Draw Near - He is Enough!

"Therefore, brothers since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. " Hebrews 10:19



Drawing near to God! What a thought! We, who trip and stumble over our own sin, who are sadly prone to do the things that keep us distant from an "awesome" God, are actually able to draw near Him - without the hint of a thing in the way. In fact, not even a curtain!

Although we know we are too inadequate for this privilege on our own, our hope can be rightly placed in Jesus and His blood as our only "new and living way" to God. We can stand before Him - without shame, embarrassment, or guilt . . . what freedom! He sprinkles our hearts and washes our bodies with pure water. As we come to Him with a sincere heart, we can have full assurance in His faithfullness and that He is enough. Sounds good, huh?

He makes us ready for a life with Him!

Countryside Prayer Requests

Please be praying for . . .

Teachers & servants to be raised up by the Lord to minister to the children at Countryside.

A woman who has been having back trouble and having difficulty taking care of her family.

A man who would like prayer for his mother who has pneumonia and is very ill.

Another man who would like prayer for his son and his son's wife as they develop their relationship with the Lord again. He would like prayer that God would guide them to find a Church Body to support them.

Earl, Lindsey, & Family who will be moving soon.

A guy who is undergoing medical treatments and needs prayer for the financial needs that are being accrued.

For refreshment, rest, and strength for those in the Body who have much "on their plate" at this time.

Cameron who is ministering in Africa . . . and will be coming home soon!

Countryside Prayer Requests

Please be praying for the Body at Countryside. Here are several things to remember when doing so:

A couple in the Fellowship will be having their baby soon. Prayer is needed that the delivery and adjustments that come with having a new baby would go smoothly.

Kenny has been sick and has recently arrived in Iraq. Continue to pray for encouragement, strength, safety, and that he keeps his faith strong.

Cameron is ministering to the kids in Africa.

Continue to pray for our older saints, their families, and caregivers: Agnes, Belle, Verna Dell, and Wilma.

Full of Compassion

Our Lord has compassion on us just as we are:

"[Jesus] comes into sinful lives as a bright, clear stream enters a stagnant pool. The stream is not afraid of contamination but its sweet enercy clenses the pool . . . He is always being "touched with compassion." The multitude without a shepherd, the sorrowing widow of Nain, the little dead child of the ruler, the demoniac of Gadara, the hungry five thousand - what ever suffers touches Jesus. His very wrath against the scribes and Pharisees is but the excess of His sypathy for those who suffer under their hard self-righteousness.

Did you ever find Jesus looking for "deserving poor"? He "healed all their sick." And what grace in His sympathy! Why did He touch that poor leper? He could have healed him with a word as He did the nobleman's son. why, for years the wretch had been an oucast, cut off from kin, dehumanized. He lost the sense of being a man. It was defilement to approach him. Well, the touch of Jesus made him human again."

The Scofield Reference Bible; Dr. Scofield

Countryside Prayer Requests

Here are several ways to be praying for the Body at Countryside:

A Sister in the Fellowship would like prayer for a friend whose:
...mother has cancer (a brain tumor) and
...son has a tumor on his optic nerve
Please pray for her friend's strength in the Lord and that she will be dependent on Him, trusting in His will. Also for the doctors who will be treating them.

A Woman who would like prayer that the Lord will soften her husband's heart and that he will allow the Lord to take charge of his life, attitude, and the way he leads their family spiritually.

For the family of the young man that was killed in the accident that LaVerne was recently in

For the Thanksgiving week services as they approach

Also for those who have recently lost a loved one as the holidays will be a difficult time for them

For Ross and Inez as they are hoping to buy as house, and for Ross specifically as he looks for work

For Dale as he begins a new job

Continue to pray for our older saints, their families, caregivers: Agnes, Belle, Verna Dell, Virginia

Not Forgotten

Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne? Though she may forget, I will not forget you!

See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands; your walls are ever before me. Isaiah 49 15-16

It is good to know our God loves us and has not forgotten us. He is completely sufficient and satisfies our needs even to their depths. How good it is to find full and true comfort in His compassion toward us.

May the Lord bless your communion with Him today!

