August 2013
June 2012
Trayvon Martin By Rob Faircloth CP Op-Ed Contributor
O
ne must seriously weigh the decision to write about George Zimmerman and Trayvon Martin. But one must not miss the opportunity to talk about sin and how this case can bring the gospel to millions. Everyone wants to know whether you vote Guilty or Not Guilty, and someone is bound to be very disappointed with whatever answer is given, or the answer that is not given at all. And, with the nationalization of local crime, “someone” turns out to be quite large numbers of “someones”. Yet if we are able to reasonably discuss those things that threaten to divide us, in which the stakes of further division are high, hearing more voices is generally better than hearing fewer. Viewing the Martin-Zimmerman case from a distance, I naturally come to a conclusion about what the evidence shows, with one large caveat: I don’t know all the evidence. Nevertheless, I think that the evidence, as it has been reported, would support either the jury’s conclusion that Zimmerman committed a type of manslaughter (something less than premeditated murder) or its decision
that Zimmerman acted in justified selfdefense. At this point, most readers will disagree with me, perhaps violently, and claim that there is only one possible outcome from the evidence, and depending on your perception of the case, some will say the jury reached that one possible
Yet one thing that is always present in conflict between people, that never needs to be inserted, but that is almost always neglected, is not the race card, but the sin card. outcome while others will say it did not. Herein, as they say, lies the problem and the potential for a tumultuous national future. For if you believe that the only reason the jury reached a Not Guilty verdict is because Trayvon Martin is black and George Zimmerman is notblack, because it capitulated to the jurors’ own latent racist tendencies, because it is part of a long train of race-based abuses foisted on minorities by the majority
George Zimmerman government structure, then you will never be part of a solution to our nation’s real racial divide, but instead will exacerbate it. Similarly, if you believe that the only verdict the jury could have reached is Not Guilty because Trayvon Martin is black and George Zimmerman is not-black, because young black boys in hoodies are always thugs looking for trouble, because black people in gated communities must be criminals, because you refuse to consider the possibility of sinister racial motivations, then you, too, will never be part of the solution to our nation’s real racial divide, but instead will exacerbate it. Given how the conversation tends to go, one suspects, however, that a solution is not within human reach. Thabiti Anyabwile, in his post about this, states well the frustration some of us feel regarding the race discussion. First, for those holding a biblical worldview, there should be no race, only ethnicity. Second, in many situations, the race card is inserted to a deck that did not already contain it; in others, the issue becomes either only about race or not
MIRaCleS ABOUND IN NORTHERN CALIFORNIA
p. 4
In The News... P. 7-9 Community p. 12 -17
Cont. on p. 9
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INSPIRATION Philipians 4:8 Be there anything true, its all in Your Word. Everything honest, so scribed to be heard. Whatever is just, already ordained. Everything pure, in the sound of Your Name. Whatever is lovely, has come from Your Hand. Of good report to abide in Your Plan. If there be any virtue, its all in His Story, and every praise for Him. My Jesus, His Glory. Professionals Dedicated to Protecting and Preserving Your Growing Investment Serving Our Neighbors Since 1957
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Miracles Abound in Northern California!
By Elizabeth Hexberg
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I was reading about the miracles that people experienced in the May issue and just got so blessed. I love to hear what Jesus did!!! I love to see Him encounter people with His Love. My name is Tim Morris. I currently live in Redding, California. I did live in Marysville and Yuba City from 1985 to 2009. Here are some miracles I have seen during my first five months in Redding. In October 2009, my pastor after the service called out “God wants to heal the L4 and L5, if that is you, lift up your hand.” I had injured my back in 1983 lifting heavy furniture incorrectly. I have been having back pain for 27 years. That Sunday night at church as I lifted my hand, I was healed instantly. The pain left my back. I could tell there was strength in my back I bent down and touched my toes with no pain. It was like freedom. My back experienced freedom. To this day, I am still healed, YEA GOD!!! The next month, some students and I got to pray for a girl whose left leg was shorter than the other. We asked her to sit straight and place her legs out in front together. We prayed and right in front of our eyes her leg grew ½ inch, it matched up with the right leg. We started praising Jesus for His touch on her. And right before our eyes the left leg grew again, another ½ inch. We were perplexed! What!! So, we started praying for her right leg to catch up. And it did. But it grew another ½ inch more making it uneven. We ended up praying seven times more just like this. She was 5’-0” tall before we started praying she is now 5’-3 1/2” tall. Come on Jesus!!! A few people and I prayed for a lady who had a tumor in her left arm pressing against the main nerve. This caused her left hand to be immobile. It just hung there limp. After a minute of prayer, the lady was able to move her hand at the wrist. Another minute of prayer she starts to flex her fingers. And another minute later she has free movement of her hand. Thank you Jesus!!!
On another occasion, a few of us prayed for a lady who had five tumors in her eyes, three on the left and two on the right. They looked like marbles underneath her eyelids. We prayed and the tumors disappeared!!!” Hooray Jesus!!! I prayed for a lady on Skype; she was living in South Africa. She had a bulge (about the size of a grapefruit) in her stomach that was very painful. Two missionaries who were with her watched the bulge disappear from view and all her pain left. I was so amazed. God touches us through Skype! The miracles I have seen have increased since then. God is doing great things in our city.
Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” Matthew 19:26
If you have experienced a miracle of God in your life, please submit it to us. We want to let our community know that the Lord is still active in our hearts, bodies, and trials. His power is not limited to a few locations but He is active wherever His people are faithful and obedient. Email your testimony to editor@ ambassadornewspaper.com
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Toes Up! by Paula McBride My feet are happy this month (July), especially my toes. You see, when my toes are up, my feet are at rest. My toes have been up while reading books during the day or enjoying a “feel good” movie in the evening. They’ve been up underneath the table at favorite restaurants or in the homes of friends. My toes relaxed along the shore of Lake Tahoe while my eyes feasted on color and majesty found only there. Ah, the luxury of vacation time! It’s not that I don’t love my ministry in Mexico. I certainly do, and I miss those friends daily. But there’s something special about knowing you’re home when you see the chickens in the grocery store parking lot, the orchards ripe for picking, and the Sutter Buttes poking up in the western sky. It’s so good to catch up with family and life-long friends. I’m certain it’s a taste of our true home when we reach heaven. Vacations end, yet memories remain. Even vacation calamities make for good story-telling years from now. When Philippians 4:8 speaks of thinking about things that are lovely, I can go into the videos of my mind and re-create the beauty and pleasure of relaxing times, times when my toes were up. We might not think taking time to relax is possible in this get-ahead world, but relaxation is actually God’s idea. After God made the majestic mountain that was
the focus of my gaze, He rested. Toes up? It isn’t sacrilegious to think of the Creator kicking back, crossing His ankles, and nodding His head. “It is good!” God said. Elijah needed rest and nourishment to heal from a time of depression after a great spiritual battle. Jesus modeled going apart from the crowds for a time of communion with His Father. Paul wrote several times about his friends “refreshing” him during his ministry. If these heroes needed to kick back at times, how much greater is our need? Sometimes we associate God with burdensome duty and try to run from Him when we need a break. But running to Him, relaxing in His presence, is an opportunity to show God that we trust Him to meet needs that we think are our responsibility. Isaiah recorded the passion God has for us to come to Him when he wrote, “In returning to Me and resting in Me you shall be saved; in quietness and trust shall be your strength (Isaiah 30:15 AMP). It’s a good thing we don’t need a vacation to find rest in the Lord. Anywhere there’s a comfortable spot to kick our feet out, cross our ankles, point our toes up, and focus on the loveliness of God, even for just a minute or two, He is there to delight in us as we deepen our confidence in Him.
INSPIRATION Tostadas and the Lord By April James
Tostadas are like our relationship with the Lord. Just like the tostada has multiple layers, there are many layers in our relationship with the Lord; the superficial, pleasurable, intimate and deep. Do we stop at the first layer of the tostada or go deeper taking delight in each layer. We can’t always see what is in the next layer which just tantalizes us, inviting us to continue on to explore more. So it is with the Lord, each layer more fulfilling than the last until we reach
the core, the meat, the depth of Him, to finally reach the solid foundation. Having fully explored, tasted and seen, we can say with assurance that He is indeed good. He satisfies us beyond measure, leaving us wanting more of Him. Superficial and pleasurable – are the beginning layers. The Olive on top with the sour cream, the layer which starts to delight the taste buds, but not sustaining. They are the feel good Sunday morning routine - done to satisfy the
conscious, making a good appearance yet able to skip out on a Sunday without being noticed. Dining only at this layer without going deeper can leave one weak. Then a little deeper into the tantalizing layers of guacamole and lettuce – pleasurable and a little more filling than the first layer. You are becoming involved in church activities, occasionally reading the bible, and developing relationships; yet playing in the safety zone without a full commitment. A desire is starting to develop, a longing for more. Then comes the deep layers, you are committed to eating the tostada. You’re into the meat and beans, the nutritional life sustaining layers. You have jumped in feet first, diving ever deeper into an intimate relationship with the Lord; that which brings deep growth in your spiritual life. Then, finally reaching the solid foundation, the tostada shell, that which supports all else, what your faith is founded upon. Your feet become firmly planted on the solid rock of Jesus Christ. Then having fully explored, tasted and seen, you can say with assurance that He is indeed good. He satisfies beyond measure, leaving us wanting more of Him. Anyone ready for another tostada…?
Bible Jumble
Unscramble the following Bible books:
1. nehevorp 2. leikeze 3. hainahpez 4. hairahcez 5. hacim
6. haidabo 7. leinad 8. haimerej 9. haiasi 10. haimerbs
Answers on page 18
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CALENDAR 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 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. Weekly Recovery Groups Crossroads Community Church Sunday 7-8pm, Monday 6:30-8:30 We also offer a Grief Recovery Group on Wednesday Evenings from 7 to 8 p.m. For more information, please call church office 530-7519168. 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 Mon - Fri 10am - 4pm 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. Prayer Vigil for LIFE! Last Wed of each month, 4-5pm Yuba-Sutter Right to Life is hosting peaceful, prayerful vigils in front of the Yuba City Planned Parenthood. All you need to participate is one hour and the desire to pray for LIFE. Please contact Heather Pugh at 751-9349 if you are interested. WestWord Riders Motorcycle Ministry August 17th 8:30am at Gridley Grill, 484 Hwy 99, Gridley 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 more information, contact: Willy Alongi at 701-1045.
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Celebrate Recovery Hope Point Nazarene, 600 N. George Washington Blvd, Yuba City Each Wednesday, 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 Pastor Mark or Pastor Dan at 671-1130 for more information. Knit & Crochet Women's Fellowship First Baptist Church of Olivehurst, 1777 - 8th Ave. 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. Call 530-645-8061 for further information. SAMARITAN VILLAGE MONTHLY MEETING Call 329-6619 for location 3rd Tue of each month, 6:30pm This meeting is open to all who are interested in helping with an orphanage in Tanzania. For info call Tara at 329-6619 “Reformers Unanimous” Addictions Meetings & Fellowship Bible Baptist Church 2787 N. Beale Rd. Marysville Meets Every Friday Night, 7:00 p.m. We are a faith based addictions program that teaches the only way to have peace and gain victory over addictions and other things in life that cause us pain and sorrow, is to let God do it for you. We love you and have personal testimonies of how The Lord has changed our hearts and lives using this program DIVORCE CARE Wednesdays 7:00 - 8:30pm The Church of Glad Tidings 1179 Eager Road, Yuba City A Divorce Care group is a special place of encouragement, information and sharing. Weekly meetings provide you with an ongoing “support team” as you deal with the issues surrounding your separation or divorce. Info: 530-671-6069 www. YubaSutterMarriage.com Celebrate Recovery Praise Chapel Church Sun. 6:30 p.m. Join us for great worship and open share group. For more info call 530-923-7204 AHOP Ascending House of Prayer Every Tuesday & Thursday 6:00 - 8:00pm Church of Glad Tidings 1179 Eager Road, YC Info: 530-671-3160 www.churchofgladtidings.com We are a place of ascending and contending prayer for the release of an inception of another
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Jesus Movement in California, a Righteousness Movement for awakening in America and another wave of prayer and missions to transform cities and nations across the globe. Everyone welcome Couplehood - A New Way to Love Begins April 10th Wednesdays 7:00 - 8:30pm Hosted at:The Church of Glad Tidings 1179 Eager Road, Yuba City 530-671-6069 www.YubaSutterMarriage.com This 6-week program helps couples learn the skills necessary to realize their relationship potential. Learn a new way to talk and a new way to listen; Co-create a relationship vision; Discover the uniqueness of one’s partner and more. Celebrate Recovery Crossroads Community Church Mondays at 6:30pm We are a Christ-Centered recovery group that provides a safe place to share your struggles, experiences, victories, and hopes with others who are also going through a Christ-Centered recovery. For more information contact Scott McCoy at 530776-7602 or Follow us on Facebook @Celebrate Recovery Crossroads Community Church CLASS FOR HUSBANDS “The Way to Love Your Wife” Embassy of Heaven Campus 1179 Eager Rd., Yuba City Class begins September 11 Wednesdays 7:00 - 8:30PM Cost $35 Info: 530.671.6069 bill@yubasuttermarriage.com Pre-registration required Keep the sizzle in your marriage. The Way to Love Your Wife will unveil the mystery “what women want” and show how simple it is to boost your love life. Based on the book by Clifford and Joyce Penner.
