The Voice of the Christian Community, serving Yuba, Sutter, and Butte Counties
We are therefore Christ’s Ambassadors (2 Cor. 5:20)
The American Dream. The idea that prosperity and success will give you a better, richer, and fuller life began mostly as a dream about the ability to achieve as much as you are able based on your abilities and hard work. But over the years it has morphed into something that’s measured almost completely by material wealth and goals. Owning a home (or at least living in one that you partly own…the bank owns the rest). Having a nice car. Pursuing a successful career (and making lots of money). Having a vacation home. Owning a boat, RV, ATV, motorcycle, jet ski, big screen TV, iPhone, one of everything. These have become the focus of the “American Dream”. It’s no longer about the virtue of rewarding industry and diligence justly. It’s all about having bigger, better, and more stuff. And the funny thing is that many of us go through life pursuing this American Dream without consciously examining these goals to see if they’re really ours. Countless people look back on all the effort they expended in buying, using, and chasing stuff and accomplishments with a deep feeling of emptiness and grievous loss. “What was it all for?” “What was my life really about?” “What good did I do?” “What now?” “I wish I had(n’t)…” As the late George Carlin once said, “It’s called the American Dream because you have to be asleep to believe it.” (I’m not endorsing everything George Carlin said…) This idea that material prosperity and success will lead to a fulfilling life is ludicrous when closely examined. And it ought to strike a very uncomfortable chord in the hearts of Christians who are fully pursuing God. The problem is that we (Christians especially) don’t question it enough. Too many Christians blindly accept the goals
WWW.AMBASSADORNEWSPAPER.COM February 2011
FREE
Special
Day
’
Section pg. 7-8
Section pg. 7-8 Pastor Profile
BJ Wilson pg 12
of the American Dream as their own and spend their entire lives trying to achieve those goals. Seems like a strange way to live if we don’t want to be conformed to the patterns of this world. What’s So Wrong about Wanting More, Better, or Nicer Stuff? I want to be clear that I am not saying that all Christians must live extremely austere and Spartan lives. There is a place
for the “extras” in our lives – the luxuries that we enjoy. There’s nothing inherently wrong in enjoying the beauty of a nice home, the relaxation of a boat ride, or the satisfaction of successful work. But the “American Dream” has become a lifestyle of seeking pleasure in anything and everything you want. It’s all about you. continued on page 4 - DREAM
WHAT’S INSIDE Sponsors . . . . . . . . . . . . . Pg. 2 Ministry Resources. . . . . Pg. 3 Living . . . . . . . . . . . . . Pg. 4 - 7 Media/Entertainment . . . Pg. 8 Politics/Culture . . . . . . . Pg. 10 Community . . . . . . Pg. 12 & 13 Marketplace . . . . . . . . . . Pg. 15
The Ambassador
1
The Voice of the Christian Community, serving Yuba, Sutter, and Butte Counties
SPONSORS
Ministry Partners - The generous support of our Ministry Partners and Business Sponsors allows The Ambassador to be distributed each month Tree & Yard Work
530.237.6743
Tom Harris, Owner • Serving Northern CA
State License# 918402 • City License# 67038
Free Estimates
Please consider TREE
SERVICE
, INC.
Serving our neighbors since 1957
The Ambassador
673-7993
through Business
Certified Arborist
Sponsorship
Lic. Contractor #608859
Fully Insured P.L. / P.D. / Worker’s Compensation
Sperbeck’s
Sixth Day Fishing
Beyond Blessed
530-742-2428 dhobbsptg@hotmail.com
www.sixthdayfishing.net Jason Helms, Guide 530-635-5732
www.beyond-blessed.com Dessert Specialist & Custom Cakes
916-769-4148
530-673-8334 Mike Sperbeck/owner
Proforma by Kug
SHUTTER-UP
Plumbing Doctor - 671-9111
A-1 Carpet Cleaning
David Hobbs Painting
Dave Kugelman Promotional Products 530-632-9292
Crosspointe Christian Books & Gifts 530-673-6188 646 Plumas St., YC 1 Cor. 1:18
YS Website Design www.YSWebsites.com
Window Coverings (530)682-7727 Blinds* Shutters*Shades Lic. #890713
Ameriprise Financial
The Feel-Good Plumbing Experience! We charge by the job not by the hour
Free in-home estimates License # 940985
James Gallagher
Water Damage Restoration Carpets/ Windows/ Upholstery
Ultimate Building Maintenance
Author - “Peter The Leader”
www.petertheleader.com
Doug LaMalfa STATE SENATOR - District 4 1282 Stabler Lane #630-257 Yuba City CA 95993 www.douglamalfa.com
530-671-1564 Marcos Gonzalez/Owner Janitorial/Carpet Cleaning & Yard Service
Christian Business Alliance 530-742-1423
“Building up Christians, Lifting up Christ” We meet at the Bonanza Inn the first Tuesday of the month from noon – 1pm.
821-5898
Shadd Janitorial Supply
REMODELING
682.9602- lic.# 452975
Mountain Top Yogurt Lincoln Plaza 1000 Lincoln Rd, Ste E
674-8950
Andy & Liz Garcia-owners
Dr. David A. Bradley Optometrist 747 Plumas St., Yuba City
673-8440
Become a Business Sponsor 2 The Ambassador
CURVES
Fitness for Women
Dave Greenetz Construction Inc. www.greenetzconstruction.com
714 Plumas St Yuba City (530) 751-8155 “Not Your Ordinary Pet Store”
Janis Maasen
MD DERMATOLOGY 414 G Street, Suite 204 Marysville 743-0301
www.a-1clean.com
Gaiser Pets
Taxes-Bookkeeping &
JENINE L. TANABE
"The Power to Amaze Yourself"
Dwayne Tanabe
25 YEARS Sutter County Auditor-Controller
Davis Family Insurance & Financial Services
Don Monroe 1397 Colusa Hwy Yuba City 530-751-2238
(530) 673-3634
Robert E. Stark, CPA, MBA
Business Services (530)846-3335 dktanabe@yahoo.com
Monroe Transmission
1316 Woodward St. YC
Sutter County Supervisor (530)713-7505 jgallagher@co.sutter.ca.us
suttercountyauditor.org 822-7127
530-671-2764 #0F27435
Landscape and Design
Brett Meyer Financial Planner 530-674-1111
Bill Loyd 329-5798
A Farmers Insurance Agency Auto-Home-Life-commercial-Blue Cross 1650 Sierra Ave Suite 202A - YC 95993
supporting
530-673-0083 Roger Shadd/Owner 226 Bridge Street, YC
Caldwell’s Creative Laminates 530-821-5845 Formica & Solid Surface
Jim Whiteaker Sutter County Supervisor (530) 713-7504 Jwhiteaker@co.sutter.ca.us
Grange Insurance Agency Yvette Adams 530-743-6081 Auto-Home-Farm-Mobilehome
Call 933-1385
The Voice of the Christian Community, serving Yuba, Sutter, and Butte Counties
WWW.AMBASSADORNEWSPAPER.COM
MINISTRY RESOURCES TEEN CHALLENGE I N T E R N AT I O N A L
Conquering Addictions, Restoring Lives, and Reuniting Families 12 Month Faith Based residential drug and alcohol rehabilitation program proven to make a difference in our community. 2465 Birch Street Live Oak, CA 95953
CALL TODAY: Church of Glad Tidings
530-695-8006 LOVE UNLIMITED BODY OF CHRIST
1179 Eager Road, Yuba City
“To exemplify the Love of GOD in its unlimited existence;
www.churchofgladtidings.com
Equipping the saints, making disciples, advancing the Kingdom�
Saturday 7pm - Sunday 9:30am Wednesday 7pm
Sundays 2 PM & 6:30 PM Tuesdays Comfort Suites 1034 North Beale Road, Marysville Al Barganier, Pastor
530.671.3160
Transformed Lives, Transforming the Land
SACRAMENTO VALLEY
Twin Rivers Crisis Center 560 Cooper Ave. Yuba City, CA 95991
Riverside Restoration Center 5828 Riverside Dr. Olivehurst, CA 95961
Loma Rica Baptist Church 11449 Hill Rd, Marysville
www.lr-bc.com
530.743.9013 Sunday School 9:45am - Sunday 11am Wednesday Bible Study 7pm
Feb 11, 2011
Praise Chapel
398 Aylor Avenue Yuba City www.praisechapelyubacity.org
530.870.0511 Sun. 9am & 11am, Wed. 7pm
Pastor Chris Madsen
Agape Lighthouse Community Church 2106 Pepper Street Sutter, CA 95982 Pastor BJ Wilson (530) 237-6351
Peter the Leader: Pre and Post Holy Ghost Peter's life is full of insecurity and fear UNTIL his transformation, by the power of the Holy Spirit, filled him full of authority, confidence and boldness!
