Good Time Sunday!

It sure was good to see everyone here Sunday! Savannah Brandon made her debut at church, and everyone was very excited to see her. She is precious. We also had the pleasure of having Brother Mitch's class join us last Sunday. It was mixed emotions since Brother Mitch was out for family matters. His father had passed away Saturday and Mitch was helping make funeral arrangements and such with the rest of the family. Keep on praying for the Robbins' family.

Another urgent request that we received from the Cook's yesterday is that David's dad is not doing well. They have put in a catheter in order to give him some relief, but things are not looking good right now. Please pray for this family.

Today is the day that the man is supposed to be coming to look at Harold and Joanne's dairy farm down in Tylertown. Pray that the Lord would open the door for them to sell the place if it is the Lord's will. Pray that the Lord would give them some relief from the financial burden.

REVIVAL MEETING starts up Sunday. Larry Sauvageot will be preaching the meeting, and we are praying for a real touch from Gog upon our lives. Will you also pray? Will you plan now to attend these special meetings? I hope that you will.

Next Sunday we are going to be looking at the end of Acts 15 and the beginning of the 16th chapter. Be reading ahead.

Have a wonderful week in the Lord!

We Are Halfway!

I am excited about our study in the Book of Acts. God has not stopped working. He still calls men and women to His service today. He still works through His churches. All He looks for are hearts that are clean and surrendered to Him. He also has promised to provide for our needs. Who will get on board? This is one of the main challenges of the Book of Acts.

Several were out last weekend and we missed you. You are in our prayers. Keep on praying for the Brandons. Savannah is doing well. . . as are Spence and Tammy. Praise the Lord for His blessings. Also keep praying for Francis' brother and sister-in-law down in Tylertown, MS. The deal with the investor fell through, but they are still hanging on the the Lord for help. Pray for our REVIVAL MEETING that is coming up in October. Let's determine to be there. Do it now. Do not wait until the week of to try to decide. Just make up your mind to come. Dad will be glad you did and the Lord will meet with you and speak to your heart. Pray for Dad and Mom as they come for the meetings. It will be good to see them and catch up on all the Australia information. God has blessed them in their travels.

WORK DAY is this Saturday. Many may not have gotten the word, so now you have. Make plans to be here at around 8:30. We will have something to eat if you come a little earlier. The preacher was talking about biscuits and gravy. We are trying to so some fixing up around the building as well as some painting. MEN AND TEENAGE BOYS are all encouraged to come and lend a hand.

Be reading ahead for the study this week. Our passage is in Acts 15.

Remember the Lord loves you and so do I!!

Blessing!

It was a good fellowship and Bible study Sunday morning. We continued with our study of Acts and talked about the Lord's calling upon our lives. Certainly He has the rightful claim upon our whole-hearted obedience because of what He has done for us on the cross. It is good to be able to serve Him. He wants us all to yield our lives to His service to be willing to serve Him in whatever capacity He desires. We will continue in the 13th chapter of Acts this week.

Also, do not forget that the Wills will be with us Sunday. Seems like this is the month for singing. Last Sunday we had Made by Mercy with us, and this Sunday we will have the Wills from Fort Worth, TX here to sing. The Sunday after that, the Sauvageot family will be singing a mini-concert for the Sunday morning service. Y'all come on out and be blessed!

Be praying this week for Jordan Alshargatli. He is back in CCU in Jackson. He had a spike in his temperature.

Also, pray for Harold, Francis' brother. There may be someone buying his place this week. Since we have been praying for so long about this, let's just keep on praying. He should know something by this Wednesday or Friday.

Pray for Tammy. . .the baby's time is coming. Also pray for Tammy's cousin. SHe has bone cancer and needs prayer.

Keep praying for all of our parents. Some are in poor health. Some are traveling long distances. Others are in need of spiritual encouragement.

Pray for the ministries of Wildwood Baptist Church. RU, Heritage Academy, outreach, Sunday School, retirement homes, and nursing home ministries. . .we earnestly desire the power of God upon us as we serve Him.

Continue to pray for our national leaders and the state of our nation's people. May the Lord raise up His truth in the darkness so that many could be saved.

It was good to have Terry and Mary's family in our class Sunday. Brother Tom was also in town and it is always good to have him in our group. Be praying for each other that we might be faithful and in this way encourage each other to keep on keeping on for the Lord.

Bless y'all this week! Holler if you need anything. Remember not to be a stranger even in the football season :-)

I'm Back!

