JANUARY, 2005

MARKETPLACE PRAYER SUMMIT be at part of the Prayer Summit (she is from the
Joplin area); I hope you will be able to meet her,

I
as she has a tremendous heart for prayer and a
t is not too late to register for the Gathering dynamic awareness of its power.
at Stonecroft on the evening of January 28
and the day of January 29. This will be our “PATIENT ENDURANCE”

A
annual extended prayer event, as we seek God’s
t the conference sponsored by Gregory
perfect will and join as the Body of Christ to
Thompson and Asleep kNOw More at the
worship and thank Him. Friday evening is from
First Baptist Church in Branson on January 8,
6 to 9 p.m.; Saturday is from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.,
there were numerous speakers. The focus was
with a complimentary lunch provided. Please
on identifying our rights and responsibilities as
leave a message at 336-7076 or send an e-mail to
Christian
bburton@silverdollarcity.com. Two pastors, one
Americans.
from Branson and one from Minneapolis, will be
Other
the prayer facilitators. I encourage you to
ministries
participate if at all possible, and please invite
participated
others. I need to give Stonecroft a number, so
and had tables
please let me know as soon as possible. (If you
of materials set
have already registered, please ignore this.)
up. Many
thanks to
SOUTHWEST MISSOURI REGIONAL
Gregory and his ministry team, and to the other
WORSHIP NIGHT

R
participating ministries and speakers, for this
egina Shank is the Coordinator of important and informative event. Missouri’s
“Missouri Prayer”, the Missouri arm of the new Governor, Matt Blunt, had a representative
U.S. Strategic Prayer Network. She and from his office in attendance, as did other
Crossroads International Revival Center and political leaders. Governor Blunt sent a letter,
hosting a SW Missouri Regional Worship Night which his representative read at the beginning of
on January 29. So, if you are a participant in the the conference. One of the handouts was a poem
Marketplace Prayer Summit, it will be ended in by Tom Green, a dedicated Christian husband
plenty of time for you to go to Crossroads (also and father from Nixa – and a former
known as “The Glory Barn”) at 1279 Bird Road. homosexual with a powerful testimony. He
Or, if you are unable to participate in the Prayer writes many poems; the one he had available was
Summit but are available Saturday evening, this “Patient Endurance”: “Patient endurance, the
is another opportunity to pray for the move of priceless gift of pain; patient endurance, new
God in our area. The worship service begins at strength to walk again. God knows where
6: 30 p.m.; the theme is “Releasing the Sound of you’re goin’, and the place where you’ve come
Dynamic Worship” and will focus on worshiping from; He’ll hold you when you’re weary, even if
in Spirit and in truth. Regina is going to try to your heart feels numb. When it seems you have
no courage, just can’t face another day, even it at the conference; here is a summary of it: It
then the Lord is with you, He won’t let you lose was Christmas Eve, and a family on a farm were
your way. Tragic times have got a purpose, preparing for Christmas. The wife and mother
though they seem to make no sense; you may and the kids were planning on attending a
think you’ve been abandoned, that the special Christmas Eve worship service, and she
pressure’s too intense. Still the Lord is always asked the husband and father to go with her.
near you, through the stretching and the hurt; However, he was not a Christian and he refused.
Jesus’ peace will fill the void, as He finishes His He told her that the Christmas story – the story
work. Comes the day you share God’s comfort, of God becoming a Man for us – was ridiculous.
with another one who’s down; you become the So, they left and he settled down in front of the
arms of Jesus, for His sheep so it won’t drown. fireplace. It was a cold
And you see a gift unfolding, compassion born in night, the wind was
broken lives; you will sense eternal glory, as with blowing, and it started
eagle’s wings you fly.” snowing heavily. As
he was sitting in the
REFLECTION front room, he heard a

