Apostolic Accent October Issue

Double Mind or Double Portion | Singles Conference Pictures | Go and Worship | And They Lived Happily Ever After

The O�cial Magazine of the Oregon District UPCI October 2012

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A Note from the Editor “I HAVE NO GREATER JOY THAN TO HEAR THAT

MY CHILDREN WALK IN TRUTH.” 3 JOHN 1:4A child is a blessing and a unique gift from God.

There are times when they can be the sweetest little bundle of joy and other times when they can push our buttons to the limit! Ha! I have such an active son and it can get very frustrating at times but I have discovered that the greatest joy I get from him is when I hear him quoting Scriptures, telling Bible stories, singing or praying.

Although our son , Javin , is just shy of four years old, there have been many times when we will be at church or at home and as we are praying, Javin will begin to pray. It brings me great joy when I hear him in his loud voice praising Jesus and forming his own prayers. As we sit down to eat, he reaches for our hands and begins to pray without being prompted many times.

There are other times, he will be playing and talking about Bible stories. One day he was laying on our bedroom floor with his arms stretched out and he says, “look mom, Jesus died on the cross for our sins!” He had discovered that he could make a cross with his body! Or the many times he says to daddy or even visitors, “You be Goliath and I will be David.” I will never forget one of the first times he reenacted that story after grandpa preached it....he played out the story with daddy and when he got to the part where David cut Goliath’s head off, he didn’t quite understand that part and he had daddy on the floor and began to pretend he was cutting daddy’s hair.

Many times, he makes up songs to the tunes of many Christian songs he hears as he is playing cars…And then there are those times when we will go into a restaurant or somewhere and they are playing worldlly music and he will say, “That is bad music.”

Here in the last couple months we have been doing memory verses with him and to hear him quote Scripture brings the most amazing joy ever! It truly is great joy when my child walks in the truth! I’m praying as he gets older, he will continue to walk in truth and serve the Lord with the love he does now as a child!

Kassie Meyer

Oregon District Apostolic AccentVolume 48, Number 1

www.ORUPC.com

Editor……………………..........…………….Kassie [email protected]

(503) 689-3589

District OfficialsSuperintendent……………......……………Ted GravesSecretary/Treasurer……..........……..Dan Sargeant

PresbytersSection 1…………………......…..…………Gary GleasonSection 2……………………........…M. Dennis JohnsonSection 3………………………......……..Kevin GoodwinSection 4…………………………......Steven L. Johnson

Honorary Board MemberM. David Johnson

North American MissionsDirector…………………………….......…..Steve HansonSecretary…………………….……….....…Virgil Alldritt

Global MissionsDirector……………………………….......James Bigelow

Apostolic ManDirector……………………………..……......Mark Edday

Ladies MinistriesDirector…………………………......….Geanice LangleySecretary…………………...…….....…….Rachel Sparks

Sunday School Director………………………….…......…Darrell SparksSecretary…………....………………….....…..Joe Higgins

Oregon YouthPresident…………………………….......…Stan GleasonSecretary………………………………......……Kevin Neu

Spanish MinistriesDirector……………………………………......Fito Avenia

Life in Focus Coordinator…...........Bill TittsworthPrison Ministry Coordinator….....….Doug LethinMedia Missions Director……......David P. JohnsonA.C.T.S. President………...….......M. Dennis JohnsonSenior Quiz Coordinator.…......…..Brian HuffmanJunior Quiz Coordinator.…......…Jonathan Toews

2 APOSTOLIC ACCENT October 2012

Inside this IssueArticles/Columns2 A Note from the Editor KASSIE MEYER

4 Double Mind or Double Portion? DAN SARGEANT

6 Dispel Fear and Let Your Faith Grow KATHLEEN VANDEVENDER

9 Go and Worship STAN GLEASON

10 Impart JAMES BIGELOW

12 And They Lived Happily Ever After DAVID REYNOLDS

Promotions7 Singles Conference Pictures 8 Ministers & Wives Training

Seminar OREGON DISTRICT

11 Missionaries in Oregon FOREIGN MISSIONS

Join with Tupelo Children's Mansion in becoming the hands of God to the most vulnerable of our society—the fatherless.

Give a special Mansion Sunday offering on November 4th, National Orphan Sunday!

NOVEMBER 4, 2012

www.mansionkids.org


How many people would be attending your church assembly if everyone who made a commitment to the Lord over the past couple of years was regularly attending? Too many people find it hard to live for God, simply because they never make a permanent resolve to serve God once and for all. Most churches would be in a continual building program if everyone who began the race continued to the end.

The Epistle of James chapter one begins by saying that we should be joyful about trials that test our faith. These are those pesky, unexpected interruptions, disappointments, peer-pressures and set-backs that deter us from being faithful to our commitments to the Lord. James goes on to explain that these trials are intended not to destroy us, but to produce

patience. Now, the problem with

patience is the time it needs to develop. “God give me patience, and hurry!” You cannot separate patience from long periods of time. Patience is the courageous, uninterrupted diligence, and commitment to doing what you know is right amidst numerous difficulties over a long span of time.

James goes on to promise that God will give wisdom to any person who asks. However, the promise is accompanied with the condition that we must ask with unwavering faith or we will not receive anything from the Lord. “A double minded man is unstable in all his ways” (James 1:8).

The reason we do not receive blessings and answers to prayer from the Lord is wavering faith. Our faith cannot be unstable

like the waves of the sea and we cannot be double minded! We must be fully persuaded in our minds and refuse to allow the waves of life to move us away from our faithfulness to God or we will abort His blessings.

Double-mindedness is the worst enemy of a disciple of the Lord. A double-minded person trusts God one day and disobeys God the next. Reads the Bible one day and forgets about it the next. Prays one day and is too busy the next. Attends church one service and misses the next. Praises God one day and worries the next. Carries responsibilities one day and drops it the next. Is committed one week and disloyal the next. Falls in love one day and falls out the next. Lives a holy life one day and just tries to fit in the next. Is concerned with pleasing God one day and is more concerned

Double Mind or Double Portion?

By Dan Sargeant

about pleasing others the next. Is unashamed of the Gospel of Christ Sunday and blends in with the world Monday.

However, we have an example of a young man in the Bible with a different spirit. Elisha, among many other young men trained under Elijah. Elisha was different. He was faithful to the man of God in his life. He could not be persuaded to leave Elijah’s side even when no one was forcing him. Elijah gave him the opportunity to part several times. His peers tried to persuade him to depart. Elisha refused. “As the LORD liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee (2 Kings 2:4).”

Because Elisha was not double-minded he was given the opportunity for a double portion. The opportunity was

only presented right before Elijah was taken to heaven. If he would have given up at any point sooner he would have missed out. If any other desire had been greater than receiving a double portion of Elijah’s spirit, he would have missed out. Too many of us want only a portion of the commitment of those who have gone before us. Elisha wanted a double portion of Elijah’s faithful spirit!

This blessing was conditional until the very moment Elijah was taken from the earth “if thou see me when I am taken from thee, it shall be so unto thee; but if not, it shall not be so” (2kings 2:10).

Oh, let us have the resolve to remain faithful and committed until the end. “But Christ as a son over his own house; whose house are we, if we hold fast the

confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end… …For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end; (Hebrews 3:6,14 KJV).◊____________________________

Dan Sargeant is the Pastor of

Lighthouse UPC in Newport,

Oregon. He also serves as

the District Secretary for the

Oregon District.

Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen….. Amazing how faith is so important to God and His children as well as for His children.

Faith is mentioned 275 times in the Bible….Think this is a coincidence? Not at all. God gave all men (mankind) a measure of faith. A certain portion of us allow faith to grow, while another percentage of us may be afraid to allow faith to grow for fear of what may be expected of us by God.

When fear takes the place of faith, it squashes or hinders God’s ability to fulfill His desires for us and in us as well as our desires to be fully used by God. Fear is a real feeling and at times can cause health issues both spiritually and physically. Fear can cause us to stop dead in our tracks and refuse to go further because of what may be around the corner. Fear can keep us from an intense prayer life because that prayer life may take us to the next level in God and the expectations of God’s work.

One thing is for certain; fear is insignificant in God’s eyes and should be in our lives. Fear challenges our faith in God and yet fear is a byproduct that is used by Satan to discourage Christians from their belief in God and his Word. Fear is also used as a tool to keep us from taking that next “faith” step closer to the Lord.

