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Contributing Writers: Mike Mills, Spring Hill Church | Doug Fincher | Pastor Randy and Sue Smith | Mike Belgard | Tim Perkins
Faith
May 9, 2016 - Sunday was the 7th Sunday of Easter. This week Christians around the world celebrate the ascension of Jesus to the eternal realm. Sunday was also Mother’s Day. In some form or another, mothers have been celebrated since ancient times. In the Hebrew commandments believers are told they are to honor their mothers and fathers. In ancient Greece, during spring people would celebrate mothers by making a special offering to Rhea—the mother of the gods. And like most of us, Jesus’ first teacher was his mother.
I ordered and received another New Testament. It is different from all the others in that the books are arranged chronologically. The earliest book was the letter that Paul wrote to the Thessalonians. The last book written wasn’t Revelation but the Second Letter of Peter. Two thousands years later, we have another way to enjoy and experience the scriptures!
This past Monday was our ministry at Green Acres. It was good to see old friends and enjoy words of hope and songs that we have sung for centuries. We had several requests for songs that I don’t remember ever hearing. Luckily, Ms. Hilda is never stumped—her playing and singing kept us all going. Not growing up in a southern Protestant Church singing from Heavenly Highways, I am often at a loss. I was raised in a Lutheran Church and I often joke that we never sang songs that Martin Luther himself did not sing. Those old hymns might have been filled with theology but often did not have much of a melody. On Tuesday, May 17th we will head to Holiday Nursing Center and then on Thursday, May 26th we’ll be at Lakeside Assisted Living. Our programs are all at 2:00.
We had a really nice crowd at church this morning. Evie, Kayce, and Liz came this morning; it is always great to see our three youngest folks. Kayce will be graduating in a few weeks and Evie just recently celebrated her first birthday! I guess Liz is going to be really busy. Lillie, Liz, and Mike were up from Houston this weekend. It was like a family reunion—so nice to see them. Lillie had a pacemaker installed, and she looks so good. Mike is really enjoying retirement. We all really appreciate Joe and Hilda working together to bring our music alive each Sunday morning. We were particularly lively on “Lily of the Valley.”
“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 9:15 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!
May 9, 2016 - "My cup runneth over…." Psalms 23:5
"Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory." 1 Peter 1:8
When I was five years old, we moved to a house on the Henrietta Road north of Center, Texas. My memories about it are few: bitter weeds, bitter cow milk…. roasting hickory nuts in the fireplace…. our dog "Nellie"… and the yellow jackets that covered my brother Bill and me with stings.
While playing in the woods one day, we spotted a "church house" not far from our house. It was small, white, and had a cross on the top. We asked Mother to let us go to church there and the next Sunday we attended our first church service. I don't know its denomination…can't remember what the preacher or members looked like…but one thing I remember well. The Preacher repeated it over and over again: It was from the 23rd Psalm: "My cup runneth over".
Ten years later I attended a tent revival service just off the Center, Texas Square and learned what the preacher had meant. I trusted Christ as my Savior that night and raced home to tell Mother that I'd been saved. The whole world looked different the next day… old things had passed away and all things had become new. The Lord gave me "joy unspeakable and full of glory"….and because of Him…
”…my cup runneth over."
May 3, 2016 - Hawthorne Missionary Baptist Church is having a fundraiser May 6th for our kids to go to Church Camp. It is a BBQ sandwich with chips, dessert and a drink all for $7. We are also preselling the sandwich you can contact April Flores 936 332 5370 or Sherri Oliver at the Justice of the Peace office on Nacogdoches St. behind the sheriff's office.
May 4, 2016 - The Pastor and Members of Carroll Chapel CME Church in Shelbyville would like to invite you to our Family and Friend Day on May 15th at 3:00 PM. Our guest speaker will be Elder Archie Thompson of the Triumph, the Church and Kingdom of God in Christ in Shelbyville. Everyone is invited to come out and enjoy this special day.
April 26, 2016 - Due to a death in the family, the Strong Triump Church Holy Ghost Revival has been canceled.
It's Revival Time! Strong Triumph Church, under the leadership of Elder Faye Dell Allen, invites everyone to their annual Holy Ghost Revival, which is set to take place May 5th - May 7th, 2016 starting at 7pm each night. Come out and hear the word of God as it is delivered through some very dynamic speakers. For more information, please contact Elder Allen at 936-368-2611 or 936-572-5810.
May 3, 2016 - Lee Williams and Spiritual QCs : Host Pastor ME Lyons & In The Will Ministries on June 17, 2016 at the Pitser Garrison Convention Center located at 601 N 2nd St Lufkin, Texas 75901. The concert starts at 6:00pm, please call 936-632-6188 or email www.leewilliamslufkin.com for more information.
May 3, 2016 - "Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap." "For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life." (Galatians 6:7-8)
Jesus, Himself tells us that we are either (of God) or (of the devil), those of the world do not believe and so have no thought of spiritual things. The Bible says for the non-believer the gospel is nonsense. They cannot begin to comprehend it's teachings, it's truths. They have ears but cannot hear, eyes but cannot see just as the Bible tells us.
The born-again child of God is led by the Holy Spirit each day, led so that he walks in the light of the Lord, the light of Christ.
At times we may have trouble understanding why some who, by their words and deeds convict themselves of non-belief, yet they prosper in this world, we may look at them and wonder; why does he appear to be so blessed while I do my best to live a righteous life and struggle every day.
It is because that person is sowing to the flesh and he is reaping of the flesh as he is of this world, this is his domain, his kingdom and in it he flourishes.
His problem is; he has no future beyond this age, this world, unless he repents and accepts Christ as Lord and Savior.
