Bethany Baptist Church

We began service with the hymn, “In the Garden” and a devotional titled “Prayer of the Betrayed” from Psalm 55:1-17. King David’s son Absalom had betrayed his father in 2 Samuel 15-18. No one likes going through trials in life, but as saved people, it is necessary. Trials are used to make us stronger, whether a consequence of our sin, or just a part of living in the world. We need to call upon God to help us.

After a prayer and Sunday school, we sang “Fill My Cup Lord,” At Calvary,” “There is a Name I Love to Hear” and “There is Power in the Blood.”

Bro. Aubry’s message “Avoiding Spiritual Shipwreck” was taken from 1 Timothy 1:18-20. Most shipwrecks happen on dry ground. The possibility exists that we might suffer a shipwreck in our spiritual life. Our text gives us the example of how to avoid this: “which some having put away concerning faith have made shipwreck.”

Some church members like to spread false doctrines in the churches of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. The first step toward putting away the faith is found in 1 Corinthians 10:12 and Proverbs 16:18. We need to stay from anything contrary to God’s Word. Jesus Christ began his church on the shores of the Sea of Galilee when he called out the disciples. Spiritual shipwreck also happens when we allow sin into our lives. None of us—even though saved—are perfect, and we know that we can never be lost once saved, but known sin can cause us to lose our positive testimony of Jesus Christ.

We closed services with the hymn “I Am Thine O Lord” and a prayer.

Evening service began with the hymn “I’ll Live For Him.” The message was from Ruth 2:21-23. Ever since Adam sinned in the Garden of Eden, God has wanted people to be saved. The reason we are still here today is to preach the gospel to a lost and dying world. The rich landowners must leave some grain in the fields so the poor could gather it for food. The landowners did not gather and prepare the grain for them; they had to claim it. God’s grace of salvation is still free for us today, but we must ask Jesus for forgiveness and trust him to save us.

Ruth was invited to abide in the field of Boaz. Lost people are invited to come to Jesus for a personal relationship with him. Without Jesus, we are useless. Jesus will never leave us nor forsake us. Ruth found more than food with Boaz. She found peace, safety, security, and a relationship. We can have the same with Jesus. His field contains all we need to sustain us in life.

We closed with the hymn “God Be With You” and a prayer.

Our prayer list includes: our church, Bro. Aubry, and Shirley, Elwyn, Grace, Billie, Jackie, Colyn and Sherry, missionaries, Lisa Rodriguez, our country, the unsaved, Donald Vick, Phyllis, Bro. Hubert, Wayne Smith, Jenny Hayes, Johy Rodriguez and Glenda Wallace.

Mars Hill Baptist Church

Another month has come and gone and another successful Relay for Life has been run. We pray a cure for this disease will be found soon. Those we have loved and lost to cancer will never be forgotten. Those who have conquered cancer know what it means to live a life of joy every day. Praise God for his goodness in all things, for only he knows what is in store for each of us.

Bro. William Short’s message this week was taken from Luke 18:1-8. “Then he spoke a parable to them, that men always ought to pray and not lose heart, saying, “There was in a certain city a judge who did not fear God nor regard man. Now there was a widow in that city, and she came to him, saying, “Get justice for me from my adversary.” And he would not for a while, but afterward he said within himself, “Though I do not fear God nor regard man, yet because this widow troubles me, I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me.” Then the Lord said, “Hear what the unjust judge said. And shall God not avenge his own elect who cry out day and night to him, though he bears long with them? I tell you that he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he really find faith on the earth?”

This widow would not leave the judge alone; she came every day pleading for justice. As my granddaddy used to say, “She worried the horns off the billy goat!” By her continual pleading she was rewarded justice. Even though the judge in this scripture is pictured as unjust, he still did the right thing by the widow. Can we, as children of God, do the right thing? Can we do right without being continually prodded to do so? God tells us to pray continually, to cry out to him day and night for the things of which we have need of. God will avenge his children, in his own time, and in his own way.

The last line of this scripture is what really captures my heart: “Will Jesus really find faith on the earth when he comes back?” Faith is believing in things we cannot see. Do you believe that God is working for you, even though you can’t see the results immediately? The only justice we will ever find on this earth is through our heavenly Father. The widow in this scripture had a goal she wanted to reach, and she didn’t stop until she got it. Are we faithful enough to continue to cry out to God for what we need, even though it doesn’t seem reachable? With God, all things are possible; we only have to believe. Be constantly in prayer and never give up! Be consistent in your daily walk with God. A wishy-washy Christian will never attain his or her full potential in Christ.

Praise God in all things, good or bad. Ask for his help in everything, even your grocery shopping. Our witness for Jesus should be powerful, showing love for others always, as Jesus loves us. One of the greatest commandments Jesus gave to us was to love thy neighbor as thyself. Have we really grasped this? If we did, our churches would be full to over-flowing every Sunday! It is hard to love the unlovable, but to be Christ-like is what he asks of every Christian. Everyone is unlovable at some point in their life, but still Jesus reached down his hand for us. Only Jesus sees the inside of our heart. No one is so bad that Jesus can’t or won’t save them. Jesus cares, Jesus loves, Jesus saves. There is no other like our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Won’t you reach out to him today? He will not turn you away. Be one of the chosen, be one of the changed, and be challenged for Christ.

Please continue to pray for our church, our pastor and family, the sick, the lost, the hurting, our children, our schools, our troops, and our government. God is good, all the time! Amen.