PASTOR’S NOTE

MY FIELD OF BEANS 

 I was praying for my church this morning when I realized that my vision is not as expansive as it once was when I was younger.  The fires still burn bright in my soul.  It is that I am more concerned about affecting those within my reach and more realistic about those who are not.  gone are the days when I thought that the world would not be reached without me.  So I prayed about this small church at the end of the road.  I prayed for better leadership and greater anointing upon this place.  I entered into spiritual warfare for this humble group and its God-given mission here in the Dayton area.  And as I was engaged in this battle of sorts, my mind went to an obscure Bible story.  It is about a man named Shammah from the Old Testament.  He was one of an elite group of warriors identified as David’s Might Men.  He was a true and tried man of war, loyal to David and seasoned on the field of battle.  The story goes that a day came when the Philistine army invaded the countryside of the nation of Israel.  As the people fled from their farm lands, Shammah found himself standing in the middle of a field of lentils (beans) as the Philistine army approached.  Alone, this mighty man of war who had fought for greater and more honorable things, faced the enemy.  This warrior who had risked his life for God and country and who had stood in harm’s way for the life of his king now found himself standing in defense of a field of beans.  I am certain he never dreamed all of his accomplishments and skill would lead him to this lowly field.  Yet, he accepted his assignment with the dignity and the honor of a great soldier.  Shammah defeated the Philistine army single-handedly.  The Bible says that the Lord brought a great victory through this battle over beans.  I believe the Lord was attempting to get a message over to me and possibly a few others.  Regardless of the countries to which I have traveled to reach the peoples of the world or the conferences, conventions and campmeetings I have had the privilege to preach, what is most important is the task at hand.  Not the size of it nor the notoriety or lack thereof.  It is about the task given by God and my faithfulness to it as a loyal soldier of the King.  If all the years that I have served Him and all the accomplishments that I may claim have led me here, then so be it!  Here at the end of the road I take my stand:  To defend for the Kingdom this field that God has given me.

PASTOR’S NOTE

MAYBE NEXT CHRISTMAS!  I heard someone say just recently that December twenty-sixth is the worst day of the year.  That sentiment may be due to the long drawn out Christmas season hoopla that has been attached to this most celebrated event.  This process, for some, starts in October and ends abruptly on December twenty-fifth.  The shopping is over except for those bargain hunters that go out early the next day to grab up the remains of the day.  All the decorations that we were enjoying now become the giant task that must be tucked away until next season.  The Christmas parties are over and all that remains is the quickly approaching New Years celebration, which is always mixed with a little bit of hope and a lot of melancholy.  So, here we are:  Christmas is over.  All the packages have been unwrapped and the company is gone.  Now what?  Have we gained anything from the season?  Or, are we caught in the same old same old?  That is, we have survived another Christmas and now we start the cycle all over again, putting it out of our minds for the next six to nine months and then start the countdown to the twenty-fifth again.  Nothing gained but a few gifts and some unwanted pounds, nothing lost but a few dollars.  Once again, the holiday which used to so vividly point to the coming of the Savior, has been mongrelized into just a shopping and party marathon.  No soul-searching.  No special time given to worship.  No real heart change at all.  Some have made it through another Christmas virtually untouched by the truth of the moment.  There are those who have spent years going over the same ground that we call Christmas without finding any truth at all.  Fifty and sixty Christmases and they haven’t got it yet.  Numbed by the hoopla, they go through the cycle with their hearts, minds and souls blinded by the lights and glitter.  They missed it again.  They are no more nearer to God now in their hearts than they were before.  The only thing that is bringing them closer to God now is eternity.  For all of us will stand before God one day.  Between now and next Christmas are fifty-two Sundays, thousands of ministers reaching their way, thousands of churches they will drive by.  Maybe they will find God between now and then.  Maybe next year.  Maybe next Christmas!

2009 Christmas Cantata

The Safe House Cantata Ensemble presented it’s 2009 production on Sunday night, December 20.  Once again Paige Elam did a great job assembling and directing the program.  The program was entitled “Remembering the Birth of the Saviour”.   This year a slide show was added.  The songs and solos were great!  Pastor Allen spoke on the birth of Christ and led the congregation in a prayer of acceptance of Christ as their Saviour.  A time of fellowship and Christmas cookies and candies was enjoyed afterward.  Thanks to Director Paige, candle lighters and the Ensemble for an inspiring night!  Below are a few pictures right before the cantata.  Enjoy!

