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May 20th 2015COMMUNITYFREE CHURCH WEEKLY

ALL-DAY!

20% of every purchase will go to the Student Missions trip to Birmingham Alabama!

As a church we want to support the students as they raise money to

travel to Birmingham, Alabama to serve with World Changers, but also we want to have some fun,

right? So how about a pizza party at

Monicals Pizza! Grab the family, some friends, and head out anytime all-day with your flyer to dine-in at the restaurant. Weather forecasts

say rain so its a perfect idea! (Available at the church and in this

Sundays bulletin).

May 25th

Lane ShaferSunday, May 24th

4-7:00pm1405 Ridgefield (Thornwood)

Mahomet, IL 61853

Mallory Bauer (Christman)Sunday, May 24th

4-8:00pmKruse Center off Rt. 54

207 N. Lawrence Gibson City, IL

Justin Reed CelebrationSaturday, May 23rd

12 - 3:00pm1705 Oakwood DriveMahomet, IL 61853

Isaac Ekberg CelebrationSaturday, May 23rd

12 - 3:00pm1615 E. Lake in the Woods Ct.

Mahomet, IL 61853

Everyone is invited to come out and celebrate these great students achievements!

DO YOU LIKE TO READ? DO YOU ORDER BOOKS AND OTHER THINGS FROM AMAZON.COM?DO YOU WANT THE CHURCH TO BENEFIT FROM YOUR PURCHASES?

When you shop on Amazon.com you can select your church, Community Free Church of Mahomet, as a beneficiary of a percentage of what is spent on your purchase. This is a free way that your church can be blessed to the work of the gospel.

How does AmazonSmile work?When first visiting AmazonSmile, customers are prompted to select a charitable organization from almost one million eligible organizations. In order to browse or shop at AmazonSmile, customers must first select a charitable organization. For eligible purchases at AmazonSmile, the AmazonSmile Foundation will donate 0.5% of the purchase price to the customers selected charitable organization.

An Iraqi nun who has been displaced by the Islamic State (IS) terrorist organization told members of Congress on Wednesday that Christians in Iraq have lost everything, including their own dignity and history, as IS continues its quest to completely erase evidence of Christianity's existence in the region.

Sister Diana Momeka, who was at the center of a recent State Department visa controversy, testified before the House Foreign Affairs Committee and said that although it has been nearly a year since IS took over most of the Nineveh Plains in northern Iraq, Christian Iraqi citizens are still in dire need of assistance in liberating their lands.

Momeka, who works with the Dominican Sisters of St. Catherine of Siena, fled from Qaraqosh to the Kurdish-protected north last summer upon IS' rapid takeover of the Mosul region. She explained in the hearing that she is just one of over 120,000 civilians who left their homes and property behind to flee to Kurdistan to escape from the atrocities committed by the terrorist group.

Although Momeka explained that Christians were the first people group to settle in the Nineveh Plains, she asserted that the only Christians that are left there are the ones that have already been caught by IS.

"Why should we leave our country? What have we done? The Christians of Iraq are the first people of the land," Momeka said. "Uprooted and forcefully

displaced, we have realized that IS' plan is to evacuate the land of Christians and wipe the earth clean of any evidence that we existed. This is cultural and human genocide. The only Christians that remain in the Plain of Nineveh are those who are held hostage."

Also speaking at the hearing was Katharyn Hanson, a fellow at the University of Pennsylvania Museum's Cultural Heritage Center who has expertise in IS' destruction of Iraq's cultural heritage.

Hanson listed a number of ancient religious and cultural sites and artifacts that have been destroyed by IS. She mentioned how last June IS destroyed the tomb of the Prophet Jonah. She also mentioned how IS has recently released videos showing the destruction of seventh-century sculptures that were highly regarded by today's Assyrian Christians.

When asked by the committee's ranking member, Rep. Eliot Engel, D-New York, what impact IS' destruction of Christian holy sites has had on internally displaced Assyrian Christians, Momeka asserted that it signifies that Christians in the region have "lost everything," even their 2,000-year history.

"We lost everything and today, every Christian that is living in the region of Kurdistan, we don't feel that dignity anymore," Momeka explained. "When you lose your home, you lose everything you have, you lose your heritage and culture, you become with no identity. Today, that is how we see ourselves."

