Family News and Notes
Copies of the Minutes from the Men's Business Meeting and Financial Statement for the month ending April 30, 2006 is on the table in the foyer. Please take a copy if you are interested.
Tuesday morning Ladies Bible Class has ended for this season. They will not meet again until September. Notice will be given as to dates as that time approaches.
Three or two events to remind you of that are coming up in June..
Sunday, June 4th is FRIENDS & FAMILY DAY. Be sure to invite your friends and neighbors so you can each have one visitor that day. After the morning service we will have a luncheon therefore every family should bring a complete meal so we will have plenty for our visitors (meaning a main dish, vegetable dish and salad or dessert).
On FRIENDS AND FAMILY DAY we will have a combined class in the auditorium for Bible Class hour that day to highlight our VBS that starts the next day. The sermon topic for the worship service that day will be "The Church of Christ, Who are We and Why?"
VBS begins on June 5 and runs through June 9th. The Theme for VBS is "The Christian Soldier's Armor."
And our Summer Youth Series begins on Monday, June 5 and will be each Monday nite thru July 31st (except June 26th due to Bible Camps).
Each of our young people are reminded to see David or Janice McCain for Camp applications to Indian Creek Youth Camp in Alabama on June 23rd thru 30th; Camp Cisco July 23rd thru 28th, and Camp Ida.
Elna O'Neal was able to return home Friday evening. She will be recovering more here.
Charles & Dorothy Kyle left Friday for a month (or more) working with the Sojourners Evangelistic Campaign. They will be missed.
Alice Freeman had gall bladder surgery on Friday. She came through the surgery OK and was scheduled to go home Friday afternoon.
Johnny Ramsey is still in ETMC in Tyler, Room 4474. He continues to have problems with the rash and some with his kidneys. He is a little better and in good spirits. Iris is doing good. Johnny still does not need any visits or phone calls but does appreciate cards and e-mails. (Visit etmc.org on the web to e-mail.)
Dudley Farrell had surgery Friday at the local hospital.
Deborah Biesemeyer's sister in California placed a contribution bucket where she works to help raise money to bring Deborah and Meghan to California to visit Disneyland. This is Deborah's wish for Meghan. The fund raiser was successful and they will leave Tuesday to fly out there and hope to be able to stop off in Arizona to see her son on the way. She and Meghan plan to be back here on June 4th in time for Meghan to attend VBS. Deborah is doing as well as can be expected and is looking forward to being with Meghan at Disneyland, and this gift to Meghan.
LaShedria Traylor (Tina Brown's daughter) has been experiencing asthma and ulcer problems. She spent a short stay in the hospital but has now been released.
THANK YOU "I would like to thank the church for the Bible I received for graduation and the party after services. This congregation has shown the three of us Jon, Kelly, and myself so much love and generosity. I know that I am very blessed to have grown up in such a caring church family. You will all be in my heart and my prayers while I am away. Thank you so much.
In Him, Jessie Wisdom"
~~~~~~~~~***~~~~~~~~~
PRAYER LIST:
Justin Barker, Rachel Barker, Jean Bell, Deborah Biesemeyer, Winell Blackard, Annah Brown, Nancy Chastain, Perry Cooper, Hollis Lee, Joyce Lee,
Georgia Lide, Courtney Marshall, Elna O'Neal, Wayne Pickrel,
Marie Plemmons, Johnny Ramsey, Helen Roper, Dorothy Sargent,
Alva Mae Sheets, Edith Shiflet, Ola Mae Simpson, Julia Terrell,
Rebecca Tippitt, LaShedra Traylor
ALSO: Wanda Abbey Rivera, Melba Boyd, Cristell Cato, Austin Cody, Juanita DuBose, Wesley DuBose, Horace George, Ruby Jeffery,
Wayne Lineberger, Lonita Thompson
~~~~~~~~~***~~~~~~~~~
GOSSIPING THE GOSPEL
(Note: We live in desperate times that cause great concern. The fabric of our society is rapidly crumbling. The American home is coming apart at the seams. Crime is on the increase. Drugs are everywhere. Modernism, liberalism, and anti-ism have fractured and continue to divide the Lord's precious body. The only answer to all of these problems is the precious and powerful Gospel of Jesus Christ. Who will stand and teach it? Who will soundly defend it? Who will contend earnestly for it? Why not you? You can begin by inviting a friend for Friends & Family Day, June 4th!)
It takes many things to keep the Lord's church going and growing in the right direction, which is pleasing to God. Sound leadership and goal-oriented organizational skills are certainly necessary in order to see progress. A loving and committed body of believers is an absolute prerequisite for real spiritual growth. Of course, there are the financial considerations of running any earthly organization, and generous givers are certainly needed in a congregation that wants to go anywhere but backwards. And, undoubtedly, unless we want our spiritual efforts to be in vain, we must follow God's plan to the letter, as we make sure we have Scriptural authority for everything we say or do.
However, it seems to me, that when all these other characteristics are present, then the real life-blood of a going and growing church is members practicing daily personal evangelism. The thing that really separates the growing church from the stagnant or dying church is a membership that's not afraid to talk about Jesus.
