Feb 2013 The Latest Word

For the members, family and friends of the Downey Adventist Church

The Circle Maker

Risking Love

by Bill Aumack

I

f you grew up in the church, you probably sang the song “Jesus Loves Me.” We’ve been taught this our entire lives. But sometimes we kind of forget what that means for us.

God loves us so much, that he delights in performing miracles, fulfilling dreams and answering prayers. It’s what he loves to do for his children.

It’s crucial that we understand this simple yet life-changing truth, God

is for us. If we don’t completely comprehend this truth, we tend to pray small and timid prayers. If we embrace this truth and live our lives understanding that God is for us, then we tend to pray big, audacious prayers.

In February we are going to be doing a fourweek small group series based on the book The Circle Maker by Mark Batterson. We see how to draw prayer circles around

our families, our jobs, our church, our problems, our goals and our dreams.

February 2 we will start the series with the message The Legend of the Circle Maker. Honi was an eccentric sage who lives outside the walls of Jerusalem in the first century BC. He was known for being able to pray for rain and having God answer his prayers.

Honi uses his staff to draw a big circle in the dirt, then with the authority of the

To love is to risk not being loved in return.

To hope is to risk pain. To try is to risk failure, but risk must be taken because the greatest hazard in life is to risk nothing.

Love comes to those who still hope even though they’ve been disappointed, to those who still believe even though they’ve been betrayed, to those who still love even though they’ve been hurt before.

—Author unknown

continued on page 1

Small Group: The Circle Maker

O

ur small groups are starting up again.

We will begin on February 4 for our new series called The Circle Maker. This 4 week series is based on the book The Circle Maker by Mark Batterson.

If you are not currently in a small group, please sign up in the foyer at church. This series, with its book, will help us all learn how to pray circles

around our biggest dreams and greatest fears. We will learn how to claim Godgiven promises, pursue God-sized dreams, and seize God-ordained opportunities. You won’t want to miss out on this.

If you’d like to host a small group, please talk to Bill or Hatzuko and let them know. Thanks. =

INSIDE Agendas, Plans and Attitudes page 3 Passing the Mantle page 4 From the Kitchen on page 5 What’s happening? see pages 6 & 9 Committed to Generosity on page 7 Our Church Family page 10 Kid’s Page on page 11

THE LATEST WORD The Circle Maker (cont. from page 1)

“

”

2

The last message in the series is about expanding our viewpoint. The more we can expand our view and begin to look

at the big picture, the easier it will be to be on the same page as God. If you want to accomplish big things, it’s going to take some time. It took years to build a pyramid in the Egyptian desert. It took quite a while to build the Golden Gate Bridge.

Sometimes we forget that in our prayers. We want everything now. The Bible gives us a great example in Daniel when he is praying and the answer to his prayer is delayed 21 days.

Join us on February 23 for the sermon Think Long.

See you when the church gathers. =

The Latest Word V 25 N 14 BILL AUMACK

WE DID IT

prophet Elijah who called can’t answer big prayers. go big, or just go home. down fire from heaven, We know he can. But God answered all those big Honi called down the sometimes the question prayers with miracles. Join rain. However, it took is, ‘will he?’ I wonder if us on February 9 for the three different prayers the wisemen felt foolish message Dream Big. before Honi got the The message on results he requested.

February 16 is Pray Honi isn’t the only Hard. Desperate one to draw prayer There’s a big difference times call for descircles. Remember perate measures and the Israelites many in praying for and there is no more years before drawing praying through desperate act than a circle around the praying hard. Luke city of Jericho? They 18 tells the parable had to march around of the desperate the city for a week. widow. We don’t know There’s a big difference for leaving the comfort of what she was desperate in praying for and praying their home and following about, but she kept after it, through. When we draw a star. I wonder if Peter until she got the results she our prayer circles, we need felt foolish for getting desired. Elijah gives a real to be consistent and follow out of the boat to walk world example of sticking through. We need to inter- on water. I wonder if a with it too. For three years cede until God intervenes. young boy named David it didn’t rain in Israel. felt foolish rushing a giant Have you ever prayed a Then God told Elijah it warrior with a slingshot. prayer so big you felt a bit would rain, but still Elijah Sometimes you have to foolish? It’s not that God needed to circle that promise in prayer. So he went to the top of Mount Carmel and fell on his face in prayer. Six times he told his servant to go look and see if rain was coming. Six times the answer was no.

But Elijah didn’t give up.

He was desperate and he was persistent. Finally on the seventh time, there was a tiny cloud. What if Elijah had given up after 6 times?

