Our_Bulletin_5_30

Family News and Notes

REMINDER: We still need Volunteers to help clean the building for the month of June. If you are willing and able to help with this good use of your talents please sign the sheet on the table in the foyer.

Remember Vacation Bible School is June 07 thru June 11. Monetary donations are being requested to help purchase refreshments. If you can help please contact Veleta McFerrin or Lee Moses.

First Summer Youth Series begins on June 01, 2004. North Jefferson congregation will host the first meeting and again on June 29. On June 8 it will be Oak Grove, on June 14 it will be Talco and on June 22 it will be Mount Vernon. Each of these meetings will begin at 7:00 PM. Altho this is for our youth everyone is invited.

GOSPEL MEETINGS:

Pritchett Church of Christ

June 6 thru 9, 2004

with Bro. Jerry C. Brewer

Clarksville Church of Christ

June 6 thru 9, 2004

with Bro. Curtis Ritchwood

See the brochures on the round table in the foyer for times and topics.

Lake Cisco Christian Camp at Bangs, Texas will be July 25 thru 30, 2004 for boys and girls who finished 8th thru 12th grades.

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Reminder:

You are invited

To a Baby Shower

Honoring

Jimmy Jay & Karen Fox

Sunday, June 6

2:00 p.m.

North Jefferson Church of Christ

Multi-purpose Room

It's a Girl!

Selections at: Kasseigh's Kollage,

Toys R Us, Target, Wal-Mart

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With great pride, I

Devon Phillips

am proud to announce

my graduation from

Prairiland High School

Come celebrate my achievement at Commencement Exercises

on Friday, the twenty-eighth of

May

Two thousand and four

at seven-thirty in the evening

Prairiland High School Gym

Ladies there are still some dishes in the kitchen from the meal for the Jones family. Please pick these up ASAP.

Reminder young people VBS Leaders and Workers please meet in the Multi-purpose Room following services this evening. VBS will be discussed first and then the youth will help assemble song books for the Summer Youth Series.

Pantry Needs; A list of items needed for our pantry has been prepared and is on the round table in the foyer. Please check this, take a list, and if you are able please help us replenish our low items.

At the writing of this bulleting Suzanne Charlton was still in TRMC suffering from kidney problems.

David Acker (father of Staci Cook) passed away last Monday. His funeral was conducted Thursday morning by Erman Smith Funeral Home in Pittsburg. (Staci is the daughter-in-law of Rodney & Joan Cook)

Sister Hazel Phillips was restored to the Lord last Wednesday evening. We are proud to have her back with us.

After a meeting between the elders at Blodgett and from North Jefferson congregations we have re-established fellowship with that congregation.

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Upholding The Cross Of Christ

By David McCain

"Come, take up the cross, and follow me." Mark 10:21 "For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God. ...For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom: but we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness; but unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God" I Cor. 1:18-24.

Not too long ago, Newsweek magazine contained a cover story about Jesus, which was entitled "Visions of Jesus - How Jews, Muslims and Buddhists View Him." The flyleaf highlighted the articles as, "The Other Jesus," with this teaser printed in the table of contents, "To Christians, Jesus is the Son of God. But the world's other great religions have their own views of this legendary figure."

Eleven pages were devoted to this cover story, indicating that the national media recognizes that "Jesus" is still a topic of great interest, despite our culture of irreligiousness. The articles were quite interesting as they explored how the world's largest religions view the Biblical Christ. According to the authors' research, the major hang-up which prevents most world religions from believing in Jesus, is His death on Calvary's cross. The main article concluded, "Clearly the cross is what separates the Christ of Christianity from every other Jesus. In Judaism there is no precedent for a Messiah who dies, much less as a criminal as Jesus did. In Islam, the story of Jesus' death is rejected as an affront to Allah himself. Hindus can accept only a Jesus who passes into peaceful 'samadhi,' a yogi who escapes the degradation of death. The figure of the crucified Christ, says Buddhist Thich Nhat Hanh, 'is a very painful image to me. It does not contain joy or peace, and this does not do justice to Jesus.' There is, in short, no room in other religions for a Christ who experiences the full burden of mortal existence--and hence there is no reason to believe in him as the divine Son whom the Father resurrects from the dead." So said Newsweek, but what's our response?

