Friday Evening Young People’s Service

The orchestra opened the service with “You Are Holy,” and then the choir sang “Get on Your Feet!” Andrew Blackburn testified that at the age of sixteen, God saved and sanctified him at youth camp. A year later he received the baptism of the Holy Spirit, and he wouldn’t trade the peace and joy that God gives him every day. Caleb Copko said he is thankful for the Lord’s help in a recent perplexing situation. Catey Hinkle testified that during a recent Bible study in 2 Kings, she was reminded of the consequences the Children of Israel faced when they didn’t choose God, and she wants to always choose God’s will in her life.

A mixed quartet featuring Naomi Clapa, Imelda Nedelcu, Michael Mathews, and Shawn Witham, sang “I Shall Wear a Crown.” Before the sermon Ben Clapa sang “Daystar, Shine Down on Me” while accompanying on his guitar. Brother Pete Sferle, visiting from Dallas, Oregon, read Hebrews 2:1-3 for his text, and he encouraged us to pay attention to our spiritual walk so we don’t drift. He said that drifting can be perilous, and he pointed out some ways we can determine where we are spiritually: How is our prayer life? How important is God’s Word to us? Is church attendance a priority? Brother Pete said that if we neglect these things, it is possible to drift away without being aware. He encouraged us to count the things of God as precious, and stand fast so we will be ready for the soon return of Jesus.

Sunday Morning Service

The prelude began with a string quartet featuring  Erin Mixer, Kami Cook, Ellie Iverson, and Luke Copko playing “Nearer My God to Thee” and “String Quartet” by Mozart. The choir then sang “Guide Me, O Thou Great Jehovah.”

Brother John Musgrave asked prayer for Brother Darrel Lee and his son Randy as they visit several locations in West Africa and participate in the first commencement exercises at Crawford University in Nigeria. He then read a portion of an email from Brother Darrel telling about their visit to the Republic of Benin. On Friday they toured the Jericho church, where a couple thousand people meet each Sunday on the lower level, because the upper floors are still under construction. Brother Darrel, Randy, and around four hundred saints then traveled by motorized canoes to a village church on stilts. This building holds no more than 150 people, but 822 attended the service, with many only able to hear the meeting from outside. They were then taken to another location around ten minutes away where the cornerstone was laid for a much larger church.

Our Sunday morning service continued with a ladies’ trio singing, “The Healer Is Here.” Brother Dwight Baltzell gave the Scripture reading from Ephesians 6:10-18. Before the sermon, Butch Carey sang “When I Got Saved.” Using Ephesians 6:13 for his text, Brother John Musgrave brought out the importance of taking a stand spiritually. He recounted a visit to the place in Montana where Colonel Custer took his famous last stand at the Battle of the Little Bighorn in 1876. Brother John said that Colonel Custer did not take into account the strength of his enemy, and consequently did not have the proper equipment or quantity of soldiers to wage the battle. On the other hand, Chief Sitting Bull and his allies used a very good unified strategy, and as a result, stood their ground and won a resounding victory. Brother John encouraged us to be good soldiers for Christ by putting on the proper spiritual armor and uniting with other believers to win the victory over Satan.

Sunday Evening Service

The orchestra played “There’s Something About That Name” and “Victory In Jesus,” followed by the octet singing “I Am Not Ashamed of the Gospel.”

Brother John Musgrave read the rest of Brother Darrel’s report from Nigeria. On Wednesday they visited the secondary school in Anthony Village (the Nigeria headquarters location), with 665 eleventh and twelfth graders and ninety staff members. They also toured Crawford University and the construction site of the new campground tabernacle. One of the six wings is nearly finished and Brother Darrel stated that it is easy to see how the tabernacle will seat around 100,000 people when it is completed. The local congregation of around 1,800 people currently holds services in a huge daylight basement under the one constructed wing. On Thursday, they traveled to the Republic of Benin, where they participated in a church service at the campground with 2,739 in attendance. They spent Sunday in Lagos and had a good service on Sunday morning with 7,774 in attendance. On Sunday afternoon, they showed a DVD of the “Around the World in 60 Minutes” presentation that Brother Darrel gave during Portland camp meeting.

Ashley Lee, visiting from Medford, Oregon, testified that she was saved at the age of ten at a youth camp, and God kept her through college, helped her choose who to marry, and now has blessed her and Randy with a healthy baby boy.

Dick Mixer thanked God for a Sunday school teacher that he had in New Jersey during his boyhood. Even after he stopped attending, he always knew that the Bible was the Word of God. Years later, he came to Oregon and was invited to church. He learned that a person could live without sin, and when he prayed, God saved him.

Jane Ewers played “I Will Sing of My Redeemer” on the violin, while the choir sang the accompaniment. For the last special, Imelda Nedelcu sang “Grace So Amazing.” Using 1 Samuel 16:1, 6-7 for his text, Brother Clark Wolfe spoke of some of the attributes that made David “a man after God’s own heart.” He said David rehearsed how God had helped him kill the lion and the bear to convince Saul to let him go up against Goliath. Those past victories gave David confidence that he could also overcome Goliath. We, too, can also look back on our “faith shelf” when the spiritual battles come, and trust God to help us win the victory in every trial Satan sends our way.