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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
September 30, 2016 - Patch Activities in October at First United Methodist Church in Center.
October 1st:
• Grand Opening of the Patch at 10:00 a.m.
• Movie Night at 6:00 p.m.-Charlie Brown and the Great Pumpkin
October 12th:
• Family Night: Pumpkin painting and activities for the family at 5:30 p.m. (Pumpkins and paint will be provided)
October 14th:
• Cider Sipping Senior Day from 3:00 p.m.- 5:00 p.m.
October 22nd:
• Blessing of the Animals at 10:00 a.m.
October 23rd:
• Bake Sale during Coffee Fellowship at 9:30 a.m.
(All proceeds go towards covering the cost of the pumpkin patch.)
Hours of operation:
- Thursdays 3:00 p.m.- 6:00 p.m.
- Saturdays 10:00 a.m.- 4 p.m.
- Sundays 1:00 p.m.- 3:00 p.m.
*If you want to buy a pumpkin when the patch is unattended, please come to the church office or call 936-598-2707*
September 29, 2016 - October 1 - Prayer Brunch & Balloon Release 11 am @ the ALM
October 9 – Man Cave (Men will watch a Dallas Cowboys game with Pastor @ Bro. Bobby Watts home in Nacogdoches, TX) 3 PM
October 10 – Style Show (ALM Women will style the latest fashions) 6:30 PM @ ALM
October 22 – Appreciation Musical 6 PM @ ALM
October 23 – Pastor and Wife’s Appreciation 2:30 PM @ ALM
October 29 - Pastor and Wife’s Appreciation Awards 6 PM @ John D. Windham Civic Center – Red Carpet Event
October 30 – Candle Lighting Ceremony 12 Noon @ ALM
September 29, 2016 - St. John Missionary Baptist Church will be Celebrating our 127th Church Anniversary Sunday, October 16, 2016 at 2:30p.m. Special Guest will be Rev. Freddie Wilson, Pastor of the St. Paul Missionary Baptist Church, Center Tx. Theme: “A strong Foundation, Built to Last” 1 Corinthians 3:9-15.
The community is invited to fellowship with us!
September 28, 2016 - Triumph the Church and Kingdom of God in Christ San Augustine, Texas Elder. Delphine Thompson-Pastor presents 100 Women in Red Sunday October 16, 2016.
The event will start at 3pm and Rev. Elegena Weaver & Mt. Zion CME Church Center, Texas will be our guest.
Everyone is invited.
September 27, 2016 - This week we look at the book of 2 Corinthians at the special assignment given to Titus by the Apostle Paul.
The church at Corinth had pledged a certain amount of money to Paul for the needy in the church in Jerusalem. They had pledged, but not delivered, and Paul is trying to get them to hold true to their word as he had used them as an example of generous giving to get other churches to help to supply funds for the needy in Jerusalem.
Since they have refused to honor their pledge Paul decides to send Titus to Corinth to persuade the Corinthians to honor their word to him.
The following scriptures answer any questions the Corinthians may have concerning the authority and authenticity of Titus to speak on Paul's behalf.
"Therefore we have been comforted in your comfort. And we rejoiced exceedingly more for the joy of Titus, because his spirit has been refreshed by you all. For if in anything I have boasted to him about you, I am not ashamed. But as we spoke all things to you in truth, even so our boasting to Titus was found true." (2 Cor. 7:13-14)
"So we urged Titus, that as he had begun, so he would also complete this grace in you as well." "But thanks be to God who puts the same earnest care for you into the heart of Titus." "If anyone inquires about Titus, he is my partner and fellow worker concerning you. Or if our brethren are inquired about, they are messengers of the churches, the glory of Christ." 2 Cor. 8:6,16,23) "I urged Titus and sent our Brother with him. Did Titus take advantage of you? Did we not walk in the same spirit? Did we not walk in the same steps?" (2 Cor 12:18)
While Paul was the "senior pastor" for the gospel of Christ, he needed helpers. Pastors today are no different, they too need helpers, people who will help labor together with God.
