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Contributing Writers: Mike Mills, Spring Hill Church | Doug Fincher | Pastor Randy and Sue Smith | Mike Belgard | Tim Perkins
Faith
“They that come to the Lord must believe that He is... ” Heb. 11:6
April 29, 2019 - When I was in the eighth grade, the Curtis Publishing Company came to our school to get the students to sell popular magazines for them: Saturday Evening Post, Reader’s Digest, etc.. And we could win special prizes if we sold enough subscriptions.
I knocked at Mrs. Munnerlyn’s door and said, “You don’t want to buy any magazines, do you?” “Come in, Henry,” she smiled. “I need to talk to you.”
She stood me over a hot heater grate in the floor and gave me one more pep talk. “You’ll never sell anything with that negative approach. To be a good salesman, you’ve got to believe in what you sell.”
Hey, I took her advice and became the number one seller in our class. I won a brand new Schaeffer fountain pen!
One reason some church members never sell anyone on Jesus is because they don’t act like they believe in Him…
… and some of them probably don’t!
April 29, 2019 - What do you fear this day? Do you fear the snares and traps of life on earth, or is it those who would do you harm, who would take from you your possessions, even your life for no reason other than their own greed and selfishness?
Let me tell you of whom you should fear, the one of whom the fear of, is even the beginning of knowledge and wisdom.
“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction.” (Proverbs 1:7)
Don’t be a foolish one who fears only those who can do him fleshly harm, fear the one who controls the flesh and the spirit for he controls your destiny and your eternity.
“In the fear of the Lord one has strong confidence, and his children will have a refuge.” (Proverbs 14:26)
For all who raise their children in the house of the Lord prepare them for a lifetime of hope and service, knowing the joy of being with the Lord.
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him and he will make straight your paths. Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord, and turn away from evil.” (Proverbs 3:5-7)
“The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life, that one may turn away from the snares of death.” (Proverbs 14:27)
Fear, when placed properly is a valuable tool, a tool that helps one to become wiser, to have more knowledge of the important things of life. Fear of the Lord gives one, along with his family, a refuge, a safe haven of rest from the world for as the parent goes so too goes the family.
“The fear of the Lord is instruction in wisdom, and humility comes before honor.” (Proverbs 15:33)
Humble yourself today and every day before the Lord and in the presence of your family that they too know the Lord. Humble yourself, take up your cross and follow Jesus Christ into eternal life.
“For God who has said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.” (2 Corinthians 4:6)
When one humbles oneself and commits his own life to the service of our Lord Jesus Christ the light that is the Lord then shines forth through us being the glory of God and his Son to all the world around us.
The power of God working through the dust of the earth that he used to form mankind, each of us being only a jar of clay, used by the Lord for his own glory.
“But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us.” (2 Cor. 4:7)
“Since we have the same spirit of faith according to what has been written, “I believed, and so I spoke,” we also believe, and so we also speak, knowing that he who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus and bring us into his presence. For it is all for your sake, so that as grace extends to more and more people it may increase thanksgiving, to the glory of God. So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day.” (2 Cor. 4:13-16)
Fear the Lord and know his love, his grace and his mercy for all time…
April 26, 2019 - Mt Zion CME Church Men’s Day Program will be held on Sunday, April 28th at 3pm. Special guest is Rev. Larry Thorn, Sr. and the Pleasant Valley Baptist Church of Carthage, TX. Bro. C.W. Garrett Chairperson. Rev. Richard Edwards, Pastor.
April 26, 2019 - Sardis Cemetery Homecoming and Fish Fry fundraiser will be Saturday, May 4, 2019. Catfish plates will be sold for $8.00 each. Fish Fry begins at 11:00 AM until we are out. Annual Business meeting and Gospel Singing will immediately follow the Fish Fry. Donations are welcomed. The upkeep of the cemetery is done with these donations. If you are unable to attend the fish fry please mail your donation to Sardis Cemetery, 6034 FM 414, Center, Texas 75935. Please make plans to come and pay tribute to all the loved ones that are buried here.
April 25, 2019 - First Baptist Church Shelbyville Youth are hosting a Pancake Breakfast fundraiser on Saturday, April 27, 2019 from 7am unitl sold out! Plates are $7 each. First Baptist Church is located next to the Shelbyville Fire Department at the top of the hill.
April 24, 2019 - There was a man who had a very strong willed and stubborn teenager who was having some trouble coping with a tragedy that had occurred in their lives.
The young person was on this day, particularly obnoxious and rebellious toward the father. The harder the teen tied to provoke the father, the more quiet the father became. All he said to the teen was that he loved them.
Finally in the heat of the young persons rage they lashed out and said " I don't want you to love me. Can't you see that! I have been trying to do things to make you quit loving me, because I don't want to love you anymore!"
The father was heartbroken, but the next words that came out of his mouth were what changed the whole dynamics of the conversation. He said, "I know you may not want me to love you right now because you are angry at me. You may feel that you don't love me, and that's ok. But you have to know that no matter how hard you try you can never make me 'not love you.' I may get angry with you, I may not be happy with you, I may not like what you are doing, but there is nothing you can do to make me stop loving you."