I had the privilege of being one of the speakers

at the conference Gregory put together. He
wanted me to be an early speaker and requested
“thunk” on the window, and then another
“thunk.” He could not see what it was because
of the snow, so he bundled up and went outside.
that I set the tone with a talk on the love of There he found a flock of wild geese wandering
Christ. As I shared that morning, this decision aimlessly on the ground. The sound was two of
by Gregory Thompson displayed the wisdom them flying into his window. He realized that
and the love that accompany his courage. When they were lost and that they would soon die if
we as Christians draw a line in the sand – and they did not find shelter. Looking toward his
heaven knows too many of us have had heads in barn, he realized that it could provide a
that sand for far too long – and when we take temporary refuge for the geese, until the weather
firm positions on such let up. So, he opened the large double doors of
issues as the Christian the barn and tried to shoo the geese into it. But
foundation of our his movements only frightened them more; they
nation, the sanctity of would move away and then regroup, huddling
marriage, the pitifully on the ground. The man became
protection of life from frustrated and exasperated at his inability to
conception to death, save the geese. He thought to himself, “If only I
the insistence that the name were a goose; then I could lead them into the
and presence of God be preserved and barn to safety.” Suddenly he had an idea: He
proclaimed in schools and in the marketplace has some geese of his own! So he found one and
and in government, it is critical for us to carried it to the flock of wild birds. He pointed it
recognize the enemy. The enemy is not the to the barn and let it go. Sure enough, the goose
atheists and agnostics, those who file law suits to flew into the warm barn! The wild geese saw
remove God from public life and places, the this and, one by one, followed the farm goose
secular humanists, the moral relativists; no, they into safety. The man, feeling a sense of
are brothers and sisters who are terribly and satisfaction for what he had done, returned to
tragically deceived. Even when we stand up with his house. Then it hit him! “I said that if only I
“tough love”, we must never lose sight of the call had been a goose, I could have saved them!” He
to love. No, our enemy is Satan; he is the one realized that this was the meaning of Christmas,
who is behind the moral decay of our nation. indeed, the meaning of the entire Christian
Jesus loves every human being equally; He died message: God became a Man, in order to lead us
for each and every one of us; He – and His to the safety of salvation!! He fell to his knees,
Father and the Holy Spirit – yearn to have all touched by God’s grace. And later that evening
people acknowledge their love and receive their his family returned home to find their prayers
love. Someone sent me an e-mail shortly before for him answered.
Christmas, it was a beautiful story and I shared
ON THE LIGHTER SIDE Missouri is spelled with an “ah” at the end; 6)