SAFE HOUSE GIVES AWAY CHRISTMAS BOXES

Safe House gave away food boxes to 10 families this year.  This is an annual event that has grown bigger and better every year.  Nancy Meade was the outreach director for this project.  Collections were started back in October and included a week’s supply of groceries and gift bags for the young ones of the families.  Many of Safe House members gave well beyond what could have ever been hoped for.  25 people of Safe House came this past Thursday night  to assemble and distribute the boxes of food.  Thank you Safe House for being so generous in your giving and thanks to Nancy for a job well done.  Below are a few pictures of assembling of the boxes.   

It truly is..”More blessed to give than to receive…”

PASTOR’S NOTE

Joanne and I have had thirty-two Christmases together.  From newly weds to grandparents.  It has been said too often but yes, the years have flown by.  To me Christmas is one of the most fun and beautiful times of the year.  For all the theologians out there, I know what Christmas is all about.  It is about giving and receiving gifts!  God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son.  When that gift arrived in the form of a new-born babe, heaven and earth responded in kind.  The angels appeared in the heavens and gave God the glory for this remarkable gift and they presented to shepherds on a hillside the good news of that gift.  These poor shepherd in turn found the Christ in a manger that night.  With only the smell of the field and flocks upon them, they came.  Their hands were empty, but their hearts were full, so they gave to Mary and Joseph the honor they deserved and to baby Jesus they gave their worship.  It would take some time for the Magi to find Him.  They were men of means, some called them kings.  Unlike the shepherd they did not come empty-handed.  They came with gifts of frankincense, gold and myrrh.  You see, Christmas is all about the gifts.  I am not talking about diamonds or the latest of electronic gadgets or a myriad of other things one might get this Christmas season.  All those things combined pale in comparison to what God has given and to what many of us have received.  In all the Christmases that Joanne and I have enjoyed together, I have never bought her what was in my heart to buy for her.  I had to buy within my means.  Like many we have had Christmases when the flow of money was better and we spent too much.   We have other Christmases when money was tight and we spent too much.  This is something I am sure, many can identify with.  As we have gotten older and wiser we have corrected that impulse.  Of all the things I would desire to give to my family none are as great as what they have already received.  For nothing can come close to the greatness of having Jesus in your heart.  I can’t compete with that gift.  Yes, I am into the gifts.  Christmas is truly about gifts like that of a baby, glory, good news, worship, honor and respect.  And let us not forget the gifts from the Magi.  The good thing about these kinds of gifts, with or without money you are always able to give.  So this Christmas, give!

Safe House Christmas Card

Pastor Desi Allen:  I  have never had a moment in my life that I wasn’t aware that there is a God.  For the last forty-six years I have lived knowing that I was divinely called of God to carry His Gospel.  At age fifty-five I am more determined than ever to see the face of my Lord.

As for me, I will behold thy face in righteousness… Psalm 17:15

Joanne Allen:  Jesus Christ is my life source.  When I had no hope He gave me a reason to live. 

I am the resurrection and the life…  John 11:25

 

Paige Elam:  I have always known about the Lord since I was a child but it wasn’t until 5 years ago that I fell in love with Him.  In the past year I have learned to depend on God just as I need air to breathe.

For the eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him.   II Chronicles 16:9

                                                   

Vicky McCoy:  Through the calm and through the storm He has never let go of me!

“Because God has said, Never will I leave you, never will I forsake you.”  Hebrews 13:5

 

Jessica Porter:  My life has taken me down many roads and I am always led back to God.  For that I give Him the glory.

“Those who plant in tears will harvest shouts of joy.”  Psalm 126:5

 

Desha Rose:  After being away from God the past eight years, I finally got to the point where I was just sick of living the life that I was living.  For the past four months, there has been a change taking place in my life.  God is revealing Himself to me in a new way, different from anything I have every experienced.  I am finding God for myself and it has nothing to do with anyone around me but it has everything to do with the grace only He can give.  If no one I knew was living this life, I still would choose to be where I am today. 

