Starting in July will be a series on how we welcome love into our daily life and connect with our neighbors.  In preparation of that... here are some "LOVE" quotes to enjoy: 

• Let all that you do be done in love.  1 Cor. 16:14
• Those in the circle of Christ had no doubt of his love; those in our circles should have no doubt about ours.  -  Max Lucado – Just Like Jesus
• The best and most beautiful things in this world cannot be seen or even heard, but must be felt with the heart.  -  Helen Keller
• The more we love, the more love we have to offer. So it is with God’s love for us. It is inexhaustible.  -  Mary C. Neal, MD, To Heaven and Back
• Life without love is like a tree without blossoms or fruit.  -  Khalil Gibran
• Love is not only something you feel, it is something you do.  -  David Wilkerson
• Love is always happy to see you.
• Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.  1 Peter 4:8
• God’s love is the most powerful love there is. It is a bond that draws us to God and motivates us to serve Him successfully.  -  Regina Clarinda, Encounter With Jesus Christ
• God is not keeping score with our bank accounts, our trophies, or what people are saying about us. The only thing that matters is how we spend our love.  -  ​Camille Alice, 2010: A Book of Grace-Filled Days

By Pastor Tony Ontanyo

Mark 1:40-45
Jesus Heals a Man With Leprosy

40 A man with leprosy [a] came to him and begged him on his knees, “If you are willing, you can make me clean.”

41 Jesus was indignant.[b] He reached out his hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” he said. “Be clean!” 42 Immediately leprosy left him, and he was cleansed.

43 Jesus sent him away at once with a strong warning: 44 “See that you don’t tell this to anyone. But go, show yourself to the priest and offer the sacrifices that Moses commanded for your cleansing, as a testimony to them.” 45 Instead, he went out and began to talk freely, spreading the news. As a result, Jesus could no longer enter a town openly but stayed outside in lonely places. Yet the people still came to him from everywhere.

The Old Testament emphasizes how a leper could live within the society, 2 “Command the Israelites to send away from the camp anyone who has a defiling skin disease[a] or a discharge of any kind, or who is ceremonially unclean because of a dead body.” (Numbers 5:2 NIV), and “4 “‘If a descendant of Aaron has a defiling skin disease[a] or a bodily discharge, he may not eat the sacred offerings until he is cleansed. He will also be unclean if he touches something defiled by a corpse or by anyone who has an emission of semen,” (Leviticus 22:4), Leprosy was a disease regarded with terror and everyone was afraid of it. Lepers were separated from the Society and excluded to camps far away from the towns or villages.

What a horrifying existence!

Lepers not only had to bear the physical pain of their disease, but they also had to endure the mental anguish and the heartbreak of being utterly cut-off from family members and friends. They were totally shunned and cut-off from humankind.

This was according to Jewish Law.

Mark’s Gospel tells us that a leper broke the Law by running up to Jesus and begging Him to make him clean or cure him. Jesus did not drive him away, but He was filled with compassion and mercy for him and extended his hand and touched the leper. And with the touch of Jesus’ hand, the leper was cured, and leprosy left his body, and he was made clean again.

Does it sound familiar today? Are people and relationships more important than legalism and rituals? Jesus chose compassion!

Today, we should follow Jesus and choose compassion for our neighbors and to the stranger.

Nowadays, Jesus could heal us from a distance. However, Jesus overcomes our own isolation and touches our lives in a way that transforms us to do the same. Do we have a personal touch? Is this what we are called to have? Jesus says: “As you go proclaim the good news, ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near.’ Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons.”

Everyone comes into this world needing to be touched, and this need continues till we are dead.

Today we have a different kind of leprosy, but the situation is somehow similar. These people are our neighbors, colleagues, classmates, teachers, members of the Church, and friends. They are crippled by some pain, memory from the past, a lingering illness, or a particular virus. They need someone to reach out and touch them. Someone who will love them; see their pain; have compassion, and see their suffering.

Let us see humanity through Jesus’ eyes if you are going to be faithful followers of Christ. We are to touch others with the Holy touch of Jesus to transform their lives too.

By Pastor Tony Ontanyon

People have the goal and the right to achieve and look for salvation. What is salvation in our Methodist context? Salvation is not to go to heaven, or having eternal love for God, or reaching into everlasting satisfaction, joy or happiness. We are Methodist, and salvation is the whole redemptive work of God in human life. We are saved by faith.

Salvation for John Wesley, the founder of Methodism, is a process; it is not an event that happens once in your life, and through a conversion from the old life to a new life in Christ. It is a process through our entire life where it could be moments of going through the desert, the valleys, and moments of abundance in our Christian life to achieve spiritual and practical growth. And this process is a journey with a goal which is perfect love with God and one another. Salvation does not consist of avoiding going to hell because it is not an afterlife experience, but a present gift offer by God to everyone where God’s grace makes possible to people needing an answer. “God offers salvation, and it is the person’s responsibility to respond to it.” The emphasis of Wesley defining salvation is: “By salvation I mean, not barely deliverance from hell, or going to heaven, but a present deliverance from sin, a restoration of the soul to its primitive health … the renewal of our souls after the image of God in righteousness and true holiness, injustice, mercy, and truth.”
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Join us this coming Sunday, March 1st, 2020, to explore and share the meaning of salvation within our Methodist Church. Waiting for you at 10 am at the “Old Stone Building.” 140 Tennille St, Caliente, NV.
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The first message of 2020 by Pastor Tony asks the question: "What are you looking for in life?'  Sounds simple enough...  Pastor Tony always ties it to scripture and helps guide us toward a Christ centered life.  The option, of course, is always ours. 

