NEED TRANSPORTATION? Call............Frankie Sargent
903-572-2647
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
IN CHARGE OF SELECTING MEN TO MAKE ANNOUNCEMENTS FOR AUGUST
Van Lee
IN CHARGE OF SELECTING MEN TO LEAD PRAYERS
FOR AUGUST
George O'Neal
IN CHARGE OF SELECTING MEN FOR COMMUNION TABLE
IN AUGUST
Jerry Freeman
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Volume 7 8 August 2005 Issue 23
Family News and Notes
We have lots of items in today's bulletin of importance so we encourage each one of you to remember each week to read your copy of FAMILY NEWS & NOTES.
Reminder today is the first week in a new month. If you are able and wish to contribute to the Building Fund, you may do so today. Thanks.
Men, Remember the Business Meeting following evening services next week. All are encouraged to attend.
David will have a short meeting after the AM services today with any young people and/or parents who are interested in participating in the BIBLE BOWL at Clarksville. This is for all ages, 1st grade thru Adult. The first test will be Tuesday, August 23rd, and will cover John 1-6.
Collin Graham, from Bangor, Northern Ireland, will be here Wednesday evening to speak to us and will give a report on the work in Ireland. You may not want to miss this.
David Neal had surgery on his neck last week and continues his recovery at home. He will be required to wear a neck brace for 6 to 8 weeks until the surgery heals.
Edith Shiflet was released from the local hospital on Thursday and is back home again.
Bud Roach had tests at the local hospital on Thursday and all his reports turned out good.
Hollis & Joyce Lee continue to have multiple health problems. Hollis fell at home a couple of times last week but is OK.
Taylor Justice (granddaughter of Nelda [Justice] Cooper) had surgery on Tuesday here at the local hospital. The report from her doctor stated the growth removed was "benign." We are thankful for that. She was dismissed from the hospital on Thursday.
Vivian Finchum (mother of Sid Landrum of Granbury, Texas) passed away last week and her funeral was conducted by Alexander Funeral Home at 10:00 AM Tuesday. Several of you remember Sid & Dorothy who lived here several years ago.
Additional sick to remember are those on our Prayer List. Please check this list regularly.
Rebecca Tippitt responded to the invitation last Wednesday nite, requesting the prayers of the church on her behalf for numerous personal and physical problems she has been experiencing in her life. She desires to overcome her weaknesses and be right with the Lord. Please offer your support and encouragement.
NEW SISTER IN CHRIST: Karen Fox was baptized into Christ on Friday, July 22nd. We rejoice with her in her new spiritual relationship with the Lord. May she be blessed with many years of rich rewarding service in the Kingdom.
PLEASE NOTE: The editor of your weekly bulletin, FAMILY NEWS & NOTES, makes every attempt to include good news and notes for your reading and information.
From time to time I will fail to place a news item into the weekly bulletin. Rest assured the omission is NOT intentional when one occurs. After all I am a human being, subject to making mistakes and oversight of items of interest to some of you.
To make certain a particular news items makes it into the weekly bulletin, FAMILY NEWS & NOTES, you are encouraged to take advantage of the telephone number shown on the front of our bulletin for this editor. I am available almost any time. I will make every attempt to place your item into the bulletin, provided you call me before printing begins. If printing has already begun then I will include the item of interest on the Announcement Sheet provided for the one making announcements.
You are encouraged to utilize the resources available to you and understand that this editor is only human and will make oversights and mistakes.
VERY IMPORTANT NOTICE At least on two verifiable occasions the exterior door to the Multi-Purpose Room has been left unlocked by someone. PLEASE with all the valuable items in the building it is important these doors be locked. If you must enter or use the building won't you double check the door locks to make certain they are locked when you exit the building? Additionally, suppose someone got into the building and you were unaware this day and time who knows what might happen.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
PRAYER LIST:
Justin Barker, Rachel Barker, Louis Bell, Annah Brown, Billye Campbell,
Perry Cooper, Zenith Hargrove, Hollis Lee, Joyce Lee, David Neal, Winnie Patton, Dorothy Sargent, Alva Mae Sheets, Edith Shiflet, Rebecca Tippit
Many folks think they will have a second chance to be saved beyond the grave. The Catholic doctrine of "purgatory," which teaches there is a place for the dead where they can be purged from their sins, has done much to color the thinking of the religious world, causing many to believe in a doctrine of the second chance. However, that doctrine and its offshoots are glaringly false.
