Pentecost Sunday at Christ Alive

Fourteen first time visitors sat in the services at Christ Alive on this Pentecost Sunday of 2010!

Crystal came early bringing several children with her including four first-timers, and while Brother Michael and Sister Buxton were preparing music for the service, it came about that an impromptu “Children’s Choir” was formed from the six who were there early. They sang so well and with such enthusiasm that Brother Michael called on them during the service to go to the platform and sing for the congregation. “This Little Light of Mine” was the first song, and they did a dynamic job.

These three boys were “belting it out!”

…and the girls…and the tambourine player!…

The best part of the service: At the conclusion of his preaching, Pastor Buxton extended a call to those who wanted to receive the Holy Ghost. Included in that group was Dustin…who, within a few minutes, was speaking in tongues, having received the Holy Ghost as had those early Jerusalem saints on the Day of Pentecost. He is a tremendous young man with a heart turned toward God, and we’re delighted to have him as part of Christ Alive! Welcome to the family, Dustin.

Two of our first-time-visitors today were our sweet friends, Brother and Sister Mervi Clark from Strathmore, Ca. They were such a blessing: Brother Clark was right with those who were praying with Dustin as he received the Holy Ghost. Welcome, Brother and Sister Clark.

A powerful Pentecost Sunday at here at Christ Alive.

Jennifer Receives the Holy Ghost!

Today boasted one of the best services ever experienced at Christ Alive! The worship was beautiful, the attendance was good, the preaching by Pastor Buxton was wonderful…and the best part was that one person received the Holy Ghost!

Jennifer an extremely sweet lady who is one of our CIP students, had previously attended one or two of our church services, but today was different. At the conclusion of the preaching, she walked to the altar area, lifted her hands into the air as she wept profusely, and in a few minutes she was speaking in a Heavenly language; she had been filled with the Holy Ghost.

Finally after praying a long time, Jennifer opened her eyes and began telling us of her experience. She was smiling broadly. Her body was trembling so that finally she asked, “May I sit down.”

“I didn’t know it was like this. I didn’t know,” she said. “I didn’t know…I thought you all were good actors,” at one point she said through smiles and tears.

Tiffany–a few years ago, a new convert herself– was instrumental in helping Jennifer receive the Holy Ghost, walking with her to the altar, and supporting her as she made her way into the Kingdom of God. Sisters…now they are sisters in Jesus Christ.

Jennifer holds little Gabriel–the church “pet.”

We lingered with her, probably for 45 minutes after she had received the Holy Ghost, and finally she was able to walk out of the auditorium.

Please pray for Jennifer. She has stiff challenges to face, and needs all the strength and support she can possibly have.

NY Times, the Bible, and Speaking in Tongues

Readers of this site will probably be interested in this article which reports on a neuroscientific study of speaking in tongues, a study which affirms the positive and accurate reports of those who have been filled with the Holy Ghost with the evidence of speaking in other tongues.

Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania took brain images of five women while they spoke in tongues and found that their frontal lobes — the thinking, willful part of the brain through which people control what they do — were relatively quiet, as were the language centers. The regions involved in maintaining self-consciousness were active.

The Times report that the women in the study were regular in their church attendance and were healthy, active people. Appearing in the prestigious journal Psychiatry Research, the images are the first of their kind taken during this spoken religious practice, which has roots in the Old and New Testaments…

”The amazing thing was how the images supported people’s interpretation of what was happening,” said Dr. Andrew B. New-berg, leader of the study team, which included Donna Morgan, Nancy Wintering and Mark Waldman. ”The way they describe it, and what they believe, is that God is talking through them,” he said.

Very interesting also was the report of a recent study of nearly 1,000 evangelical Christians in England in which it was found that those who engaged in speaking in tongues were more emotionally stable than those who did not.

While it certainly does not require medical and/or neuroscientific attestation for Apostolic Pentecostal people to believe their experience is authentic, it is fascinating to read such a study.

