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Contributing Writers: Mike Mills, Spring Hill Church | Doug Fincher | Pastor Randy and Sue Smith | Mike Belgard | Tim Perkins
Faith
September 26, 2019 - Why do we live in such a mad rush? Why have you been racing about all day, as though today is your last day on earth? Why do you sit and pat you foot impatiently when your telephone call is a little slow going through?
The answer, of course is always, “there is so much to be done, and so little time!” And it is true. However, have you ever heard the old saying, “Rome was not built in a day”?
Jesus had the burden of the sins of the world on His shoulders, and yet, He said to His disciples, “come ye apart into a desert place, to rest awhile.” Jesus knew they could not crowd every day and every moment to the brim without losing some of the peace and relaxation they needed for their real goal in life.
When Jesus and the disciples passed through Samaria, Jesus was weary, so He sat down by the well to rest, while His disciples went away into the city to buy bread. He took the time to take little children into His arms and bless them.
To a group of disciples with the most stupendous task before them any group of men ever had – evangelizing the whole world – Jesus said, “Consider the lilies”. Take time out to notice the beauties of nature and draw some conclusions about God from them. Take the time to meet God at His house for Bible Study and Worship on the Lord’s Day. Don’t live in too much of a hurry.
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
September 25, 2019 - Pastor Byron Coutee, Jr. and the Blount Chapel Missionary Baptist Church would like to invite everyone to their Mission Program on Sunday, September 29, 2019 at 11am.
The theme is 'Abiding Together: Women Connecting and Encouraging One Another in LOVE' John 15:1-27
Speakers include:
- Sis. Alice Garrett of Center, Texas
- Sis. Nathella Collins of Silsbee, Texas
- Sis. Lorna Hill of Tenaha, Texas
Come join us for a glorious time in the Lord.
September 25, 2019 - Logansport Missionary Baptist Church will be having revival service Oct.7-11 at 7pm each evening. The evangelist will be Bro. Hayden Wilkes. Come join us in hearing God's word.
Specials are welcome. Church is located on Hwy 84 in Logansport,La. Pastor is Bro. Joe Walker.
July 1, 2019 - “A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly…” Proverbs 18:24
I met the late Fred Smith when I was a student at ETBU in Marshall, Texas. He was one of our best (and biggest) basketball players and his size earned him the name “Big Fred”. Our paths crossed again when I met him in his pickup on the hill at Geneva, Texas back in the 70s. “Hey, Fincher”, he hollered. “Hey, Fred,"…"Whatcha doing nowadays?”.... “Fox huntin’,” he laughed.
Fred and I often bragged about how poor we grew up and often sat on his “gallery” (a.k.a. “porch”) and compared our stories of poverty.
“Fred, were y'all rich enough to take ‘lightening bread’ in your school lunch?” “Not very often...but when we did, we didn’t hold it down low. We held it up high where everybody could see it!” “My school lunch was usually a hammer and two “hiccer nuts,” he laughed. “Hey, Fincher…. if you want to hunt doves in the back pasture, you’re as welcome as the flowers in May.”
When I asked Fred what he played in High School football, he laughed, “Mainly the bench. My coach never learned my name. He just called me ‘Boy’.”
“When we played Center one year, they almost killed us. Finally the coach told me to go in. The next thing I remember I was being hauled off the field in a wheel barrow and they parked me on the sideline in a bunch of goat weeds”.
It’s no wonder I so enjoyed visiting Fred “on his gallery.” He was a fun man to be around and never failed to lift my spirits with his wit and sense of humor.
When he crossed the Jordan years ago, he left me (and his world of friends) many wonderful memories. And he was what many men never are.
He was a good man.
September 22, 2019 - “Thus it is written,” that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, and that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning in Jerusalem.” (Luke 24:46-47) These words Jesus spoke to this disciples just before he ascended back to the Father in heaven. He opened their minds that they could understand the scriptures and he prepared them to be filled by the Holy Spirit, strengthened by him, that they could then go forth boldly preaching his gospel of grace and mercy. This same gospel of the love of Jesus Christ is to be taught today the same as it was in the first century AD. This gospel says that there is no other way to salvation but through our Lord Jesus Christ as he says himself.
“I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John14:6) This is that no man can buy his salvation nor can it be earned through good works toward others, no, it must be given by the great mercy of the Father as a gift for accepting his Son, Jesus Christ as one’s own Lord and Master.
But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ - by grace you have been saved - and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.” (Ephesians 2:4-7)
The wonderful blessing, the reward for believing in and accepting Jesus Christ as Lord. The blessed hope of eternity spent in heaven in total harmony and unity with the Father and the Son and his Holy Spirit. But still, this is done only through faith in Jesus Christ and not by anything one can do for himself.
“For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” (Ephesians 2:8-10) Some would now say, “but, this says we are created for good works” so can we work our way into heaven?
