Family News and Notes
BUILDING FUND . If you are able and have made plans you may contribute to the Building Fund today. Thank you.
SYBSNET (Summer Youth Series) will meet Monday evening (July 3) at Westwood Church of Christ in Paris. Bro. Elmer L'Roy will be the speaker. His topic is: "Make Friends of God's Children."
We now have available 4 Hearing Aids and those who wish to be able to hear better may take advantage of these new units. Check with the Sound Room staff for one of these units.
After services this evening Jody and Stephanie Sparks are hosting a get-together for those who wish to attend, at their home at 2561 FM 1734. There will be hot dogs and ice cream. Bring your lawn chairs and watch the fireworks. Check with Jody or Stephanie for items you need to bring.
Jessie Wisdom will be away at Lions Camp for several weeks. Her address while there is: Jessie Wisdom
P O Box 290247
Kerrville, Texas 78029-0247
She should return home about the middle of August and then in late August or early September she will be going off to college.
Wayne Pickrel got a good report from his Catscan yesterday. His doctor said there have been no changes. He returns in 3 months. Wayne said thanks for your support and prayers.
Sue Browning had cataract surgery Thursday. She is doing OK.
Edith Shiflet has been sick at home and not doing well. She would appreciate phone calls and cards.
Bryan Vaught (age 15) (Grandson of Larry Freeman, Great Grandson of Hallie Lang, and great nephew to Rhodney, Linda, Brenda and Jerry) had open heart surgery at Baylor Hospital in Dallas on Thursday to repair a hole in his heart valve and repaired part of the main artery to the heart. He then had to have a drainage tube inserted into his lung because of bleeding. He will be at Baylor for several days.
THANK YOU "Thank you for your thoughtfulness. It meant so very much. Thanks for the calls, visits, cards and prayers during my stay in the hospital. They were greatly appreciated.
In Christian Love
Bud Roach"
From the elders: The following letter was received from Bro. Miguel Angel Bocanegra in Mexico..
"Dear Brothers, may god bless all of you. The Church here in Pedro Escobedo greets all of you. I understand that you may be wondering about me. I've been busy with the Lord's work. Some of the members have retired and gone apart from the Church but others have come, and their names are: Mrs. Lilia and her family, Mr. Jose Garcia, his wife Rosalba and their sons. I'm currently having studies with: Mr. Ramon and his family, Mrs. Maria de Rosario and her family, and Mrs. Marcela. That's what I have going with the studies. On the other hand, we are still working on the building. We wish that you all pray for us to continue growing in the Lord's work. Best wishes to all of you, my brothers in Christ. Miguel Angel Bocanegra. I'm still working at the Preaching School helping Brother Miguel Arroyo. God bless you dear brothers."
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PRAYER LIST:
Justin Barker, Rachel Barker, Jean Bell, 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
ALSO: Deborah Biesemeyer, Melba Boyd, Dennis Buchanan, Cristell Cato, Austin Cody, Juanita DuBose, Wesley DuBose, Horace George, Edna Graves,
Ruby Jeffery, Wayne Lineberger, Wanda Abbey Rivera
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DON'T LOSE HEART
(Guest Article from Bangs Church of Christ)
by Michael Light
One of the greatest weapons the Devil has in hindering people from entering the joys of heaven is depression. When one loses hope he loses heart. Once a person loses heart they are destined to fail at whatever endeavors they undertake.
From time to time we witness this in sporting events. One team will get behind and you can sometimes see it coming. They hang their heads and internally give up. The outcome is always the same, THEY LOSE.
In the Christian life the same is true. Satan heaps trials and tribulations on us and sometimes we begin to hang our heads. Once he gets us to doubting ourselves and our Christianity, he is well on his way to getting us to quit. Some members who quit will stop attending services and revert to worldly living. While others go through the outward motions of the faith but inwardly they are dead as a doorknob.
Paul told the church at Ephesus that we are not ignorant of the devices of the devil, nor of his ways. If we are hoping to succeed in being true to God for the duration of our lives we must not lose heart. Trials are guaranteed. 2 Timothy 3:12 says, "Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution."
We need to look to the biblical accounts of men and women who overcame great disappointments and troubles, and learn from them. Romans 15:4 says, "For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope."
Men like Job, who suffered more than most of us can even fathom, should inspire us to persevere. If he overcame the loss of ten children and all of his wealth in one day, then we too can endure when life force-feeds us bitter pills. His health was lost and yet he stayed true to God.
When we suffer the loss of family members, even the untimely loss of young family members, we cannot lose heart. We can't quit. If we quit, Satan wins. If we quit there will be no true peace (Matthew 25:21, 46). If we quit then Christ died in vain, the church labors in vain and our life is a tragic waste.
When we grow ill, don't forget we serve the Great Physician, He offers peace and life (Matthew 11:28, 29). Sometimes it doesn't come until the next life, but it will come if we don't quit.
Losing heart is a problem with which many struggle on a daily basis. Please try to keep a biblical perspective, life is full of problems, BUT, they are TEMPORARY. God's love is eternal. Don't Lose Heart.
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WHY WAS JESUS SO CONTROVERSIAL?
Johnny Ramsey
[1] His perfection made it uncomfortable for others.
To be in the presence of the Son of God made anyone else's fame pale unto nothingness. His deeds, His speech, His attitude and endeavor formed a matchless framework of beauty. The Scribes wanted power, but Jesus unfolded the Scriptures. The righteous pretense of the Pharisees folded before the marvelous purity of the Messiah. The arrogant claims of the Sadducees were easily put asunder by one clear word of logic of the Savior. Since very few people enjoy being "upstaged," Jesus was intensely hated (Mark 15:10).
[2] His salvation was spiritual, not temporal.
The word, "Hosanna," had become a popular cry of deliverance among the Jews in Jesus' time. Since it was a term of release from bondage, meaning, "Save us, we pray," it was popular with a people who so resented the Roman yoke. He came not to deliver Judaism from Rome, but to deliver sinners from Satan's way. He said, "My kingdom is not of this world" (John 18:36), and those whose hearts were on physical things were distraught.
[3] He embarrassed the socially elite. In Mark 2
and Luke 19, the Savior's propensity for eating with sinners caused a revolt within the ranks of the "upper crust" of society. Jesus came to "seek and to save the lost" (Luke 19:10), but the doctors of the law were upset when large crowds came to hear Him teach, because He had not gone to one of their schools (John 7). The piercing logic of the Lord was constantly embarrassing (Mark 12:24; John 8:39-40). He unveiled their evil hearts of selfishness in the "elder brother" (Luke 15) and their ritualistic piety in the story of the priests and Levites Who "passed by on the other side" (Luke 10). No wonder they were offended and sought to kill Him. Are there any sadder words than those in John 1:11? "He came unto his own, but his own received him not."
His Goodness Led Many to Reject Him
It is hardly conceivable that anyone as wonderful as Jesus would have as many enemies as He did. How could anyone spurn such unselfish love? Even though we cannot answer these questions completely, it remains a sobering, heart-breaking fact that thousands of His day turned a deaf ear to Heaven's will, expressed so capably in Jesus, the Son of God.
We are all familiar with the crowning achievement of their hatred the cruel crucifixion of the Christ. He was unwelcome at birth, opposed throughout life, and when He died, the highest ambition of many had been realized. Why were they offended in Him, why was He rejected? (Galatians 5:11; Romans 9:33; John 1:11).
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