Posts Tagged ‘Delores’

October 02,2011 Bulletin

October 1st, 2011

New Requests: Danny Buckner, Carol Wills, Phil Browning Family, Opal Bentley Family, Tracy Rickett Family

Continuing Requests: Jason Cox, Mike Kennedy

Cancer Patients: Lanny Cooper, Earl Cooper, Maurice Kennedy, Joe Hewlett, William Jordan, Paul Roberts, Stacy Pingleton, Andrew Grigson, Angie Bussell

Elderly and Shut Ins and their Families: Maxine Soards, Carrie Edington, Helen Dixon, Ina Hurst, Sammy Ginn, Gardena Ginn, Flora Wells, Charles Riley, Donald Lykins, Sr., Lance O’Cull, Joe Hardy, Emma Jordan, Wilson Moore, Malcolm Roe, Mary Swearingen, Delores Pepoon, Mitch Hickle

Our Web Prayer Requests, Our Troops, Unspoken Needs, Missionaries, the “Lost”, the Emotionally, Physically and Spiritually Troubled

 

Birthdays : Kevin Duff   October 7

 

REMINDERS

Sunday Night Bible Study—Acts 17

A BETTER LIFE

     “I want a better life.” That has become the slogan of our society today. Everywhere we look there are a thousand suggestions on how to live a better life. There are pills, exercises, and diet books to help us lose weight so we can live a better life. There are lotions, treatments, and surgeries to help us look better so we can live a better life. There are cell phones, computers, and televisions to keep us connected and entertained so we can live a better life. There are cars, clothes, and fancy homes to keep us feeling wealthy so we can live a better life. There are schools, classes, and colleges to get our kids ready to live an even better life than we do. There are also jobs, cash, and credit cards to keep us spending for all of these things so that we can one day, hopefully, have that better life we dream about.
I want a better life too, but I don’t think that any of these things will help me to get it. I have tried a lot of them over the years and while they may make you feel better for a moment they don’t bring you the lasting happiness you want. I have found for myself that the only way to have a better life is to live a better life, and only way to give your children a better life is to show them how to live a better life as well.
How do you live a better life? You start by living more for your soul and less for your wallet. You spend more time hugging and less time buying. You turn off the television and take a walk with your children. You smile more and worry less. You spend more time with your loved ones and less time at the office. You laugh longer and more often. You look in your heart more and in the mirror less. You make your first job spreading joy rather than earning money. You realize just how much God loves you and you spend your days sharing that love with everyone you meet.  And you always remember that your life is a gift from God and how you live it is your gift back.

~ Joseph J. Mazzella ~

Your Life Is Jesus To Someone
YOUR LIFE is Jesus to someone,
Though tattered and torn it may be.
Though often times weak and unstable,
You’re all of God someone will see.

YOUR TONGUE is Jesus to someone.
That idle, insensitive word
Reflects to at least one searching heart
An idle, insensitive Lord.

YOUR GOALS are Jesus to someone.
What you put first, they believe,
Are the goals of God for the Christian.
Your life is all they receive.

YOUR FAITHFULNESS is Jesus to someone.
Their judgment of how God is true,
Rests unquestionably in the faithfulness
They see day by day in you.

YOUR LOVE is Jesus to someone
That someone who is seeking to know
That Jesus will follow and guide and
Befriend wherever in life they might go.

SO BEWARE lest others blaspheme
God by what you say or do,
For the only Jesus that someone knows
Is the Jesus they see in you.

DO YOU KNOW HOW THE APOSTLES DIED?

The disciples of Jesus gave their lives for the preaching of the gospel.

This will serve as a reminder that our personal and business sufferings are minor… compared to the intense persecution and cold cruelty the Apostles and disciples of Jesus Christ faced in those times… because of their undying Faith.

Matthew–Suffered martyrdom in Ethiopia, killed by a sword wound.

 

Mark–Died in  Alexandria, Egypt, after being dragged by horses through the streets until he was dead.

 

Luke–Was hanged in Greece as a result of his tremendous preaching to the lost.

 

John–Faced martyrdom when he was boiled in huge basin of boiling oil during a wave of persecution in Rome. However, he was miraculously delivered from death. John was then sentenced to the mines on the prison island of Patmos. He wrote his prophetic “Book of Revelation” on Patmos. The apostle John was later freed and returned to serve as Bishop of Edessa  in modern Turkey. He died as an old man, the only apostle to die peacefully.

 

Peter–He was crucified upside down on an x-shaped cross. According to church tradition it was because he told his tormentors that he felt unworthy to die in the same way that Jesus Christ had died.

 

James–Just “The Leader” of the church in Jerusalem, he was thrown over a hundred feet down from the southeast pinnacle of the Temple when he refused to deny his faith in Christ. When they discovered that he survived the fall, his enemies beat James to death with a fuller’s club. This was the same pinnacle where Satan had taken Jesus during “The Temptation.”

 

James the Great–Son of Zebedee, James was a fisherman by trade when Jesus called him to a lifetime of ministry. As a strong leader of the church, James was ultimately beheaded at Jerusalem. The Roman officer who guarded James watched amazed as James defended his faith at his trial. Later, the officer walked beside James to the place of execution. Overcome by conviction, he declared his new faith to the judge and knelt beside James to accept beheading as a Christian.

 

Bartholomew–Also known as Nathaniel, he was a missionary to Asia. He witnessed for our Lord in present day Turkey. Bartholomew was martyred for his preaching in Armenia where he was flayed to death by a whip.

 

Andrew–He was crucified on an x-shaped cross in Patras, Greece. After being whipped severely by seven soldiers, they tied his body to the cross with cords to prolong his agony. His followers reported that, when he was led toward the cross, Andrew saluted it in these words: “I have long desired and expected this happy hour. The cross has been consecrated by the body of Christ hanging on it.” He continued to preach to his tormentors for two days until he expired.

 

Thomas–Thomas was stabbed with a spear in India during one of his missionary trips to establish the church in the sub-continent.

 

Jude–Was killed with arrows when he refused to deny his faith in Christ.

 

Matthias–The apostle chosen to replace the traitor Judas Iscariot, was stoned and then beheaded.

 

Paul–Was tortured and then beheaded by the evil Emperor Nero at  Rome in A.D. 67.-Paul endured a lengthy imprisonment, which allowed him to write his many epistles to the churches he had formed throughout the Roman Empire. These letters, which taught many of the foundational doctrines of Christianity, form a large portion of the New Testament.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

This is an important message for all Christians, and a testament of faith for all others. Throughtout history, Christianity has proven to be the most loving, giving and profoundly devout religion known to man.

 

No comments »

Posted in Church Bulletin

Tags:

April 17, 2011 Bulletin

April 18th, 2011

Prayer Request

New Requests:   Bonnie Ferguson Family,  Doug Hester,  Charlie Thompson

Continuing Requests:  Richard Vergne,  Steve Hampton,  Joyce Hampton,  Terri Howard,  Steve Applegate,  Lance O’Cull

Cancer Patients:  Tammy Doyle,  Deena Taylor,  Lanny Cooper,  Jay Iery,  Earl Cooper,    David Howard,  Maurice Kennedy,  Chief Little,  Alexandra Mason,    Randy Bartee,  Doug Caseman,  Ruth Hurst,   Sue Calvert

Elderly and Shut Ins:  Maxine Soards,  Carrie Edington,  Helen Dixon,  Ina Hurst,   Leland Roberts,  Sammy Ginn, Gardena Ginn,  Don McCann,  Malcolm Roe,   Flora Wells,  Delores Pepoon,  Charles Riley

Our Troops, Unspoken Needs, Missionaries, the “Lost”, the Emotionally, Physically and Spiritually Troubled

Reminders

Sunday Night Bible Study—Genesis 26
Easter Egg Hunt after church next Sunday
Bring in napkins for camp by May 15

 

T.G.I.F. (Easter version!)

“T.G.I.F.,” under normal circumstances, means “Thank God, it’s Friday!” – we smile, relax and look forward to a much-needed weekend break. Well, today is Friday, but it’s no “normal” Friday – it is Good Friday, the day we commemorate our Lord’s death on the Cross. Let us acknowledge THIS day–with holy awareness and heart-felt thanksgiving…
For it’s Friday…and He’s faithful! It’s Friday…and He’s forgiving! It’s Friday…and He’s my Friend! All because of the Cross; all because on that momentous day in history when He defeated sin, death and hell forevermore. Our Lord came face to face with His foe–and ours. He has “bruised the serpent’s head” and He’s become our conquering King! We can shout today, wherever we are and wherever we go, Thank God, It Is Finished!

What does that mean to ME this day? The finished work on Calvary frames the portrait of my life. And as I live within its boundaries, I am “free, yes, free indeed!” When Satan, the accuser of the brethren, rears his ugly head in my face, I can say, “Devil, it’s Friday, and He’s faithful! It’s Friday, and I’m forgiven! It’s Friday and my Friend has set me free! It’s Friday–and IT IS FINISHED! T.G.I.F.!! Believe it–and have a wonderful day!

 

Wet Blankets/Joyless religion: Luke 15:21-32

The tragic story was going to have a happy ending after all. The prodigal son returned home, repentant. A celebration was called for. Jesus says that a homecoming banquet was being arranged. It was a time for rejoicing in the life of a family whose wayward son had come home.