Greetings! It has been too long since I have posted something on the wall for our Sunday Bible Study. . . which has been perking along by the way.

I would like everyone to know Jesus Christ and to walk with Him on a daily basis. This is the purpose of our Bible Study. Yes, we enjoy fellowship. Yes, we like to pick on Brother Mike. Yes, we do enjoy the donuts and the coffee. MOST OF ALL, I want you to know the Lord Jesus Christ as your own personal Savior. Once you know Him, I want you to learn to fellowship with Him. . .earthly fellowship is good, but not nearly so special as to enjoy being in the presence of the Lord daily. I want you to know how you can share your faith with others.

In line with these goals, we have been doing a little homework for our group. Every day, or as often as we make the time, we are "journalling". With our Bibles and a notebook we are jotting down the ways that God speaks to us and also the prayer needs and burdens of our hearts that we share with the Lord. It is amazing how this little exercise brings a new life to our quiet time with God. Hopefully it will help you to be more faithful and to develop the good habit of making this a priority each day, too. Next Sunday we will be sharing at least one thing. . .an insight or an answer to prayer or something like that. . .from our journals. I hope that you can be here and also that you can help make this a great time of sharing. It is not an exercise in perfection, just a time when we can brag on the Lord.

God is doing several things in the lives of His children as He molds us into the image of Christ. He is teaching us. . .giving us doctrine. He is also showing us the things in our lives where we have made mistakes. He then wants to show us how to make these errors correct. Finally, He wants to teach us how we can stay on the proper path of life. In these ways, the Word of God works in our lives. Our sharing may include one of these aspects of God's working in our lives.

PRAY
Mrs. Francis will be traveling this weekend.
Tammy's due-date is getting closer each day.
Keep praying for our parents who are struggling with health issues.
Pray for revival in America and in our own personal Christian lives.
Pray that souls will be saved.
Pray for our revival meetings coming up.
PRAISE GOD FOR HIS BLESSINGS!
Confess your own sins and failures to God.
Spend some time just thanking God for Who He is.
Keep Brandi in prayer as she is in her new job now.
Lift up the various ministries of the church for His leadership and blessings.

HAVE AN AWESOME WEEK! I am praying for you. Let's be faithful to our Lord.

After the Threats

Yesterday we pursued our study in Acts by looking at the response to the initial persecution from the Jewish Council. Sometimes we receive opposition to our Christian faith. In fact, it seems like being tolerant in our society is for everybody and towards everybody except Bible-believing Christians! From all appearances, unless we have a revival of real Christianity in our nation, this intolerance toward Bible believers will increase. Our Bible study proves remarkably relevant.

1. Gain support and strength in corporate worship and cooperation with other believers. Not only do we gain encouragement and spiritual sharpness as we gather to hear the preaching of the Word of God, but we also gain strength as we jointly state our purpose of serving the Lord and as we serve the Lord together.

2. The second response to opposition is PRAYER. Joining together in prayer with other Christians builds unity and puts everything in perspective. Ask God to demonstrate His power and enliven your witness.

3. Maintain faithfulness in the basic areas of Christian living. In our chapter we find the disciples demonstrating love for one another by giving sacrificially to the needs to others. The early church at Jerusalem contained a large number of "displaced persons". Many had come for the Feasts and then stayed. Some had experienced "shunning" from family, and were in real need of financial support. Even in the midst of persecution, the disciples did not become introverted and self-centered.

Let's be sure to include these steps in our response to opposition to our expressions of faith.

PRAYER NEEDS:
Terry's dad and mom. . .health needs.
Spence's mother is recovering from surgery.
Tammy - expecting :-)
Larry and Ginger are traveling in New Zealand.
Summer school for the next six weeks as well as enrollment for the fall.
Church ministries;
Those who are looking for work or needing jobs;
Sonya Haas is having trouble with a nerve causing her pain.
Tom goes for a Dr.'s visit Monday.
Pray for each other!

Let's invite someone to join us this next week.

Love Y'all,
Brother Mike

Good Discussion

I hope you are having a good week this week. Yesterday our Bible study in Acts focused on chapter 4. This chapter tells of Peter and John's examination before the Council. They were pressured to stop talking about Jesus, but this type of persecution would not stop them or any other Spirit-filled Christian. A holy boldness had been given unto them. Let's ask God to give us this same boldness in our witness for Him today.

Next week we will finish up the study of Acts 4 and the prayer meeting that was held. We may even get into the next chapter.

