Shelby County Today

June 1, 2018 - The annual Waterman Cemetery Homecoming will be Sunday, June 10, 2018 at 12PM. Please bring a chair, come have lunch, fellowship and help support the upkeep of the cemetery.

If you cannot attend, please send donations in care of
Jackie Fountain or Gueinn Clark
654 CR 1548
Center, TX 75935

May 29, 2018 - Who is this man called Jesus? That was the question asked so often by the Jews as they heard and saw the works of the Lord Jesus.

One winter day as Jesus was walking in the temple in Jerusalem the Jews came to him, gathering around him they asked him again;

“How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly.” (John 10:24) 

Now this was nothing new for they already knew the answer and that Jesus had indeed said that he was sent from God. They only asked trying to find reasons to use against him to convict him of blasphemy.

Jesus answered them, “I told you and you do not believe. The works that I do in my Father’s name bear witness about me, but you do not believe because you are not among my sheep.” (John 10:25-26) 

Only those who would believe in the words of Jesus would be called “my sheep” and only those would follow the Christ Jesus into eternity. Are you a member of that flock today? Do you know his voice and follow him?

“My sheep hear my voice, and I know them and they follow me.” (John 10:27) 

There is no blessing equal to the blessing of Salvation gained through acceptance of Jesus Christ as Lord.

“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.” (John 10:28-29) 

And then Jesus says the one thing which the Jews just cannot abide.

“I and the Father are one.” (John 10:30) 

When he said this the Jews picked up stones and prepared to stone him to death right there in the temple.

Jesus answered them, “I have shown you many good works from the Father; for which of them are you going to stone me?”

The Jews answered him, “It is not for good work that we are going to stone you but for blasphemy, because you, being a man, make yourself God.”

The Jewish people were highly versed in the Old Testament scrolls and believed whole heartily in God, but Jesus did not meet their requirements for the King that was to come to Israel. They were looking for a king that would come and immediately set them free of all of life’s problems, a king that would immediately conquer the world and give Israel dominion over all the known world. Jesus came on a donkey, a simple carpenters son from Nazareth, he just did not measure up to their teachings or expectations. They missed the Messiah that they had longed to see for decades.

How about you, will you miss him too, or will you accept him as your Lord and Master and accept his offer of eternal life? It’s your choice to make.

Jesus then said to them, “do you say of him whom the Father consecrated and sent into the world, “You are blaspheming, because I said, “I am the Son of God?” 

If I am not doing the works the works of my Father, then do not believe me; but if I do them, even though you do not believe me, believe the works, that you may know and understand that the Father is in me and I am in the Father.” (John 10:36-38)

Again they picked up stones to kill him but Jesus slipped away and left Jerusalem.

And so Jesus went across the Jordan river to the area where John had been baptizing at first, and there the people came to him and believed for they believed what John had said about the Christ that’s to come and they believed Jesus as well and many were saved.

Just as did the Jews in Jerusalem we have our opportunity to believe in the Christ of the Lord God. 

It is each individual's choice to make, no one can do it for us, we must submit to him and accept him as our Lord to be saved from the penalties of our sins.

I pray for all people today, that all will make the right choice, the choice of eternal life in Christ Jesus. May his blessings of life be yours today…

May 28, 2018 - Sunday was Trinity Sunday.  There are six major festival days of the Christian Church. The big two are Easter and Christmas. The others are the Epiphany, the Ascension, Pentecost, and Trinity Sunday. The only festival that doesn’t center on an event is Trinity Sunday, which centers on a doctrine of the church. The concept of the Trinity was put into words in the fourth century with the Nicene Creed. So we recited the Nicene Creed during the Church Service. This creed was supposed to settle once and for all what was to be the “correct way” to understand the nature of God. The creed didn’t settle the raging debates but did become the orthodox way for Christians to understand God. The Old Testament Lesson from Isaiah 6:1-8 doesn’t discuss the idea of the Trinity but certainly speaks to the mystery which is God. Isaiah also answers the question that God poses, “Who shall I send?”  Isaiah answers that God should send him.

We finished the Spring Quarter of our Sunday School lessons. The title of the lesson was “Rejoicing in Restoration.” The main part of the lesson was Psalm 34: 1-10, one of the David poems. In this poem David rejoices even though he is going through a rough patch: He knows that God will help him overcome his fears. 

Joy and Gene are back from their European cruise. Gene wasn’t at Sunday School, but Joy assured us she did not leave him in Germany—he was home cooking dinner for the VFW. We missed Gene, Carolyn, Vera, and Keith and hope to see them soon. I hope that everyone has a good Memorial Day. During the church service Joe and Hilda teamed up for a special. We really appreciate their extra efforts. Next Sunday is the first Sunday of June and will be Communion Sunday. All the month of May we have collected cans of fruit, which we’ll deliver to Community Christian Services. Next month we will collect toilet paper and paper towels. 

Last week was our program at Lakeside Assisted Living. As usual, we had a lot of congregational singing—with Hilda on the piano to keep us moving along. Nora and Gene chose songs from Heavenly Highways as solos but kindly invited us to sing with them if we wanted. Nora’s was actually a switch: Sue chose “America” for us after Fannie read a patriotic piece, thus stealing Nora’s first choice special.  Ollie read a selection about a grandpa explaining his hands to his grandson, and Sue read Ruthie Bon Bair: Don’t Go to Bed with Wringing Wet Hair. A new contributor, Stella Walker, sang “His Eye Is on the Sparrow,” and Gene, Maggie, and Hilda did “It Is Well with My Soul” by special request after the program.  I closed us out with a prayer, a benediction, and our usual ending song: “God Be with You.” 

“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. Godspeed.

Randy & Sue Smith
Paxton Methodist Church

May 25, 2018 - The annual New Hope Cemetery Homecoming will be on Sunday, June 3rd at 12:00 noon. The Shelby County singers will be hosting the singing after lunch. Come and enjoy a time of food and fellowship. If unable to attend, donations can be sent to: New Hope Cemetery Association, % Pete Helms, 1721 FM 138, Center, TX 75935.