SPECIAL EVENTS TEARING DOWN STRONGHOLDS Church of Glad Tidings 1179 Eager Rd., Yuba City Begins Monday, Aug 12 at 9:00 AM Ends Wednesday, Aug 14 at 9:00 PM Info: 530-671-3160 www.tdsministries.org Cost $25 (includes manual) An intense 3-day course designed primarily for those involved in or feel God may be calling them into the deliverance ministry. The goal is primarily instruction to equip you, to see all of God’s people walk in freedom. Everyone invited. Faith Christian School Elementary Back To School Night Elementary Campus 2620 Colusa Hwy. in Yuba City Tuesday, August 13, 7:00 p.m. For enrolled families with elementary students; school year orientation, meet teachers, visit classrooms, pick up calendars and other materials. For more information call (530) 674-3922. Walk around the Capitol for Life Saturday, August 17, 10:00 a.m. Capitol Park Sacramento (Will Smith Memorial Bench) A walk/run/bike around the State Capitol to show your support for Life, followed by a seminar inside the State Capitol Building on Restoring the Right to Life. Faith Christian School Secondary Back To School Night Secondary Campus 3105 Colusa Hwy. in Yuba City Monday, August 19, 7:00 p.m. For enrolled families with secondary students; school year orientation, meet teachers, visit classrooms, pick up calendars and other materials. For more information call (530) 674-4574. NORTHERN CALIFORNIA MEN’S CAMP “Men of Honor” Woodleaf Young Life Camp 11359 LaPorte Rd., Challenge Guest Speaker Dr. Phil Goudeaux August 22-24
Cont. next page If your church or ministry is having an outreach activity that you would like to promote in our calendar, please send your item via email to editor@ambassadornewspaper.com by the 15th of the month for a listing in the following month’s issue.
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Cost $159 Info: 530.671.3160 paul@churchofgladtidings.com Activities: Basketball, volleyball, frisbee football, fishing, hiking, swimming pool to name a few, and coffee shop on site. Come hear the word from Dr. Phil Goudeaux, a world-renown pastor, teacher, author, and motivational speaker. Twin Cities Rescue Mission Bible College Twin Cities Rescue Mission, 940 14th St. Marysville Starts: September 3rd Ends: November 21st 8am-12pm This is completely free and open to everyone. Classes will be held on Tuesdays and Thursdays and there will be food and refreshments. 1st Samuel will be taught by Roger Vaca, the Gospel of John by Greg Taylor, Hebrews by Charlie Wood, and Reformed Theology by Frank Weger. Call 530-743-8777 for more info. TERRY BENNETT Church of Glad Tidings 1179 Eager Rd., Yuba City Saturday, Sept 14 at 7:00 PM Sunday, Sept 15 at 10:00 AM Info: 530.671.3160 info@churchofgladtidings.com Terry has traveled extensively internationally and across the United States ministering in churches, conferences, and to individuals to encourage them in knowing the Lord and living in His love. Women of Purpose September 21st, 6pm 460 Woodbridge Ave, YC Speaker: Sandi Waters – Come join us ladies of all generations! For info call Letty 530-632-6907
IN THE NEWS...
Carlos Danger and Cheap Grace No Road to Respectability
By: Eric Metaxas www.breakpoint.org How is it that disgraced politicians keep popping back into public life without too much trouble? As I record this, former congressman Anthony Weiner is staying in the race for mayor of New York. In case you forgot, he’s the one who resigned in 2011 after sexually suggestive tweets he sent to virtual strangers became public. He’s staying in the race, despite reports of serial sexting under the nom de thumb“Carlos Danger.” He joins disgraced former governor Eliot Spitzer, who is running for comptroller, on the ballot. It isn’t only New York: recently, South Carolina voters returned Mark Sanford, who ruined the phrase “hiking the Appalachian Trail” for the rest of us, to Congress. These and other instances of politicians “falling from grace” and then being restored to a measure of respectability, are usually explained by the statement “Americans are a forgiving lot.” As a Christian, I am all for forgiveness, as I’m sure you are. But what’s on display in these instances isn’t so much an example of forgiveness as it is of “cheap grace.” That’s how David French put it at National Review. The expression
“cheap grace” comes from Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s “Cost of Discipleship.” “Cheap grace,” Bonhoeffer wrote, “is the grace we bestow on ourselves [and] the preaching of forgiveness without requiring repentance.” Ultimately, it is “grace without the cross, grace without Jesus Christ, living and incarnate.” As French pointed out, “the pattern is familiar and depressing: Public stumble, public apology, public rebirth—and then the next public stumble follows with depressing frequency.” Some politicians “opt out of scandal” by “marrying their mistresses and prancing in front of cameras with their latest adoring spouse,” but the end result is the same: a parody of forgiveness and grace that makes the real thing increasingly unrecognizable. I agree with French that the allure of “cheap grace” is easy to understand. “We want to close the worst chapters of our lives as quickly as possible and just get on with living on the same trajectory as before, minus the embarrassment.” But grace and true forgiveness are supposed to alter the trajectory of our lives, not preserve it. They are supposed to make us better as well as wiser. How this might happen is illustrated in the story of John Profumo, the British Secretary of State for War. In 1963,
Profumo was at the center of a huge sexand-spies scandal that eventually brought down Britain’s conservative government. Profumo resigned “disgraced and stripped of all public dignities.” Yet when he died in 2006, the Telegraph wrote “few ended their lives as loved and revered by those who knew him.” That’s because, as Peggy Noonan recently wrote in the Wall Street Journal, Profumo “did the hardest thing for a political figure. He really went away.” “He didn’t give interviews, never wrote a book, didn’t go on TV.” Instead, he spent the next forty years working at “a rundown settlement house called Toynbee Hall in the East End of London.” Really working. He washed dishes and cleaned toilets. In a 2003 interview, in response to the question “what have you learnt from this place?” he replied, “humility.” And that’s precisely what is missing in our culture of public confession and cheap grace. Profumo “got it;” he demonstrated remorse and died “loved and revered.” You might remember another famous, disgraced public figure who got it: Chuck Colson. After his fall from power during Watergate and a stint in prison, Colson spent the rest of his life ministering to “the least, the last, and the lost.” By embracing repentance and humility, Profumo and Colson experienced true grace: A grace that God makes available to each and every one of us.