Have you given up on your requests too soon? It would be good for all of us to remember to pray hard.

responsible for this

LINDA AUMACK copy editor

HATZUKO AISPURO paper distribution

TBD pastor

address mail to: Downey Seventh-day Adventist Church 9820 Lakewood Blvd.

Downey, CA 90240 office: 562.869.6013 fax: 562.622.1691

downeychurch@gmail.com www.downeychurch.com

distributed monthly issue date: Feb. 2013 copyright 1992-2013

February 2013 The Word & You

by Linda Bewley

G

od’s word says, “If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.” (1 Corinthians 13:1-3 NIV.) Recently at work I found myself needing to calendar a deadline ten years in the future, if you can image that. I use Microsoft Outlook

Agendas, Plans and Attitudes for calendaring, but I do not know how to advance to a specific date, so I simply held down the forward arrow. As I did so, I was speeding through the months and years.

They were disappearing before my very eyes. I recall thinking to myself that that is how life feels sometimes—the days and months pass so quickly, I often feel like someone is holding down the fastforward button on life! I was reminded of that this morning during my quiet time. I was also reminded that, no matter the day, there is one thing I find to be true. Each day I wake up with an agenda. I have lots to do, and, mostly at work, lots of deadlines to meet. Yet, things rarely go as planned, and I find myself frustrated over interruptions and changes

Worship Schedule February 2 Bill Aumack

February 16 Bill Aumack

February 9 Bill Aumack

February 23 Bill Aumack

The Legend of the Circle Maker

Dream Big

Pray Hard

Think Long

to my plans.

As I considered those frustrations, I realized something else to be true.

I constantly need an attitude adjustment. When I feel frustrated over interruptions and obstacles, the only real solution is to change my attitude. I can’t change anything or

anyone else. With all that in mind, I thought of and read Chapter 2 in the Book of Philippians, written by the Apostle Paul. He said, “Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant ...” (vv. 5-7 NIV). Imagine that. If anyone ever had the ability to change things, he could have. Yet instead of changing the situation, he submitted himself to the will and plan of his Father.

Instead of freeing and sav-

ing himself, he “humbled himself even further by dying a criminal’s death on a cross” (v. 9 NLT).

Why? The answer of course is love. Paul put it this way, “God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8).

So, the only real solution to an attitude change is to have a servant’s heart that is motivated by love. Not just when things are easy or convenient.

Always. Because, love is “[always] patient, love is [always] kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, 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 perseveres” (1 Corinthians 13:4-7 NIV). =

3

THE LATEST WORD Before the Father

by Linda Fernandez

Passing the Mantle

I

He also took up the mantle...

2 Kings 2:14

perhaps we can take a look within and see if we are the type of church a pastor would want to lead...

4

n studying the life of Elijah, we come to the end of his days when God has informed him that his ministry here on earth is done and that he will soon be leaving. Pondering this revelation, Elijah decides to visit two cities, Bethel and Jericho. He invites his servant, Elisha, to go along.

The first city they visited was Bethel, whose name means ‘house of God”. Bethel truly had a great spiritual heritage, but something had happened there over the years. Jeroboam had set up a golden calf and as a result of having given themselves over to idolatry, the new generation had become scoffers and mockers of anything related to their spiritual background. Now Elijah had faced mockers at one time on Mount Carmel, but these young people may have been even more hardened and godless than the priests he once battled.

Elijah suggested that Elisha remain at Bethel, but perhaps remembering the unnamed prophet God once sent to Bethel (see 1 Kings 13), Elisha declines and proclaims that he will stay with his master.

Perhaps seeing the condition of the city, he realized

he wasn’t ready to stand up against the wickedness there.

Elijah and Elisha continue on to Jericho, which means ‘a place is pleasant.” But what they find is not pleasant, but dry and barren because of the poisonous water supply. Some

young prophets came up to Elisha and asked him, “Do you know that the Lord will take your master away today?” So even though there were apparently some in the city who were knowledgeable about scripture and even had prophetic gifts, something may have been clearly missing; perhaps the anointing of the Holy Spirit.

Again, Elijah suggests Elisha remain in the city, but he declines. Perhaps this time, he knows that

if he remained with these ‘pastors’, he would be continually asked about his master’s ministry and they would never have acknowledged his own.

Perhaps that dry, parched city is an example of churches today which may seem to have all the right ingredients, but are actually dry and barren spiritually.

During this time waiting for God’s choice for our new pastor, perhaps we can take a look within and see if we are the type of church a pastor would want to lead. We certainly want to be considered ‘a house of God’ and ‘a place that is pleasant’.

A serious consideration for many churches is have we allowed too much of the world into the church? Or have we let some of our old standards fall by the wayside?

