March 2024 Newsletter

Lord bless, grace, and peace to our friends and family in Christ! We thank the Lord for you and that spring is here. It’s a new season! I keep praying the Lord’s best to you, that the Lord would save, heal, and deliver you and your family! Jesus came to seek and save the lost; we say “yes and amen” to that!

I was so blessed to preach chapel at CCA on the 5th; thirteen children came forward to pray to get born again! I was thrilled; the previous time no children responded to that. On the 10th, I prayed with three children to get saved after preaching at CFC’s children’s church! Glory to God for souls! That night, Pastor Tom called me to the stage testifying of God’s covenant we join when we’re born again, regardless of our past! God’s presence was strong! Yissachar has sung twice during the youth conference this week, and last night our family went through a prayer line for ministers there! That was powerful, too! We

believe it’s part of the Lord preparing us for a new season of ministry for our family! Hallelujah!

Lord willing, the schedule below happens with us surrounded by God’s favor! Our family is scheduled at New Life Church on March 24th, and Jill and I will minister at ECC in Hawaii on April 7th! Jill’s never been there! Yissachar and I fly to the Philippines afterwards! Hallelujah! We’re scheduled with River of God Batac in Ilocos Norte for the April 13 Soaking in the River and then April 14 for the Sunday morning service. The 20th-21st, we’ll be at two Manila River of God churches. More info by God’s grace of ministry during the weekdays. Please partner with us in prayer! Thank you for any seeds sown!

I believe the Lord wants to encourage us about His faith this month. Matthew 16:1 says, “The Pharisees and Sadducees came to test Jesus. They asked him to show them a sign from heaven.” But Jesus ended his reply in verse 4 with, ““An evil and unfaithful people look for a sign. But none will be given to them except the sign of Jonah.” Then Jesus left them and went away.” Verses 5-12 share, “The disciples crossed over to the other side of the lake. They had forgotten to take bread. “Be careful,” Jesus said to them. “Watch out for the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” The disciples talked about this among themselves. They said, “He must be saying this because we didn’t bring any bread.” Jesus knew what they were saying. So he said, “Your faith is so small! Why are you talking to each other about having no bread?” We might not always understand what the Word means, so let’s keep hearing Him and His Word!

We continue in verses 9-12, “Don’t you understand yet? Don’t you remember the five loaves for the 5,000? Don’t you remember how many baskets of pieces you gathered? Don’t you remember the seven loaves for the 4,000? Don’t you remember how many baskets of pieces you gathered? How can you possibly not understand? I wasn’t talking to you about bread. But watch out for the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” Then the disciples understood that Jesus was not telling them to watch out for the yeast used in bread. He was warning them against what the Pharisees and Sadducees taught.”

Greek for “be careful” means “to be on one's guard against, beware of, a thing.” The Greek can also mean “to bring a ship to land.” Jesus is so clever; they were in a boat! Ha! He’s anointed with joy more than anyone else! Don’t go to the depths with the world’s indoctrination! Don’t travel the waters of unbelief! Romans 16:19b-20a confirms with me adding the Greek of “simple,” “...I want you to be wise in what is good, and simple (unmixed, pure...of the mind, without admixture of evil, free from guile, innocent, simple) concerning evil. And the God of peace will crush Satan under your feet shortly.”

The Saducees were more concerned with the political realm, not God’s. They were cessationists in saying no to miracles or the resurrection. How sad, you see? Matthew 22; 23,29-32 shares, “The same day the Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to Him and asked Him...Jesus answered and said to them, “You are mistaken, not knowing the Scriptures nor the power of God. ...But concerning the resurrection of the dead, have you not read what was spoken to you by God, saying, ‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’? God is not the God of the dead, but of the living.” Jesus is the Miracle Maker! He is the Resurrection and the Life! Let’s always believe His word!

The Pharisees acted spiritual and were thought holy by people, but they were legalistic and lacked love for God and others. They were fair, I see. How lukewarm! Matthew 23:13,23-28 records, “But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you shut up the kingdom of heaven against men; for you neither go in yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in...Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faith. These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone.

Blind guides, who strain out a gnat and swallow a camel! Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you cleanse the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of extortion and self- indulgence. Blind Pharisee, first cleanse the inside of the cup and dish, that the outside of them may be clean also. Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which indeed appear beautiful outwardly, but inside are full of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness. Even so you also outwardly appear righteous to men, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.” We are to continue to be on guard against such voices today. Only Jesus can heal from hypocrisy and lawlessness! Let’s remember and thank Him for His faithfulness! Let us call on Him and believe for the impossible! All things are possible with God and to those who believe! We believe Him! We pray that for you!

Love in Christ and Lord bless, Steve, Jill, Judah, Yisaac, Jonah, Yissachar, Jakin, Yezekiel, Jerusalem, & Justice