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IN THE NEWS... Free Speech & Facebook We Can Defend Our Liberties
By: John Stonestreet Breakpoint.org Karl Marx said that history repeats itself, first as tragedy, then as farce. And for once, I agree with him. After World War II, our nation found itself in a dangerous Cold War with the Soviets. But while America eventually prevailed, not everything done in the name of freedom was kosher. For a time, Senator Joseph McCarthy and the House Un-American Activities Committee wreaked havoc on free speech and destroyed a lot of reputations—remember the Hollywood Ten? Modern liberals have made freedom of speech a cornerstone of their movement, and rightly so, ever since. Tragically, the old impulse to control what people believe and say—or crush them politically—is still alive and well. But farcically, it is those who say they value tolerance over everything who are doing a lot of the persecuting. Orson Scott Card, an awardwinning writer of fantasy and science fiction, is their latest target. Card, a Mormon, has publicly stated that society should oppose gay marriage and even homosexual conduct—a pretty mainstream position just a few years ago.
Well, earlier this year, when he was selected to write for a new Superman comic series, homosexual activists tried to blacklist him—on National Public Radio, no less! Now Card’s science-fiction book, “Ender’s Game,” is being released as a major film this fall, and the thought police are at it again. A gay activist group organized a boycott of “Ender’s Game,” even though all sides agree the movie has nothing to do with any social issue. The goal of these neo-McCarthy-ites is to punish Card, plain and simple, to make him unemployable, and to hurt any company that transgresses their definition of political correctness. Surprisingly enough, The New York Times is calling them on it. The Times says that the boycott is really “closer to blacklisting,” adding, “This isn’t about stopping the dissemination of antigay sentiments; it’s about isolating Mr. Card and shaming his business partners, thus cutting into their profits. If Mr. Card belongs in quarantine, who’s next?” Good question, New York Times. Well, who’s next was my friend and Summit Ministries colleague, Mike Adams. A popular professor at the University of North Carolina at Wilmington, Mike writes extensively and powerfully about speech codes on college
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campuses. Mike has more than 5,000 Facebook friends. Facebook ought to be sending him flowers and a card every week, because followings like his keep their social media platform in business. But recently, Mike offered an argument against same-sex “marriage.” It was not angry or sarcastic, but some folks complained. So Mike was informed by Facebook that his account had been suspended for twelve hours for “violating community standards.” Well shockingly, there are a few Facebook pages still live and active entitled “Kill George
Zimmerman.” These are some community standards! And earlier this month, Facebook blocked fans of Christian actor Kirk Cameron from posting comments about his upcoming movie, “Unstoppable.” Incredibly, Facebook deemed the content of the website “abusive and unsafe.”
Cameron didn’t take this lying down—and neither should we. The actor informed more than half a million of his Facebook fans and received more than 24,000 “likes” and 5,000 comments in about an hour. Facebook rescinded the ban, and eventually stated that they had made a technical mistake. Well, take that for what you will, but at the very least, the flood of comments no doubt helped them discover the “mistake.” “This is a real victory,” Cameron said. “If we work together, we do have a voice.” Friends, as you can see, the pressure on free speech is building. But as you can also see, if we stand up for our rights, we can preserve them. However, the old maxim, “use it or lose it,” applies. Let’s stand for our right to free speech and freedom of religion and do so calmly, winsomely, persistently, and—when appropriate—humorously. After all, attacks on free speech are no laughing matter, but they can certainly seem rather farcical!
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IN THE NEWS...
RACE, Faith & SIN Cont. from cover enough about race. Yet one thing that is always present in conflict between people, that never needs to be inserted, but that is almost always neglected, is not the race card, but the sin card. It is not right that anyone needs a Neighborhood Watch. It is not right that humans should use weapons against one another. It is not right that residents view certain other-looking people with
“The trump to the sin card is the gospel of Jesus Christ...” suspicion for only that reason. It is not right that teenaged boys should die, or that entire families should face violent retaliation, or that riots and inciting riots should be seen as acceptable standard public discourse. Yet these things are not right, not because we have different amounts of melanin in our skin, but because we have an abundance of sin infecting our hearts. Right now, we engage in acts motivated by sin. Our assessment of those acts is distorted by filters tainted with sin. And our discussions with one another about those acts is also contaminated with
sin. The trump to the sin card, however, is not hate or revenge or riots or government. The trump to the sin card is the gospel of Jesus Christ, the gospel that frees us from the penalty, power, and presence of sin when we admit our inability, repent, and trust the reconciliation to God that is found only in Jesus Christ. This gospel of reconciliation to God makes us ambassadors of reconciliation, and empowers us to live together, to love our neighbors as ourselves, to do to others what we would have them to do us. It enables us to live in meekness toward one another: not demanding of each other our rights, respect and reward, and to live hungering righteousness and justice for one another, not looking only to our own self-interest. Whatever the opinion of Christ-followers to the death of Trayvon Martin, and whatever our opinion about the acquittal of George Zimmerman, we should not allow this gospel to be eclipsed. Rob Faircloth is a pastor and lawyer, and lives in Alabama with his wife and four children. He writes at www.robfaircloth. com, tweets @robfaircloth, and may be reached at faircloth@troycable.net.
