Lydia is starting a young adults group in Chico. Please join us in praying for her and her outreach to the Chico community.

Lydia, Tony, Clary, and Aaron, on a bridge in Chico

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Paul and Barnabas’s travel to Antioch to spread the news of Jesus Christ. On the Sabbath they go to a synagogue and are invited to speak, here are their words (found in Acts 13:16-39):

 Paul stood up, and motioning with his hand said, “Men of Israel, and you who fear God, listen: “The God of this people Israel chose our fathers and made the people great during their stay in the land of Egypt, and with an uplifted arm He led them out from it. “For a period of about forty years He put up with them in the wilderness. “When He had destroyed seven nations in the land of Canaan, He distributed their land as an inheritance–all of which took about four hundred and fifty years. “After these things He gave them judges until Samuel the prophet. “Then they asked for a king, and God gave them Saul the son of Kish, a man of the tribe of Benjamin, for forty years. “After He had removed him, He raised up David to be their king, concerning whom He also testified and said, ‘I HAVE FOUND DAVID the son of Jesse, A MAN AFTER MY HEART, who will do all My will.’ “From the descendants of this man, according to promise, God has brought to Israel a Savior, Jesus, after John had proclaimed before His coming a baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel. “And while John was completing his course, he kept saying, ‘What do you suppose that I am? I am not He. But behold, one is coming after me the sandals of whose feet I am not worthy to untie.’ “Brethren, sons of Abraham’s family, and those among you who fear God, to us the message of this salvation has been sent. “For those who live in Jerusalem, and their rulers, recognizing neither Him nor the utterances of the prophets which are read every Sabbath, fulfilled these by condemning Him. “And though they found no ground for putting Him to death, they asked Pilate that He be executed. “When they had carried out all that was written concerning Him, they took Him down from the cross and laid Him in a tomb. “But God raised Him from the dead; and for many days He appeared to those who came up with Him from Galilee to Jerusalem, the very ones who are now His witnesses to the people. “And we preach to you the good news of the promise made to the fathers, that God has fulfilled this promise to our children in that He raised up Jesus, as it is also written in the second Psalm, ‘YOU ARE MY SON; TODAY I HAVE BEGOTTEN YOU.’ “As for the fact that He raised Him up from the dead, no longer to return to decay, He has spoken in this way: ‘I WILL GIVE YOU THE HOLY and SURE blessings OF DAVID.’ “Therefore He also says in another Psalm, ‘YOU WILL NOT ALLOW YOUR HOLY ONE TO UNDERGO DECAY.’ “For David, after he had served the purpose of God in his own generation, fell asleep, and was laid among his fathers and underwent decay; but He whom God raised did not undergo decay. “Therefore let it be known to you, brethren, that through Him forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you, and through Him everyone who believes is freed from all things, from which you could not be freed through the Law of Moses.
(Act 13:16-39 NASB)

Jesus Christ is the one who brings us to God, who elevates us to an inheritance we do not deserve; eternity.

Our sins are never too great. Return to the LORD, that he may show you compassion, for he will abundantly pardon.

Isiah 55:

Isa 55:1 “Come, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and he who has no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.
Isa 55:2 Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which does not satisfy? Listen diligently to me, and eat what is good, and delight yourselves in rich food.
Isa 55:3 Incline your ear, and come to me; hear, that your soul may live; and I will make with you an everlasting covenant, my steadfast, sure love for David.
Isa 55:4 Behold, I made him a witness to the peoples, a leader and commander for the peoples.
Isa 55:5 Behold, you shall call a nation that you do not know, and a nation that did not know you shall run to you, because of the LORD your God, and of the Holy One of Israel, for he has glorified you.
Isa 55:6 “Seek the LORD while he may be found; call upon him while he is near;
Isa 55:7 let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the LORD, that he may have compassion on him, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.
Isa 55:8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the LORD.
Isa 55:9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.
Isa 55:10 “For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven and do not return there but water the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater,
Isa 55:11 so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.
Isa 55:12 “For you shall go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and the hills before you shall break forth into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.
Isa 55:13 Instead of the thorn shall come up the cypress; instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle; and it shall make a name for the LORD, an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off.”

The Lord says in Ezekial 33:11:

Say to them, As I live, declares the Lord GOD, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live; turn back, turn back from your evil ways, for why will you die, O house of Israel?

The Lord enables you to control your thoughts. Thoughts directly effect feelings, disposition, and attitude. Are you being tempted? Change your thoughts. Think about something else. This is how “the wicked turn from his way.” Here it is in Isiah 55:7

let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the LORD, that he may have compassion on him, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.

Wicked and unrighteous are not words for the bad guys in movies, they refer to us when we turn from God’s ways. Thankfully Jesus Christ reconciled us to God, saving us from the consequences of our actions. Remember, we deserve to die for forsaking God. But through Him we live, because of His love and kindness toward us.

Have a blessed Sunday.

Some of us went on a walk at Mountain Lake park Sabbath afternoon.

We saw this really neat whole in the ground, and we all took lots of pictures!

After we got bored of looking at the whole in the ground we found the swing set. Which was really really fun! We had an impromptu “who could jump the farthest competition.” After much flying about it was decided that Tony and myself (Aaron) could jump pretty far, we tied for furthest.

We got bored of the swings and went back to looking at the whole in the ground. But wait, something changed!

Why it’s a super cute turtle gopher!

“Wow you are so cool” we said.
“Hi my names Gerald,” he responded.

“Rraarwr!”

This is what happens when you eat dirt you don’t brush your teeth.

Kerry happened to capture a beautiful shot of the sunset last night. Enjoy!

Kerry and Carol visited Steffie on Sabbath afternoon. She is doing quite well, has already started physical therapy, and should be able to put weight on her leg in a few weeks. Praise the Lord that she is o.k.! Let’s all keep her in our prayers for strength and patience.

I’m also happy to report that Alice is doing well. Kerry and Carol got to hang out with her on Sabbath afternoon, they went for a drive around Land’s End. Let’s keep Alice in our prayers, for strength and healing from the Lord.

Mark and Patricia were so in love they had to get married a second time on the very same day. Please enjoy the photo’s from this wonderful ceremony:

We were pleased to celebrate Mark and Patricia’s wedding on January 1st!

Congratulations to Mark and Patricia. The Lord will certainly bless your marriage. We are all keeping you in our prayers!

p.s. Thank you Kerry for the beautiful photographs of the wedding!