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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
January 21, 2019 - Sunday was the 2nd Sunday of Epiphany. The Gospel Lesson comes from the second chapter of the John Gospel. The other three gospels are referred to as the Synoptic Gospels because they are similar—they borrow from each other and possibly another source that German scholars simply refer to as “Q.” John’s Gospel is a theological statement, full of “signs” pointing to Jesus as much more than the Hebrew messiah or the savior of the Gentiles: more like a preexistent being coming from heaven and becoming God Incarnate (in flesh). The first sign in John comes when Jesus changes water into wine at the wedding in Cana. All three of today’s scriptures speak of God’s love for his creation, including us. Words such as “enjoy” and “delight” are used to describe God’s great love.
We were in double digits this morning, although we certainly missed Gene at Sunday School and worship time. Hopefully he will feel better soon. Our Sunday School lesson used Philippians 1: 12-21 as its scripture, where we hear Paul speaking about demonstrating Christian love even in difficult situations. The purpose of the lesson is for us to practice our devotion to Christ daily in the ordinary things of life. This really goes along with the book I am reading about mystics of faith.
It is Saturday morning as I start writing this article. It was 53 when I got up and by the time I walked my two faithful companions, Gunter and Sam, it had already dropped to 40! It was so windy that it felt much colder than that. And, of course, Sunday morning was forecast to be below freezing. My uncle in Maine says, though, that we Texans don’t really understand winter. I’m thankful for that!
This past Tuesday a group of us met at Holiday Nursing Center for our monthly program. Mrs. Hilda was our able pianist. Sue read a funny story about a class field trip, The Day Jimmy’s Boa Ate the Wash. Nora has her voice back; she sang a zippy song about Dr. King and another song that many of the residents knew. Monday is MLK Day, when we remember one of his quotes, “It is always the right time to do what is right.” Jo is on the mend and added her voice to our singing. Sally sang “How Great Thou Art.” Matt spoke about the wedding at Cana, and I talked about the baptism of Jesus. When we started, there were just a few residents, but not long into our program the dining hall filled up.
All month long we will be collecting cans of tuna. At the end of the month we will donate them to Community Christian Services in Joaquin. This coming Thursday we head to Lakeside Assisted Living for a program. Sue contacted our faithful folks by email and phone to remind them of the Lakeside ministry. Next month the worldwide communion of the United Methodist Church will meet in General Conference in St. Louis, Missouri. The church is trying to figure “a way forward” over questions of sexual orientation. Disputes have divided the church worldwide and in the United States; church leaders as well as the folks in the pews are looking for “a way forward” that will honor and respect everyone, despite differences. That is a pretty daunting task.
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.
January 18, 2019 - An evening of southern gospel music is being planned at Yellowpine-Macedonia Baptist Church for Saturday, January 26, 2019. This special service, beginning at 6:00 p.m., will be highlighted by the Southern Plainsmen Quartet. There will also be congregational singing and locals offering special music. The singing will be followed by a time of fellowship. No admission will be charged, only a love offering received. Yellowpine-Macedonia Baptist Church is located at the intersection of Texas Hwy. 87 and FM 2343 in Sabine County's Yellowpine Community. Contact Pastor T.A. Lane at 409-584-1144 or 409-382-8765 for information. The Southern Plainsmen, pictured here, include, from the left, Marcelle Slaughter, Aaron Allen, Timothy Thomas, and Gabriel Austin.
No Admission / No Offering
January 16, 2019 - Carman is bringing the Legacy Tour to Center, Texas. This is a FREE tour no gimmicks. That means no cost to get in and no offering will be taken up. Carman has been in ministry over 40 years in America and around the world and he is still going strong. With his passion to see souls won to Jesus Christ, Carman set out to do something never heard of before in Christian music or any music genre, and that is to provide a FREE tour experience to bring in as many people as possible to hear the message of Jesus Christ. Carman will be ministering in music with some of the many #1 hits he has had over his 40-year career. Carman will also be ministering in word, and prayer. This is an event you do not want to miss. So, bring your friends, family, and anyone you want to introduce to Jesus Christ, and come out to the Carman Legacy Tour. You will be so glad you did.