Countryside Prayer Requests

Here are several ways to be praying for the Body at Countryside:

Please be praying for the friends and family of LaVerne as they experience her loss while on this earth. Pray that they would be drawn to the Lord by His Spirit and be encouraged because of her love for Him.

A Family in the Fellowship would like prayer for their young daughter's skin condition and wisdom in the steps they should take to help her.

Wilma recently has had knee surgery and could use prayer as she is healing.

The Youth Group & College Agers could use prayer...

• As the Youth Group is growing there is a growing need for more people to assist with leading
• That those in these groups would grow in their relationship with the Lord and learn to minister and encourage each other
• That the group would have a desire to minister to the new youth that come to the Fellowship
• That, if the Lord is leading, He would raise up people to minister to the college agers

Called to Mexico!

Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go. Joshua 1:9

It is true that the Lord is with the Mexico Outreach Team as they minister to the kids and staff who are at the Mission at Carmen Serdan this week. In His power, they are enabled to be strong and courageous as he works in them and through them to accomplish His plans and purposes.

Please be praying for this group and Mike Masonic as he leads them:

Amy H.

Amy T.

Brian

Brian Jr.

Casey

Ethan

Hannah

Jacob

Jenna

Jimmy

Joan

John-Mark

Karen

Mike

Travis

Prayer for those in the Mid-East!

Recently the Fellowship received an email to request and remind us to pray for the troops in Iraq . . .

The weather report is HOT and sunny for our troops! Apparently it is 122 degrees in Iraq now -- the low will be 111 degrees. Our prayers for strength, endurance, and safety are needed for them in a great way.

By the way, with the increasing action taking place in Middle East, it is a right thing to bring our prayers and requests before the Lord on the behalf of those in the midst of it all.

Please pray for these as the Lord brings them to your mind.

Thankful Hearts Before Him

Know that the Lord is God.

It is he who made us, and we are his;

we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.

Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise;

give thanks to him and praise his name.

For the Lord is good and his love endures forever;

his faithfulness continues through all generations.

Psalm 100: 3-5

Praying for the Body

Please be praying for the Body at Countryside . . .

A Woman recently went into surgery for a tumor in her brain recently. Continue to pray for her and her recovery as well as wisdome for the doctors as they continue to treat her.

A Sister who was recently in a car accident. She and all involved are okay and only have minor cuts and bruises. Please pray that she would continue to heal.

Pray for our older saints and those who have been faithfully ministering to them:
Vernadel, Wilma, Virginia, Belle, Agnes

Jared who will soon be leaving to minister in Mexico; and Cameron who is already ministering in the Mission at Carmen Serdan.

We're Family!

Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves. Romans 12:10

As brothers and sisters in Christ it is a privilege to come together and worship our God.

From the first step into the "building" at Countryside it is a joy to be greeted by the "Body" at Countryside. True brotherly (. . . and sisterly) love can be caught in action by those greeting in the First Contact ministry.

They hold the great opportunity to be a reminder of the joy and family we share in Christ!

Please pray for those the Lord has and is raising up to share in this ministry. Mike Gonzales oversees this ministry and has given several ideas to start:

• Pray for committed people to become part of this ministry.
• Pray for that the Fellowship will grow and desire to know one another
• Pray that the Holy Spirit will lead them in His direction and provide guidance
• Pray that they will be vessel's of honor to be used by God
• Pray that all involved in this ministry would be humble to the leading of the Holy Spirit since He is our Helper and Counselor (John 16:12)

Praying for the Body

Several things to keep in mind while praying for the Body of Christ at Countryside . . .

Greg who has just had open heart surgery and will be recovering. Praise for his quick recovery so far - by the way!
Debbie would like prayer for her health problems and wisdom for her and her doctors regarding them.
Belle needs prayer regarding health issues and will be using a trial pain pump to make her more comfortable. Also we can be praying for her family as they care for her.
A man in the Fellowship who has re-committed himself to Jesus and would like prayer that God will act in his life to turn all his pain and defeat into something beautiful.
A woman who is recovering from surgery
A lady in the Fellowship would like prayer for her mother-in-law who is not eating enough and suffering from health problems. She would also like prayer for another close relative who is 89 years old and is recovering from gallbladder surgery.
A woman would like prayer for her brother who is recovering from 1st, 2nd, & 3rd degree burns on his arm, hands & stomach. He was cooking and had a seizure.
Cameron who would like prayer that the Lord would keep on giving her the strength to do her work at the Mission in Carmen Serdan.

