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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
“…be temperate and self-controlled…” Titus 2:2
April 17, 2017 - Pam and I photographed and dined in Louisiana's Cajun country last week. The New Iberia “Shoney’s” breakfast sign read: “All You Care to Eat”… $5.95” instead of the usual “All You Can Eat”. And I thought: “how clever…and how appropriate!” Three weeks later we saw posted in front of the Cedar Tree Restaurant in Jasper, Texas the same sign: “All you care to eat”. Hey, it’s catching on!
I always feel a little ill at ease when I eat in one of those “All You Can Eat” places. I feel like I would if I entered a bar to buy a coke or a porn store to buy a Reader’s Digest. It would look like everyone was there for the same purpose.
Gluttony is one of the seven deadly sins but many neither consider it deadly nor sinful. Since that Cajun sign reminded me to eat modestly instead of all I could, it not only profited me…
…it profited the Shoney owners, too.
April 13, 2017 - "And one of the scribes came up and heard them disputing with one another, and seeing that he answered them well, asked him, "which commandment is the most important of all?" (Mark 12:28)
"And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. The second is this, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself. There is no other commandment greater than these." (Mark 12:30-31)
So there we have it from Jesus' own mouth. Our first priority is to love God with our entire being, body and soul and secondly, to love our neighbor as ourself.
The great king, Solomon, in his later days pondered all he had learned and had this to say about serving God.
"The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is the sole duty of man. For God will bring every deed into judgement, with every secret thing, whether god or evil." (Ecclesiastes 12:13-14)
Does that not sound like the words of Jesus many generations later in time?
God asks all people through the scriptures to step forth and live wholeheartedly, for Him. To love Him with all that we are, each day. God is not looking for "Sunday Morning Christians" no, He is looking for those who cling to Him all day, every day.
So many are afraid of this total commitment, so many want to worship a little while on Sunday and slip right back into the world on Monday morning.
Folks, this is not what the Lord asks of us, we are asked to give Him our all, without hesitation and, to love our neighbor as ourselves.
Is this so hard, are the pleasures of the earth so great that they are worth forfeiting eternity spent, in heaven, with the Lord?
If worldly pleasures seem so important to you then I ask you to listen to the words of Jesus, given to His disciples only days before His death on the cross. He is telling them of the coming of the Son of Man, the event we call the Second Coming, when Jesus comes back to earth in all His glory. An event so great, so dramatic that as the Bible says; "every knee shall bend, every head shall bow" as the world witnesses God's great glory. Jesus said this about the events into the future.
"So also, when you see all these things, you know that He is near, at the very gates. (Matthew 24:33)
Heaven and earth shall pass away, but My words will not pass away." (Matthew 24:35)
Any worldly things you may be concerned with; those will not survive the second coming of our Lord. They will be burned up as chaff of the field, nothing left of them but ashes.
Jesus tells us what is important, love Him with all that we have, and he tells us why. Because in the end we will have nothing left but our relationship with Him. Choose life today, choose to believe God's Word, choose to accept the free gift of eternal salvation, paid for by the Lord Jesus and His death of the cross. Just tell Him; "Jesus save me for I am a sinner", and He will.
May God's blessings be upon you this day...
April 13, 2017 - The Restland Cemetery in Tenaha is in need of donations for upkeep of the cemetery. Donations can be mailed to Restland Cemetery, P.O. Box 87, Tenaha, Texas 75974. Make checks payable to the Restland Cemetery Fund. All donations are greatly appreciated.
April 13, 2017 - Huxley Helping Hands, a local mission group from the Huxley community is holding a food pantry for the residents of Shelby County this Saturday, April 15 at Hillcrest Baptist Church, 901 Southview Circle, Center, Texas .
I.D.& proof of residencey is required. You will not receive a box if you do not bring photo ID.
Only one (1) box per household.
Sign-in starts at 9:00 am until food is gone.
April 13, 2017 - Passion Week Services on Thursday (April 13th) and Friday (April 14th) at 7p.m. nightly with guest speaker, Prophet Jamie Capers, of Miles Chapel C.M.E. Church Tyler, TX. Sunrise Services on Sunday (April 16th) at 6a.m. with pastor Elgena Weaver giving the Resurrection Message with breakfast served immediately following. Regular Morning Worship at 11a.m. with Easter Program. Rev. Elgena Weaver, Pastor.
April 13, 2017 - Friendship Missionary Baptist Church is hosting their Pastor and wife 5th year appreciation service on May 7, 2017 at 3pm.