What are you looking for?  Is it God centric or  self centered?  God wants us to be faithful.  We can start by hearing a message about the direction in which we are looking.

Join us Sunday at 10 a.m. and let's look together.

Greetings in the Name of Jesus the Christ!

I sit here in the parsonage going over my last sermon for Caliente Community UMC. Tomorrow will be my last Sunday with the good folks of Caliente.

When I retired two years ago, I could never imagine that God would call me to serve here. It reminds me of the Emmaus saying, "Don't anticipate!" God always has a better plan.
I cannot imagine anything better than serving all of you here at Caliente! It has been nothing less then a privilege, honor and blessing to be in ministry with you.

I am ending my pastoral ministry on a high note! I thank each and everyone of you for all you have done to make this such a blest experience.
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You were the hands and feet of Christ when my family and I needed it. You stepped up and kept the ministries going when I was out of town. You allowed me to be myself and let the Holy Spirit lead us. You even put up with my "accent" and fast speech.

I am forever grateful for the love you have shown me.

There will always be a place in my heart for Caliente.
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In His Service,
Pastor Bob

Guest Post by Marcia Hurd

It's sad to have to say goodbye.  Memories and moments flash through your mind and you think it will never be the same.  And yet . . . God often opens, and, closes doors.  Pastor Bob's retirement and move away to be closer to family is our loss and their gain.  Just as God opened the door to His Word in Philadelphia (one of the seven churches in Revelation) he has planted the same seed of the Spirit in us.  He has given us Jesus as a constant!  "Nothing Can Separate Us from God’s Love" if we remain faithful.

As we say goodbye we also have to say hello.  We will be learning more about our new pastor in the next few weeks.  The Holy Spirit will prompt us to walk through the door that God has opened; continue to support our local church and to be welcoming.  Not that long ago we welcomed a fast talking, east coast sounding, tattooed pastor . . . and look how good that turned out! 

Thank you Jesus for always looking out for us!  Thank you for bringing Pastor Bob into our lives and thank you for a future promised.  

​When I watch the news, read Facebook, Instagram and other Internet outlets, I am amazed at what I am seeing. It is as if the world has gone mad!  There is no civility. Emotions are running high and people make their decisions based on their feelings rather then the truth, which we know is contained in the Word of God.

That is why I am so happy that we have so many folks in our two Bible studies. 
Sunday at 12 noon and Monday at 9. 

Followers of Jesus Christ need to be studying so we can grow in our faith and be able to defend it.  Our next sermon series is on the "Radical Gospel" and our Lenten series is, "Embracing the Uncertain."  Very appropriate topics for our day and age.

I hope you will join us as we journey through these troubled times together!

God bless
Pastor Bob

2018 was a year of both ups and downs!
I for one am glad that we are in 2019!!
Last year we celebrated the wedding of my daughter Kathryn. It was a wonderful time for family and friends to gather. It was the high point of the Summer!
Yet, two weeks later our world would change forever.
My 26 year old son suffered a stroke and barely survived.
He had 3 brain operations and is now in rehab. Everyone in the family has been affected by this.
It has turned our world upside down.
Yet, through it all I have trusted and hung on to the promises of our God.
He has been my "refuge and strength" through all of this. I can hardly imagine going through a catastrophe like this without faith in Jesus Christ our Lord!
My church family has been the hands and feet of Christ to me and my family.
I am eternally grateful for all they have done.
So I am trusting that 2019 is going to be a better year! Ryan is still in rehab. but he is progressing. It is going to be a long journey, but the family is there to support him in any way they can.
I am not sure what the future holds for me and my family, but I do know Who holds the future and His name is Jesus Christ!
​Amen

It's funny how sometimes we need a holiday to remind us to be thankful.  Our busy lives and complicated family and friend dynamics blur our vision.  Do I wake up every morning and smile?  Do I remember to thank God for another day?  No.  I simply get immediately caught up with what has to be done TODAY.

I offer a prayer now thanking God for sending Jesus.  Jesus saw our weaknesses and flaws and loved us anyway.  May this season of giving and thanksgiving bless your lives and bring peace and joy into your heart.  I'm thankful for the Spirit that lives in me.  I'm thankful for the small and big occasions and especially thankful for patience and guidance; even when I'm not listening.  May you experience the Lord's blessings and remember to say THANK YOU!  

​As Christians we are called to be the hands and feet of Christ in this world. Caliente Community UMC is striving to be just that. We are continually looking for ways to connect with our community. We want everyone to have a relationship with Jesus Christ!

I pray that you will attend one of our events or worship service. You can give me a call or post here if you have any questions or concerns. 
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We hope to see many of you at our Outdoor Worship and Barbecue!!!!!
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​Well, Summer is officially here

Many of us will be taking vacations, visiting family and just enjoying time with our families.
It is certainly a busy season! It is also a busy season for the folks at Caliente UMC. 

We just completed our Bible Camp for Children, our "Hot Topics" sermon series will begin in July and August 12th we will be worshiping at Kershaw Ryan Park. I hope that you will join us and get to meet our church community.

God bless, ​Pastor Bob

As Christians we are called to be the hands and feet of Christ in this world. Caliente Community UMC is striving to be just that. We are continually looking for ways to connect with our community. We want everyone to have a relationship with Jesus Christ! I pray that you will attend one of our events or worship service. You can give me a call or post here if you have any questions or concerns. I hope o see many of you at our Outdoor Worship and Barbeque!!!!!