Does the report of this experience resonate with you? Have you felt the need for a deeper experience with the Lord? This dynamic gift is definitely for you. If you live in Lake Havasu, we hope you’ll come see us here at Christ Alive. If you’re from another area and are not sure of the location of such a church, please give us a call, and we’ll be glad to assist you in finding one.

A New Name is Recorded

There are times in this Christian walk when the power of God is so evident, and His Word so positively affirmed, that our faith (that same portion that perhaps had slightly faltered) is reaffirmed, and our passion for The Kingdom is reinvigorated as though shot through with a bolt of dynamite. Such was a segment of our service this morning.

He came quickly to the altar when the pastor extended the invitation, and my position at the keyboard afforded me a full look at him. Almost immediately he began trembling, obviously because of the power of the Holy Ghost. He swayed, nearly staggering, then obviously wretched, he began weeping profusely, his face reddened and squeezed in anguish. At first he stood alone, then others saw his sincerity and gathered about him. In a very short time, this wonderful man was speaking in tongues, in audible and clear articulation. He had been filled with the Holy Ghost with the evidence of speaking in other tongues.

The precedent for such infilling is found in the 2nd chapter of Acts when after Jesus had ascended into Heaven and He had told His disciples to go to Jerusalem and tarry for the Holy Ghost, which He would send, they had followed his direction. And in that room in Jerusalem the Holy Ghost came down on those who waited for it, and those blessed people of the early church spoke with other tongues.

We have known this man for more than a year now, having first met him through our Christian Intervention program, from which he had graduated having finished the 20 lessons of the program. He came to Christ Alive a few times, but was a member of another church in town, and at that time either didn’t recognize or didn’t acknowledge his need of the Holy Ghost. We hadn’t heard from him in months, until a few weeks ago when he called Brother Mike, telling him of his relapse and that he needed to take our class again.

“You must have the power of the Holy Ghost,” Brother Mike says in every one of the Christian Intervention classes which are held here every Tuesday and Wednesday evenings at 6:00. “If you don’t receive the Holy Ghost, this class will be just another program, just another series of lessons…and you will relapse. You must have the Holy Ghost.”

Today our friend pictured here, now our brother in the Lord, understands fully. For despite a series of 20 lessons, despite his good intentions, despite the fact that he is a good person, he relapsed. But today…oh happy day…he committed his life fully to God, and now is full of the power of God. Within him is the strength and power he needs to resist the evil pressure that invariably will come against him.

“You need to be baptized in Jesus name,” Pastor Buxton told him at the conclusion of the service. And around 3:00 this afternoon a few of us met around the small heated pool where he was immersed in baptism, having the name of Jesus pronounced over him. His sins were washed away, are fully remitted, and tonight, he is a godly man, a Christian, ready to meet his Savior.

In this same pool, Kevin was baptized a couple of months ago, also coming to Christ Alive as a result of our Christian Intervention program. He could hardly contain himself this afternoon as he watched his new brother go down in the water in the same way, and in the same place as he had but a short time ago. He fell to his knees in gratitude and holy joy.

Somewhere in Heaven tonight is a record book, newly inked. A new name is written there!

A Visit to Arizona on Fire

Last Thursday and Friday, Pastor Buxton, his wife, Jay and Holly Zeilstra and Rosalinda Fullmer motored to Tucson for Arizona on Fire, an annual meeting of the Arizona district. The tremendous meeting was held in the beautiful sanctuary of Faith Tabernacle pastored by Brother Paul Connor. More than 1000 persons attended the services which were held on both Thursday and Friday evenings, while on Friday morning was conducted a special session for ministers and their wives. It was a powerful, dynamic meeting; one that will never be forgotten.

Rev. Lee Stoneking was the preacher, and as usual he did an exceptional job of ministering to the needs of those who were there. On Friday night, Brother Stoneking gave the testimony of his literally being “raised from the dead,” after having suffered a massive heart attack, and being “dead” for 45 minutes. His full, beautiful testimony is found on his website, which I have linked here.

