Well it has started. Just the other day I saw on facebook that a local business up here in Fairbanks will be closing permanently because of the virus. As we have been weathering the isolation because of the virus, we have yet to see the full financial impact of the virus. We are looking at some rough financial times for our country, our state, our community, and even some of our family and friends. I was thinking about that and how God provides. Sometimes it is not in ways we expect. I will get back to that in a minute. How many of you like ravens? We have a lot of them in Alaska. They are a scavenger bird. We would not consider them clean. But they do an important job of cleaning up. And personally I think that it is amazing that they can live in such cold temperatures. Did you know that ravens are mentioned in the Bible? Well they are!

Ravens are talked about in Luke 12:24 “Consider the ravens: They don’t sow or reap; they don’t have a storeroom or a barn; yet God feeds them. Aren’t you worth much more than the birds?”

God cares for and provides for these scavenger birds. Not only that, but He uses them for His purpose. If you look at 1 Kings 17:6, you will see that Elijah is fed by ravens. Now I do not know what kind of ravens they have in Israel, but I would not want to eat food from ravens in Alaska. Most of the time Alaska ravens are eating trash or dead things.

Well God uses ravens for His purpose and He cares enough about these birds to feed them and provide for them. Since God does this, how much more does God care for us and want to provide for us. Many times we do not see God’s provision or maybe it is not what we think or what we want. It is hard to be content with what God gives us. It is easy to be like the Israelites complaining about manna and wanting quail. During this time when people are struggling financially and small businesses are closing, are we trusting in God’s provision? Are we content with what He has provided? Or are we looking at others and longing for steak when we should be content with bread? Even if it is from ravens!

Consider the ravens!  And may God continue to bless as you weather this virus.

​Jared

Hello church family,
​
Spring is here and with it probably is a cabin fever that longs to be remedied. I think that our quarantine time in Alaska is slowly drawing to a close. How have you changed? Are you a different person than you were before? This is a question that I would encourage you to wrestle with before life returns to "normal."

Mr. Chuck made a video about there being no limit to God's mercy. And I made a video about Christmas. (I know what you are thinking, "Christmas!?", but there is a method to my madness.)

Winston spoke on Sunday about a faith that pleases God and one of His encouragements was to try to read the New Testament in a year. The link to the reading plan is here. He found that it takes about 6 minutes to read each chapter. If you are reading it, today's reading is from Mark 3 and if you haven't started yet, you can easily catch-up since there are no readings during the weekends.

If you would like to give of your tithes and offerings, this can be done online or via check. We have been seeking God's guidance throughout this time and continue, especially as we will begin to meet in person again soon. Please pray for us to be wise and to have the ideas that God wants us to have as we will most likely have to live in a hybrid environment of in person and online as many in our congregation are high-risk.

Thanks very much,
Ivan

Dear Denali family,
I’ve been thinking a LOT about this time of waiting and quarantine and wondering who I am going to look like after this is done. I wonder too who you will look like after this. One thing for sure is that we will be different people than before. We had been going along with what we normally did, day in a day out and then this thing hit. Full stop. BUT as we learned on Sunday in 1 Peter 1:3-9, God uses trials for His purpose. I believe that God is allowing this quarantine for a reason and that we should begin to see it as a gift that should not be squandered. I have put my thoughts down on video and I hope that it encourages you to seek God’s guidance during this time so that you are an even greater Jesus-follower than ever before.

Mr. Chuck’s thought ties in greatly to this because his was about God’s unlimited power. He is able to bring about great things because of His great power.

I encourage you not to squander this time.
Ivan

Dear Denali family,
We would like to welcome you to our worship service for April 19, 2020. I realize that at this point in the quarantine, your patience is probably getting thin and you are wondering when things will get back to normal. Our neighbors around us are probably losing hope each day as their jobs are lost and the stimulus checks are coming late and not being enough and many other things. The world’s hope is found in a world that is slowly crumbling apart. But as followers of Jesus, though, you and I have a Living Hope. The main point for this whole worship service is that we have a LIVING Hope because it is found in our LIVING Savior. 
Like always, we have put our videos on RightNow, but we have also put the videos on our website, as well as on our Vimeo page, https://vimeo.com/showcase/7022413. 
Praying for you all!
Ivan

DBC Church Family, 
​
Well, breakup has come to Alaska. It is time for slush, mud, and the anticipation that spring will be here soon. I always enjoy spring. Not only is the weather nice, but there is new life that springs up all around us. I was thinking about this new life and Easter. I don’t know about each of you but I need the reminder that we have a new life with Christ. The former things have passed away and God will make all things new. This is from Revelation 21:5. What a wonderful comfort and reminder that someday God will make all things new. Just like He made us new when we believed. I am also reminded that there are seasons of growth in our Christian walk with Christ. Be encouraged that if you are in a dark time of your walk that spring is coming and new growth is coming. Check out this link to a time-lapse video of a bean plant.

This time of year is a great time to talk about being made new with Children. Especially during this Easter season. For our DBC families with young children the Resurrection Eggs are a great way to talk about new life in Christ. If you did not get to use them last Sunday I would encourage you to.

Exalt Him and praise His name because He will make all things new!
Jared

Dear DBC family,
Chuck has made a video about God's forgiveness not having any limits. Even though he made it especially for the kids, I know that the application is just as needed for us as adults. Sometimes we limit God's forgiveness in our lives, whether that is accepting God's forgiveness of us or being able to extend God's forgiveness for others. During this time of being with your family or even being alone, you probably are finding more and more to be frustrated about and you may even be feeling more agitated and snippy. I encourage all of us to ask God to help us as we have to be patient for us to be Jesus to those around us and to ourselves, and to be willing to both receive and give forgiveness, grace, and mercy.

There were some moose in my yard today and it struck me that these Moose of the Field are being cared for by the very same God who forgives. They have all of the food they need and they are content. Yet we have what we need, maybe "just enough" and many times we are as discontent as all-get-out. How are we as humans, not content, but moose as animals without a soul or knowledge of a personal Savior, content? "Lord, may I be more like a moose in seeing your provisions and being content in them. Amen!"

We are praying for you all!!
Ivan