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Contributing Writers: David Mathis | Tim Perkins
Past Contributing Writers: Mike Mills, Spring Hill Church | Doug Fincher | Pastor Randy and Sue Smith | Mike Belgard
Faith
February 15, 2018 - Mt. Zion invites everyone to share with us this Sunday, February 18th at our 11a.m. Worship Service as we continue our celebration of Black History Month.
Our special guest speaker is Briona Wilson.
Briona Jeane’ Wilson, is the daughter of Rev. Elgena Weaver, Pastor of the Mount Zion CME Church of Center, Texas. She has two younger sisters Kiona Wilson and Diona Weaver. Briona graduated from Nacogdoches High School in 2012 and went to East Texas Baptist University to pursue and completed a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Biology in May 2016. Following graduation, she desired to pursue higher education. She attended Lamar University to obtain a Master’s degree in Biology. She has been on the dean’s list with honors consecutively, was named Who’s Who among colleges and universities at ETBU, and received Graduate assistantship/scholarships throughout her college career. Briona was the Vice-President Sigma Pi Sigma of a pre-professional group. Yet, none of these top her opportunity to go on a mission trip to South America in Ecuador to serve and provide personal/medical supplies as well as health and wellness check-ups in this underserved area. Her ultimate goal is to receive a doctorate of dentistry and go on to do a residency in Oral and Maxillofacial surgery. Currently, she is a medical scribe for the Nacogdoches/Lufkin area. Her favorite scripture that encourages her is “I press on towards the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus” (Phil. 3:14). Briona exemplifies a spirit of excellence and resilience despite the challenges that life may bring and, through Christ, she believes that nothing is impossible.
February 14, 2018 - 18th Church Anniversary Program, Open Door Baptist Worship Center 900 Cotton Ford Road Center, Texas Alvin Davis, Pastor.
Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord. 1 Corinthians 15:58
Sunday, February 25, 2018 2:30pm.
We’ve Come This Far By Faith. Special Guest: Pastor Winston Kibbles & The St. John Baptist Church.
February 14, 2018 - We hear much uncertainty about what many call “the end times” though there is no “end time” but only a “new time” to come.
And yes, there is much uncertainty about just what is going to be when that time does come, when the Lord God passes final judgement.
While there are many uncertainties please let me show you an absolute which is going to happen, as the Lord speaks through the 75th Psalm; “At the set time that I appoint I will judge with equity.” (Psalm 75:2) God is saying that at the time he has appointed that he will judge all people fairly without consideration to race, creed or color. But, only by the lives that they have lived will all be judged.
“When the earth totters, and all its inhabitants, it is I who keep steady its pillars.” (Psalm 75:3) In Revelation 16 we find this time when there will be a great shaking of the earth and giant hailstones falling from heaven and every island shall flee, the sea will be no more, and no mountains will be found. A time like none other in history.
“I say to the boastful, “Do not boast,” and to the wicked, “Do not lift up your horn; do not lift up your horn on high, or speak with haughty neck.” (Psalm 75:4-5)
God cautions the boastful and the wicked about being proud or haughty when they are called to him for repentance. God is warning them not to be snobbish nor arrogant but to be humble and follow his will and not their own.
“For not from the east or from the west and not from the wilderness comes lifting up, but it is God who executes judgement, putting down one and lifting up another.” (Psalm 75:6-7) There you have the absolute of judgement, it is God and God alone who will execute judgement on all.
There are disagreements between various groups about how this is to happen. Will there by only one judgement or will there be two.
The Bible speaks in Revelation chapter 20 of such when it speaks of a first resurrection when it says; “Blessed and holy is the one who shares in the first resurrection! Over such the second death has no power.” (Revelation 20:6) And it speaks of a judgment which it calls, “The Great White Throne Judgement” when Satan is finally defeated and he and all his followers are thrown into the “lake of fire”.
“Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them, and they were judged, each one of them, according to what they had done. Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.” (Revelation 20:13-15)
Though many may debate these judgements as to whether they are separate or only one, the fact remains that God and God alone is going to be in charge of all that happens and God alone will judge each one with equity. Being just, God will allow the lives we have lived to be our evidence of service to him. Our profession of faith in the Lord Jesus as our proof of salvation.
Folks, this will certainly happen, the question now is; will you be ready, are you ready, if he calls us today will your name be found in the book of life? May his blessings be yours today...
February 14, 2018 - Carroll Chapel CME Church in Shelbyville, would like to invite you to our annual Black History Program, Sunday, February 18, 2018 at 3pm.
Guest Speaker will be Elder: Faye Dell Allen of the Triump Church in Shelbyville, TX.
Everyone is invited.
February 14, 2018 - First Baptist Church of Center will not have any Wednesday night services on February 14, 2018. All activities are canceled.
February 13, 2018 - The congregation at St. John's Episcopal Church is hosting the Annual Pancake Supper on Tuesday, February 13th from 5pm to 7pm at the Parish Hall behind the church on Highway 96 South.
They will be serving pancakes, sausage and other delicious treats. Everyone is invited to attend and enjoy!
Pancake Day (Shrove Tuesday) comes from the old English custom of using up the fattening ingredients in the house before Lent, so that the people were ready to fast during Lent. The fattening ingredients that most people had in those days were eggs and milk. They added flour, and enjoyed their pancakes.
