August 20, 2019 - The Todd Spring Baptist Church, Hwy 147 Shelbyville, Texas, where the pastor is Wilbert Simmons, Jr., will not have its annual homecoming services on Sunday, August 25, 2019.

August 20, 2019 - Love and peace from our brother, Jesus. Kids are back in school in Joaquin. That and all the heat advisories show us that we are in the “dog days of summer.” I really don’t know where that saying came from, but I do know that my four-legged friends, Gunter and Sam, don’t like the heat any more than I do. I really appreciate air conditioning and never complain about my electric bill. I have been watering every day, trying to keep my perennial plants, flowers, and fruit trees alive. This Sunday morning I have read my Sunday school lesson and am getting ready to head to the metropolitan area of Paxton. 

My sermon scripture was once again the Old Testament Lesson for this Sunday, deep in Ordinary Time. It comes from the First Isaiah—Isaiah 5: 1-7. What begins as a love poem ends up with exasperation and disappointment. Jesus taught us how to live in God’s vineyard—God’s Kingdom—beginning with a desire to love God with all we have and also to love our fellow humans. It is about being compassionate and welcoming even to those who appear different from us. 

Our Sunday school lesson continued from the Book of Ruth. In this story Naomi is determined to secure a life for her beloved daughter-in-law Ruth as well as herself. She sets her eye on Boaz and before we know it, he is smitten; now the two women have a much more secure future. The daring of Naomi and Ruth’s plan is obvious—Ruth must make the first move, which is unheard of in that culture. She is a foreigner and a servant/worker. She doesn’t come from any place of strength, and yet Naomi and Ruth prevail. 

During the month of August we are collecting children’s socks and underwear for Community Christian Services. Early on, Gayle and Joaquin Christian Services set up a Sunday in August before the start of school to collect socks and underwear. She called it “Undie Sunday,” part of her effort to get new clothes and school supplies for students in our area. Monthly collections of nonperishable foods and paper products grew out of this one donation. This month Paxton Methodist also voted to send a church check to CCS.

Because of the way the dates fall this month, we will be visiting both Holiday Nursing Center and Lakeside Assisted Living next week. We have monthly programs in three area nursing homes: People from many communities and many churches come to sing, visit, and share stories. It is certainly a feel-good time and something we thank Mrs. Hilda for beginning.

After church at Joaquin Methodist on Sunday, there was a celebration for Frances and Charles Freeman’s sixtieth wedding anniversary. Imagine 60 years together! Many folks from hither and yon gathered to congratulate the happy couple. Ann Ortigo, the pastor’s wife from Joaquin Methodist, made a lovely, delicious three-tiered cake to mark the occasion and many people brought potluck dishes to share.

Our worship time is 10:00 AM; we would love to have you come to worship with us. I know how very busy everyone is: Our early meeting time enables you to move on to family get-togethers or jobs afterward. Not to mention naps, which my wife says are best on Sunday afternoon. Whoever you are, in whatever faith you were born, whatever creed you profess; if you come to this house to find God you are welcome here.” Paxton United Methodist Church is an inviting church that takes to heart the idea of “Open Doors, Open Hearts, Open Minds.” Sunday School starts at 9:30 and Worship begins at 10:00. Our email address is paxtonumc@yahoo.com. If you would like the weekly email newsletter about Paxton Methodist you can send me your email address to the Paxton email address and I will add you to the list. God’s Speed.

August 19, 2019 - It is our faith as followers of the Most High God and his Son Jesus Christ that gives us power to withstand and overcome the world around us.

For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world - our faith.” (1 John 5:4) 

Only by faith are we saved and only by faith can we overcome the world. 

Once one is born of God, he is no longer controlled by his fleshly desires nor overly bothered by the temptations of the world. 

He is then controlled by the Holy Spirit and cannot be defeated by the world’s hostility toward him, nor compelled by the world to turn from Christ.