But then, just as the festivities were getting under way, the older brother of the prodigal son arrives to play the ignoble part of the wet blanket (an image of being less than enthusiastic; it comes from fire fighting use where a wet blanket effectively quells small fires).

Unwilling to forgive his brother and jealous of the attention being showered on his sibling, this older brother feels he is owed some kind of payment for his ethical and moral stability and superiority. To those listening to the story unfold, that happy ending now begins to turn sour.

There is a reason, of course, why Jesus includes the part of the older brother in the story of the prodigal son. He includes this wet blanket to do far more than add interest to the story. There is scarcely a fault more common than jealousy or the begrudging of good to those we deem less deserving than we think we are. It is entirely possible that the story of this elder brother is a mirror in which we will discover ourselves.

Among the many lessons to be learned from the story of the prodigal son is the one that it is not enough merely to have “stayed with the supplies” (a phrase from 1 Samuel 25:13 and 1 Samuel 30:24 ). The attitude with which you did it counts as well. As always, Jesus is honing in on attitudes as much or more than actions.

When forgiveness is based on repentance, there just ought not to be any wet blankets in the church. We must be willing to accept as brothers all those who repent and receive God’s forgiveness. And we must do so joyfully, unless we want to find ourselves in the place of the older brother.

 

No comments »

Posted in Church Bulletin

Tags:

March 06 2011 Bulletin

March 6th, 2011

Prayer Request

New Request:  Kevin Duff,  Helen Ginn,  Noretta Bloomfield

Continuing Request:  Lance O’Cull,  Alexandrea Mason,  Barbara Jordan,  Stephanie Thornton,  Nancy King,  Parker Adoption

Cancer Patients:   Tammy Doyle,  Deena Taylor,  Lanny Cooper,  Jay Iery,  Earl Cooper,  John Warren,  David Howard,  Bonnie Ferguson,  Justin Brown,  Maurice Kennedy,  Chief Little

Elderly and Shut Ins:   Maxine Soards,  Carrie Edington,  Helen Dixon,  Ina Hurst,  Leland Roberts,  Sammy Ginn,  Gardeana Ginn,  Don McCann,  Malcom Roe,  Flora Wells,  Delores Pepoon,  Charles Riley,  Debbie Kegley,  Emmy Hamilton

Our troops,  Unspoken Needs,  Missionaries,  the “lost”,  the Emotionally,  Physically and Spiritually Troubled

Birthdays/Anniversary

March 7 – John and Jacqui Cordle

March 13 – Melvin Wills

Reminders

Tonight Bible Study – Genesis Chapter 16

Ladies Meeting – 6:00Pm – Thursday – Chapter 2 – Melissa – Hostess

 

Who And Why Is God?

When did God begin to rule?
It was ‘ere eons old;
Before He set the firmament
And formed earth’s veins of gold. 

He was King before He molded man,
Or even shaped the stars,
‘Ere a cloud He placed in clear blue skies,
Or set the oceans in their bars.

When did my God begin to be?
When spoke  He the angel’s laws;
Or threw Satan out of paradise,
Or made the thunder pause?

In the beginning He began,
He always and ever was
Father, Son and Spirit, He,
Why was He?  Just because!

It is not for man to know His ways,
Or ask of Him a reason,
For God was always, and forever is,
And man is for just a season.

He need only say to sinful man
I AM the great I AM.
Never has there been another God,
Nor another sacrificial Lamb.

All you have and all you are,
You owe it all to me.
Just believe in all I say,
For my truth will set you free.

You need not know when I began,
Or even why or how;
Just simply bow the humble knee
And begin to worship me just now.

~ Joyce Guy ~

 

 

No More With Me

“I’m sorry. Please forgive me! I don’t mean to hold you up,” he said as he struggled to get off the escalator.

I’ll admit to it. There have been times when walking or driving behind an older person I’ve gotten impatient and upset. I’ve huffed and zoomed around them because I was in a hurry to get nowhere.

Perhaps I’m more aware of it now because I see myself there one day soon. Today I saw myself in this old man’s shoes and it caused me to slow down, stop and ask for his forgiveness.

He was about five or six people ahead of me. I was in a hurry and saw him as an obstacle. I’ve seen people get off the end of an escalator and stop dead in their tracks, gather their things and suddenly there’s a pile up of angry people behind them. You can’t stop an escalator full of people behind you. Like the Energizer bunny, they keep on goin’.

This man was well aware of the challenge. He tried desperately to step aside. Fumbling with his small packages, struggling to gain his footing, you could see how troubling this was for him. “I’m sorry. Please forgive me! I don’t mean to hold you up,” he said as he struggled to get off the escalator.