A tour bus driver with a bus full of senior

ladies was driving down a highway (maybe
near Branson??) when one of the ladies tapped
Your school classes were sometimes canceled
because of cold; 7) Your school classes were
sometimes canceled because of heat; 8) You
him on the shoulder and offered him a handful instinctively ask someone you’ve just met,
of almonds. He gratefully accepted them and “What high school did you go to?”; 9) You’ve
munched them down. About 15 had to switch from “heat” to “A/C” in the same
minutes later, she tapped him on day; 10) You see people wear bib overalls at
the shoulder again and gave him funerals; 11) You end your sentences with an
another handful. She did this unnecessary preposition, such as “Where’s my
about a half dozen times. Finally, coat at?”; 12) All the festivals across the State
he asked her why they did not eat the almonds are named after a fruit, vegetable or grain; 13)
themselves; she replied that they couldn’t You install security lights on your house and
because of their old teeth – they couldn’t chew garage and leave both unlocked; 14) You think
them. So he asked, “Why do you buy them?” of the four major food groups as beef, pork, beer
The answer: “We just love the chocolate around and Jell-O salad with marshmallows; 15) You
them.” own only three spices: Salt, pepper and
A good friend from Nevada sent me some ketchup; 16) You think sexy lingerie is tube
sayings of Steven Wright, a man who apparently socks and a flannel nightie; 17) You think that
thinks differently than most of us – and with deer season is a national holiday; 18) You’ve
great humor –. Here are some of his gems: “I said, “It’s not the heat, it’s the humidity”; 19)
woke up one morning and all of my stuff had You know all four seasons: Almost Summer,
been stolen and replaced with exact Summer, Still Summer and
duplicates.”…”I’d kill for a Nobel Peace Football; 20) You failed World
Prize.”…”Borrow money from pessimists; they Geography in school because
don’t expect it back.”…Half the people you you thought Cuba,
know are below average.”…”99% of lawyers Versailles, California,
give the rest a bad name.”…”42.7% of all Nevada, Houston, Cabool,
statistics are made up on the spot.”…”A Louisiana, Springfield and
conscience is what hurts when all your other Mexico were cities in Missouri (and they are);
parts feel so good.”…”A clear conscience is 21) You know what “Home of the Throwed
usually a sign of a bad memory.”…”If you want Roll” means.
the rainbow, you have to put up with the
rain.”…”All those who believe in psycho kinesis, NEW YEAR THOUGHTS
please raise my hand.”…”The early bird gets the
worm, but the second mouse gets the
cheese.”…”I almost had a psychic girlfriend, but
F rom a “Thought for the Day” calendar, on
January 1: “The Bible is our one sure guide
in an unsure world. Begin the year with the
she left me before we met.”…”OK, so what’s the Book. Let it be the firm foundation upon which
speed of dark?”…”How do you know when our hope is built. Let it be the Staff of Life upon
you’re out of invisible ink?”…”Depression is which our spirit is nourished.”…A prayer from
merely anger without enthusiasm.”…”When an unknown source: “That none this day may
everything is coming your way, you’re in the love You less because of me; that no one turn
wrong lane.” away from You because of me; that many souls
Finally, to pick on Missourians instead of may find You because of my faithfulness to
Arkansans: Growing up in Missouri means: 1) Thee.”…Is there anyone we have not forgiven
Everyone you know has been on a “float trip”; 2) for some harm done to us or loved ones or even
You’ve seen all the biggest bands ten years after to people we don’t know? Do we seek “justice”,
they were the biggest; 3) You measure distance vengeance? I can think of no better way to start
in minutes rather than miles. For example, 2005 than to make an act of the will to forgive
“Well, Harrison’s only 40 minutes away.”; 4) such people – and that means to pray for them,
Down south means Arkansas; 5) You know to want their eternal salvation. After all, we
several people who have hit a deer; 5) You think never know if this year is our final one on earth;
and our Role Model said from the cross, accustomed to my routine and I have sought
“Father, forgive them, for they know not what security there. But You have shaken my ideas
they do.” and invaded my ‘safe zone.’ I am sorry for not
giving you free reign in that ‘safe zone,’ in
“LET’S ARRIVE IN 2005!” that little crevice of my heart that I have

A rrive where? To 24 hour a day, 7 day a

week prayer! The UP Team is at 140 time
slots filled (out of 168) and over 200 hours of
kept for myself. I welcome You there
now and ask that You free me from
my desire to be comfortable, my
prayer each week. Please pray for 24/7, and two desire to be secure in my habits, my
or three deep for each hour. If each of us will desire to protect myself from
recruit one intercessor for the Team, our change. Welcome, Lord, to this dark
numbers will double! But this is not about place of my heart. Enlighten it with Your own
“numbers”; it is about seeking to please the desire to always do what pleases the Father. I
Father and be an instrument for His grace by dread change, Lord. I have grown accustomed
having an umbrella of prayer over our area. to mediocrity. Break the seal that cripples my
Look for people who believe in prayer, and courage and keeps me from accomplishing all
mention the UP Team and the idea of a You ask. Never allow Your will to be thwarted
committed hour each week. Here are some because of my stubbornness and fear.”
example of how this can work: 1) Pastor Emil
Bartos of Peace Lutheran Church asked me to COMMUNITY TRANSFORMATION
preach at two Sunday services on January 2,
while he was out of town, and he invited me to
preach on prayer and the UP Team. One person
T he Marketplace Prayer Summit is a
Gathering of members of the Body of Christ
who seek the transforming power of God’s
filled out a card and handed it to me on his way grace, in order that His perfect will be done.
out of the service. 2) I recently finished a Following is an excerpt from a prayer card
servant leadership course in my church; this distributed by The Sentinel Group, the
evening I talked with a participant who wants to organization that produces the videos on
join. 3) Pastor Howard Boyd had a “week of community transformation: “Community
prayer” at his Church, Branson Hills Assembly transformation in its naked essence is about the
of God, the first week of January. There was restoration of a breached relationship – we must
prayer every evening, including a focus on the get desperate for and with God. If we truly
sectors of our community as identified by the UP desire to see God’s kingdom manifest in our
Team. I just received a list of 14 people from the communities, our first order of business – indeed
Church who will either take a specific hour or our sole ‘plan and program’ – must be to attract
will commit to an unspecified but dedicated His presence. To accomplish this, we must order
hour! 4) Jerry Snider of Church Army recently a renewed commitment to humility, faith,
sent Jackie Hartman, the prayer leader holiness, unity and prayer…The journey to
for the Medical Sector, a list of 5 transformation does not begin as a mass
people who want to join! The are movement. It begins as a series of solitary
so many ways to raise the UP decisions. We ask Him to come into our
Team – just in casual community simply because we want to be in His
conversation with other presence. That fact that He will do something
Christians is the best way. If you else when He gets here is a bonus. But it is not
need sign-up cards (which also explain the UP the primary thrust of our petition. It’s all about
Team), just let me know. relationship…’Search me, O God, and know my
heart; try me and know my anxieties and see if
NEW YEAR’S PRAYER there is any wicked way in me, and lead me in