Jesus said this about true born-again Christians those who not only profess to be his followers but those who also obey his will and do his will every day. However, for many who are, Christian-in-name-only, but do not obey and follow his daily will this is not true.

My sheep hear my voice, and I know them and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. I and the Father are one.” (John 10:27-30) 

Who is it that overcomes the world except the one who believes that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.” (1 John 5:5) Not one!!!

It is exactly as Jesus said, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6) 

Why is it that one must believe in Jesus Christ as the Son of God to be saved, and obey him as Lord to be able to enter the Kingdom of God?

Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God, and everyone who loves the Father loves whoever has been born of him. By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey his commandments.” (1 John 5:1-2) 

Jesus narrowed down the commandments when asked by a lawyer about which is the greatest of the commandments, of which, the Jews had over six hundred.

And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.” (Matthew 22:37-40) 

To the Jews this was tremendous for they had no written Bible as we have today, they had only the scrolls of what was to become the Old Testament, five of which were the scrolls of Moses which we know today as the books of the Law and the balance of the books of the Old Testament which we now call the Prophets. So this told the Jews that their whole belief system was based upon love for the Father God and love for one another. 

By the strength of our faith in Jesus Christ we know that if we follow him and obey him that we will be given all that we need on earth and our eternity will be secure in heaven.

I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God that you may know that you have eternal life. And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we will have the requests that we have asked of him.” (1 John 5:13-15) 

This is the faith that empowers, our faith in Jesus Christ, the Son of God…

August 19, 2019 - The Golden Harvest Ministries Club will meet Monday, August 19th, 2019 in the Fellowship Hall of First Baptist Church at 11:30 AM. The program will be presented by Mark Carpenter of the Lily Farm and Nursery.

Visitors are always welcome to join us for a delicious covered dish luncheon, a good program and time of fellowship.

August 19, 2019 - St. John Missionary Baptist Church, Tenaha, Texas cordially invites you to share in their Homecoming service on August 25th at 2:30pm and revival services to begin August 26th through August 28th, 7:00 PM nightly. Homecoming messenger will be Pastor Orvin Garrett Pastor of Friendship Baptist Church, San Augustine, Texas and Cedar Grove Baptist Church, Milam, Texas. Revival evangelist will be Pastor Frank Cooper, pastor of the New Liberty Baptist Church, Garrison, Texas.

St. John Missionary Baptist Church of Tenaha, Texas
Marilyn Cook, Secretary and Rev Chandler Pettis, Pastor

August 16, 2019 - Triumph the Church and Kingdom of God in Christ and Strong Triumphant Band welcome you to their Shepherd Fourth Appreciation honoring Elder Faye Dell Allen and Brother Adrian Allen on Saturday, August 31, 2019 at 7pm. Guest speaker is Pastor Richard McCowin of Long Star Baptist Church, Chandler, Texas.

August 15, 2019 - Huxley Helping Hands, a local mission group, is holding a food pantry for the residents of Shelby County on Saturday, August 17th at 9am until food is gone at Hillcrest Baptist Church. It will be held the second Saturday of August 2019. Proof of residency and identification will be required. Only (1) box per household will be given.

Hillcrest Baptist Church is located at 901 Southview Circle, Center, Texas 75935.

But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. Hebrews 11:6

August 15, 2019 - No matter how hard they might try, there are some folks who just never seem to win a battle over an excuse. You promised yourself when you became a Christian and turned your life over to Jesus, that you would allow nothing to keep you from being in worship on the Lord’s Day.  Remember?​

You promised yourself that you would begin attending Bible Study on Sunday mornings. You resolved in your heart that you would attend the evening services on Sunday to grow stronger as a Christian. Did you? Yielding to excuses weakens and destroys character. It undermines every good principle and weakens every good motive.

​Excuses are silly little things, but ah, what a power they exercise. Many men become “spineless sissies” in dealing with excuses. They simply lack the courage to “fight it out”.