"At Home"

You are my hiding place; you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance. Psalm 32:7

I think distractions in prayer are often because we have let ourselves wander too far from the things that matter most. And so we slip into an easily interrupted, easily distracted frame of mind.

We need to live more at home.
"In him we live and move and have our being" (Acts 17:28). This means, simply, God is our home.

Home of my heart, lest I forget

My redemption's cost to Thee,

Let my earliest thought be set

Upon Thy Calvary.

Do you see what I mean? These words, which center my attention on what matters most, speak of something that I cannot drop out of my day without great loss to me.

I know without question that an earnest "look" at Calvary does more to help our life of prayer than we imagine:

So shall the sayings of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be pleasing continually before Thee, O Lord my helper and my Redeemer. (Psalm 19:14, Septuagint)

Edges of His Ways; by Amy Carmichael

Praying for the Body

Please be praying for. . .

Cameron who is at the Mission at Carman Serdan; the mission is very short of staff will have 12 hour shifts if no relief comes soon
Belle who is in the hospital again; pray for her family as they care for her needs
Jessica who is ministering on a mission trip to Mississippi
Ross & Inez as they are adjuting to a larger family with the twins now home
A woman who would like prayer for her sister and sister's husband who are about to lose their home and business
A Couple who have a young boy with severe asthma
A Guy who is having cardiac problems

The Generation to Come

We will not hide them from their children, telling to the generation to come the praises of the Lord, and His strength and His wonderful works that He has done. Psalm 78:4

What a thrill it is when God allows us to catch a glimpse of his strength being poured into our lives . . . or maybe even when His "wonderful works" amazingly pop out at us while reading his Word! As God reveals to our understanding what He has done, we then have the great opportunity to share with others. Even the generation to come!

Those who minister to the children of Countryside have this awesome privilege. Please pray for them as they follow Christ's leading and point the kids to Him.

Some ways to begin. . .

• That the Lord would raise up people to minister in nursery . . . lots of help needed!!!
• A real love for Jesus would be created in the hearts of the kids
• The teachers would have the ability to speak God's Word so the kids will understand

Trusting Him

Trust in the Lord and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him and he will do this: He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun. Psalm 37 3-7

The Lord is Near

Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Phillippians 4:5-7

These verses above were laid on our hearts at the Believer's Prayer Service last Friday night. May they be an encouragment to you today! --By the way, come join us sometime as we fellowship in the Believer's Prayer Service every Friday night at 7:00 p.m. . . . come prepared to bless and be blessed by the Lord.

Prayer for the Body

Wilma - In recovery from pneumonia.
Ross & Inez - For the delivery of their twins as the Lord's timing approaches
A Guy in the Fellowship who needs the Lord's leading in finding a job
Those who have been sick in the Body. . . we've been hit hard!
A Couple whose daughter will be going on a mission trip to Mississippi
A lady who is recovering from neck surgery
Ann - Her father has liver cancer, lung cancer, & recently has had a heart attack
A woman who is having trouble taking her medication
Another woman and her family as she is struggling with the affects of Alzheimer's

Countryside Youth

Remember your Creator in the days of your youth. . . Ecclesiastes 12:1

Opportunity awaits as the Lord unfolds his will for the youth at Countryside!

Our Creator has the youth in mind, individually and as a whole, for His plans and purposes. While the Youth Group takes the time to remember Him, He will faithfully continue to grow them up and complete the good work we have seen Him begin.

Our ministry of prayer on behalf of this group is more instrumental than we will know on this side of Heaven. Here are several awaiting opportunities the Lord has revealed to the Youth Ministry leadership that can be surrounded in prayer:

• Hospitality - That the Youth Group would grow in sincere hospitality and love of youth visiting the Fellowship
• Worship - For the youth led worship team as they continue to grow and seek the Lord's heart in worship
• Salt & Light - That the Lord would open doors for further ministry to this Youth Group and to the community

. . . 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. Philippians 1:6