Be praying for Harold and Joanne, Francis' brother and sister-in-law.
Keep praying for Tammy's cousin who has cancer.
Pray for David who is traveling abroad in Morocco.
Pray for one another.
Pray for the ministries of the church, Sunday School, Reformer's Unanimous, Heritage Academy, and our other outreach ministries.
This week is the service at Avon Lea Retirement Village. Pray for the group that goes to minister, as well as those who will be going to the Cedar's Nursing Home service on Saturday.
Pray for Spence's mother who is recuperating from surgery last week.
Pray for Larry and Ginger Sauvageot who are traveling in New Zealand.
Pray for the Youth ministry on Wednesday night.

Bless you all this week! I do look forward to the upcoming weekend as we continue to study the wonderful Book of Acts.

Looking Forward to Sunday!

David said, "I was glad when they said unto me. . ." He was excited about the days of worship. We should be, too. This weekend is exciting to me since we have some good friends coming in from Phoenix, AZ. It will be nice having some time with them as they pass through the area. It is always good to be with our class members and church family. I like to pick on Brother Terry! :-) Best of all, this Sunday, we can come into the presence of the King of kings and worship Him Who has done so much for us and Who is our Awesome God.

Thanks to Brother Terry for his helping out and presenting the lesson this last Sunday. Here is a brief overview of what he presented.

Acts 2:42-47 FUNDAMENTALS of a HEALTHY CHURCH

In the past few weeks we have begun to look at the formation of the church.

Several things to mention:
1. The Great Commission was given - Jesus' Command
2. The promised COmforter was given - Holy Spirit (Pentecost)
3. The promised power was given - Powerful preaching
4. The church given - 3000 saved

J. Vernon McGee says that there are 4 marks of identifying a real church. Clarke says that there are 4 basic truths about a real church.

FOUR IDENTIFYING MARKS OF A REAL CHURCH: Acts 2:42
1. There is sound, Biblical doctrine being taught

They relied on the apostles to teach them more about Jesus. They had believed (2:41), now they wanted to know more (discipleship). he Greek word used here for steadfastly is a verb that communicates "a steadfast and single-minded fidelity to a certain course of action". Paul, in Romans, teaches Biblical doctrine: Sin, Salvation, Justification, Sanctification, and Glorification. (Who we are without Christ, how to be saved, how to live our life, and the rewards of living such a life.)

Major doctrines discussed:
DOCTRINE of SIN
DOCTRINE of JUSTIFICATION
DOCTRINE of SANCTIFICATION
DOCTRINE of RIGHTEOUSNESS
DOCTRINE of SALVATION
DOCTRINE of GLORIFICATION

2. There is genuine fellowship

"koinonia" - association, communion, fellowship and participation; to share in something.

As Christians we share the same Lord Jesus; the same Guide for life, the Bible; love for God; desire to worship Him; struggles; victories; job of living for Him; and joy of communicating the Gospel to others.

3. There is a continual remembrance of Jesus' sacrifice and love

They wanted to remember what Jesus had done for them, so they partook of the Lord's SUpper on a regular basis. Prior to every Jewish feast or celebration the act of breaking of bread was performed by the master of the house, where he blessed the meal. We do the same thing when we pray prior to enjoying a meal together. (1 Corinthians 11:23-24; Matthew 26:26)

4. There was continual prayer.

Prayer is needed in the individual's life to continue in the faith. What does prayer do? It increases our faith. It brings healing and God answers (James 5:15-18). There is a Biblical way to pray (Philippians 4:6; Matthew 6:5-15).

RESULTS of the actions and prayers of a "real" church:

* Fear in the souls of the unsaved - 2:43

* Those who belived were in one place (common) - 2:44
Acts 3:1 in one time
Acts 2:1 in one accord
Acts 1:15 to meet in one place
This verse has often been misunderstood. Many tink that those Christians sold all they had and lived in a separate commune together. But there were men and women from all over the known world in Jerusalem and they tarried there after they had been saved longer that they had planned. The Greek here indicates that they came together in one place, in one accord, and they sold and shared food, cooking pots, eating utensils, and all of the goods they had so that those who were less fortunate would not starve or sleep in the cold. Benevolence is one of the evidences of a true Christian. (Example - Mrs. Francis bringing coffee and donuts, or a benevolence closet)

1 Corinthians 16:1 refutes the idea of a commune. Collections were ordered to send to the church at Jerusalem.

* They were praising God - 2:46-47a (Hebrews 13:15-16)

* God added to the church daily - 2:47b

Pay close attention to this statement. God added daily, not man. However, ot was because of the Christian's continued thanksgiving, praise, prayer, and obedience to participate in the spreading of the gospel that God added to the church. A church will not grow if the "real" Christians do not share their faith, if they do not have sound doctrinal teachings, and if they do not have a private and personal prayer life.