Let us be as the Bereans so we will know if what we are being taught is according to scripture. May we be determined to allow our new pastor his own way and resist comparing him to Pastor Mitch who taught us so much. Let’s pray: Father, Prepare us to receive our new pastor as he takes up the mantle you have set upon him. =

February 2013 From the Kitchen Denise and Esther graciously submitted recipes for this month’s newsletter. Thanks so much! Next month we will debut a regular feature here. You can look forward to more great recipes in this space. - Ed.

Denise’s Green Enchilada Casserole Corn Tortillas about 2 dozen Grated Mexican blend cheese about 3 cups 1 16oz tub of sour cream 3 cans of cream of mushroom soup 2 small cans of diced chile ortega 1 can of Chile de las Palmas green enchilada sauce

1 large Casserole dish In a bowl mix the sour cream, soup and chile ortegas together. While mixing the mixture you need to warm the tortillas about 12-18 at a time in the microwave wrapped in a plastic bag for about 2-3 minutes not too much because they will get mushy. Once tortillas are warmed. Start to layer the tortillas covering the bot-

tom of the dish then spread the mixture on top of the tortillas, then add cheese and repeat until casserole dish is 3/4 filled. Pour the Green chile sauce on top of the dish and poke so that the sauce will seep through the layers. Top with cheese. Cover with foil and bake approximately 30 minutes at 350OF. After 30 minutes remove the foil and bake an addi-

tional 10 - 15 minutes until the cheese is melted and slightly browned. Let it set about 15 minutes before serving.

Optional: You can also add olives, and onions as well. If you don’t like sour cream you can leave it out and just use the cream of mushroom soup. =

Esther’s PB & J Muffins No stick cooking spray

1 cup creamy peanut butter

2 cups all purpose flour

1/3 cup vegatable oil

1 1/2 teaspons salt

1/2 cup jam or preserves

1 tablespoon baking powder

Heat oven to 375OF. Spray muffin pan with no stick spray. Stir together flour, salt and baking powder in a large bowl. Add milk, eggs, sugar, peanut

1 cup milk 2 large eggs 2/3 cup sugar

butter and oil to bowl; combine ingredients on the low speed of an electric mixer, just until moistened. Do not over beat.

divide remaining batter between muffin cups. bake for 18-20 minutes. remove from the oven; cool in pan 5 minutes.

Fill prepared muffin cups even with half of the batter. Place 2 level teaspoons of jam or preserves in each muffin. Evenly

Makes 12 muffins. =

Be sure to keep up with the latest news by signing up for the Wednesday email.

You can sign up here www.downeychurch.org/Signups.html or send us an email at DowneyChurch at gmail dot com and we’ll add you.

5

Downey Adventist Church Sunday

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

Saturday

1 5:21 pm sunset Visit www.downeychurch.org S.S. – Sabbath School C.S. – Community Service

9:30 am S.S. 10:50 am Worship Bill Aumack

3 pm Pathfinders/ Adventurers

7 pm Band Practice

3

2

4

5

6

7

8 5:28 pm sunset

9 am Pathfinders/ Adventurers

9 9:30 am S.S. 10:50 am Worship Bill Aumack

7 pm Women’s Prayer Group

10

11

12

13

14

7 pm Band Practice

15 5:35 pm sunset

16 9:30 am S.S. 10:50 am Worship Bill Aumack

7 pm Women’s Prayer Group

17

18

19

20

21

7 pm Band Practice

3 pm Pathfinders

22 5:41 pm sunset

23 9:30 am S.S. 10:50 am Worship Bill Aumack

7 pm Women’s Prayer Group

24

25

26

27

28

7 pm Band Practice

1

2 10:50 am Worship

Celebration Sabbath

7 pm Women’s Prayer Group

February 2013 Stewpot

by Gordon Bottling, DrPH, CHES

I

n the TV sitcom, The Jeffersons, George Jefferson was bigoted, arrogant, rude, and loudmouthed, yet he was one of the most beloved and celebrated characters in television history. By the time The Jeffersons ended in the mid 1980s after eleven seasons, Sherman Hemsley, the actor who played George, was the most visible and successful Black TV actor after Bill Cosby.

George Jefferson was the owner of a successful dry-cleaning business, but he was also an obsessed and money driven businessman. Even the gospel-style theme song of the show was on the fixation of “Movin’ On Up” in wealth and prosperity. However, when actor Sherman Hemsley passed away in July 2012, a very different picture of the real person immerged. His longtime friend, Jackée Harry, described him as “a very private person . . . very kind and very sweet, and generous to a fault.”1 Interestingly, a new list has emerged in the United States entitled Slate 60.

