ccm Cross 0270
Sunday July 12, 2020 

Wadena Assemblies of God Church
419 1st Street NW
Wadena MN 56482
ccm Cross 0270
 

GPS/DMS 46°26’47.1″N 95°08’06.2″W

Additional Photos After Testimony

5161 cdd Victory Charge
Cyber Daily Devotion
Volume 21 Number 48

Today’s Author: Pastor Bill

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 15:57
“Thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ” NKJV

Hello, my name is Pastor Mike Maroney with the Wadena Assembly of God Church. This is my Cross testimony of how the Lord has watched over me and led me in His ways.

I was born the youngest of two boys in Schuyler, Nebraska which is about 60 miles north of Lincoln. My dad was a crop seed salesman and mom was a teacher. We were a church going family, but calamity struck as dad and mom divorced while I was still in diapers. We moved in with Grandpa and Grandma and my dad moved on.

Through the stress of divorce, we remained in church and held together as best we could. When I was five I remember my mom leading me in the sinners prayer.

I was six years old when we moved to Ellendale, North Dakota. Mom became a student at Trinity Bible College and then later worked in the Registrar’s office. We continued in church and when I was 14 I met the Lord in a big way. I was challenged at youth camp to make my own decision. Choose Christ or choose the world. I didn’t hesitate in my decision to follow Christ.

I graduated high School and went off to college. My choice was determined by the further from Ellendale, North Dakota the better. I attended and played football at Mid-America Nazarene University in Olathe, Kansas.

While on the phone in Olathe, with my mom in Ellendale, she told me about a conversation she had with the Trinity Bible College football coach. A few weeks later I transferred to Trinity Bible College. Despite my pledge never to return to Ellendale, North Dakota the Lord had other (pleasant) plans.

Football got me to Trinity Bible College, but the music and drama ministry and Holy Spirit inspiration kept me there. It was then I developed my servants heart that has blessed the Kingdom of God wherever I have been called to pastor.

Upon graduation and my ordination as a Pastor I’ve served in just about every Pastoral capacity one can imagine. And in many locations and churches. Youth Pastor, Evangelism Pastor, Visitation Pastor and the list goes on. All in preparation for Wadena, Minnesota where I now serve the community as the Lead Pastor of the Wadena Assembly of God Church.

Serving as I have in so many capacities and in so many places challenged and developed me in ways that only the Lord knows. This development delayed marriage until just a few years ago when I met Janice. We married on April 6, 2018 and now have a 19 month old boy, Lee Roy and a 7 month old boy, Howard. Future football players I’m sure!

By now you can probably see that my favorite job while Pastoring is serving. Anything I can do to help I’ll be there. I enjoy people and crisp conversation and challenging Jesus talk.

Some years ago, I was part of a Missions team sent to northern Mexico to help build a brick and mortar church. The experience of a lifetime that taught me so much so quickly. First, I learned to protect my wallet. $500.00 was lost while I was there. A good lesson that will stay with me all my life! Second and the most profound moments were watching as our team prayed for a man who was blind at birth. As we prayed crust and scales fell off his eye lids. A miracle I’ll never forget.

The Cross means to me VICTORY. I learned through football about the joy of winning. And to me the victory that Jesus won through the Cross is immeasurably more than can be fathomed when someone comes to Christ and all the Angels rejoice!!! The thunder in heaven must be deafening. Jesus led the Victory charge over Sin, Death, Satan and the Future. He ensures that all who believe and follow Him will have the joy of winning and receive His final Victory.

Pastor Bill thanks for sharing with me the two previous devotions you wrote for Wadena, Minnesota in 2015 and 2016. It is certainly a miracle that we met in the Best Buy parking lot in Baxter, Minnesota several weeks ago. You and Pastor Carol sitting in your pickup truck hauling those Crosses. The Holy Spirit led me to drive right for you, jump out of my car and ask, “Who are those Crosses for.” The Spirit in me leapt when you answered, “one is for you.” Certainly, a divine appointment years in the making. Thank you for being obedient and planting this Cross here in Wadena, Minnesota.

I want this miracle Cross planted to shout out to all passersby “Come to Jesus and you will find Victory in Him.” Pastor Bill we are the most centrally located church in our small town of 4,000 people. Walmart on one end of our street and McDonalds on the other end. The hospital is adjacent. Here people from all walks of life will see this Cross. It was strategically placed here by the Holy Spirit for such a time as this.

Editor’s Note: From the time we met Pastor Mike in the Best Buy parking lot until planting this Cross it was less than 3 weeks. To God be all the Glory!

Prayer: Father thank you for the opportunity to plant this miracle Cross for Your Glory! In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen!