The Gospel is so beautiful as seen and heard from the pages of sacred writ.  What power!  What holy conviction!  What a horrible helplessness the condemned sinner has!  And what a Hero God is!
The sinner comes face to face with his condition, he is guilty of crimes against the Holy God of heaven and earth.  His heart cries out as he stares at the certain destruction before him.  Then the Almighty - Awesome God - Jehovah, the Hero David often wrote of; He steps into action.  Placing Himself between the sinner and the licking flames of the furnace - the abyss.  The LORD pulls the sinner to Himself, He embraces him - He coos - He carries the once lost lamb now found upon his shoulders.  With shouts of triump, He hails all His angelic servants "Look, See - another  brand plucked from the fire!"  The cheers and singing of myriads of angles reverberates throughout the vast regions of the Kingdom.  
All of this heroic rescue and celebration takes place day after day while the earth and all its inhabitants continue their daily life completely oblivious to what is happening in the heavenly kingdom. If only they knew and believed!  He is Jehovah God who came to earth to die for their sins. Jesus Christ is the greatest Hero the world seen.  

 The Following is testimony of Alisha Vecter.  She is the wife of Jeremy Vecter.  They teach at Maranatha Bible College and tour presenting testimonies and singing from church to church.  I recorded this testimony as presented by Alisha Vecter on June 29th 2003 from WCTS radio 1030   AM, Plymouth Minnesota.    
 
This coming July 13th my husband and I will be celebrating our seventh wedding anniversary.  And we are very thankful for the seven years God has given to us.  Though they have been some of the most difficult years of our lives.  Some of you may know this but for those of you who don't I have some severe health problems.  When my husband married me he knew he was getting a sick girl.  However, I was seeing improvements, and we thought I was on the road to wellness but the Lord had other plans.  Shortly after we were married, this has nothing to do with my husband, but I became completely bed ridden.  My health declined rapidly, I became so weak I couldn't walk, I couldn't brush my own hair, I couldn't brush my teeth, I was completely under the care of someone else.  Focusing was so difficult for me to look around the room, to read, or write, to listen, to do anything was to exhausting.  So I pretty much just laid there.  And it was truely God's grace that sustained me, but it was also during this time that he taught me many things.  And one thing it was to find liberty in the midst of affliction.  I want to share that obviously I am getting better, I'm about eighty-five percent well.  And its because we finally found that about four and a half years ago that the root of my problem was my jaw.  I had a jaw surgery before my senior year at high school and apparently my jaw slid out of place.  And because it was right once and then back off my body couldn?t adjust fast enough and my brain and other vital glands and organs started short circuiting and my body started shutting down because of that.  And it took five years before we finally found the answer and it was a dentist in Illinois whose been working on my jaw for about four and half years, and I've been out of a wheel chair now for two years.  And I'm continuing to see improvement; and for those of you who have known about this and prayed, thank you so much, obviously this is an answer to your prayers.  And please continue because I want to be one hundred percent, if God wills.
 So what I'd like to share with you, shortly after we found the root of the problem, that's when I became the most discouraged.  By God's grace I did not slip into depression through the whole illness.  And truly it was because of God's grace and the hope and the promises that I knew that I was in the center of His will and He was in control of my life.  However, after I knew that I had the promise of getting better, but it was not going to be a quick fix, (which is what you always hope for), I saw myself three steps forward, two steps back; five steps forward and six steps back.  That's the way of the healing process and I began getting very "sick and tired" of being sick and tired.  I wanted to be well.  I wanted to be the wife that I've never been able to be.  I had little nieces and nephews that were being born and growing up without their aunt to play with them.  And basically I was looking more and more on what I wanted and less on what God was doing in my life.  And God graciously led me to a Christian lady who helped me see that my focus was on myself and not on God.  I lost my vertical focus because I wanted what I wanted.  It's OK to ask but my heart wasn't just asking, I was pretty much demanding God to heal me.  And I needed to see that I could serve Him just as I was.  There are many lessons to learn that in affliction its hard to see that God wants you that way.  And God wanted me for His purpose and I was pleasing Him just as I was, not by doing but by being.  And I needed to remember that true liberty doesn't lie in the removal of the affliction but in our heart's surrender to God's will.  I don't know if theres any of you who are facing physical affliction or maybe some spiritual, emotional, but maybe your heart needs this gentle reminder as mine did.  Whether God gives grace by removing the affliction or whether he gives grace to endure it; we must allow this grace to work in and through us by surrendering to Him.  In this we find true freedom and true joy and He is glorified.    

