Bulletin for 9-24-23

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Birthdays and Anniversaries

9-28 Steve Weeks

Prayer requests:

Stacey Esner, injured leg, on crutches at the moment.

Paul Tyler has a bad sort Parkinson’s. Got stem cell treatments. Pray for their success.

Shirley Weeks, Steve’s mom, some better

Teresa Weeks, Steve’s sister, having age related issues. She has Down’s Syndrome. PT for knee.

Angela Martin, friend of Weeks’, issues may be related to hearing implant.

Robert and Sue Waller, health issues

Darla Nitti, kidney disease

Judy Dingus, friend of the Camachos, cancer.

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

Tammy Jones, Weeks’ neighbor, kidney failure/dialysis

Sympathy: Bill’s cousin Truman passed away. Bill is in Kilgore for the funeral this week.

Fear, faith & church directions

If we trivialize fear within scripture, we may fail to live with faith. If we assume we understand what is best, we may chose the wrong path. How well are we listening to scripture?

We know the stories. Perhaps the familiarity trivializes the impact they should have. Have we become deaf to the embedded fear?

Forward looked impossible. If ever there was a moment for an anxiety attack this was it. Trapped between the sea and a vindictive charging Egyptian army, the end seemed inevitable. Where was God? Whatever hope had existed for tomorrow was a dissipating mist.

God’s instructions were clear regarding the land of Canaan. But the walled cities were fortified. The land was filled with giant people. Nearly everyone was thinking the same thing. Crossing the Jordan would be suicide. That choice made no sense. Fear dominated their hearts and their mind’s decisions.

The stories continue.  Who in the world would engage in one-on-one battle with a life-long military champion giant? What made sense involved huddling in fear with the other Israelites.

With the combined armies of Israel and Syria threatening the king of Judah’s life, the reasonable response involved requesting Assyrian aid. The prophet’s encouragement to trust in God’s deliverance and “If your faith does not remain firm, then you will not remain secure” (Isaiah 7:14) sounded like nonsense.

Fear thrives on human reasoning. Fear feeds on looking at life’s next step through human eyes. The fixation is upon limitations and what seems reasonable based on statistics, size, projected outcomes, dominant cultural forces … the list goes on.

Faith, on the other hand, sees the world through the eyes of God’s promises, commands and teachings. It trusts in his deliverance. It obeys even when the fire is seven times hotter while proclaiming:

 “O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter.  If this be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of your hand, O king. But if not, be it known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up” Daniel 3:16-18.

Faith charts one path … fear another.

And so today’s church leaders face their own giants and seemingly impossible situations. When society’s values differ from God’s will, then God’s ways appear increasingly exotic, untenable and not realistic. Leaders perceive white hairs filling the pews. Simplistic explanations counsel appeasing societal forces and acquiescing. Will the leaders approach their decisions with fear or with faith to obey God?

Nothing is new under the sun! What do today’s giants look like? Each person seeks to do what is right in his or her own eyes. Evil is called good and good evil. Nothing is new under the sun!

If nothing is new under the sun, then neither is the uncommon faith of a Joshua, a Caleb or a David standing tall when human eyes only offer fear. Unless we stand in their shoes aware of how others trembled with fear, we may not realize our story is nothing new. What will we choose? Fear and accommodation or faith and obedience?

Barry Newton, link to original article

Bulletin for 9-17-23

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Birthdays and Anniversaries

None this week

Prayer requests:

Emma Reames new doctor, working it out

Chaney Reames is undergoing extensive dental work.

Stacey Esner, injured leg, on crutches at the moment.

Paul Tyler has a bad sort Parkinson’s. Got stem cell treatments. Pray for their success.

Shirley Weeks, Steve’s mom, some better

Teresa Weeks, Steve’s sister, having age related issues. She has Down’s Syndrome. PT for knee.

Angela Martin, friend of Weeks’, issues may be related to hearing implant.

Robert and Sue Waller, health issues

Darla Nitti, kidney disease

Judy Dingus, friend of the Camachos, cancer.

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

Tammy Jones, Weeks’ neighbor, kidney failure/dialysis

Choose Joy

Three hours in the garden flew by as swiftly as the ruby-throated hummingbird, annoyed that I had just weeded out a lot of the cypress vine that he so loved. Note to self: I must put up the hummingbird feeder to make up for lessening his food source in favor of a neater garden.

The mild breezes caressing my face as I cleared out the weeds spoke peace and joy into my heart, even if the angry bird did not. Gone for this week was the oppressive heat of summer, when opening the back door was akin to opening the oven. 