I suddenly saw this in a whole new light. It was like I was watching my future. I felt sorry for him. I felt sick to my stomach because this man was apologizing to everyone, when we should have been helping him and calming his fears.

One by one, people zipped around him. I heard a few angry comments whispered as one lady passed by him.

I saw me.

By the time I got to him he was just about steady on his feet.

“Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t know there was more,” he said.

“No, sir. No more with me,” I said. This really hit me hard. I realized right then how sad it was that the world was in such a hurry. That, of course, included me. But…no more with me. Count me out.

This wonderful man paid his dues. For whatever time he had spent on this earth, he most likely walked many rough roads and too many important miles. Now he should be apologizing for moving slower?

My heart ached as I looked into his eyes. I wished that I could see what he had seen all those years. His face weathered from life itself, was creased and wrinkled. The small soft pockets under his eyes and the gentle lines that curved up and around them told me he had many happy moments, too. Those were traces left behind from laughter and a smiling, happy man.

“My friend, can I help you with those things?” I asked.

Hesitant at first, he finally said, “Well, yes, thank you!”

I placed my hand under his left arm and walked with him a safe distance away from the rush of people.

“So what are you shopping for, sir?”

“Oh, just a little something for my neighbor. She’s a young mother raising kids on her own. She’s always so nice to me. I thought a box of candy for Mother’s Day…” he said, stopping suddenly as he searched his inside pocket of his sport coat.

“Do you need something?” I asked.

“Oh, no. Here. I think I have it right here. I always carry them with me,” he said. Then pulling out a hand full of papers he shuffled through them and handed me a business card that read:

“John A. Pomicter
Friend to all…enemy to no one!
I said a prayer today and you were the answer. Thank you!”

“That’s for you,” he said. “Thanks for stopping to help an old man.”

“My friend, you helped me. I discovered that I was unhappy with the world and I was part of the problem. Now I’ll be part of the solution. No more with me!”

“Then this was meant to be,” he said smiling.

“You know God sends me gifts every day and always at least one special person. You were my gift for today! Let’s go get some chocolates, my friend.”

Written By Bob Perks

No comments »

Posted in Church Bulletin

Tags:

February 20 2011 Bulletin

February 20th, 2011

Prayer Request

New Request:  Anna Sullivan,  Bree Walker,  Donald Bradford,  Alexandrea Mason

Continuing Request:  Luke Greene,  Andrew Scott,  Lance O’Cull,  Shannon Gilbert

Cancer Patients:   Tammy Doyle,  Deena Taylor,  Lanny Cooper,  Jay Iery,  Earl Cooper,  John Warren,  David Howard,  Bonnie Ferguson,  Justin Brown,  Maurice Kennedy,  Chief Little

Elderly and Shut Ins:   Maxine Soards,  Carrie Edington,  Helen Dixon,  Ina Hurst,  Leland Roberts,  Sammy Ginn,  Gardeana Ginn,  Don McCann,  Malcom Roe,  Flora Wells,  Delores Pepoon,  Charles Riley,  Harold Applegate

Our troops,  Unspoken Needs,  Missionaries,  the “lost”,  the Emotionally,  Physically and Spiritually Troubled

Birthdays

February 20 – Wilma Mefford

February 26 – Grace Wills

Reminders

Tonight Bible Study – Genesis Chapter 12

Your Motive

What motive’s behind; What you’re working for?
Is it the praises; That you so adore?

Is it for money, Or is it for fame?
Are all your talents; Gifts for your gain?

Why are you serving? Why are you giving?
Is it for Jesus; That you’re truly living?

Need now to hear; Your praises from peers?
To feel great inside, To fill up your ears.

Is it for blessing; From His hand above?
Is it because; He’s all that you love?

Give Him the glory, His honor, His praise,
Give of your talents, And give of your days.

He will reward you; In His own sweet way.
You’ll hear, well done; On that great final day.

What is the purpose; You live day to day?
Is it for others; That need shown the Way?

God surely loves us. He gave us His Son.
Our love is in weakness; Look, what He’s done.

Live to Him, it’s gain. Live to self, it’s loss.
All you live and breathe; Your motive be the cross.

by~ Susan Y Nikitenko ~

Presidents Day February 21st

In regard to this Great Book, I have but to say, it is the best gift God has given to man. All the good the Saviour gave to the world was communicated through this book. But for it we could not know right from wrong. All things most desirable for man’s welfare, here and hereafter, are to be found portrayed in it. To you I return my most sincere thanks for the very elegant copy of the great Book of God which you present. – Abraham Lincoln on September 7th, 1864

Success In Spite Of Adversity

Nothing in the early life of James Cash Penney indicated that his name would one day become a household word in homes across the United States. Born in 1875, he grew up on a small farm in Kentucky. His father was a minister in the Primitive Baptist Church. Both parents were committed Christians who instilled a deep and abiding faith in their children.