June 29, 2003
Fourth Baptist Church ? morning service
Alisha Vecter wife of Jeremy Vecter of Maranatha Baptist Bible College

?Good morning,
   It is an extreme blessing, it really is, to be with you, with the music cal as well as this morning.  It?s a special blessing because it?s been just recently I have been able to start traveling and singing with my husband.  We were here a year ago for Father?s Day. But I?m just still getting better and its such a blessing to be back.  
   This coming July 13th my husband and I will be celebrating our seventh wedding anniversary.  And we are very thankful for the seven years God has given to us.  Though they have been some of the most difficult years of our lives.  Some of you may know this but for those of you who don?t I have some severe health problems.  When my husband married me he knew he was getting a sick girl.  However, I was seeing improvements, and we thought I was on the road to wellness but the Lord had other plans.  Shortly after we were married, this has nothing to do with my husband, but I became completely bed ridden.  My health declined rapidly, I became so weak I couldn?t walk, I couldn?t brush my own hair, I couldn?t brush my teeth, I was completely under the care of someone else.  Focusing was so difficult for me to look around the room, to read, or write, to listen, to do anything was to exhausting.  So I pretty much just laid there.  And it wasw truely God?s grace that sustained me, but it was also during this time that he taught me many things.  And one thing it was to find liberty in the midst of affliction.  I want to share that obviously I am getting better, I?m about eighty-five percent well.  And its because we finally found that about four and a half years ago that the root of my problem was my jaw.  I had a jaw surgery before my senior year at high school and apparently my jaw slid out of place.  And because it was right once and then back off my body couldn?t adjust fast enough and my brain and other vital glands and organs started short circuiting and my body started shutting down because of that.  And it took five years before we finally found the answer and it was a dentist in Illinois whose been working on my jaw for about four and half years, and I?ve been out of a wheel chair now for two years.  And I?m continuing to see improvement; and for those of you who have known about this and prayed, thank you so much, obviously this is an answer to your prayers.  And please continue because I want to be one hundred percent, if God wills.
   So what I?d like to share with you, shortly after we found the root of the problem, that?s when I became the most discouraged.  By God?s grace I did not slip into depression through the whole illness.  And truly it was because of God?s grace and the hope and the promises that I knew that I was in the center of His will and He was in control of my life.  However, after I knew that I had the promise of getting better, but it was not going to be a quick fix, (which is what you always hope for), I saw myself three steps forward, two steps back; five steps forward and six steps back.  That?s the way of the healing process and I began getting very ?sick and tired? of being sick and tired.  I wanted to be well.  I wanted to be the wife that I?ve never been able to be.  I had little nieces and nephews that were being born and growing up without their aunt to play with them.  And basically I was looking more and more on what I wanted and less on what God was doing in my life.  And God graciously led me to a Christian lady who helped me see that my focus was on myself and not on God.  I lost my vertical focus because I wanted what I wanted.  It?s OK to ask but my heart wasn?t just asking, I was pretty much demanding God to heal me.  And I needed to see that I could serve Him just as I was.  There are many lessons to learn that in affliction its hard to see that God wants you that way.  And God wanted me for His purpose and I was pleasing Him just as I was, not by doing but by being.  And I needed to remember that true liberty doesn?t lie in the removal of the affliction but in our heart?s surrender to God?s will.  I don?t know if theres any of you who are facing physical affliction or maybe some spiritual, emotional, but maybe your heart needs this gentle reminder as mine did.  Whether God gives grace by removing the affliction or whether he gives grace to endure it; we must allow this grace to work in and through us by surrendering to Him.  In this we find true freedom and true joy and He is glorified".              
 

