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for June, 2009.
By pastorbillwalden
Hi everyone,
I am down in South Baja again. We brought three pastors who are new to the area, and they are interested in missions in South Baja. Pastor Sam Scotti, from Genesis in Upland is with us. Also, Pastor Rich Powell and Mike Quintana from Crossroads Church in Grass Valley, CA.
We are visiting churches in South Baja, meeting with one mayor in Bahia Tortugas, and meeting with all the local Mexican pastors in Vizcaino, to discuss future ministry in the area.
We appreciate your prayers.
Blessings…Bill
By pastorbillwalden
I officated a memorial service tonight (Wednesday). Sharon was 78 years old, and came to faith later in life. She was a quiet lady, but her faith was genuine. It was a blessing to be able to speak confidently about the fact that she is with Jesus.
“Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of His saints”. Psalm 116:15
I had a really bad scare Tuesday morning. I was in a hurry to get somewhere, and I needed to grab a bite to eat as I got prepared to leave the house, and …I choked on some food. I have Spring time asthma, so my windpipe was already constricted. It doesn’t take much food to clog a constricted windpipe. It was dumb to eat while hurrying to get ready to leave.
It was a bad choke. (as if there are any good ones) It was very bad. After a few minutes of barely being able to breathe, I was thinking, as my face was turning deeper shades of red…well…you know…I was thinking…”this isn’t a very noble way to enter into Heaven.” I don’t know how close I came to…you know…but it kinda ruined my day. I finally rescued myself. Actually, I think my guardian angel karate chopped me on the back. MMA to the rescue.
God almost had another Psalm 116:15 moment. Read more »
By pastorbillwalden
Jesus was selective in His ministry.*
He didn’t help everybody. He didn’t respond to every human need. He didn’t accept every invitation. Sometimes he said “no”, and went in the opposite direction.
Consider this passage:
Mark 1:32-38 32At evening, when the sun had set, they brought to Him all who were sick and those who were demon-possessed. 33And the whole city was gathered together at the door. 34Then He healed many who were sick with various diseases, and cast out many demons; and He did not allow the demons to speak, because they knew Him.
35Now in the morning, having risen a long while before daylight, He went out and departed to a solitary place; and there He prayed. 36And Simon and those who were with Him searched for Him. 37When they found Him, they said to Him, “Everyone is looking for You.” 38But He said to them, “Let us go into the next towns, that I may preach there also, because for this purpose I have come forth.”
Jesus had had a full and successful day of ministry. So much so that people were lining up to get to Him. Early the next morning, he rose to pray, but the disciples found Him and urged Him to return to Capernaum, where good things were happening. He refused, and went in another direction, even though He had gained widespread acceptance in Capernaum.
Critics of the church often say things such as this: Shouldn’t the church be feeding the homeless? Shouldn’t the church be helping those bound by addictions? The list goes on about what people think the church should be doing. And when they say “church”, they mean the one that you go to. Read more »
By pastorbillwalden
For those of you who read Spanish, read on. For those of you who don’t read Spanish, it’s time to start! 
Ayer, nos enteramos de que nuestra hija va a tener un bebé. La fecha de nacimiento es el 1 de enero. Sarah y Caleb están muy entusiasmados. Estamos muy entusiasmados también. Gracias por su amor, apoyo y oraciones. Debbie y yo estamos muy felices. ¡Qué maravillosa bendición de Dios.
Go to this Google link, and translate the message.
http://translate.google.com/translate_t?sl=en&tl=es
By pastorbillwalden
Jeff Stewart is the Senior pastor of Calvary Chapel of Pomona. I have known Jeff about six years, and we are friends. He has been part of the group of pastors that have helped to serve and minister to the people and church leaders down in Vizcaino.
Jeff has had kidney failure going on for quite some time. In hoping to give Jeff a kidney, his wife Karen went through a series of tests to determine if she was a good match. Through that testing, doctors discovered that Karen has lung cancer. Karen has never been a smoker, and this is rare.
One of Jeff’s elders donated a kidney last week, and both Jeff and Matt are doing well.
Karen still has a battle in front of her.
A CBS affiliate has done a short video story on Jeff and Karen. There is also some talk that they may be invited to share their story on the Dr. Phil show.
Please keep Jeff and Karen and their children in your prayers.
Here’s a link to their video interview.
http://www.cbs2.com/video/?id=66663@kcbs.dayport.com
By pastorbillwalden
This post is from my friend, Pastor Bill Holdridge.
The Spock picture has nothing edifying to do with the article. I just wanted to be goofy.
Bill Has some great insights here.
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
I had something happen to me recently—an experience that has become an amazing tutor.
Let me tell you the story, if you will.
It all goes back a number of years, to the time when I began going to things like retreats and Pastor’s conferences as part of my calling and life as a believer. These are very interesting social encounters, and each one is different. One commonality, though, is the incredible experience of sleeping in a large cabin with other men. I’m talking very high decibel levels here; the kind that cause a light sleeper like me to lose an entire night’s worth of needed rest. I can wake up from a leaky dripping toilet or dripping faucet in another part of the house, so you know how light a sleeper I really am.
My solution has been to wear earplugs. It’s been a great preventive to sleep-robbing thieves of nocturnal roaring. I’m thankful for earplugs, believe you me. Read more »
By pastorbillwalden
There seems to be confusion among some in the Body of Christ regarding forgiveness and restoration. Forgiveness and restoration are not the same thing. We do well to understand the difference.
Forgiveness is mandated by Jesus. We are commanded to forgive those who have wronged us, just as God in Christ has forgiven us. Forgiveness simply means that you choose to not hold one’s sins against them. Forgiveness is a releasing of one’s sins from them. That’s the simple definition. Let’s allow that to be sufficient for the moment.
Restoration is very different. It is the rejoining of two people in a relationship. Ideally, the goal is to be restored to someone to the same depth of relationship as existed prior to the offense or offenses. Sometimes that is possible, and sometimes it doesn’t seem possible. I say seem, but I know that all things are possible with God.
Restoration can never take place without forgiveness, but forgiveness doesn’t always guarantee restoration. Forgiveness is a choice made by the one giving it. Restoration has to be earned by the one who caused the damage. Read more »