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Contributing Writers: Mike Mills, Spring Hill Church | Doug Fincher | Pastor Randy and Sue Smith | Mike Belgard | Tim Perkins
Faith
August 9, 2016 - "But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant. And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased (to reduce or lower); and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted (raised or elevated)." (Matt. 23:11-12)
Is there even such a thing as "humble pride"? Paul gives us an example of humble pride when he says; "By the grace of God I am what I am." (1 Corinthians 15:10)
Paul gives God the glory for all he did and said, as we should today. God's grace was not bestowed on Paul in vain and it should not be bestowed on us in vain either.
"I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God has dealt to every man the measure of faith." (Romans 12:3)
Jesus came down hard on people who tried to exalt themselves at the expense of others. As with the Pharisees; Jesus condemned their spirits and yet, those same haughty spirits live on today.
In earlier verses to our text, Jesus spoke of those who loved to sit in Moses' seat, flaunting their positions of authority. They refused to do what they required of others, reminds me of the Congress and the Senate.
Everything they did was done to win the praise of others. They loved the uppermost seats. They wanted to be called by their "titles" of which they were not worthy. They prayed to be seen by others.
Even James and John asked for the seats of most prominence in the Lords Kingdom. I think maybe the reaction of indignation by the others might indicate that their hearts were not totally clean and innocent either.
Jesus taught that the way up is down. That to be great, you must first be humble and serve others, that true greatness consists of serving, rather than being served. Jesus came to minister, not to be ministered unto, He went about doing good, teaching, healing and forgiving others.
We also should not try to exalt ourselves, if we have done righteously, then others will praise us, and we, in turn must render all praises and glory to the Lord. God will not share his glory with anyone.
We also should be quick to praise the work our fellow Christians do for the Lord as encouragement for them to continue and even increase their daily work for Jesus.
We should walk humbly before the Lord each day, striving to do His will and not our own earthly wishes and desires, for if we remain faithful we will reap in due season.
The Pharisee's boasting in the temple was all in vain while the publicans' confession that he was a sinner in need of mercy brought him salvation.
Let us each one; live justly, do unto others as we would have them do unto us, show mercy, help those in need, and submit to God's will each day and not the wishes of this world. May God's blessings be upon you today.
August 15, 2016 - You are invited to help us celebrate Pastor Marlin Cloudy's birthday. The celebration will be held at Abundant Love Ministries 1426 Shelbyville Street in Center, TX on Saturday August 20, 2016 starting at 6 PM.
August 15, 2016 - Homecoming service and Revival for House of Refuge Apostolic Ministries, Apostle W.E. Nash Jr., Founder.
Homecoming services Sunday, Aug. 21, 2016 at 3pm. Pastor Mario Osby of Smith Chapel Church of TImpson, Texas will be our guest speaker.
Following our homecoming is our annual Revival starting Wednesday, Aug. 24 with guest speaker Bishop WC. Martin and the Bennett Chapel Church of Shelbyville, Tx.
Rounding out our Revival for Thursday and Friday Aug. 25-26 will be Pastor Ronnie Morris of Higher Ground in Mansfield, Tx.
Services start 7:30 nightly
August 15, 2016 - “You are the salt of the earth…” Matt. 5:13
Mother was our neighborhood’s best cook. My aunts and uncles visited us often because they knew mother would always have something to eat. We usually had biscuits and syrup for breakfast and beans and cornbread for the other meals. We boys added rabbits, squirrels and fish to the menu when we could.
When Mother reached her eighties and was living alone, she quit cooking and got her meals from fast food restaurants. I took my daughter Amber to visit her one summer and when she served us unseasoned oatmeal for breakfast, Amber whispered, “Dad, I can’t swallow it.” So when Mother wasn’t looking, I gulped down both bowls.
Christians are supposed to be the salt of the earth, but if our witnessing for Christ makes people nauseas, the Bread of Life is not the problem. The thing that makes it so hard to swallow…
…could be our seasoning.
August 15, 2016 - Sunday was the 13th Sunday after Pentecost. In my sermon Sunday before last I returned to the Luke Gospel (Luke 12: 13-21.) Jesus and his disciples and other followers have made that fateful turn and are heading to Jerusalem. Jerusalem is the ancestral home of Kings since David—the home of the newly built great Temple--the official regional capital of this region for the Roman Empire. Jesus’ parable is about the rich fool who builds more barns to keep the excess of some very good harvests. I think in our age of wealth and excess we would look at the rich man and think he was being prudent—not foolish. But Jesus sees in this man someone so wrapped up in things and stuff that he runs the risk of not seeing the Kingdom that is at hand. This past Sunday’s scripture was Colossians 1: 24-28. Once again the evangelist was dealing with turmoil within the local Jesus community. The stress was on developing and maturing in faith.
Our Sunday school scripture was Romans 9: 6-29 and certainly created many questions. Unfortunately, they looked to me for clarity which I simply could not give. It is a scripture that gives those who believe in predestination some fodder for their belief. Starting in verse 15 God says to Moses that he will show mercy to those he chooses. In the next verse Paul says, “So then, it doesn’t depend on a person’s desire or effort. It depends entirely on God, who shows mercy.” Many Protestants believe in what is called “two-fisted predestination.” This idea says that God has decided before he ever started creating those he will save and those he will condemn. Today’s Epistle Lesson was Colossians 1: 24-28 and these few verses also open up a can of worms.
