Rocky Mount UMC

For those of you who missed church at Rocky Mount Sunday, you missed a great day! We started with Sunday school and continued on in the book of Daniel. Then, during the worship service we were blessed with several great praise reports, as well as praying for those in need.

Jan Pike provided us with beautiful music, as usual. Then Bro. Phil gave us more good information to ponder. We talked about how the world is changing, and not always for the better. We talked of the value put on possessions instead of on Jesus. Jesus is our real joy, treasure and our life. Don’t let your things possess you.

People are spending more time on Twitter than Timothy, more time on Facebook than Phillipians and more time on Instagram than Isaiah! Where do you spend your time?

Following the benediction, we had a blessing and joined together for a fantastic spread of a potluck lunch. You really need to come see what all you are missing!

Mars Hill Baptist Church

All of us at Mars Hill Baptist Church wish everyone a happy and safe Fourth of July holiday. Thank God for your country; no, it’s not what it should be, but still better than any other place in this world! The only way to get this great country of ours back on track is to pray like never before. Ask God to lead and guide those in positions of authority, to give them the Godly wisdom needed to make the best changes for all of our citizens. Amen.

Bro. William Short’s message this week was taken from Matthew 28:18-20, a very familiar passage that we call “The Great Commission:” “And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.

We started the morning service with baptism. Wouldn’t it be great to start every service baptizing new believers in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit? Heaven’s angels sing out whenever a new name is added to the Lamb’s Book of Life! Baptism is a part of the Great Commission, probably the easiest part. We are charged with first going out into the world and bringing in lost soul’s to hear the word of God being preached, making disciples of all the nations. Not everyone is called to do the same things. Some are called to be missionaries. These are the people on the front lines in third world countries, working often without electricity, clean water and proper shelter; some even work in hostile situations. We don’t give our missionaries enough praise for the work they do, the most important thing is to pray for them daily.

Here in the contiguous United States, we are realizing that we need missionaries here at home. Why is that? Because we as Christians have allowed this great nation of ours to become separated from God. We trust in government. Government is made of men and women. Humans will let you down. God will never let you down. He is always with us, and will be with us until the end. Till the end of what? Our life, our last breath, and yes, even till the end of time! Friends, you can’t ask for more than that. Do any of you have friends that have promised to be there for you, no matter what you are going through? Did they actually show up? Jesus is a friend that always shows up, shows out and loves us forever.

We can’t all go away to other countries. Some of us are called to be teachers every Sunday morning in Sunday school, teaching of the love of God. Not all can teach, but we do all live in towns, cities or communities. Does everyone you know belong to Jesus? What about your Facebook friends? Are they all Christians? What about your family, are they all saved and on the way to heaven? I’m thinking not! Start there; let your life shine for Jesus. Tell others of what he has done for you. It could be as simple as asking them to attend a church service with you, praying for them daily and showing them the love of Jesus. There is power in the presence of the Lord. You can feel the Holy Spirit working in and through your life if you allow him to. You will be amazed at the things that will happen in your life and the lives of your family and friends when you allow the Holy Spirit free range in your own life. Whatever you are called to do for Jesus, do it with joy and love.

Our Great Commission is to lift up Jesus, telling others of his love and the life everlasting only he can give. Jesus will draw men, women, boys and girls to him. He does the changing. Romans 10:13 tells us “For whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.” Glory be to God, the “whoever” in this verse is me, you, anybody who calls on the sweet name of Jesus Christ. His greatest miracle was saving my soul from a devil’s hell. Jesus is not just a way of life; he is life.

Take a good look at your life. What are you focused on? The world around you, or Jesus Christ? Are you and I as close to Jesus today as the day we were saved? If we are not, then we are backsliding. If you are not rowing your boat upstream, the stream itself will carry you backward. If we are not working for Jesus, then we are working for the devil; it’s that simple. Doing nothing for Jesus is doing something for Satan. That’s a scary thought, and certainly not a part of our Great Commission. Friends, put nothing and no one before Jesus. It’s important to understand that our own life must first be in line with that of Christ before we can lead others to him. You must first believe before you receive. There are a lot of people ready and prepared to do many things, but very few people are ready and prepared to meet Jesus.

Friends, if you don’t know Jesus, if you don’t have a personal relationship with him, the most important thing you can do right now is to bow your head, bend you knee and ask Jesus into your heart and life. I truly feel these are the last days; prepare to meet God face to face. Will he know who you are?

Sunday night, we were treated to an ice cream social. We had lots of different flavors of homemade ice cream, cakes, pies, fruit, cookies and a fellowship with other Christians that is like no other. Come and be a part of Mars Hill Baptist Church. We invite all who would to come and enjoy fellowship and the preaching of the Word of God.

Please continue to pray for our church, our pastor, the sick, the lost, the hurting, our missionaries, both at home and abroad, our troops, our government, our precious children and our country. God is good, all the time! Amen.