One of the greatest challenges

to the obedient Christian life is “fear.” Yet, a common resounding question often is “Can I really trust God”? We know He is there, but we cannot touch Him – He is not tangible. Yet the scripture states, “Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you” 1 Peter 5:7. What an awesome promise! Another encouraging scripture is found in John 10:29, “….no man is able to pluck them (you) out of my Father’s hand.” When we fear, it creates the ability to step out of the Father’s hands. It comes down to a choice; it is a matter of the heart.

There are so many things in our lives that cause us to fear. There are so many things that cause us to ask the question “Can I really trust God?” Cancer, loss of a job, the economy, this next election, prospects of war, terrorism, rising gas prices, the downturn in the stock markets, retirement, nursing homes, being disabled, raising teenagers, taking care of aging parents, the “what if” of it all ….. Those are just some of the issues that cause our mortality to fear, which in turn can create mistrust if we allow it to dwell in our minds and hearts.

In 2 Timothy 1:7, Paul shares with Timothy one of the greatest concepts of the Christian life: “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.” Hebrews 13:6;

“So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me”, as well as Psalms 27:1; “The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?”

Paul also said in Philippians 4:19: “And My God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.”

The same was true in Jeremiah’s day. The leaders and the people of God faced certain destruction if they did not obey the word of the Lord and put their complete faith and trust in God’s provision (Jeremiah 5). You and I have that same challenge today. We need to learn from the prophet Jeremiah that faithful living calls for responding courageously and obediently to God’s guidance! “Faith, faith, faith, just a little bit of faith”….let it grow and see what God will do!◊____________________________

Kathleen Vandevender is the Home Missionary wife of Pastor G. Frank Vandevender in Medford, Oregon. They have four children, who with their spouses are Pastoring, Associate Pastors, Youth Pastors and in the Sunday

school ministry. They have ten grandchildren from the age of 11 years to 18 months all who are involved in church. Kathleen has her Master of Science in Management (MSM) as well as her Master in Business Administration (MBA).

Dispel Fear and Let Your Faith Grow

By Kathleen Vandevender


Singles Conference

Thursday Evening :

Service: 7:00pm

Ministers and Wives Fellowship

Following.

Friday:

Seminar: 10:00am

Board Begins Meeting

Applicants at 3:00pm

Lodging:

South Salem Phoenix Inn

503 588-9220

Ministers & Wives Annual Training Seminar

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All applicants & theirAll applicants & theirAll applicants & theirAll applicants & their wives must attend both wives must attend both wives must attend both wives must attend both days of the Seminar days of the Seminar days of the Seminar days of the Seminar before meeting the before meeting the before meeting the before meeting the Board on Friday night.Board on Friday night.Board on Friday night.Board on Friday night.

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Oregon District UPC

Percel T. Graves, Percel T. Graves, Percel T. Graves, Percel T. Graves, District SuperintendentDistrict SuperintendentDistrict SuperintendentDistrict Superintendent Dan E. Sargeant, Dan E. Sargeant, Dan E. Sargeant, Dan E. Sargeant, District SecretaryDistrict SecretaryDistrict SecretaryDistrict Secretary

If you need more information:If you need more information:If you need more information:If you need more information: Call:Call:Call:Call:

541541541541----730730730730----9102910291029102 EEEE----mail: [email protected]: [email protected]: [email protected]: [email protected]

LocationLocationLocationLocation:::: Christian World FellowshipChristian World FellowshipChristian World FellowshipChristian World Fellowship 4932 Liberty Rd. S.4932 Liberty Rd. S.4932 Liberty Rd. S.4932 Liberty Rd. S. Salem, OregonSalem, OregonSalem, OregonSalem, Oregon

November 1 November 1 November 1 November 1 ---- 2, 20122, 20122, 20122, 2012

Time of Seminar: Thursday 7:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. Friday 10:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.

ALL MINISTERS & WIVES ARE ENCOURAGED TO ATTEND THISALL MINISTERS & WIVES ARE ENCOURAGED TO ATTEND THISALL MINISTERS & WIVES ARE ENCOURAGED TO ATTEND THISALL MINISTERS & WIVES ARE ENCOURAGED TO ATTEND THIS SEMINAR AND ALSO THOSE ASPIRING TO THE MINISTRY.SEMINAR AND ALSO THOSE ASPIRING TO THE MINISTRY.SEMINAR AND ALSO THOSE ASPIRING TO THE MINISTRY.SEMINAR AND ALSO THOSE ASPIRING TO THE MINISTRY.