Feds Force District to Accommodate Transgender Student By Becky Yeh onenewsnow.com A California-based legal group says the Obama administration should be “ashamed” of forcing a school district in that state to cater to the LGBT agenda. A school district in a Los Angeles suburb has decided to allow a transgender girl who identifies as a boy to use the boys’ locker room and restrooms after pressure from the Obama administration. The Arcadia school board last week passed a resolution that ends a civil rights investigation by the Department of Education into the school district. “This is an outrageous violation of the privacy of all students involved,” says Brad Dacus, president of the Pacific Justice Institute. “It is an inhumane way of addressing students who do have gender-identity issues and need proper counseling and proper support.” The student started living as a male in fifth grade and is now entering ninth grade. The Department of Justice received complaints in October 2011 that the Arcadia Unified School District did not allow her to use the boys’ restrooms and locker rooms. The complaints also alleged that when she was in seventh grade, the student was not allowed to sleep in a cabin with male students during
a district-sponsored overnight field trip and was asked to stay in a separate cabin instead. The Obama administration told the school district that failure to comply with federal civil rights policies would be considered sex-based discrimination. A joint letter from the Departments of Justice and Education summarizes the facts and resolution involving the student who was “assigned the female sex at birth” but “identified as a boy from a very young age” – and who, with her family’s support, “commenced a gender transition from female to male during [her] fifth grade year.” The National Center for Lesbian Rights, which represented the transgender student, applauds the federal government’s intervention, calling it a “necessary step” to ensure school environments are safe and supportive. “Treating transgender students based on their assigned sex at birth is psychologically harmful and interferes with their healthy social development,” adds the NCLR. The resolution, which passed unanimously, will take effect immediately.
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Current members: A-1 Carpet Cleaning - (530) 673-3634 - www.a-1clean.com Kathy Baum - Operation Christmas Child - (916) 747-2212 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 Chuck David Brent Davis - Brent Davis Insurance - (530) 671-2764 Carol Dodds - A Woman’s Friend - (530) 741-9136 Bill Eberley - Digital Direct-800-824-4246x10 Bob Gilbert - www.yourbettertomorrows.acndirect.com - (775) 722-1212 Pamela Givans Marcos Gonzalez - Ultimate Business Maintenance - (530) 671-1564 Richard Guerrero - Christian Ready - (530) 751-3821 John L. Guth - Attorney/Estate Planning - www.johnguthlaw.com James Halpern - Remembrance Video Tributes - www.remembrancetributes.com Seth Halpern - Ambassador Newspaper - editor@ambassadornewspaper.com David Hobbs Painting - Cont. Lic#880562 (530)742-2428 David Holycross - Holycross Memorial – 530-751-7000 Cassandra Hoon- A Better Yard Care - 530-673-3722 Brad Indelicato - Dolco Packaging - bdi26@comcast.net Dean Ingraham - Retiredand54@syix.com Bill Jens - Yuba Sutter Healthy Marriage Project - (530) 671-6069 Sandi Juri Dave Kugelman - Proforma by Kug - (530) 742-2423 Clay Maynard - Consultant - (530) 790-6611 Carmel Mooney - Pawsitive Solutions - pawsitivesolutions.com Jerry Munz - JM Construction Co. - (530) 682-5316 Jared Nunes - Sutter Health Chuck & Miriam Page Ronda Putman 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 Bill Weeks - Larry Geweke Ford-Kia - www.geweke.com
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Sex Trafficking and Human Exploitation in Yuba-Sutter?
Not On My Watch…Our Community Responds
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Not On My Watch 2013: A YubaSutter Human Trafficking Symposium on April 29th was a first step in educating our community about human trafficking and exploitation. Nearly 400 people attended and heard the call to action to fight this modern day slavery. Over 160 people, including doctors, nurses, a dentist, teachers, elected officials, attorneys, church leaders, and many others responded, offering their expertise and time to help meet survivors’ aftercare needs locally. One woman knits wash cloths and another creates cards with healing words of Scripture for HOPE Packs to be distributed directly to local trafficking victims; one man keeps Restoration Railroad’s technology running; others have stepped up into leadership positions; people offered music lessons, equestrian therapy, knitting, the use of construction equipment, mentoring, financial support, and prayer. Additionally, local law enforcement has begun the process of training officers to understand and identify human trafficking and to look for it. Various organizations are asking for training to better help them understand the problem and their role in responding to it. Restoration Railroad continues raising awareness, doing prevention and intervention, and responding to aftercare needs. On August 19th we will host an Outreach Advocate Training to equip people to speak boldly about human trafficking with family, friends, and coworkers. On September 20th, we will screen Not My Life, a powerful global documentary about human trafficking. We ask community members and churches to build HOPE Packs, backpacks filled with items to meet immediate clothing and personal care needs. We are developing ministries including pornography prevention and recovery, mentoring, and direct outreach to victims of exploitation
and to at-risk youth. In June the mother of a 16 year old girl contacted Restoration Railroad. This young girl is now in a recovery program, and we are honored to have been able to advocate for her. In July a probation officer contacted Restoration Railroad seeking assistance in placing an 18 year old aging out of the foster care system. We were honored to be able to suggest several resources with which to connect this young lady. God is clearly working to restore not only the lives of victims of exploitation in our community, he is working to restore each one of us. He is working to restore our community. Praying outdoors before the symposium, our team felt a strong breeze and thought of the Holy Spirit (spirit in Hebrew and Greek meaning “wind” or “breath”). We felt God’s Spirit moving in our hearts, showing us his vision for Yuba-Sutter, his vision for his people everywhere, illustrated beautifully through Ezekiel. God gave Ezekiel a vision of the Israelites in captivity in Babylonia: a valley filled with dry bones. They were God’s chosen nation, His children, yet they were enslaved, far from their homeland, and divided from God and from each other; they were spiritually dead and physically captive. In the midst of this darkness, God reveals to Ezekiel his restoring work. He commands Ezekiel to prophesy to these bones, literally to proclaim God’s holy, powerful and restorative words to them; and each time Ezekiel prophesies, the bones begin to take shape, regaining semblance of living people. Finally Ezekiel says, “So I prophesied as he commanded me, and breath entered them; they came to life and stood up on their feet – a vast army,” (37:10). Through Ezekiel the Lord speaks his promises of restoration of life and of homeland to this army of his precious children, and concludes with, “Then you will know that
Cont. next page
The Voice of the Christian Community, serving Yuba, Sutter, and Butte Counties
WWW.AMBASSADORNEWSPAPER.COM I the Lord have spoken, and I have done it, declares the Lord,” (37:14b). These Scriptures filled us with gratitude for God’s mercy and faithfulness and with hope for our community. While our community has a long history of silence in the face of sexual exploitation of God’s precious children here, God is faithfully raising up an army here and now. He is taking our dry bones and breathing his breath of life into us; he is restoring lives, building an army of his children. With his armor of truth, faith, salvation, righteousness, Spirit, and peace, we join his battle in fighting for the restoration of our children, our people, our community, for our lives and for his glory. Will you join us? Restoration Railroad 530-763-3160 info@restorationrailroad.org www.restorationrailroad.org www.facebook.com/restorationrailroad www.twitter.com/RestorationRR You can register on our website to join our email network and learn about upcoming meetings, trainings, events and also have the opportunity to meet survivors’ aftercare needs as they arise. You will also find more information about building HOPE Packs and other opportunities to serve.
