Bethany Baptist Church

On Sunday, Bethany Baptist Church met at 10 a.m. and sang “Footsteps Of Jesus,” followed by a devotion, “The Laws of Sowing and Reaping.” Using the example of a garden, you plant (sow) seeds, and then you will reap what you have sown. You will not get anything you do not plant.

The same is true with your spiritual life.

If we sow to the flesh, we will reap corruption. We see the wicked of the world having everything. They are prospering, while not following God’s Word. Spiritually, we should not get discouraged when we see this. They are only prospering physically, not spiritually. When they die, they lose every thing.

When we sow in the spirit, we have everlasting life. We must have salvation to be able to live for Christ. Unless you are saved, you will not go to heaven when you die. Do not get discouraged when you see the lost prospering. Continue to do God’s work and witness so the lost will hear and be saved.                                                                     After a prayer and Sunday school, we sang, “Sweet, Sweet Spirit,” and “Isn’t The Love Of Jesus Something.” After receiving the morning offering, Bro. Aubry delivered the a.m. message, “The Power of God,” from I Kings 17:1-7. This passage of scripture is about Elijah, a man of God. He was no different than we today, just a person, but he was courageous and his courage came from the power of God.

James 5:17 speaks of Elijah and his walk with the Lord. He was a man with like passions as we have, but through God and his prayer to God, it did not rain for 3 and a half years. God can take any man, if he will yield his life to Him, and make him all He wants him to be.

Elijah lived in a rough, rugged place named Gilead. He was a Tishbite who prayed to God, and God answered. We serve the same Lord God whom Elijah served.

When we serve God, we, like Elijah, will be excluded from the things and friends of the world. The first thing we see about Elijah is that he came before the wicked King Ahab. He was hand-picked by God to tell a message of judgment on Israel because of the wickedness of the nation.

God wants us to spread the gospel of salvation to the lost world today. He doesn’t look for rich, educated people, but looks for common, everyday saved people who are willing to work for Him.

When choosing a king to replace Saul, God did not want a person who was handsome, but a ruddy young man who was Godly and willing. We like Isaiah should say “Here am I, send me.” Anyone who wants to, can speak to God and if they will be obedient to Him, I Samuel 15:22, will be used of God.

I Kings 16:30-33: King Ahab was the most wicked leader Israel had ever had, who also was married to a wicked, idolatrous woman named Jezebel. King Ahab also, along with his wife, worshipped Baal. God was angry with Israel as He must surely be angry with the United States of America today. Our leaders from the top on down, go against the Word of God when making decisions for our country.

Joshua 6:26: King Ahab was the king who tried to rebuild the city of Jericho. I Kings16:34: The only way we can help our country is to be like the Presbyterian minister who went to a city council meeting in San Francisco on the issue of homosexuality.

Rather than sit silent, he quoted Leviticus 20:13, Psalm 18:22, and Romans 1:27. He did not preach a sermon, or yell, but quietly closed the Bible and sat down. He had quoted Moses, David and the Apostle Paul. The homosexual motion failed because a man of God stood up. Do we have the courage to speak up and, first of all, accept Christ as Savior? We closed the morning services with a prayer and a hymn, “What A Friend.”

 Evening services began at 4:30 p.m. with a men’s meeting and ladies’ auxiliary meeting. We then sang “Who Is That Knocking.” We had a prayer and Bro. Aubry again brought his message from I Kings 17. When Elijah spoke to Ahab, he was speaking against Baal.

We in America are like Israel; we have gone so far against God that we are risking judgment of God. We need to wake up and obey God. We should write our congressmen and let them know that we are for standing for the word of God, and nothing else. Elijah was courageous and committed to God.

He demonstrated that he was totally dependent on God and rested in the arms of faith. Only when we, living in our wicked world, honor God by being faithful to him and trusting Him, not ourselves, for the blessings we have and for our needs to be met will we please God.

Our own county has never, since prohibition, sold alcoholic beverages, but once again, a vote will be taken, and unless all the saved people of the county will stand and vote no we will have alcohol sold throughout our county. Will we stand for God and the good of our county?

Elijah stirred up a hornet’s nest when he stood before Ahab. He stood for God when he spoke up to the king, and put his life in the hand of God. How many of us are taking a stand for God in our wicked world today? Would we rather be chastised by the world, or by God? God is all that matters. Elijah’s God hasn’t changed. He is, and always has been, the same.

We closed the evening service with a prayer and hymn, “Amazing Grace.”

Our prayer list includes our church, Bro. Aubry, Shirley, Grace, Billie, Jackie, R. Allen Downs, Glenda W, Debbie, Frankie and their families, J.C., Journey Baptist and missionary pastor’s family, All missions and missionaries, Lisa R, Jenny H, Colyn, Barbara T. W, Vikii, Helen, Mary K, Bro. Greg Bixler, all those who have lost loved ones or are suffering from other problems, and most of all the unsaved.

Calvary Independent Baptist Church

Calvary Independent Baptist Church in Clanton wants to invite you to Vacation Bible School July 20-25. We will have classes and activities for most all ages, including a class for adults.

Monday July 20th through Friday July 24th, we will be having VBS services from 6:30 pm until 8:30 pm each night. Saturday, on July 25th, we will be having a VBS event that evening from 4:00 pm until 6:00 pm. We will be running a bus that week for people who need transportation. If you have some kids or adults in your home that would like to attend VBS, you can pre-register them, if you like, at our website www.cibc-clanton.com.

Sunday morning or Sunday night on the 19th will also be a time you can bring or pick up registration forms at the church during our regular services. If you are looking for a church to visit with this Sunday, please consider visiting with us. We are located in south Clanton, just past Dollar General right off Hwy. 31 on Fulmer Drive. Our regular weekly services include Sunday school at 9 a.m., children’s church and adult worship services Sunday morning at 10 a.m., Sunday night services at 5:30 p.m., Wednesday night services at 6:30 p.m., and a Bible study on every other Tuesday night at 7 p.m.

For other services and events, check us out on Facebook ,Twitter, visit our website at www.cibc-clanton.com, or call Pastor Oscar Mims at 205-755-9399. We would love to see you this Sunday at Calvary!