If we take care to follow the example of Acts 2:42-47a, then God will take care of the church growth.

Church growth is not the pastor's responsibility, but it is the responsibility of all born again believers.

Matthew 28:19-20


Thanks Brother Terry for the good instruction and challenge.


This week we will be moving into chapter 3 in the book of Acts. THE HEALING OF THE LAME MAN. Y'all come and join us, and bring someone with you, too.


Be praying for Mrs. Francis as she travels this week. She is visiting her brother and sister-in-law down at Tylertown, MS. Also pray for the pastor's and their families as they also travel for a graduation in TX. Brother Mike's parents arrived safely in New Zealand and will be preaching there for a month. They send their regards to all of us. Carol Gibson, from West Point, needs prayer. She has a liver disorder and will require a transplant within a period of time. Thank God for visitors and keep praying for His blessing upon all of our services. Ask the Lord for a personal revival and then for a revival among all of the church members. He can certainly use a revived group of believers. We also are praying that God would separate us from wordliness. and thereby sharpen our witness and testimony for Him.

See ya Sunday!

Great Time Sunday!

Freedom and Sacrifice. . .what a message! I thank the Lord for the privilege to hear it. Of course we had no Sunday School last week, but this week we are back to the study of Acts. You won't want to miss it.

One thing we have learned already as we study the Book of Acts is that prayer is not an afterthought. Praying cannot be underestimated, or overrated. So let us continue in prayer for the services Sunday, for those who visited last weekend, and for those who are traveling. . .which is the Sauvageot family.

Thursday we are heading out for a family function in SC. I do ask that you would pray for us and for the niece to be married. The grandparents are there already so it will be good to see them before they push off for Australia and New Zealand. We will miss everybody this Sunday! You will definitely be in our prayers.

It is our plan to stop and visit with the Trasks in Georgia. They will be leaving soon for the mission field (language school in Mexico). Robin will be flying out in the morning to go and see her grandfather, who is dying of cancer. Pray for her safety.

Another good prayer request - STUDENTS OUT OF SCHOOL. Summertime can be a great time for the kids, but it can also be a time of spiritual coolness. Let's keep our young people in prayer.

Pray for Sonya Haas. She has been sick for several days and needs all of our prayers and support.

Pray also for our elderly folks who have been struggling with health issues. They have been such a blessing to us. Let us remember them daily in our prayers.

Keep our regular requests before the Lord also.

Hope to see you tonight at church :-)

Gene Howard!

This Sunday will be a special Sunday for us called our FREEDOM RALLY. I hope that you all can be there and enjoy Dr. Gene Howard, a fantastic John Wayne impersonator. His message, "Freedom and Sacrifice" will touch your heart.

Our Bethany Bible Class will take a vacation this weekend. Since the FREEDOM RALLY starts at 10:30 Sunday morning, we will not have our study. Bring something to add to the dinner on the grounds after the rally. Bring some friends as well.

Someone averaged it out one time. For every 10 people that you invite, you will get one person to come. Now that means a whole lot of inviting must be done :-). Also, it is an overwhelming majority of people who come because a friend invites them. So, let's show our friendliness and invite our friends. Many of them are probably familiar with John Wayne, if not already fans of his. Also be in prayer for the rally. I believe God wants to do some great things through this event.

Last week we looked at the foundational truth that unlocked Pentecostal power: UNITY. This thought comes from Acts 2:1. We will continue our study of Acts 2 when we return to class one week from Sunday.

SPECIAL THANKS to all of those who are serving or who have served our country in the armed forces. God has blessed us with liberty and with patriots who are willing to put their lives on the line for us. Thank a veteran, and also thank the Lord for His blessings. May God turn our nation back to Himself.

Have a good week!

Key Verse: Acts 1:8

Special thanks to Brother Terry Herndon for leading the class Sunday. Of course it was Mother's Day and we were a little slim on attendance, but had a good class in which we focused on the key verse of the Book of Acts - Acts 1:8.

Here are some of Brother Terry's notes:
"Power, Witnesses, Witnesses to Whom?" Acts 1:8
Parallel passages: Matthew 28:18-20; Mark 16:14-20; Luke 24:46-49; John 20:21-23

This commission was not only for the disciples, but for you and I today. It was used by the early believers to establish the church and for the churches to grow in numbers. This same commission should be used today for the same purposes.