Restoring the Right to Life EVENT! Restoring the Right to Life Walk for Life/Run for Life/Bike for Life Life, it’s worth the effort! On Saturday, August 17th, come join legislative leaders, and pro-life advocates at the State Capitol. California ProLife in conjunction with National Right to Life will be conducting a seminar on Restoring the Right to Life. There are many things yet to be done in 2013, and you can make a REAL difference in 2014 - if you are prepared!
COMMUNITY 40 DAYS FOR LIFE 40 Days for Life is a focused pro-life campaign with a vision to access God’s power through prayer, fasting, and peaceful vigil to end abortion. The mission of the campaign is to bring together the body of Christ in a spirit of unity during a focused 40 day campaign of prayer, fasting, and peaceful activism, with the purpose of repentance, to seek God’s favor to turn hearts and minds from a culture of death to a culture of life, thus bringing an end to abortion. The 40 Days for Life campaign is a community-based campaign that draws attention to the evil of abortion through the use of a threepoint program: Prayer and fasting Peaceful vigil Community outreach 40 Days for Life takes a determined, peaceful approach to showing local communities the consequences of abortion in their own neighborhoods, for their own friends and families. It puts into action a desire to cooperate with God in the carrying out of His plan for the end of abortion. Please visit the campaign’s website at http://40daysforlife.com/ for more information.
hosting a campaign, the Yuba-Sutter Right to Life Committee welcomes you to join us as we periodically pray at our Planned Parenthood by contacting Heather Pugh at (530) 751-9349. Since its inception in 2007, God has done miraculous things through the international campaign! Take a look at some of the proven results... • 575,000 participants • 16,000 churches • 2,480 total campaigns • 501 cities • 19 countries • 7,536 lives saved • 83 workers quit • 37 clinics closed Praise God for the work that he has done through those who have participated! It is never too late to join our local Yuba-Sutter RTL committee as we host various events and meetings throughout the year that support the pro-life ministry here in our community. Please visit our website at http://www. ysrtl.org/ to learn more.
The next campaign is set for September 25th - November 3th. Although our community will not be
Find out what you can do - right where you are - to help restore the Right to Life. Meeting starts at 11 a.m. inside YOUR State Capitol! Join in the Walk Around the Capitol at 10 a.m. Don’t just make a statement - Make a difference. Go to www.californiaprolife.org for more information.
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COMMUNITY So Much More Than a Shoebox ~ Discipling God’s Children ~ by Kathy Baum Many people know about Operation Christmas Child and the “shoebox” ministry. But unlike other Christmas projects, the goal of Operation Christmas Child goes far beyond the giftfilled shoebox. OCC gives that shoebox as a free gift of Jesus’ love, a tangible example of Jesus’ free gift of grace, softening hearts of children, their families, even their villages. And that gift is just the beginning. Jesus said, “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Matthew 28:19-20 When you fill a shoebox with gifts, prayers, and love, a child is invited into a relationship with Jesus through a local church. The Greatest Journey is a 12 lesson discipleship course developed by Samaritan’s Purse and taught by local teachers [trained by Samaritan’s Purse] at local churches that distributed the shoe box gifts. Children are invited to respond to the Gospel and learn how to share their faith with friends and family. Graduates receive their very own New Testament. The lessons and scriptures have been translated into 68 languages, enabling OCC and our church partners to
effectively share the Gospel in some of the most remote corners of the world. The evangelistic impact of The Greatest Journey can be multiplied many times, as children discover the power of prayer and learn how to share the Gospel with friends and family members. After each lesson in Papua New Guinea, Edwin Uriu took his materials home and shared his lessons with his parents and six siblings. “We went through the books together,” said Edwin’s mother, Mavie. “This was our first child to do the course and we were very happy. I saw small changes come into his life. Edwin even shared The Greatest Journey with his friends. When he graduated from the course, my husband and I cried.” Edwin had a simple explanation for his enthusiasm. “During the course, I received Jesus!” Similar testimonies have been heard all around the world. In the former Soviet republic of Latvia, a young girl who graduated from The Greatest Journey faithfully took her New Testament to the hospital to read Bible stories to her father, who was suffering from brain cancer. Two weeks before he died, he prayed to accept Jesus as his Savior. In the island nation of Fiji, God used The Greatest Journey to save not only a 10 year old boy named Melvin but also his grandfather, who was a Hindu priest and the local witch doctor. Now a small church has been planted in
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WWW.AMBASSADORNEWSPAPER.COM their mountainside community and 10 villagers have been baptized. Around the world, over 1.1 million children have graduated from The Greatest Journey in the past three years and more than 650,000 children have come to trust Christ as their Savior. Through The Greatest Journey discipleship program, God is equipping an army of children to spread the Good News of Jesus Christ across the world.
