Bethany Baptist Church

Service opened with the song “I Will Glory in the Cross” and a devotion titled “Glory Only in the Lord,” from 1 Corinthians 1:20-31 about man’s way versus God’s way.

Man and God are complete opposites of each other. These scriptures show that as far as God is concerned, there is no difference in a person’s social standing, knowledge or power. According to man, the more power you have, the more you get. God’s way is salvation for everyone. Salvation is free, a gift from God. A free gift of salvation makes no sense according to man, who thinks you must do some work to be saved or remain saved. Do not boast or glory in ourselves, but boast about our awesome great God.

Following a prayer, we sang “What a Friend We Have in Jesus,” “Here Am I, Send Me,” “So Send I You” and “I Love To Tell the Story.”

Bro. Aubry concluded his message from Revelation 7:1-17, “The Great Multitude Saved During the Tribulation Period” with the focus on verses 9-14.

We cannot comprehend how bad things will be in this world during the Tribulation, but we who are saved should not worry or fret about these events.

The number of people who will be saved during the Tribulation is so great that no man will be able to count them. They will come from all nations, kindreds, people and nationalities. Of the Jews, 144,000 will be saved, and they will go out and witness to lost souls.

Once we are saved, we are saints of God. Romans 10: 9-10 tells us that once we confess that Jesus Christ is Lord and repent of our sins, we will be saved. Those saved during the Tribulation will be saved just as everyone else has been through the ages. One day all who have been saved will stand in the very presence of God our Father.

Right now, there are more people on earth who are lost than saved. Many people in the world do not worship the one true God, but worship false gods instead. Without the one and only true God, you cannot be saved and go to heaven.

Until Jesus died on the cross, the Gentiles could only go into the outer court of the temple to worship God, but not behind the veil that separated the temple. Matthew 27:51 explains the veil of the temple was torn when Jesus died on the cross, giving saved Jews and Gentiles alike access to the throne of God.

If the rapture occurs today and you are unsaved, the Holy Spirit will be gone; therefore you must base your knowledge of Christ on those things you have already learned. The lost will be left on earth, even those who have been in church all their lives but never accepted Christ as their personal Savior. The only thing you will know is that everything on earth is really bad. During the Tribulation, you will lose your life once you have been saved, but this will be better than living on earth after having been saved.

In Revelation 6:9-11, we see a different group of people, those who were slain for the Word of God during the church age. Millions of true saints of God will be persecuted because of their stand for God.

During the Tribulation, those who are left will pray, “Lord, how long?” But dying for Christ is not the worst thing that can happen because they will escape the suffering of the Tribulation.

Heaven is a beautiful place where we will not be bored; we will be busy, just as we should be here on earth. As long as God leaves us here, he has work for us to do. Study the Bible to find out what God has for you to do, and do it. It is better to suffer on earth as a saved person than to have everything here on the earth, and then die without having received Christ as your Savior.

Revelation 8 tells us the Tribulation period will be a time of excruciating punishment, and the water will be unfit for human consumption. The saved will have given their all for Jesus Christ, but our lost loved ones will have a chance to be saved during this time. Be saved today, and avoid the Tribulation.

We closed with a prayer and the song “Only Trust Him.”

Our fifth Sunday fellowship was celebrated with lunch in the fellowship hall, after which we visited residences in the neighborhood to pass out flyers containing information about our church services and the date and time of VBS. We’re sorry if we missed you, and we will try to get you a flyer within the week.

Our prayer list includes our church, Bro. Aubry, Shirley, Grace, Billie, Jackie, Debbie, Frankie, Jeanette and all of their family, J.C., Wanda, missionaries, missions, Journey Baptist Mission in Calera, the Kelley family, Lisa R., Jenny H., Colyn, Barbara W., R. Allen D., Vikii, Helen, Glenda, Mary K. and many more, but most of all the unsaved.

We want to invite you to visit with us at Bethany Baptist Church.

Submitted by Jane Vines

Cedar Grove Church

“The Bread of Life” was the title of Pastor Carroll’s sermon taken from John 6:25-40.

The true bread of life is Jesus Christ. He told the people who were following him that they were only following him because he had given them food and fed their fleshly appetites. Jesus tells them, “Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for him hath God the Father sealed.” Then said they unto him, “What shall we do, that we might work the works of God?” Jesus answered and said unto them, “This is the work of God: that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.”

How much of your time are you laboring on perishing things? Lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven. You do not need to be a hoarder of the things of this world, which is only temporary; get those things that will help you have eternal life.

We need to believe and obey God, because with God all things are possible. At any given moment, one sickness or catastrophe can wipe you out in a matter of hours. God wants us to just depend on him daily, understanding that it is OK to plan ahead, but knowing he will make a way when there seems to be no way. Our situation may look hopeless, but God can make a way today, tomorrow and in the future; he has the situation under control long before we even start to worry.

Jesus is the Bread of Life; all who come to him will never hunger, and he who believes will never thirst. The Father has given to Jesus those who will follow him. Even if someone is lost at sea or in the desert, they were not lost to God. The greatest gift we receive when we believe on Jesus is being called to heaven to be with him.

Announcements:

Each year we write to those who have loved ones buried in Cedar Grove Cemetery and ask for financial assistance to help pay the upkeep of the cemetery. If you have loved ones buried here, or wish to donate, any assistance you can give will be appreciated. Please mail contribution to: Steve Price, 906 Seventh St. S., Clanton, AL 35045

Prayer concerns: our pastor and church family, our nation, those in hospitals and nursing homes, spoken and unspoken requests.

Submitted by Naomi Gillespie