Samaria Baptist Church

Special music was by Darrell and Ashlyn Willis singing ‘Who Am I.” It was a blessing to us all.

Our prayer requests today are for the Gary Voyles family, baby Tucker Jones, Ronnie Lockhart, Ray Hardee, our Pastor Search Committee and Walter Hudgins.

Bro. Shane Wyatt preached an awesome message today about how we should be faithful to God. His beginning text was Lamentations 3:22-23. There are five things the devil uses to blind us. One way is God’s goodness. Another is our spiritual condition as he tries to convince us that we are not saved or capable of being loved by Almighty God.

Satan blinds us to the truth of our salvation. Jesus Christ alone is the way the truth and the life. No man cometh unto the Father but by him.

Satan blinds us to the truth about heaven and the horror of hell. He wants to deceive us and make us doubt our soul’s salvation. We have a void within us. We long for a relationship with our Heavenly Father. The devil tries to beautify the perils and horrors of hell, making sin appealing to those who are weak. We must all stand with Christ and pray each day for his guidance, his mighty hand to lead us, and his mercy to forgive us and make us clean again.

God’s mercies are new every day. John the Revelator was shown our future on the Isle of Patmos. He saw a new heaven and a new earth. There was no more sea, and no sorrow, death, tears or pain. All things were new. God is true and faithful. He is the beginning and the end, the first and the last, the Alpha and the Omega.

No Christian should fear death. Of course, we don’t look forward to leaving our families and going through death’s sting, but to live is Christ and to die is gain.

Satan uses darkness to blind us and to harden our hearts. Even in the days of Jesus’ miracles on earth, the Pharisees believed in him, but would never admit it so as to maintain their reputation and the praise of men.

As we encounter another week that starts with Dr. King’s birthday celebration, let us seek peace in our community. Let us not be blinded by the devil, and may we all be ready to speak out and share what Christ means to us while there is still time. Behold, I come quickly. Even so, Lord Jesus, come.

Cedar Grove Church

Jesus is King of kings and Lord of lords!

Prayer concerns: Bobbie and Earl Giles, Janet Wyatt, Ann Russell, Billy Caton, Mike Price, Wayne Hughes family, Conniemack Easterling, Jean Varden, Renee Cleckley, Alton Russell, church family, the Voyles family, those in hospitals and nursing homes, spoken and unspoken requests.

Pastor Bro. Jeff Carroll’s text comes from 2 Corinthians 6:14, Leviticus 20: 22-24 and Matthew 25: 36-46. His sermon title was “The Great Separation.”

Separation by definition is division or parting. Separate: right and wrong, separate from the world, separate from your sins. Jesus was a separatist. Jesus wants to separate us from our sin and from the world because he loves us and wants to save us from hell and damnation. This world is just our temporary home. As Christians we are just passing through. We must die daily and crucify the flesh. Jesus will separate us at The Judgment. His sheep, we as Christians, he will call to his right to be in heaven with him; goats, the lost, he will send to the left to depart into hell for eternity. God knows whether you are a sheep or a goat. The big question is: Do you know if you are a sheep or a goat?

Our one desire above all else in this world should be to become a sheep and follow the master shepherd, Jesus.

Love to all and have a blessed week!