink. If you have someone you can invite, please invite them to come and the movie is not just for young folks! Come one and all!
This next week Kathy and I will be traveling to Portland area for the Renewal Northwest Workshop July 4-7 this year. This will allow me to spend sometime with the ministers in the area talking about our program and raising funds for it. We will be gone Tuesday and return in time on Friday for our movie night. Our theme for this year is “The Church on the Street” and we have youth workshop called “Teens Living for Christ” That Brent directs running as part of the whole workshop. The teen workshop will be at Cascade Christian College and the adult and children part will be at Southwest church of Christ building in Tigard a suburb of Portland. The teens will be join the adult at Southwest in the evenings. We have Rich Little who is located at Naperville ILL and is one of the better young speakers in the brotherhood coming. Also Billy Curl a black brother from LA! Plus Don McLaughlin of Atlanta.
In conjunction with Renewal on Friday night April 13, Marvin Phillips from Tulsa will be speaking in Spokane. He will be speaking as we promote Renewal in Spokane area. We will have dinner together at a hotel and enjoy some entertainment and fellowship together. Put this on your calendar and plan to go with us. We will have ticket prices soon.
I hope your week this next week will be better than last week! Please remember Kathy and I as we travel and be praying for this congregation as we reach out to seek others for Jesus!
Whoever reads this, I love you! Dave