Becky, the boys, and I made a trip that was 6,000 miles long. We traveled through the Rocky Mountains in Colorado to the deserts of Nevada, the Redwood Forest, and coastal highways to Washington state. We ended up along the border of Idaho and Washington state for a CMA rally at Hell’ s Gate State Park. It was a stressful trip, but as we arrived at the state rally in Idaho, much to my surprise, Herb Shreve was there as the evangelist for the weekend. We came as a young family physically tired and emotionally overloaded, needing a touch, a refreshing encounter with the Spirit of God. God had prepared a place and a people for us that weekend. As a young family, we encountered CMA’ ers who were older than us, who encouraged us, blessed us, took us in, and allowed the love of Jesus to flow through them to this young family.

The whole experience really impacted us. It allowed us to experience the heart of CMA and be renewed and refreshed. We had ridden over 3,000 miles by this point only to arrive at a place we’ d never been, encountering a group of people we’ d never met. We left refreshed and encouraged knowing, that God called us to be a part of the ministry of CMA. This event, as well as others, was molding us in the very call that GOD had placed in our lives.

As we celebrate CMA’ s 50 years of ministry, we look at the Jubilee mentioned in Leviticus 25:8-10,( KJV). This was a time of freedom from bondage, a renewing and refreshing.

Verse 10a( KJV):“ And ye shall hallow the fiftieth year, and proclaim liberty throughout all the land unto all the inhabitants thereof: it shall be a jubilee unto you.”

Jesus declared in Isaiah 61:1( KJV),“ The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me; because the Lord hath

anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound.”

This is the very essence of who we are: to go into the highways and byways, bringing the Good News of Jesus to those who are hurting. May we be reminded as we celebrate 50 years of ministry that this was, is, and will always be the call of God on the ministry of CMA. CMA

John Sr and Becky Ogden, John serves as CEO / Chairman of the Board of Directors.

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