Janis is an ordained minister - available for speaking engagements and weddings. She can be reached at (530) 675-9663 Books can be purchased for $12.99 at
www.petertheleader.com or at Crosspointe Christian Books in Yuba City
Let our readers know about your ministry!
THE AMBASSADOR ? The Ambassador is a free, monthly publication promoting unity and revival among the local Yuba-Sutter area Bible-believing churches. ? The Ambassador has a circulation of 6,000 and is distributed in local churches and businesses in the community. ?The purpose of The Ambassador is to pursue the great commission of Christ by making disciples and to encourage, inform, challenge and connect the local body of Christ. ?We believe in the inspiration and authority of the Bible as the written word of God. We believe that God exists as One, in three distinct persons, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. We believe that the atoning work of Christ (His death) on the cross and His resurrection is the ONLY means of salvation and the only way to Eternal Life in Heaven. ?We welcome editorial content from anyone wishing to promote the mission of The Ambassador. All articles and advertisement content is subject to the approval of the editor.Views expressed in The Ambassador do not necessarily reflect those of our sponsors or advertisers
Editor/Publisher - Seth Halpern Advisory Board - Sean Blount & Dave Kugelman Design - Martin Virtual
The Ambassador
3
The Voice of the Christian Community, serving Yuba, Sutter, and Butte Counties
LIVING DREAM
continued from cover
But as Christians, we know it’s not about us – or at least we should know this. I don’t think I need to quote any Bible verses to prove my point here. Our purpose in life is not to pursue pleasure above all else and fulfill all our personal wants and desires. Our purpose is to honor and glorify our God – to seek out His will and then to do it. In all my discussions about contentment (and I’ve discussed it quite a bit), my point has never been to draw lines about what Christians can conscientiously enjoy and what they should avoid when it comes to material things. I’m not here to tell you that it’s OK to drive a Honda but not a BMW. Someone else can just as easily say you should drive a Tata Nano (very cheap car) but not a Honda. We’re treading dangerous ground when we start to set strict guidelines for other Christians based on our own preferences and arbitrary guidelines. Contentment is not an excuse for self-righteousness. The problem with wanting more, better, and nicer stuff and simply fulfilling those desires is that we stop asking ourselves what God’s will is when it comes to those issues. We either ignore His will completely or we assume that our will is God’s will. If we want to lead a life of significance – a better, richer, and fuller life – then we must start seeking God’s true will in everything. Not just in our career path, whom we should marry, or where we should live but in all things – even the day to day spending decisions we
make. Before you reason that God has blessed you and must obviously want you to enjoy these blessings for yourself, let me ask you this: Is your choice to use God’s blessings for your own wants a result of God’s will for you or your will for God? American Christians are very richly blessed with wealth and material things. But does this mean we should blindly use this wealth to continue lavishing luxury upon luxury on ourselves? Or could it be that God has greatly blessed us so we can give generously to those in need? Contentment Is Not Laziness Or a Lack of Ambition. To o m a n y p e o p l e t h i n k o f contentment as blind complacency – a “guise for mediocrity” as one detractor recently put it. But such a definition only signifies the person’s ignorance regarding the true nature and meaning of contentment.. It’s not laziness, apathy, or a lack of ambition. But here’s what contentment really is: • Fulfillment – Not from what you own or what you do for a living, but from who you are in Christ. • Sufficiency – In Christ, in our eternal life, and in our heavenly riches, but not in the brief, fleeting, and ultimately dissatisfying things of this World. • Appreciation – For what we already have, not what we still want. • Choice – To fully use what we have, to honestly and purposefully seek out God’s will, to consciously examine our goals and be sure they’re really our own, to use our excess for extreme generosity over self-seeking luxury. continued on page 6 - DREAM
Pruning Removals Topping Trimmings Fire Clearance Stump Grinding Cabling • Firewood Sod • Sprinklers Insect Spraying/Injecting TREES Yard & Gutter Cleaning Lawn Maintenance
Big T’s
PO Box 802 • Yuba City • 95992 Tom Harris, Owner • Serving Northern CA Fully Insured P.L. / P.D. / Worker’s Compensation State License# 918402 • City License# 67038
4 The Ambassador
WWW.AMBASSADORNEWSPAPER.COM
Senior & Military DISCOUNTS
Specializing in Hazardous Work
530.237.6743 www.BigTsTrees.com
10% discount when you mention this ad
A Real Love Test By Jon Skillman I would like to thank David McCasland whose article in Our Daily Bread Devotional (December 17, 2010) inspired me to write this column. Contained in the heart of 1John 4:16 is the simple statement… “God is love.” What does that mean exactly? Well if we look to that well known love chapter (1Corintians 13) here’s how the Apostle Paul defines love: “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not selfseeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always preserves. Love never fails…” Now if God is love, (and He is) then God is all of these things. I can, therefore, replace the words “love and it” in these verses with God, and get a better understanding of Who God really is… ie: God is patient, God is kind, and so on all the way to God never fails. Pretty cool huh? I particularly like the part where God keeps no record of wrongs. Phew, that’s a huge weight off my shoulders. Anyway, seeing as though Jesus is fully God, I can also place His name in said verses and… ie: Jesus is not self-seeking, Jesus is not proud… Jesus will never fail… and low and behold… the verses remain true. Okay, but here is where the cheese gets a little binding. Because I am a follower of Christ, I should be able to
substitute my name in these verses and they should also remain true. So, let’s see what happens. Jon is patient… uh… well… I really don’t have time for this one right now, so let’s move on. Let’s see, Jon is kind… well kind of… I did hold the door open for the young lady with all the packages... and I did return a shopping cart to the cart corral for that elderly woman in the Costco parking lot… so I think I’m good with this one. Okay, how about… Jon keeps no record of wrongs… well there is the Christmas of ’49 when my older brother ruined my brand new Slinky… but hey, I think I’m pretty much over that… Oh! And there’s that high school bully who sent me, and my books sprawling across the main hallway floor… Boy I’d sure like to… Umm, I may need to tweak on this one a bit. Moving right along… Jon is not proud… hmmm. Let’s try, Jon does not envy… shoot! Jon is… Jon is not… Man, Jon is failing miserably. This is a real eye opener, and I think I may have been deceiving myself on the love front. But at least by putting myself through this exercise I can see the unconditional depth of God’s love for me. Unfortunately it also reveals just how shallow and conditional mine can be. Jesus says in John 15:12, “My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Uh-Oh! I think I’ve got a whole lotta of lovin’ to do to obey that one!