February 11, 2018 - Sunday was Transfiguration Sunday. This is the last Sunday before the beginning of Lent. Ash Wednesday is early this year, falling on Valentine’s Day. Lent is the forty days before Easter when we study the last weeks of Jesus’ life, preparing our hearts and souls for Easter. Easter this year is April 1st –April Fool’s Day. Strange year!
I used the Old Testament lesson for Transfiguration Sunday from 2 Kings 2: 1-12. In this scripture story, the greatest of the Hebrew prophets, Elijah, is nearing the end of his life. He is on a quest to the Jordan; his student and successor, Elisha, refuses to stay behind. Elisha received from his mentor Elijah his teacher’s coat and also asked for a double of Elijah’s spirit. Christians see Jesus as their mentor as well as their savior. We are to model our living on how Jesus lived and interacted with others. Our efforts to follow in Jesus’ footsteps must be genuine: We must be willing to keep trying until we get it right a lot more often than not.
Fannie had a great Sunday School lesson from James 3: 1-12. This part of James deals with our inability to bridle our tongues. So often we speak without thinking, which of course causes problems. James was speaking to a small Jesus community that couldn’t afford to ignore or discount the feelings of other members. The early Jesus communities had many enemies—from the religious leaders to the Roman Empire. Churches then and today must be prophetic voices calling for unity and respect for all people.
There will be a memorial service for Nancy Thompson this Saturday at 2:00 PM at Paxton Methodist. Nancy is the daughter of Lillie Townsend and sister of Liz McCoy. Lillie, Liz, and Liz’s husband Mike always come to Paxton Methodist when they are at the East Texas farm. There will be a meal for the family afterwards at the home of Fannie Watson.
“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.
February 11, 2018 - "What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?" 1 Corinthians 6:19
"Whether ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God." 1 Corinthians 10:31
I visited my VA doctor in Houston last week for my annual check-up. We always enjoy hearing about his church, friends and hunting experiences while he gives me my report. During this visit I asked if he liked being a doctor. "It's my calling", he said. "Then I guess you'll be here till the cows come home, won't you?" "Not really," he answered. "I'll be retiring a soon as I can." "I’m tired of begging people to take their medications."
According to statistics, up to half of all patients don’t take their medications as prescribed by doctors or refuse to give up the bad habits that caused their problem to begin with.
The French martyr Joan of Arc once said she'd rather die than do something she knew to be a sin. On the other hand, millions of people had rather die than to give up their sin. If our "bent-on-destruction" lifestyle brings us to an early grave, it might be that God had nothing to do with it.
It could be that it’s because we refused His medicine.
February 6, 2018 - The St. John Missionary Baptist Church of Tenaha Texas will be hosting a night of Praise on Saturday, February 10th 2018 at 7pm.
We welcome all of our friends to come and enjoy the anointed voices of the Chariots of Fire of Shreveport, Louisianna.
February 6, 2018 - The first of the prophets or preachers to proclaim a baptism for repentance for the forgiveness of sin was John, the son of Zechariah.
“In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, “Repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” (Matthew 3:1-2)
Soon after Jesus began his ministry the king took John prisoner, eventually beheading him. Jesus moved back to the area of Galilee when he heard that John had been arrested for he understood the fate that John was soon to face, from that time Jesus began to preach the same message that John had preached.
“From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” (Matthew 4:17)
After the death of Jesus on the cross the message preached by the apostles and deacons of the new church of the Way changed into a more direct message of the sacrifice of Jesus’ life on the cross.
In those early days of the church the apostles at times preached for many hours and did not do the baptizing, that was left for the deacons and disciples who were with the apostles. Paul speaks of this and of the manner of the message that he brought to the churches of Asia Minor.
When speaking to the church at Corinth about some arguments within the church about baptism he said; “For Christ did not send me to baptize but to preach the gospel, and not with words of eloquent wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power.” (1 Corinthians 1:17) Paul is saying that he is to preach, to tell the news of grace, given by Christ that forgiveness of sin can be given to all who repent, asking for forgiveness, believing in Jesus and confessing that belief to all.
That he is not to speak with great or eloquent words but with plain speak so that nothing covers the magnitude of the gift of salvation given by Christ through his death on the cross. He is saying one must be careful to keep the message plain and simple evidencing the sacrifice of Christ that all can understand. He says to preach in this manner as; “For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.” (1 Corinthians 1:17) The words being preached must not overpower the words of sacrifice and salvation for that is the true message of the gospel.
“For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe. For Jews demand signs and the Greeks seek wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and wisdom of God.”(1 Corinthians 1:21-24)
Salvation comes not by wisdom nor signs but by faith alone. For that is the grace of God, that salvation was paid in full by the Lord Jesus Christ.
“And I, when I came to you, brothers, did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God with lofty speech or wisdom.” (1 Corinthians 2:1)
“And my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.” (1 Corinthians 2:4-5)
The plain spoken word of God, the gospel of Jesus Christ who died for your sins as well as mine and the only way to heaven. May you hear and accept the words of the gospel and may you be forever saved from the penalty of sin...
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