In the Biblical account of the rich man and Lazarus, Luke 16, we see clear proof there will be no second chance for salvation after our time spent here on earth. The rich man in Jesus' narrative did not get a second chance at salvation, nor was his request granted for relief from his torment. The point is, God will not grant grace or mercy to those who die in their sins.
However, we are grateful to God that there is hope for the living. The Scriptures teach us God loves all men (Jn. 3:16), and doesn't want any to be lost (II Pet. 3:9). Rather, He wants all men to come to a knowledge of the truth and be saved (I Tim. 2:4). His grace reaches out to thieves, liars, murderers, fornicators, homosexuals, gossips, drunkards, the hateful, the covetous, the unforgiving, the malicious, the haughty, and every other sinner. All can be saved, if they comply with the conditions of God's grace.
The conditions are the same for all sinners. They must hear the Word of God in order to believe in Jesus and to learn of His plan of salvation (Rms. 10:17, Jn. 8:24). They must repent of their sins, confess the name of Jesus, and be baptized into Christ for remission of their sins (Lk. 13:3, Mt. 10:32, Mk. 16:16). Then, they must faithfully live the Christian life until death (Rev. 2:10). Should they sin after they are saved, they must repent, confess, and pray for the forgiveness of God (Acts 8:22, I Jn. 1:9). Is that too much for God to ask of us, in order to deem us worthy of the reward of eternal life?
There is nothing in the Scriptures, that I know of, to suggest anyone will be saved either in their ignorance of, or rebellion to the will of God. Nor is any evidence given to suggest there will be some second chance provided to obey the Gospel in the after-life. In fact, the following Scriptures should cause us to believe just the opposite.
Luke 16 informs us of the rich man who was given no second chance, no mercy, and no grace. II Thessalonians 1:7-9 speaks of those who "know not God and obey not the gospel," and says that they will be punished with "everlasting destruction." The teaching of II Corinthians 5:10 shows that man will be judged by the deeds that he does while he lives in his physical body. Matthew 7:21-23 enlightens us that those who reject the will of the Father in this life, will themselves be rejected at the judgment. It also indicates that pleading their case at that time will do them no good, as they will still be rejected with no second chance to make amends. Finally, Romans 2:5-10 unquestionably teaches that indignation, wrath, tribulation, and anguish await those contentious souls who refuse to obey the Gospel in this life.
Make no mistake about it, there will be no second chance at salvation beyond this life. God's grace was extended at Calvary and stops at the grave. We cannot merit nor earn our salvation, nevertheless we must obey the Gospel in order to be saved. Please don't wait too long to do so. Please don't postpone faithfulness to the Lord. For when you die, the book of your life will be closed, and if you die in sin, rather than in Christ, you will be lost forever. God's grace does have limits!
David McCain
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
FAITH IS THE VICTORY
Johnny Ramsey
A stirring gospel song tells that "faith is the victory that overcomes the world." We learn in Hebrews chapter eleven that "faith is the substance of things hoped for; the evidence of things not seen." Emerson, the great writer, once exclaimed: "All things I have seen causes me to trust God for all that I have not seen." Without faith we cannot please Jehovah (Hebrews 11:6).
There have been many great heroes of faith in the annals of Bible history. Such men as Enoch who walked with God, Moses who led the people of God, Joshua who provided Israel with fifty years of peace, Gideon whose faith subdued a great host of the enemy and Samuel the courageous prophet are all referred to in Hebrews eleven as men of valor. Those today who are willing to wield the sword of the spirit behind the shield of faith (Ephesians 6:16-17), can be conquerors for the Lord even as the heroes of the past.
Faith in the life of a devoted Christian causes him to approach the evening shades of time with the calm assurance that all is well with his soul. Death has no sting, the grave holds no victory to the triumphant saint of God. Having fought a good fight (I Timothy 6:12; II Timothy 4:18) he can go home to be with Christ (Philippians 1:23). The hope of heaven swells ever higher in his breast (Romans 8:24; Hebrews 6:19), as an anchor for the soul. Because he has added to his faith the necessary virtues (II Peter 1:4-11), an abundant entrance shall be granted him into that everlasting kingdom. The darkness of death and the gloom of the tomb are erased for our Guide leads us through the valley unto the mountain peak of God's love (Psalm 23). Thus, a song of praise is on the saint's lips as death approaches, for truly, "blessed (happy) are the dead who die in the Lord" (Revelation 14:13).
Do you have this faith? Did you once possess it and then make shipwreck of it? May God help us to see the importance of the victorious faith that overcomes the world! Let us increase in faith and godliness so that when faith becomes sight and hope is turned into reality we may share in God's blissful love that shall never fade away.
