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“God sent His son, they called Him Jesus; He came to love, heal, and forgive; He lived and died to buy my pardon, An empty grave is there to prove my Savior lives!” (Bill Gaither) There is a progression in world history that really shows His-Story. It includes creation, the fall of Adam and Eve, the incarnation (God becoming flesh), the crucifixion and resurrection, and culminates with Jesus’ second coming. It’s almost impossible to prioritize them in order of significance, but the crucifixion and resurrection are certainly essential. What real hope would the other events hold if we were to be judged as sinners and cast into utter darkness? Jesus said His coming to earth had one real purpose; to seek and save the lost, you and me. To do that, He had to become a man, experience temptation of every kind yet without sin, die in our place and rise again. God had foretold all this through His prophets. Yet, when it happened, it caught even His closest disciples off-guard, they didn’t grasp the reality of it until He appeared after His resurrection and walked among them. But, because He lives, we can be forgiven of our sins through trusting Him. We can overcome sin, live a new life, and join Him for eternity in heaven. What a wonderful and loving God we serve! March happenings: Our Saturday Night Worship Service continues to be a blessing. Additionally, I was able to teach two more wildland fire safety classes to the Gunnison Volunteer Fire Department and the County Road and Bridge crews. I was able to distribute firefighter New Testaments and Devotionals at each session. Ski Area Ministry: Our Mountain Top Chapel services finished strong with 15-35 attending on skis each Sunday Afternoon. Lord willing, we will be able to build a larger meeting deck this summer! Our employee Bible studies were a blessing as well. The ski area was busy with spring break crowds, and I worked quite a few days since we were shorthanded. I feel blessed to have finished 53 years of teaching skiing! In Memorial: The Lord received wonderful friends Harvey Johnson, Jean Tracy, Max Ewert, Bob Moffitt, and May Britt Pedersen into the home He has prepared for them. Each of these were blessings and inspirations to Melva and me. Please pray for their families. We were honored to help with two of their Celebrations of Life, one virtually and one in person. In the next few months, we’re scheduled to help with several more. What a blessing it is to share a message of hope and salvation while honoring these saints of God! Family: Several of us have had “bugs” this past month. Our UK family have been fighting Covid, Melva dealing with allergies, and me with bronchitis. Thank you for your prayers for each of us. Coming up: Lord Willing!
Finances: From time to time someone will tell us they are sorry they cannot support the Lord’s work as much as they would like due to medical bills, fixed income, etc. I always reassure them that the Lord sees finances differently than people do. He looks at our heart and ability, not dollar signs. We are aware that there are many people who pray for us regularly but can’t give monetarily. Rest assured, in the Lord’s eyes and ours, their prayers are a huge gift! As the Bible says, “For if the willingness is present, it is acceptable according to what a person has, not according to what he does not have.” (2 Corinthians 8:12) Our long-time accountant, Sally Wilcox, and her husband Warren have been experiencing health issues. Please pray for them. As a result, Melva has been doing all your receipts by hand. Please forgive any delays and contact us with any questions. Thank you for your patience! Prayer Requests:
May each of us rejoice in our Risen Savior! “Because He lives, we CAN face tomorrow!” God Bless You! Rick and Melva Barton
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January 2023
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