“For by grace you have been saved through faith.  And this is not your own doing, it is the gift of God, not a result of works so that no one may boast.”  Ephesians 2:8-9

Amanda Vann:  God had been missing from my life for a while.  I am so thankful that I finally found Him again and for His blessings on my life.

“But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength.  They will soar with wings like eagles.  They will run and not grow weary.  They will walk and not be faint.”  Isaiah 40:31 

SEASONAL PICTURES

The interior of the sanctuary of Safe House is very conducive to prayer early in the morning.  Also pictured is the foyer with a Christmas tree and the food cart.  Safe House will once again give a week’s supply of groceries to 10 families.   Collections have been going on since October.

ELVIS COMES TO CANTATA PRACTICE!

Safe House Cantata Choir had a surprise visitor at their practice this past Saturday.  Elvis, in vintage gold lamee jacket, came and sang some of his favorite Christmas songs.  Pictured to the left is choir director Paige Elam and Elvis impersonator, David Porter.  Three very imaginative members of the cantata,  Amanda, Desha and Jessica, are responsible for some very inventive surprises for the director at different sessions.  From different styles of hairdos, to wearing their wedding dresses to practice, to a surprise visit from Elvis, they have kept practices live and fun.  Elvis, aka David, is the father of one of the choir members and has been a friend of Pastor Allen for years.   Thanks for coming David and sharing some Christmas fun with us.  Hope you enjoyed your pay:  a box of homemade cookies.   The cantata, “Remembering the Birth of the Redeemer” will be performed Sunday, December 20 at 6:30 pm. 

SHOW LADIES CHRISTMAS PARTY

The ladies of Safe House enjoyed a time of fun, food and fellowship at their annual Christmas party.   The art work of Christmas related pictures drawn on top of their heads was a sight to behold!  Other games were played and ornaments exchanged.  SHOW ladies are incredible workers and examples of Christianity but they also have a great sense of humor.  Thanks for all you do and making work fun!  For those unable to come, we missed you!  Next meeting is a prayer meeting January 11 at 7 pm during our Daniel.

PASTOR’S NOTE

There are no words to adequately convey the depth of sorrow our family is experiencing this week.  Just this past Monday evening, Joanne’s nephew lost his life.  Just sixteen years old and now he is gone.  He was a good young man with a few problems like most teenagers.  So close to being a man.  So close to stepping into his destiny.  Though there are those who will disagree, to the believer we are convinced by Scripture that death is unnatural to God’s design for man.  If it were not so, we would take all of this in stride.  But that is not the case.  All these years since the fall of Adam in the garden ushering in spiritual separation and physical death, it still takes us by surprise.  I watched the evening of the viewing and the day of the funeral as hundreds of teens, middle-aged and elders passed by the casket to pay their last respects to a young man who should not have died.  The tears flowed freely, young and old shocked by the tragedy.  Hardened men stood shaking their heads and wiping away tears.  If it were natural, there would be no need of grief counseling or classes and books dealing with the stages of grieving.  Support groups for those dealing with loss would be nonexistent.  Bereavement rates for airlines and motels would not be available and time off from work would not be an option.  Even when we the living know that a loved one’s time is near and we feel we have prepared ourselves for the inevitable, we are still caught by surprise and weakened by the finality of death.  We as humans made in the image and likeness of an eternal God should not die, especially our young.  Yet, we do.  I have had the opportunity to officiate many funerals over the past thirty-seven years of ministry.  Some I remember well.  Others, I must confess, I do not remember without jogging my memory.  But, I remember all those who were young.  I remember their short stories.  From the nine-day old baby who had never been held in his mother’s arms until the day we conducted the memorial service in the hospital chapel to the eighteen year old who lost his life in a car accident avoiding a head on collision with a family in an oncoming van.  I still grieve for them.  I sorrow for the family that was forced to let go.  I know they are all in the hands of a loving and merciful God.  Knowing this, the greatest of all comforts fills my heart.  That is hope and hope causes me to smile through my tears.