RMC June 2020 Newsletter

Bishop's Corner

Bishop Larry Herrera

 
What did Jesus say?:

Take Heed!

Jesus said, in Matthew 24:4-8,

“Take heed that no one deceives you. For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many. And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. “For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of sorrows.”

He quoted from Isaiah in Matthew 11:25,

“I thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and have revealed them to babes.

As children of God, we cannot lose faith or focus in these trying times. The wise and the prudent think they have it all figured out. History has taught us, that when a shaking comes and all men are affected, only those whose feet are on a firm foundation survive.

The hard truth is this: If God is going to shake all things so that the only things left standing are those which can’t be shaken, then we are to seek out those unshakable things and get on solid ground. God’s word clearly reveals to us what these unshakable things are. These things are not just for our survival but to also prosper us in hard times.

Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful; but his delight is in the law of the LORD, and in His law, he meditates day and night. He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth its fruit in its season, whose leaf also shall not wither; and whatever he does shall prosper.

The godly will not be driven to despair. They’re going to face the same violent winds of calamity, the same awful times, but they will prosper in spirit. Through it all, they continue to do good works, spiritually prospering, and overcoming the worst of times. The measure of God's prosperity isn’t determined by wealth, possessions, or hoarded assets. His prosperity includes peace, comfort, provision and the absence of fear when the world begins to shake. When the Lord begins to pull down every trusted institution, and panic floods out nation, the only real wealth left will be the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ and His ways. All true security rests in Him!
 

 

RMC Fellowship Service

Together, TOGETHER


Come enjoy a time of worship, a message from the scriptures, and enjoy some snacks and refreshments with friends.

You won't want to miss this evening as we also take time to say "Good luck on your new adventures" to the beloved Clark family, as they step into God's next journey for their life.

FRIDAY JUNE 12, 2020
7:00 PM
180 Community Church
 6405 Monaco Street, Commerce City, CO 80022

We look forward to seeing you!

 

Let's Celebrate

It's party time for someone!


Birthdays

6/10 - Paul Clark

Anniversaries

6/2 - Jim & Diane Martinez

 

WIN with Prayer

Cheryl Milhorne; RMC WIN Director


In the past year or so, when we gathered for a conference or other meeting, the word "UNITY" was often heard. Then we would hear about getting out of our Church, or comfort zone, into the community. I agree with both Unity and leaving our comfort zone. Sometimes, as in these last few months of shutdowns, we are not certain where to go to be "uncomfortable". Our comforts are so easily taken for granted.

Several weeks ago, our Wednesday evening Bible Study visited 1 Chronicles 4:9-10, known as the prayer of Jabez. We talked about the type of man he was; more honorable than his brothers, the scripture reads. Jabez's mother named him "He will cause pain" (vs9). Rather than allow his name to define the type of man he would be, Jabez prayed that God would bless him, and enlarge his territory. That God would keep him from evil, that he may not cause pain.

I want to focus on the enlarged territory for a moment. When we pray in this manner, what are we praying for? More actual property to call our own? Greater growth in our Church? What if the territory is a greater vision of opportunity to serve in our community, to "Be the Church" to those around us who may not have experienced the love of God firsthand.

Arise Fellowship has recently had just this opportunity. A neighbor was doing some work on the church property and in the course of a conversation, he told about his granddaughter and her two babies who were forced from their home because of a fire that had started at another home and had spread to their home. They safely exited, but in the hustle, was not able to get any of the necessities the babies need. Upon hearing of their plight, our Arise Fellowship has volunteered meals and funds for diapers. Please understand, we don't want applause, because we know any of our churches would do the same thing given the opportunity. I do ask that when you pray, to keep this young Mother and her family in your prayers. This may be her first experience of the love of God's people. We would like for it to be a positive one.

Blessings to you all, and pray without ceasing!
 

 

 

“Well, THAT was weird."

Goodnews from Jon & Ang


I miss being a youth pastor so much! I miss being around the fun and spontaneous nature of teens, the outrageous things they say and do, the Wednesday night hangouts that lasted for hours at Old Chicago, the beautiful relationships we formed with some parents as we worked together to grip teens' hearts with the love of Jesus! I miss all the memories we made on outreaches to the outdoor shopping mall. I miss teaching them and learning from them. I just LOVE teens!! Although my title of youth pastor is not mine, I will FOREVER be a youth pastor at heart. At this point in time, I find myself being drawn to the nearest teen in a room full of adults. And all these feelings and thoughts are what brought me to meet Jane [Name changed for privacy.]

