Hello Lighthousers !!!!
We have enjoyed a really good Mission's Conference with Bob Barker, the Ruley's, Jim Wright, the van Reijns, and the Wilsons.
I don't know about you, but it was a real encouragement and challenge to me. I was continually hit with the love and grace of God and how it is our joy, duty, and responsibility to spread it here in Newark and abroad to the world.
I was challenged by Bob Barker's church of 160 or so people giving over $180,000 to missions each year. The people (and their wallets) have really caught a glimpse of worldwide evangelism, and we must also. Don't forget this coming Sunday, first thing, we will pass the offering plates to turn in our small blue card for our Faith Promise Commitments. I am excited that we will exceed what we have given before.
On another note - the three Pastors spent yesterday in Howard Young and Smyrna Prisons. In the morning and afternoon, we went into the cell pod areas and gave the gospel man by man. I was surprised to meet some true believers that needed some "Pastoring" about inner sin struggles of their life. Pray for Marcus, James, and Donald.
Also, we were able to lead a man named Ivan to Christ. He will be released in April and we have asked him to come to Lighthouse. Pray that he will come and experience the love of the true body of Christ that is no respecter of persons.
In the evening, we held a service in the Prison at Smyrna. This is a huge facility with 3300 men I believe. We had about 150+ at the service. The Rock of Ages Evangelist told us that Chaplain Pennel and Tim Heald do a great job of evangelism and discipleship and that we would have predominately saved men. When the men arrived, they began with a choir singing heartily a wonderful chorus of "Your gonna' need Jesus". I very deeply realized that this was a church. An assembly of believers under a Pastoral Chaplain. It was good for us to see.
We preached from Romans 6 about victory over sin after salvation. Many men connected and responded to begin struggling with the mindset of "not paying the old landlord of sin anymore". They seemed to realize that they vicariously died with Christ on the cross and rose to a new life with Him. That sin was not the defeating master anymore. They were alive to yield their members as instruments of righteousness.
Although the room was predominately Born again, 3 men came forward to accept Christ as Savior. It was a glory time. Pastor Pritt ended the night singing acapella "Stand up, Stand up for Jesus".
Overall, it was a tremendous time that allowed us to put into practice the preaching of the week.
We look forward to Sunday and being again together with our local gathering of the family of God.
PW
Friday, March 27, 2009
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Help Middletown
From Pastor Ed Lasko - Middletown Baptist Church:
Middletown Baptist Church is facing a new crisis with DelDOT. We have been informed of another change in the Green North + Spur Road of Route 301. The information can be found at http://www.deldot.gov/information/projects/us301/. We are concerned because this will directly affect our church. The overpass will come along the tree line to the right of our new auditorium.
I have attached a petition that we have asked our church members and community to sign. We have asked DelDOT to reconsider this option. We feel the Green North + Spur Road will have a negative impact on our church and that DelDOT should implement the option that the public chose as best: Green North with Armstrong Corner Road option2A and spur road option 3B. We are opposed to any "new changes" that are being introduced! Could you please put out copies of the petition and ask your congregation to sign?
We need to receive the completed petitions by March 31. You can fax them to (302) 378-2443 or mail them to Middletown Baptist Church, 419 Armstrong Corner Road, Middletown,DE 19709.
Thank you for your efforts on the behalf of our church.
In Christ,
Dr. Edward J. Lasko, Sr.,Senior Pastor
Middletown Baptist Church
419 Armstrong Corner Road
Middletown, DE 19709
Middletown Baptist Church is facing a new crisis with DelDOT. We have been informed of another change in the Green North + Spur Road of Route 301. The information can be found at http://www.deldot.gov/information/projects/us301/. We are concerned because this will directly affect our church. The overpass will come along the tree line to the right of our new auditorium.
I have attached a petition that we have asked our church members and community to sign. We have asked DelDOT to reconsider this option. We feel the Green North + Spur Road will have a negative impact on our church and that DelDOT should implement the option that the public chose as best: Green North with Armstrong Corner Road option2A and spur road option 3B. We are opposed to any "new changes" that are being introduced! Could you please put out copies of the petition and ask your congregation to sign?
We need to receive the completed petitions by March 31. You can fax them to (302) 378-2443 or mail them to Middletown Baptist Church, 419 Armstrong Corner Road, Middletown,DE 19709.
Thank you for your efforts on the behalf of our church.
In Christ,
Dr. Edward J. Lasko, Sr.,Senior Pastor
Middletown Baptist Church
419 Armstrong Corner Road
Middletown, DE 19709
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Mr. Heald Funeral
Our thoughts and prayers go out to Debbie and Roselda Heald in the loss of Paul Heald.
Services are this Friday at Strano Feeley Funeral home.
10am - Visitation
11am - Service
Private Interment
Please contact Deacons Rich Simpson or Jack Miller with desires to help the family.
Services are this Friday at Strano Feeley Funeral home.
10am - Visitation
11am - Service
Private Interment
Please contact Deacons Rich Simpson or Jack Miller with desires to help the family.
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Laughing in the Tent
Thoughts of Sarah and Sunday morning's sermon have come to me often lately. I can't get over the thought of Abraham and Sarah's immediate disbelief and then their ultimate strong faith. I praise the Lord for His patience in that process of rebuke and change in our lives. We need to take our faithlessness to the woodshed.