​You see, what you did was decide it wasn’t necessary to go to worship every Lord’s Day. It really wasn’t that important to attend the Bible Study or the evening services.   Someone actually told you those didn’t count anyway. Make up your mind. You see, you have already given up the fight and now play the role of defending your enemy, the excuse.

Excuses become handy little things to salve the conscience when we despise duty and seek to avoid it.  Stop making excuses. Live a life of obedience to the Lord and start today to live His kind of life.

It’s something to think about…..tbp

Join us for worship this coming Lord’s day at the Center Church of Christ, 110 Hurst Street, Center, Texas or online at www.centerchurchofchrist.com

August 12, 2019 - House of Refuge Apostolic Ministries invites you to their homecoming on Sunday, August 18, 2019 at 4pm and revival on August 21st to 23rd at 7:30pm nightly.

This year's theme is Prophetic Fire (Exodus 3: 2-3) and look who's coming to town! Homecoming guest speaker is Apostle J.R. Gatlin from New Life Family Church, Bonham, Texas. Revival Evangelist for the week is Apostle Rodney Beard, New Birth Reconciliation Ministry, Inc., Moss Point, MS.

House of Refuge Apostolic Ministries is located at 215 Church Street, Center, Texas 75935 with pastor Apostle W.E. Nash, Jr. 

August 12, 2019 - Love and peace from our brother, Jesus. Today is August 12th which happens to be my birthday. Sometimes I am frightened when I look in the mirror and wonder who the old man is looking back at me! Oh well, time marches on. We are certainly in the dog days of summer. Our two dogs, Gunter and Sam, are like me in that they don’t want to spend too long outside. We get up in the morning and do our walking in the park; when we get back we work in the yard and garden for about twenty minutes at a time. I sure appreciate my air conditioning and never complain about the cost, which is worth every penny. 

The scripture for our Sunday school lesson was the wonderful story of Ruth and Naomi. This story is about covenant. This special bond between Ruth and Naomi is the type of bond we need to develop with God and each other. When we think of covenant we think of a contract but on a deeper—more spiritual—level. I think of the covenant of marriage: a contract but also much more. Naomi and Ruth were thrown together by difficult circumstances and yet their love for each other grew and sustained them. 

We are in the midst of Ordinary Time on the church calendar. I used the Old Testament Lesson from the first chapter of Isaiah, the largest prophetic book in the Hebrew Scriptures. We Christians are very fond of this book; when Isaiah talks about a suffering servant and a messiah, we think of Jesus. Like the other prophets in the Hebrew Testament, Isaiah sees bad things on the horizon but the possibility of redemption. This first oracle of Isaiah sees God bringing a lawsuit against his people for breaking the covenant they had made with him. He compares Judah and Jerusalem to Sodom and Gomorrah. The sin of Sodom and Gomorrah is that they turned their backs on the needy. They no longer cared for the poor, the orphans, or the widows. The priest, the king, and his court all are responsible for this failure. 

During the month of August we are collecting children’s socks and underwear for Community Christian Services. Early on, Gayle and Joaquin Christian Services set up a Sunday in August before the start of school to collect socks and underwear. She called it “Undie Sunday,” part of her effort to get new clothes and school supplies for students in our area. Later this month we will be visiting Holiday Nursing Center and Lakeside Assisted Living. We have monthly programs in area nursing homes: People from many communities and many churches come to sing, visit, and share stories.   

Our worship time is 10:00 AM; we would love to have you come to worship with us. I know how very busy everyone is: Our early meeting time enables you to move on to family get-togethers or jobs afterward. Not to mention naps, which my wife says are best on Sunday afternoon. Whoever you are, in whatever faith you were born, whatever creed you profess; if you come to this house to find God you are welcome here.” Paxton United Methodist Church is an inviting church that takes to heart the idea of “Open Doors, Open Hearts, Open Minds.” Sunday School starts at 9:30 and Worship begins at 10:00. Our email address is paxtonumc@yahoo.com. If you would like the weekly email newsletter about Paxton Methodist you can send me your email address to the Paxton email address and I will add you to the list. God’s Speed.

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