On the other hand, the true, born-again Christian is not of this world, he is of the spiritual world, the kingdom of God.
His riches are being laid up in God's kingdom, in wait for him for when he arrives in the heavenly kingdom of God.
Another example of the difference between the lost and the saved is this. The redeemed, those who have accepted Christ as Lord are living by faith, not by sight. The redeemed have been given much more than they could ever earn, much more than they could ever deserve, simply for their faith in Jesus Christ.
For believing that He died on the cross to pay for all sins and that after 3 days God raised Him from the dead, we are released from the penalty of sin, forever.
Meanwhile, the non-believer will face eternal judgment where he will be judged and punished according to what he deserved, by what he has earned by his works.
Jesus tells us that everything of this world will indeed pass away, burn up, while His words will not pass away, but will exist forever, through this age and the next. The only truth we have or can pass on to others is the Word of God, that is the gospel...
The saved will enjoy eternal life in heaven, with God, in the most beautiful creation of all, the new heaven, while the wicked will be doomed to an eternity of pain and suffering of unbelievable intensity as they float in a lake of fire, forever. Never burning up, but existing in torment forever. May God bless you and keep you.
May 2, 2016 - Sunday was the 6th Sunday of Easter. Next Sunday, along with Mothers’ Day, Christians will celebrate the Ascension of Jesus and the 7th Sunday of Easter. Easter Season then ends, followed by Pentecost, when we celebrate the birth of the Jesus movement. Pentecost is the last major holy day for both Jews and Christians until next fall. We enter a time on the church calendar that is referred to as Ordinary Time. The older I get, the more I enjoy ordinary time! The word “Christianity” is not found in the New Testament and the word “Christian” is found only twice. Those who followed Jesus we called Followers of the Way.
Our Gospel Lesson comes from John 14: 23-29, part of the last discourse Jesus has with his disciples before that fateful week. Jesus tells them that his time on earth is coming to an end but promises that the Spirit of God will always go with them. The disciples soon realize that they must get on with their lives, but they also know that they have been altered forever because they followed Jesus.
We had a great Sunday school lesson today on faith. The author of this quarter’s lessons adds so many new ways of understanding that just reading the lesson helps build faith. We had a small crowd this morning. We all miss Lillie and Carolyn, and we hope to see them one of these Sundays. Joy said she was feeling some better, which was good to hear.
Today is also the first day of May. The first Sunday of each month is when Paxton Methodists celebrate Holy Communion. During the month of May we will be collecting cans of fruit for Community Christian Services. This Monday will be our ministry at Green Acres starting at 2:00. Later in the month we will visit Holiday Nursing Center and Lakeside Village.
Last Thursday we gathered at Lakeside Village—the assisted living place on the Loop in Center. Ms. Hilda invited Joyce Hughes and Emily Taylor, members of Project String’s Super Group String Orchestra, to perform for the folks there. Both played the harp and piano. Everyone had a great time listening and also singing congregationally. Nora and Gene offered specials—beautifully as usual.
“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 9:15 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!
May 2, 2016 - Paul writes, “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:” (Eph. 2:8). God has given man many things but the greatest of these is His Son as a sacrifice for sin. All that we have is by grace. Grace is not merely “unmerited favor” for all men everywhere each day receive unmerited favor from God in many different ways.
Grace when it comes to salvation is also coupled with our faith. For it is by faith that we are purified (Ac. 15:9), sanctified (Ac. 26:18), receive the propitiation (Rm. 3:25), are justified (Rm. 3:28), have access into grace (Rm. 5:2) and we are the children of God by faith (Gal. 3:26).
So how are we saved by grace and our faith? Paul said, “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (Rm. 10:17). So if we are saved by faith and grace then the Word must have something to do with this.
Paul also writes, “But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God. …And now, brethren, I commend you to God, and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified” (Ac. 20:24,32). Now notice that he said according to the “word of his grace” we are built up and are sanctified, which we noticed earlier that we are sanctified by faith (Ac. 26:18).
It was also this “grace” that Paul would testify to (Ac. 20:21; Ac. 14:3) and which he also said teaches us (Tit. 2:11-12). It is also this same grace that saved Noah (1 Pet. 3:20-21). Noah found grace in the sight of the Lord (Gen. 6:8) and that grace consisted of the word of God by the giving of the blueprint of the ark (Gen. 6:13-22).
It was Noah’s faith in the revealed grace of God (His Word) that saved Noah (Gen. 6:22; Heb. 11:7; 1 Pet. 3:21). Noah was saved by grace through faith such as men are today. As Peter wrote, “Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently: 23 Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever” (1 Pet. 1:22-23).
God’s grace is found in the gospel and when we have faith in it and obey it then we are saved by grace through faith. As Jesus said, “And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. 16 He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned” (Mk. 16:15-16). Being saved by grace is dependent upon men having an active obedient faith in the gospel of grace which is able to sanctify us.
Church email: northsidecoccenter@gmail.com
If you would like to receive our weekly bulletin via email, send send us your request and we will be happy to put you on the list!
May 2, 2016 - Are you ready for an adventure like no other? An adventure deep within the mysterious sea? Come join BETHLEHEM MBC, 13127 HWY 7 East, in Joaquin, TX for VBS on JUNE 13-17 from 6:00-8:30pm. Your children will submerge themselves in God’s Word, they will discover that Jesus didn’t just see what’s on the outside of people. He looked deep down on the inside. So grab your goggles, step into your flippers, and dive in to find truth below the surface!
If you have any questions or if you need a ride please call Caitlyn Raybon at (318) 349-2302 or Lonny Raybon at (936) 591-7559.
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