The hot California sun was beating the pavement as we trudged the sidewalks outside of Birmingham High School, where Billy Graham once preached. Our mission was to pass out flyers inviting students to the Saturday outreach event called Fields Of Faith. In droves, students made their exit as the school bell rang for the end of the day. We made our best attempt at giving flyers to every student. The droves eventually dwindled down to scattered small groups and individual students. I noticed two students seated on the sidewalk talking with each other. Although our aim was to flyer, I couldn’t help but be drawn to talking to these girls. I stood my post for some time to make sure I gave flyers to the last stragglers, but the youth pastor in me took over. I just had to meet them.

These two were best friends and upperclassmen. Our conversation led to Jane opening up to me in a way for which I was not prepared. She disclosed passed abuse caused by family. My head was spinning. Why would this teen tell ME all of this? In my moment of question, as if she could read my mind, she said, “I don’t tell anyone this, only my mom and my best friend know this, but for some reason, I feel like I can tell you.” WHOA. Right then and there, I was like, “Ok Holy Spirit, You are in this! Please help me to navigate this conversation!” We finished our talk and I encouraged her to come to the event on Saturday where I knew she would hear the Gospel and where I knew she could find a loving community of Christians. I texted her that night with no response back. I texted her again a couple of weeks later with no return text.

“Well, THAT was weird,” I told the Lord. I didn’t know quite what to think of that encounter.

Fast-forward to the months of the stay-at-home order. Falling asleep in the midnight hours, I received a text that read, “Hi Angie. It’s Jane.” What in the world?!? I was again shocked by this precious teen. Out of the blue, she was reaching out to me in order to find comfort and a listening ear.

Sidenote: I find it comical that it was a classic youth pastor and student moment, where the student reaches out right when the youth pastor is about to sleep. LOL!

Our conversation was brief and was her sharing feelings of isolation and loneliness. What she said at the end of our texts I will never forget and is exactly in response to my not knowing why our sidewalk meeting occurred. She typed, “I am just so glad I have you during this time, Angie.” Thank you, Lord, for divine appointments that at the time feel weird and maybe even fall flat, but sometimes down the road they lead to something more!

The seeds we planted and the relationships built with the people we were working alongside on that trip are of small beginnings. But, I’m reminded the Lord says, “Who dare despises the day of small things…" Zechariah 4:10 He is so in those moments! He is so in every detail whether we see it or not. - Angie

PS. While in the "City Of Angels," we lead a DJ worship set using Transform's new song called "Tongues Of Angels" written and performed by our bandmate Lorna Heil. Click here to listen.


 

He's On His Way

Christy Gimer; Tamar's Hope Writer


The following was taken, in part, from an online devotion given by Christy Gimer, an Ordained Minister with RMC IPHC.

I’d like to [share with] you a scripture that means a great deal to me, and it has since I was a young Christian. It’s one of the very first scriptures the Lord truly carved on my heart. It’s found in Psalms 116:1 and it says

“I love the Lord because He heard my cry for mercy. He inclined His ear to me and heard my cry.”
 

I love this scripture because it has brought me comfort many times. I don’t know about you but there have been lots of times when I felt like God wasn’t hearing my prayer, and it looked like there was nothing happening even though I was praying. It was in those times that the enemy, Satan, would try to sneak in and make me believe that I was all alone and that God didn’t care. But because I learned the scripture early on, I knew that wasn’t the truth. In fact, it’s quite the opposite.

The Bible says, in Hebrews, that He is moved by the very feeling of our infirmities. The Word is clearly telling us that God cares about us and what is going on in our lives!

Have you ever been around a sleeping baby? [Seen] how everyone’s tiptoeing around the house, listening for the tiniest peep, [and waiting for] the faintest cry? [That’s] how I think it is with God. He has inclined His ear to us! He’s waiting and listening for us to call out to Him.

[Now] I don’t know what’s concerning you today; The loneliness you are experiencing could be too much to bear, or maybe you are waiting to hear about that job you so desperately need, or you’re waiting for a phone call from your prodigal son or daughter, [or perhaps] it’s that you feel like you, and everything around you, is falling apart. This may be your darkest night but I want you to know that the Lord has not forgotten you! He has inclined his ear to you and heard your prayer. He’s acting on your behalf!

[Let me] give you three things to do today while you’re waiting to hear from GOD.

  1. Keep feeding your faith. Surround yourself with godly people. Be in church. Read your word.
  2. Keep the lines of communication open with the Lord. Keep talking to Him but also remember to listen. I think many times God is trying to give us the answer but we forget to be still and listen.
  3. Hang on a little while longer; We serve an on-time God! He loves you and the answer is on its way!
     

 

A NOTE FROM THE OFFICE

Christopher Wales; RMC Office Administrator


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