For the complete Christian Post story, go to http://www.christianpost.com/news/iraqi-nun-displaced-by-isis-to-congress-christians-in-iraq-have-no-identity-in-the-midst-of-jihadis-quest-to-wipe-earth-clean-of-christian-existence-139082/

Tuesday 5/19 Community Groups Schifo Home 6:00pm

Wednesday 5/20 Youth Ministry 6:00pm Just Do Something 7:00-8:00pm With Rob and Michelle Shafer at church Thursday 5/21 Parking Lot Prayer 7:00-7:20am

Just Do Something 5:00-6:00pm With Jacob Barrett at church Worship Practice 7:30pm

Saturday 5/23 Act Like Men 7:00am Basketball 8:20am Graduation Celebrations! (See page 1) Sunday 5/24 Christian Education 9:30am Just Do Something 9:30-10:30am With Jim Sackett and Dean Ekberg at church. Childrens Sunday School 9:30-10:30am

Childrens Church 10:45am Worship Service 10:45am

Just Do Something 6:15-7:15pm With the Eichstedts at church

Monday 5/25 Church Office closed Student Monicals Pizza Night 6-8:00pm

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Whats Happening This Week at Your Church?

Yesterday I unlocked the glass doors of the cabinet housing the personal Bible of C&MA pioneer missionary Dr. Robert H. Jaffray, who is widely credited with the establishment of C&MA work in China, Vietnam and Indonesia. In the margin next to Isaiah 33:1516, Jaffray had penned the words, feet, hands, heart, ears, eyes. I tried to imagine what was going through his mind and heart as he scribbled these words....

1. Seek first His Kingdom: Weve all heard it before, but it bears repeating in an age when so many things compete for our loyalty and devotion. One day, a young Robert Jaffray went to listen to Dr. A. B. Simpson preach. After hearing Simpsons impassioned address, Jaffray threw himself at the feet of Christ and surrendered his entire life to Him and His cause. Jaffrays life and death bear witness to his devotion (see page 7 for a firsthand account of Jaffrays final days in a Japanese internment camp).

2. Dispel earthly lies with heavenly truths: Weve all seen the tee shirt: When Satan tries to remind you of your past, remind him of his future. As coheirs with Christ, we have the authority to disarm our enemy. How utterly liberating! This is a promise, not merely a premise.

3. Realize the beauty and diversity of the Body of Christ. Jaffrays Bible notes hint at this truth his feet, hands, heart, ears, eyes_we all serve different roles at different times. When you read realize I may never be a missionary, but you will always be a vital part of the mission.

4. Recognize that God uses flawed people who exercise extraordinary faith. Scripture gives us many glimpses into their lives: David had Bathshebas husband killed to cover his sin; Paul murdered early followers of Christ. Yet, because of their faith in a limitless God, their historic impact on the Kingdom is immeasurable.

5. Believe that faith accomplishes the impossible. But dont take my word for it; take Hisin Luke 17:56.

Peter A. Burgo

For the last 2 years Amir has boldly lived for Christ in Syria. Not only is he a follower, but he is discipling believers and teaching them how to start house churches! To hear more about how God is working through him, check out Chapter 2 in Killing Christians, where we call him "Farid"!

He writes, "So many brothers and sisters have been killed already that it seems our little group has the only empty graveyard in Syria. As of this writing, none of us have died yet. We rejoice by greeting one another with the words, The graveyard is still empty! We all know it will not stay empty, but meanwhile, were grateful."

The graveyard he is speaking of is pictured below. He and a few other believers built it by hand, as they are not allowed to be buried with their families. The graveyard for martyrs of Jesus.

What is written in the picture is Psalm 116:15, "Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his faithful servants."