It is a list of the 60 largest givers in our country.

Its goal is to create a new

Committed to Generosity hierarchy, a new social order of big givers. On this list are Samuel and Aline Skaggs, the supermarket and drugstore magnates who bequeathed $100 million, and Charles Feeney, who over the last 15 years has given away over $580 million.2 There probably is little chance that you and I will get on the Slate 60 list, but even with our meager funds of time, talent and resources, we can help others and we can know that our living certainly has not been in vain. Here are some ways we can discover life’s true generosity as we begin this New Year.

Joyous Generosity When the Christians in Macedonia heard of the famine in Jerusalem, the Apostle Paul wrote of their joy in contributing ‘above and beyond’ their apparent ability to give. He expounded these words, “While they were being tested by many problems, their extra amount of happiness and their extreme poverty resulted in a surplus of rich generosity” (2 Corinthians 8:2 CEB).

Several years ago Chip Ingram wrote, “When people are generous, it produces happiness. That is why people (unless they are stressed) are in a much better mood during Christmas. They are focused on giving to others.”3

Eternal Generosity Eternal joy can be placed in perspective by a fictitious Saint Peter parable. It is simply a tale of a wealthy man and his servant who both died and arrived in heaven at the same time. As Saint Peter showed each their prospective heavenly homes both were surprised, the wealthy gentleman because his home for eternity was barely a small one room hut while his unassuming servant had a magnificent mansion.

Quite the opposite of what they both expected.

The wealthy aristocrat exclaimed, “How come my eternal home is so meager compared to my humble servant.” “That’s easy,” stated Saint Peter, “because that’s all you sent up!”

He give nothing who does not give himself.

- French Proverb

There is no happiness in having and giving, but only in giving.

- Frank Wakely Gunsaulus

A few individuals have come to the conclusion that their net worth is definitely not the sum total of continued on page 8

7

THE LATEST WORD Committed to Generosity (cont. from page 7) what may appear on their bank or investment statements but what they have chosen to give away for the benefit of humanity and to the advancement of Christ’s kingdom. They believe that after their basic family needs are met they should give the rest away because they see giving as an eternal rather than a temporal investment. This perspective is sustained in the book, The Acts of the Apostles: “Spiritual prosperity is closely bound up with Christian liberality. The followers of Christ should rejoice in the privilege of revealing in their lives the beneficence of their Redeemer. As they give to the Lord they have assurance that their treasure is going before them to the heavenly courts.”4

Kidlike Generosity

8

Joshua Neidorf is just one example of how children have led the way in generosity. When this Los Angeles Jewish teenager celebrated his Bar Mitzvah, he decided to give most of his gifts to injured veterans and Operation Mend, an organization dedicated since 2007 to healing United States military personnel wounded and disfigured in Iraq and Afghanistan.

This organization received a generous sum of $13,000 from Joshua.5 We never cease to be pleasantly surprised and amazed by our children and grandchildren when out of the blue they decide to be generous with their time and resources. I believe that is what Jesus was talking about when He reminded his disciples and all adults that the kingdom theology is made up of childlike faith and generosity.

Graceful Generosity In his book, What’s So Amazing About Grace?, Philip Yancey writes that one of the original reasons he wrote the book was a prostitute’s comment when he interviewed her on the street: “Church! Why would I ever go there? I was already feeling terrible about myself. They’d just make me feel worse!”

When the religious right stigmatizes homosexuals, shames unwed mothers, harasses the homeless, etc., this does nothing to uplift Christ and make the church a welcome place for sinners. Yes, I believe that Christians should be the first to uphold the moral and religious laws of the land, but we should also be the first to balance that with God’s abounding

grace. Let’s ask ourselves in this New Year, “If grace is so amazing, why don’t we show more of it on a daily basis.”6

Does Generosity Pay? Ask a counselor and they will tell you that generosity does pay. When an individual comes into their office feeling helpless, miserable and blue, one suggestion from the counselor might be that they lend a hand to someone less fortunate.

When they follow through with this suggestion, in the majority of cases, they return feeling much better because they helped someone in need.

Even millionaires often do not feel fulfilled, though blessed with massive fortunes, until they give of their time and money and see the resulting joy on the faces of the beneficiaries.

Sometimes benevolence comes back to us in ways we do not dream of or expect. Forty years ago a nurse in a doctor’s office kindly assisted in the health care of some American Indian families, not anticipating anything in return from them. Four decades later, the Indian tribe had amassed many thousands of dollars in a foundation and when the

nurse retired and became the Adventist Community Services leader, she was amazed when they repaid her kindness many times over by contributing $150,000 to that local ACS center.