To learn more about Operation Christmas Child and The Greatest Journey, join us for an OCC presentation at Christian Business Alliance, Tuesday, September 3rd @ 12 noon, The Bonanza Inn. [Optional lunch = $10] For more information, contact Kathy Baum, OCC Volunteer, 916-747-2212 kathy. baum@att.net
The Ambassador Ministry
would like to thank the following people for their Individual Sponsorship Marty Brown Warren & Lucy Campbell Chuck David Bill Eberley Bob Gilbert Pamela Givans Rich & Joan Hackney Tom Harris Marie Hiebert
Brad Indelicato Hope Ithurburn
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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 ($20/month) please contact Seth Halpern at: editor@ambassadornewspaper.com or call 530-933-1385 or visit us online at www.ambassadornewspaper.com
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\
Prayer Calendar
Coming Event-Celebrate Christ in Unity
for
August 2013 6-Aug LGBT individuals- for God to reveal truth 7-Aug Caregivers of elderly and disabled 8-Aug Singles, Single Parents, Divorce healing 9-Aug Revival in the Yuba Sutter area 10-Aug Unity among churches 11-Aug For boldness & protection to stand for Truth without compromise 12-Aug Ester and other orphan children- Samaritan Village (see p. 3) 13-Aug Military, All armed forces. 14-Aug Addicted, Rehab ministries- Reformers Unanimous (p.3) 15-Aug Back to School- Pray for Students, Teachers and Parents 16-Aug Pray for homeless ministries 17-Aug Area Youth-Local Youth ministers /Youth groups 18-Aug Unborn children/Pregnant Women- A Woman’s Friend 19-Aug Jobs for unemployed/underemployed 20-Aug Christian Businesses-Ambassador Sponsors & others. 21-Aug Sick/Afflicted, Healing and Comfort 22-Aug Missionaries -Fruit, Provision 23-Aug The Ambassador Newspaper-Increased readership and Impact 24-Aug Global Persecution-Safety/Courage of Believers 25-Aug Area Schools Students and Teachers 26-Aug Middle East - For the peace of Jerusalem 27-Aug Sex Trafficking - pray for the rescue of victims 28-Aug Marketplace Ministries-Opportunities to share 29-Aug Local ministries (see p. 3) 30-Aug Children and Children’s Ministries 31-Aug Marriages, Restoration and Strength 1-Sep Elderly, health and healing, comfort 2-Sep for Jewish people to know Messiah Jesus 3-Sep KCYC 104.7 for listener impact 4-Sep Homeless/Poor - Twin Cities Rescue Mission, A Hand Up, other homeless ministries 5-Sep Teen Depression, Suicide
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By David Hobbs Eighteen years ago a major effort was undertaken by the Yuba-Sutter churches to unite together, evangelize the lost, and see revival come to our area (named Pray Yuba Sutter). They brought in world renowned Christian leader Ed Silvoso, organized 24 hour prayer chains, established houses of prayer, professionally produced 30,000 DVDs to distribute to the lost, had church rallies, etc. However it stirred up a hornet’s nest of spiritual opposition and warfare that brought the whole thing crashing down in division, disunity, and acrimony. Ed Silvoso left town shaking his head, saying he had never encountered such warfare anywhere in the world. No similar attempt has been mounted in the last 18 years. About 6 years ago a local pastor’s wife had a vision of an Hispanic pastor she didn’t know leading a circle of local pastors in prayer, some of whom she did recognize. This pastor was crying out in Spanish Fuego! Fuego! Fuego! (Fire). She understood that God was going to send a man to lead the churches in unity and revival. Three years later a man showed up at her husband’s door asking about starting an Hispanic church in their facility. It was the same man she had seen in her vision, even wearing the same longsleeved shirt. He said God had sent him to this area to bring revival and unity. This year, local pastors felt the time was right. They have started holding planning and prayer meetings and are organizing an open air, communitywide event (“Celebrate Christ in Unity”) for Sept. 6th at Mervyn’s Pavilion in Riverfront Park. Earlier the same day, all participating pastors will invite local civic leaders to lunch at Hillcrest Plaza and pledge their support for godly governance and pray over them. Intercessory prayer is being activated (critically absent from the Pray
Yuba Sutter event), and will continue every week until Sept. 6. At the first prayer meeting, 40 intercessors showed up, repented and prayed powerfully for God’s moving. The morning after the second pastors’ organizational meeting, the original pastor’s wife woke up to hear God saying, “The 18 year drought caused by division is over.” Organizers don’t even want their names used, and stress that this is not about any person, ministry or church, but is to be a collaborative effort by as many leaders and churches as will participate. There are over 20 churches and ministries involved at present and more are added every day. The next pastors’ meeting is 7 pm at the Cornerstone Church on Aug. 12th. All pastors are encouraged to attend. Inquiries may be directed to the event secretary, Katrina Subhkaram at 454-3786 or subhkaram@aol.com.
I appeal to you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another so that there may be no divisions among you and that you may be perfectly united in mind and thought. 1 Cor 1:10
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COMMUNITY “...whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.” Matt 25:40
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What Do I Write? by Dave Kugelman
Samaritan Village Orphanage Tanzania, Africa Can You Sponsor Ester?
Ester
(DOB: May 11, 2002)
Ester was brought to Samaritan Village (along with her sister, Flora) by social services due to her father being in the late stages of HIV in 2006 after their mother died. She and her sister were checked and are not infected with the HIV/AIDs virus. She is in Class 5 at Lady of Mercy school and is doing wonderfully well with her studies. When she grows up, she would like to be a treasurer! A gift of $60. monthly will provide care for Ester at Samaritan Village Orphanage. A monthly sponsorship for a child is $60., but any amount - either one time, monthly or even yearly is greatly appreciated. You may follow us on Facebook @
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Samaritan Village Orphanage and through our quarterly Newsletter. The all volunteer Board and friends of Samaritan Village meet monthly and you are invited to attend the meetings to learn more about this life saving work. Please call Tara @ 530-329-6619 for information and meeting information. To sign up for our Newsletter, please drop us a note at the address below and include your name, mailing address and email address (if available). As always, we solicit and covet your prayer partnership for these little ones whom God has placed in our care. Samaritan Village Orphanage, Inc. P.O. Box 444 Yuba City, CA 95992 Tax ID#68-0214955 501c 3
I am currently sitting at my desk asking God what I should write about. I know that this is an odd way to start an article, but I am hoping that as I continue to write, He will give me divine inspiration. Wait, here it comes. Interestingly enough, this reminds me of how impatient I am when it comes to waiting on God. Verses that come to mind are:
Exodus 14:14 The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still.” Psalm 37:7a “Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him;” Psalm 46:10a “Be still, and know that I am God;…” Psalm 27:14 Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD. One of the fruits of the spirit is patience. The King James version uses a different word to describe patience. It is a very unpleasant sounding word; longsuffering. The definition of longsuffering is to suffer long. Ouch! When I compare the two, I really prefer the word patience. Anyway, I have to remind myself that God always comes through for us but we need to wait PATIENTLY for Him and in some cases we need to suffer for a long period of time before we get an answer to our prayer. I know that I need work in this area. What about you? Keep in mind the spiritual benefit to waiting is that our faith muscle continues to be stretched. This way we learn again and again to depend on God and not on our own abilities. What are you waiting for God to do in your life? Don’t get discouraged. He knows what is best for us and is always working in us to make us more like His Son. And remember what I consider one of the most encouraging verses in the Bible: Philippians 1: 6 being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. David Kugelman is the president of the Christian Business Alliance which meets each Tuesday at noon at various locations. Dave welcomes your questions or comments on this article at drkug@comcast.net