Center Christian Fellowship is hosting Carman "Legacy Tour" on Sunday, February 17, 2019 at 6pm. The church is located at 2471 Highway 96 North, Center, Texas 75935.
January 15, 2019 - At the death of the great king, David, of Israel the Lord appointed his son, Solomon, to be the new king and to rule over the people of Israel.
In the night God appeared to Solomon, and said to him, “Ask what I shall give you.” (2 Chronicles 1:7)
And Solomon responded to God, saying, “Give me now wisdom and knowledge to go out and to come in before this people, for who can govern this people of yours, which is so great?” (2 Chronicles 1:10)
And God bing pleased that Solomon had asked only for wisdom and knowledge that he might better serve the people of the Lord gave him that which he asked for but God also gave him much more saying, “Wisdom and knowledge are granted to you. I will also give you riches, possessions, and honor, such as none of the kings had who were before you, and none after you shall have the like.” (2 Chronicles 1:12)
As Solomon reigned over the people the time came that he was to build the new temple in Jerusalem for they still worshipped at the tent of meeting which housed the ark of the covenant and the two tablets of Moses upon which God had written the Ten Commandments with his own finger.
As Solomon has been directed to build the new temple by his father David, and as he prepares to build it in Jerusalem he asks humbly, “The house that I am to build will be great, for our God is greater than all gods. But who is able to build him a house, since heaven, even highest heaven, cannot contain him? Who am I to build a house for him, except as a place to make offerings before him?” (2 Chronicles 2:5-6)
Solomon in his wisdom realizes that the only reason he would be able to build a house, a temple, for the Lord would be that the people would have a place to come and worship the Lord their God, which in those days included making burnt offerings and sacrifices to him for all their sins and transgressions.
Solomon did build the temple for the Lord and finally when all the work was finished.
“And Solomon brought in the things that David his father had dedicated, and stored the silver, the gold and all the vessels in the treasuries of the house of God.” (2 Chronicles 5:1)
And Solomon dedicated the new temple to the Lord, saying; “For I have risen in the place of David my father and sit on the throne of Israel, as the Lord has promised, and I have built the house for the name of the Lord, the God of Israel.” (2 Chronicles 6:10)
“As soon as Solomon finished his prayer, fire came down from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices, and the glory of the Lord filled the temple.” (2 Chronicles 7:1)
“When all the people of Israel saw the fire come down and the glory of the Lord on the temple, they bowed down with their faces to the ground on the pavement and worshipped and gave thanks to the Lord, saying, “For he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever.” (2 Chronicles 7:3)
Many say today, “If we had miracles such as this, I too would believe in the Lord as did these people of old."
I am here to tell you that you do have these same miracles today as they are described for you, by God, in his written word, the Bible.
In His Word, one can read for himself of the miracles of God, of all the great and wonderful things done by our Lord Jesus Christ; by his life, death and resurrection on earth, and by his continued shepherding of his own from heaven.
Wanna change your life, forever!
Come forth today and do as the Bible directs all to do. “Because if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.” (Romans 10:9-10)
It’s really simple, accept Jesus Christ as Lord, read the Bible, follow it, believe in God and obey Gods will and you will find yourself in a new place with a new life, a new purpose and unspeakable joy unknown to the world.
January 14, 2019 - We the Members and Pastor of Carroll Chapel CME Church in Shelbyville, would like to invite you to our Annual Men and Women Day Program. Sunday, January 20, 2019 at 3pm.
Our Gueat Speaker will be Pastor Theresa Cartwright of the First Pentacostal Church in Shelbyville, TX.
Everyone is invited.
January 10, 2019 - Huxley Helping Hands, a local mission group from the Huxley Community, are holding a food pantry for the residents of Shelby County on Saturday, January 12, 2019 at Hillcrest Baptist Church. Sign-in starts at 9am and lasts until food is gone.
