You are welcome to a fellowship at the

Salt and Light

14799 Avon Allen Rd

Mt. Vernon

on Sunday

from 1-3 pm

(contemporary music)

and

from

4-6 pm (hymns).

We come together to praise and glorify God, share testimonies, and pray.

We are seeking God’s direction as we prepare and equip ourselves to be faithful in the harvest fields in 2021.

Years ago the parsonage at Epworth, England, was on fire. The minister thought that all the family were safe, when suddenly one of the children appeared at a window, crying to be saved. The peasants made a ladder of themselves by standing one upon the other’s shoulders, and in this way the lad was brought to safety. That boy was John Wesley. Had the ladder failed to be made, the destiny of the world would have been different.

But today there is as great a call for human ladders to reach for the souls of men as there was to reach up to the little lad in the flaming building. And the results in the eternal world will be the same as they were when the men saved the boy Wesley.

Excerpts from “Answered prayers and soul-winning incidents – published in 1940

Even in these challenging times of our faith being tested and strengthening, God’s people continue to bring hope to those that are “broken-hearted and crushed in spirit.” Thanks to those that pray and support our co-laborers in the harvest fields around the world. Just received the testimony of 374 that accepted Jesus in 7 different outreaches in Burundi and 121 have already been baptized. Thanks to those that are reaching out to the unborn, homeless and isolated in their community. Locally, a family had their home burned down and immediately people responded to help. Standing together to support one another, but not at the expense of reaching out to the hungry, thirsty, naked, strangers, sick and in prison and orphans and widows in their distress.

The 19^th of May, 1788, was a very dark day in Connecticut. Candles were lighted in many houses; the birds went to roost. The people were greatly impressed that the judgement day had come. In the state legislature, at that time in session in Hartford, this opinion prevailed. The house of representatives adjourned, and the council proposed to follow the example.

But Colonel Davenport objected. “The day of judgement,” he said, “is either approaching or it is not. If it is not, there is no cause for an adjournment; if it is, I choose to be found doing my duty. I wish, therefore, that candles may be brought.”

Is not this the spirit that should prompt us in every act that we do? May we so carry out our duty that even the day of judgement, should it arrest our action, will find us doing only that which is right and honorable before men and God.

Excerpts from “Answered prayers and soul-winning incidents – published in 1940

We are praying that each of you is finding peace in your life, even though we know that confusion is persistently trying to sabotage our need for fellowship as the Body of Christ. We wanted to just share some truth that is adding to our difficulty in discerning how we are to be the light to the broken hearted and crushed in spirit when we feel that is a relatively good description of our journey of faith in this season of our lives. Please just prayerfully consider why this time is so trying for us all.

Linda and I have been living in the community of Skagit Valley for over 50 years. Over those years I have never met or heard of anyone that wanted to be sick or really get anyone else sick. During those years, people have had flu and flu like symptoms, more in the winter and fall than during the spring and summer. But every day of every year people are trying to stay healthy. Now, we have healthy supplements, prescription and non-prescription drugs and remedies. The difference now, is that people can go to the am-pm, neighborhood grocery stores, Rite-aid, Walgreens, Hometown pharmacy, Safeway, Walmart, Fred Meyers, Costco, Amazon and anywhere to fill up their bags with the medicine they think will help them get over the flu-like symptoms. Hundreds, everyday of the year. From 1970 and all the more every year through to this the present day. Stand at the shelves at any of these places, any time and any day of the year and watch how many people are checking out labels and getting the medicine that they believe might help them. During the time of the Swine flu, H1N1, SARS, every flu down to the common cold that has triggered human responses from the sniffles, pneumonia and even death. What if everyone that felt that they had or could have the actual flu called everyone they had been in contact with, shutdown their business and quarantined from life each time? How does society manage when it has always included almost everyone throughout every year and for many – more than a number of times throughout each year. It has always been the truth, but our response to it was changed in 2020. And everyone has seen the ultimate devastation that is now crippling and destroying families in a way that has never happened before. The truth. God allows it so everyone can make a choice. Do we need any God other than ourselves? The carnal nature of sin is self-preservation. That is the conflicting and hopefully, convicting, truth that can be appealing when we fully embrace the concept that if we are having symptoms of any sickness or know someone that does, we must isolate basis what man dictates.

We must set our course, individually and corporately, to listen and obey, trusting that God will direct our steps.

What a blessed day praising God and sharing testimonies of His faithfulness at the Salt & Light fellowship.

“Gospel for the month of December 2020: On December 2, at the Mont Goma Institute 675 students participated in an outreach and 72 students received Jesus Christ. On December 16, the Mont Goma Institute had 640 students participate in another outreach and 28 students received Jesus Christ. On December 27 in the new temple, 120 people participated and 4 people received Jesus. We baptized 21 people this month.”

Augustine

In writing of revivals Dr. Hallock, editor of “The Expositor”, stated, “The following persons with all the members of their families don’t like revivals: Mr. Formality, Mr. Hypocrisy, Mr. Half-Hope, Mr. Guess-So, Mr. Lost-His-Experience, Mr. Worldly-Policy, Mr. Compromise, Mr. Secret-Sin, Mr. Lukewarm, Mr. At-Ease-In-Zion. We do not like to indulge in personalities, but lest some inexperienced revival workers should be alarmed at the opposition which they will meet from these persons we feel that this statement should be made.”

(Excerpts from “Answered prayers and soul-winning incidents – published in 1940)

It is told that the steamship Central America, on a voyage for New York to San Francisco, sprang a leak in mid-ocean. A vessel seeing her distress bore down toward her and the captain of the rescue ship cried, “Let me take your passengers on board now.” But it was night and the commander of the Central America feared to send his passengers away in the darkness. Thinking they could keep afloat a while longer he replied, “Lie by until morning.” About an hour and a half later her lights were missing.

The vessel had sunk, and all on board had perished because it was thought that they could be saved at another time. “Now is the accepted time.”                             

(Excerpts from “Answered prayers and soul-winning incidents – published in 1940)

Many thanks to David, Shells, Dale and Jennifer for coming and bringing Remi, Melody and Deziray for our last Harvest Kids meeting of the year.

We were blessed to crush some of the aluminum cans that our friends have donated and then the kids began the process of filling the huge 90mm shell casing (23” tall and 4” diameter) to raise money for the first two classrooms of a new primary school for vulnerable and orphaned children in central Uganda.

The kids just sent the remainder of the $3,000 needed to refurbish the old church structure so they could begin school in January – on condition that the new school building will be completed in 2021.

These young people know that with God’s continued help they “CAN” and do make a difference. We spent the rest of the morning sharing about Jesus and the true meaning of Christmas, playing a game, using the rubber stamps and ink pads to make late Christmas cards and were able to get Jennifer, Remi and the puppies pawprints on the wall.

We are thankful that historically there have been the faithful laborers in God’s harvest fields throughout the world that choose to do the many tasks that God requires to prepare and equip His people for the various acts of service needed to advance His Kingdom.

We are thankful for the ongoing work at the Garden of Eden family ministry in west Mt. Vernon and the Harvest Kids greenhouse and future hydroponics project on the Samish River.

Please check out the www.harvestvisionministries.org website for more info.