The Voice of the Christian Community, serving Yuba, Sutter, and Butte Counties
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COMMUNITY Faith Book
David Holycross Helping families honor the lives of those they love since 1998
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Inspiring posts found on Facebook "I think one of the devil's favorite devices is to try to make us dwell on the hardness of things in general, and to make us feel as if they would always go on like this. But they will not. They are shadows that pass." ~ Amy Carmichael "How many observe Christ's birthday! How few, his precepts! O! ‘tis easier to keep Holidays than Commandments." ~ Benjamin Franklin, Poor Richard's Almanack “The Lord Jesus upon Calvary routed every foe, breaking all the weapons of the enemy in pieces by his finished work of satisfactory obedience; by his triumphant resurrection and ascension he completely overturned the hopes of hell, leading captivity captive, making a show of our enemies openly, triumphing over them by his cross. Amen” ~ Bob Ouzts God doesn't move for the unfaithful. So bask in HIS Glory and Strength. You can't buy that kind of security nor find anywhere else. ~ Praise Chapel “Evangelism without prayer is salesmanship.” ~ Michael Robinson “Satan will always seek to drive you away from the cross. God's Holy Spirit will always draw you to it. Our defense against the accusations of the devil is the interceding Son of God.” ~ Greg Laurie
Owners: David & Robin Kugelman 530.742.2434 ·http//:drkug.logomall.com
The Ambassador
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The Voice of the Christian Community, serving Yuba, Sutter, and Butte Counties
EDITORIAL
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AS WE SEE IT
THE POWER OF IGNORANCE
By Jon Skillman
The Ambassador
Opportunities to share with people abound if you just look for those opportunities. I know I don’t! Let me share two recent opportunities that I almost missed. First, I was in New Earth having lunch with my wife when we noticed some beautiful photographs on the wall. A man came by looking at them as well and my wife suggested that he was the photographer. I disagreed and once again was proven wrong when the man introduced himself to us. We talked for a bit and then we met our friend Chuck (a fellow Jewish believer in Jesus) and sat down with him. The man’s heavy accent aroused curiosity and we learned that he was from Israel. Chuck (who is not shy) brought up Jesus/Y’Shua and the conversation became a little more uneasy. I stayed out of it for the most part until I believe the Holy Spirit had me ask him what he would he do when he meets God face to face. Will his beautiful photographs be enough? Our conversation came to cordial end and we warmly parted ways. We prayed for him after he left . On another occasion, in a grocery store, a young teenage girl
Bible Jumble ANSWERS 6. Micah 7. Zechariah 8. Zephaniah 9. Ezekiel 10. Proverbs
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in the blanks. Anyway, if this supervisor had even a rudimentary understanding of Christianity, he may have understood that the cross represents, Love, Grace, Forgiveness and Mercy. Yikes! If that’s offensive, then please offend me! And if anyone feels unwelcome by love… they’ve got a bigger problem than the sight of a crucifix. I noticed a couple of ironies here. The Sonoma State University Mission Statement includes these words… ”tolerance and inclusivity to all.” Oops! But hey, everybody knows Christians are not to be tolerated, and, are not to be included in inclusivity either. By the way, is inclusivity a real word? Another irony is, the SSU student is a “liberal” arts major. Well I thought it was kind of ironic. Granted, by biblical standards, this was a rather mild form of persecution, but a persecution nonetheless. I believe it is an indication of things to come…much worse thing to come. It was also a clear violation of the student’s constitutional right of free speech…and her freedom of religious expression as well. I never thought I’d see the day when Christians would be hated and persecuted in America. But Jesus did… ”All men will hate you because of me, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved.” Matthew 10:22.
1. Nehemiah 2. Isaiah 3. Jeremiah 4. Daniel 5. Obadiah
Well, it seems that decades of secular progressive and godless public education are finally bearing fruit…the fruit of ignorance. Ignorance? How can you teach ignorance? Well, by ignoring all possibilities and stifling or mocking any dialog on divergent views and beliefs, i.e. creation and biblical truth. I realize it is not the public school’s duty to teach Christianity, (and thank heaven for that) the family and the church share in that responsibility. So how do nonbelievers come to any sense of understanding of Christianity without a viable and open conversation in our schools? They can’t. I have a theory and by golly I’m stickin’ to it: This taught ignorance is actually by design. This is exactly what the secular progressives want. What better place to propagate lies and hate than in a field of ignorance. It’s much easier to preach the liberal narrative on Christians if the choir is clueless. You know, like, Christians are a bunch of, Close-Minded, Bigoted Neanderthals. Oh, and haters too. This educated ignorance is also the perfect breeding ground for persecution. Case in point: A Sonoma State University student, working in an orientation fair for incoming freshmen, was ordered, twice, by her supervisor to remove and/or hide her crucifix. The reason being…”it might offend someone, or make incoming students feel unwelcome.” Mind you, this wasn’t some three pound hunk of bling hanging around the neck of a rock star or professional athlete (although I suspect that would have been okay)…no this was a plain silver, two inch cross around the neck of a devout young woman of faith. This supervisor is obviously a proud product of our public indoctrination…I mean our public education system. He has absolutely no clue as to what the cross symbolizes. He is of the liberal secular persuasion that Christians are; _, _ and _ I’ll let you fill
Speaking the Truth in Love
Seth Halpern - Editor and her younger brother walked up to my wife, offered a card and asked her if she would like to know God. My wife and I were both caught off guard, as much for her age as for the traditional East Indian attire. My wife asked if she was a Jehovah’s Witness. She nodded, yes. That’s when my wife took the opportunity to encourage the young woman to seek the God of the Bible and Jesus alone. She encouraged her faith but challenged her to check the scriptures to learn about God’s grace that doesn’t rely on works for salvation. I stood off a little ways and prayed. After a while, I came and encouraged her to seek the Truth as well. We didn’t “beat her up” for not believing as we do, but we did challenge her in the truth. These are but two incidents that I didn’t look for (and honestly didn’t cultivate). If it weren’t for my wife and Chuck, I probably wouldn’t have spoken to either. Imagine how many more opportunities I (we) would have if we sought them out. God has given us a tremendous opportunity (and responsibility) to offer the “Prescription for Life” to those around us. Will we use it?
The Voice of the Christian Community, serving Yuba, Sutter, and Butte Counties
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Christ Unity Celebrating in
“A multi-cultural celebration of Jesus Christ!” Friday, September 6, 2013 7:00 - 9:00 p.m. Riverfront Pavilion
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For more information contact Katrina Subhkaram (English) 530.434.3786 / Gamaliel Escobar (Spanish) 530.718.6665
A fter this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb.” Revelation 7:9
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