October 3-5, 2008

by Dixie Matthews

Special meetings were held at the Apostolic Faith Church in Minneapolis, Minnesota, the weekend of October 3-5. Visitors came from Wisconsin, Illinois, Missouri, and Arkansas. The featured speaker was Reverend Tom Pricskett, the pastor of our church in Chehalis, Washington, and a former resident of Minneapolis. The theme verse for the weekend was Jude 25, “To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever.”

 The special meetings began with an evangelistic service Friday evening. Reverend Kent Thompson, the pastor in Minneapolis, read Psalm 100, which emphasizes the majesty of the Lord. The congregation sang “Majesty,” and the music filled the sanctuary with a volume of praise. One lady, who recently had open-heart surgery, gave thanks for an answer to prayer that very day. As she was preparing to travel to the special meetings, she experienced difficulty breathing to the point that she did not feel well enough to make the eight-hour trip from Chicago to Minneapolis. However, God touched her, and she not only made the trip, but was feeling fine. Reverend Pricskett used 2 Timothy 3:15 for his sermon text, and he encouraged the congregation to be “wise unto salvation through faith.” Christians obtain faith in little pieces from different experiences as they go through life. God’s Word is written for their benefit, and it is always current regardless of what one is going through.

On Saturday morning, Reverend Charles Schleicher, the pastor of our church in Madison, Wisconsin, gave a Bible study on “Dating and Marriage.” He reminded the audience that marriage is a symbol of Christ’s union with the church, and it is important to follow God’s guidelines as outlined in His Word in both dating and marriage relationships if a Christian wants to have God’s blessing in his or her life.

Saturday’s evening of music included a wide variety of musical styles and instruments. The special performances were interspersed with congregational singing, so everyone felt they had a part in the evening’s music. A highlight was when two young children, ages two and three, recited five Scriptures, including the references.

Reverend Mark Worthington, the pastor of our church in St. Louis, Missouri, led the congregational singing on Sunday morning. After the choir sang “I Am Redeemed,” Antonia Schleicher, from Madison, Wisconsin, testified, praising God for delivering her from a life filled with evil occultic influences during her growing-up years. If the Lord had not divinely intervened, her life would have been entirely different. Because she surrendered her life to God at a young age, she has been blessed in every way, including a happy marriage, a successful career, and the joy of raising her children to know the Lord. In his sermon, Reverend Pricskett challenged the congregation to be sure their source of information is the correct one. All input can be narrowed to two sources: Jesus and Satan. Jesus plainly stated, “I am the way, the truth, and the life” (John 14:6). Jesus described Satan as the great deceiver and father of lies (John 8:44). People are given the free will to choose what they will listen to. Do not be deceived—make the Word of God your source of information. It is the only way to overcome sin and make Heaven your home.

Following the Sunday morning service, a potluck dinner was enjoyed in the church basement. The fellowship of the saints was a wonderful, encouraging part of these special meetings. The addition of good food helped soften the realization that the weekend was almost over, and the fact that several car loads of visitors had to leave as soon as they had eaten, to go back to their homes.

The Sunday evening service began with a brass trio. Later, all of the local and visiting men who sang in their home churches were asked to join in a male choir number, “Have a Little Talk with Jesus.” During the testimony portion of the meeting, a man who had been away from the Lord for a number of years told how he prayed at home by his bed, and God wonderfully saved him. Before the sermon, the lady singers were invited to form a ladies’ choir and sing “Getting Used to the Family of God.” Reverend Pricskett’s closing message was simply titled “Advantage.” Using the story of David and Goliath, the congregation was reminded that the enemy is consistent—he tries to generate fear in order to stop progress. Where did David get his advantage? Not from Saul’s armies or from Saul’s armor. Yet, David had the advantage—his faith in God was his armor, and he won the battle! Jesus came to give Christians the advantage over the enemy.

Most of the remaining visitors had to leave after the evening service, but the Minneapolis congregation realizes that the encouragement from this weekend of special meetings will be with them for a long time to come, as well as for those who visited.