The Voice of the Christian Community, serving Yuba, Sutter, and Butte Counties
LIVING
WWW.AMBASSADORNEWSPAPER.COM
The Real Purifier
Kid’s Corner
By Paula McBride How did February get its name? The story begins in ancient Rome. If you lived there, you could have a god for everything. You had major gods, minor gods, and borrowed gods. One of these was Februus, borrowed from the Etruscans. He was the god of purification. When the calendar gurus decided to add two months to their ten-month calendar, they added January (named for another borrowed god, Janus, the god of doors) and February, named for Februus. February became the month of the festival, Februalia, when citizens were purified from misdeeds of the previous year. You may have noticed that today, in February, 2011, there are gods of purification all over the place. For external cleansing, some hang in dispensers on the wall. Others are little purse-sized vials. Some hang on backpack straps. Others are stuffed in paper wrappers. Some come in spray bottles. For internal cleansing, boxes of these little gods line health food store shelves. Why the obsession with cleansing? To prevent disease, of course. There was a time, back in the garden of Eden, when everything was pure, free from disease and decay. But sin devastated that perfection and built the chasm between holy God and blemished man. Long before the Romans adopted their god of purification, the one true God laid out a system to keep His people pure. The ultimate design of the system led to the sacrifice of God's beloved Son, Jesus, the spotless Lamb who alone can take
How do you talk to God?
away the sins of the world. The blood of Jesus purifies us once and for all when we admit our blemished condition and believe that Jesus paid the price for our redemption. However, we continue to live in a contaminated environment. We wouldn't think of going a day without washing or applying some type of sanitizer several times a day. Neither should we go about our day ignoring the potential sin that can infect our lives. Most of us are good people. We don't practice the big, obvious sins, so we may feel we don't need purification. I may not feel the need to brush my teeth, but I know the unpleasant consequences if I don't. Sin means missing the mark of all God wants for us. Purification gets us back in line with His design. When David confessed, he prayed, "How can I know all the sins lurking in my heart? Cleanse me from these hidden faults. Keep your servant from deliberate sins! Don't let them control me. Then I will be free of guilt and innocent of great sin" (Psalm 19:12-13 NLT). That kind of freedom will keep us spiritually healthy and effective for kingdom business. The next time we sanitize, let's tune ourselves more deeply into the nature of God so we can recognize where we miss the mark in His design. All we have to do is confess, and He delights to purify us from all unrighteousness (I John 1:9). We don't need Februus and his festival. We've got the one and only real purifier, the Lord Jesus Christ.
The Aurora IPL with Radiofrequency More Advanced than Laser! Permanent Hair Removal
All skin colors • All hair colors Fotofacial Technology
Brown or Age Spots • Redness Broken Blood Vessels Jenine L. Tanabe MD Dermatology 414 G Street, Suite 204 Marysville Call 743-0301 for a free Aurora consultation and ask about our packages and specials
When I pray, I ask God to help us get a lot done in homeschool and help whatever we do be in His name. ~Lauren Lemmon, age 9
I pray and tell God how my day was, and sometimes I try to make up a song that praises Him. ~Brenden Lemmon, age 11 I ask God to keep my sister safe and healthy. ~Pete Ithurburn, age 3
When I pray, I mainly ask God to help me with the problems and issues I'm having, and I thank Him for giving His Son to save me. ~Alexandra Boyd, age 13
I pray for Grandma Helen and for the sicknesses and people who serve and protect our country. ~Levi Sutton, age 5
WE NOW RAIN DO ALSO TTERS GU
A BETTER YARD CARE
H A N DY M A N WORK
Commercial & Residential
• Lawn Care • Sprinkler Repair • Weed Removal • Pruning • Trimming • Clean-ups CALL HOON FAMILY GARDENING
Office (530) 673-3722 Cell (530) 788-5899
License #66287 Liability Insured The Ambassador
5
The Voice of the Christian Community, serving Yuba, Sutter, and Butte Counties
LIVING
WWW.AMBASSADORNEWSPAPER.COM
Mom to Mom
DREAM
by Jo Lynne Keough - Yuba City
continued from page 4
Partied Out And Poured Out
The party decorations are coming down. The holiday season is finally over at our house. I’ve just finished “birthday week”. In five days we celebrate the birthdays of my two children, my mother, brother, and sister. It’s a flurry of exchanging presents, cards, and phone calls, each of us trying to make the honored one feel special. Thanks to Leo, the birthday tortoise, my daughter’s day was unforgettable. My teenager thanked me for his day too, which included a massive burger and pile of French fries. As I put the lid on the decorations box, I notice I still haven’t put away the Christmas cards. Birthday week is less than a month from Christmas, so every year at this time I feel the same way: partied out and poured out. Have you ever felt poured out? Like you’ve given and given until there isn’t much left? Birthday week is a lot of pressure because I’m running around trying to please everyone while keeping up with my everyday duties. I know my tank is nearly empty (though I’m full of cake). David in the Bible knew the feeling. “I am poured out like water,” he lamented (Psalm 22:14). Paul could also relate, especially at the end of his life, yet he wasn’t discouraged. “But even if I am being poured out like a drink offering…I am glad and rejoice with all of you” (Philippians 2:17). Paul traveled and
served for years, was imprisoned and beaten, yet was still able to be joyful. What was his secret? As usual, God shows me his secrets when I keep reading. “I hope in the Lord Jesus…” Paul continues (2:19). Paul was worn out yet joyful because his hope was in Jesus. He knew it was all worth it because of what Jesus had in store for him, both in this life and in eternity. Jesus won’t disappoint. When I feel worn out, many times it is because I am hoping in the wrong thing. I hope that the people I’m serving will be appreciative, that I will see the benefits of my work soon, that things will turn out like I’ve planned. I’m often disappointed. Instead, I should just hope in Jesus. I can hope the Lord will be pleased with how I’ve loved my family on their birthdays. I can hope the Lord will bless them and make them feel special. When I am empty, I hope the Lord will renew me. And I can rejoice because he does.
PERSONAL COACHING SYSTEM
6 The Ambassador
God’s Word is exceedingly clear that contentment is an excellent virtue for Christians to pursue. We will always struggle to give generously if we cannot learn to find contentment in Christ. And we will pierce ourselves with many sorrows if we do not learn to hold to our faith and let go of our greed. But contentment does not come as an instant change that happens after you accept Christ. It takes time – and sometimes an epiphany. And that is why we must all make a strong and relentless effort to seek godliness and contentment as we walk with Christ. Consider these words from Colossians: 1 If then you were raised
KCYC
-LP
104.7
E N C O U R AG I N G W O R D R A D I O
together with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated on the right hand of God. 2 Set your mind on the things that are above, not on the things that are on the earth. 3 For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ, our life, is revealed, then you will also be revealed with him in glory. 5 Put to death therefore your members which are on the earth: sexual immorality, uncleanness, depraved passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry; Colossians 3:1-5 (WEB) emphasis mine. So take time to stop and count the cost. Deny yourself and take up the cross. Be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Wake up from the American Dream! By Paul Williams - Provident Planning (providentplan.com)
The Ambassador Radio Show
www.ambassadornewspaper.com The Ambassador Ministry
DETAILED PROGRESS REPORT
would like to thank the following people for their Individual Sponsorship Hope Ithurburn Kay Andrus Sandi Juri Michael Barrett Sue Kochi Sean Blount Jim & Darlene Myers Marty Brown Maria Paras Warren & Lucy Campbell Wendell Prine Chuck Dexter Pamela Givans Bud & Linda Preston David Hobbs Mimi Robarge John Imler Jon & Pat Skillman Brad Indelicato Art & Mary Ann Whitten Kerry Iskikian Harry & Marilyn Wilkinson
God Bless Each of You for your support of this ministry and our community
If you would be interested in supporting The Ambassador as an Individual Sponsor ($15 - $20/month) please contact Seth Halpern at: editor@ambassadornewspaper.com or call 530-933-1385 or visit us online at www.ambassadornewspaper.com
The Voice of the Christian Community, serving Yuba, Sutter, and Butte Counties
ENTERTAINMENT/MEDIA A Peek At My Bookshelf
Recommended Reading by Deena Peterson
“Don’t Waste The Pain" by David Lyons and Linda Lyons Richardson Last night I finished reading what I believe may be the most important book I read all year...maybe from this point forward. Written by brother and sister team David Lyons and Linda Lyons Richardson, this book puts pain in its proper place, and will change how you view suffering. "Don't Waste The Pain" shares two separate journeys: David's journey through his 12-year-old son's cancer, and Linda's own 10 year battle against cancer. Each shares from personal journals and online writings, as well as letters and notes from family and friends. Their stories are painful to read, and you'll wonder how in the world David and his sister Linda could ever survive, much less thrive, through these dark valleys of pain and suffering. The answer is simply this: Jesus. Through multiple testimonies and massive amounts of Scripture, David and Linda point the way to the Savior, and even thank God for the cancer that brought these powerful lessons into their lives. At the writing of this book, David had been walking through grief a mere few months, and Linda was diagnosed yet again with another form of cancer. But their faith and assurance in a blessed hope that lives here and now rings out loudly in the pages of their stories. I was in awe of the power of God shining through David's life as he wrote page after page of his experiences with cancer and struggle, yet continued to glorify and praise God. This is no Pollyanna tale...this is real, hard, gritty living that proves the truth of Scripture in a way that cannot be ignored. As I read this, a dear family in our church fought against this dreaded disease, and as I finished the book, their son WON his battle with cancer, leaving it behind as he journeyed to his home in Heaven. I sought answers in the pages of David's and Linda's book...and receive more than I could have asked for. No matter what kind of pain or suffering you
y b d e r o ns
Spo
christian books & gifts
646 Plumas St., YC 530-673-6188 www.crosspointebooks.com
$3 Off! Featured Book (with this ad) thru 2/28/11
are dealing with: health, financial, spiritual, emotional, whatever causes you pain... ...don't waste it. Let God meet you there and teach you glorious things that will inspire you to share with others and to bring Him honor through it all. I will never see a trial the same way again. And nothing I've endured can compare to the journeys David and Linda have taken. But I feel encouraged, refreshed and renewed after reading their book. My heart aches for them, no doubt about it. No one wants to wrestle with pain, especially the pain of cancer...but we can win. We have won. And God gets glory when we refuse to waste our pain. My thanks to my friends at NavPress for my copy of this amazing book, and to David and Linda for having the courage to seek God in all things and then to share it with us. I'm giving "Don't Waste the Pain" the Golden Bookmark for Writing Excellence and Authenticity, as well as voting it "Best Non-Fiction of 2011". Do not miss this book...and do not waste your pain.
