I just wanted to share a few thoughts with you.  With everything on the news and it seems that things are starting to get cancelled again, I had to encourage myself today.  This verse kept coming up in my heart.....
 
John 8:32-36 32 Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." 33 They answered him, "We are Abraham's descendants and have never been slaves of anyone. How can you say that we shall be set free?" 34 Jesus replied, "Very truly I tell you, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. 35 Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. 36 So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.
 
As we get ready to celebrate the 4th of July we often think about fireworks, we remember those who fought in the Revolutionary War, and of course our freedom and independence from Great Britain.  We decorate our homes or camps with American Flags as a symbol of the freedom of the USA and we celebrate with family and friends. We celebrate July 4th once a year and people know what and why we are celebrating.
 
Kinda like deer season!  When archery season is around the corner, there is no question about what we are preparing for.  People already know the answer when they see us practicing with our bows in the yard. But, as a Christian, we should be celebrating our freedom from the wages of sin and death every second of our life and living in a way that reflects that.  I’m glad we don’t have to fight for our independence, but rather we can be dependent on our faith and trust in Jesus Christ and what He did for us on the cross.  Eternal Life…. Now, that is something worth celebrating!
 
In the verse above it says, “You shall know the truth and the truth will set you free.”
 
Jesus reminds us in John 14:6 Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
 
If you watch the media these days, it’s hard to tell what truth is.  But, I’m thankful that with God, we never have to guess.  I hope and pray as we go about our day to day lives, especially now during these crazy times, that others can see the decoration of joy and hope on our faces, (even through a face mask) and that we have the courage to tell others why we are celebrating.  Then maybe they will want to know the truth, so He can set them free.  

​Chairman Kari Mihal- Almost Heaven Archers, West Virginia  

There is a lot of fear in the world since the corona virus disrupted business as usual.  Our Lord never promised us that tomorrow would always be better than today.  What He did say to His disciples in John 16:33 was, “These things I have spoken unto you, that in me you might have peace.  In the World you shall have tribulations:  but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.” This is a reminder that the world has seen a lot of unpleasant challenges before now and also a reminder that Jesus is in control. 
So regardless of how it all started, regardless that it appears some might be taking advantage of a health crises for political gain, regardless of the total health impact and financial setback, our Lord will have the last word.
As believers in Christ, it is our task to trust our Savior completely, and dispel fear with hope. After all, our days on earth are numbered (Psalm 90:10,12) and the best is yet to come (2 Timothy 4:7,8).
Paul said in Romans 15:13, “Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost”.     
Rev. and CBA Founder-David L. Roose

There is an old saying that goes like this:
Once a task that you’ve begun, never leave it till it’s done.
Whether it be great or small, do it well or not at all.
That is something we should apply to life, especially our spiritual life.