I found this prayer and share it with you as a

great attitude of mind and heart for 2005:
“Lord, I need You. I have searched the whole
the way everlasting.’ (Psalm 139: 23-24)…’And
do not be conformed to this world, but be
transformed by the renewing of your mind, that
world for something to hold on to and nothing is you may prove what is that good and acceptable
firm. Nothing, save You. I have become and perfect will of God.’ (Romans 12: 2)”
 mostly vegetables. They would eat stew for
EACH IS IMPORTANT IN THE BODY OF dinner, leaving leftovers in the pot to get cold
CHRIST overnight and then start over the next day –

T eresa of Avila, a Christian reformer in the

Middle Ages, wrote the following: “Christ
has no body on earth now but yours, no hands
resulting at times in stew items left in the pot for
quite awhile; hence the rhyme, “Peas porridge
hot, peas porridge cold, peas porridge in the pot
but yours, no feet but yours. Yours are the eyes nine days old.” Sometimes they could obtain
through which the compassion of Christ must pork, which made them feel quite special. So,
look out on the world. Yours are the feet with when visitors came over, they would hang the
which He is to go about doing good. Yours are pork up to show off; it was a sign of wealth, at
the hands with which He is to bless His people. least temporary, that a man could “bring home
Christ has no body on earth now but yours, no the bacon”. The hosts would cut off a little to
hands but yours, no feet but yours.” share with guests, and the folks would sit around
and “chew the fat.” Bread
HISTORY TRIVIA was divided according to

