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Contributing Writers: Mike Mills, Spring Hill Church | Doug Fincher | Pastor Randy and Sue Smith | Mike Belgard | Tim Perkins
Faith
June 18, 2019 - Darrell Rhodes, believed to be the oldest living member of Mt. Olive Church, will present a history of it and the community to Timpson Area Genealogy and Heritage Society on June 19, at 2PM. The community is invited to reminisce with us about his church and the wonderful families who have been a part of the Silas community throughout is existence.
June 18, 2019 - Mt. Herman Missionary Baptist Church will be having revival services June 24th through June 28th at 7:00 each evening. The evangelist will be Brother Bobby Warr. Pastor is Brother R.B. Elumbaugh. The church is located at 9181 State Highway 7 West.
June 18, 2019 - Pleasant Grove MBC will be hosting their Revival this year from June 24th thru June 28th, which is the last week of the month. There will be two evangelists bringing the messages that week: Brother Don Weatherly and Brother Billy Windham. Service begins at 7:00 pm each night and on Friday, we will have some finger foods and refreshments after service. So come, bring family and friends to join us on this blessed occasion. We welcome your song special! Come as you are and leave Revived!
Pleasant Grove MBC is located between Center and Timpson. If traveling from Center, take 87N and go past Mt. Gillion Church. Turn left on FM 1470 and the church is 1 mile down on the right. Address is 1440 FM 1470, Timpson, Texas 75975
For more information, contact Bro. Josh Crawford at 936-572-5303.
June 17, 2019 - Love and peace from our brother Jesus. Sunday was Trinity Sunday as well as Fathers Day. Sue and I were in Missouri last Sunday, which was The Day of Pentecost. So I decided to preach on Fathers Day and Pentecost. We had a great trip to Louisiana, Missouri. Louisiana is a quaint little town right on the Mississippi north of St. Louis. Sue’s aunt Patsy died and I conducted the graveside memorial service. We stopped and saw some of our favorite cousins on the way up and visited the picturesque towns of Hardy, AR, and Hermann, MO. It was only in Hermann that we had to detour around flood waters. Parts of Louisiana, MO, were flooded, including my mother-in-law’s farm—which was under about three feet of water.
Last Sunday, Larry spoke at church. He has covered for me the last several times Sue and I have been out of town. He is quite the historian and has done extensive research of Tenaha and Shelby County. Bill O’Neil, who was the state historian for quite a while, came to hear Larry speak. The only bad thing about all this is that I never get to hear him speak. One Sunday when I was gone but Sue wasn’t, she told me how much she enjoyed Larry’s talk about Leon Hale, the longtime Houston columnist.
We had a good visit, but it was nice to get back home. We missed our four-legged buddies—Gunter and Sam—who were at All God’s Creatures, their home away from home. Our friend Teresa watered my garden while I was gone and kept everything looking so nice. I have been picking tomatoes and bell peppers and will have some zucchini soon—not to mention the sunflowers that are taller than I am.
Our Sunday school lesson was from Hebrews 9: 11-22, about blood sacrifices that had been part of the spiritual life of the Jewish people. Paul says that all changed and a new covenant based on the Christ gives us hope and promise.
I used a scripture that is often used for Pentecost and one usually for Trinity Sunday. Trinity Sunday is the only holy day dedicated to a theological concept rather than an event (like Easter or Christmas). We say that God is mysterious, and trying to understand the idea of the Trinity proves that point. We recited the ancient Nicene Creed which was the fourth century church’s attempt to explain God who is Father, Son, and Spirit.
Fatherhood like Motherhood is all about the circle of life. I don’t think there is a “one size fits all” definition of fatherhood. I don’t even think you have to be a dad to be a father to someone. Fatherhood is about one’s soul. The late columnist Erma Bombeck suggested that fatherhood may have nothing to do with biological function, but is more a generic term. Father, she wrote, is a term for people who enrich other people’s lives, who make a difference in the lives they touch, and who would be sorely missed had they never been.
All during the month of June, Paxton Methodist will be collecting paper towels and toilet paper for Community Christian Services. On Tuesday we head to Holiday Nursing Center for our monthly program there.
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.
