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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
May 10, 2016 - Can we ever have complete trust in anything of this earth?
The Prophet, Micah tells us in his book; "Do not trust in a friend, Do not put your confidence in a companion" (Micah 7;5) "I will wait for the God of my salvation; My God shall hear me" (Micah 7:7)
So to the writer of Proverbs says in (3:5-8), we are to trust in the Lord and not in things or people of this world. President Reagan had a famous saying, "trust but verify" that is a good reminder for us, I think. As Christians we must live and deal with the people of this world, but we must use caution in our dealings. We see and hear so many things each day which are professed to be the truth, but are they? How can we know? Only by calling upon God in His wisdom can we truly know the truth, only by study in His Word can we discern the truth from the lies.
Proverbs 3:5 tells us to "Trust in the Lord with all your heart". In order to survive this life and yet prepare for eternity we must learn to trust in Him alone.
Verse 5 also tells us that we must not only trust in the Lord, but that we must trust only Him and to; "lean not on your own understanding." To me, this means to ask Him for His guidance in all things, first, before going on our own.
Verse 3:6 tells us in everything to "acknowledge Him in all ways".
If we can learn to completely trust God with our lives, then we can walk with confidence, we can be assured that He will direct our paths and that we will surely walk in the paths of righteousness as God would have us to.
Verse 3:7 cautions us against feeling that we are wise or thinking that we have all the answers to life's questions. "Do not be wise in your own eyes."
Any time we begin to feel secure in our own wisdom we are surely destined to fall, for only God has the wisdom to direct our paths in the proper direction each day. On our own we are certain to fail, but in God's hands we are sure to prosper.
Verse 3:8 offers a reward for our complete trust in the Lord. "It will be health to your flesh, and strength to your bones."
We will experience difficulties, we will most certainly have illnesses and pains, that is a part of life, a part of our testing, our purifying, by our difficulties we are made pure and ready for God's presence.
Jesus told us about trusting anything "of this world " when He said; "Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away." (Matthew 24:35) Clearly, Christ is telling us not to trust or depend upon the things of this world, for in time, all we will have will be our knowledge of His Word to trust and hang on to.
(Psalm 32:10) sums it up very well; Many sorrows shall be to the wicked; but he who trusts in the Lord, mercy shall surround him."
May the Lord bless you and keep you and make His face to shine upon you each day. Please feel welcome to join us each week for Bible study on Wed. evenings at 6:00 PM.
May 9, 2016 - First Baptist Church of San Augustine is having a Spring Revival on May 22-25, 2016. Services will be 6 p.m. nightly. The revival speaker will be Dr. Allen Reed, formerly the pastor of First Baptist Church, Nacogdoches, Texas. The music evangelist will be Jason Smith. First Baptist Church is located at 502 E. Columbia Street, San Augustine, Texas .
May 9, 2016 - The member of St. John Missionary Baptist Church is hosting the 9th Pastor and Wife Appreciation on Sunday, June 5, 2016 at 2:30pm.
The theme of the celebration is "Celebrating the Laborer that dwells among us."
1 Thessalonians 5:12-13: And we beseech you, brethren, to know them which labour among you, and are over you in the Lord; And to esteem them very highly in love for their work's safe. And be at peace among yourselves.
Special guest is Bishop W.C. Martin who is the Pastor of Bennett Chapel, Center, Texas.
St. Johns MBC is located at 2308 CR 2050, Center, Texas 75935.
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.
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