Bulletin for 9-25-22

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Birthdays and Anniversaries:

9-28 Steve Weeks

Prayer requests:

Chloe Birdwell, relative of the Weeks’s, great improvement, in extended care now. Keep praying, please!

Bobbie Taylor, has gall bladder problems. Surgery to be scheduled.

Paul Tyler has a bad sort Parkinson’s. Please pray for him, his family and friends.

Tonita, Paul’s friend, heart valve replacement needed

J R Medellin, Tiffany’s (Chance) husband, still doing well. Vanessea is doing well after her surgery.

Shirley Weeks, Steve’s mom, continues to have trouble.

Leslie Girvin, had a fall and sprained both wrists, 6-8 weeks recovery.

Sarah, Chris Girvin’s sister, on hospice care

Robert and Sue Waller, health issues

Darla Nitti, Wendi’s mom, not doing well.

Leta, has a recurring cancer, prayer request from her granddaughter via our website.

Tammy Jones, Weeks’ neighbor, kidney failure/dialysis

Article:

Time and chance

“The race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, nor bread to the wise, nor riches to men of understanding, nor favor to men of skill; but time and chance happen to them all” (Ecclesiastes 9:11 NKJV).

 

Fatalism is an attractive doctrine to many. That is the idea that our destiny is predetermined and that whatever it may be is unalterable. We cannot change it, therefore the best course in life is simply to accept “whatever will be” and be content. Note that this is not the same as predestination in that the latter doctrine, at least as proposed by some who claim to be Christian, presupposes God as the one who so purposes. Fatalism is often accepted by agnostics and atheists as by various religions.

The appeal of fatalism is that it relieves humans of responsibility. Nothing one does can change his fated destiny, therefore what he or she does will not ultimately matter. Live in whatever manner pleases you and accept the outcome as inevitable.

Solomon does not teach or endorse fatalism in the passage cited at the beginning of this article, no matter how much it may seem at first reading that he does. If anything, he proposes the very opposite. Common sense would argue that the fastest person will always win the race and the strongest will win a fight. But if that were the case there would be little need to actually stage the contests. Figure it out “on paper” (by relative past performances and statistics) and award the winner whatever prize is due. The results are certain.

Except that they are not. Two of the racehorses widely believed to be the greatest ever (Man of War and Secretariat) each lost one race to competitors that were clearly inferior. Yes, the fastest horse should win, but unfavorable conditions, the developments of the race, and sometimes simply having a bad day, can all affect the outcome.

Solomon calls those circumstances “time and chance,” and affirms that they happen to everyone. Life does not always occur according to a script or a set of rules. There are accidents, coincidences, and unforeseen occurrences which alter outcomes.

Recognizing those uncertainties can be uncomfortable. If such things can change my life, both for the better and for the worse, how can I overcome them or avoid them? How can I live so that “all things work together for good” (Romans 8:28)?

James exhorts us to live by prayer and trust in God’s providence. “Instead, you ought to say, ‘If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that” (James 4:15). We cannot prevent time nor chance, but God can. It is he who is for us, therefore we fear no one who may seem to be against us (Romans 8:31). Human strength cannot guarantee victory: God’s power can and does.

Michael Brooks, link to original article

Bulletin for 9-18-22

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Birthdays and Anniversaries:

None this week

Prayer requests:

Chloe Birdwell, relative of the Weeks’s, great improvement, but still a ways to go. Keep praying, please!

Paul Tyler has a bad sort Parkinson’s. Please pray for him, his family and friends.

Tonita, Paul’s friend, heart valve replacement needed

J R Medellin, Tiffany’s (Chance) husband, still doing well. Vanessea is doing well after her surgery.

Shirley Weeks, Steve’s mom, continues to have trouble.

Leslie Girvin, had a fall and sprained both wrists, 6-8 weeks recovery.

Sarah, Chris Girvin’s sister, on hospice care

Robert and Sue Waller, health issues

Darla Nitti, Wendi’s mom, not doing well.

Leta, has a recurring cancer, prayer request from her granddaughter via our website.

Tammy Jones, Weeks’ neighbor, kidney failure/dialysis

Back to school

Article:

God’s promises to the lonely, burdened, and guilty

Someone has said there are 8,810 promises in the Bible. These include promises God made to man, man made to God and man made to man. God’s promises are consistently uplifting because we can be assured he will do whatever he has said he will do. God spoke a promise to Abraham and made an oath to confirm it, “that by two immutable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we might have strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold of the hope set before us” (Hebrews 6:18).

God’s truth to the lonely demonstrates the reassuring fact that they will never be truly alone if they are faithful to God.

“Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you’” (Hebrews 13:5).

Moses delivered powerful words to the children of Israel as Joshua took over the leadership.

“Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them; for the Lord your God, He is the One who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you” (Deuteronomy 31:6).

Their wilderness experience proves that to be true, despite their rebellion and unfaithfulness (Nehemiah 9:16-21). David realized God was there no matter where he went (Psalm 139:7-12).

The burdened can seize upon God’s promised relief. Peter told scattered Christians, “Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you” (1 Peter 5:6-7). He heard the Savior’s invitation.

“Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light” (Matthew 11:28-30).

Christians have a promised rest from labor when they die. It is powerful to note that God has also promised their works will continue, the reward for which will follow them (Revelation 14:13).

Few things in life are more debilitating than guilt. Paul understood that as well as any. He passed on a great promise.

“This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief” (1 Timothy 1:15).

Paul expressed it in vivid terms.

“O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? I thank God—through Jesus Christ our Lord!” (Romans 7:24-25a).

Peter explained how salvation comes to the crowd gathered around the forty year old lame man who had been healed. “Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord,” which is another way of saying what he told the conscience pricked crowd on Pentecost (Acts 3:19; 2:37-38). Christians still slip from time to time, but can know their sins will be cleansed if they walk in the light with the Master (1 John 1:7). Jesus will stand by the side of those relying on him (1 John 2:1-2).

There is no need to despair. God is there to help the lonely, burdened and guilty. All we have to do is submit to our loving Father in obedience to his will.

Gary Hampton, link to original article

Bulletin for 9-11-22

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Birthdays and Anniversaries:

None this week

Prayer requests:

Chloe Birdwell, relative of the Weeks’s, bad car wreck, transferred to Children’s Hospital in Temple. Prayers still needed!

Paul Tyler has a bad sort Parkinson’s. Please pray for him, his family and friends.

Tonita, Paul’s friend, mild heart attack

J R Medellin, Tiffany’s (Chance) husband, still doing well. Vanessea is doing well after her surgery.

Shirley Weeks, Steve’s mom, continues to have trouble.

Leslie Girvin, had a fall and sprained both wrists, 6-8 weeks recovery.

Sarah, Chris Girvin’s sister, on hospice care

Robert and Sue Waller, health issues

Darla Nitti, Wendi’s mom, not doing well.

Leta, has a recurring cancer, prayer request from her granddaughter via our website.

Tammy Jones, Weeks’ neighbor, kidney failure/dialysis

Back to school

Sympathy: Bobbie & Regena’s aunt, Lara Gray passed away this week. Also, Mary Ann Gafford passed away from a massive stroke. her services are posted in the Rylie Facebook group. Please keep both of these families in your prayers.

Article:

Promising freedom

One of the great promises in the New Testament is that of freedom.

Christ has set us free from bondage to the Law given on Mt. Sinai (Galatians 5:1), free from sin (Romans 6:7), and free from the law of sin and death (Romans 8:2). These freedoms in Christ are precious indeed.

While we are free, we are still slaves. If we are in Christ then we are slaves of obedience (Romans 6:16), righteousness (Romans 6:18), God (Romans 6:22), and Christ himself (Galatians 1:10). We are under the “royal law” (James 2:8), and serve King Jesus.

This means that our actions, attitudes, and doctrine must be aligned with his desires. Our pride and selfishness must be abandoned as we carry our cross and follow him.

But there are those who promise unfettered freedom. Service to God seems like such a chore. Why must you give up who you are or what you love for the will of someone else?

Peter spoke of this attitude in clear terms:

“But these, like irrational animals, creatures of instinct, born to be caught and destroyed, blaspheming about matters of which they are ignorant, will also be destroyed in their destruction, suffering wrong as the wage for their wrongdoing. They count it pleasure to revel in the daytime. They are blots and blemishes, reveling in their deceptions, while they feast with you. They have eyes full of adultery, insatiable for sin. They entice unsteady souls. They have hearts trained in greed. Accursed children!  Forsaking the right way, they have gone astray. They have followed the way of Balaam, the son of Beor, who loved gain from wrongdoing, but was rebuked for his own transgression; a speechless donkey spoke with human voice and restrained the prophet’s madness.

These are waterless springs and mists driven by a storm. For them the gloom of utter darkness has been reserved. For, speaking loud boasts of folly, they entice by sensual passions of the flesh those who are barely escaping from those who live in error. They promise them freedom, but they themselves are slaves of corruption. For whatever overcomes a person, to that he is enslaved. For if, after they have escaped the defilements of the world through the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and overcome, the last state has become worse for them than the first. For it would have been better for them never to have known the way of righteousness than after knowing it to turn back from the holy commandment delivered to them. What the true proverb says has happened to them: “The dog returns to its own vomit, and the sow, after washing herself, returns to wallow in the mire” (2 Peter 2:12-22 ESV).

