Fellowship Luncheon scheduled for today following the morning services. Hope you made plans to be here. Visitors are welcome.
PANTRY ITEMS.. There is a list on the table in the foyer. Please check it out. Your help in replenishing our pantry is appreciated.
Bible QuizClarksville Tuesday, February 24. Topic will be 1 Peter. Look for review sheets or ask Lee for a copy. We will be leaving at about 6:30 PM.
VISITATION TEAM NO. 1 will meet following evening services today. This is Jim Duncan's team. Everyone on this team is encouraged to attend.
We remind you of those among us who have been sick and/or had recent surgery.
Ruby Pipkin, Barbara Duncan, Jeanette Parham, Elna O'Neal, Sue Browning and David Neal.
I am sure there are others we need to remember but I've not been made aware of them.
Also, continue to remember those on our Prayer List, as they still need our prayers on their behalf.
If you know of others who are ill or have upcoming surgeries please let someone know.
As mentioned during this past week, David Neal has an upcoming visit with his doctor(s) regarding the pain he continues to experience in his neck. Hopefully, they will figure out the proper treatment for him.
A note from Weldon: "My surgery is scheduled for Tuesday, March 9, at Baylor Hospital in Dallas. Your words of encouragement and concern have been very meaningful. One of our greatest blessings continues to be the love of our brethren here at North Jefferson. We covet your continued thoughts and prayers for a successful surgery and recovery.
Only a true Southerner knows that the term "booger" can be a resident of the nose, a descriptive
as in "that ol' booger," a first name, or something that jumps out at you in the dark and scares you senseless.
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PRAYER LIST
Justin Barker, Louis Bell, Winell Blackard, Sue Browning, Josephine Cooper, Howard Horton, David Neal, Jeanette Parham, Winnie Patton, Wayne Pickrel, Alva Mae Sheets, Ola Mae Simpson
In order to get our house ready to sell before moving to Mt. Pleasant, one of the first things we had to do was to clean out our closets. We wanted them to be clean enough to open up for viewing by any prospective buyers who came to look at our house. As the work progressed, some ideas began to form in my mind concerning some spiritual applications which could be drawn from the drudgery of our closet-cleaning project.
It seems to me our lives may sometimes, if not oftentimes, be parallel to the conditions of the closets in our former home. Prior to our cleaning spree, our closets contained over five years of pack-rat accumulations piled "deep and wide," as the old V.B.S. song describes! Isn't that where everybody keeps their clutter? As I grumbled about the impossible mess we had created, and observed we would "never, ever, finish sorting through Fibber McGee's closets," all of a sudden the first bolt of bulletin article lightening struck my mind! Let me explain.
In the past twenty-five years of being "the preacher's family," we have often had brethren call to ask if they could drop by for a visit in just a few minutes. Little did they know that because we live in our house with three kids, just like "normal" brethren, our house is sometimes little better than a glorified wreck. But, hey, we're the "preacher's family," and we have a reputation of cleanliness to uphold! The Scriptures do say somewhere that, "cleanliness is next to godliness," don't they? I think that may be "I Opinions 2:38!" Anyway, when those "drop-by company" occasions occur, the entire family is quickly mobilized to hide all the clutter in a closet somewhere. We've practiced at this for years, to the point where we now have it down to a science! Janice goes into her high-speed "Stepford-wife" cleaning mode, induced by the adrenaline rush of the ten-minute warning. I bark out orders to the kids, and in short order we can have our house looking like we're ready for a visit from the photographic crew of "Southern Living," that is, so long as they haven't come to take pictures of our closets!
Anyway, it struck me that in the spiritual realm we may likewise hide all the clutter of sin in our lives in a dark closet somewhere, in order to make our spiritual house appear really clean to the casual observer. Of course, it may appear beautiful outwardly, but don't open the closets, because they're a real mess. Perhaps, like the preacher's house, we hide the mess because we would be ashamed and embarrassed for someone, especially our brethren, to see the real condition of our spiritual lives. So, we pile all the clutter of sin in our lives into some dark recess of our heart in order to hide it from the eyes of those we want to impress. But, then our lives are a sham, a false facade, and though we may hide our secret sins from the world, and even from our brethren, we can't hide them from the all-seeing eyes of Jehovah God (Proverbs 15:3).
Jesus pronounced a "woe" upon the Pharisees of His day for this very problem (Mt. 23:23-28). He called them "hypocrites," and said they were like, "white-washedtombs," which outwardly appeared very beautiful, but inwardly were full of the rotting flesh and bones of dead men. The Lord's implication was that they desperately needed to clean out their spiritual closets, because God has x-ray vision, and can easily see any and all filth which is hidden inside (Heb. 4:13). When's the last time you cleaned out your spiritual closets? Think about it! (To be continued next week...)
The Friday the 13th issue of the San Francisco Chronicle blared the headline, "S.F. DEFIES LAW, MARRIES GAYS." The article began as follows:
In a historic act of civil disobedience, San Francisco defied state law and issued marriage licenses to same-sex couples Thursday, a move expected to ignite a constitutional showdown as early as today.
San Francisco mayor Gavin Newsom spearheaded this effort to mock the laws of his state. California Proposition 22, passed in 2000, defines marriage as a union between a man and a woman. Of course, this law did not define marriage; God did (Genesis 2:18-25). But because of threats to this Divine institution, the people of California deemed it necessary to put this definition of marriage into the state's laws.
However, Newsom chose to spite the law by issuing "marriage" licenses for homosexuals. During the following days, the media has shown images from some of these "weddings," including such things as men dressed in bridal gowns. Newsom's actions followed another insurrection in favor of homosexuality. Last Tuesday, the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court "legalized" homosexual "marriage," despite the fact that the Defense of Marriage Act (Federal law) restricts marriage to be "only a legal union between one man and one woman as husband and wife."
Clearly such condoning of sin does not please God. Romans 1 speaks against homosexuals (vv. 26-27), as well as other recreants from God's word; concluding, "Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them" (v. 32). God condemns not only homosexuals, but also those who condone their actions. Even laws not directly given by God are to be obeyed by those to whom they are given:
Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God. Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation (Romans 13:1-2).
The situation with Alabama Chief Justice Roy Moore's refusing to take the 10 Commandments out of his courthouse is similar, but not parallel. While he did not violate any laws per se, he did go against a court ruling. There comes a time when one must disobey the laws of the land if they contradict the laws of God. The apostles had to contradict a direct order by their supreme court; but they responded correctly, "We ought to obey God rather than man" (Acts 5:29). Chief Justice Moore's posting of the 10 Commandments in the courthouse was not commanded by God, but he did try to do what he believed was right before God. Mayor Newsom is not concerned about pleasing God, but with pleasing himself and his largely homosexual constituency (cf. Gal. 1:10; James 4:4).
Until very recently, homosexuals had been pushing for legalized "civil unions," basically holding all legal benefits of marriage without the name. However, many have now decided that civil unions are not enough, they want to have their homosexual relationships considered "marriage." Why is this? Such responses have been given as, "For legitimacy . . . for society's stamp of approval," ad nauseam. Do they truly think that having their relationships called "marriages" is going to make society more acceptant of them? Are they really looking for "legitimacy" and "society's stamp of approval" when men arrive for well-publicized "weddings" wearing bridal gowns? Not likely. Could it not be that this provides a way for them to make a mockery of something society holds dear? The cry for homosexual "marriage" is not a push for equal rights homosexuals have exactly the same rights as every other United States citizen. But by overthrowing the standards of society, they can assert their dominance over society.
Such disregard for laws which serve as society's foundation shows disregard for God. God's people respect the law especially the law of God.
