Jared Zapata Family: Time Passes By

Dear Reader,

Have you ever felt that time seems to go by so quickly? The days become shorter, weeks come and go, and years quickly fade? With many hours on the road and seeing a day turn into a night, it makes you think of how time goes by so rapidly and the importance of what you have been able to accomplish in that day. Perhaps your children come to mine as you watch them grow from day to day. Perhaps your dreams come to mind as you eagerly strive to accomplish them each passing day. Whatever the case may be, God has a special plan for each and every one of our lives, and if we do our best to live each day to serve Him, the end of the day will bring contentment and satisfaction beyond compare. Life is too short to live for me, live for God and blessed you will be.

After a great service Wednesday Night, we heading north towards Oklahoma and was able to stop off at home for a day. We got set for another trip away and were back on the road Friday afternoon heading to Baptist Heritage, in Jennings, Oklahoma, pastored by Pastor Mickey Ellis. What beautiful country side we began to pass as we entered into the Oklahoma territory. We arrived Friday night and were able to have dinner with the pastor and his kind family. Saturday morning, up for soulwinning as we went into the neighborhood and was given the opportunity to win a young girl to the Lo

rd! Always a great joy to be able to see someone bow their head and ask Jesus into their heart. Sunday morning came quickly as Elyssa prepared to teach the children in Sunday school and I preached the Sunday school and service that morning. What a privilege it was to be able to preach once again and share what God had laid on my heart to those that attended that morning. For Sunday school I preached a sermon entitled "Dead Flies = Dead Christians", as sermon on the subject of how what it takes to make a Christian fade away over time. As the perfume lost its beauty, fragrance, and purpose because of the dead fly, so do Christians lose their God's blessings, influence, and His will for our lives because of the world and our sin. After Elyssa and I sang four songs the service was underway. The sermon to follow, "Who So You See", was on the topic of what type of person do we see everytime we open our Bible, acting like a mirror in our lives. Just as a mirror reflects who we are, what we need to change, etc. so does the Bible reveal our sinful nature, who we really are, the areas we must grow in, the blessing we have, what we could be in the service of God, etc. Who do you see in the spiritual mirror called the Bible or do we make the mistake and, as the Bible says, go away forgetting what manner of man we are.

Dead Flies = Dead Christians Who Do You See?

HIllcrest Bible Baptist Church, in Arkansas City, Kansas, was our church for Sunday night as we arrived early that afternoon ready to once again have an opportunity to present Reaching the Next Generation. As have the other pastors, Pastor McCullough made us feel right at home allowing us to stay in the missionary room their on property. Elyssa and I sang twice and were able to present our work, kicki

ng off their missions conference that was taking place this week. The pastor asked me to preach and what an honor that was to be able to once again allow God to speak through me to my heart as well as to the hearts of the people in the congregation. I preached a sermon entitled "People, Nation, Language", emphasizing the importance of giving the Gospel to every Person we encounter throughout the day, the Nation in which we live in, and every Language representing the countries that surround us. Why should Satan use the world to infiltrate the filth they have to offer into other countries in a quick manner while Christians today fail to see the importance of zealous soulwinning? We must keep that fire alive.