N ow for a change of pace! Thanks to Will

Wyatt, the author of “Discovery” and the
coordinator of Discipleship Focus, for sending
status. Workers got the
burnt bottom of the loaf,
the family got the
me the following: “The next time you are middle, and guests got
washing your hands and complain because the the top, or the “upper
water temperature isn’t just how you like it, crust.” Lead cups were
think about how things used to be. Here are used to drink ale or
some facts about the 1500’s: Most people got whiskey. The combination
married in June because they took their yearly would sometimes knock the imbibers out for a
bath in May and still smelled pretty good by couple of days; family members would find them
June. However, they were starting to smell, so along the road and prepare them for burial.
brides carried a bouquet of flowers to hide the They were laid out on the kitchen table and the
body odor. Hence the custom today of the bride family gathered around to eat and drink and
carrying flowers! Baths consisted of a big tub wait to see if the person would wake up; hence
filled with hot water. The man of the house the custom of holding a “wake.” Finally, the
bathed first, then the sons and any other men folks of SW Missouri in the early 20th century
(same water), then the women, then the children, can be glad that one opinion changed and
and finally the babies. By then the water was so permitted them to make their living by growing
dirty you could lose someone in it; hence the tomatoes. Because of the acid in tomatoes, the
saying, “Don’t throw out the baby with the plates used in the Middle Ages leaked lead, and
bath.” Houses had thatched roofs, with no for about 400 years tomatoes were considered
wooden beams. It was the only place for animals poisonous. (Now, aren’t you glad you read this
to get warm, so all the small ones, plus rodents Newsletter!)
and bugs, lived in the roofs. When it rained, the
roofs became slippery and the creatures
sometimes fell through; hence the saying, “It’s
raining cats and dogs.” By the way, that’s how
canopy beds came into existence! Only the
wealthy had something other than a dirt floor;
hence the saying “dirt poor.” The wealthy had
slate floors that became slippery when wet, so
they spread thresh (straw) on the floor. As
winter wore on, they kept adding more thresh
until when the door was opened it all started
slipping outside. So, they placed a piece of wood
in the doorway; hence the term “thresh hold”.
The people, especially the poorer ones, ate
GOD WORKS IN MYSTERIOUS WAYS schools. In addition, on Tuesday and
A pastor was working late on Wednesday evenings, the 25th and 26th, there will
Saturday night and decided to call be an opportunity for anyone who is interested,
his wife before he left for home. It youth and adults, to watch a production of Real
was about 10 p.m., but she did not Encounter, featuring daredevil, ramp-to-ramp
answer the phone. He let it ring motorcycle jumps by Brad Bennett and Tim
many times, thinking it odd that she Wilson, drama presentations by Clear Vision
didn’t answer; but he decided to wrap things up Drama Company and high impact music by the
and try again in a few minutes. When he called Riley Armstrong Band. The evening
again, she answered right away. He asked her productions will be held at Red Gold Heritage
why she hadn’t answered before, and she said Hall at Silver Dollar City (access from Highway
that it hadn’t rung at their house. They brushed 76) from 7 to 8:30 p.m.. Something like this
it off as a fluke and went on their merry ways. impacts all sectors of our community, so please
The following Monday, the pastor received a call be in prayer. Our youth are our future. For
at the church office, which was the phone that he more information, call Wes Stoner at 334-3423
had used that Saturday night. The man he spoke or Ryan Langford at 263-1927.
with wanted to know why he had called him
Saturday night. The pastor couldn’t figure out CLOSING PRAYER
what the man was talking about. Then the man
said, “It rang and rang, but I didn’t answer.”
The pastor remembered the late night attempt to
A good way to end this Newsletter is to share
portions of the prayer written by Pastor
Kimberly Cunningham of St. Andrew
call his wife and apologized for disturbing him. Presbyterian in Kimberling City and prayed
The man said, “That’s OK. Let me tell you my aloud during the November Election Eve service:
story. You see, I was planning to commit suicide “God of Majesty, whom saints and angels delight
on Saturday night, but before I did, I prayed, to worship in heaven, hear the prayers of your
‘God, if You’re there, and you don’t want me to people. Almighty God, Ruler of nations,
do this, give me a sign now.’ At that point my governments and all the peoples of the earth,
phone started to ring. I looked at the caller ID You have given us this good land as our
and it said ‘Almighty God.’ I was afraid to heritage…Help us to always remember Your
answer!” Well, the reason why it showed on the generosity and constantly do Your will. Bless
man’s caller ID that the call came from our land with honest industry, sound learning,
“Almighty God” is because the Church the and an honorable way of life. Save us from
pastor shepherds is called “Almighty God violence, discord and confusion; from pride and
Tabernacle. arrogance, and from every evil way. Make us
who come from many nations with many
“EXTREME IMPACT ASSEMBLIES” different languages a united people. Defend our

P lease add to your prayer list an event

occurring in the area on January 23-26.
The youth pastors in the area and other folks
liberties and give those whom we have entrusted
with the authority of government the spirit of
wisdom, that there might be justice and peace in
committed to bringing the Gospel to youth are our land…Sovereign God, Your glory shines
hosting a time for youth to come together, have throughout the world. We commend our nation
fun and hear the Word at the same time. to Your merciful care, that we may live securely
“Extreme Impact” is a character-based school in peace and may be guided by Your
assembly that teaches how one student can have providence…We pray all this in the name of
a positive impact on his/her school campus. The Your beloved Son, Jesus Christ, who with You
assembly utilizes motorcycles, and the Holy Spirit reigns one God now and
performing arts, live forever. Amen.”
entertainment and the latest in
audio-visual technology. The message focuses on Peace to you and yours!
the character qualities of discipline, positive
attitudes, personal integrity and encouragement.
There will be daily assemblies in various area Bob Burton
(417) 336-7076 (office) or 331-1028 (cell)