February 2019

​We invite you to participate in activities at the Evangelical Free Church of Yucca Valley where we encourage a multi-generational community of followers of Jesus Christ. There is something for everyone.
Sunday:
​Adult Sunday School - 9 am
Join us for fellowship, coffee and snacks 
     at 10 am
Worship Service 10:30 am
Tuesday:
Ladies' Bible Study 6 -7:15 pm
Wednesday:
Kids Quest - 6:15 - 8 pm FREE - ages 3 years old  to 6th grade
Adult Sermon Discussion and Bible Study - 6:30 pm
Friday:
Youth Group  - 6-8 pm
Second Saturday of Each Month:
Men's Breakfast and Bible Study 7:30 am
Next Women's Brunch February 9th 10am-noon
See weekly bulletin
 
For additional information call the church office Mon-Thurs, 10 am - 2 pm -  760 228-1747

From the Pastor's Desk

​I am deeply am burdened by the seemingly hopeless divide that exists in our country today, especially in the political arena. For there, at the time of this writing, the business of governing has literally been shut down by partisan bickering. So, this month the four Sunday sermons will deal with the military, class envy, women’s rights and the racial divide. You may be thinking, “Wait a minute Pastor Bill; have you lost your Bible? Are you going all ‘talk-radio’ on us?” The answer is, no, I have not lost my Bible, nor do I intend to turn our pulpit into a political ‘soap box’.

The messages for this month I planned out some time back and are all expository messages from God’s holy Word. I’ve tweaked the description a bit to grab your attention. But make no mistake, God alone is our answer in troubling times like these. My burden is to help people see that real life, the abundant life that Jesus promised, is not controlled by politicians and media-provoked culture wars, but by the Holy Spirit, who dwells in every born-again Believer.

In the time of Jesus and the early days of the fledgling Christian church, identity politics was rampant; racial injustice and social injustice were common place; law enforcement was vested in the military, nothing short of martial law; and government corruption was the order of the day. What did that mean for the treatment of Christians in that 1st Century and how was it that they not only survived, they thrived!?!

We see their victory, not only in Jesus’ teachings through the Gospels, but also in the rest of the New Testament books and letters directed to that 1st Century church. One example: Paul describes how he learned the lesson of laying hold of God’s power in troubling times in Second Corinthians 12:7-10,
 
"Because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, for this reason, to keep me from exalting myself, there was given me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to torment me — to keep me from exalting myself!  Concerning this I implored the Lord three times that it might leave me. And He has said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness." Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me.  Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ's sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong. "NASB
 
God’s power is perfected in our weaknesses; His grace is sufficient for us. And all of the frustrating things going on in our world today cannot dampen God’s hope and peace and provision to see us through these troubling times. We, the Body of Christ on earth, need to follow the example of Paul and pray earnestly. We need to spend more time praying for our nation’s leaders than we spend criticizing them. We need to learn to be “well content with (our) weaknesses.” Because Jesus is still the answer for our lives and for the people’s lives around us.

​My burden I gladly give to Jesus knowing that history, our history, world history, is under His control not man’s. And fullness of joy is abundant when we abide in Jesus (Jn. 15:10-11). So, let’s remember to pray for our leaders, pray for our nation, and especially pray for our neighbors. The harvest is still plentiful; people are more than ever looking for hope in these dark and troubling times. Let us be generous with this greatest-of-all good news that Christ died for our sins!
           Yours for making  disciples of every nation,

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