Easter Sunday will be a special Lord’s Supper and dedication of our new Sanctuary and facility unto the Lord. It took Solomon seven years to build the Lord’s Temple, “The House Solomon Built”. It took seven months to build this house of refuge, “The House Recovery Built”.  We are very thankful to so many folks who labored and sacrificed so much time, money, and materials. The Recovery Church is making an impact in our community and giving the devil fits.  The Kingdom of God has invaded the dark places of Stephens County and is tearing the devils strong holds apart one heart at a time. Each of you are a part of this great work.

Tuesday March 27^th, Joe Norton director of the Pardon & Parole Office, and Martha Ray, Sharon Cain, and Lloyd Wiggins of Stephens County Drug Court, were our quest as we had a small dedication ceremony. The parole office and drug court gave us a tremendous amount of community service laborers. We work very closely with these wonderful men and women helping to put lives back together. This community is blessed to have folks like these who give, give, and give of themselves. They care, they don’t just talk about how to improve our community, they do it by investing their lives in the lives of those deemed hopeless by society. God bless and increase this tribe. We love each of you.

In closing I’d like to share the story of “The Keeper of the Spring,” He was a quiet forest dweller who lived high above an Austrian village along the eastern slopes of the Alps.

The old gentle man had been hired many years earlier by a young town council to clear away the debris from the pools of water that fed the lovely spring flowing through their town. With faithful, silent regularity he patrolled the hills, removed the leaves and branches, and wiped away the silt from the fresh flow of water. By and by, the village became a popular attraction for vacationers. Graceful swans floated along the crystal clear spring, farmlands were naturally irrigated, and the view from restaurants was picturesque.

Years passed. One evening the town council met for its semiannual meeting. As they reviewed the budget, one man’s eye caught the salary figure being paid the obscure keeper of the spring. Said the keeper of the purse, “Who is the old man? Why do we keep him on year after year? For all we know he is doing us no good. He isn’t necessary any longer!” By a unanimous vote, they dispensed with the old man’s services.

For several weeks nothing changed. By early autumn the trees began to shed their leaves. Small branches snapped off and fell into the pools, hindering the rushing flow of water. One afternoon someone noticed a slight yellowish-brown tint in the spring. A couple days later the water was much darker. Within another week, a slimy film covered sections of the water along the banks and a foul odor was detected. The millwheels moved slower, some finally ground to a halt. Swans left as did the tourists. Clammy fingers of disease and sickness reached deeply into the village.

Embarrassed, the council called a special meeting. Realizing their gross error in judgment, they hired back the old keeper of the spring . . . and within a few weeks, the river began to clear up.

Fanciful though it may be, the story carries with it a vivid, relevant analogy directly related to the times in which we live. What the keeper of the spring meant to the village, Christian servants mean to our community. The preserving, taste-giving bite of “salt” mixed with the illuminating, hope-giving ray of “light” may seem feeble and needless . . . but God help any society that attempts to exist without them! You see, the village without the keeper of the spring is a perfect representation of our community without the salt and light of God’s servants (Matthew 5:13—14). Many of you support this work and we are tremendously grateful. Our ministry is very laborerous with a lot of needy folks. We had to purchase a van, and the much needed expansion was very expensive so your continued support is greatly appreciated. God is making a huge move and His kingdom is going to conquer this war on drugs in our community.

Loving God-Loving People-Serving Both-While Serving Our Community. Changing Our World One Heart at a Time. The Recovery Church

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If you would like to become a partner in this ministry, please make out support in the name of The Recovery Church, P.O. Box 2117, Duncan, OK 73534 in order for them to be tax-deductible