Shelby County Today

April 24, 2016 - Sunday was the 5th Sunday of Easter. The Holy Gospel for this Sunday was John 13: 31-35. Jesus is speaking to his followers for the last time. He gives them the “maundatum novum”—the new commandment--for the New Jerusalem. “Love one another. In the same way I loved you, you love one another.” The New Testament reading was Revelation 21: 1-6, in which John describes the New Kingdom that Jesus ushers in. Once again God will dwell with his people. God will wipe away every tear. “Behold, I am making things new. It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega”—God is the beginning reality, and God is the final reality. 

We had a wonderful Sunday school lesson from Luke about the Prodigal Son. I have a book about this parable and have been looking for it everywhere. When I read the Sunday school lesson Saturday, I knew I had to keep looking for it. At worship time we were in double digits! Yeah!

What a wonderful surprise it was to have Dianne and Keith from Los Angeles worshipping with us. Liz and Evie were also at church. Evie just turned one year old and is our youngest member; I used to be the youngest until they joined! Joe and Hilda had some help in the singing department with Keith and Liz, who have such nice singing voices. Hilda had a really nice visit last week with her sister from Atlanta.

The month of April is coming to an end. During this month Paxton Methodist has been collecting toothbrushes and toothpaste for Community Christian Services. Next month is cans of fruit. Next Sunday, the first day of May, we will celebrate Holy Communion as the church prepares for the end of the Easter Season and the beginning of Pentecost.

This Thursday is our monthly ministry at Lakeside Assisted Living in Center. Hilda told us that Joyce Hughes and Emily Taylor from Project String’s Super Group String Orchestra will be at Lakeside to perform. The program is at 2:00, and all are invited.

We heard from our good friend Lillie, who recently had a pacemaker put in. We hope she starts feeling better every day. We sure miss Lillie, Mike, and Liz and hope they can make a trip to Shelby County soon. Joy called Carolyn, who has been in the great state of Pennsylvania visiting family. We know she’s been a big help getting family members to doctor’s appointments and looking after them, but we really miss her at Paxton Methodist. 

Sue and I made a trip to Dallas last week. Both our kids live there as do my brother Kent and his wife Mary. It was great seeing all of them. My brother Kent and wife Mary are now vacationing in Cuba! They both worked in Central America for many years so are fluent in Spanish. Going now means they can experience life in Cuba as it was in the 1950s (before the tourists take over).

For so many years my trips to Dallas were mainly to visit my parents—and then my mother. Sue and I went to the cemetery and put flowers at my parents’ graves. My mother’s marker from the Navy has come, and it looks really nice. Both my parents were Navy veterans of World War II.

“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!

April 23, 2016 - The Gates Chapel Baptist Church of Shelbyville will host its Family and Friends Day Program on Sunday, May 1st at 3pm.

The special guest speaker will be the Rev. Chris Jefferies of the Shady Grove Missionary Baptist Church of Gary, Texas. Everyone is invited to attend says Paster Frank Cooper.

Sesquicentennial Celebration: 150 Years to Celebrate, 150 Ways to Serve

Center, Texas – April 21, 2016 – Commemorating their year-long sesquicentennial anniversary milestone “150 Years to Celebrate, 150 Ways to Serve,” the First United Methodist Church (FUMC) of Center welcomes Reverend Carol Clifford Turner on Sunday, April 24 at a combined worship service beginning at 10:15 a.m.  Sunday School begins at 9:45 a.m. and a covered dish luncheon begins at 11:15 a.m. following the worship service.

Rev. Carol Clifford Turner is an ordained elder with 37 years of pastoral experience. She is currently serving as Senior Pastor of First Methodist Church in Palestine, Texas.  Carol graduated from Center High School, Stephen F. Austin State University and Southern Methodist University. Since 1979, she has pastored churches in Galveston, Douglassville, Texarkana, New Boston, Maud, Nacogdoches, Longview, Lufkin, and Baytown. Carol has served on many district committees, is active in the Walk to Emmaus and is involved in numerous community activities relating to child welfare, Habitat for Humanity, shelters for women, medical care ministry and youth education. 
 
Carol began her Christian training in the nursery of our church, was active in Sunday School and United Methodist Youth Fellowship, and in November of 1974 was recommended by our church as a candidate for ministry. She was granted her License to Preach by the Nacogdoches District Committee on Ministry on August 30, 1976.

Additional information regarding FUMC’s 150th anniversary celebration plans for July and October during 2016 will be announced as details become available or by contacting Rev. Karen Jones at FUMC (936) 598-2707.

April 14, 2016 - And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying; "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." (Matt 28:18 -20) NKJV

We know these 3 verses as "the Great Commission", the great command given the church to be carried out across all the planet, to all nations, to all classes of persons, to all individuals. By His own power as stated in verse 18, He is able to give power to the church to carry His Word to all people, everywhere.

You see, God has no regard for any person over another, He wishes for ALL to be saved. He loves one as much as the other, all colors, all nationalities, all individuals are judged the same to Him with the only difference being whether or not an individual does indeed accept Jesus as Lord and Savior.

Verse 19 speaks of baptism and it references three persons, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, the three aspects of God. This may be best explained as; all things happen "from" the Father, "through" the Son and "by" the Holy Spirit. Christ authorized the church to baptize all believers in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, however, one is not baptized in order to obtain salvation, but to declare that he has already accepted Jesus as his Lord and Savior.

Verse 20 actually gives us both the assignment; "teaching them to observe all things I have commanded you" and the assurance that He, God will be with us always. We can rest assured that as long as we are obedient to His will, wherever we may be, He is there to guide us and protect us from evil.

However, as with the church, God's presence is based upon our obedience to His wishes and not the wishes of the world. This is all part of God's plan of salvation. As born again Christians, our salvation relieves us from the penalty of sin. Daily, through the study of God's Word, we are saved from the power of sin.

When we are finally at home, with Christ, we will be saved from the very presence of sin. Until that glorious day we are to teach the gospel of Christ every day, either through actually sharing His Word, or by the way we go about living our lives here on earth.

As Saint Francis once stated; "I am compelled to preach the gospel at all times, in all places, with all my might, even if it means resorting to words." Amen...

Please feel welcome to join us on Wednesday evenings at 6:00PM for our weekly Bible Study. For more info call, 936-615-1427.

May God bless you and keep you...