Paul used Titus on many special assignment trips, some of which had been to Corinth and Titus had worked well with the Corinthians and had comforted them. He was the natural choice to send to try and collect their debts owed to Paul's ministry.
The Lord put into Titus the same earnest care which Paul had. He excepted Paul's exhortation, but, of his own accord, went to Corinth. While he couldn't force the church members to give, he could state the urgent need and make an earnest appeal for their support. What Titus did sprang from his heart of love for the Lord's cause.
Neither Paul, Titus, nor any other leader used his position for personal gain among the Corinthians. Paul even labored as a tent maker while he was among them so no one could think he was charging his needs to them.
God-called ministers, like Paul and Titus, have a woe ringing in their hearts when they fail to preach the gospel and those who preach the gospel are to live by the gospel.
Paul and Titus both showed that willingness to live what they preached, that was their special assignment for the Lord.
September 26, 2016 - We got a Harbor Freight coupon last week that offered their laser thermometer for half price. I have for over forty years blued firearms and found that controlling the temperature of the bluing solution was the diciest part of the job. Hand-holding a thermometer within inches of boiling caustic (sodium nitrate and sodium hydroxide boiling at 290 degrees)) can cause serious burns….and having a thermometer that would let me to take a reading from several feet away seemed too good to be true.
So within minutes, we were on our way to Harbor Freight in Lufkin. But as we walked into the store, Pam suddenly burst out, "Oh, no….I forgot the coupon!" After an unsuccessful attempt to get the special price without the coupon, we returned home… (almost a hundred mile trip for nothing!)
We had hardly gotten home when Pam said, "Hey, let's go back to Lufkin." “I just called and they have three left". After a brief discussion about driving another 100 miles to save $30, we were back on the road again…and soon afterwards back on our way to San Augustine. On the way home, I checked the temperature of Pam's ear, the water of the Angelina and Attoyac Rivers, and the car's air conditioning vents. It worked like a charm, will read temps to 950 degrees, and it only took $30, 4 gallons of gas and a 200 mile drive to get it. Consequently, not only are we happy to own a laser thermometer….
….We're also happy to own a Toyota Prius.
September 26, 2016 - House of Refuge Apostolic Ministries would like to invite everyone to come and celebrate with us our Pastor and Wife Anniversary honoring Apostle W. E. Nash Jr and First Lady Pearlie Nash October 2nd at 3:00pm. Guest speaker will be Pastor Alisha Taylor of Mansfield, LA. Everyone is invited, and lunch will be served. The church is located at 215 Church St. Center, TX.
September 26, 2016 - Sunday was the 19th Sunday after Pentecost. This is the last Sunday in September. If predictions are right, we should have some rain and finally some fall-like temperatures. I am not ready for winter, but I am so ready for fall or autumn. I used the Epistle Lesson from 1 Timothy 6 and from the Old Testament, Amos 6. All the lections (scriptures) deal with our love of money and material things and how throughout history our desire for more has moved us further and further away from God.
In my sermon I once again asked my congregation to look at the Epistle Lesson through the eyes of a first century Jew. Paul took Jesus’ call for Kingdom living very seriously and also that Jesus had said the Kingdom of God was at hand. Paul urged Timothy and others to grab onto the Kingdom and never let go. The Kingdom was not something to be experienced in another life but to be encountered in the here and now. Paul Tillich describes a kingdom life as “a self-giving life that affirms the eternity of life with God.”
Our Sunday school lesson was titled “Everlasting Covenant.” Our scripture was from Isaiah 61: 1-4, 8-11, much more upbeat than early chapters of Isaiah. After some sixty chapters of pretty bleak warnings and terrible events, this Isaiah reminds the people that the God of the Covenant is ready to proclaim release for the captives and give them reasons to celebrate. Our time together went very quickly and many questions and ideas were discussed.
