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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
December 5, 2017 - I am always amazed at the effectiveness of simplicity. It seems that the more simple something is, the better it is, and more enduring it is over time. God has always used simple things to change the world. Any simple thing done with love, God takes and turns into a great thing.
Take for instance the Christmas carol "Silent Night". In 1818 on Christmas eve an Austrian priest Joseph Mohr asked the church organist Franz Gruber to write music for a poem that Mohr had written earlier. The challenge was that Mohr wanted it done for the evening service and the church organ was broken. But Gruber was able to come up with a simple tune that he could play on a guitar. That night the two sat on the stage and sang for the first time, the simple, but probably most sang carol of all times, "Silent Night". Never could they have imagined how popular and enduring of a song it would be.
You see that is how God has always worked. He takes what is simple and does great things with it. People try and make the Gospel of Christ complex but it is really simple. John 3:16 simply put says; that God loves you and me so much that He sent His Son to pay the price for our sins, and that anyone who truly believes that, will not die, but live with Him forever. Jesus preached a simple gospel of "repent and be saved for the kingdom of God is near." Its not hard to understand. Its just hard to believe that something so simple could bring about such an eternal change in your life. But that's just how God works. As the angel told Mary that night, "With God all things are possible."
Remember, that baby being born in simple and humble surroundings on that first Christmas night, happen because God loved you and wanted you to have a chance to live with Him in eternity. Simple as that. Don't try to make it more complex. Just trust Him, and He will give you the gift of eternal life for Christmas.
I'm Just Sayin
Mike Belgard
December 5, 2017 - The First United Methodist Church of Center will be having their annual Sacred Sounds of the Season. We invite everyone to come hear the beautiful sounds of Christmas at 6:00 PM on Thursday, December 7th in our Sanctuary.
November 27, 2017 - Sunday was Christ the King Sunday. The Gospel Lesson for the last Sunday on the Christian Calendar was Matthew 25:31-46. Jesus is dividing the sheep from the goats—those who will live in the Kingdom and those who will wander lost. And what was the test—did you feed the hungry, give a drink to the thirsty, welcome a stranger, clothe the naked, visit the sick and those in prison? That is how Jesus judged those seeking entry into the Kingdom of God. Christ the King Sunday is a day to reaffirm the centrality of Christ in our lives. I read that the Swedish Lutheran Church calls this Sunday the Sunday of Doom because the scriptures for this day all deal with judgment. I’m pretty sure most of us prefer Christ the King over Doom!
We were in double digits Sunday, which is always exciting at Paxton Methodist. Gene and Joy’s son Chuck and his family came and worshipped with us before heading back to Houston. Everyone said they had a very nice Thanksgiving. Sue and I went to our daughter’s in Dallas and had a good time visiting family and, of course, eating too much! It was especially good to have my brother there; last Thanksgiving he was in the hospital, but by this holiday, he’s had a successful lung transplant and is back out and about.
We completed our Sunday school quarter where all the lessons dealt with covenant. Next Sunday is the beginning of a new religious year and the start of Advent; as such, we will start a new course of study. Our Paxton Community Christmas Program and Dinner will be Tuesday, December 5th starting at 6:00. After worship we loaded up my truck with rice and beans that I will take to Community Christian Services this week. In December, we will be collecting cans of soup.
Last week was our program at Holiday Nursing Home. Sue, Fannie, Nora, Jo, and Hilda did the honors and reported having a fine time. Hilda, as usual, gave lively renditions of traditional songs. Fannie told the true, historical story of earlier Thanksgivings, and Nora sang “Over the River and Through the Woods,” a Thanksgiving song. Who knew? Nora also shared her “Thank You for Giving to the Lord” and promises to sing it at Paxton’s Christmas party. Sue read a funny kids’ book called Dog Breath about a dog named Hally Tosis (get it?). And Jo made the mistake of mentioning that she used to do nursing home programs in costume—like a pilgrim and an Indian. Uh oh! We will have plans for her! Our ministry at Lakeside Assisted Living will be this Thursday at 2:00, a postponement because of the Thanksgiving holiday.
“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
November 27, 2017 - Super Group String Orchestra and Piney Woods Youth Orchestra of Nacogdoches in concert under the direction of Leonard Kacenjar, conductor for Project String Power, Inc. will perform at First Baptist Church of Carthage at 7 p.m. on December 18. Everyone is invited to attend. There is no admission charge.
November 21, 2017 - Roberts Baptist Church will be serving Thanksgiving dinner on Thanksgiving day, Thursday, November 23 from 11am to 2pm.
If anybody that's shut-in or just don't wanna cook can call Dennis at 936-275-5420 or 596-6025. You can also call the church at 936-275-9961 and we will deliver your lunch, or you can come to the church and eat.
Roberts Baptist Church is located at 1535 FM 2213 in San Augustine.
November 21, 2017 - The Todd Spring Baptist Church will celebrate 139 years of existence on Sunday, November 26, 2017 at 11:30am.
Pastor Frankie Cooper and the Gates Chapel Baptist Church will be the special guest. Everyone is invited to attend. Lunch will be provided.
Pastor Wilbert Simmons, Jr. is the pastor.