Featuring: Rev. J.R. Ensey Conroe, Texas

By Stan Gleason

October 2012 APOSTOLIC ACCENT 9

go and Worship…Genesis 22:5 Abraham said unto his young men, “...I and the lad will go yonder and worship.”

Worship is more than just a style of music, it is a lifestyle of surrender. When Abraham said that he would go and worship in Genesis 22:5, he was saying that he would go and sacrifice (kill) his son because God has asked him to.

Surrender is a counter cultural concept. Culture teaches us to never give up. While that is a noble sentiment when doing what is good, that mindset is destructive when a person is doing wrong. For this reason it is important that

we “give up” our will when God alerts us that it is contrary to His.

Surrendering to God doesn’t weaken us, it strengthens us. Our power with God is directly proportional to our surrender to Him. When we receive the Holy Ghost, we receive the same power as anybody else who has experienced God’s Spirit. But there are some people who are more mightily used of God than others. The difference: surrender.

When we surrender to God, He doesn’t repress our personality.

God created us. He knows what we were designed to do better than we do. He orders the footsteps of a life that is surrendered. A lifestyle of surrender (worship) results in experiencing God’s perfect will for our lives.◊____________________________

Stan Gleason is an Evan-gelist from Oregon City, Oregon. He also serves as the Oregon District Youth Presisdent.

Join with Tupelo Children's Mansion in becoming the hands of God to the most vulnerable of our society—the fatherless.

Give a special Mansion Sunday offering on November 4th, National Orphan Sunday!

NOVEMBER 4, 2012

www.mansionkids.org

The article that I submitted for the September issue of the Apostolic Accent was a call to Connect – with God, with one another in the body of believers, and with the world of lost humanity. The key to maintaining that connection is love: let us love God with all our mind, heart, soul and strength; let us love one another with a pure heart fervently, and let us love our neighbor as ourselves.

It is only after a connection is made that we can Impart. Paul wrote to the saints in Rome and told them, “I long to see you, that I may impart unto you some spiritual gift, to the end ye may be established; that is, that I may be comforted together with you by the mutual faith both of you and me” (Romans 1:11-12).

What have you received from the Lord as a result of being united with him? Has he imparted a word of knowledge, a word of wisdom, a prophecy, a doctrine, or a revelation to you? Share it with the church. Speak it into the life of a believer. There is a plethora of “one another” injunctions throughout the epistles that encourage this thing called impartation within the body of believers, such as “serve one another… teach

and admonish one another… edify one another… comfort one another… be kind one to another… exhort one another, and forgive one another.”

A definite impartation takes place when we pray one for another, especially by the laying on of hands. Spiritual gifts may be transmitted, healings can take place, mighty miracles can be wrought, and spiritual life may be renewed. “Freely ye have received; freely give.”

The world needs what we have! Peter and John were not on their way to the temple at the hour of prayer (Acts 3) for the purpose of connecting with God and receiving power from on high for service; they did not need to because they walked in the Spirit; they abided in Christ and he in them. They were not on their way to get it; they had it. “Such as I have, give I thee,” Peter told the lame man as he took him by the right hand; “in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk.”

Everyone - everywhere - in every city and nation - needs to have the gospel of the kingdom imparted to them and to see it demonstrated in signs, wonders and miracles . When you and I

declare good news and do good works, these testify to the world that God’s kingdom is at hand; what we have within us ought to flow out from us. Let’s not ignore the GO that is built into the gospel. “Go ye into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature,” is not just a good suggestion; it’s God’s commandment.

We have the message; we know the method; we even have the money, but will we invest it in heaven’s treasure vault for the sake of reaching souls from other countries? ____________________________

James Bigelow is the Oregon District Global Missions Director.



THE BENNETTS will be in Oregon November 6th through 11th. Their field of ministry is Israel / Palestine - a nation under the constant threat of extinction by the nations round about them.

THE IKERDS are missionaries to Namibia- a country ripe for revival. They will be ministering in Oregon during the last week of November.

Please pray for our

missionaries and the

countries where they

labor.