June 17, 2019 - Bright Morning Star Baptist Church (623 MLK Drive; Center, TX), in alliance with Minister Rillia Thomas, is hosting a Prayer Breakfast on Saturday, June 22 at 10 am for the women in our community and surrounding areas. The theme for this prestigious event: “Restoration and Realignment.” Please make plans to come out and enjoy this special time. Pastor - Anthony Jackson.
June 17, 2019 - I was Pastor of The First Baptist Church of Shelbyville, Texas when Mother called me from Center saying that she had invited Joe and Mimi Boland to attend our church. “They live at the Old Center community a few miles from Joaquin,” she said. “You’ll like them the first time you see them.” The next Sunday morning, Joe came smiling his way into our sanctuary. “I’m Joe Boland,” he said as he sat down. Two weeks later, he and his wife Mimi joined our church and even though they lived thirty miles away, they seldom missed a service. Joe knew how to encourage a preacher like no other. He made me smile, laugh and feel good. At times hee would stand during the morning announcements and encourage the congestion with his testimony..
The Bolands often baked home-made bread and gave us a bread baking machine like theirs. When we learned Joe needed a 22 rifle, we gave him one for Christmas. Mimi invited us often to wonderful early morning breakfasts and they gave us our 20 ft. banana bush when it was only two feet tall. Pam and I built the Bolands a surprise mail box and installed it while they were on vacation.
Joe quit watching Professional football because of the players low morality, but remained a faithful fan of Coach Tom Landry…. and gave me a book on Landry’s life. He often used a word I’d never heard. The word was “Copasetic.” It means completely satisfactory or in good order. If it’s copasetic, it’s fine, OK, and cool. And after our conversations he’d say, “Copasetic”… meaning that things were fine between us. He advised me when I got in a confrontation: “Don’t .let’em see you sweat.” Joe developed a blood disease that required transfusions and was finally admitted to Shumpert’s Hospital in Shreveport. It was there that Pam and I saw him for the last time. He returned home and soon passed away.
While I tearfully stood at the graveside at the Old Center cemetery, I thought of all the good he had accomplished in the name of the Lord…. and how few people were there to hear it. But then I recalled what Joe said when he insisted on a graveside service. “A big funeral isn’t necessary for people when they cross The Jordan,” he said. “Everyone preaches their own funeral by how they lived while they were alive.”
I have met a lot of people during my 86 years and have made many friends. Some of them were special ones…the kind you never forget.
… and I’ll never forget Joe Boland.
June 17, 2019 - When man is born he is born with the sin nature passed from Adam to every person born of woman. This sin nature pulls us away from God and starts us on a road that will lead to destruction unless we turn from this wicked way and accept Jesus Christ as Lord.
To overcome this sin nature and obtain redemption from our sin we must seek God’s face and his fellowship, we must love him and seek him if we are to inherit the kingdom of God in heaven.
“Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.” (1 John 2:15)
Pretty plain ins’t it. One either loves God and is his slave, or his loves the things of this world and is slave to them.
“No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve serve God and money.” (Matthew 6:24)
“For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.” (1 Timothy 6:10)
Yes, all must choose to either love God and seek his kingdom or to love the world and to seek its riches. The one leads to eternal live while the other leads to eternal darkness and death of the spirit.
“For all that is in the world - the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life - is not from the Father but it is from the world.
While we must live in the world and are surrounded by the evils of this world, we cannot be a part of this world if we are to inherit the kingdom of God, no, we must always seek his face and his fellowship, his kingdom, and not the treasures and pleasure of this cruel and evil world.
If you seek happiness that surpasses understanding, if you seek joy without sorrow!
“But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things will be added to you.” (Matthew 6:33)
Only through God’s grace can these things be found and realized. Only through the blood of Jesus shed on the cross of Calvary can anyone come to the Father and enter into his kingdom, forever.
For it is 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)
All who seek repentance and redemption must come through Jesus Christ, for there is no other way to the Father except through the Son.
“And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.” (1 John 2:16)
And it does no good to seek the riches and fortunes of the world for the world shall pass away, only the word of God shall remain. Only the word of God can deliver one into the kingdom that stands forever, the kingdom of God in heaven.