NO, good works are actually the fruit of the Spirit given us by the Father for accepting his Son as Lord. These “good works” are to live our lives as examples of the goodness of Christ Jesus. Spreading the gospel of our Lord through our words and deeds each day of our lives on earth. These are works/deeds done as a result of our salvation and not to gain our salvation. Our works are our lives, which are to reflect the love of Christ to all people, to love God with all our hearts and to love our neighbor as ourselves as we show the love of Christ to all that we meet each day.
It is by our words and deeds each day that Christ Jesus is known by the world. The responsibility of all Christians, to show the world the love of Christ through our lives of service to him.
September 23, 2019 - The McWilliams-Rather Cemetery Association will meet at Todd Spring Baptist Church on Saturday, September 28th at 4pm.
September 19, 2019 - The House of Refuge Apostolic Ministries would like to invite everyone to the Pastor and Wife Anniversary Service honoring Apostle W.E. Nash, Jr and Lady Pearl Nash Sunday, October 6, 2019 at 4pm. Guest speaker will be Bishop Perry J. McKenzie, Willing Workers Int. Fellowship Church located in Houston, Texas. Jonathan Hall will be special guest psalmist. Lunch will be served. House of Refuge Apostolic Ministers is located at 215 Church Street, Center, Texas.
September 19, 2019 - At the front of our auditorium at the Center Church of Christ is the “communion table”. On the front are engraved the words of Jesus, “This do in remembrance of me”. Wherever you find a congregation worshipping after the New Testament pattern, you will find the Lord’s table. On every Lord’s day it is prepared for those who would remember their Lord in the way commanded by the Lord Himself. There is nothing that could be more simple, or more human than this appointment. Jesus requests that His disciples make the simple act of eating and drinking the occasion for remembering Him each week.
In our home, we have a special drawer in our kitchen that we refer to as the “junk drawer”. You probably have one too. In that drawer is an old baby food can, open on one end with a knife slit in the other end. To the uneducated it is simply an old worthless can. To me, it is a valuable treasure. That old can was grandmother Perkins’ biscuit cutter. To me, it is a treasured remembrance of priceless value.
Just like I have my old baby food can, you have your keepsakes and remembrances and they are of priceless value to you. Yet, how much value do we place on the remembrance of Jesus? When we fail to assemble on the Lord’s Day, we say to the world and Christ who died for us that it means nothing to us. Paul would write, “As oft as ye eat this bread and drink this cup ye do show forth the Lord’s death till he come.”
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 www.centerchurchofchrist.com
September 18, 2019 - The Moon Family, Shannon, Jeanie and their daughter Bethany, will be leading worship and singing at Clever Creek Baptist Church for the Church Homecoming and Cemetery Celebration on Sunday, September 29, 2019, at 10:55 am.
The Moons have led worship in many churches in the Ragley, LA, area for a number of years. They are presently attending the Family Place Church in Reeves, LA, where Bethany leads the worship. It is the desire of the Moon Family to serve the Lord using the gift of music to praise His name and to lead godly worship.
“I tell you, if these should keep silent, the very stones would cry out” (Luke 9:40).
September 18, 2019 - All people seek peace whether it be at their work, or in their family life, or in the relationship of their country to others around them.
All seek peace at some point in their lives. I want to tell you about the greatest peace of all, the peace that only comes through faith in Jesus Christ as Lord.
For all who have accepted his free offer of salvation, deliverance from the penalties of sin, for which the penalty is death of one’s life spirit.
“For the wages on sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 6:23)
“Therefore, since we have been justified (set aside) by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have also obtained access by faith into his grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God.” (Romans 5:1-2)
When one accepts Jesus as Lord he is set aside for God. Made free of guilt for his past sins and made holy and acceptable for entrance into the kingdom of God. It is by this faith in Jesus Christ as the Sovereign Lord, belief in his death on the cross for the sin of all mankind, and belief that the Father raised him from the dead on the third day after his death.
Belief that he is now in heaven at the right hand of God watching over all who believe in him and making intercession for all believers with the Father when we stumble or fall.
“And he who searches hearts knows what is in the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.” (Romans 8:27)
But we rejoice not only in the blessed hope of our impending acceptance into the kingdom of God but we also rejoice, even in our tribulations here in earth.
“Not only that but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.” (Romans 5:3-5)
“There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death.” (Romans 8:1-2)
“For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person - though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die - but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:6-8)
Yes, Jesus died for the lost, “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.” (Luke 19:10)
“Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God.” (Romans 5:9)
The saved have been justified (set aside) by the blood of Jesus for the pleasure of the Father. Our lot as the saved is to represent the Lord here on earth, to reflect the goodness of the Lord Jesus with our lives lived for him, drawing others to him by our words and deeds.
“For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life.” (Romans 5:10)
It is by the life Christ lives now with the Father and through his intervention through the Holy Spirit that the saved are kept for God’s own good pleasure, to do his works of the fruit of the Spirit of Life here on earth. See (Matthew 5:16) to understand the good works of God, the light that shines into all the darkness of this world and glorifies the Father.
“More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.” (Romans 5:11)
All praise and glory be to the Lord Jesus Christ for his love of all people and his death and resurrection for all people.
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