An Innovative Publication for Christian Men Launches January 2011 Live Bold is pushing the boundaries and extending Christ into those places where men live everyday. This new publication will redefine the way men and faith merge in daily life. CORE12 Ministries is announcing the release of new e-zine (rather men-zine) on January 4th, 2011 at www.livebold.org called, "Live Bold." The men-focused publication is climbing the mountain of reaching men for Christ through an electronic magazine. Delivered primarily via website, "Live Bold" will feature a condensed email delivery along with auto publishing onto the mainline social networks such as Facebook, Twitter, and more. Greg Arnold, founder of CORE12 Ministries states, "Men deserve to be served with meaningful information. We tore apart the idea of publishing for the male audience and discovered a powerful, useful way to attract, inform, and keep men connected to their faith and teach them to Live Bold with their faith.” Live Bold will offer articles from a core team of writers that have a vast amount of experience serving the male audience in life and ministry with monthly contributions from Greg Arnold, Steve
Fandel, Robert Noland, Larry Malone, Glenn Sasscer, and Paul Coughlin. This accomplished team of men will deliver powerful, compact style of writings on various topics of interest from Food, Football, and Work to Technology, Teaching, Ministry, and more. The Live Bold e-zine is free without subscriptions or memberships and targets men of all ages. Arnold further explained the Live Bold format, "Each article is written about things guys care about. What we're doing is merging faith into those areas that exist outside of traditional religion, pushing the boundaries and extending faith into those places where men live everyday." The e-zine, located at www.livebold.org, will also provide an online store called "The Pro Shop" where self-produced items will be sold along with other relevant books and materials. From long form books to short small group guides, the Pro Shop is offering online mail ordering for printed books along with quick access to electronic downloads. The publication also promises to offer t-shirts and other merchandise to help support this ministry effort.
www.Ambassadornewspaper.com
Excellent Massage Care
2500 Exp. 2 /28 / 10
Happy Reading! Deena Peterson
Reflexology - Deep Tissue Couples Massage - Hot Stone - Exfoliating
An Independent Reviewer Totally Dependent Upon Jesus!
Brenda Banducci, CMT, ABMP
For more book reviews by Deena visit deenasbooks.blogspot.com
$
(530) 701-4847 397 Del Norte Ave, Yuba City, CA 95991 ” Wonderful…I felt refreshed and energized!” Seth Halpern
Back, Neck & Shoulder Massage 30 Minutes Free Back Glow Treatment
I Love My Work”
The Ambassador
7
’
Dearest Mary Ann; wife, mother and gramma, We love you with all our hearts! We pray that you will feel better soon. I love and need you in my life, Art I love you Gramma, Keston We love when you feed us, Molly and Maggie
To my sisters, brothers Paras, friends and Coworkers, I love all you very much and let us always keep god in our hearts so that we all walk in the right path along with our children. Let us never forget where we came from and always help people whom need a kind word and compassion. We must all be so thankful for everything we have. Happy Valentine's Day ~Maria D. Paras
8 The Ambassador
Dear G.C., Nearly 16 years ago, my dreams came true when the man of my dreams became my husband. Ever since then, we have built of life of love, through struggles and challenges and beauty and two amazing children. Valentine's Day is my favorite holiday, and I love that we have each other to spend it with, our two children to share it with, and a lifetime to show our appreciation more everyday! Love, R.P
Dear Dan, Even without the Jeep, I would have said yes! Thanks for 10 amazing years of being loved by you! Love always, Amanda
Harkey House Bed & Breakfast
212 C Street Yuba City
(530)674-1942 www.harkeyhouse.com Bob & Lee Jones
Amanda, you will always be the love of my life. You bring so much joy and richness into my life. I thank God daily for the gift He has given me in you and I look forward to every day from here to eternity that I am so privileged to share with you. I pray He gives us many more! I will always be here for you. All my love, Dan
Happy Valentines Day Sunshine! You are the air that I breath.. You are the spunk in my walk.. You are the words that I speak.. My life, My love, My Wife...Renee.. Always and Forever In Love... Your Loving Husband.. Ronnie Brasier
Heaven on Earth Massage & Bodywork and Excellent Massage Care offer relaxing, rejuvenating
Shannon, you are the most godly man I know. I am so blessed God let's us share a life together! ~Lois
To Dave, my dearest love and gift from God. We've had so much fun through the years and shared so many experiences. Good ones and bad ones, we plowed through them all with God's help. Always remember that God has your back and in your weakest moments to lean on Him. Love, Yvette
individual & couples massage. February Valentine’s Special - $10 off Call to schedule yours today!
530-701-4847 or 530- 701-5114 The Ambassador
9
The Voice of the Christian Community, serving Yuba, Sutter, and Butte Counties
POLITICS/CULTURE God In The Bod - By Christian Biscotti
The Deadly Logic of Anti-Blasphemy Laws By R. Albert Mohler, Jr.