Prayer Before Work?Starting this week we are going to have an open time of prayer in the parking lot of CEFCM, Thursdays from 7:00am-7:20am. Stop by on your way to work and join in as we seek God together. This will be an open invite to ALL who call on the name of the Lord Joel 2:32, Romans 10:17 (ESV)

If my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from

their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land. 15Now my eyes

will be open and my ears attentive to the prayer that is made in this place. 2 Chronicles 7:14-15 (ESV)

We Must Abide in Christ for our Prayer-life.Christ teaches us to pray not only by example, by instruction, by command, by promises, but by showing us Himself, the ever-living Intercessor, as our Life. It is when we believe this, and go and abide in Him for our prayer-life too, that our fears of not being able to pray aright will vanish, and we shall joyfully and triumphantly trust our Lord to teach us to pray, to be Himself the life and the power of our prayer.

May God open our eyes to see what the holy ministry of intercession is to which, as His royal priesthood, we have been set apart. May He give us a large and strong heart to believe what mighty influence our prayers can exert. And may all fear as to our being able to fulfill our vocation vanish as we see Jesus, living ever to pray, living in us to pray, and standing surety for our prayer-life.

Each time, before you intercede, be quiet first, and worship God in His glory. Think of what He can do, and how He delights to hear the prayers of His redeemed people. Think of your place and privilege in Christ, and expect great things! ~Andrew Murray

After much prayer, the Elders and Deacons feel that not only has the Lord said YES to AWANA for 2015/2016, but He has provided some pretty neat confirmations along the way.

Therefore, this year we are going to lay our hands on thiscalling like we never have in my almost 4 years at CEFCM.Joyfully, we will press on as a church in faith that God will provide every volunteer, financial, and logistical need for the coming year.

In the coming weeks, we will be sharing Gods vision for AWANA for the coming year. We hope that you will get excited about the big and small ways you can help in reaching kids. This may involve getting out of our comfort zone and into the community to let families and kids know that there is a great place to learn the Gospel of Jesus Christ. But dont worry, we have already lined up an official AWANA training on August 2nd, so you are equipped to serve!

What can you do now?

Pray for the AWANA committee planning for the next years program. Pray for how God might use you to help make AWANA amazing! Pray that God would prepare hearts to answer the call to serve.Pray for boldness in going out into the community to share about AWANA. Pray that God would open doors to reach kids who have never heard the Gospel. Pray for wisdom, clarity, and direction for the AWANA committee.

Are you interested in helping with AWANA? Email Michelle Shafer: shafer5@mchsi.com

Weekly Bible Reading May 17th 1 Corinthians 9 May 21st 1 Corinthians 13May 18th 1 Corinthians 10 May 22nd 1 Corinthians 14May 19th 1 Corinthians 11 May 23rd 1 Corinthians 15May 20th 1 Corinthians 12 May 24th 1 Corinthians 16

Each of the movements Hebrews 11 is marked by the phrase by faith. What we learn as we read each verse weekly, is that the people of God live by faith at every turn. What we notice is the events dont always appear to bless them, but they, by faith, serve as a blessing in Gods bigger plan. Likewise, you are a blessing in His greater purposes.

Read Hebrews 11:24. In the house of the Pharaoh everything was available. Knowledge, pleasure, foods and drinks of various kinds. Not only that, but it was available in abundance. The only thing Moses had to do was to choose it, but he did not. Look around today. Like Moses, everything is available to you. There are so many opportunities for excess, yet I would ask you do you ever consider Christ in excess? The gospel in excess? The Bible in excess? The Christian life isnt meant to be lived upon table scraps, but at the table of the true King, Jesus Christ!

WHATS UP WITH

PRAY RIGHT NOW!

As I am writing this we are finishing watching the Ridley Scott film: Exodus: Gods and Kings. I had been putting off watching this, not because of the reviews I read that lambasted it for its inability to follow the Biblical narrative, but because sometimes watching these kinds of things is like a skilled carpenter watching a shop student build their first birdhouse. Painful.

Painful because you know how it ought to be done. Painful because as Christians we really long to see the full weight of great filmmaking plied to bringing the Bible to life. Sort of like what Cecil B. DeMil did, but on a grand scale because of what we can now do with post-production and special effects. Alas, I dont know that we will see those days ahead since most of those making large movies are largely are not believers in Christ.

