~Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!

Wednesday Nov. 24th, 2010

In 1979 while traveling in Guadalajara, Mexico I observed a very old Indian man leading a burro down a very busy thoroughfare; the burro was laden down with sugarcane to the point that I almost felt sorry for the animal. The sugarcane was hanging off of both sides and nearly dragging the road; it was obvious even to the untrained eye that it was a very heavy burden.

I am quite certain the sugarcane was being taken to market and would be sold - more than likely this is how the man made his living. While studying this man and his beast of burden I was reminded of the following scripture:

Psalms 68:19 "Blessed be the Lord, who daily loadeth us with benefits , even the God of our salvation."

Another familiar scripture I would like to bring to your attention is:

Proverbs 10:22 "The blessing of the LORD , it maketh rich, and he addeth no sorrow with it."

REMEMBER to count your blessings! Every day we experience and are recipients of His blessings and the benefits He bestows upon us.

Psalms 100:5 "For the LORD is good ; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations."

May we all take time this 'Thanksgiving' season to give 'Thanks' to Him from whom all blessings flow. Thank God for the following: The Word of God, Truth, Salvation, Family, The Church, friends and good health.


To all the readers and followers of this Blog - thank you for every prayer and every dollar given in support of our wonderful missionary family. Many of them today are away and will not be able to celebrate with their families as you will. If you would, please take time to send them a note of 'Thanks' for their missionary service and labor of love.

From all of us at the Western District Foreign Missions Department:

Donald O' Keefe, Director

John Thomas, Secretary and Regional Director

Jerry E. Powell, Promotion Director

John Shivers, Regional Director

Richard Grandquist, Regional Director

Numbers 6:24-26

The LORD bless thee, and keep thee : The LORD make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee: The LORD lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace.

Jerry E. Powell
Western District Foreign Mission' Blog

~Remembering the First New England Thanksgiving

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A Little History of Thanksgiving

 In 1621, the Plymouth colonists and Wampanoag Indians shared an autumn harvest feast that is acknowledged today as one of the first Thanksgiving celebrations in the colonies. For more than two centuries, days of thanksgiving were celebrated by individual colonies and states. It wasn't until 1863, in the midst of the Civil War, that President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed a national Thanksgiving Day to be held each November.

Thanksgiving at Plymouth

In September 1620, a small ship called the Mayflower left Plymouth, England, carrying 102 passengers—an assortment of religious separatists seeking a new home where they could freely practice their faith and other individuals lured by the promise of prosperity and land ownership in the New World. After a treacherous and uncomfortable crossing that lasted 66 days, they dropped anchor near the tip of Cape Cod, far north of their intended destination at the mouth of the Hudson River. One month later, the Mayflower crossed Massachusetts Bay, where the Pilgrims, as they are now commonly known, began the work of establishing a village at Plymouth.

~In Memory of Rev. C. M. Becton

MESQUITE, TX – November 17, 2010. Last night, Rev. Cleveland M. Becton, a great Apostolic leader and hero, passed away. Here is the information found at his home church website.

“A prince and a great man has fallen. . . .”
     – II Samuel 3:38

It is with heavy hearts that Emmanuel Pentecostal Church announces the passing of our beloved Pastoral Elder, Rev. Cleveland M. Becton. Bro. Becton entered eternity peacefully and comfortably while surrounded by his family at approximately 10:45 p.m., November 16, 2010.

We grieve because of the vast emptiness his promotion leaves in our lives; we give thanks for his indelible impact upon our church and the world; and we rejoice in the God of his Salvation.

“Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful…. Enter into the joy of your Lord.”

We love Bro. Becton!

Autobiography

“Born September 21, 1928, in Jackson, Tennessee, the second son of parents, James M. and Christine M. Becton. At the age of two our family moved to Little Rock, Arkansas, where my mothers brother, Reverend G. H. Brown pastored a Pentecostal Church. We did not immediately attend the church that he pastored, however, after attending the First Baptist Church for a short period of time; my parents felt that we should make a change. This was the beginning of our experience of Pentecost, both parents receiving the Pentecostal experience.

It was in the summer of 1940 in a revival meeting with Brother Odell Cagle that I received the Baptism of the Holy Ghost and was baptized in the Name of Jesus. From that time on I remained in the church.

I was always interested in learning to play the piano and when I was ten, I began to take piano lessons and a year or so later I began lessons on the accordion. I immediately began to play both instruments in church services. At the age of 15 I left home with my parents consent and properly chaperoned and played for a Stamps Quartette. At the age of 16 I was teaching piano and accordion in the Stamps School of Music in Dallas, Texas. This was the summer of 1945 and I had a strong feeling that this was not the life for me. It was really more than just a strong feeling; I actually heard the audible voice of the Lord.