Blasphemy is a serious matter. Jesus himself underlined the importance with the statement: “And anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but the one who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven.” [Luke 12:10] In this case, the meaning is clear - those who resist the work of the Holy Spirit in calling sinners to faith in Christ will never be forgiven. Christianity is not an honor religion. Christ did not call upon his disciples to defend his honor, but to believe in him and to follow him in obedience. In this verse, Jesus affirms that even slander against him can be forgiven, but the unforgivable sin is obstinate rejection of the Gospel and the work of the Holy Spirit. In recent weeks, a coalition of Muslim nations has demanded (again) that the United Nations criminalize blasphemy. A considerable number of Christians might, at least at first hearing, think this as a reasonable demand. After all, we do not disagree that slander against the honor of God is a very, very dangerous sin. But antiblasphemy laws place the power of theological coercion into the hands of the state, and this is deadly dangerous. In Pakistan, for example, Section 295C of the criminal code states that “derogatory remarks, etc., in respect of the Holy Prophet … either spoken or written, or by visible representation, or by any imputation, innuendo or insinuation,
E
directly or indirectly … shall be punished with death, or imprisonment for life, and shall also be liable to fine.” On November 8, 2010, a woman named Asia Bibi, a Christian, was sentenced to death by hanging just because she had entered into what was claimed to be a religious argument with Muslims. She was arrested after an Islamic mob surrounded her house and demanded her death. This past Monday the governor of Punjab, Salmaan Taseer, was assassinated by one of his own security guards after the Governor had stated words of support for Asia Bibi. The assassin said that he murdered Governor Taseer in an act of “protecting Allah’s religion.” Saroop Ijaz, a human rights attorney in Lahore, Pakistan, explained in the Los Angeles Times that, though no one has yet been executed under the blasphemy laws, “at least 32 people have been killed while awaiting trial or after they have been acquitted of blasphemy charges.” Anti-blasphemy laws serve the honor logic of Islam but not the evangelistic aims of Christianity. It is wrong to give governments the power of theological coercion. Seen in this light, blasphemy is no small matter, but anti-blasphemy laws are deadly barriers to the proclamation of the Gospel. (printed with permission from The Christian Post – www.christianpost.com)
xpress
As one of my friends put it in college, “Jesus is God in the bod.” This phrase has stuck with me ever since. God became a man, inhabited earth as a human being, to show us the way, the truth, the life (John 14:6). First, Jesus had to be God to pay (atone) for our sins on Calvary. Only God can pay the price for our sin, not me, not you- NO ONE but Jesus. Every cult and Christian heresy throughout time has always taken away from the person or deity of Christ. They've either errored saying Jesus is either all man and/or all God, but Scripture teaches Jesus is both, 100% God and 100% man. When the next cultist knocks on your door, just focus on the person and deity of Jesus. Here are some Scriptures to help: Jesus is GOD He is worshiped (Matt. 2:2,11; 14:33). He was called God (John 20:28; Heb. 1:8) He was called Son of God (Mark1:1) He is prayed to (Acts 7:59). He is sinless (1 Pet. 2:22; Heb. 4:15). He knows all things (John 21:17). He gives eternal life (John 10:28). All the fullness of deity dwells in Him (Col. 2:9).
Jesus is MAN He worshiped the Father (John 17). He was called man (Mark 15:39; John 19:5). He was called Son of Man (John 9:35-37) He prayed to the Father (John 17). He was tempted (Matt. 4:1). He grew in wisdom (Luke 2:52). He died (Rom. 5:8). He has a body of flesh and bones (Luke 24:39).
Jesus is also our priest/pastor Whom we can RELATE to and Who lived just like us, yet without sin. Jesus was a man! Jesus was born most likely in spring around 3-4 BC, grew up in a family, wrestled with His brothers/sisters, had aunts/uncles, celebrated holidays, went to school, grew up and got a job. The writer of Hebrews states, “For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin. Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:14-16). Bottom line: Jesus had to be God to pay for our sins on Calvary. Jesus chose to be a human being so that we could “see” and “touch” God (Hebrews 1:3) and know His character. Religion is man's attempt to find God where Christianity is God's attempt to find man. Christianity is the only religion where God did something for us; God entered our world, paid for our sin, walked on our streets and paved the way for a real, relevant and eternal relationship with Him. Jesus is both Lord and Savior, both God and man. Thank God!
Professionals Dedicated to Protecting and Preserving Your Growing Investment Serving Our Neighbors Since 1957
Smog, Tire & Battery Auto Care Center TREE
We also can recycle old batteries. ASE Certified and all our work is Guaranteed. 1598 Simpson Lane, Marysville, Ca
10 The Ambassador
(530)742-5022
10%
OFF
when you mention this ad
(530)
We do Smog, General Repair, Tires, and Batteries
SERVICE
, INC.
673-7993
www.richardstree.com
Certified Arborist Tree Trimming Cabling & Bracing Tree & Stump Removal 24 Hr Emergency Service Arborist Reports
10% DISCOUNT WITH THIS AD Fully Insured for P.L. & P.D.
Workmen's Comp.
Lic. Contractor #608859
Senior Discounts
The Voice of the Christian Community, serving Yuba, Sutter, and Butte Counties
WWW.AMBASSADORNEWSPAPER.COM
ONGOING EVENTS
Christian Business Alliance Luncheon Every 1st Tue @ Noon Bonanza Inn, Yuba City Join us for Lunch, Fellowship and God’s Word! For info contact Dave Kugelman 530-632-9292
Right to Life Monthly Meeting 1st Wed., 7pm (1st Wed of every month) St. Isisdore’s Community Parish Hall Conference Room. Business Meeting open to the all interested in pro-life issues. For more info, visit www.ysrtl.org
ME Dessert (Marriage Educators) Mon 6:30-8PM (Monthly 2nd Monday) @ The Cookie Tree, YC 1st timers Welcome! Have a cup and a cookie while listening to what others are & planning to do to strengthen relationships and families. If you have an interest in strengthening relationships, we can fan your flame. Call Robbie @671-6069 or visit www.YubaSutterMarriage.com
Free Coffee Friday (New) 7-9am Hallwood Church of the Nazarene, 2825 Hwy 20, Marysville 2nd & 4th Friday of each summer month. Free coffee and donuts to help your morning commute.
Souper Mondays First United Meth. Church, YC Monday's 12-1pm Enjoy a free car wash while you have a BBQ lunch on us”
WISE (Women In Search of Excellence) Bible Study Cornerstone Church Tue. 7pm
FREE Karate Classes First Baptist Church of Olivehurst Mon 6:30pm FREE karate classes taught from a Christian perspective. 743-1831 for info, Pastor Miguel.
DIVORCE CARE Church of Glad Tidings 1179 Eager Road off Hwy 99 Wednesdays 7 - 8:30pm A Divorce Care group is a special place of encouragement, information and sharing. Divorce care groups meet weekly, providing you with an ongoing "support team" as you deal with the issues surrounding your separation or divorce. Info: 530671-6069 www.YubaSutterMarriage.com
Weekly Recovery Groups Crossroads Community Church Sundays 7-8pm and at Noon on Thursdays. We also offer a Grief Recovery Group on Wednesday Evenings from 7 to 8 p.m. For more information, please call Joyce Jordan at: 674-3441.
Celebrate Recovery Shepherd of the Valley Lutheran Church Tues 7pm - 674-9210
Celebrate Recovery Loma Rica Community Church - Moy Hall. Fri., 7pm. Call church office for more information 743-5435. Crossroads Clothes Closet Crossroads Community Church, YC Shop at our - FREE Clothes given away! Open weekdays 10-noon & 2:00 -4:00 pm AWANA Wed’s, 5:45-7:45 PM during the school year Evangelical Free Church 3785 Olive Hwy., Oroville For information please call 533-6866 Awana is a boys and girls club consisting of small group time, games, large group time. Awards are given for Bible verse memorization and handbook achievement. For ages 2 through the eighth grade. Prayer Vigil for LIFE! Last Wed of each month, 4-5pm Join us as we gather with people of faith throughout our area, as we peacefully pray on the sidewalk at the Yuba City Planned Parenthood. We meet on the last Wednesday of the month. For more info, please contact Heather Pugh (530)751-9349. WestWord Riders Motorcycle Ministry Gridley Grill, 484 Hwy 99, Gridley Feb. 19th, 8:30am The WestWord Riders motorcycle fellowship meets the 3rd Saturday of each month. Meetings are followed by a planned ride so dust off that helmet and join us! For any other information contact Willy Alongi at 701-1045. FREE YARN CRAFT Class First Baptist Church of Olivehurst – 1777 8th Ave, Olivehurst Monday’s, 10am. CELEBRATE RECOVERY Hope Point Nazarene, 600 N. George Washington Blvd, Yuba City Wed, 6:30pm Hope Point Nazarene, 2727 Fir Street, Live Oak Fri, 6:30pm Join us for this Christ-centered recovery group that provides a safe place for you with people who will love you through your pain, and celebrate with you during your victories. The group meets weekly, so visit us any time. Contact Jim Myers at 635-4688 for more information. Knit & Crochet Women's Fellowship First Baptist Church of Olivehurst, 1777 - 8th Avenue Mon 10am - Noon Practice your yarn craft or learn a new one with us. Knifty Knitters are welcome. Bring your own project or work on a charity item that we donate to those in need in the community. Contact Vivian 530-3019841 for further information.