Pastor Roderick Kirkendoll from St. Luke Baptist Church of Logansport will bring the message.
Friendship Missionary Baptist Church lead by Pastor Jeremy Moore is located in Tenaha, Texas.
April 12, 2017 - Catholic Church Mass schedules for Easter
April 13th: The washing of feet at all masses.
- St. Mary of the Epiphany English Mass - 4pm; Spanish Mass 6pm.
- St. Therese Catholic Church Spanish Mass - 8pm.
April 14th: St. Therese Catholic Church English Mass
- Adoration of the Holy Cross follows the Live Way of the Cross 5pm, please join us!
- Spanish mass: Live Way of the Cross (Outdoor Play) 6pm, Adoration of the Holy Cross.
April 15th: Easter Vigil Mass
- St. Mary of the Epiphany English Easter Vigil Mass - 6pm.
- St. Therese Catholic Church Spanish Easter Vigil Mass - 8pm.
April 16th: St. Therese Catholic Church - Easter Sunday
- English Mass - 10:30am
- Spanish Mass - 12:30pm
April 12, 2017 - New Life Church in Center is selling Heather Gray T-Shirts with a cross design for $20 as a fundraiser to raise funds for a mission’s trip to Guatemala. On the trip the group will be building two homes for widows and orphans. The proceeds from the fundraiser will be used to purchase the building materials and help support the group of 10 who will be going to Guatemala. For more information, you can contact Shannon Denby at 936-488-0855. Thank you for your support!
April 12, 2017 - You are invited to attend the Easter Celebration Services at the First Baptist Church, 117 Cora Street, Center, Texas.
Dates and Events:
Friday, April 14, 2017: The Good Friday Service will be held at 6:00 p.m. in the First Baptist Family Life Center, located directly behind the First Baptist Church. Enjoy the evening filled with Special Music, Drama and a Hands on Worship Experience! This is truly an experience you will not want to miss.
Sunday, April 16, 2017: The Easter Morning Celebration will be held in the First Baptist Church Sanctuary and will begin at 10:15 a.m.. The Easter celebration will include Handbells, 100 voice choir, and a "Message of Hope”.
April 12, 2017 - “That's my Jesus", very special words uttered by many people over the ages. My reference is to a very special, very precious lady who passed on to the promised land a few short years ago. When anything was said concerning Jesus Christ that was her answer; "that's my Jesus" which she said and meant with the most reverent voice.
I want to talk a little this morning about this Jesus, (My Jesus) as so many have called him.
My Jesus is the good shepherd; "I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep." (John 10:11)
For you see, the good shepherd laid down his life for me, that I might have life and have it in abundance, life eternal.
That's my Jesus. "Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends." (John 15:13) Amen. There is no greater love than that and Jesus laid down his life for all mankind. He laid down his life once for all. That's my Jesus.
"And he died for all, that those who might live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised." (2 Corinthians 5:15)
That is the calling of all who follow him, that we now live for him and not for our old worldly desires.
Jesus came to Saul of Tarsus in a most dramatic way as he was walking on the road to Damascus one day. A great light shown upon him, blinding him, and Saul heard a voice saying; "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?" (Acts 22:7) Saul then asked; "Who are you, Lord?" And the voice answered saying; "I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you are persecuting." (Acts 22:8)
For three days Saul remained blind, then Jesus sent another man to see him and tell him of his new calling, to serve the Lord. Jesus then renamed the man, Saul and from that day forth he was called Paul and became maybe the greatest of all the apostles, one who had been the greatest of the persecutors of the gospel.
Not all callings are so dramatic but all have the same meaning to the one being called by our Lord. Though we are called in many varied ways the purpose is the same, that we live our new lives in him and not in this world.
Paul gives us this as the calling of service to the Lord. "For though I am free from all, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win more of them." (1 Corinthians 9:19)
As did Paul, we are all to put on a new face once saved. "If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God." (Colossians 3:1)
That's my Jesus, watching over me each day.
My Jesus is the High Priest of heaven, a priest of the highest order for my Jesus is the High Priest with no end, he lives and he will live forever by the oath given him by the Father. "The Lord has sworn and will not change his mind, You are a priest forever." (Hebrews 7:21) "Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he is God." (1 John 4:15)
That's my Jesus, the one true Son of God and Savior of all who confesses that he is Lord of all.
If you don't know him this day, please, seek his face today. For if you seek him, you will find him and if you find him and believe in him, he will save you today.
May the Lord bless you and keep you and make his face to shine upon you this day...
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