Pentecostal Bible Institute was opening for their first year in Tupelo, Mississippi. It was the fall of 1945 and I became a pioneer student with about 28 others for the very first term. It was in the second semester of that year while in a weekend service in Iuka, Mississippi, that I felt the call into the ministry. I was 17 years of age and started in the evangelistic work when that term ended. My first revival experience was in Nashville, Tennessee. My evangelistic days continued until the fall of 1950 when I took my first church to pastor and that was in Bay City, Texas.

While growing up in the church in Little Rock, Arkansas, a family by the name of Dyson was also members of that church. They had several children and one of them; a daughter was about the same age that I was, her name was Margie. We started out at very young ages liking each other. This continued through the years and we were married in 1947 and she became right away an evangelists wife and three years later a pastors wife. We will be celebrating our 55th Wedding anniversary this year, happily married.

We had three wonderful children: Rudy was born in 1948 and traveled with us from the time that he was 3 weeks old until we settled down to pastor when he was 2. Ronald was born in 1952 in Bay City, Texas, where we continued pastoring until 1957. In 1957 we became the first pastor of a small group of people in North Little Rock, Arkansas, and it was there that we had our third child, a daughter and we named her Renee. This made for us a wonderful and complete family.
We moved to Nashville, Tennessee, in 1960 to become the pastor of the West Nashville Pentecostal Church, later the name was changed to the First United Pentecostal Church.

Positions that I have held in the United Pentecostal Church are the following:

1952-1957 Youth Secretary of the Texas District

1958-1960 Home Missions Director of the Arkansas District

1961-1967 Secretary of the International Youth Division UPCI

1968-1976 General Secretary of the United Pentecostal Church International

1978-1981 Assistant General Superintendent of the UPCI

1982-1998 General Secretary of the UPCI

1982-Present One of two speakers on Harvestime

1999-Present Honorary member of the General Board of the UPCI

In the 1998 General Conference, held in Greensboro, North Carolina, I felt that I should not let my name stand any longer for the position of General Secretary. Brother Jerry Jones was elected at that conference to succeed me.

A total of 25 years as General Secretary came to an end December 31, 1998. Since that time we have lived in Texas attending Emmanuel Pentecostal Church pastored by our son-in-law, Richard Flowers. However, we are not retired. We travel most every week and enjoying life as we always have.”

Elder Becton served EPC as Pastoral Elder to the church in Mesquite, TX, lending a wealth of experience, wisdom, insight, and his Godly example to our entire staff and congregation. Prior to joining the pastoral staff in 1999, he served for a total of twenty-five years as the General Secretary of the United Pentecostal Church, International.

He and his wife, Margie, were married in 1946, and have been blessed with three children—Rudy (now deceased), Ron, and Renée (Flowers)—five grandchildren, and one great-grandchild. In his leisure time, The Elder enjoyed reading, exercising, and studying God’s word.

These two video music clips were recorded in May of 2009 while Bro. Becton was ministering during our annual 'Mission's Thrust' conference and 'Leadership Seminar.

~Some Points to Ponder

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Points to Ponder

• An investment in knowledge always pays the best interest.
• The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing. 
• For success, attitude is equally as important as ability.
• A cloudy day is no match for a sunny disposition.
• Success is a ladder you cannot climb with your hands in your pockets.
• Anything not attempted remains impossible.
• Being willing makes you able.
• A champion is a dreamer that refused to give up.
• To get what you want, STOP doing what isn’t working.
• Excellence is doing ordinary things extraordinarily well.
• Tough times never last, but tough people do.
• The best things in life aren’t things.
• There are no shortcuts to any place worth going.
• Vitality shows not only in the ability to persist, but in the ability to start over.
• Accept challenges, so that you may feel the exhilaration of victory.
• Excellence is not a skill, it is an attitude.
• If you want to stand out, don’t be different; be outstanding.
• Change is difficult but often essential to survival.
• Life is ten percent what happens to you and ninety percent how you respond to it.
• Your vision will become clear only when you can look into your own heart.
• Our attitude toward life determines life’s attitude toward us.

 

~Satisfaction Through Significance

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Satisfaction Through Significance

Why is it that as they get older, highly accomplished people often feels a need to measure their lives more in terms of the impact they have rather than by what they have?

Management guru Peter Drucker called this the shift from success to significance. Success is achieving your goals; significance is having a lasting positive impact on the lives of others.

For some, the emerging desire to be significant is just another form of vanity -- a yearning to achieve a kind of immortality through good deeds long remembered. For others, it’s simply a desire to live a worthy life.