While Penney was a teenager his minister father became the victim of church politics and was removed from his position. The ensuing financial hardship for the family meant that Penney had to leave school, taking a job to help support the family. He began to work as a clerk in a local store. Although he didn’t realize it at the time, this modest start was providential and would propel him into an illustrious career as a retailer.

After working in various stores, Penney was able to purchase a one-third interest in a dry goods store in Kemmerer, Wyoming. The date was April 14, 1902. Kemmerer was a small mining town of less than 1,000 people. Penney and his wife lived in a tiny attic apartment above the store. Their furniture consisted of a large empty dry goods box for a table and smaller boxes for chairs. When their first child was born, Penney’s young wife wrapped their infant in a blanket, allowing it to sleep under a counter while she stood beside it, working alongside her husband, serving their customers.

From that humble beginning J. C. Penney would eventually preside over 1,700 stores. He would lead the country’s largest chain of department stores, each one bearing his name. The influence of Penney’s godly parents became evident with the growth of his business, as he began to describe his chain as the Golden Rule Stores, based on the words of Jesus in Matthew 7:12: “Do for others what you would like them to do for you” (NLT).

Although his enterprise made him incredibly wealthy, Penney’s life was not devoid of setbacks and troubles. In fact, beginning in 1929, events took place that nearly cost Penney his life.

When the Great Depression struck the country, it came at a time of great financial vulnerability for Penney. While his stores continued to do well, Penney had been adding outside interests, and these were proving to be extremely costly. In order to finance these interests, Penney borrowed heavily. In addition, Penney was becoming a major philanthropist, giving generously to organizations and individuals. The Depression prompted banks to request repayment of his loans sooner than anticipated. Suddenly cash flow was tight, and Penney was finding it difficult to meet payment schedules. Constant and unrelenting worry began to take a toll. “I was so harassed with worries that I couldn’t sleep, and developed an extremely painful ailment,” he said.

Concerned about his deteriorating health, Penney checked himself into the Kellogg sanitarium at Battle Creek, Michigan, the Mayo Clinic of its era. There, Dr. Elmer Eggleston, a staff physician, examined Penney, declaring that he was extremely ill. “A rigid treatment was prescribed, but nothing helped,” Penney recalled. He was attacked by the twin demons of hopelessness and despair. His very will to live was rapidly eroding. “I got weaker day by day. I was broken nervously and physically, filled with despair, unable to see even a ray of hope. I had nothing to live for, I felt that I hadn’t a friend left in the world, that even my family had turned against me.”

Alarmed by his rapidly deteriorating condition, Dr. Eggleston gave Penney a sedative. However, the effect quickly wore off, and Penney awakened with the conviction that he was living the last night of his life. “Getting out of bed, I wrote farewell letters to my wife and to my son, saying that I did not expect to live to see the dawn.”

Penney awakened the next morning, surprised to find himself alive. Making his way down the hallway of the hospital, he could hear singing coming from the little chapel where devotional exercises were held each morning. The words of the hymn he heard being sung spoke deeply to his condition. Going into the chapel, he listened with a weary heart to the singing, the reading of the Scripture lesson, and the prayer. “Suddenly something happened,” he recalled. “I can’t explain it. I can only call it a miracle. I felt as if I had been instantly lifted out of the darkness of a dungeon into a warm, brilliant sunlight. I felt as if I had been transported from hell to Paradise. I felt the power of God as I had never felt it before.”

In a life-transforming instant Penney knew that God, with His love, was there to help. “From that day to this, my life has been free from worry,” he declared. “The most dramatic and glorious 20 minutes of my life were those I spent in that chapel that morning.” The words from the hymn that spoke so eloquently and miraculously to J. C. Penney were “God will take care of you.”

The hymn God used to save J. C. Penney’s life was written by Civilla Durfee Martin. Not much is known about the hymn writer. She lived between 1866 and 1948, writing the hymn in 1904. The inspiration for the words may have come from 1 Peter 5:7 : “Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about what happens to you” (NLT).

The opening lines read:

Be not dismayed whate’er betide, God will take care of you; Beneath His wings of love abide, God will take care of you. God will take care of you, Through every day, o’er all the way;  He will take care of you, God will take care of you.