Receiving Christ as our Saviour through confession of sin and faith in His death and resurrection as atonement for our
sins is just a beginning. Unfortunately, many professing Christians are content with just making a “decision” and going
about life in the same ole’ defeating sinful way. That’s not what I understand the Word of God to say is to be done.
Galatians 5:25 says, “If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.” In other words if you profess to be a Christian,
act like the Bible says a Christian should. In verses 18-24 of Galatian 5 we are told about the works of the flesh and the
fruit of the Spirit. The fruit is what a Christian should want.
Not living as the Bible directs us is the greatest deterrent to our Christian witness. (Please read that again.) Do you get
it? What would the world look like if every Christian lived out the fruit of the Spirit with no evidence of the works of the
flesh? Well, friend, that’s our challenge. And remember the Spirit is there to help us if we ask. We can live spiritually
well.
Over these 55 years of my bowhunting experience I have had the privilege to hunt in ten (10) different States and
Canadian Provinces, harvesting seven (7) different species of big game. It has been a great journey. From the dozens of
animals I have taken, one thing stands out to me. Releasing the arrow was the easy part. The waiting, the tracking and at
times backing off and waiting till morning can eat up the joy of the former moment. As bow hunters we love the sight of
a downed animal. It means that “the part time hunter” won instead of the “full time game” animal. However, when the
celebration ends and reality settles in, we find ourselves facing the task of “messy chores.” Who likes that? But doing it
right is part of the job. The carrying, cooling and cutting up of meat is work. If you’re in doubt try taking care of a
Caribou, Elk, or Moose sometime. When it’s all over we realize the importance of each part of the hunt. The great meals
we enjoy would not happen without all the rest.
When thinking about life and my spiritual journey, I have to say it this way “It’s not over until it’s over.” Even in our
senior years temptations and challenges are present. Satan, our enemy, works relentlessly to discourage and subdue us.
So remember, life is a journey that starts in the womb and ends in the eternal state. Life is a composite of experiences
and decisions. Your choices are the determiners of how it all ends. If you choose the works of the flesh it will lessen the
probability of finishing well. If you choose to live by the fruit and guidance of the Spirit, it will greatly enhance your
journey. You will be able to add to your faith in the way II Peter 1:4-8 admonishes you to live and finish well.
As you look back upon your life can you say, “I have no regrets?” I’m grateful I can say that. I’ve had disappointments
and detours, yes, but no regrets. Regardless of what your life’s journey has been like keep in mind that it is how one
ends that counts the most.
Being part of the Bride of Christ and enjoying the marriage supper with Christ in heaven, depends on our finishing well.
(Rev.19:7-9) I like what Paul says in II Timothy 4:7-8, “I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept
the faith: Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness which the Lord the righteous judge shall give me at
that day, and not to me only, but unto all them that love His appearing.”
Let’s all purpose to also finish well.
By Rev. David Roose-Founder of CBA

In our modern world, the simple exercise of walking is a rediscovered benefit to good health. What a concept. Maybe our Creator knew something about its benefits when He made us. Before the days of engines and wheels walking was the “get to” way. You no doubt have heard the stories of your father or grandfather, who out of necessity walked, if they went any place. My father walked 2 ½ miles one way twice on Sunday. When I was in Kindergarten and first grade I walked to school in the warmer months of the year. As a young pastor I remember well a mission’s trip to Haiti. Major transportation there was walking. People pushed, pulled or carried everything.
As hunters we have a front seat to the walking experience, at least before the days of Quads. During my early western hunts I learned that to get to the game walking was the only way. I recall a hunt with Fred Sprague in Western Colorado in the cathedral canyon area. We had to pack in over two miles beyond where we could drive to set up our very primitive camp and walk many more miles in our search for elk. And yes, they all got away! Sound familiar?
Did you know that walking was a spiritual exercise too?  Recently I’ve been thinking of the Old Testament saint, Enoch. Genesis 5: 22 and 24 tell us that he walked with God. In fact he did it so constantly that God walked him right into heaven without death having taken place. Hebrews 11:5 attributes that relationship to faith. “By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was found not, because God has translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God.”
What does it mean to please God? Is it possible for us to walk with God today? I think it is and the Bible tells us what we need to do to accomplish it. First, a person is to desire God if they are to get in step with him.  Paul expressed that desire in Philippians 3:10 when he said, “That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection ….”   Is knowing God your desire?
The second step is to recognize our sinfulness and turn away from it. Romans 3:23 tells us we all have sinned and fallen short of God’s glory. Romans 10:9 tells us that if we confess that sin with our mouth and believe in our heart on the Lord Jesus we shall be saved. Now that sounds simple enough to me. But the sad fact is many fail to take God up on it and that is a non-starter in walking with God. The sin issue in our lives must be dealt with if we are to know the joy of walking with God.
The third step is to walk the walk. Once we’re started it is critical that we keep in step with God through His Word and not lag behind nor get ahead. The Word is very clear about what our steps ought to look like if we are to please God.  Are you reading His Word? I cannot emphasize this step enough. One of the greatest deterrents to the spread of the Gospel in America is the inconsistency in Godly living on the part of professing Christians. I’m not here to tell you to live for Christ, the Bible will if you are reading it. But I am here to say that you need to get it right because a world of “could be” Christians are watching. The old saying is true, “what you do speaks so loud people don’t hear what you’re saying.”
Well, walking with God is very important.  Throughout this devotion I have listed some great scriptures that will impact your journey with God if you will read them and apply them to your life. 
​  By Reverend David Roose