November 13, 2017 - Entertaining, uplifting, and ministry-minded” are words often used to describe a Paul’s Journey event. Paul’s Journey, a Chapel Valley Music Recording Artist on the “Inspire” label, is an award-winning group based in Houston, TX. The ministry of Paul’s Journey is in its 38th year now, and they have garnered many Top 40 Radio hits and earned many awards down through the years such as the 2007 ‘SGM FanFair Group of the Year”. In 2012 Paul’s Journey was nominated for “Horizon Group of The Year and in 2013, 2014, and 2015 the group was chosen by Southern Gospel Music fans as one of the “Top New Traditional Quartets” in the country. Throughout time, this powerhouse group has quickly become known for their unique style and blend. The group travels some 200 dates per year all across the USA and abroad.
Paul’s Journey is comprised of Rod Treme, Matthew Esquivel, Brad Davis, and Jamie Streetman. From up-tempo songs to heart-felt ballads, audiences of all generations, denominations and walks of life are recognizing the refreshing sound of Paul’s Journey. Their high-energy performances and enthusiasm is captivating, contagious, and spiritually uplifting.
Do NOT miss this opportunity to experience the ministry of Paul’s Journey on Friday, December 8th at 7:00 PM. They will be performing at Toledo Bend Cowboy Church, located at 2543 FM 3172, in Huxley, TX. The concert will be preceded by a Covered Dish Dinner at 6:00 PM at the church. For more information regarding this performance, feel free to contact Lynda Huebel at 936-368-2547 or Bro. Jeff Spring at 936-488-9091.
For more information about Paul’s Journey or their ministry, check them out at www.paulsjourneymusic.com or contact The Victory Agency at 936-689-1732.
“I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.” (Psalm 121:1-2)
November 21, 2017 - As Christians we are taught to trust not in man, but to put our trust only in the Lord for only the Lord is trustworthy and true, yesterday, today and forever.
And so as I travel through this cruel, evil world I look to the heavens for my help knowing that all good things, all help comes from the Lord God above.
I keep thinking of the elderly couple from Sutherland Springs, TX. that lost their entire family to the insane person who opened fire on the church congregation a few Sunday’s ago. They lost their son, his wife, their children and their children’s children in a few brief minutes.
Yet when the reporter asked the man how they would cope with their loss, his answer was simple yet so profound, he said; “We are very close with God, though we cannot understand how or why God does so many things, we know it is not for us to understand all things, we are just to trust in God and we know that shortly we will be joined with our family once again.”
What a testimony from one who has just lost so much, for as with Job, they had lost their entire family in the blink of an eye, yet, like Job, they never wavered in their faith in the Lord God.
Just think of that, if a similar fate were to befall your family this day, could you show the same level of faith in the Lord as did this elderly couple?
“For our heart is glad in him, because we trust in his holy name.” (Psalm 33:21)
Only through a close, trusting relationship with the Lord God can one’s heart remain glad when times become troubling and persecutions befall us.
We must trust in the Lord God; “For the word of the Lord is upright, and all his work is done in faithfulness.” (Psalm 33:4)
Everything the Lord does is upright and trustworthy and righteous and he looks for those same attributes in those who would follow him each day.
“He loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of the steadfast love of the Lord.” (Psalm 33:5)
Yes, the Lord loves righteousness and justice and despises wrong doing and those who mistreat others for their self gain. But, the earth is full of the steadfast love of the Lord, waiting for all to claim it for their own lives, for their own eternity.
“Let all the earth fear the Lord; let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him!” (Psalm 33:8)
Oh that it would be so, that all people would trust in the Lord, that all people would know and fear the Lord, that all people would accept the Lord Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Savior.
However, we know this is not to be. “Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many.” (Matthew 7:13)
Sadly, most will choose this wide and easy gate and path to eternity, only to find at the final judgement that they have made a foolish choice, but then it will be too late and they will be doomed to destruction forever.
“For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.” (Matthew 7:14)
My prayer for you this day is that you will follow that hard and narrow path of service to our Lord, that you will seek and find and enter through that narrow gate that leads to glory. May the blessings of our Lord be upon you this day...
November 21, 2017 - In order to give families an abundance of time to observe the Thanksgiving Holiday, Abundant Love Ministries will adjust THIS WEEK weekly services as follows: Bible Study will be held Tuesday, November 21 at 6:00 pm. There will be NO Wednesday night services.
November 20, 2017 - Sunday was the 33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time. Next Sunday marks the end of the Christian Year as we celebrate “Christ the King” Sunday. The following Sunday will begin the 40 days of Advent and our preparation for the birth in Bethlehem. We had a nice group this morning for Sunday school and worship. Our world traveler, Carolyn, was back and we all loved seeing her. Everyone is getting ready for Thanksgiving. Some are hosting and some are traveling. We at Paxton Methodist wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving.
Our Sunday school lessons on “covenant” are coming to an end next week. Fannie mentioned what a good job our author did in taking the idea of covenant from early in the Old Testament to the New Testament. I had one professor at school who said the Bible was all about covenant-making and covenant-breaking. Gene read our scripture lesson from Hebrews, after which Fannie reminded us that the covenant Paul spoke of is the one we as Christian people live under. Discipline and hard work are needed as we travel that lifelong road toward Christian perfection.
Our Paxton Community Christmas Party is Tuesday, December 5th at 6:00 PM. We hope to see everyone there. This coming Tuesday we head to Holiday Nursing Center for our ministry at 2:00 PM. We received a nice thank you note from First Baptist Joaquin for our church’s donation to the fund for providing Christmas gifts for young folks in need. I also had a very nice call from last Sunday’s Gideon speaker, Sam Hammontree, thanking Paxton Methodist for our hospitality and support of the Gideons. We really enjoyed having Sam, Jamie, and Caitlyn with us last week.
“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.
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