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Contributing Writers: Mike Mills, Spring Hill Church | Doug Fincher | Pastor Randy and Sue Smith | Mike Belgard | Tim Perkins
Faith
August 4, 2016 - Old Home Church will be having the annual Back 2 School Bash, Saturday, August 6th @ 6:00 PM. There will be water slides, pony rides, sno cones and snacks. There will be dominoes and board games in fellowship hall for adults. Everyone invited to come out and join the fun! Call or text for details 936-332-9293
August 3, 2016 - Center Learning Academy at First Baptist Church, Center, TX is looking to enroll children ages 2, 3, and 4. Center Learning Academy is a Christian-based childcare center that provides a loving learning environment for you little one.
Come by the daycare at First Baptist, 117 Cora St., Center, TX to pick up a packet or call 936-598-3708 for more information.
August 3, 2016 - It is that time of year again, North Jericho (FM 699) Homecoming. It will happen Sunday, August 7th at 12pm at North Jericho Church. Please join us for food and fellowship.
August 2, 2016 - Project String Power registration for violin, viola, cello, upright bass, harp, guitar (all styles) and banjo lessons is Saturday, August 13, 10:30-12 noon at St. John's Episcopal Church in Naylor Hall. Scholarships available. Choose the instrument you want to play and set a time for lessons.
August 2, 2016 - The Spirit of overcoming:
"These things I have spoken unto you, that in Me you might have peace. In the world you shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world." John 16:33
Our Lord Jesus tells us all we need to know to help us through the hard times we may have.
In this world, all persons will find themselves overcome with tribulations, they will be attacked from time to time from many directions.
Yet, the born again Christian, has an advantage over those who are lost, struggling in darkness. He has the Lord.
Jesus' death on the cross reconciled every believer to the Father God. As long as he stays strong in his faith in Christ, nothing can mar his relationship with God.
Yes, the Christian will have tribulations, but as our scripture says; "but, be of good cheer, I have overcome the world."
Jesus tells us not to worry for even though we will suffer through tribulations. the dictionary calls them; (grievous troubles, severe trials or sufferings) we can take heart that Jesus has already paved the way for us. We can have joy knowing that He has defeated the world and He is at home in heaven preparing a place for each of us.
A lost person may overcome habits and addictions, he can even hold off the devil for a time, but, he has no one to help him and eventually he will fall back into his worldly habits and addictions and sooner or later the devil will claim him for his own, if he does not first accept Jesus as his Lord.
While the lost have no support, the saved receive the the free gift of the Holy Spirit when they accept Jesus as Lord and Master.
It is much easier for the believer to overcome temptation, for he has the "comforter" the Holy Spirit indwelling him.
Warfare between the Spirit and the flesh will last as long as the believer lives on earth and he will find himself doing things he ought not to do and failing to do things that he should. However, with each victory over the lusts of the flesh it becomes easier to overcome the next one.
All believers must face an unfriendly world, and will find that the closer one lives with the Lord, the less friendly the world becomes.
We must learn to overcome the world through our faith, as Jesus overcame the world, so too can we, through Him.
Let us be steadfast in our faith, unmovable, always busy in the work of the Lord.
For by our faith we will know that our labor is not in vain, and one day we will be able to personally thank the Lord for the victory over the world gained through the Lord, Jesus Christ. Amen...
Please feel welcome to join us on Wednesday evenings at 6:00PM for our Bible study and learn with us how we are to live as Christians in America today. "My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge; because thou has rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee" (Hosea 4:6) Come and learn what the Bible says, don't let this be you in Hosea 4:6.
August 1, 2016 - On August 14, 2016, which will be the second Sunday in August, the Friendship Baptist Church will be observing their annual homecoming. Pastor Derrick Rhodes will be bringing the message.
Our revival will begin on Monday, August 15 through Wednesday, August 17 starting at 7:30 each night. The Pastor Ken Cotton of Goodwill Baptist Church will bring the message each night. Come join us and if you feel the spirit, bless us with an A selection. If you don't feel like singing, come join us anyway.
August 1, 2016 - Homecoming Services are Sunday, August 7th at 3p.m. with Dr. Rev. Edward Thomas and the Long Chapel C.M.E. Church of Lufkin, TX as special guests.
Revival Services to follow August 8th - 10th at 7p.m. nightly. Monday & Tuesday night the evangelist will be Bishop Howard Cloudy, Sr. of Triumph Church. Wednesday night the evangelist will be Rev. Marlin Cloudy, Sr. of Abundant Love Ministries.