That was a long quote, so if you skipped over it please go back and read it.

Notice that these false teachers promised freedom yet they were “slaves of corruption” (2 Peter 2:19). Because they were slaves of corruption, Peter could likened them to irrational animals, blots and blemishes, and accursed children.

This type of freedom enslaves people to peer pressure, doubt, misery, pride, envy, and self-loathing. We are the worst kind of master. When we serve self we become miserable.

True joy is more than a veneer of pleasure, and it requires more than a modicum of effort. But the end results are satisfying in every way.

Praise God that he can rescue us from ourselves!

Remember, you will always serve something. Choose your master carefully.

Lee Parish, link to original article

Bulletin for 9-4-22

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Birthdays and Anniversaries:

None this week

Prayer requests:

Chloe Birdwell, relative of the Weeks’s, bad car wreck, critical condition in a Waco hospital. Prayers needed!

Paul Tyler has a bad sort Parkinson’s. Please pray for him, his family and friends.

Tonita, Paul’s friend, mild heart attack

J R Medellin, Tiffany’s (Chance) husband, still doing well. Vanessea‘s doing well after her surgery.

Shirley Weeks, Steve’s mom, continues to have trouble.

Leslie Girvin, had a fall and sprained both wrists, 6-8 weeks recovery.

Sarah, Chris Girvin’s sister, on hospice care

Robert and Sue Waller, health issues

Darla Nitti, Wendi’s mom, not doing well.

Leta, has a recurring cancer, prayer request from her granddaughter via our website.

Tammy Jones, Weeks’ neighbor, kidney failure/dialysis

Back to school

Article:

Our Faithful God

Men sometimes disappoint because they are not faithful to their promises. God, in stark contrast, is faithful. Moses sang, “For I proclaim the name of the Lord: Ascribe greatness to our God. He is the Rock, His work is perfect; For all His ways are justice, A God of truth and without injustice; Righteous and upright is He” (Deuteronomy 32:3-4). Israel’s psalm writers also praised God for his faithfulness (Psalm 36:5; 119:90). Jeremiah, even in an hour of great sorrow, could write, “Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed, Because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness. ‘The Lord is my portion,’ says my soul, ‘Therefore I hope in Him!’” (Lamentations 3:22-23). If God promised it, you can wait knowing he will keep his word.

God always keeps his promises. Moses told the second generation of Israelites, “Therefore know that the Lord your God, He is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and mercy for a thousand generations with those who love Him and keep His commandments” (Deuteronomy 7:9). God’s covenants most often include promises and conditions. Note Moses’ emphasis on the blessings provided to those who “love Him and keep His commandments.” Joshua closed his time as God’s appointed leader with similar words. “So the Lord gave to Israel all the land of which He had sworn to give to their fathers, and they took possession of it and dwelt in it” (Joshua 21:43). He also declared, “Behold, this day I am going the way of all the earth. And you know in all your hearts and in all your souls that not one thing has failed of all the good things which the Lord your God spoke concerning you. All have come to pass for you; not one word of them has failed” (Joshua 23:14). Solomon’s prayer at the dedication of the temple included the fact that God kept his promise to David (1 Kings 8:23-25).

Men may fail to keep their promises because they lack the strength or cannot due to changes in health or even death. God is able to keep his promises because he is all powerful (Jeremiah 32:17, 27). He is also unchanging (Numbers 23:19). The fact that he is also all knowing means he will not promise something for future days that may prove to be outside of his reach. “For I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like Me, Declaring the end from the beginning, And from ancient times things that are not yet done, Saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, And I will do all My pleasure’” (Isaiah 43:9b-10).

Everything we have already observed should cause us to rejoice in the promises of God. Those set apart in Christ experience the blessings of the promises of the Almighty through fellowship with him and his Son. Paul proclaimed, “God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord” (1 Corinthians 1:9). We can be assured he will not allow temptation to come our way that we cannot overcome (1 Corinthians 10:13). Fellowshipping with him in the light will result in a continual cleansing through the blood of Christ (1 John 1:7). He has promised his people a place in heaven, guaranteed by the very fact that he cannot lie. We are assured a heavenly home because our Savior has blazed the trail to heaven and remains there as our eternal High Priest (Hebrews 6:16-20).

Thank God we have a faithful God who has, does and will keep his promises!

Gary Hampton, link to original article