The truth is that we all have a God-shaped hole in our hearts that we are endeavoring to fill and that can only be filled with the generosity of our Heavenly Father’s everlasting salvation. Socially and spiritually let’s make one of our New Year’s resolutions to be Jesus’ ambassadors of generosity for His Kingdom. = References & Resources: 1. “The actor who gave heart to George Jefferson,” This Week, July 2012: p 35 and Internet Sherman Hemsley, who played George Jefferson on TV. 2. Hans Kunnen, “Generosity,” Signs of the Times, (issue date unknown): p 5.

3. Chip Ingram, “The Opportunity of Generosity,” Money Matters Magazine, December 2003: p 3.

4. Ellen White, The Acts of the Apostles, pp 344-345 as quoted in the Review & Herald, February 11, 1993: p 5.

5. Joshua Neidorf, This Week, November 23, 2012: p 2.

6. Philip Yancy, What’s So Amazing About Grace?, Zondervan Publishing, 1997: pp 229, 230, 232.

February 2013 THIS MONTH

Upcoming Events February Birthdays David Martinez – 2 Issac Diaz – 5 Mark Jackson – 7 Akeem Meade – 7 Jasmine Huinquez – 9 Irene Garcia – 11 Victoria Zamora – 11 Maggie Zamora – 15 Ellis Perry – 19 Teresa Miranda – 22 Donna Morgan – 24 Linda Fernandez – 26 Armando Cabrera – 26 Kevin Williams - 28 Letty Duran – 29 Susie Duran – 29 If your birthday is left out in the monthly newsletter, please contact the church office so we can put it in.

Thursdays - 7 p.m. Women’s Prayer Group Fridays - 7:00 p.m. Band Practice Feb. Feb. Feb. Feb. Feb.

2 - Pathfinders / Adventurers @ 3pm 3 - Pathfinders / Adventurers @ 9am 14 - Valentine’s Day 16 - Pathfinders @ 3pm 18 - President’s Day

The Latest Word deadline is the 5th of the month.

Coming Soon Mar 2 - Celebration Sabbath Mar 23 - Communion Mar 30 - Easter Sabbath

9

THE LATEST WORD The Latest About

Our Church Family Congratulations to Gabriela and Jefferson Poleon. They were married on Dec. 21st.

Congratulations to Celene Aispuro and Alberto Melenciano.

They were recently

engaged!

If you have any Church Family news, please contact the church office so we can get it into the newsletter. =

A

10

In Scripture, many great encounters between people and God happen around meals. Abraham and Sarah prepare a meal for three guests who turn out to be angels (Genesis 18). God instructs the Hebrew slaves to eat a special meal together before their delivery from

For the Box Tops for Education, please save the Box Tops coupon.

Please give your labels to Linda Aumack. Thank you for your support! =

Mealtime as a Family mid busy and varied schedules, many families find a way to sit down together for dinner regularly. Family-health advocates describe the benefits: an increased sense of unity, children sharing news and feeling listened to, and the physical perks of a planned, seated meal.

Thank you to everyone who has been saving Box Tops for Education. That is greatly appreciated.

Egypt (Exodus 12); every year since, Jews have celebrated the Passover feast.

Elijah is strengthened with food served by an angel (1 Kings 19). Jesus shares meals not only with religious leaders but with “sinners” (e.g., Matthew 9). Jesus’ Last Supper with his disciples before his death has become one of the church’s sacraments and a “foretaste” of the heavenly banquet to come.

When Christian families eat together, it’s a holy time in God’s presence, just as when the church shares Holy Communion — a true fellowship dinner! =

Teach Us to Love

O

God, perfect us in love,

That we may conquer all selfishness and hatred of others; Fill our hearts with thy joy, And shed abroad in them thy peace which passeth understanding; That so those murmurings and disputings To which we are too prone may be overcome.

Make us long-suffering and gentle, And thus subdue our hastiness and angry tempers, And grant that we may bring forth the blessed fruits of the Spirit, To thy praise and glory, through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen.

—Rev. Henry Alford (1810-1871)

February 2013

11

February 2013

Ponder This... = “There is no remedy for love but to love more.”

—Henry David Thoreau = “He has a right to criticize who has a heart to help.”

—Abraham Lincoln = “All you need is love. But a little chocolate now and then doesn’t hurt.”

—Charles M. Schulz = “Real true faith is [human] weakness leaning on God’s strength.”

—D.L. Moody

Downey-Florence Seventh-day Adventist Church 9820 Lakewood Blvd., Downey CA 90240

DATED MATERIAL Return Service Requested

12