Yes, America is changing - the change is subtle.  But I believe it is going to get to the point that unless the Christian changes, conforms to the culture around them they will become the enemy  and will suffer for their faith.  America 2010?  I don't know when this will happen.  But I do not want to conform, blend in with the culture.  My prayer is that I will continue to speak out for the Lord Jesus Christ with love, not with a martyr complex, fearing the government behind every bush.  But I do so much want to be bold with the love of Christ, so that when the persecution begins (And I sincerely believe it will) I will be accept it with the same attitude as the Apostles> "And they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name".        

De, when I have questions about the Bible I go to either my pastor or a Christian friend whom I respect.  If you have neither then I would pray to the Lord to send someone to you whom you could trust.  I know from experience that God takes special care of those who call upon Him for guidance in the Truth.  When I first became a Christian I was in the Navy, stationed in San Diego  waiting for orders to be shipped out to sea.  It was only a couple days after I became a Christian by reading the book by Hal Lindsey, The Late Great Planet Earth.  One day after work I found some Literature left at my door by the Jehovah Witnesses.  I didn't know anything about that cult, I was just a new born Christian. I read the literature and became excited and quickly got into my car to find them by the address they left on the literature. When I got to the address, a fellow Jehovah witness took down my address and told me to come back tomorrow and they would offically enroll me into the Jehovah Witnesses.  But the Lord was looking out for me because the very next day I received my orders to immediatly be shipped out to sea.  While on the aircraft carrier Enterprise CV-65, I was introduced to a group of Christians and a godly pastor that grounded me in the Scriptures and helped me to know the dangers of the cults.  
I will pray for you De because the Lord takes special care of His children who cry out to Him for knowledge, understanding and discretion into the Truth.    

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Could it be that the peace and the freedoms we enjoy are not going to be with us long? Just some thoughts that I have been having. Let us imagine, if you will bear with me, that you live in a country under a government that has for such a long time been a friend to the church. Its freedoms are unprecedented in the history of nations. Its leaders for the most part have been Christians. But then something happens, a crisis takes place in your country. And this crisis was caused by terrorists assuming the role of a religious organization. And unbeknown to all these religious fanatics find their way into your country. Let us say that it came to the government's attention that this fanatical religious organization is found to be linked to terrorism. And after some horrific terroristic strikes right within the heart of the country your government , after the outcry of its citizens, decided for the safety and welfare of all that only those churches that registered and sanctioned and monitered by the government will be allowed to function, all others must place themselves under the auspicious of the government or discontinue with their religious assembly. And then let us say that many more terroristic strikes occur with terrifying explosions, massive causalties and widespread panic in several major cities. And all this leads the government to hand own some of the most severe legislation ever to make it into the law of the land. Even such legislation as : it is unlawful to assemble for religious purposes unless that assembly has been registered, sanctioned and monitered by the government. Also it is unlawful for any religious organization to install leadership that has not been screened and approved by the government. Violation of these laws will be punishable by a fine or imprisonment or both. Repeat offenders will be dealt with harsher punishments. And let us say that living in this country you have become a Christian and you have come to the place in your Christian life that you believe that the registered churches are not churches that are dedicated in following the Lord Jesus Christ. But you have recently seen some of those who have been arrested and punished for attending the secret assemblies of believers. You have also heard about some Christians that are either still in prison or executed. Now you are alone in your room, just you and God. And the clock on the wall shows that the believers are about to secretly meet again. You fall on your knees trembling all over, "Oh Lord Jesus, I want to obey you, I want to gather with your church, but I am so scared. I am so frightened that what happened to the others will happen to me also". Suddenly the words from the Bible come to you, "God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind". You notice that a inner peace and a new boldness has instantly taken control of you. You leave your room, go down the stairs and out the door. The thought occurs to you that you may not be back. The thought does not frighten you, in fact you even notice that you desire not so much to go back but to be with your brothers and sisters, those who have been bought by the blood of the Lamb.