CALENDAR REVIVAL: RELOADED! New Life’s Christian Fellowship Ministries, 1208 F St, Marysville Sat, Feb 5, 7pm Once again Pastor Darlene & Maurice Dennis and the members of N.L.C.F.M. are inviting everyone back for Revival: Reloaded! If you missed out the last time, make sure you are in the building this time! Come to receive the overflow God wants you to have! The featured speaker will be Prophetess Diane Lestrick. 10 GREAT DATES BEFORE YOU SAY "I DO” Emmanuel Faith Tabernacle 5286 Feather River Blvd., Linda Begins Feb 11th, 2011 Friday nights 6:30 - 8:30pm Registration/Info: 743-8555 www.YubaSutterMarriage.com Couples will love growing together while going out together. Share your hopes and dreams, appreciate your differences, communicate and connect, evaluate your relationship, celebrate romance, and more. COMEDY BANQUET WITH STEPHEN B Crossroads Community Church, YC –751-9168 Fri, Feb. 11 –7pm. For 28 years Stephen B has been making audiences laugh all over the country. His comedy is up-beat, positive and always appropriate. His material is topical, silly, thoughtful and absurd but most of all funny and guaranteed to make you laugh until it hurts! Cost $10.00 FREE THRIVENT WORKSHOP AND LUNCH "RETIREMENT PLANNING IN TODAY'S ECONOMY" First Lutheran Church, 850 Cooper Ave, YC . Sat Feb 12th - 11 am - 1pm All are welcome to attend our free workshop and lunch. Please RSVP to Sophia (530) 751-0452 by the end of the day on Thursday February 10th if you plan on staying for lunch.
PICK-A-PARTNER Church of Glad Tidings Feb 18th & 19th Friday, Pt 1 6:30-9:30pm Saturday, Pt 2 8:30am - 1:30pm Registration/Info: 530-671-6069 www.YubaSutterMarriage.com Picking the right partner may be the single most important predictor for long-term relationship success. You'll learn everything you need to pick the best partner for you and how to grow your relationship so that it will be a happy, healthy union that lasts. VOLUNTEER TRAINING A Woman’s Friend Pregnancy Resource Clinic 2/28, 3/1,2,7, 8,9 – 9am. – 12:30pm. Explore where God may be calling you to speak truth into the lives of women who find themselves in an unplanned pregnancy. Receptionist, client advocate, nurse (RN/LVN), Earn While You Learn mentor volunteer positions open. Call 741-9136 to register or get more information. JEFF and SHERI EASTER Crossroads Community Church, YC -751-9168 Tue, Mar. 2 – 7pm Dove Award winners and Grammy nominees Jeff and Sheri Easter present their unforgettable talent. They’ve been a part of the Gaither Homecoming Video Series since 1993. Don’t miss Jeff and Sheri in this FREE concert! POTTER’S FIELD Crossroads Community Church, YC -751-9168 Sat, Mar 5 – 7pm. Michael’s ability to communicate visually with clay, combined with Pam’s musical gifts, create a living parable further illustrated by humorous stories and poignant vignettes. The Rozell’s are a living testimony of how God has taken two broken vessels and remade them into His design. Don’t miss this very special FREE concert!
JOHNSON FAMILY REUNITED CONCERT Crossroads Community Church, YC -751-9168 Thur, Feb. 17 – 7pm A favorite of Crossroads and a rare event, we welcome back the Johnson Family in Concert. Don’t miss this special evening with the Johnson Family as they are reunited for a Free concert.
The Ambassador 11
The Voice of the Christian Community, serving Yuba, Sutter, and Butte Counties
COMMUNITY PASTOR PROFILE
WWW.AMBASSADORNEWSPAPER.COM
Your Body- Your Temple
Roderick F. Wilson “BJ”
Faith in Action By Dan Duran
Position: Sr. Pastor Church: Agape Lighthouse Community Church Denomination: Non-Denominational “Pentecostal” Years in current position: 3 Years in ministry: 20 Family: Wife: Leticia, Son: Broderick, Daughter: Michelle, Grandson: Gabriel, Granddaughter: Alaiya
BJ & Letty Wilson
Life Verse/passage: Psalms 138:8 Favorite book (other than the Bible): No favorite, but the two that have marked me most recently are: Hinds Feet in High Places and The Bait of Satan, by John Bevere. Inspiring Person/Role Model: Chief Master Sergeant Retired Sam High: provided surrogate leadership and direction during some critical and spiraling moments in my life. He remains a valued mentor in my life today. Human/Embarrasing Moment: Dancing and clowning around at snow camp while telling a short story I step onto a patch of ice and the next thing I know is my feet are in the air and I’m lying on my backside. Something you may not know about me: (an unusual experience, talent or interest of mine): Why I’m called “BJ” has no association with my given name. I grew up playing with shoes and my Great Grandmother nicknamed me boot. When I made my break onto the world scene, I was given the nickname “Bootsy.” I later and James, because it sounded good; establishing “Bootsy James.” I shortened it to make it simple and my nickname became “BJ”; so I’m predominantly called “BJ.” Message to the Community: Our message is similar to a message extended to the world at large in Romans 8:13 which says: whoever calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. In that, we say wherever you are, whoever you are, you’re a candidate for salvation; you need only call on the name of Jesus. As Pastor, let me say on behalf of our fellowship; “We love you already, now we only need the opportunity to get to know you, and for you to get to know our church family. Our doors are open to who so ever will decide that” this day” is the day that I walk through the doors of Agape Lighthouse Community Church. I have to say on the surface we appear to be much like any other churches in the Yuba/Sutter area, and yet we are completely different. We believe that “Jesus” is the big deal and we aspire to give him preeminence, as He alone deserves. Our hope is to provide a family worship environment where all who wish to, can grow in the knowledge of our Lord and Savor Jesus. Believe me when I say: “Jesus has a plan for your life!” My question for you is will let us, help you make that plan a reality. We are a growing body of believers seeking to carry the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the next generation. If you’re looking for a church home, we invite you to join our worship experience. We’re located at 2106 Pepper St. Sutter, CA. Service hours: Sunday Morning: 10am-12pm Family Worship and Bible Teaching Sunday Night: Prayer - Worship 6pm-7:30pm.
Hebrews 12:1-3 1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, 2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. What great perseverance Jesus had! How many times have we had a new year's resolution to get healthier, lose weight, give up habits, give up sweets or sodas, the list goes on and on… We last a day, a week, sometimes a month, and then we give up. Often it is because we do not have the support of those around us. I call them saboteurs, Jesus called them sins. They are our witnesses who can either give us strength or cause us to weaken. What do we do? How do we persevere? The first thing we must do is get to the root of why we even want to make changes. Is it to be able to play with our children without getting winded? To
get off of medications? To lessen pain? To avoid cancer? When we have come to our root causes, we must put them on paper. My personal goal is to be able to play with my 4 year-old in 13 more years. I will be almost 55 by then and I want to wrestle, race, and throw the ball back and forth. Then you break your goal down into steps. For me it is to continue to exercise on a regular basis and eat well. For others it may be to START eating well or exercising. It might be to exercise more often, or get professional guidance. It could be to cut back or even quit cigarette smoking. There are too many examples to list, but you get the idea. Starting is easy, persevering is where the work is. Enlist the help of others to support or guide you through your resolutions whether they are for the new year or not. Stay the course and be strong in prayer and faith. You faith in God must be unwavering, but your faith and belief in yourself is what will dictate your success. Dan (and his wife, Jennifer) are the owners of Duran Health Solutions Inc. and Curves. Dan is a Certified Personal Trainer and a Certified Transitions Lifestyle Coach. He may be reached at Coachdan@yubahealth.net.