Happy New Year
Since we are starting a New Year, how many of you start the year off with a New Year’s Resolution?  Mine always has something to do with a new exercise program.  I start off with a bang, then we start traveling for Almost Heaven Archers critter dinners and my nutrition starts going downhill.
Recently I started a new program and during the intense parts the trainer kept repeating the phrase “Commit to the Journey.”  I do not know why, but I couldn’t quit repeating that over and over in my mind. 
I felt like there was something that God wanted me to think about and to share.  As my thoughts started rolling I began to think about how, as a hunter, we commit to our hunt.  We get all of our gear ready, make plans, make an effort to scout, and then harvest an animal. But it doesn’t stop there.  We have to track that animal whether it runs up hill or down. Next we have to field dress it, drag it home, and then process the meat.  We don’t just leave them lay, we follow through. The blessing is on the meal plate, in the freezer, or sometimes hanging on the wall. 
That phrase isn’t just for fitness programs or hunters though. God also reminded me of Proverbs 16:3 “Commit to the LORD whatever you do, and he will establish your plans.” Here are a few examples of those in the bible that stayed “Committed to the Journey”: Mary and Joseph, Noah, Abraham and Lot, Caleb and Joshua and of course, JESUS.       
However, we see in Genesis that Lot’s wife wasn’t committed to the journey. She didn’t make haste and flee as God had said. Instead she hesitated, looked back, (taking her eyes off of trusting God) and became a pillar of salt.
 
Also, we see that when the 10 spies were sent out from the wilderness, only Caleb and Joshua trusted that God could overcome the giants.  Although, the other spies and the people they were leading had seen God’s miracles, they still didn’t trust Him. So they wandered for 40 years in the wilderness until they died off.  They had not been committed to the journey. Only Caleb, Joshua and those under 20 years of age were able to step over into the land of Caanan.
 
I was also reminded of a funny hunting story that Tim and I got to experience.  We had headed out to Summersville Lake one morning.  When we got to the boat ramp it was so foggy that we couldn’t see across the lake, however, we knew the lake like the back of our hand so we decided to go to our hunting spot anyway. “We were committed to our own journey”…   (there was also a man at the boat ramp waiting patiently in his truck.)
 
We headed up to the lake, past the dusk to dawn light and all we could see was the little light at the front of our boat.  Tim was pretty sure that all he had to do was follow the bank until we could see the light at the marina and then we’d know where to turn.  It was going great for a while, until we couldn’t see the light at the boat ramp shining anymore, then …..well, we just kept going and going until Tim said,”We should have seen the light at the airport or marina by now.” I started to panic a bit.   We were in the middle of the lake, in the dark! What if we sink?  Are we lost?  I kept chattering which started to make Tim panic, so he basically said “woman be quiet!”   Finally we saw a big light!   Peace came over us, we’re in love again and on our way to our hunting spot.  As we got closer to the light, we realized that we had just made a huge circle and had come right back to the boat ramp where our truck was parked!  We busted out laughing and decided to wait for the fog to lift.  I bet the guy in the truck laughed at us the whole time!
 
This was a great reminder of what can happen when you take your eyes off of the light of Christ. Things may go ok for a while but you slowly start going off course without even realizing it and eventually lose your trust in God.  The darkness can become a scary place and whether we are aware of it or not, others are watching us too. 
 
So the phrase “Commit to the Journey” fits in all areas of our life, starting with our relationship with Jesus Christ………
 
Life is hard at times, but God is in control all the time!   We don’t have to be afraid of what the New Year holds, we simply need to keep our eyes focused on the light of Christ and put our trust in Jesus. 
 
Psalm 3:5-6 says 5I lie down and sleep; I wake again, because the LORD sustains me. 6I will not fear though tens of thousands assail me on every side.
 
I hope that this will encourage and strengthen you in your personal journey and strengthen us as an Outdoor Ministry.  God has shown in his word that His blessings will come to those who are committed to Him.  Let’s commit to being a shining light to those who are lost out there wandering around in the darkness.
 
Are you prepared to do what God has called you to do in 2019? Commit to the journey!

By Kari Mihal, Chairman Almost Heaven Archers