1 comment »

Posted in Church Bulletin

Tags:

February 6 2011 Bulletin

February 6th, 2011

Prayer Request

New Request:   Jerry Wilburn

Continuing Request:   Wanda Cox,  Lance O’Cull,  Shannon Gilbert,  Betty Porter

Cancer Patients:   Tammy Doyle,  Deena Taylor,  Lanny Cooper,  Jay Iery,  Earl Cooper,  John Warren,  Bill Scott,  David Howard,  Bonnie Ferguson,  Justin Brown,  Maurice Kennedy,  Erin Thomas,  Chief Little

Elderly and Shut Ins:   Maxine Soards,  Carrie Edington,  Helen Dixon,  Ina Hurst,  Leland Roberts,  Sammy Ginn,  Gardeana Ginn,  Don McCann,  Malcom Roe,  Flora Wells,  Delores Pepoon,  Charles Riley

Our troops,  Unspoken Needs,  Missionaries,  the “lost”,  the Emotionally,  Physically and Spiritually Troubled

Birthdays/Anniversarys

February 8 – Bailey Duff

February 11 – Tammy/Jason Cox

February 12 – Jerry Miller

February 13 – Betty/Willie Wills

 

Reminders

Tonight Bible Study – Genesis Chapter 10

Ladies Meeting – Thursday Night 6:00 PM

 

 

Take Up Thy Cross and Follow Me

I walked one day along a country road, And there a stranger journeyed, too,
Bent low beneath the burden of His load: It was a cross, a cross I knew.

“Take up thy cross and follow Me,” I hear the blessed Savior call;
How can I make a lesser sacrifice, When Jesus gave His all?

I cried, “Lord Jesus,” and He spoke my name; I saw His hands all bruised and torn;
I stooped to kiss away the marks of shame, The shame for me that He had borne.

“Take up thy cross and follow Me,” I hear the blessed Savior call;
How can I make a lesser sacrifice, When Jesus gave His all?

“Oh, let me bear Thy cross, dear Lord,” I cried, And, lo, a cross for me appeared,
The one, forgotten, I had cast aside, The one, so long, that I had feared.

“Take up thy cross and follow Me,” I hear the blessed Savior call;
How can I make a lesser sacrifice, When Jesus gave His all?

My cross I’ll carry till the crown appears— The way I journey soon will end—
Where God Himself shall wipe away all tears, And friend hold fellowship with friend.

“Take up thy cross and follow Me,” I hear the blessed Savior call;
How can I make a lesser sacrifice, When Jesus gave His all?

Words and music by Alfred Ackley

 

 

The Smallest Snowflake

Christiana was the smallest of all the snowflakes. It seemed she and her family, along with many other snowflake families, had been floating always through the long day as she tumbled delightfully about with her friends. But their journey took them as well through seemingly endless freezing cold and darkness. Sometimes the north wind blew them along their way so hard she could scarcely breathe. At these times, as much as the bracing wind would permit, Christiana huddled close to her parents, Celeste and Chaucer, completely unaware that they were as uncomfortable as she.

At other times they were assailed by a gust of warmer air up in the atmosphere that threatened their very lives. Afraid, the little crystalline beauty would bow her minuscule head and cry. Celeste and Chaucer tried to shield and protect their little progeny as best they could.

Sometimes however, it was all they could do to hold on themselves. The beloved but naive little snowflake was oblivious to everything but observances from her youthful perspective and her own unreliable emotions and feelings. Life seemed to her a series of events: those that made her feel good, the ones she relished with great glee, and those that were so traumatic they drove her to despair. These ups and downs were punctuated with exasperating periods of sheer boredom.

Between the frigid wind that blew them, forcing them along in their descent to the earth, and their greatest foe, the warm counter-winds that swished by occasionally and threatened to dissolve them, the snowflake life was much more treacherous than observers might perceive it to be.

On their flight to the earth, the snowflake highs were very high indeed. It was almost like a symphony as they floated along together when none of their enemies were nearby. The sound of snowflake laughter and singing were delightful to the ear. But, as quickly as they had begun, these delightful times became a memory, as worries and trials became their portion once more.

Each time these difficult periods came ’round again, the music ceased and tension, fear, and strife shoved aside the joy and began to rule. Christiana and her peers lived only for the times of joy, pouting and resisting those that kept them from their fun. At one particularly dark and trying hour, Celeste and Chaucer, who had been on this flight much longer and had learned to take things more in stride, hovered near their lovely and delicate daughter. “How do you manage to remain so calm when our enemies are near?” Christiana asked.

“My dear”, said her father, “When we began this journey, before you were born, the father of snowflakes, the one who formed us, spoke a promise for us to hold close to our hearts along the way.”

“Long ago,” he said, “because the snowflake journey is fraught with enemies, I sent my perfect snowflake to the earth. He made the same journey that all snowflakes make, but because of who he is, he defeated the foe of the snowflakes and took away his power. And, if you will but trust in him and in me, and keep us at the center of your hearts, and if you will remember that we are with you at all times, a special wind you haven’t known will keep you safe, guiding you, teaching you, and giving you peace along your way.