Our human flesh is weak. It has no strength, neither should we have confidence in it. Therefore, Jesus told His disciples that they would receive power.

POWER - Dynami (dynamite) meaning strength, might, virtue, might, ability; Acts 4:33; 6:8; 8:10; 10:37-38; Ephesians 1:19-23; Philippians 3:10; Colossians 1:11

So the power that was received was the power to be witnesses and it was the power of God which is freely given to those who believe in the name of the Lord.

HOW IS THIS POWER RECEIVED? By the Holy Ghost coming upon you. When does this happen? Cf. Romans 8:9-11, 15

WITNESS: martyria (martyr)
Acts 6-7 reveals the witness of Stephen. Paul in Acts 22:20 stated that when the martyr Stephen was stoned, that he was a witness.

A witness is one who should be willing to undergo persecution and even death. A witness is one who tells others of past events that he/she saw (or, in our case believe).

WHAT WAS THE MESSAGE? WHAT IS THE WITNESS?
Acts 1:22 be a witness with us of His resurrection (Jesus' resurrection)
Mark 16:20
Luke 24:46-48

WHERE SHOULD THE MESSAGE GO? To all the world.

Where is our Jerusalem? The street we live on.
Where is our Judea? This community, city, county, state
Who are our Samaritans? Those of other cultures, races, etc.

Believers we have been given the power (ability) by the Holy Ghost to be witnesses (tell the world about Jesus). 90% of believers have never told anyone what Jesus has done for them.

John 4:35 "Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest."



Congratulations to one of our members - SUSANNE COOK graduated from Itawamba Community College this past weekend. Good job! Wish we could have been there with you to celebrate, too.

Keep on praying. Thank God for the person of the Holy Spirit Who helps, or wants to help us, pray and pray effectively.

God bless you this week! Tell at least one person this week what Jesus has done for you.

May 3 - Bible Study (Acts 1)

Good study yesterday. Started the Book of Acts. I do appreciate all who joined us for the study. We said a prayer for you who could not make it, too.

The cookout was great fun for me. I do enjoy being able to grill for the class, and a special thanks to everyone who helped. David and Suzanne brought a grill, charcoal, and a lot of other goodies like banana pudding. Frances brought strawberries and cake. Mable and Mary brought some other good things to eat. Terry provided his special recipe chicken. Tyler supplied the cream soda :-). It was great! We will do it again soon. Let's be working on some guests for our next one.

Do not forget to be praying and working towards the FREEDOM RALLY that will be held on the 24th. You will receive a blessing from Dr. Gene Howard. He has spoken here before, but he also speaks at veteran's gatherings and other national events. You do not want to miss this!

Next week we are studying Acts 1 and 2. Be reading ahead. Keep our requests in your prayer.

- Brandi, new job
- church ministries
- class members who are sick, or discouraged, or backslidden :-)
- Francis' brother
- Tammy, expecting baby
- Terry's job-search
- All of our parents health situations (my dad had a biopsy last week)
- FREEDOM RALLY preparation

Have a wonderful week, and keep in touch with us. Don't listen to the nay-sayers. God wants to bless, but He expects us to trust Him and wait on His timing.

See ya Sunday!

PRAISE GOD!

I believe that we had a touch of revival in our church services yesterday and encourage all who might have missed it to get back in the swing of things as far as church attendance goes.

Sunday morning Bible study time was also a blessing to me. We examined the Biblical teaching on separation. Separation is both positive and negative. . .THOU SHALT, and THOU SHALT NOT, in the Bible. Our testimony for Christ and our witness for the Lord require separation from the world's basic principles. These basic principles are found in 1 John 2:15 and are "the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life." From these three "rudiments" come all kinds of temptations for us as believers, and WE MUST BEWARE!

One awesome truth which will help us be overcomers is found in Romans 1:1 and comes in the phrase: "separated unto the gospel of God." It is time to GET CLOSER to God. That does not mean that you should seek some un-Biblical experience or join a monastery. It does mean that instead of neglecting God's house or keeping your kids out of Sunday School you should "kick it up a notch" and get more involved in the things of the Lord and of your local church. You are missing so much and are actually conforming to the world when you cease to get closer to God. We are a greatly privileged group, Christian. We can get as close to God as is possible. Let us draw near.