Real love is stubborn. Real love is not subject to our emotions or environment, but our Spirit. Only the Holy Spirit of God can put that kind of love in a persons heart. Gods love is an unshakable, unconditional, reckless kind of love. That loves us no matter how much we love Him.
- 1Corinthians 13: 7 - Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
- Psalm 118 - 1 Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever! 2 Let Israel say, "His steadfast love endures forever." 3 Let the house of Aaron say, "His steadfast love endures forever." 4 Let those who fear the LORD say, "His steadfast love endures forever." 29 Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever!"
The love that is from God never ends. Could you imagine if it did? Humans would have been obliterated eons ago. God bears with us, he believes in us, he hopes with us, and he endures our constant disobedience and wandering away from him. We are the prodigals.
This love is not dependent on other’s behavior, it is unconditional for the person, but may not be accepting of sinful behavior. Unconditional love means you love the person, but still confront the behavior. That is why God’s love sometimes looks harsh, but the motive is always for our good.
I always shake my head when I hear couples split up because they are "not in love anymore." What does that have to do with anything? What does "in love" mean? I think for those who say this, it mean as long as my selfish desires are getting met - (Eros love.) When we fall out of love it means, we’re bored with the person. That’s not love, real love cannot be shaken, you cannot stop loving if it is real unconditional (agape) love. The essential nature of this love is that it is endless.
Basically love never gives up on anybody, no matter what they do, no matter what we feel.
Aren't we blessed that our Gods love is stubborn. Trust in Him and you will never be unloved.
I'm Just sayin,
Mike Belgard
A Look at the Proverbs 31 Women in 2019
April 24, 2019 - St. Paul Baptist Church of Center is hosting "The Gathering of the Eagles" - Releasing the Anointing Women's Conference on Friday and Saturday, April 26th and 27th. The hostess of the event is Sister Margaret Booth White.
The program starts Friday at 7pm and Saturday at 9am with a brunch served. Guest speakers are Evangelist Evette Mann Netherly, Minister Lowanda Garrett, Minister Amanda Ashton, Apostle Kathy Bogney, Evangelist Stephanie Hicks, and Minister Equallia Malone.
St. Paul Baptist Church is lead by Pastor Dr. Freddie Wilson.
April 23, 2019 - Center Church of Christ invites you to come and join the Area Wide Singing and Gospel Meeting on April 26-28th.
- Friday, April 26th at 7pm is the Area Wide Singing with refreshments served afterwards.
- Saturday, April 27th at 7pm is the Gospel Preaching with Bryant Perkins as guest speaker.
- Sunday, April 28th schedule is 9:45am Bible Class and 10:45am Worship. Bryant Perkins will be guest speaker for both the Bible Class and Worship.
Plan to come and we will lift our voices in songs of praise, we will hear a wonderful message from the word of God by an able Gospel Preacher, and we will have a covered dish luncheon immediately following the morning worship.
Center Church of Christ is located at 110 Hurst Street, Center, Texas. Find more online at www.centerchurchofchrist.com
April 23, 2019 - Jackson Cemetery Homecoming is Sunday, May 19, 2019 at Jackson Missionary Baptist church at 10:45am. Worship service with message given by Br. David Long will be followed by a brief informative report on the cemetery upkeep and expenses. Afterwards we will have lunch and fellowship together as is the tradition of the homecoming. If unable to attend, donations may be mailed to Jackson Cemetery Fund, PO Box 15, Joaquin, TX 75954.
April 23, 2019 - Love and peace from our brother Jesus. Sunday was Easter. Well, at least it was Easter in the Western part of the world. Next Sunday will be Easter for the Eastern Church. It was decided at the Council of Nicea that Easter would be the first Sunday following the full moon after the March equinox. So Easter is a “moveable feast” day. To complicate things more, the Western Church used the Gregorian calendar and the Eastern Church used the Julian calendar to determine Easter’s date: Thus, we have two different dates for Easter.
Our Sunday school lesson was about our need to proclaim the Resurrection. The text for our lesson was Matthew’s story of the women coming Sunday morning to the tomb. They encounter an angel who informs them that Jesus had been raised and would see the twelve in the Galilee. As the women flee the tomb, Jesus appears to them with reassurances.
The Gospel Lesson for this Sunday was Luke 24: 1-12—Luke’s narration of Easter morning. Each gospel tells a different story, but the thrust of each is the same: The women discover the empty tomb and Jesus is among the living. In my sermon I stressed that the Easter story is incomplete until we begin to live as Christ lived. It may sound easy but is hard to do.
Fannie’s granddaughter Alix Ann and her family joined the Paxton Methodists for worship this morning. It was so nice to see all of them; I know that Fannie had Easter plans for her whole family after church. We had a beautiful Sunday morning, the entire day custom-made for get-togethers.
Last week was our Holiday Nursing Home monthly program. I was the emcee, choosing songs for congregational singing and sharing stories with the group. Mrs. Hilda was her usual lively self on the piano, making us sound better than we actually are. Fannie read an Easter poem, and Sue performed The Teacher from the Black Lagoon. We had a nice group of residents, including Activity Director A’leena, who has a strong, melodic voice. This coming Thursday we will head to Lakeside Assisted Living at 2PM for our ministry of music, song, and stories.
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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