Brethren, this article shows us what our mission is, namely to convince the world that a crucified, but risen Christ is the world's only true Savior, and that Christianity is the only true God-given religion. No religion, except Christianity, is based upon its founder offering himself as a sacrificial lamb to redeem his followers. The article's summary statement proved true Paul's inspired prediction that the world would view the crucified Christ as either, a "stumblingblock" or "foolishness," but that those who are spiritually minded would view Christ's death as, "the power and wisdom of God" (I Cor. 1:18-24).

Indeed, to those who are attracted to the Gospel message, the crucified Christ is the major drawing power. As Jesus said, "If I be lifted up from the earth, I will draw all men unto me" (Jn. 12:32). A God who was willing to die that His creation might live is unheard of in any other religion, but not Christianity. That's what sets Christianity apart from all other religions in this world. That's also what draws us to Christ, for no other so-called "god" was willingly to die that we might live. As the Apostle Paul penned, "For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." (Rms. 5:6-10). Indeed as the old song by C. F. Weigle exclaims, "No one ever cared for me like Jesus, there's no other friend so kind as He. No one else could take the sin and darkness from me. Oh, how much He cared for me!"

That's our message, brethren! The simple truth is, Jesus would not come down from the cross to save Himself, as the crowd taunted (Mark 15:30), for He knew that was the only way mankind could be saved. So, He willingly hung there between heaven and earth, to furnish us with reconciliation with God, through the sacrifice of His own blood (Eph. 2:16, Col. 1:20). Therefore, we must redouble our efforts to hold up before the world the image of the crucified but risen Savior, for no other love story is so compelling. We conclude with Paul, "God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world" (Gal. 6:14). Indeed, we must never grow weary of upholding the cross of Christ, for our crucified Savior Jesus, is the only hope for a spiritually lost and dying world (Acts 4:12).

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Zeal According to Knowledge

By Lee Moses

Zeal permeates the character of every memorable man and woman of God. Can you imagine how the great figures in Biblical history would be remembered were it not for their zeal? David eagerly went out to fight the champion of the Philistines, the giant Goliath, certain that the blessing of the Lord ensured his victory. But what if David would have had to be coerced to fight Goliath? Paul was willing to endure whatever befell him, including death, for the cause of His Lord. Again, what if Paul would have been timid in such times, not fully driven by his zeal and love for the Lord? If such were consistently the case, the Bible would be full of Jonahs, John Marks, and inhabitants of Meroz.

Lack of zeal may be a mark of other improper attitudes. Other improper attitudes affect zeal while lack of zeal effects other improper attitudes. When Solomon sunk to his lowest point of godlessness, he also sunk to his lowest point of apathy, devoid of zeal, crying, "Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher, vanity of vanities; all is vanity" (Eccl. 1:2). Yet as he progressed through his search for happiness and meaning in life, he discovered a pearl of truth: "Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might" (9:10). As one makes his way through his earthly pilgrimage, he will find himself much more successful, happy, and satisfied if he pursues that course with zeal.

Zeal in itself is not an worthy goal. Of the first century Jews it is written, "For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge" (Rom 10:2). They apparently had a strong desire to do what was right, and they did what they thought was right with all their heart. Still, they stood condemned (vv. 1, 3). Paul said of his pre-Christian life, "Concerning zeal, persecuting the church" (Phil. 3:6). Again, this is a zeal which led away from salvation and toward destruction. Zeal without knowledge is widespread in the religious world. Many sects pack into meeting houses, conducting emotionally charged services replete with arm-swaying, powerful vocal solos, and tear-jerking personal testimoniesyet they find themselves in the same situation as Saul of Tarsus and the other first-century Jews who rejected Christ. Zeal must be based upon knowledge of God's word.

Zeal without knowledge is ineffectual, and so is knowledge without zeal. As Jesus rebuked the church at Laodicea, "I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth" (Rev. 3:15-16).

It is a knowledge of God's word which will, if received correctly, increase our zeal. Initial obedience to the Gospel is something that is done "from the heart" (Rom. 6:17). Christians are to continue to "Love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself" (Luke 10:27). Such zeal is not difficult to understand when one considers the magnificence of God, that man is created in God's image, and that God has given the greatest sacrifice ever for you because he wants you to dwell with Him forever.

Let us allow these wondrous truths to develop in us a zeal according to knowledge,

And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men; knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ (Col. 3:23-24).

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