Greenetz Construction “We Take It Personal”
“When you support CHRISTIAN OWNED BUSINESSES, you support the Kingdom of God!” 12 The Ambassador
Kitchens Baths Remodels 682.9602 greenetzcontruction.com License #452975
The Voice of the Christian Community, serving Yuba, Sutter, and Butte Counties
COMMUNITY
WWW.AMBASSADORNEWSPAPER.COM CBA MARKETPLACE MONTHLY
Prayer Power! by Seth Halpern On Wednesday, Jan 19th at 1:23am a 7.2 earthquake hit Pakistan. What was happening at that time? Many in Pakistan were asleep. Many Christians, in a nation known for their progressively aggressive persecution of Christians, were enduring suffering. Although there are many in this turbulent situation, one man there came to our attention due to a local connection. His sister, Shama, lives in Yuba City. Shama, a strong believer in Jesus who frequently attends the Christian Business Alliance (CBA) shared the burden of her brother’s situation with the CBA at their weekly meeting. She told of his recent abduction by radical Muslims who did not like his faith in Christ. They posed as police officers and “arrested” him but
he could not be found at any police stations. Heavy-hearted, Shama shared her concerns and asked for prayer. Though the CBA was meeting that day at Hands of Hope Ministry to pray for the needs of the homeless and displaced, along with provision for the ministry, the group lifted up fervent prayers on behalf of Shama and her family. Much prayer took place during the noon hour. As a result of the chaotic situation in the aftermath of the quake, Shama’s brother was released. Although he was beaten, he will make a full recovery. Pakistan time is 13 hours ahead of local California time, putting the earthquake at 12:23pm on Tuesday. The CBA meets from noon to 1pm each Tuesday. What will God do at the next meeting? Join us and find out!
Newcastle Yuba City
9093 Old State Hwy Newcastle, CA 95658
916-663-4116 530-751-2238
1397 Colusa Hwy Yuba City, CA 95993
Business Printing & Checks P O orma by Kug Logo Design Presentation Folders SCREEN PRINTING EMBROIDERY PENS, MUGS BUSINESS
Shirts / Jackets / Hats (screen printed or embroidered with your logo)
Call For Quote
530-742-2423
STATIONERY
& FULL LINE OF PROMOTIONAL PRODUCTS David & Robin Kugelman - Owners -
www.proforma.com/kug
BUSINESS ALLIANCE “Building Up Christians, Lifting Up Christ”
Calling All Followers Of Christ The Christian Business Alliance would like to invite you to our midweek meetings
Current members: A-1 Carpet Cleaning - (530) 673-3634 - www.a-1clean.com Ron Brasier - A Hand Up Ministry - (530) 671-1360 Marty Brown - KCYC-LP FM - (530) 674-5296 Kathleen Caldwell - City of Live Oak - (530) 695-2112 Fred Cox - Richard's Tree Service - (530) 673-7993 Brent Davis - Davis Family Insurance - (530) 671-2764 Jon Fullerton - Sierra View Mortuary - (530) 742-6957 Shelley Gallagher - Gallagher Ranch Larry Geweke - Larry Geweke Ford-Kia - www.geweke.com Debbie Gilstrap - Sierra Central Credit Union debbie_gilstrap@hotmail.com Pamela Givans Marcos Gonzalez - Ultimate Business Maintenance - (530) 671-1564 John L. Guth - AttorneyEstate Planning - www.johnguthlaw.com Seth Halpern - Ambassador Newspaper - editor@ambassadornewspaper.com David Hobbs Painting - Cont. Lic#880562 (530)742-2428 Marilyn Hoffman - Associated Brokers - (530) 682-1930 Bill & Cassandra Hoon - A Better Yard Care - (530) 788-5899 Rodney Hick Brad Indelicato - Dolco Packaging - bdi26@comcast.net Dean Ingraham - Retiredrandd54@syix.com Bill Jens - Yuba Sutter Healthy Marriage Project - (530) 671-6069 Dave & Robin Kugelman - Proforma by Kug - (530) 742-2423 Clay Maynard - Consultant - (530) 790-6611 Jerry Munz - JM Construction Co. - (530) 682-5316 Jared Nunes - Sutter Health Ronda Putman Becky Reimers - A Woman’s Friend - (530) 741-9136 Darrell Sayles - Love Unlimited Body of Christ - luboc2004@yahoo.com Roger Shadd - Shadd Janitorial Supply - 530-673-0083 Robert Stark - Sutter county Auditor/Controller - suttercountyauditor.org Dwayne Tanabe - Taylor Accountancy Corp - dktanabe@yahoo.com Jenine Tanabe - Jenine L. Tanabe, MD Dematology - (530) 743-0301 Jim Whiteaker - Sutter County Supervisor - jwhiteaker@co.sutter.ca.us Rich Fellowship, Powerful Prayer, Refreshing Presence of God! We meet at the Bonanza Inn the first Tuesday of the month from noon – 1pm.
For weekly reminders, updates, or to join email editor@ambassadornewspaper.com
The Ambassador 13
The Voice of the Christian Community, serving Yuba, Sutter, and Butte Counties
OPINIONS AS WE SEE IT
Free To Speak Corporate Censorship by Chuck Colson
The government dare not censor free speech. But it’s OK for a major corporation to do so. What’s going on? I remember the days when the term “freedom of speech” referred to, well, actual speech. Of course, it’s come to mean “freedom of expression.” That is to say, an artist can claim a constitutionally protected right to display a picture of a crucifix in a jar of urine. Or pornographers can claim free speech by peddling obscene pictures over the internet or in a magazine. Such expression is, of course, protected by law. We don’t even argue about it anymore. But while restrictions on expression are vanishing, how is it that restrictions on actual speech in the public square are increasing? One obvious case in point is Apple’s decision to pull the Manhattan Declaration app from its iTunes app store. Apple has decided that the document, which uses civil and biblical language to declare that marriage should be reserved to one man and one woman, constitutes the equivalent of hate speech. We do not live in a truly free, liberal democracy when a major corporation like Apple, which controls so much of the information flow in our society, can seek to control the great moral debates of our age by simply denying access to one side of the debate. It’s true, if government seeks to censor, say, a newspaper or a magazine, all kinds of lawsuits are sure to follow. But private censorship of free speech can be just as deadly; even more so. And this, I fear, is what is happening in American life today. Now, in banning the Manhattan Declaration app, Apple decided to bend to the wishes of a small but very vocal group of homosexual-rights activists. But don’t think those activists will stop at the Manhattan Declaration. They are on the lookout for any organization that dares to oppose so-called “same-sex marriage.” Just last week, homosexual bloggers squawked that the Pennsylvania Family
14
WWW.AMBASSADORNEWSPAPER.COM
The Ambassador
Institute was sponsoring what they called an “anti-gay,” “anti-equality” conference; and worse yet, that a prominent food chain, Chick-fil-A, was a co-sponsor. Of course, the conference was no such thing. The conference’s title is “The Art of Marriage, Getting to God’s Design.” I happen to know the founder of Chick-fil-A—Truett Cathy—a wonderful, outstanding Christian businessman. Why should they be bashed for supporting a good thing—promoting healthy marriages? More and more, the forces of political correctness and intolerance are seeking to ban Christian beliefs and Christian speech from the public square. And they are targeting corporations and the media to enforce stringent sanctions against what they deem to be politically incorrect speech. And that’s why we’re not going to give up on defending our right to speak freely and civilly to the important moral, ethical, and political issues facing our society. We must embrace the Christian virtue of perseverance because we are in for a long, hard struggle. And the forces of political correctness are counting on Christians to back down, give up, retreat to the pews or the monasteries. Well I, for one refuse to do that. Folks, we must continue to speak out. Or we will, indeed, be silenced.