Then, no matter what tactic your enemy may use to try to destroy you, when your traveling days are done, you will make your landing in a new and better world. I myself will be there to welcome you. At that point your life here will be at an end, but you will have fulfilled your purpose and you will have joy, for from the clouds I will lift you up to myself once more as I did the perfect snowflake.”

by Daphne Harrington

No comments »

Posted in Church Bulletin

Tags:

January 30 2011 Bulletin

January 30th, 2011

Prayer Request

New Request: Makayla Harr,  Chief Little

Continuing Request: Wanda Cox,  Lance O’Cull,  Shannon Gilbert,  Larry Ratliff

Cancer Patients: Tammy Doyle,  Deena Taylor,  Lanny Cooper,  Jay Iery,  Earl Cooper,  John Warren,  Bill Scott,  David Howard,  Bonnie Ferguson,  Justin Brown,  Maurice Kennedy,  Erin Thomas

Elderly and Shut Ins:  Maxine Soards,  Carrie Edington,  Helen Dixon,  Ina Hurst,  Leland Roberts,  Sammy Ginn,  Gardeana Ginn,  Don McCann,  Malcom Roe,  Flora Wells,  Delores Pepoon

Our troops,  Unspoken Needs,  Missionaries,  the “lost”,  the Emotionally,  Physically and Spiritually Troubled

Birthdays

January 30 – Sam Love

February 1 – Jacqui Cordle

Reminders

Tonight Bible Study – Genesis Chapter 8

Memorial page on this site – Give picture and information to Jason Cox

Anyone wanting an Aills Christian Church.com email address Contact Jason

 

 

Faith Without Works

Believe and be saved the minister said,
Believe and be saved and rise from the dead.

Through grace ye are saved from sin and from hell,
So simply believe and all will be well.

The preacher continued and read from the book,
How all can reach heaven, both angel and crook.

When all had been said and the church recessed;
With money collected and everyone blessed;

The preacher retired to his spacious new home,
In his humble Mercedes with everything chrome.

He sat in his study, his thoughts running deep,
He dozed for a moment, and died in his sleep.

He ran to Saint Peter and wearing a grin,
Said “I believe in the Savior, so please let me in”

“Oh no, not another”, said Peter with a sigh,
“Satan’s sure working, the tolls running high.”

The preacher looked puzzled, then saw in a flash,
The plan of salvation, beginning at last.

Believing is nothing, if nothing is done.
In getting to Heaven you follow the Son.

To follow a leader, you do what is said,
Faith without works is nothing but dead.

Satan knows Jesus, believes in him too.
So what’s the difference between Satan and You?

Believe in the Savior, but always recall,
Faith is important, but sure isn’t all.

- Wes Stephenson

 

 

The Parable Of The Two Screws

Once upon a time there were two screws fastening a vital part of a gasoline engine. One of the screws was haughty and proud of it’s shining head. The second screw was quiet, intent only on doing its job to the best of its ability.

One day a speck of rust appeared on the head of the second screw. Filled with vain pride of its own beauty, the first screw began to laugh at the second. “Your head is tarnished,” the first said to the second. “Look at you. Your perfect luster is gone.”

The second screw said nothing. Instead, it concentrated on what it was doing.

“How ugly you have become,” the first screw chortled, “and how beautiful I have remained.” Then it began to laugh so hard at the second screw that it failed to notice that it was working itself loose. Finally it dropped off the engine and plunged into a small pool of dirty oil below.

With the first screw no longer holding up its end of the load, the second was faced with doing the work of two. Meanwhile the first screw, now covered with grimy oil, wailed and lamented. “Just look at me! I’m dirty and filthy and all my beauty is gone. By laughing at the blemish on my friend the second screw, I worked myself loose and fell into the muck. Now I’m doomed.”

Now, it just so happened that a short time later the owner of the engine started it up. He immediately noticed that something didn’t sound right — the engine was running rough. When he checked, he instantly saw that one of the two screws holding the vital part was missing. “Ah ha!” the owner said. “One of the screws must have worked itself loose and fell to the ground, but I don’t see it. Maybe it fell into that puddle of old oil.”

The owner reached into the oil and found the missing screw. “Look at you,” the owner said. “You’re all covered with grime and oil. How ugly you are. But I will fix that right away.” The owner reached for a nearby rag and wiped all the oil and grime off the first screw until it shone even brighter than before. Then he replaced it on the part. Before he turned away, he noticed a little speck of tarnish on the head of the second screw. With the second rag, he wiped the head clean and bright. Then the owner walked away.

