Lustre News

Oct. 11, 2024

The New Covenant Quartet, a Southern Gospel group is coming to the MB Church for a concert on Sun. Oct. 27, at 7 p.m.

Dr. Jim Solberg, Senior National Advisor for Bridges For Peace, and author of Sinai Speaks, was the speaker for the MB Church Harvest Festival on Oct 6 through 8. He and his family lived 25 years in Israel as the Director of Bridges for Peace from which he just retired and lives in Florida, despite the hurricanes. A beautiful Harvest Video was presented by Brooke Holzrichter, with pictures of each family during harvest. It ended with a recorded prayer of thanksgiving by the late Daryl Toews! The choir, directed by Mindy Olfert, sang a piece called "Shevakh," sung entirely in Hebrew.

The first verse translated to English says: "Praise I will sing Him, on the mountain or in the valley/Praise I will sing Him, even if easy or hard/Praise I will sing Him, alone or together/Praise is like water, drowning every fear." There were other powerful verses.

Pastor Lenihan read Psalms 136 and Dr. Solberg gave a message on 1) treasuring what you are thankful for, and 2) finding joyous things to be thankful for, 3) being thankful even when it is hard to do so, as with Gideon's "why" questions in Joshua 6:13. He told the story of Bridges for Peace as an example of God using negative events for good. Bridges distributes food to the needy, and just before Oct 7, 2023, the warehouses Bridges for Peace were using were suddenly closed, leaving them to scramble to make other arrangements. But this turned out for the best as drop shipping became possible and with much less cost. Bridges for Peace was started by Dr G.W. Young, and when he died of a massive heart attack they wondered "why?" Every leader since Dr. Young has been used by God to expand, develop its scope so it is now in various countries, and Romans 8:28-29 proved true.

Dr. Solberg said "If you are struggling, we hold onto Jesus with you. We can thank God for Who He is, even if it doesn't feel like it, and tell you it is still appropriate to say, 'Hallelujah,' to trust Him to work all things for good to those who love Him."

The congregation enjoyed a beautiful meal prepared by the church ladies. Pastor Frank opened the afternoon service with Psalms 148, which acknowledges the air we breathe, the stars flung out in space to be gifts from God. He talked of "the commands in these chapters to Praise The Lord." Julie Reddig and Jean Toews did a beautiful offertory called "People Need the Lord" and the Jerry Fast Family sang "That Old Country Church." Dr. Solberg explained the motto of Bridges for Peace is "Christians supporting Israel." He said "Our strongest action is prayer. If you deepen your prayer life it will inform the rest of your actions." He encouraged people pray in categories: people connections, countries, churches, the broken, and friends and family. Then he encouraged us with examples of his wife's family coming to faith in Jesus over the years. One who was in his 90's!

Monday evening the new director, Peter Fast presented a video on the work of Bridges for Peace currently, and commemorating the Oct. 7 invasion of the State of Israel, and showing the dynamics of workers meeting with victim's families, meeting needs that are huge. He walked us through 3,500 years of Jewish history and said "October 7 inflicted scars like unto 1939 Crystal night, and Adolf Hitler's rise to power and the holocaust all condensed into one night when Israel was attacked on their sovereign borders, and Hezbollah (terrorists) joined the attack Oct. 8, attacking displaced Israelis, Iran being the epicenter of the attackers among 7 fronts." "254 hostages were taken, and 151 hostages are still being held, whether dead or alive." "In Bridges for Peace, 30 children within the young families that work there were running to safe rooms. It is a country the size of New Jersey. There have been 10 months of being emotionally drained as we meet with families torn apart, displaced, standing in the gap. We've bought ambulances, and worked through Feed a Child programs to provide bomb shelters. Thank You for Standing for Israel and giving to Bridges for Peace.com."

Dr. Solberg's message was on Christ The Rock in Numbers 20 and I Cor. 10. He told of its connection to Exodus 19:1-6 as "a pattern of God saving a people coming out of Egyptian pagan gods, who were delivered by the God who sees and knows, and would teach them how to live, honoring God's lovingkindness as well as God's holiness." He asked prayer "for the innocents as the news shows the nations on the edge of escalation."

Tuesday night he spoke on Two mountains: Mt Sinai (Ex 20) and Mount of Beatitudes (MT 5) in the light of Micah 6:8. "Jesus elevated all the commands. MT 5:19 reinforces that He did not set aside the commandments, but in the beatitudes, is giving how to live a happy and good life to a nation in trauma under the thumb of Rome, looking for a deliverance." Pastor Frank closed by talking about Mount Moriah that became Mount Calvary.

The skies were filled bright yellow flame-like northern lights in a star-studded sky on Monday night. It was brilliant, sweeping, intense, fading, reflective like a candle shape where most intense, and lasted at least an hour against a navy-blue sky with the big dipper showing through! Then red to green northern lights filled not just the northern sky, but also the southern one, again with the early stars shining through Thursday evening. Awesome!

Friends from Lustre joined those in Wolf Point in a farewell event for Waldo and Susan Wall at the Gospel Fellowship on Oct. 4. They have been part of the Christian fabric at Wolf Point for their entire married lives. Susan served the community as an elementary teacher, and running a day care. Waldo worked in farm support businesses. People thanked them for the influence they'd had in their lives, including 30 years of teaching adult Sunday School classes together. Their daughter Julee attended as she "recognized this is a big deal, moving. If it were not for the Lord being with us, the changes and challenges would be daunting, if not dark." They were thanked for their hospitality over the years and hosting the New Life group, teaching Bible classes. The group prayed together and wished them the best in their retirement as they move to Billings.

The Lustre Junior High volleyball team won first place in their season-ending tournament in Saco on Oct. 5, winning against Frontier School. Then the Jamboree and Jr High basketball teams played Oct. 10 in Nashua and Saturday against Dodson, both teams (boys and girls) being successful and learning to play together. The games were great to watch!