Family News and Notes
Dorothy Sargent passed away Friday morning. Funeral Services were pending at the printing of this bulletin, with Bates-Cooper-Sloan Funeral home. Our hearts go out to the Frankie Sargent family and Wayne Charlton family, as well as other family members. Listen for announcement regarding date and time for her funeral.
SYBSNET (Summer Youth Series) will meet Monday evening (July 10) at Mount Vernon with Richard Rutledge as speaker. His topic is: "Help Those Who Are Weak." Let's have a good group to attend. We will leave in a caravan from the building at 6:30 PM.
Remember 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.
Men's Business Meeting tonite after evening services. All men of the congregation are encouraged to attend.
Remember check your Monthly Calendar for Birthdays and Anniversaries as well as Events.
Bud Roach is in Room 534 at Titus Regional Hospital. He fell 2 times last week and injured the knee he recently had surgery on. The orthopedic surgeon had to do some repair work to his knee replacement on Wednesday evening because of the damage from the fall. He will be going through therapy for several days and is facing lots of pain in the next few weeks.
Deborah Biesemeyer is in the first stage of her battle with cancer and the doctors have said the end is near. She is in the new Hospice Facility, Room 302, on University Boulevard in Tyler. Please remember her with calls, cards, or visits if you are in Tyler. Keep Deborah and Meghan in your prayers. Meghan is living with the Morris Family in Mabank, which will be her new home.
Please mark your records Angie Barker has a new telephone number:
903-572-6065
THANK YOU "To North Jefferson Church of Christ: "Thank you for your prayers and well wishes for Betty and myself. Your love is so very uplifting.
Much love,
Dennis Buchanan
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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, Wayne Pickrel, Marie Plemmons, Johnny Ramsey, Bud Roach, Helen Roper, Alva Mae Sheets, Edith Shiflet, Ola Mae Simpson, Julia Terrell,
Rebecca Tippitt
ALSO: 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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Following The "Pattern" Of Sound Doctrine
In an attempt to water down the soul-damning nature of sin and to mitigate the eternal consequences of violating God's law, men have often attacked the validity and the authority of the Scriptures. Satan's servants have repeatedly tried to destroy or discredit the Bible only to see their efforts thwarted as it became the most widely translated, published, and read book of all times. You would think people would finally learn that this "Book of Books" cannot be defeated nor ignored, because it is the inspired Word of God.
Nevertheless, new generations come along who haven't done their history homework to learn of the futility of fighting against God. Foolishly, they try anew to attack and discredit the Scriptures. Sadly, some of our brethren have occasionally joined the ranks of atheists and infidels, who, down through the ages have vainly assailed God's Holy Word. These "wolves in sheep's clothing" (Mt. 7:15), who desire to be known as "theological scholars," are striving to "enlighten" our "poor, ignorant brotherhood," that the Bible is not a "pattern" for the church, nor a "blueprint" for Christian living, but rather a "love letter" of vague hints from God. Ultimately, this humanistic approach turns the Ten Commandments into the "Ten Suggestions," and makes man, rather than God, the final authority in matters religious.
In an effort to discredit our attempts to restore the original New Testament church in modern times, two of the leading "wolves" among us wrote a book a few years back that attacked the idea of "pattern theology." Their contention is that since no flawless model of the church existed in the first century, we cannot possibly follow a New Testament "blueprint" to duplicate in our own time a perfect church. They also belittled our efforts to establish Biblical authority by means of the approved binding examples of the New Testament church. By their line of reasoning, the spiritual mistakes and moral weaknesses of the early church forever mar any Biblical "pattern" that we might follow.
Brethren, their line of reasoning is so flawed that even a simpleton like me can see its fallacies. As my mother used to say, "why, anyone with "one eye and half sense can figure it out!" Even a child can read the Bible and quickly perceive that the "pattern" is not in the mistakes or errors made by fallible humans, but rather in the perfect corrections, exhortations, and instructions of God's infallible Word.
The Bible never whitewashes the sins of men, but rather rebukes them (II Tim. 4:2). In laying bare the moral failures of men and the spiritual mistakes of the early church, the Bible clearly exhorts us to a positive course of action in the opposite direction. Thus, the Scriptures' approval of righteous conduct and its disapproval of unrighteous conduct, taken together, provides the perfect "pattern" or "blueprint" for the Lord's church. And, yes, the Bible plainly and forcefully claims to be the "perfect pattern" for Christian living, and the "perfect blueprint" for the church (read John 20:31, Rms. 6:17, I Tim. 1:16, 3:15, II Tim. 1:13, & Heb. 8:5).
Brethren, you don't have to have a degree from the Harvard Divinity School, to see where the "wolves'" line of reasoning is going to take those who gullibly "set sail" to this new wind of doctrine that has blown through our brotherhood in recent years (Eph. 4:14). These men are out to destroy the church of Christ, by changing it to their own liking, and "patterning" it after their own selfish desires. They even call themselves "change agents." We must not buy in to their vain words, their vicious deceits, nor their vile philosophies (Eph. 5:6, Col. 2:8), which would conform us to the pattern of this world (Rms. 12:2). Rather, we must be transformed by the renewing of our minds (Rms. 12:2), and be conformed to the image of God's dear Son (Rms. 8:29), so that we might now and forevermore "hold fast the pattern of sound words, which thou hast heard of me, in faith and love which is in Christ Jesus" (II Tim. 1:13). David McCain
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Practical Rules For A Happy Married Life
Johnny Ramsey
1)Never both be angry at once.
2) Never talk at one another, either alone or in company.
3) Never speak loudly to one another unless the house is on fire!
4) Let each one strive to yield more often to do the wishes of the other.
5) Let self denial be the daily aim and practice of each.
6) Never taunt with a past mistake.
7) Neglect the whole world rather than one another.
8) Never make a remark at the expense of one another.
9) Never part for a day without words to think of (kindly) during absence.
10) Never meet without a loving welcome.
11) Never let the sun go down on any anger or grievance.
12) Never forget the happy hours of early love.
13) Never forget that marriage is ordained of God, and that His blessings alone can make it what it ought to be.
If we would put the proper effort into our homes, we could see a more stable atmosphere in this phase of life. Since "the bulwark of the nation is the home," each of us should be vitally concerned about making our family all that God would have it to be. Woe unto that person who puts asunder what God hath joined together! Today, thousands almost deify Hollywood. Some of the Academy Award winners have broken up several homes and separated innocent children from their parents just to satisfy some sensual urge. The tragedy of it all, however, is that much ungodly people are often praised and exalted in their evil deeds. And, even in some homes that profess to follow Christ, those motion picture stars are considered as heroines. God forbid!
