Mars Hill Baptist Church

Thank you Lord, for bringing the rain this Sunday. You always know what we need. A little rain never hurt anyone. If you stayed home because of the rain, you missed a blessing in God’s house this Sunday. Jesus always makes it worth your time and effort when you put him first and attend church. He also provides the tools we need for the job he has for us to do.

Bro. William Short brought our message from 2 Kings 6:1-7: But as one was cutting down a tree, the iron ax head fell into the water, and he cried out and said, “Alas, Master, for it was borrowed.” Elisha, the man of God, asked the man where the ax head had fallen into the water, and when he showed him, he cut off a stick, threw it into the water at that place and made the iron ax head swim. Elisha then told the man to pick it up. The man reached out his hand and took it.

In those times, an iron ax head was a valuable tool, and not everyone had one, as evidenced in these passages, for the man had borrowed one. When the ax head flew off into the water, the man was distressed and cried out to the master. What did Elisha do? He didn’t panic or say, “Well, now you’re in the soup; go and buy one for yourself, and one to replace that of your friend!” No, he simply cut a stick and threw it into the water—and that’s when the miracle happened. Not only did the ax head float, it swam! The scriptures don’t say the man swam out and brought it back; he only had to bend over to pick it up.

My friends, we serve the same God as Elisha. He has not changed. If he can make iron float, he can do anything! When you lose your ax, trust God; when your children stray, trust God; when your job is gone, trust God; when your finances are tight, trust God and when your health is in jeopardy, trust God. We need to get the lead out and get on fire for Jesus. Do you feel the urgency to cry out to Jesus about a lost soul? Go to that person and tell them about the God we serve. To rescue the ax head, Elisha cut a stick and threw it into the water. Replace the stick of Elisha with the word of God; it’s sharper than a two-edged sword. Jesus can draw a lost soul out of the depth of the sea, and set it on the path to heaven. If God can make iron swim, he can save the worst sinner in the country.

Please be in prayer for the coming Relay for Life event on April 26. Pray for the survivors and their families. Continue to pray for our church, our pastor and his family, the lost, the sick, the hurting, our country, our troops and our children. God is great, all the time. Amen.

Samaria Baptist Church

It was a rainy Sunday to worship, but God knows exactly what we need.

Our guest speaker today was Andy Cannon, a Gideon from Providence Church No. 2. Mr. Cannon shared with us the story of his involvement in Gideon missions, and the wonderful testimonials that come from the Bible’s presence in places throughout the world, reaching people in great times of spiritual need.

He read to us from Matthew 9:35-38. Our orders for our mission in Christian service remain the same: “Go ye.”

We are never to cease from the goal of service, and from reaching out to souls as we walk through life. We encounter lost people every single day. It is our responsibility to show Jesus to them, and when the opportunity arises, to tell them about what Jesus can do for them.

Mr. Cannon shared that 85 million copies of God’s word were placed throughout the world. People in lands of desperation are so anxious to hear and read about God’s plan to save them. These Bibles have been prepared for them in their language that they may easily understand them.We should rejoice to be used of God in sharing the hand-to-hand ministry of dispensing God’s word to all the land.

Let us all remember to do our part. “Go ye therefore” still applies to all who claim the Christian name.

Don Fisher played the harmonica for us today, and Diane Fisher sang “I Made It by Grace.” We welcome you at Samaria Baptist.

Prayer concerns are for Bruce Moore, Horace and Gail Cleckler and Roger Cleckler. God bless you.