Be in Prayer:
- boy with leukemia (given by David Cook)
- national leaders
- David Higgins and others in Iraq
- Denny Douglas will be going to Iraq soon
- the father of Columbine students who recently gave a testimony before Congress
- Brandi, that her new job would not be a hindrance to her growing in the Lord
- FREEDOM RALLY coming up May 24th
- Re-enrollment for Heritage Academy is underway
- Tammy's cousin, cancer
- All of our parents for spiritual needs and health concerns both
- Terry, for work, and others who are having hard times financially
- Tammy as she carries the baby
- If you run out of things to pray for, pray for me

DO NOT FORGET THE COOKOUT THIS SATURDAY!!! (call for more details)


Have a wonderful week serving the Lord!

Good Group Sunday!

I am always happy when our class gets involved in serving the Lord. Special thanks to Brother Spence for teaching the children's School class Sunday morning. We also had a good group in our class. Connie, the soccer mom from down around Columbus, was here with the girls again. PTL! Also, thanks to Francis for the donuts and coffee. She takes good care of us each week.

Our study yesterday focused on Nehemiah 9-10 and the covenant that was renewed by God's people. God is a covenant making God, and we also should enter into covenant with Him. Thankfully we live in the days of GRACE. The New Covenant will be our focus for the next lesson as we looked at the Old Testament covenants this past week. I know it will be a blessing to you.

KEEP PRAYING -

Many of our parents are needing prayer because of physical infirmities.
We are constantly praying for our church missionaries and ministries.
We praise the Lord for Faith Miller's recovery!
Pray for the elected officials in our country and in South Africa (per request from a friend).
Pray for Tammy carrying the baby.
Pray for church folks who are looking for employment.
Pray especially for the FREEDOM RALLY coming up May 24th with Dr. Gene Howard.

I trust that you will have a wonderful week this week as you serve our Lord and Savior.

The Jury is In

We had a good time yesterday in our Sunday Bible Study. Easter is always exciting to me, but we had a good group and a good study. It was time for a little brain-storming and small group work. We divided into two groups and searched for some of the "infallible proofs". After the jury was "out" for a while, we then shared our findings. Great job in discovering these truths of Scripture. It was good for our faith to find out what the Bible says about the resurrection of our Lord.

We need to be in prayer for:
Susanne's mother has a tumor on her kidney and will be going to Birmingham for surgery.
Tammy's cousin has cancer and needs prayer.
Keep praying for David's nephew.
Spence's mother is also still needing prayer, also his aunt who is a caregiver.
Francis' brother Harold and his wife both still need our prayer.
Terry is not feeling well so pray for him.
Tammy - expecting the baby :-)
Brother Larry Sauvageot needing money for truck engine replacement.
Freedom Sunday is coming up. . .next Sunday we are having a planning meeting.

I do pray that you will have a blessed and fruitful week. E-mail me if you have anything to add to the blog or prayer list. God bless!

Spence Teaching!

I do hope that everyone will be present this week. Spence Brandon will be presenting the lesson. Come and receive a blessing. Our theme for the week is Prayer. Certainly there is no more important aspect of our Christian lives than staying in communication with our Lord 24/7. Pray for me as I prepare and teach for the children's Sunday School.

Keep on praying for each other and for the needs presented in the class.

Did you enjoy the Creation DVD? Let me know if you would like a copy. I am not sure how soon or if these are readily available, but I will check if anybody is interested.

Call somebody and invite them to join us this next week!

May the Lord bless ya'll really good. :-)

The More Excellent Way

A More Excellent Way – 1 Corinthians 13

Introduction:
A Good Teacher and a Great Teacher
"Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go" (Mat_8:19).
A number of years ago a Johns Hopkins University professor asked his graduate students to locate 200 boys, ages 12-16 and research their family backgrounds. The assignment was then to predict their future. The students were sent to the slum area of the city to find the boys. The conclusion reached by the graduate students was that 90 percent of those researched would spend time in jail. The final chapter of this study would not completed until 25 years later.
When the 200 original students were sought after, some 25 years later, John Hopkins sent the researchers into the slum area again. Some of the group still remained in the slums, others had moved away, a few had died. In all they were able to locate 180 of the original 200. What they found amazed them. Only four had ever been to jail (remember the prediction had been 90 percent of 200)!
What caused this figure to be so low when all indications pointed to a larger number? When the researchers began to ask this question they found that they were getting the same answer, "Well, there was this teacher...." Pressed further, the researchers found that the teacher in all cases was one and the same. The boys had all been influenced by the same teacher.
The graduate students traced down the teacher, now living in a retirement home, and inquired about her remarkable influence over a group of boys who were headed for a life of crime. She really could not think of any reason why she would have this kind of influence. She did mention that "I truly loved my students."