Recently, I heard a preacher speaking of the rapid growth of the first century church, and he described their method of spreading the Gospel as "back fence" evangelism. That is to say they talked about Jesus over the back fence with their neighbors and friends. He went on to describe what they were doing as "gossiping the Gospel."
We know God's Word condemns those who spread rumor, innuendo, and gossip in order to hurt others, or to destroy their reputations (Lev. 19:16; II Thess. 3:11; I Tim. 5:13). However, did you know there's another definition of "gossip" in the dictionary? Gossip is alternately defined as, "casual, chatty talk?" Perhaps therein is one of the keys to the dynamic growth of the first century church, that in their casual conversations, in their "chit-chat," they brought up the subject of Jesus. They actually were "gossiping the Gospel," in their everyday lives!
I certainly commend those of you who invite your friends, neighbors, relatives, and associates to attend our worship and Bible study services, because that's a great way for them to learn about Christ and His church. I also want to give special accolades to those of you who are courageous and zealous enough to try to set up organized home Bible studies with those who express an interest in learning more about God's Word! However, until we as a body of believers mature spiritually to the point where all of us, even in our casual conversations, look for opportunities to speak up for Christ and His Gospel, then we'll probably never see growth in our day like the first century church experienced.
Do you want the Lord's church here at North Jefferson to grow? If so, then you must bury your fears and begin to speak out for Christ and Christianity. You must "talk up" Jesus and His church. Indeed, all of us must "gossip the Gospel!" Will you begin today? Who will you invite for Friends & Family Day, June 4 th?
David McCain
~~~~~~~~~***~~~~~~~~~
The Book of Books
By: Johnny Ramsey
- part 5
(continued from the May 07, 2006 Bulletin)
Do Not Lift a Text Out of Its Context
In Psalm 14:1 we learn that someone said, "There is no God." But who said it? The "fool hath said in his heart there is no God." In Romans 12:1-2 we have the very familiar charge to present our bodies a living sacrifice unto God. This is called a reasonable spiritual service. As we carefully notice the context we understand why. The beautiful closing words of Romans eleven express the majesty of the unfathomed power of Jehovah and yet His gracious love toward us. Therefore, as a result of God's concern and provision for us we are urged to surrender ourselves to Him. The passage in I Corinthians 2:9 is often applied to heaven when it really to the inspired revelation of God to man. In I Corinthians 11:27 Christians are admonished not to partake of the Lord's Supper "unworthily." Some have taught that this means we cannot partake if we have lived in an unworthy way. But the passage is speaking of the manner in which we observe the Supper. If we fail to discern the Lord's body as we eat the bread, we violate I Corinthians 11:27. It has no reference to our conduct during the week prior to the memorial feast. Of course, children of God are taught elsewhere in the bible to "live soberly, righteously, godly." This same principle of keeping a context intact as we read the Bible would answer the questions about the conversion of the Philippian jailer. A careful and complete reading of the entire sixteenth chapter of Acts will show anyone that he had to obey the same commandments the Jews did on Pentecost, that Paul did in Damascus, and that we today must obey. The jailer heard the gospel preached, believer it, repented of his sins, and "was baptized the same hour of the night." There is only one plan of salvation for all of us this side of the cross of Christ.
Pray and Study
These two items will continue to increase our ability in the word of the Lord. We are taught to pray for wisdom (James 1:5) that we may best apply what we have learned through studying the sacred text. There is no substitute for dedicated, daily searching of the Scriptur5es. May we wisely budget our busy schedule of life so as to give God's will the very fist place in our time and affection. With the inspired penman we exclaim:
"With my whole heart have I sought thee:
Oh let me not wander from thy command-
ments. Thy word have I hid in mine heart,
That I might not sin against the"
(Psalm 119:10-11)
The higher code of living which the Bible demands is certainly one of the greatest marks of its of its inspiration by God. We are challenged every single day to be more like Christ. We are taught to love our enemies and to pray for those who would destroy us (Matthew 5; Romans 12). Christ gave us a pattern for dealing with our fellow man in Matthew 7:12:
"As ye would therefore that men should
do unto you, do ye even so unto them."
The fact that the Bible still stands, in spite of the rabid opposition of its enemies through the years, is a tribute to the providence of God. The indestructibility of the Book of books is aptly set forth in John Clifford's poetical tribute:
I passed last eve beside the blacksmith's door
And heard the anvil ring, the vesper's chime,
And looking in I saw upon the floor
Old hammers worn with beating years of time.
'How many anvils have you had,' said I,
'To wear and batter all these hammers so?"
'Just one,' said he, and then with twinkling eye,
'The anvil wears the hammers out, you know.'
And so, thought I, the anvil of God's Word,
For ages skeptics' blows have beat upon,
But though the noise of falling blows was heard
The anvil is unchanged; the hammers gone!"
Let us then grow in our love for the Bible. We should live according to its precepts and faithfully teach others out of its pages of the more abundant life.
~~~~~~~~~***~~~~~~~~~