It felt luxurious after the busy months of July and August to have a few days to do garden chores. Yes; I actually enjoy the chores themselves, but enjoy it so much more when it’s done! I felt a twinge of guilt that I could be doing something more productive, maybe propagating roses for selling. The reality is that I can’t sell as much from a messy garden, but it drove home the point that we often are motivated away from things that are actually quite good.

Take the emotion of joy, for instance. I was in my happy place, my bliss, turning a weedy patch into what it used to be; a place of beauty. As I worked, I contemplated this joy that I was experiencing, free from the headaches that had been plaguing me for so long and having a few days to just “be.” That twinge of guilt — unearned as it was — had even bled over into this joyful feeling I had.

Is it right to feel happy and joyful when the world is a mess? Wildfires in one place and floods in another? Friends who are sick and far away? 

YES!

I am starting to believe it is a requirement that we dare not follow because it’s … well … pleasant! Fun! Joyful!! While we rightly take time to decry sin in all its forms and sneaky ways, we have been given a great gift by our Lord who has saved us from sin. 

Joy. Continual joy. Joy in whatever circumstances we find ourselves, whether watching the birds and butterflies on a quiet patio or being hounded from place to place because we won’t stop teaching the truth.  

“And the disciples were continually filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit” (Acts 13:52, NASB). 

It is significant that this placid passage closely follows a rather tumultuous persecution of Paul and Barnabas by their own Jewish brethren. Later, Paul and Silas will be found singing hymns while they’re in prison with their feet in stocks. 

As one of the fruits of the Spirit spoken of in Galatians 5:22, we want to partake and enjoy this gift. It will make the sweet moments sweeter, and our gratitude more full. It will make the hard times more bearable, in knowing that they are all temporary until we reach the heavenly home where our joy is made completely full.

“So that you will walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; strengthened with all power, according to His glorious might, for the attaining of all steadfastness and patience; joyously giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in Light” (Colossians 1:10-12).

Christine Berglund, link to original article

Bulletin for 9-3-23

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Birthdays and Anniversaries

None this week

Prayer requests:

Emma Reames new doctor, working it out

Chaney Reames is undergoing extensive dental work.

Stacey Esner, injured leg, on crutches at the moment.

Paul Tyler has a bad sort Parkinson’s. Got stem cell treatments. Pray for their success.

Shirley Weeks, Steve’s mom, some better

Marvin Weeks, doing well.

Teresa Weeks, Steve’s sister, having age related issues. She has Down’s Syndrome. PT for knee.

Angela Martin, friend of Weeks’, early onset Alzheimer’s, she is also Down’s Syndrome.

Robert and Sue Waller, health issues

Darla Nitti, kidney disease

Judy Dingus, friend of the Camachos, cancer.

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

Tammy Jones, Weeks’ neighbor, kidney failure/dialysis

Have you seen the light?

As I write this, we are expecting a super blue moon. That means we will experience the second full moon of this month and it will be especially bright. It is rare and beautiful to behold. I cannot wait to see the earth lit up at night!

In the spiritual realm, light comes from God’s word. The singer of Israel said, “Your word is a lamp to my feet And a light to my path” (Psalm 119:105). Isaiah chided the people of God:

“And when they say to you, ‘Seek those who are mediums and wizards, who whisper and mutter,’ should not a people seek their God? Should they seek the dead on behalf of the living? To the law and to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this word, it is because there is no light in them” (Isaiah 8:19-20).

Paul made much the same point, when he wrote,

“For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ” (2 Corinthians 4:6).

The light of God’s word calls for right conduct. John told his children in the faith,

“This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth” (1 John 1:5-6).

Paul wanted the saints to realize light and darkness do not mix:

“Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness?” (2 Corinthians 6:14).

Since light and darkness do not coexist, the apostle issued an appeal:

“Therefore ‘Come out from among them And be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean, And I will receive you. I will be a Father to you, And you shall be My sons and daughters, Says the Lord Almighty” (2 Corinthians 6:17-18).

There are a number of good things that come out of walking in the light. John states,

“But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin” (1 John 1:7).

John went on to say,

“He who says he is in the light, and hates his brother, is in darkness until now. He who loves his brother abides in the light, and there is no cause for stumbling in him” (1 John 2:9-10).

Paul went down much the same path when he wrote,

“If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God” (Colossians 3:1-3).

The light that surrounds us in this world is often a wonder to behold. The light of God’s word and the path it directs us to is even more beautiful. It teaches us to live a righteous life and produces a number of good results. Have you seen the light? If not, open God’s book. It will be all around you.

Gary C. Hampton, link to original article