This past week was a busy one. On Tuesday a group of us headed to Holiday Nursing Center for a program of song and stories. It had been a busy day at Holiday, where they had their annual Pageant. But we had a good time and appreciate the residents of Holiday inviting us to come each month. It was great to see Sylvia, who played the piano and sang for the residents. On Thursday we went to Lakeside Assisted Living. Ms. Hilda had quite a program prepared. Anna Bardwell, Hannah Menifee, and Josiah Menifee played the violin, mandolin, and piano. They are all three very talented young people. Our other volunteers kept things lively with songs and readings. We had a large crowd and a large number of volunteers.
On Thursday evening was our Charge Conference. In the Methodist system of doing things, the Charge Conference is a big deal. I was not raised a Methodist and in the beginning I found Methodist terminology and the Methodist way of doing things strange. The Charge Conference is a way for churches to reflect on the past year and also to file reports and budgets for 2017. The new District Superintendent for the East District, Rev. Tony Vincent, gave a devotional and conducted the conference. Rev. Karen Jones and FUMC Center hosted the Methodist Churches of Shelby County.
I officiated at the wedding of Valerie Jones and Mark McLaughlin at FUMC Carthage on Saturday night. It was a very nice wedding, short (the way they wanted it) but meaningful. Valerie and Mark are two wonderful young people, and we all them a wonderful life together.
“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!
September 22, 2016 - House of Prayer / Casa de Oración is inviting you to a Noche Mexicana, night of worship with Pastor Gilberto Medina. We will have Mexican food after service. Bring your friends! Free admission. Mark your calendars: Saturday, October 8th, at 6 p.m.
House of Prayer / Casa de Oración te invita a una Noche Mexicana; noche de adoración con el Pastor Gilberto Medina. Tendremos comida mexicana al final del servicio. Trae a tus amigos! Entrada gratis. Marca tu calendario: Sábado 8 de octubre, a las 6 p.m.
September 20, 2016 - "And Joses or Joseph, who was also named Barnabas by the apostles (which is translated Son of Encouragement), a Levite of the country of Cyprus, having land, sold it, and brought the money and laid it at the apostles' feet." (Acts 4:36-37)
No one forced Barnabas to sell his possessions and bring the proceeds to the apostles. No one commanded him to do so and others had already done so. He was not the first to step forward in support of the new church. Barnabas was not, however, following someone's example.
He was not of Palestine, he was a native of Cyprus and free of the prejudice and bigotry manifest in some of the Palestinian Jews.
His giving of his possessions seemed to verify his total surrender to Christ. From that day forth, nothing would hinder his service to the Lord.
When Paul tried to join the other apostles in Jerusalem, it was Barnabas who stepped forward and took Pauls stead with the others, eventually getting approval and acceptance for Paul from the others.
When persecutions scattered many members of the church in Jerusalem, some went to Antioch and so many began to be saved there that Barnabas was called upon to go there. This shows the confidence the other apostles had in him and his obedience in going tells even more of his good example.
We see here that Barnabas was an accomplished soul winner. "For he was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith. And a great many people were added to the Lord." (Acts 11:24)
Barnabas was presented with an opportunity in Antioch that many pastors long for; the opportunity to build a strong church and to enjoy a long and successful pastorate there. Barnabas, however, had no motive other than to teach the gospel and realized that he needed help in Antioch, he went in search of Paul and brought him back, together, they worked there for a year, teaching the gospel. during this time, they were the first of Jesus' disciples to be called Christians.
Paul and Barnabas were the first missionaries to be sent out by the Holy Spirit and the church at Jerusalem. "As they ministered to the Lord and fasted, the Holy Spirit said, "now separate to Me, Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them, they sent them away. So, being sent out by the Holy Spirit, they went down to Seleucia and from there they sailed to Cyprus." (Acts 13:2-4)
After a time they returned to Jerusalem and while they were there the word came down by council affirming that salvation is by grace through faith without the deeds of the law. (Acts 15:1-12)
Barnabas truly sat a good example by his service to the Lord... We need such people as Barnabas today, people with generous hands, minds and hearts, who are willing to set a good example for others to follow... May God bless and keep you each day...
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