Whatever the reason, when people begin to think more deeply about significance, they tend to place greater emphasis on enjoying what they already have and enriching their lives through service to others.

The irony is that living a life focused on the pursuit of significance is more personally gratifying than one devoted to climbing the ladder of success. As author Stephen Covey warns, it’s no good climbing to the top of a ladder that’s leaning against the wrong wall. Not many people say on their deathbed, "I wish I’d spent more time at the office."

The thing is, when we worry less about whether we have what we need to be happy, we become more likely to achieve happiness. When we use our heads, hearts, and wallets to make a positive difference in the lives of others, we’re rewarded with a sense of pride and satisfaction that’s hard to get any other way.

Success can produce pleasure, but only significance can generate fulfillment.

~A Thanksgiving Message - "...be thankful unto Him and bless His name!

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Thanksgiving

It is a time when our thoughts turn to turkey and dressing, pies… and overeating. Many are excited about the coming rush of back-to-back football games, family outings, Black Friday… where does one’s mind stop? We must take care not to forget the reason behind the name of the holiday.

This year I find myself in a unique situation – literally caught between two worlds. My heart is torn between my desire to be in the land of my calling, Finland, and the call of family and my love for America. However, as my thoughts turn to Thanksgiving, they are not all about our calling. Please consider my following thoughts and consider how they may translate into your life.

I am thankful that God brought truth into my life!

I remember the path I was walking when Jesus stepped into my life and gave me a second chance. How wonderful it is to know the Jesus loves me that much. The life that I had been living placed me on a path to destruction. He rescued and brought me to a place where He can trust me with the souls of an entire country. As I contemplate what He has done, I see no other option but to answer 'Yes' when He speaks.

I am thankful that I am an American!

The popular media deluges us with pictures of those who hate America, yet ignores the fact that in every country in the world, there are lines of people waiting for an opportunity to have a chance to come live 'The American Dream.’ In spite of our 'problems,' we still live in the greatest country on earth! God has blessed us, and the whole world recognizes it.

I am thankful for my friends!

The last thirty-two months have allowed me to touch lives that I would have never met. The friendships along the way have been so refreshing, and I thank God for each one. Many of you have touched our lives in ways that are hard to express.

I am thankful for family!

This season is especially unique to me. My father-in-law, Rev. Jack Sword, is currently recovering from a hip replacement, and has another scheduled next month. I am reminded of how thankful I am that the Sword family knows the comforting and healing power of Jesus.

On my side of the family, there is turmoil. My father, Bartes Alphin, is currently hospitalized due to heart problems. The doctors are working especially hard to help him regain strength, thus far without success. Sadly, most of my family does not rejoice in the hope that Glenda’s family holds dear, so confusion tends to reign at times. I am hoping that through this trial, 'little brother' can be a light of salvation to my brothers and sisters. As I spoke to my father on the telephone last night, his thoughts were on Heaven. He told me he has been thinking about the wondrous beauty of his future home. I could hear the expectancy in his voice as he commented, "I’m not ready to rush it, but I can’t wait to get there!” The peace of knowing his final destination was so sweet. Yes, I am thankful for family. I pray that I can become the Christian my father is, for I am so thankful for my heritage.

I am thankful for health!

This past year has been a 'wake-up call' for me. Although I would never admit it in the past, I lived my life as if I were indestructible. You know those thoughts, 'God has a call on my life and as long as it is unfinished, nothing can hurt me.' We may not verbally say those words, yet we all think them from time to time. As I watched my blood pressure rise and my energy level fall, I began to realize just how important one’s health to living an overcoming life. I remember my father’s first heart attack, suffered while he was in his 50’s, and I am not far from that age bracket. I am thankful that I have an apostolic doctor and friend who is helping me regain the 'territory of good health' that I have lost.

I am sure that as you read through this your own life was woven in your thoughts. I want to end with one of the most difficult scriptures to obey:

“In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.”
I Thessalonians 5:18
Do I thank Him for my hypertension? No, but I do thank Him for giving me the warning that I must be more conscious of His gift of health.

Do I thank Him that my father is ill? No, but I do thank Him that I can be a light of salvation to my family.

Do I thank Him for the pain that my father-in-law is experiencing? No, but I do thank Him for giving man the knowledge to invent artificial joints that will allow him to regain his mobility.

I thank Him for the friendships generated, those who have received the Holy Ghost, and the miracles that have occurred through the ministry He has allowed us to enjoy.

I am thankful that the United States has the ability to send and finance missionaries so that we, and others, can share the gospel to the whole world.

I will forever be thankful to the truth of His love as He has rescued me from my past and gave me a bright future!

I encourage you to take a moment this month to make a mental list of the things that matter to you and thank our Savior for His rich blessings.