“Ask, and it will be given you; seek and you will find; knock and it will be opened to you.” (Matthew 7:7)
Again, seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all the things of God will be added to you and you will rest in the arms of our Lord Jesus Christ forever…
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June 13, 2019 - House of Refuge Pastor and members invite you to their youth revival June 17-19, 7:30pm nightly.
The theme is Recharge (Mark 6, 30-32).
Monday will feature Rev. Christopher Galloway of Lufkin, Tx. Tuesday will feature Pastor Mario Osby of Timpson, Tx. Wednesday will feature Pastor Bredley Hale of San Augustine, Tx.
House of Refuge Apostolic Ministries is located at 215 Church Street in Center, Texas with Apostle W.E. Nash, Jr., Pastor.
June 13, 2019 - This modern world is filled with those who defy God’s Word and his will.
Those who say, God is not real, that reality is what we see before us, the world we live in.
That the Bible is nothing but a collection of fairy tales and mean nothing to the modern, enlightened man or woman.
To those, our Father in heaven says, “Turn to me and be saved, all the ends of the earth! For I am God and there is no other.” (Isaiah 45:22)
God says that he is God and there is no other god in the universe. That all other so-called gods are simply man-made illusions, devil-formed deceptions to keep the world away from God and his blessing of salvation from sin.
And he issues this warning for the future, the time, when he comes in glory and sits in judgement of the unsaved of this world.
“By myself I have sworn; from my mouth has gone out in righteousness a word that shall not return: “To me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear allegiance.” (Isaiah 45:23)
Herein lies the problem; at this time when all will bow and swear to him, it is too late, the time for salvation will have passed and only judgement and death of the spirit will remain.
“Only in the Lord, it shall be said of me, are righteousness and strength; to him shall come and be ashamed all who were incensed against him.” (Isaiah 45:24)
Although the time for repentance and deliverance has passed, all who come before him in judgement will then know the mistake they have made in defying his will.
All shall then understand his eternal power and might and all will be ashamed. And all will then know that all they had to do was to accept him as Lord to be saved and accepted into his kingdom in heaven.
All shall know this as they are led into the lake of fire that is hell and the second death, the death of the spirit.
And so I ask you today, whom shall you worship, to whom shall you bow down in submission?
For all must choose, life or death, one or the other, so whom shall it be for you; God and eternal life in heaven, or, Satan and eternal life in a burning hellfire, forever removed from the Lord and his grace and mercy.
I pray for you that you will sing this song as you are led into heaven, “I sought the Lord, and he answered me and delivered me from all my troubles.” (Psalm 34:4)
“This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him and saved him out of all his troubles.” (Psalm 34:6)
Yes, may you sing this song of joy and peace as you rest in the arms of our precious Lord, at home in his house forever.
For all who call upon him in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ will be saved.
“The Lord redeems the life of his servants; none of those who take refuge in him will be condemned.” (Psalm 34:22)
What a comfort to know that by accepting Jesus Christ as Lord that one is forever saved from the penalties of sin, never to be condemned for his past life of earthly passions and sin, but washed clean of all sin by the precious blood of Jesus Christ, our Lord.
Come today and be saved and rest forever in the house of our Lord.
June 12, 2019 - Most if not all of us are familiar with the first miracle Jesus performed. It was at a wedding in Cana and Jesus and his disciples were there. Jesus’ mother, Mary was there too. They ran out of wine and Jesus changed six pots of water into wine. It was not just any wine, it was better wine than what had already been served.
Hidden in that story is a statement made by Mary that is often overlooked. She was speaking to the servants and recorded in John chapter 4 and verse 5 are these words, “whatsoever He saith unto you, do it.” You know, that is good advice for us to take to heart in our own day and time.
You see, the commandments of Jesus, the things Jesus tells us to do, the way Jesus instructs us to live are more than just suggestions, they are imperatives. Too often in our world today we fail to take Jesus seriously and obey what He tells us to do.
Jesus had a lot to say about obedience. In the sermon on the mount in Matthew 7:21 He says, “not everyone that saith unto me Lord, Lord, shall enter the kingdom of Heaven, but he that doeth the will of My Father which is in heaven” Then again, in John 14:15, speaking to His disciples, Jesus says, “If ye love me, keep my commandments.”
You know, “Whatsoever he saith unto you, do it” seems like sound advice.
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
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