Living Word Christian Center Christian Books Gifts Christian Decor Church Supplies
530-534-1227 1533 Myers Street, Oroville
Who Inspired The Arizona Shooter? By Seth Halpern
Seth Halpern - Editor
There has been a lot of political mudslinging since Jan 8th when 6 people were killed and several more injured at the hands of one man with a gun. The target was a democratic member of congress. I use that description of “the target” because in the aftermath of the tragedy, that seems to be the most significant detail. The fact that she was a young woman with a husband and a promising career seems to be a secondary story. In a society full of power-grabbers and corruption the idea of right and wrong has long since given way to right and left. Democrats almost immediately pointed to the Tea Party conservatives, accusing Sarah Palin, Rush Limbaugh and others of inciting this kind of violence. The Republicans responded by calling the shooter a “liberal pot-head”. I really don't think that the accusations of either party console the victims and their families. The point is that this is a tragedy caused by a very unstable person and is becoming all too
Sign up for the
common. This is not an issue of Right and Left but of Right (as in righteous) and Wrong (as in sinful). As our culture and society continues on its downward spiral, I believe we will see more of this (unfortunately). While people debate whether or not this is a Christian nation, the people of this nation (and all nations) need a savior. When a society disallows the loving God from its people, havoc will rule the day. We need not look very far back in history to see the evidence of that. The shooter was not inspired by Sarah Palin or Rush Limbaugh. He was inspired (and more likely overwhelmed) by demonic forces which seek to kill, steal and destroy (Jn 10:10) Jesus came to bring abundant life. When a society progressively restricts its people from the Savior, it is not surprising to find the enemy of God more active. If prayer was more welcomed before the tragedy, there might be fewer “prayer vigils” needed after them.
Ambassador
Email Update News, Events, Contests & More Stay “in the Loop” Send your email address to
editor@ambassadornewspaper.com
The Voice of the Christian Community, serving Yuba, Sutter, and Butte Counties
AMBASSADOR WWW.AMBASSADORNEWSPAPER.COM
MARKETPLACE
FINANCIAL/INSURANCE
Express Smog Tire & Battery Auto Care Center ASE Certified 1598 Simpson Lane, Marysville
DAVIS FAMILY INSURANCE & FINANCIAL SERVICES A Farmers Insurance Agency Auto-Home-Life-commercial-Blue Cross 1650 Sierra Ave Suite 202A - YC 95993
(530) 742-5022
530-671-2764 #0F27435
KLOTZ Mobile Detail
DWAYNE TANABE
(530) 315-3272 rob.klotz@yahoo.com
Business Services (530)846-3335 dkennethtanabe@msn.com
MONROE TRANSMISSION Don Monroe
1397 Colusa Hwy Yuba City 530-751-2238
Taxes-Bookkeeping &
GRANGE INSURANCE AGENCY Yvette Adams 530-743-6081 Auto-Home-Farm-Mobilehome
HOBBIES/ENRICHMENT
DAVE GREENETZ CONSTRUCTION INC. www.greenetzconstruction.com REMODELING
Son Light Glass Leaded, Stained, Mosaic & Fused Classes, Supplies & Custom Designs
682.9602- lic.# 452975
530-755-6602
HILBERS INC.
HOME MAINTENANCE
CONTRACTORS & ENGINEERS 1210 Stabler Lane, Yuba City www.hilbersinc.com 530-673-2947
A-1 Carpet Cleaning
PROFORMA BY KUG
JJ's Discount Tools & Merchandise
Dave Kugelman Promotional Products www.proforma.com/kug 530-632-9292
List Your Business Here
(530) 673-3634 Carpets Wet? Call A-1 for Water Damage Restoration www.a-1clean.com
New & Used Tools Buy - Sell - Trade
530-755-4129 TB Banducci’s Plumbing Inc Residential/Commercial/Service Tony Banducci – 32yrs exp.
(530)701-7079
www.tbplumbinginc.vpweb.com lic #609982
HOME MAINTENANCE
Yuba City Pest Control P.O. Box 2, Yuba City, CA 95992 Ph. (530) 755-2555 Fx. (530) 755-4672 "Quality Service Guaranteed" LANDSCAPING
A BETTER YARD CARE “We can help free up your weekends!”
530-673-3722 General Yard Care & Maintenance
PETS
eXfuze Seven+ botanical supplements: acai, fucoidan, goji, seabuckthorn, noni, gac, mangosteen
Robert E. Stark
674-0345, stark@otnusa.com
JENINE L. TANABE MD DERMATOLOGY 414 G Street, Suite 204 Marysville 743-0301
Cassandra Hoon
Big T’s Tree Service 530-237-6743
Tree trimming * removal * stump grinding www.bigtstrees.com
Country Vet Clinic, Inc 4839 E. Butte Rd, Live Oak "Treating all creatures Great and Small" Jerry Long, DVM & Assoc. SPECIAL EVENTS
GOT JUNK? PINTARELLI FAMILY HAULING & CLEAN UP *Trash & Debris Removal *Move in/out *Rental & Foreclosure Cleanouts *Handyman & much more *lic. & ins.*Very Dependable*Reasonable prices
Call Mike Pintarelli : 530-701-6726
Richard’s Tree Service
Invitations by hope "Specializing in Custom Wedding Invitation Designs"
(530) 301.0380
www.invitationsbyhope.com
530-673-7993 Certified Arborist www.richardstree.com Lic. 608859
"MarketPlace ads should not be considered as an endorsement of The Ambassador as to the spiritual commitment of the advertiser. The Ambassador does not and cannot "monitor" spiritual commtiment of its advertisers."
ADVOCARE
Impact The Community
Sports Performance * Weight Management Wellness & Energy/Skin Care Financial Opportunity
AND
Independent Distributor advocare.com/09013719
Reach New Customers. Advertise your business in
Excellent Massage Care
The Ambassador Marketplace!
Pete Gibson 533-1552
“A Touch Like No Other” Brenda Banducci 530-701-4847 397 Del Norte Ave, YC
530-933-1385 editor@ambassadornewspaper.com
The Ambassador 15
Listen to
The
Ambassador Radio Show Hosted by Seth Halpern NEWS INTERVIEWS DISCUSSION
Fri. 5pm repeated at 9pm and Saturday at 7pm
KCYC
-LP
104.7
Thurs. 5pm
ENCOUR AGING WORD R ADIO
repeated at 9pm and Saturday at 5pm
Taking Back Christianity with Sean Blount & Dave Kugelman
Discussing important issues of faith and culture Listen to Bob Fromm on The Encouraging Word weekdays at 9:01am & 7:05pm
The Ambassador is distributed at the following area Churches: Agape Lighthouse Church, Sutter Assembly of God Church, OLV Bethel A.M.E. Church, MV Biggs United Methodist Church Brownsville Baptist Church Brownsville Lutheran Church Calvary Baptist Church, Oroville Calvary Chapel of Browns Valley Challenge Community Church Christ Has Risen Ministry, Olivehurst Church of Glad Tidings, YC Church of God of Prophecy, OLV Church of the Nazarene, LO Church of the Nazarene, YC Church of the Nazarene, Gridley Cooper Ave. Baptist, YC Cornerstone Evangelical Free Church, YC Crossroads Community Church, YC Dobbins Christian Assembly Dobbins Seventh Day Adventist Emmanuel Faith Tabernacle, Linda Evangelical Free Church, Oroville Feather River Baptist Church, MV First Baptist Church, OLV First Lutheran Church, YC First Presbyterian Church, Colusa First Presbyterian Church, Gridley First Presbyterian Church, MV
First United Methodist, YC Grace Baptist Church, Oroville Grace Baptist Church, YC Grace Bible Church of Gridley Gray Ave. Church, YC Hallwood Nazarene Church Loma Rica Baptist Church Loma Rica Community Church Love UnLimited Body of CHRIST, MV New Beginnings Wesleyan Church, MV New Life Assembly, Linda New Life Church, Oroville North Valley Calvary Chapel, YC Oregon House Community Church Oroville Rescue Mission Praise Chapel, YC Richvale Church Riverside Restoration Center, Linda Salvation Army, YC Shepherd of the Valley, YC St. Isidore's Catholic Church, YC Sutter United Methodist Church The Almond Tree Church, YC The Father’s House, LO The Rivers Church, YC Trinity Life Church, YC Victory Chapel, LO Word of Life Church, MV
Distributed in more than 250 locations in Yuba, Sutter, and Butte Counties. If you would like copies to distribute in your church or business, please email editor@ambassadornewspaper.com.