I can almost see the preincarnate Lord Jesus arguing with Sarah and concluding "Is there anything too hard for the Lord?" This question is a powerful statement coming from One who knew. Somehow, the devil has convinced us that we are not Sarah. We cannot see the hand of the Lord. He does not work through the natural and supernatural to control our lives.
I do not advocate that you search for the miraculous. There is nothing more spiritual about the miraculous than the natural work of God in your life. Like Sarah, we must surrender our wills to what God wants, and He will do in us His will regardless of probabilities, impossibilities, or any obstacles.
I cannot help but apply this to our new building. God has raised up this church, and through many obstacles, improbabilities, and struggles we stand where we are today. We are blessed beyond measure as a young church. And God has naturally by His will brought people and overflowed our facilities. He has put it in my heart, and the heart of the Leaders of our church and much of the Congregation to build this new auditorium. It has been a process of faith. God has rewarded with hundreds of thousands of dollars raised, the Sears property purchased, a great team of Engineer and Builder, a great Building Team, a beautiful design, etc. etc.
Now we are in view of getting the Permits from County by the Fall of this year. All that will stop us from building then will be having enough money. Last night we met with our Builder (Nowland) and were told that since our last estimate in 2007 building costs have gone up around 11%. Though the sagging economy has lowered costs some, this is still a valid increase. The preparation, excavation, landscaping of the site have risen to over a million dollars themselves. The building itself is about 1.6 million. With all other amounts, estimates for a turn-key project are hovering at 3 million dollars.
The Lord gently rebukes the thought of us raising enough money for a healthy downpayment to get the mortgage payment of this 3 million affordable. I hear Him say "Is anything too hard for the Lord?"
We must do the natural of sacrificial giving and allow God to decide when to do the miraculous. He knows our need, He has heard our prayers, we follow Him in faith, and wait on His timing. We must do our part and follow by giving and prayer. We wait on Him to do the "too hard" part.
PW
I can almost see the preincarnate Lord Jesus arguing with Sarah and concluding "Is there anything too hard for the Lord?" This question is a powerful statement coming from One who knew. Somehow, the devil has convinced us that we are not Sarah. We cannot see the hand of the Lord. He does not work through the natural and supernatural to control our lives.
I do not advocate that you search for the miraculous. There is nothing more spiritual about the miraculous than the natural work of God in your life. Like Sarah, we must surrender our wills to what God wants, and He will do in us His will regardless of probabilities, impossibilities, or any obstacles.
I cannot help but apply this to our new building. God has raised up this church, and through many obstacles, improbabilities, and struggles we stand where we are today. We are blessed beyond measure as a young church. And God has naturally by His will brought people and overflowed our facilities. He has put it in my heart, and the heart of the Leaders of our church and much of the Congregation to build this new auditorium. It has been a process of faith. God has rewarded with hundreds of thousands of dollars raised, the Sears property purchased, a great team of Engineer and Builder, a great Building Team, a beautiful design, etc. etc.
Now we are in view of getting the Permits from County by the Fall of this year. All that will stop us from building then will be having enough money. Last night we met with our Builder (Nowland) and were told that since our last estimate in 2007 building costs have gone up around 11%. Though the sagging economy has lowered costs some, this is still a valid increase. The preparation, excavation, landscaping of the site have risen to over a million dollars themselves. The building itself is about 1.6 million. With all other amounts, estimates for a turn-key project are hovering at 3 million dollars.
The Lord gently rebukes the thought of us raising enough money for a healthy downpayment to get the mortgage payment of this 3 million affordable. I hear Him say "Is anything too hard for the Lord?"
We must do the natural of sacrificial giving and allow God to decide when to do the miraculous. He knows our need, He has heard our prayers, we follow Him in faith, and wait on His timing. We must do our part and follow by giving and prayer. We wait on Him to do the "too hard" part.
PW
Monday, March 9, 2009
A Button Message to the World
Hello World !
One of the amazing things that we have observed about our website is the fact that we get "hits" from dozens of U.S. States and many different countries. Some of the countries of course represent our missionaries, but many do not.
Our website is viewed regularly by people outside our area viewing sermons, music, or just watching what is going on at Lighthouse. We praise the Lord for this ! Our webmaster, Brian Mensch, has worked very hard at incorporating new ideas, navigation, design, etc. into our website. We are currently working on a "2.0" edition that will give the website a complete overhaul into a more simple, beautiful, streamline website. A neat fact about our website comes if you simply Google "Lighthouse Baptist Church". All over the world, our website is the #2 listing for Lighthouse Baptist Church. This is pretty amazing. The website is responsible for bringing several of our new people to Lighthouse. We praise the Lord only for the tool the site has been to the entire World.
Well, World...we would like you to consider giving back if our ministry has been a spiritual blessing to you. As many of you know, we are building a new 15,000 sq. foot auditorium. This is a true need, not a luxury. We have been overflowing our current building for a few years now. With the help of a video building overflow, we average over 260 in an auditorium of 211! Our people line up down the hall for the bathrooms, and we fill each current room with classes. Our parking lot overflows into grass, surrounding driveways, etc. Praise the Lord for this problem, but it is a problem none the less!
You can help us....you will notice a new yellow "Donate" button on the main page of our website under the picture of our new building. If we have ministered to you, we ask you to help us with our ministry. It is exciting to see people from dozens of States and Countries accessing our church ministry, and we ask you to consider returning the blessing.
May the Lord bless our ministry as WE BLESS HIM. Please do not feel indebted to give, we simply give you the opportunity.
PW
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)