FAMILY NEWS AND NOTES
Volume 11 12 April 2009 Issue No. 07
PRAYER LIST
Justin Barker, Rachel Barker, Louis Bell, Doris Bell, James and Sue Browning, Jim Duncan, Irene Duncan, Jan Hargrove, Dorothy Kyle, Wade Miller, Thelma Reed, Brenda Riley
ALSO: Carolyn (Katy) Cabell, Wesley DuBose, Ronald Duncan, Janice Lineberger,
Wayne Lineberger, Charlie Whitney
Service Arrangements
COMMUNION FOR APRIL 2009
SOUTH SIDE NORTH SIDE
AM
Rance Robison
Royce Armstrong
Rodney Cook Jody Sparks
Sid Charlton Jon McCain
PM
Bronson Roper Daniel McCary
ANNOUNCEMENTS ……………......….Jim Duncan
(Sunday and Wednesday)
SONG LEADER
(AM)……………................….…… Randy Eubanks
(PM) ……………………..................…… Hal Roper
Wednesday Nite ..............…………….... Various
PRAYERS —– Sunday
AM First Prayer ……...............….Wayne Pickrel
AM Closing………….................. Gene Campbell
PM First Prayer ……..............… Rance Robison
PM Closing…………................….… Sid Charlton
PRAYERS — Wednesday Nite
First Prayer………................…........ Charles Kyle
Closing……………...................….. Fred Harkrider
And now for … FAMILY NEWS AND NOTES
MEN’S BUSINESS MEETING this evening following the evening service. All the men of the congregation are encouraged to attend because your input is important.
Pittsburg Church of Christ is having their Ladies Day on April 18. No brochure but updates may follow.
Our Youth will have a Progressive Dinner on April 18th. If you have not signed the “sign-up sheet” on the table in the foyer you are encouraged to do so.
A Teacher Appreciation Banquet is scheduled for Friday, April 24, 2009, in the Multi-Purpose Room, from 7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
North Jefferson's Spring Gospel Meeting - Set for April 26-29. . Please save these dates and purpose to support our Spring Gospel Meeting. Kris Groda will be preaching and this will be a good opportunity for our community to get to hear and know our new preacher
The Egg Hunt at the Stewart home was a great success. Lots of fun by all the kids and grown ups.
James and Sue Browning have not been feeling well for a couple of weeks.
Jim Duncan is still not feeling well. He said his doctor told him there had been no change in his aorta.
Brenda Riley was admitted to Titus Regional Medical Center on Wednesday in an effort to try to regulate her medication. No Visitors please.
Janice Lineberger has returned to her home from the hospital but still is not feeling good.
Wayne Lineberger’s cancer is growing in his lung. Elna O’Neal stated that he may begin chemo treatments in about 3 weeks.
Georgia Lide, although back in the nursing home, is still not doing well.
Cathy Robison was up and about this past week and was at services Wednesday evening.
Please continue to remember ALL of those mentioned in your prayers. Also, any on the prayer list not mentioned above.
Sherri Fox reports: “little Kenlee Grace Jaggers was born April 8, 2009. She weighed 8 lbs. 7 ozs. And was 20-1/2 inches in length. Proud parents are Todd and Jeannie Pat; grandmother Sherri Fox; and great grandparents are Carl and Pat Lee. Congratulations to Jeannie Pat and Todd.”
THANK YOU … “Dear Ones: Thank you so much for continuing your support of the work here in Dubuque — We appreciate you all being fellow workers with us. We also thank you for the cards and letters of encouragement! They mean so much to us. It really makes our day to hear form one of you—thank you—thank you—God Bless You All —- We love you — Mike and Teresa Demory”
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Bible bowl
North Jefferson Congregation
Monday, April 13, 2009
Participants need to
Study Judges 19,20,21
(last 3 chapters)
To prepare for Monday night.
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Area-Wide Gospel
Singing
Saturday, April 18, 2009
BLODGETT CHURCH OF CHRIST
(Junction of Hwy 127 & Hwy 21)
903-577-7145
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23rd Annual Mabank Lectureship
April 24 through 26, 2009
Theme:
Awake to Righteousness
Mabank church of Christ
306 West Mount Vernon
Mabank, Texas 75147
903-887-0311
(Copy of brochure is on the table in the foyer for your viewing.)
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OUR SYMPATHY … We were saddened to learn of Jack Orbison’s mother, Ruth, passing at the age of 107 on April 3, and the passing of his wife, Tola, the next day. Ruth’s funeral was conducted at the Autry Funeral Home in Jacksonville on Monday evening at 7:00 p.m. Tola’s funeral was conducted at 10:00 a.m. Wednesday at the Corinth Road church of Christ in Jacksonville.
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A Christian Nation?
By Kris Groda
I don’t normally write about political things, but there has been a lot of buzz this week about the statement that President Obama made before that Turkish audience: “…One of the great strengths of the United States -- Although as I've mentioned. -- we have a very large Christian population. We do not consider ourselves a Christian nation, Jewish or a Muslim nation. We consider ourselves; "A nation of citizens -who are bound by ideals and a set of values” (http://www.foxnews.com/videosearch/m/22072082/nationofcitizens.htm#q=christian+nation&seek=9.279)
It is hard to know the context of Obama’s discussion from mere sound bytes (Listen at your own risk). And it is hard to know what is going on in the mind of one that we would not consider to be a true New Testament Christian. If it upsets you that Obama made that statement, then we should be more motivated to be evangelistic! In other words, let’s do something about it. Really, we know that the founding fathers of this country developed a system of government that would allow Christianity to flourish. What it did do, regardless of intention, was allow religion to flourish. Today, the USA is a hodgepodge of many different brands of religion, all of which are tolerated by everyone, though we may disagree on many points.
Allow me to help you see a different perspective. While our convictions about Christianity cause us to grieve the Presidents statements, we would do well to realize that even among the founding fathers, we would disagree on matters of the faith, especially about what constitutes true New Testament Christianity, Bible Authority, and issues regarding the protestant reformation movement.
Consider that Jesus stood before Pilate and said, “My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from hence” (Joh 18:36). Jesus is saying that the Kingdom is spiritual. It wasn’t tied to Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria or any other part of the earth. The Scripture also states, “when he was demanded of the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God should come, he answered them and said, The kingdom of God cometh not with observation: Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you” (Luke 17:20-21). That sums it up. The kingdom of God is within us, the subjects of this spiritual Kingdom. So, people who believe on Jesus, obey His gospel, and do what New Testament Christians do, are the Kingdom. They may live in the United States, Japan, Antarctica, Jamaica, France, England, Germany, Russia, Vietnam, Canada, etc.
The Kingdom of Christ is not the U.S. Government (or any other man-made government), though there are Christians that live under such government and have sacrificed and died for it. It maybe that Obama’s statements were somehow a wakeup call for the church. Nationally, our behavior has become repulsive and uncouth. Sinful behavior is popular and righteous living is not. It is not cool to be clean or “pop” to be pure – but Christians must take a stand in spite of those who oppose.
It’s one thing to want to preserve our national heritage, its another to preserve our faith in God’s Word and to surrender the control our thoughts and deeds to the King of Kings and Lord of Lords no mater the country or government under which we live.