1. The Power of Charity
- w/o charity our words are empty
- w/o charity our preaching is powerless
- w/o charity our faith is of no benefit
- w/o charity our giving profits nothing
They Killed My Brother
I vividly remember an incident that took place at our Greek Keswick in Macedonia one year. The Lord had just opened the door for a special ministry among the Turks. After I announced it, a devout Christian woman came up to me, placed some Greek currency in my hand, and said, "I want this used to win Turks to Christ. They killed my brother, but I want to be the first to contribute to their cause." There will be a special reward for that woman at the day of judgment for believers.
- w/o charity our supreme sacrifice is 0

But with charity, our words are made health and healing, our preaching reaches down and touches the hearts of our fellow men, our faith touches the lives of those who will come behind us, our gifts mean so much more than just money, and our supreme sacrifice of ourselves is transformed into something glorious.


2. The Personality of Charity
- Charity is long-suffering; James 5:7
- Charity is kind (gentle in Behavior)
- Charity does not envy (from – BOIL)
- Charity vaunteth not itself (braggart)
- Charity is not puffed up; 1 Cor. 4:6, like bellows. . .
- Charity does not behave unseemly; is not indecent. . .1 Cor. 7:36 “uncomely”
- Charity seeks not her own; 1 Cor 10:24,33; not after personal interests
Christian Love
That great blind preacher, George Matheson, adequately grasped the idea of Paul when he wrote: "Christian love is the only kind of love in which there is no rivalry, no jealousy. There is jealousy among the lovers of art; there is jealousy among the lovers of song; there is jealousy among the lovers of beauty. The glory of natural love is its monopoly, its power to say, 'It is mine.' But the glory of Christian love is its refusal of monopoly. The spiritual artist-the man who paints Christ in his soul-wants no solitary niche in the temple of fame. He would not like to hear anyone say, 'He is the first of his profession; there is not one that can hold a candle to him.' He would be very sad to be thus distinguished in his profession of Christ, marked out as a solitary figure. The gladdest moment to him will always be the moment when the cry is heard, 'Thy brother is coming up the ladder also; thy brother will share the inheritance with thee.' "
- Charity is not provoked; can be good Acts 17:16, or bad Acts 15:39
- Charity thinketh no evil; does not make a list of the wrongs done, like a ledger.
- Charity rejoices not in iniquity; Romans 1:32. . .be careful of your entertainment.
- Charity rejoices in the truth – truth personified as opposed to unrighteousness.
- Charity beareth all things – the idea is of a roof, a protection or covering – 1 Peter 4:8
- Charity believeth all things; not gullible, but having faith in people. . .
- Charity hopeth all things; seeing the bright side, not despairing.
- Charity endueth all things; perseveres as a stout-hearted soldier; Jim Vineyard’s green beret experience in Vietnam walking out with broken bone in his leg.


3. The Perfection of Charity
- Perfect in its endurance, “never faileth”
- Perfect in its expression, the Book
- Perfect in its experience, seeing Him

How Time Flies!!

Can you believe that January is almost over? It will be over Saturday night at midnight. How are your resolutions progressing? Some have resolved to be more faithful in the year 2009, and I can see it happening. Some have purposed to make some changes in lifestyles and habits. Some are working at reaching out to more people with the Gospel. Some just want to not be so cantankerous. . .I had to throw one of my own in here :-). Well, what adjustments need to be made in order to see these resolutions become realities? I urge you to follow through.

New study in the book of Nehemiah begins Sunday! It would be great to have everyone in attendance. Good group last week even though some people have been sick. Come ready by reading ahead. Read at least the first chapter of the book of Nehemiah. If you want a bigger challenge read the entire book (only 13 chapters) each week during our study. Find out how the Bible gets better and better with each reading.

Be in prayer for one another. Sometimes we get discourages and, at other times, we find demonic attacks coming our way. Whatever might be your situation, or mine, it always helps to have a brother or sister in Christ really praying for you.

Wednesady night encouraged me as we got to meet Brother Freddie and Brother Jesse, two preachers from Arkansas. In fact, their enthusiasm was contagious. I hope that all in attendance have picked up some tracts and passed out some of these gold nuggets throughout the week. You never know what God will do with His Word, or a portion of it.

