In 2014 we had our first visit to Lighthouse Baptist Church in La Verne, CA. I was impressed with Pastor Dunlop, the staff and the church. The spirit in the church is a blessing!
Three years ago, when we were here last time, a young lady in the youth group brought a friend. This friend got saved at the campfire service and has been coming ever since. It was great to meet her and hear her tell us!
In 2014 there was a young man in the Christian school who texted me a few weeks ago. He said that the last time the team was here, he was impacted. He is getting ready to go into the military so he can reach soldiers for Christ and was wondering if I could keep him in prayer. I trust the Lord will use him to give the Gospel to many!
On Thursday during the week, one of the team captains handed out names to his team to pray that they would come to the evening rallies. Five came out! Also, on Monday one of the teens in the youth group recruited a young man at the public school. The young man came the first rally night and got saved. He brought a friend the second night. The teens were so excited that a recruit came and got saved.
On Friday we had some good testimonies. Here are some lines from a few I trust will encourage your heart!
“I was here the last time Brother Van Gelderen came with the team. And I know it really helped me out last time. . . . Brother Van Gelderen really helped me out on Thursday with his chapel message about covering sin . . . . Even though it is in the past, it can still hold you back from having a real vibrant relationship with Christ now. So, I thank/praise the Lord that I got everything right with my parents and everybody I need to get right with and now I actually have a relationship with the Lord and I have a desire for these things and everything that goes along with that.”
“The message yesterday morning in chapel really spoke to me about confessing and forsaking your sin. I didn’t respond at first in the invitation and I was thinking, ‘It’s not that big of a deal, you know, and I’m not in some big sin or whatever, so’. . . I still didn’t respond and God just kept putting it through my mind throughout the whole day and even through Brother Jeremy’s little challenge to us, it was still right at me and I still didn’t really respond. The verse that Brother Van Gelderen mentioned yesterday was ‘whoso confesseth and forsaketh shall have mercy.’ I didn’t kick this till this morning, actually, to my parents, but I have mercy now and I have a peace about it that I didn’t have at all yesterday. I was really burdened and so I got things right this morning and that’s what God did in my life.”
One testified of getting right with her parents, and then told what happened.
“But they were very quick to forgive. And so I just want to let you guys know that…if there’s something that maybe you have maybe done in the past that…you’re not so proud of…definitely confess it. . . . Do it! It’s worth it. It’s…I get it’s nerve racking, it’s…it can be fearful, but God will work. He will give you the strength to do it.”
We are thankful for all the Lord did in hearts!
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