Rev. Robert Gipson - pastor
August 1, 2016 - Sunday was the 11th Sunday after Pentecost. The Gospel Lesson for this Sunday was the Matthew version of the Lord’s Prayer. For over fifteen hundred years the church fathers have established a three-year outline of the scriptures to be used on each Sunday. There is usually a reading from the Old Testament, a reading from the Psalms, a reading from one of the New Testament letters, and a reading from one of the Gospels. I saw in the paper that Dr Welborn, my mentor when I began to explore the ministry, is coming to Center Methodist to help them celebrate their 150 years of service and ministry. He was such a great help and teacher. He urged me to preach the lectionary as I started out in ministry to make sure all areas of the two testaments and all the major themes were covered. I have been a lectionary preacher for eighteen years, but from time to time I do wander off the reservation.
Our Sunday school lesson from Romans 6 dealt with one of the defining mysteries of our faith: As “Hymn of Promise” says, “In our death, a resurrection.” Paul speaks of the joys of eternal life. I think we sometimes fail to realize that “eternity” for a Christian doesn’t come at death but at the moment we “put on Christ.” We can experience the joys of the Kingdom right now—in our up-and- down human living. We all appreciate Fannie’s work preparing our lesson—all the extras she adds make our time really uplifting.
My sermon last week and again this Sunday focused on the Lord’s Prayer. This prayer is found in the Matthew and Luke gospels, taught by Rabbi Jesus in two different settings. Also, the prayer differs somewhat in each version. A meaningful prayer life has been a stumbling block in my spiritual life; I so admire those who pray with such ease and confidence. William McGill said, “The value of persistent prayer is not that He will hear us but that we will finally hear Him.” So I pray with confusion but also hope.
I want to wish Mike McCoy a happy birthday. We always enjoy when Mike, Liz, and Lillie head up to East Texas to worship with us. So Mike, if you heard a slightly off-key angelic choir singing “Happy Birthday,” it was your friends at Paxton! Our attendance this year has been up, and this was the first Sunday in quite awhile we were not in double digits. That doesn’t sound all that great to most, but we get excited when we are in those magic double numbers!
This past Thursday volunteers met at Lakeside Assisted Living at 2:00 for our monthly ministry. My loyal wife went and reported back that everyone had a great time. Joyce Hughes and her family performed along with so many of the regulars who so faithfully serve. It’s nice that Maggie and Gene were feeling good enough to attend—especially since Maggie got drafted into the emcee job. I am hobbling on a broken foot and feeling sorry for myself. The doctors and I are hoping that my broken bone will heal by itself if I stay off it, keeping it wrapped and propped up. I will go back in three weeks to see if I will require surgery.
Monday, August 1st will be our ministry at Green Acres. We will meet at 2:00. During the month of August we will collect children’s socks and underwear from Community Christian Services. Next Sunday we will celebrate Holy Communion.
“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 1, 2016 - Most of The New Testament was originally written in Greek since Greek was the World Language at that time.....
In the mid-sixties I was visiting a church member in The Orange, Texas Memorial Hospital when I overheard Dr. Allen talking with another patient in the room. The patient was moaning "Paneo", "Paneo" and when I recognized he was speaking Greek, I offered to interpret for the doctor. "He is saying 'Pain, pain'…", I said. "He is saying he hurts".
The patient (Nicolas Achaikos) was a crew member on the Greek grain ship "Kanaris" that was anchored at the Orange City docks. Since The Greek Orthodox Church is Greece 's dominant church, I asked him, "Soi baptizo en te ekklesia?" (Have you been baptized in the church). "Nomos, Nomos", he quickly replied…. (Meaning he was named at his christening.) I agreed to go to his ship and ask the First Mate to let him fly home early.
As I entered the ship the crew had just finished dinner and after I introduced myself, they set a large platter on the table in front of me and handed me a butcher knife. As I was wondering what to do with it, they placed an apple on the platter. I cut it in half and as I ate it, the curious crew watched my every move.
When I delivered Nicolas' request to the First Mate he stuttered partly in English and partly Greek, "Estin…estin.."(he is…he is).. and as he pointed to his head, he said, "Crazzie, Crazzie!". He said the boy was playing sick so they'd fly him home early. He also said if I was willing to work, he'd let me sail to Athens with them on The Kanaris and return to Orange in a couple of months.
The next Sunday, I told the deacons about my Kanaris experience and asked if I could take a couple of months off to visit Athens . While the other men laughed, Chairman Joe Pineda boomed out, "Preacher, you are 'Crazzie!... Crazzie'!"
I remember the details of The Kanaris incident very well, but have forgotten most of my Greek. After all, fifty years is a long time to remember something …..
…especially Greek.
July 29, 2016 - Blount Chapel Baptist Church of Center will be hosting Revival Services on August 3rd to August 5th at 7:30pm nightly. Everyone is invited!
Guest speakers are:
- Wednesday - Pastor Bruce Yarborough
- Thursday - Pastor Marion Osby, Smith Chapel Church, Timpson, Texas
- Friday - Pastor Bryan Owens, Sr., Pleasant Grove BC, Center, Texas
Homecoming service will be Sunday, August 7th at 12noon. Welcome home message by Pastor Byron Coutee, Jr.
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