The last two Sundays we were again in double digits. Lillie, Liz, and Mike were up from Houston this week and it is just like a burst of sunshine when they come in. We really miss seeing Lillie every Sunday and around town. Joe’s son Ben came with Joe this morning. I met Ben back in 1975, the year I started teaching at Joaquin. He had just graduated from high school and had started college. More recently, I saw him at his parents’ 50th anniversary celebration.
My Internet service was out most of last week; I didn’t get my article turned in and I didn’t send out a weekly email to the Paxton folks. I am still nursing my broken foot, but loyal folks headed to Green Acres. Sue said there were plenty of stories shared and songs to sing! Next Tuesday was scheduled to be our ministry to Holiday Nursing Center, but we are postponing it.
Saturday morning I got a call from Joe that Gloria had died. Mrs. Gloria was such a sweet lady. She will be missed by her Paxton Church friends, her friends and neighbors, and the many students that she taught over the years. Her funeral will be Tuesday at 1:00 at Mangum Funeral Chapel. Visitation will also be Tuesday, starting at 11:00. Our thoughts and prayers are with Joe and his family.
“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!
August 10, 2016 - Bennett Chapel Missionary Baptist Church invites everyone to its Annual Homecoming Revival Sunday, August 14, 2015 at 2:30 pm, Pastor Joseph Hall Jr. along Union Springs & 1st Baptist Church of Grand Cane & Shreveport, La. will be our special guest . Revival services will be August 16-19th at 7:30 pm with a different speaker each night.
Tuesday (8-16) Rev. Leonard White
Wednesday (8-17)-Minister Barrington (BJ) Gibson
Thursday (8-18)-Rev. Denzell Hughes
Friday (8-19)-Apostle Juanita Tave
Come and bless the Lord with us!! Bennett Chapel Church Family Bishop W. C. Martin, Pastor
August 9, 2016 - "If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." (John 8:31-32)
These words of Jesus sound like He is talking to people who are in bondage, telling them what they must do to be freed from captivity.
Yet, the Old Testament Jews were a group of people whose claim of superiority is that they are "children of Abraham" and were never in bondage to anyone.
Of course they had to get permission from the Roman Governor anytime they were to do anything and they carried Roman money in their pockets.
These people were in spiritual bondage. They were bound by their own sins and many more of them by their rejection of Jesus.
Jesus is assuring the people He is addressing in this scripture, who do believe in Him, that they have received, both truth and freedom. The truth of His words and freedom from their own sinful ways.
He exhorts all to "abide in My word" (abide, means - to have one's abode, to reside or dwell within) We see here that if we are to be useful vessels for the Lord that we must truly "live in and by, the Word of God".
Fruit-bearing is the mark of a true disciple as Jesus said; "By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another." (John 13:35)
So if one is a "true" disciple then one will live the truth he has learned by abiding in God's Word and doing the Lord's work.
A false disciple, on the other hand, is one who only professes to be a Christian.
He loudly claims that he is living in Christ, but his actions tell the real truth, he does not know the truth he professes, and is living in the world, and not in Christ.
He has a name of one who lives, but he is dead in sin, in bondage to his sin.
Peter and John, while they were at Antioch were the first to be called "Christian".
Did they give themselves this name, no, they were called Christians because the non-believing Jews could tell by the lives they were living that they had indeed spent time with Christ.
They had been transformed, freed by the power of the Word of God in their lives and the others could readily see the difference in them. By the lives we live each day we too shall be known.
I would suggest that living as false disciples, professing Christ with one's mouth, but denying Him with one's deeds is the greatest obstacle to spreading the Word of God to the world.
If one sees another professing Christ, but living "of the world" then the false disciple has forever made an impression, a bad impression, upon that lost person and has made salvation much, much harder for that person to ever obtain. He has become a stumbling block and not a stepping stone for Christ.
Let us, each and every one, be stepping stones each day for the Lord, let us lead others to Christ by our own lives by being true disciples. Amen...
August 8, 2016 - "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
When I was fifteen, I awakened one morning at 3:00, grabbed my .410 shotgun, and walked four miles down the railroad tracks from Center, Texas to Mill Creek. It was one of those beautiful fall mornings…a little cool…no wind.. perfect weather for squirrel hunting. I had hidden a pack of Chesterfields in my coat and smoked on my way to the creek.
Suddenly squirrels appeared everywhere. I shot… and shot…and shot… at point blank ranges …but they all ran off unscathed. Figuring that my smoking (forbidden by my parents) must have brought my bad luck, I placed the pack on a stump and blasted them with my shotgun. Afterwards I killed two wood ducks with one shot and nabbed two fox squirrels.
I’m not saying that success at hunting will always improve if we quit smoking.
But our success at living definitely will.
August 5, 2016 - On behalf of Pastor George Cartwright and the Mt. Horeb Baptist Church family we would like to invite everyone to our annual Homecoming and Revival. Our Homecoming services will start Sunday, August 7, 2016 at 3:00 p.m. at the Mt. Horeb Baptist Church in the Bland Lake Community. Rev. Amos Horton and the Reed Chapel Baptist Church will be our special Guests for the evening. Our revival services will start Monday, August 8, 2016 through Friday, August 12, 2016 at 7:30 p.m. each night. The Evangelist for the week will be the Rev. Christopher Moore, pastor of the New Mount Calvary Baptist Church in Houston, Texas please join us and be blessed.
August 4, 2016 - The St. John Missionary Baptist Church will be hosting a Musician Appreciation honoring Sis. Cindy Gatlin Saturday, September 10th at 7:00pm. The St. John Missionary Baptist Church family humbly requests your choir or praise dance team to render an A & B selection. Upon accepting our invitation to participate, please contact Sis. Sandrel at 936-598-4189.
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