David Neal............................ .Joe Ferrell
PM...Bob Hedges..................Fred Harkrider, Jr
ATTENDANCE COUNTER.........Grady Duncan
TRANSPORTATION......Those needing transportation can call;
Frankie Sargent at 903-572-2647
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Family News and Notes
Our Summer Youth Series continues this week and we will be meeting at the Mount Vernon Church of Christ at 7:00 PM, Monday, June 30th, with Guest Speaker Neil Thurman. Subject: Joseph"A Man of Many Colors"
The Ladies Bible Class and all ladies will meet for lunch at 11:00 AM Tuesday, July 8. Let Johnnie Ann or Amy know if you plan to attend.
Have you volunteered to help clean the building yet? If not, and you are willing and able to help, why not sign the sheet on the table in the foyer? Grady needs help.
Glenn Parham is still in Titus Regional Medical Center, Room 401. He is not feeling well and does not know when he will be able to go home.
Billye Campbell is feeling much better but is still not able to be out and about.
THANK YOU. "Thanks for all your love and thoughtfulness shown while I have been ill the past few weeks. The cards, phone calls, and many acts of kindness (especially your prayers) are appreciated. How wonderful to be a part of the North Jefferson congregation. I love you all."
Billy Campbell
THANK YOU
"Thanks for the Gospel Meeting tapes of David Coats. God Bless."
Sincerely,
Jimmy Washington
Kilgore, Texas
We have several members, although they don't really feel all that good, who continue to come to services each week anyway. They are to be commended. In order that we not overlook someone we will not attempt to name those individuals at this time. I feel sure each one of us, no matter how bad we feel at times, can look around and find someone who is in much worse shape than we are. And then, we should not forget those who are still confined to their homes or in the hospital because of various illnesses or injuries. Look around and see who is missing. Do we pray for them? Do we visit them? Do we send them get-well cards? Why not take just a few minutes at every opportunity to remember these folks in some small way. You'd be surprised just how much better those little things make a person feel. I, too, am appreciative of those comments and/or phone calls. ---Your Editor
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PRAYER LIST:
Justin Barker, Louis Bell, Billye Campbell, Iona Carpenter,
Billy Carter, Woodrow Cooksey, Sandra Cooper,
Barbara Duncan, Julia Ethridge, Howard Horton,
Corine Hudson, Hollis Lee, Joyce Lee,
Glenn Parham, Ruby Pipkin, Bud Roach,
Murphy Ross, Edith Shiflet
ALSO: Donald Deaton, Tillman Ethridge, Linda Ferrell, Keith Fetters, Minnie Moore
It has been a few years since the old watch quit working. That old Timex watch succumbed to the ravages of time and age. Contrary to popular belief, even the watch that "takes a licking and keeps on ticking" finally gave up the ghost. I came across that old watch sometime back, and wondered why I had discarded it for a new one. It did not take me long to remember why I put that which was nigh unto vanishing away into an old box in my closet in exchange for a new one at the local super market. I could not rely upon the Timex. The problem was not that it never ran. It ran great - when it ran. But for some reason when the long hand approached the 12, it would stick. It never stuck in the same place either. Sometimes it was around the 10; at other times around the 11, or just shy of the 12. Sometimes it would stick for just a second or two; more often than not, however, it stuck for several minutes at a time. So over the course of just a few hours the watch would be so far off time that it was, for all practical purposes, useless.
I've known a lot of brethren that are like that old watch. Every congregation has their fair share of unreliable members. Oh, they run great when the hand is on the down side of 12. But when it became an uphill struggle to reach the high mark, they would get stuck, bogged down on first one thing and then another. When all is said and done, such brethren simply cannot be relied upon.
Webster defines "reliable" as, "to rest with confidence, as when we are satisfied of the veracity, integrity, or ability of persons, or of the certainty
of facts or of evidence; to trust with, on, or upon." The Bible puts it this way: "Who shall sojourn in thy tabernacle? ..... He that sweareth to his own hurt, and changeth not" (Psalms 15:4). Once a promise is made, even if circumstances should turn out to be not as ideal as we had anticipated, we are obligated to follow through on our commitment. Even if it means our own "hurt." While we may not be shocked at the lack of dependability of those who are not members of the Lord's body, we are taken aback at the increasing number of Christians who make promises, but fail to fulfill them. Where is that once-faithful soul who swore allegiance to his or her Master but no longer attends faithfully? What has happened to that would-be Bible class teacher who once said, "I'll teach," only to be among the growing number who cannot be depended upon to be present for class, much less to teach? Where are those men who signed up to serve on the table, knowing full well that you can't depend upon them to be there when it comes time for them to serve. All too often talent cards lay stacked in the church office, or entered into a computer. But when it comes time to pull names for service, like the nine ungrateful lepers, duty to one's Lord and Master has been relegated to the back burner, and trustworthiness has once again fallen upon hard times.
I threw that watch away that day. It was of no value to me whatsoever. On the judgment day, those who failed to follow through on their word will, like that old watch, be discarded by the Owner and Master of all mankind.
Many of you may be aware that the government in general and the Supreme Court in particular has addressed a number of moral issues this week. On Thursday, the Supreme Court ruled against the State of Texas and its law banning "deviate sexual intercourse with another individual of the same sex." In 1960, every state had an anti-sodomy law, but now, as Justice Antonin Scalia noted, "The court has largely signed on to the so-called homosexual agenda. . . .. The court has taken sides in the culture war." According to an Associated Press article, "some of the state's supporters told the justices in friend-of-the-court filings that invalidating sodomy laws could take the court down the path of allowing same-sex marriage."
Government sanction of same-sex "marriage" may not be as far away as you might think. On the 11th of this month, Canada's court system effectively sanctioned "marriages" for same-sex couples. Although the vast majority of Americans oppose such a concept, many in powerful positions strongly support it. There is a battle awaiting those who are willing to stand for morality and for God.
One case the federal courts refused to reopen was Roe v. Wade, which decision in 1973 made murder of unborn babies legal with mother's consent. This refusal is in spite of the fact that Norma McCorvey, the "Jane Roe" and plaintiff in the case, made the request. She has seen the error of her past ways, and is now fervently pro-life. If only others would learn from her mistakes . .. .
The following excerpt was taken from The East Main Messenger, Sept. 9, 2001, East Main Church of Christ, Murfreesboro, Tennessee.
A Letter Entitled "Dear Preacher"
Dear Preacher,
You often stress attendance at worship as important. But I think a fellow has a right to miss now and then. I think I should be excused on the following days, and their corresponding weekends, for the following reasons: July 4 (National Holiday-1 day); Labor Day (even God had one day of rest-1 day); Memorial Day (State Holiday-1 day); School closings (kids need a break-1 day); School opening (last chance before fall to get away-1 day); Family reunions (1 day each for me and my wife-2 days total); Out-of-town ball games (we must support the team-5 days total); Tournaments (high school, college, tennis & golf-4 days); Anniversary (second honeymoon1 day); Sickness (1 day for each family member-5 days total); Business trips (gotta make a living-3 days); Vacation (2 weeks, but 3 weekends-3 days total); Bad weather (rain, ice, snow, hail, etc., - 5 days total); Dallas Cowboy games (or whoever-4 days); Unexpected company (usually they don't bring church clothes-2 days); House & car repair (just can't afford plumbers and mechanics, and Saturday is my recreation day-3 days); TV specials (good for kids' recreation-2 days); Christmas (only comes once a year, and it's family time-1 day); New Year (need to rest up from the holidays-1 day).
That brings the total to 50 days. So, preacher, that only leaves 2 days per year. We'll see you Easter Sunday for sure, and the third Sunday in August (unless we are providentially hindered).
Roger Grimes.................Lewis Robertson