See you this Sunday! God best blessings on each of you.
Brother Mike

Faithful

If I were to ask, "Who has had the biggest impact on you as a Christian?" Who would you say? Maybe the better question, "Who is the best, real Christian you know?" Chances are that this person would not be known to the news media because they have not been world-wide evangelists, but are faithful, committed believers with a faith that has changed their lives and has also touched your life and others'.

Hebrews 11 reminds us that all of the faithful are not wealthy, bountiful, and beautiful. Some of the folks mentioned in the last few verses of the chapter endured great tribulation and privations, yet of these it is said, "Of whom the world was not worthy." That would make some epitaph. Let's ask God to allow us to be faithful to Him through the tough times.

Prayer Needs:
Brandi, Mary's daughter, has some spiritual needs right now.
Spence and Tammy
David's mother - tests on Tuesday
RU folks, and for a greater attendance
Heritage Academy - praying for more students
Missionaries' needs
Those who have been sick. . .Ethan, Moss family, Billy and Jean, Helen Smith's husband, Brenda, and others
Harold, Francis' brother, financial needs with the dairy farm
Outreach to be blessed

I do hope that you all have a good week in the Lord. Let's do what the preacher challenged us to do and lay aside every weight AND the sin that easily besets us so that we can perseveringly run the race for the Lord.

God bless you. See you Sunday if not before!

- You may want to be reading ahead as we will begin a study of the book of Nehemiah: "Building for the Lord" starting this next Sunday.

Faithful to Follow God's Plans

Joshua stands out in the OT as a beautiful picture of Christ. In fact they share the name Yeshua: Jehovah is salvation. This Sunday we will be studying his life and also the life of Rahab, whose life was transformed by faith in the Lord. I hope that you can join us for this study.

Keep praying for David Cook's mother. David and the family went down last weekend to check on her thinking she may have had a stroke. She has been under a lot of stress with her husband's illnesses. Anyway pray for this family in need. It was great to see Spence and Tammy's fiends in church last weekend! I hope that they will come again and maybe even involve themselves in our class fellowships in the new year. Pray for them. It's my turn to hold Jack when we see them again :-). Pray for our men who are needing work. Tom has started a new OTR trucking job, so that is a praise note. Terry is still looking for more work. Thank the Lord for His provision day by day. Pray for our missionaries. Get a prayer list and find out what they are battling right now. Some have health concerns, others safety concerns, and others are praying for help. The fields are white already to harvest, so let's pray for the Lord to send out laborers. Pray for the various ministries of the church. It is our privilege to reach and teach folks. Let's ask that God would grant a spirit of cooperation among us so that we might more effectively do the work He has for us to do. Remember Sunday morning Christianity is not what the Bible talks about. Salvation changes us, so we are different all week long.

I love ya and look forward to seeing you this Sunday morning at 9:45 for Sunday School. Have a wonderful week!

Happy New Year!

Wow! 2009 is here. Can any of you remember in gradeschool trying to work out how old you would be in 2000? Well that has been almost ten years ago :-). God has blessed us in so many ways during the past year. I will thank Him for the pain as well as the pleasures. He is so good to us.

It is great to have anticipation and excitement. Sunday School brings me a lot of excitement. So many are getting involved and helping out in the new Sunday School program that I can't help but be thrilled. We are looking for new kids and adults every day. Keep on praying and talking it up.

Our study in faithfulness resumes this Sunday with the life of Joseph. He was faithful to the plan and purpose of God. He could not see the "good" in all his circumstances at the time, but he still trusted God. He still honored the Lord with his actions and words. After going through the tests, he looked back and saw the hand of God in all of it. This challenges me to faithfully serve the Lord day by day, and trust His wisdom and power to keep me effective for Him.

Are you ready to accomplish those resolutions? What kind of resolutions do you have? Some of mine are - journaling through the year in my devotion time; losing a few pounds; spending more time praying and less time griping; writing songs; using my time better; in-depth study of Nehemiah. . . There are more, too. Having goals is important. Zig Ziglar tells the story of famous archer, Howard Hill. Hill won 196 archery tournaments in succession. He also made short films of his archery feats such as shooting aspirins from the air and hunting elephants with his bow and arrow. What made Howard Hill so effective? He had a target. Without a target, you have no Howard Hill or Annie Oakley. We also need targets to focus our energy and help us to know the next step in life.

Be in prayer. Pray for the people and items on both our Sunday School list and church list. Prayer that touches Heaven makes all the difference here on earth. Prayer also makes a big difference in our relationships with others. You might be frustrated by someone you pray for, but you can't hate or seek to harm them.

God bless you in the new year as you draw near to Him.