Steve & Loy Bennett November 6-11Israel/Pal

Keith & Elizabeth Ikerd November 13-18 (Sat/Sun AM/PM- Oregon City)Africa, Namibia

Oscar & Erin Rodrigues January 22-27 Europe/Middle East, Portugal

Stephen & Lynnette O’donnell January 29 -February 3 Hong Kong, Asia

John & Vonda Guidry March 5-10 Columbia, South Africa

Stephen & Yvonne Nix March 26-31 Central America, Caribbean, Nicaragua

Charles & Stacey Robinette April 2-7 Austria, Europe/Middle East

Dan & Debbie Barkley April 23-28 South America

Information on each missionary and country, plus many helps, can be viewed or downloaded at www.globalmissions.com Pastors can place their request for specific missionaries to visit their church by contacting James Bigelow at:

541.756.7141 or 541.217.4310 [email protected]


...And They Lived Happily Ever After!

By David Reynolds

“Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife for any and every reason?” Matthew 19:3 [NIV].

HAPPINESS IS NOT A COMMODITY THAT COMES WRAPPED AS ONE OF THE WEDDING PRESENTS. Happiness in marriage just does not happen –it happens only when both partners work to make it happen. Happiness is more a matter of the will than it is of the emotions.

I just heard about another young wife in one of our churches who just left her husband and went home to her parents because she is no longer ‘happy’. I understand that it takes both partners to make a ‘happy’ marriage—and I understand there are certain circumstances such as infidelity and physical cruelty that will destroy a marriage—but most of the reasons given today in the church are not one of these. Couples expect their partner to make them happy when they need to turn this around and strive to make their partner happy. Divorce need not happen.


In the setting for the above scripture the Pharisees came to Jesus with a question in order to tempt Him. “Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife for every cause?” Jesus referred them back to the passage in Genesis 2:24,25. He then said to them, “Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female. And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh? Matthew 19:4,5.

Jesus let them know that in the eyes of God the husband and the wife are now no more two individuals --for God has joined them into one. Jesus then went on to the words which are so often used in weddings, “What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.” This means no mankind, no man-made laws; no judge and no Justices of the Peace --and no unhappy circumstance can break this union.

What was not said, was that there was an ongoing debate among the Pharisees as to the interpretation of Deuteronomy 24:1-4. The school of Shammai held that ‘something unclean or indecent’ meaning marital unfaithfulness as the only acceptable reason for divorce. The school of Hillel maintained that the preceding clause ‘who becomes displeasing to him’ is reason enough. Divorce could be allowed if the husband becomes unhappy with his wife. The followers of Hillel believed that burning the toast was grounds for dissolving the marriage. The wife, however, had no alternative but

to stay unhappy.Jesus clearly took the side

of Shannai—which held that divorce is only allowable for unfaithfulness. Jesus then took the opportunity to point out God’s original plan and ideal for marriage. “Wherefore they are therefore no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let no man put asunder” Matthew 19:6.

When we stand before the minister we are not only making a covenant with each other but we are also making a covenant with Almighty God. Most of us made the following solemn promise, saying these words:

“For Better or for Worse,For Richer or for Poorer,In Sickness or in Health,Until Death do us part.” Notice that one half of the above

pledge will normally bring the feeling of unhappiness. No one standing at the altar envisioned conditions getting worse. Every couple feels assured their personal economy will get better. No one wants to think about the possibility they might be facing sickness in this new family. At the wedding all are happy.

In all marriages there are the good times and there are the bad. When the Israelites where about to enter the ‘Promised Land’ they were told that it was a land of “hills and valleys”. In I Kings 20 the Syrians made a mistake; they thought that the God of the Israelites was only a God of the hills—that if they could get the Israelites down in the valley they could defeat them. God showed the Syrians that he was also a

God of the valleys by defeating them totally and giving Israel the victory. Many times we also think that God is with us only when we are on the mountaintop and feeling ‘happy’.

Our God is a God who can take us through the valley—and even in the valley “he restoreth our soul”. Marriage is for life, and we are married no matter how we feel. We make up our mind—like Apostle Paul that in “whatsoever state” we find our self in, “therewith to be content” [Philippians 4:7-13.]

Learn to live happily ever after!◊____________________________

David Reynolds has been the Minister of Discipleship at Portland Pentecostals since 2007. He is a graduate of Conquerors Bible College, Cascade College, Portland State University and post graduate work at the University of Oregon.

He served as a teacher, assistant Principle & Principle. Since retiring from public education he has traveled extensively to over 37 countries preaching & teaching in Bible Schools and has written several books on Education, The Family & Parenting.

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Apostolic Accent October Issue