Finally the engine was started. The two screws, now equally beautiful, held the part tight. “Forgive me, my friend,” the first screw said to the second. “In my vanity, I was so busy laughing at your blemish that I did not notice that I was working myself loose.”

“And what have you learned?” the second screw quietly asked.

“I learned not to judge others because I have my own sins to deal with.”

“Then,” the second screw said, “I forgive you.”

“Thank you, my friend. And rest assured, my vanity will remain forever at the bottom of that dirty puddle of oil.”

“Blessed is he whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered.” (Psalm 32:1 NIV)

– by Ed Price

No comments »

Posted in Church Bulletin

Tags:

January 16 2011 Bulletin

January 16th, 2011

Prayer Request

New Request: Reno McGlone, Dora Johnson Family, Wanda Cox
Continuing Request: Lance O’Cull, Shannon Gilbert
Cancer Patients: Tammy Doyle, Deena Taylor, Lanny Cooper, Jay Iery, Earl Cooper, John Warren, Bill Scott, David Howard, Bonnie Ferguson, Justin Brown
Elderly and Shut Ins: Maxine Soards, Carrie Edington, Helen Dixon, Ina Hurst, Leland Roberts, Sammy Ginn, Gardeana Ginn, Don McCann, Malcom Roe, Flora Wells, Delores Pepoon

Our troops, Unspoken Needs, Missionaries, the “lost”, the Emotionally, Physically and Spiritually Troubled

 

Birthdays/Happy Anniversary

January 16 – Dean/Melissa Ginn

January 20 – Ritchie/Carol Cunningham

Reminders

Tonight’s  Bible  Study – Genesis Chapter 4

If anybody would like to have an email account set-up with any name @aillschristianchurch.com just contact me and let me know.

Prayer request can be done here

Joy For The Future

Troubles and trials bring us way down,
And we drag our chin on the ground.
But think about life forever more,
Life forever on that far distant shore.
When I think of everlasting life,
My heart fills with joy and drives away strife.
My savior who died for all our sins,
Will say, “Welcome home, just come on in!”
Many years have come and gone,
Yet it doesn’t really feel so long.
Life sometimes is hard and hurts our soul,
The Jesus comes and gives back control.
I know now that I love him so much,
And always look forward to his loving touch.
Accept him into your heart today,
He really loves you don’t turn Him away.
The older I get the stronger I believe,
And I think back to when I did receive.
Christ in my heart and then it was done,
Now I eternally belong to God’s only Son!
by Dot Wilson

 

 

Thoughts To Ponder

  1. Anger is a condition in which the tongue works faster than the mind.
  2. You can’t change the past, but you can ruin the present by worrying over the future.
  3. Love….and you shall be loved.
  4. God always gives his best to those who leave the choice with him.
  5. All people smile in the same language.
  6. A hug is a great gift, one size fits all. It can be given for any occasion and it’s easy to exchange.
  7. Everyone needs to be loved, especially when they do not deserve it.
  8. The real measure of a man’s wealth is what he has invested in eternity.
  9. Laughter is God’s sunshine.
  10. Everything has beauty but not everyone sees it.
  11. It’s important for parents to live the same thing s they teach.
  12. Thank God for what you have, TRUST GOD for what you need.
  13. If you fill your heart with regrets from yesterday and the worries of tomorrow, you have no today to be thankful for.
  14. Happy memories never wear out……Relive them as often as you want.
  15. Home is the place where we grumble the most, but are often treated the best.
  16. Man looks at outward appearance but the Lord looks within.
  17. The choice you make today will usually effect tomorrow.
  18. Take time to laugh for it is the music of the soul.
  19. If anyone speaks badly of you, live so none will believe it.
  20. Patience is the ability to idle your motor, when you feel like stripping your gears.
  21. Love is strengthened by working through conflicts together.
  22. The best thing parents can do for their children, is to love each other.
  23. Harsh words break no bones but they do break hearts.
  24. To get out of a difficulty, one usually must go through it.
  25. We take for granted the things we should be giving thanks for.
  26. Love is the only thing that can be divided, without being diminished.
  27. Happiness is enhanced by others but does not depend on others.
  28. You are richer today if you have laughed, given or forgiven.
  29. For every minute you are angry with someone, you lose 60 seconds of happiness that you can never get back.
  30. Do what you can, for who you can, with what you have, and where you are.
  31. The Best Gifts to give:
  • To your friend, loyalty;
  • To your enemy, forgiveness;
  • To your boss, service;
  • To a child, a good example;
  • To your parents, gratitude and devotion;
  • To your mate, love and faithfulness;
  • To all men and women charity;
  • and to God, your life.

No comments »

Posted in Church Bulletin

Tags: