Family News and Notes
We need Volunteers to help clean the building for the month of March. 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.
Beginning March 6th a new Sunday morning Young Adult Class will begin. This will be held in the multi-purpose room. Team teachers will be: Jerry Freeman and Bob Hedges. There is no strict age definition of "young adult" so EVERYONE is welcome.
A FELLOWSHIP LUNCHEON is scheduled for today after morning services. Everyone is invited to be in attendance. Bring lots of food and desserts. Some of us may be hungry.
LADIES DAY has been scheduled for Saturday, April 2, 2005, beginning at 10:00 AM. Sister Sarah Fallis will be guest speaker. If you would be interested in working on one of the committees please let Amy Jones know. There is plenty of work for everyone to do. Sign-up sheets for the salads for lunch will be put out in March. All ladies are invited to attend.
MARK YOUR CALENDAR Area Wide Singing on Saturday, April 09, 2005 from 7:00 PM9:00 PM . Everyone is invited.
Ettie Wright placed membership last Sunday. Her address is:
Ettie Wright
603 Stark Drive
Mount Pleasant, TX 75455
Phone: 903-575-0049
Glenn Parham is scheduled for surgery at East Texas Medical Center in Tyler on Tuesday, March 01, 2005. He expects to only be there a couple of days before he returns home.
Lorene Adams (mother of Bob Adams) passed away last week and her funeral was held at 2:00 PM Thursday in Cooper, Texas.
Jack Cooper passed away last Sunday morning. His funeral was conducted Thursday at 2:00 PM with burial at Nevill's Chapel Cemetery in Mount Pleasant. Jack is survived by his wife Narci, one son, Steven, a sister, Pat Dillard, two brothers, Perry and Darrell, a daughter-in-law, granddaughter and numerous other Aunts, Uncles, Cousins and In-laws.
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PRAYER LIST:
Justin Barker, Rachel Barker, Louis Bell, Annah Brown, Sue Browning,
Billie Campbell, Billy Carter, Josephine Cooper, Perry Cooper, Zenith Hargrove, Howard Horton, Ruby Lawhon, Hollis Lee, Joyce Lee, Winnie Patton,
Hazel Phillips, Ralph Phillips, Dorothy Sargent, Alva Mae Sheets
ALSO: Ercell Fetters, Marie Holloway, J. J. Jordan
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Peace In An Un-peaceful World
God created paradise and Satan turned it into a battlefield. Located somewhere in the well-watered plains of Mesopotamia, meaning "the land between two rivers," the beautiful Garden of Eden, "the cradle of civilization," contained all of the provisions Adam and Eve would ever need for their idyllic existence in the presence of God (Gen. 1-3). It must have been the most gorgeous and peaceful place the world has ever known, until Satan came along and did his wicked work. Thus began the lifelong battle between good and evil, between the flesh and spirit, and thus was provided the fertile ground of lust, pride, jealousy, and hatred from whence have come most of the fighting and wars of men.
The modern-day country of Iraq, much of which lies between the ancient Tigris and Euphrates rivers, currently lays claim to this historic piece of real estate. Northern Iraq was once the ancient kingdom of Assyria, where the city of Nineveh was located, to which the prophet Jonah was dispatched to proclaim the word of God. Southern Iraq contains the site of ancient Babylon, the capital city of the Babylonian empire, where king Nebuchadnezzar held captive such notable Bible characters as Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego, and Ezekiel, as well as the rest of the Israelites, who were conquered in the fall of the southern kingdom of Judah.
Modern day Baghdad, the capital city of Iraq, is located some 50 miles north of the ancient city of Babylon. This area, once known as ""Sumeria," and in the Bible as "the plain of Shinar" (Gen. 10:10), is where the "tower of Babel" was located (Gen. 11:2). From this general region Abraham, Sarah, Terah, and Lot went forth from the Ur of the Chaldees, to journey towards Canaan. It was here that Abraham sent his servants to find a wife for Isaac, where Jacob fell in love with his beautiful wife Rachel, and where years later, Belshazzar saw the fateful handwriting on the wall, which Daniel interpreted to mean the sudden end of the Babylonian empire.
Over two and half millennia later, the fragile "peace" of this historic region is once again threatened as the United States presses on in the seemingly futile struggle to bring freedom and peace to a region that has known little more than continuous war for over 6,000 years. Over 150,000 American soldiers are risking their lives in the daily struggle to keep the peace against an "insurgency" that seemingly wants anything but peace. Once again, the kingdoms of men hang in the balance, as the Bible lands are fractured by the daily carnage, destruction, and death of war. And, once again, a restless world is caused to ask "WHY?" and to wonder if there can ever be any peace in this un-peaceful world?
The "WHY" of war can be answered by a look at James 4:1-3. He wrote, "From whence come wars and fightings among you? Come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members? Ye lust, and have not, ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain, ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not. Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts." Yes, the lusts and passions of men still run rampant in our world today, and thus we continue to hear of "wars and rumors of wars" (Mt. 24:6), just as our Lord prophesied.
But, James also answers the longings of our hearts for peace in a peaceless world, when he shares the secret of "unselfish asking," and how the avenue of proper, fervent prayer can be exactly what we need in these troubling times (Jms. 5:13-18). Paul concurs in the Philippian epistle when he writes: "Be careful (anxious) for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus" (Phil. 4:6-7). As the world anxiously wrings its collective hands, feeling helpless to do anything of significance to provide for itself peacefulness in an unpeaceful world, the Christian knows that available to him is the magnificent peace-providing power of prayer. Thus we heed the admonition of Paul to Timothy, times (Jms. 5:13-18). Paul concurred in the Philippian epistle when he wrote: "Be careful (anxious) for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus" (Phil. 4:6-7).
As the world anxiously wrings its collective hands, feeling helpless to do anything of significance to provide for itself peacefulness in an un-peaceful world, the Christian knows that available to him is the magnificent peace-providing power of prayer. Thus we heed the admonition of Paul to Timothy, as we involve ourselves in intercessory prayer. Paul wrote: "I exhort therefore, that first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and the giving of thanks, be made for all men; for kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty" (I Tim. 2:1-2).
B rethren, we may not be able to do anything of significance, in and of ourselves, to end the fighting and war in the Persian Gulf region, but all of us can fervently pray for peace, and in that act find for ourselves "peace in an un-peaceful world." While you are praying don't forget to pray for our troops, especially those members of the body of Christ, who are serving our country in various places around the world. May God's shield of protection be over them, and may His sword of the Word fight for them to bring lasting peace in a warring world.
David McCain
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I ASKED GOD
(author unknown)
I asked God to take away my habit.
God said, No.
It is not for me to take away, but for you to give it up.
I asked God to make my handicapped child whole.
God said, No.
His spirit is whole, his body is only temporary.
I asked God to grant me patience.
God said, No.
Patience is a by-product of tribulation; it isn't granted, it is learned.
I asked God to give me happiness.
God said, No.
I give you blessings; Happiness is up to you.
I asked God to spare me pain.
God said, No.
Suffering draws you apart from worldly cares and brings you closer to me.
I asked God to make my spirit grow.
God said, No.
You must grow on your own! But I will prune you to make you fruitful.
I asked God for all things that I might enjoy life.
God said, No.
I will give you life, so that you may enjoy all things.
I asked God to help me LOVE others, as much as He loves me.
God said . Ahhhh, finally, you have the idea.
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