Older News from the 4th Quarter of 2006
Carson Valley, December 24, 2006
TODAY we ministered the gospel publicly at the roundabout on Nevada State Route
88 at County Road. We blew the silver trumpet (Numbers 10) and spoke forth
the word of God. God is calling the people of the Carson Valley to
repentance and faith in Jesus Christ today. He is warning them of the
judgment and wrath to come and directing them to the only way of escape and
salvation, which is through faith in Jesus Christ.
We enjoyed two meetings of the household of faith at the local church today. Many of the saints have chosen this time to celebrate and commemorate the coming in the flesh of our Savior, the birth of Christ. Our pastor assures us that we have this hope to offer the world: a real Father who is able to offer a real gift. Much of the Carson Valley is decorated with lights this time of year. As the light of the world, we endeavor to let our light so shine before men that they may see our good works and glorify our Father which is in heaven.
Yesterday, we took time on the sabbath to proclaim liberty to the captives on US Highway 395 at Waterloo. We are an epistle that we trust is becoming known and read of all men. We are committed to continue to preach whether they will hear or whether they will forbear.
Carson Valley, December 17, 2006
ON the weekend we preached publicly on US Highway 395 at
State Route 756 in Gardnerville, Nevada. Saturday we received
the first snow in the valley this winter. On the Lord's day the valley
was well covered with snow. After the meeting, we were
preaching by the highway again.
We have made some video clips of the preaching on the Lord's day available in the Video Gallery. It might appear as though we are only preaching at automobiles, but while we were preaching a man came out of the restaurant half a block to the north, and several men came out of the bar half a block to the south to see what was going on. There are several bars even closer to where we were and we are quite sure that many people at Sharkey's Casino directly across the street also heard and saw us from behind the smoky windows. The windows of several cars rolled down to allow for better hearing of the unfamiliar sound of the gospel being preached publicly. We sincerely hope to have a banner soon.
The snow brought much joy and it wasn't long before two snow people showed up in our backyard. They appear to be a couple, a snowman and a snowwoman, and from the looks of her, they're expecting a snow baby soon. We saw them again this morning and they're still holding hands. Obviously they are in love.
Last week we preached at Tillman and Kimmerling roads in the Gardnerville Ranchos. We met a few pedestrians. Afterwards we went over to the skate park and talked to all the kids there and shared the gospel with them.
Mai has been a tremendous asset to the work of the ministry. Yesterday the Lord spoke to her about the several ability that he has given to each man. Our heart and our attitude are determined by our choice, but skill and ability are the Lord's to give (Exodus 36:1). It is comforting to know that God does not require of us something that he has not given us. “For who maketh thee to differ from another? and what hast thou that thou didst not receive?” Amen, Amen, “No man can receive anything except it be given him from above.” “He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?”
Carson Valley, December 7, 2006
FROM the Maulis family, to the faithful in Christ Jesus, beloved of
God, called to be saints: This last week marked the beginning of our
public ministry of the gospel in the Carson Valley. We conducted a
workshop at our local church at the pastor's invitation on the
matter of "Sharing Your Faith," (Philemon 1:6) including ministry to
the public. We have also been given the opportunity to talk to our
church's youth group for a few minutes each week, on the subject of
sharing the gospel through personal and public evangelism. One of
the youth, who was just baptized this fall, shared the gospel with a
group of fellow students.
On the weekend, there was a light parade through town and a street festival, to which all the saints were invited to come and share the gospel publicly. We went out to downtown Minden, Nevada to preach and pass out tracts.
The Carson Valley is mostly rural. The valley is just on the eastern side of the Carson range of the Sierra Nevada. Our valley is about one seventh the geographic area of the Silicon Valley, which has at least 55 times more people. Most of the Carson Valley’s residents live in the Gardnerville Ranchos (11,054), Johnson Lane neighborhood (5203), and the town of Gardnerville (3696), which is adjacent to Minden (3181). About half the county’s employed people work in service jobs. The valley’s residents also have jobs in retail, manufacturing, construction and other professions. We are not far from Carson City to the north, and South Lake Tahoe to the west. There are about a dozen churches in and around the valley holding sound soteriological doctrine (salvation by grace through faith in Christ alone).
Ben explains, “The Holy Ghost led me out here to the Carson Valley from the Silicon Valley earlier this year. God gave me the allowance of transferring my job in information technology here. Then he granted me the favor of my wife’s hand in marriage and blessed us with our first child whom we expect in January. I believe the scriptures require a man who has been favored with a wife to first be faithful to his own house before he is qualified for the work of the ministry to others. Our house is in order. God is now graciously opening the door for us to begin a ministry to the public.”
Public ministry in the Carson Valley might not have the glamorous appeal of big city pulpits, but we are convinced that God is able that if he so wills, Jerusalem, and all Judea will come out to hear the preaching in the wilderness. We are asking for your prayers that:
- The proud of heart would hearken to the warning of God’s wrath and repent.
- Hearts would be humble to receive God’s word of grace.
- Our ministry would not fail to show God’s heart of compassion to the lost.
- The hearing of faith would be effectual through the simplicity of the gospel we preach.
- We would mature in grace, as faithful ministers of reconciliation.
We are committed to continue preaching the gospel publicly, and to testifying that Jesus is the only way of salvation. We also invite you to join us in proclaiming God’s word.
Whether we are in Gardnerville, or Minden, the Gardnerville Ranchos, Genoa, or the Johnson Lane neighborhood, we declare the great joy in being reconciled to God and in having peace with God through Jesus Christ. But there is no peace to the wicked and all nations that forget God shall be turned into hell. Nevada’s Carson Valley is no exception. But if we hearken unto his word, we will see that the Lord has made a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.