Bethany Baptist Church

Service opened with the song “I Don’t Know About Tomorrow.” This song was posted to the Facebook page of one of our dear friends and sisters-in-Christ, Debbie R. The song has so much meaning in our lives because we do not know what is going to happen in life, but we can know who holds the future. Jesus Christ holds tomorrow, and if we are saved by his blood, we can be assured that our future will be bright, regardless of what happens to us on this earth.

The devotion “He Is God Alone” was taken from Isaiah 45:18-22. There are two things we get from this passage of scripture. God is God alone. This is reiterated in verses 19-22. Many people have other gods, but not the one true God. The Greeks had a statue representing all their known gods, and then they had a statue for their unknown god, who was the one true God. They would turn to wooden carvings or other idols for help rather than looking to God to be saved.

Everyone wants to be saved and go to heaven, but they do not want to follow God. One misinterpretation of the Bible is that people in the Old Testament were saved in a different way, and that way does not apply to us today. The truth is that the Old Testament does apply to us today, and we are all saved in the same way.

Israel was chosen by God to be the nation to carry his Word of salvation to the entire world. They did not witness to the whole world, so God turned to the Gentiles and his Church as a way to spread the gospel.

The Gospel—the good news of Jesus’ death, burial and resurrection—was not only for the Jews but to the Gentile nations as well. There is nothing secretive about God and his salvation. The only way to be saved is according to God’s plan. Repent and believe in Jesus Christ to save you; ask him to come into your heart. The message never changed, and the church today must get the word out to those who are lost.                                                                                                                                                                                                               We sang “This is My Father’s World,” “God of our Fathers,” “Faith of our Fathers” and “Jesus Loves Me.”

Our pastor Bro. Aubry and his wife Shirley are in Springfield, Ill. for the National American Baptist Associational meeting. In his absence, Bro. Glenn Vines brought a message from 1 Corinthians 13:13. The title of the message was “Back to Basics.”

In the sports world, players may get in a slump and not do well. They must get back to the fundamentals. They usually try many different things, but not do well without the basics. In our spiritual lives we may do the same thing. We go to church, participate in worship and Sunday School, but do not reach lost souls.

Why does this happen? God does not want us as Christians to be sorrowful. He wants us to be happy and joyful so the world will see something different about us. In the Greek language, only two letters or symbols separate the words joy and grace. Think of joy as a direct response to God’s grace. If we have peace in our hearts, then we will have joy. Peace is a harmonious relationship, and if we are in a right relationship with God, we can have peace while in the world.

Do not let the things of the world get in our way of being joyful. How can we ensure our lives are filled with joy and peace? Get back to the basics of God’s Word. Do not turn to new ways of worship or other things to get out of our spiritual slump.

In Hebrews 11:1 we see that faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. In 1 Corinthians 13:13, faith is the first thing we see when getting back to basics. Hebrews 11:6 tells us that faith is required of us to fulfill our spiritual lives. Read God’s Word; do not try other ways of regaining your faith. Romans 10:17 shows us that faith comes from hearing the Word of God.

Hope is the second thing we should have. The hope mentioned in the Bible is a happy expectation. We have a hope that we are going to go to heaven after we die because of the faith of salvation we have in Jesus Christ. In today’s terms, we hope something will happen, but we have doubt. The hope in the Bible is an expectant hope.

In today’s age, we tend to put God’s Word aside. The Bible is the only way to regain hope. Even though many people own Bibles, few read them. We must read the Bible to realize the security we have in Jesus Christ.

We get discouraged because our prayers are not answered, but we must get back to the basics. 1 Peter 3:15 tells us that his hope enables us to witness to others. When we speak, the lost world may not listen, but they are watching what we do, so make sure our words and your life goes hand-in-hand.

Last but not least on the list of things we have in is love (1 Corinthians 13:13). Without love, all other actions are in vain. If love isn’t in our actions, we are wasting our time. Love is active good will. It is more than words; it helps us to be assured of our salvation. God teaches us to love.

Remember all the good things God has done in your life. He blesses us each day. If you are unsaved, you wake each morning with another chance to accept Jesus as your Savior. When looking up to someone, look to Jesus. He is the greatest example of how to love others.

Do not be filled with despair or in a slump. Get back to the basics: faith, hope and love. Do we have joy and peace in our hearts? Do not be distracted by the things of the world or by dwelling on one particular passage in the Bible. Do not live a life of despair when you can have joy and peace in your life.

We closed with a prayer and the hymn “Come Ye Sinners Poor and Needy.”

Our prayer list includes our church, Bro. Aubry, Shirley, Grace, Billie, Jackie, Debbie, Frankie and family, Jeanette, J.C., Glenda, Lisa, Nina, Jenny, Colyn, Barbara W., R. Allen D., Vikii, Helen, Mary K., missions and missionaries, and most of all the unsaved.

Submitted by Jane Vines

Bethsalem Baptist Church

We had a great Father’s Day service with 35 fathers present. The Celebration Choir sang “I’ve Got That Old-Time Religion” as the call to worship.

Several people gave a testimony about what their fathers meant to them, and Roy Martin sang “I Want to Be More Like You” for the special.

Bro. Justin preached from Ephesians 3:10-12, 4:14-20. God has a purpose for his people and his family. Put Christ first, and live in the world but do not be of the world.

Pray for Patsy Rhodes’ family, Emily Chandler, Renie Thomas, Shirley Smith, Mike Smith, James Howard, Melissa Langford, Lula Spigener, Betty Bennett, Linnie Hathcock. Linda Parker, Kendra Williams, Wayne Cobb, Pat Blalock, Kathy Fitzgerald, Kyle Fulford, Debbie Jones, Sid Griner, Jimmy Headley, Michael Arnold, Kinlee Till, Hunter Moore, Justin and Peter Daugherty, Chad Nix, Lowell Strock, Tyler Abbott, Stephanie Hinton, Paul Price, Denyel Tripplett, Marsha Green, Lynn Cox, those facing cancer, the homebound, those in assisted living facilities and nursing homes, and those in need of salvation.

Happy birthday to Bubba Ash, Susan Parker, David Clackley, Caitlyn Prevatt, Tony Williams, Grayson Bice, Patti Martin, Bailey Jackson, Analyssa Britton, Dolly Phillips, Alton Lockhart, Drew Glasscock, Sally Davis, Chris Cox, Kelsey Stange, Vickie Pool and Logan Cox.

Have a blessed week. Come and worship with us on Sunday.

Submitted by Elvie Patterson