Mark Alphin, missionary to Finland

 

~Missions for YOUR children - An Opportunity to TEACH and TRAIN!

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**Note! - Are your children involved in Missions? Do you encourage them to pray for our missionaries? How are the children in YOUR church participating in Missions? Are you teaching them about different countries and the missionaries that labor and serve there? Do your share reports of miracles and great evangelism thrusts and the many people receiveing the Holy Ghost around the world?

What an opportunity we have to involve our children!  Have you ever had or considered having a

'Childrens Missionary Faire,' or a 'Sunday School Missionary Faire?' Of course there are many other things that can be done also...for more information contact the WD Foreign Missions Dept. or send me an e-mail at jpowell@wdfmd.com.

FINLAND'S 'mini' INTECESSOR TEAM UPDATE

NOVEMBER 2010

The Alphin Family, Missionaries to Finland

Jesus Loves You, No Matter Your Age
 
By Bro. Alphin
 
I want to share a couple of exciting testimonies with you. They are about two people who both wanted to receive the Holy Ghost. One was young, and the other was much older.

During a service in Napa, California, Jesus' presence was so sweet. While everyone was praising Him, I noticed a young girl praying while sitting by her mother. When she finished, I went to her and asked if she would like to receive the Holy Ghost. She answered, 'Yes.' I then asked her if she believed Jesus would fill her with His spirit right then, and she replied, 'Yes.' I asked her to say a simple prayer with me, and we asked Jesus to clean her heart and forgive her of anything that made Him sad. Afterwards, I told her that since her heart was clean, Jesus would give her His Holy Ghost. She began to worship Him, and in just a few minutes, she was speaking in a language she had never known as Jesus came to live inside her heart.

After a service in Exeter, California, I was talking with the Pastor in his office when his wife brought a lady, who was about 84-years-old, into the room. She said that she did not want to leave without receiving the Holy Ghost. After we prayed a prayer of repentance together, she began worshipping Jesus. In just a few moments, she started to speak in tongues as He came to live in her heart.

Both of these people received the gift of the Holy Ghost in just a few minutes. When you pray, just remember that Jesus does not look at your age. He looks at your heart. He will fill anyone with His spirit when they make their heart available to Him. It does not matter if you are 5 or 85! Jesus loves each one of us and wants to make His home in our heart!
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Prayer Requests

We are still waiting for the government in Finland to give us permission to live there. Sometimes, it takes a long time to hear them say 'Yes.' Will you help us pray that we don't have to wait so long?

Our family will need to find a place to live in Helsinki that is big enough for all four of us, but also doesn't cost too much money. Sometimes, it's not so easy to find exactly what we need! But, we know that Jesus can find us the perfect apartment, or house, to live in. Will you pray that He will help us?

Thank you for praying with us. We enjoy sharing with you! :)
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A Cool Prayer Tool Idea!

We want to share a cool prayer tool with you! Before we became foreign missionaries, we had the most amazingly fun job at our church: teaching children why it was important to believe what our pastor, and their parents, were teaching them about the Bible. We had a Bible study with them every Wednesday night! We talked about so many different things, but one of our favorites was prayer. God talked to us and gave us very special lessons, and one of them included a craft: making a prayer wheel for them to use during their prayer time at home! We also made special prayer wheels that we used with them at church, too.

We thought that you might enjoy making a prayer wheel, so we decided to share ours with you! We hope that you like this idea!

Directions (you'll want to ask an adult for some help):

Print the prayer wheel (you may need to save as a file on your pc first before printing). The prayer wheel works best when it's printed on thicker paper, but it could also be printed on plain paper, then glued onto something else.

Color it first, then cut it out and finish it however you would like. To make it turn, you can use a brad (it's a round gold thing with 2 pieces of metal that bend outwards - they can be bought at an office supply store). If you can't get one, ask an adult for another good idea!

Did you know? There are currently over 500 people living in Finland who are 100 years old or more!

The Lapponian herder lives in the northern part of Finland. It is used by the Sami (the people who live in the Lapplands) to herd and guard reindeer. They are supposed to be a very friendly type of dog!

THANK YOU FOR PRAYING WITH US!

The Mark Alphin Family - UPCI Missionaries to Finland

Mark, Glenda, Miranda, and Candace

c/o UPCI Foreign Missions Division - Account #98894

8855 Dunn Road, Hazelwood, Missouri 63042

**Pastor and Parents - use this as an opportunity to teach and "...train up a child..." Teach them to PRAY, to be COMPASSIONATE, to be CARING and CONSIDERATE of others!

Please share the above with your children and the children of your church. REMEMBER, many missionaries were called when they were children!