Then it was over. Pastor Buxton and the Zeilstras breakfasted in their hotel before the return trip to Lake Havasu. What a privilege to have attended this dynamic meeting.

Break-Through at Christ Alive

There is no question; it was a “break-through” service for Christ Alive. Several people were exceptionally touched, as Brother Andrew Buxton of San Diego preached to the congregation.

“I just attended a great conference, but I received more this morning than I did at that conference,” said one lady.

“That was the first time I had shouted like that in years,” Mike Buxton said after the service.

“This is the first time I wanted to go to church since years ago when I attended a Catholic school,” said one young man. During the altar service, after praying a short time, and with his wife beside him, he began to speak in tongues!!

A spirit of giving enveloped one of the men of the church. After the service was over, he pressed a wad of money in Pastor Buxton’s hand, saying, “Give this to Brother Andrew.”

A powerful, amazing service where we people of Christ Alive were issued challenges in the Spirit, and where many of us accepted them, and pressed until we had our “break-through.”

Jay and Holly Honor Pastor Buxton

On Sunday morning, Mike Buxton called on Jay Zeilstra to go to the platform to announce the Arizona On Fire meeting that is to be held in Tucson beginning Thursday night. Did Jay ever have a surprise in store.

Jay made a remarkable presentation to Pastor Buxton and to Sister Buxton, calling them both to stand with him and Holly as he spoke beautiful words of love and appreciation. It was so well done, so sincerely from his heart, that nearly the entire congregation was in tears. His words were especially endearing, seeing he has been in the church only a short time. He came through the Christian intervention program of the church, and he and Holly are developing into outstanding Christians.

The words on the plaque could not have been more appropriate to express love and appreciation to a pastor.

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…nor could the flowers have been more beautiful.

Jay and Holly Zeilstra “outdid” themselves in showing honor to their pastor and to his wife. It will never be forgotten.

Sunday School News

A new Sunday school class! Although we’re really short-staffed we have known for some time that we need to divide our one class into two, for we’ve had quite an age range. Today was the day!

Sister Iliana Banuelos has cheerfully assented to teach the younger ones; ages 3-6. This was a good day to start, for we only had one little one–Alan is his name. He’s a beautiful child. We’re thankful for Sister Banuelos and know she will do a tremendous job with these youngsters. Today she taught on the creation.

Sister Buxton will be teaching those from the ages 7 up. Today there were five in that class, and she taught on the little boy who gave away his lunch. We ate snacks, talked about sharing, then after church passed snacks to everyone present. From magazines, the youngsters clipped pictures of people who are needy, then made a collage of them on a board.

Pray for us here in Lake Havasu. We need a van to pick up children, and we’re believing God to give us one.

Yum!

Take a look here to see one of the delightful things we do as a fund-raiser for Christ Alive! Yummy.

Another Week at Christ Alive

On Saturdays Brother Michael holds make-up classes for those who have missed their scheduled Christian intervention class. They use their workbooks…and the Bible, of course. Brother Michael uses these times of individual and/or small group teaching to offer personal guidance and influence, and to re-enforce the fact that God and His Word is the ultimate solution to all our problems. During every lesson he emphasizes that it is only God’s power that sets us all free.

This past Saturday, one of our young men came with his sister and a friend as he worked through one of his lessons. The young people of our world are in such dire need of God. Many of them have reported to us that they began taking drugs as early as when they were 12 years old. “My mother introduced me to heroin,” one young lady told us. “My mom and her boyfriend gave it to me.” Heartbreaking. Really heartbreaking.

But God is the answer, and our Christian intervention program continues to be very successful. Please pray for us here in Lake Havasu as we work this field in this unique way God seems to have ordained.

Matt Gresham is a recent graduate of whom we are so proud. He knows we love him. A few days ago he came by the church to receive his graduation certificate, and we snapped a picture of him and Pastor Buxton together. He was in church on Sunday and said, “I want my picture taken with Mike also.”

In a couple of weeks, Matt will be moving from Lake Havasu. Please pray for him that God continues to work in his life.