In an interview with Collider magazine shortly after the release of Gods and Kings Ridley Scott was asked why he took such artistic license with the film (and the Biblical text), to which he replied: When you dont believe the source material you have to take artistic license in interpreting the source material. (E! Online)

While this was very frustrating to hear, after seeing the film I feel as though there is something far worse happening. It wasnt that just major parts and pieces of the book of Exodus were forgotten, but that what was left to interpretation was far greater: Jesus.

Take this scene: Moses returns to Egypt and faces the Pharaoh Ramses. Instead of coming repeatedly before him as we see in the Biblical account, Moses comes once in force demanding: Let the people go. Not My people which impresses the Lordship of God and redemption of man, but the people.

After this Moses choice of means to convey his demand to free the people is military action. By doing this what is removed from the movie is Moses serving as Gods dynamic intercessor between His people and their oppressor. Why is this omission so important? Because as intercessor Moses serves as a type of Christ in the Old Testament.

It is at this point in the film that Moses says to God (who is tragically portrayed as a small angry boy) who tells Moses to watch what He will do :

Are you trying to humble me? Because you wont.

In the Bible it is not Moses who God is humbling, in fact the Bible testifies that he is the most humble man (Numbers 12:3). The man being humbled is instead Pharaoh. Scott intentionally chose to paint Moses as the bad guy so that we would empathize with the plight of the evil Pharaoh.

This runs entirely counter to the Biblical understanding of evil which says that we ought not empathize with evil, but overcome it by the power of God. This is the very thing that Jesus came to do.

"These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world. John 16:33

I believe that the battle we face is not just for the Bible, but for the Christ it reveals. It is not just for prayer, but for the freedom to seek our Christs Kingdom in every way and in every place. It is not just for morality, but for the Work of Christ that frees people from the power of sin.

The battle is about Jesus Christ.

Until we understand this, we will be sidetracked by a million smaller battles that attempt to take our focus off the one thing that matters the most: Jesus Christ. It is only by keeping our eyes on Christ, through the provision of the Spirit, that we can sustain our faith to stand even when the physical, emotional and spiritual where with all to stand escapes us.

Just as the Apostle Paul faced trials, distractions, and frustrations as he ministered among the nations we also face the same things. Like Paul we ought to be driven by one unwavering truth, the desire to know nothing amongst the nations except Christ and Him crucified (1 Corinthians 2:2). Therefore, the message of Christ, the foundation of the gospel, must become the thing were we stand our ground.

Jesus is Alive!

(and JESUS)

Join Tasha Schifo this summer as she launches into an 8 week study on Biblical Womanhood through True Woman 101: Divine Design On Wednesdays: June 10th ,17th, 24th and July 1st, 8th, 15th, and 22nd from 8:30am-10:00am.

In this study, Mary A. Kassian and Nancy Leigh DeMoss share the key fundamentals of biblical womanhood. Each week includes five individual lessons leading to a group time of sharing and digging deeper into Gods Word.

If youre tired of the worlds cheap imitations and knock-offs - or if youre tired of clichd advice, shallow caricatures - then this foundational teaching and insight from Gods Word is for you!

Thousands of women are tossing the worlds brand of womanhood and joining a quiet counter-revolution... Biblical Womanhood!

Find out why...

Email Tasha at tschifo@gmail.com orcall her at 309-857-2693 to sign up for this study.

The cost will be: $15 for the book, and there will be child-care available at a cost of $2 per week, per child.

Starting Sunday, June 7th, with Pastor Jason:We are going to be looking at some of the toughest issues Christians are facing: Marriage, Poverty, Racism, Sex Slavery, Persecution, Abortion, Pornography, and Orphans.

This will be a high discussion group, as we read and wrestle these hard issues with truth and grace together.

Cost is $20 for 10 weeks

New Sunday AM Christian Education Classes:

Starting Sunday, June 7th, with Jim Sackett:

God doesn't demand hectic church programs and frenetic schedules; he only wants his people to know him more intimately, says top-selling author D. A. Carson.prayer.

Cost is $12 for 10 weeks

The apostle Paul found that spiritual closeness in his own fellowship with the Father. By following Paul's example, we can do the same. This study calls believers to reject superficiality, and revolutionize their lives by embracing a God-guided approach to prayer.

Sign up for a class today by emailing: communityfreechurchofmahomet@gmail.com