All recipients must show identification, proof of residency and income. Only one (1) box per household.
Hillcrest Baptist Church is located at 901 Southview Circle, Center, Texas.
January 9, 2019 - We will be having movie night at First Assembly of God in Timpson January 13 and 19, 2019 at 6pm. Everyone is invited and it is free to the public. Come out and be blessed.
First Assembly of God is located at 652 Houston Streetm Timpson, Tx.
For more information call, 936-572-4693.
January 9, 2019 – Smith Chapel Baptist Church calendar of programs for 2019 is below.
January 20 – Pastor and Wife Appreciation at 3pm
March 3 – Church Anniversary at 2:30pm
April 27 – Choir and Usher Night at 7pm
June 2 - Family and Friend's Day at 2:30pm
August 4 – Homecoming at 11:30am
August 5 to 7 – Homecoming Revival, Monday-Wednesday, 7:30pm nightly
September 8 – Musician's Appreciation at 7pm
October 5 - Men and Women's Day at 6pm
November 10 - Harvest Day at 2:30pm
I am Saved (Regeneration) - Ephesians 2:8
I am being Saved (Sanctification) - 2 Corinthians 4:16
I will be Saved (Glorification) - 1 Peter 1:5
Smith Chapel Baptist Church is located at 919 County Road 4704, Timpson, Texas. Pastor is Reverend Mario Osby with First Lady Sister Teresa Osby.
January 8, 2019 - Smyrna Baptist Church Huxley, Texas presents "The Porch" on January 14th at 7pm. Refreshments served from 6:30pm until 7pm. The guest speaker will be Dr. Jimmy Smith with worship music by Paul and Brittany Koiner. Come join us and bring a friend, you will be blessed.
Pastor, Bro. Rusty Hall
January 7, 2019 - Let us address the Law which God gave to Moses as he led the Israelites for forty years in the wilderness. God gave Moses over 600 laws, each of which had to be kept perfectly if one was to see the kingdom of God.
A set of laws made impossible for a human man to follow to perfection and the priest would have to make sacrifices for them before God.
By having an impossible task, the people would learn that, on their own, they could not succeed, but that they would have to have Devine help if they were to see the kingdom of God on the day of judgment.
God did this in order to prepare the Israelite people for the coming of his Son, Jesus Christ as he would come as a savior for all of his people.
On the day when Jesus died on the cross of Calvary when all had been accomplished that the Father had asked of him; “And Jesus uttered a loud cry and breathed his last. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom.” (Mark 15:37-38)
The significance of this being that by the death of Jesus there would no longer be a need for intervention for the people by a priest, for the Great High Priest, Jesus Christ, would now be forever watching over his own.
The curtain was between the outer sanctuary and the inner place, the holy of holies where only the priest could go.
Now by Jesus’ sacrifice of his own life for the lives of all others, anyone could come freely into the throne room of God in prayer.
Once one has accepted Jesus Christ as his own sovereign Lord and Master he is then removed from the world and held by the Spirit.
“But now we are released from the law, having died to that which held us captive, (which was sin), so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit and not in the old way of the written code.” (Romans 7:6)
Until one accepts Jesus as Lord he lives according to the flesh, which is in sin, born of Adam, and transferred to all who are born of man and woman. But those who do accept Jesus as Lord, they live according to the Spirit of God, their minds being set on the things of the Spirit.
For with acceptance of Jesus as Lord comes salvation and the free gift of the Spirit of God. For the path to salvation comes only through repentance; “And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” (Acts 2:38) “Save yourselves from this crooked generation.” (Acts 2:40)
For all who come to the Lord Jesus seeking his face and his fellowship, humbling themselves and making themselves living sacrifices to the Lord; a new day dawns, a new time begins, a new creature is born, released from the old and made anew.
“There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death.” (Romans 8:1-2)
“The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs - heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.” (Romans 8:16-17)
So accept him and obey his commands and become heirs of the Father God, heirs to the kingdom of heaven…
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