Mt. Carmel No. 1 Baptist Church

What a blessing it was to have God provide us with such a beautiful day for entering into his house for worship.

It was a privilege to have Bro. Harper Shannon as our speaker on Sunday. His message from God to us on Sunday morning was “When Jesus said, ‘It is ___.’”

The first scripture passages he used are found in Matthew 4:4-10 containing the phrase “It is written.”

Jesus was tempted three times by Satan after he had spent 40 days and nights fasting in the wilderness. Jesus used the phrase “It is written” to combat Satan three times in these verses.

The next “it is” is found in Matthew 14:27. Here Jesus said “It is I.” This statement was made to the disciples to calm their fear. We as Christians can also have this same assurance when we are afraid or have doubts. That same “I” is still available for us.

The third “it is” statement is found in John 19:30. Jesus declared, “It is finished.” He said this because he had finished the work he had been sent to earth to do. The promise of God for the plan of salvation was fulfilled.

Bro. Shannon’s text in the evening service came from Luke 5:1-11. He titled his message “Drawing in the Net.”

Looking into these verses, Luke wrote, “We can see the people were hungry to hear a message from God.” Are we? Jesus responded and taught them from one of the ships that were by the seashore.

After he had finished his message to the people, these verses tell us that he had yet another lesson to deliver.

This message was to help the fishermen learn and grow in their faith. Even though they had fished all night without catching anything, Peter obeyed Jesus when he told them to launch out into the deep and let down their nets. The results of these actions were astonishing. If we would just go ahead and obey God’s commands to us without arguing, we too could see amazing things happen. Listening to God’s word can teach us his will.

We extend our deepest sympathy to the families of Karen Lowery Baker and David Childress. Only God can fill the empty places the loss of a loved one leaves in the lives of family and friends. Please remember them in your prayers.

We ask that you pray for Jennifer Watley as she is going back to Houston for a checkup. Her sister, Shelia Robinson, is facing foot surgery. Also, please pray for James and Mary Dean Higgins and the parents of these two ladies.

Others on our prayer list this week are Hilda Cary, Elladene Mims, Gladys Franklin, Leona Liveoak, Jenny Hayes, Tammy Harmon, Christy Lowery and Abby Lockhart.

Upcoming events:

•There will be a Brotherhood breakfast on Aug. 29 at 7 a.m. at the church. Please contact Mark Jones if you plan to attend.

•If you are going to EnFuego on Aug. 29, please contact Geoffrey Lockhart about the time to be at the church.

•Bro. Harper Shannon will be bringing our messages on Aug. 30. We will have a fellowship lunch of soup, salad and sandwiches after the morning message.

•On Sept. 6, Bro. Gene Hitchcock will be with us in the morning service, and Randall Edwards will be with us during the evening service.

Submitted by Louise Liveoak

Mars Hill Baptist Church

We welcome you to Mars Hill Baptist Church! Come and see what God has in store for you at his house. All are welcome to join us to worship him in spirit and in truth.

Trust in the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind and body, and watch him perform miracles in your life and the lives of your family. Only God can tear down walls of hatred, guilt, depression, anxiety, addiction, attitudes and so many other kinds of walls that can keep you from the life God meant for all his children to have—a life of peace, joy, love and kindness.

Bro. William Short’s message this week was taken from Joshua 6:1-5. “Now Jericho was securely shut up because of the children of Israel; none went out, and none came in. And the Lord said to Joshua: ‘See! I have given Jericho into your hand, its king and the mighty men of valor. You shall march around the city, all you men of war; you shall go all around the city once. This you shall do six days. And seven priests shall bear seven trumpets of rams’ horns before the ark. But the seventh day you shall march around the city seven times and the priests shall blow the trumpets. It shall come to pass, when they make a long blast with the ram’s horn, and when you hear the sound of the trumpet that all the people shall shout with a great shout; then the wall of the city will fall down flat. And the people shall go up every man straight before him.’”

The wall surrounding the city of Jericho was great, but not great enough to withstand the mighty will of God. Only God could bring down this wall, and he did it with the people of Israel accepting the will and the way of God.

Just as the city of Jericho had walls, we have our own walls surrounding us, and those walls keep us from God. What kind of wall do you have? If it keeps you from the will of God, get rid of it, repent and ask God to destroy those things in your life that separate you from him.

Do you have a wall of religion? Are you playing church? Can you fool all the people all of the time? Why do you come to church? There is no good religion of God, only a good relationship with God. You can make a religion out of playing football or anything else, but it’s the relationship with God that will get you into heaven.

A “sit up straight, don’t talk, don’t twitch” formality in church kind of religion may look and feel good to you, but seriously, would you rather be dignified or dead? We don’t need a new religion; we need Jesus. Let the Spirit of God lead you in praise and worship. If others don’t like it and look down on you, maybe they need a new relationship with God also!

Do you have a wall of goodness? You know what I’m referring to: the attitude of “I’m not where I need to be, but I’m better than he or she is” kind of feeling—the one where you say, “I’m not a murderer, rapist, child molester or pedophile; I don’t lie, cheat or steal.” So what, you don’t do all these things, but what is your particular sin? We all sin in different ways, and face it brother, sin is sin.

Do you do things today that five years ago you would never have considered doing? We are all sinners, and the only good in any of us is Jesus Christ. God hates all sin—and to him there is no big or little sin, just plain old sin with a capital “S.”

You and I are not going to heaven on our own goodness, but only through the blood of Jesus Christ that was shed on Calvary for the sins of the world. Don’t be fooled and consumed in your own goodness; tear down the walls of your own self-worth.

Do you procrastinate? Delay?  Do you tell yourself, “I’ll do it next week for sure?” There is a wall of delay that will take you to hell without delay, friend. Your age, health, ethnicity or religion doesn’t determine how long you will live, how long God will deal with you or whether His Spirit will draw you to him day after day.

There will come a time when God will say “That is enough; no more will I deal with him or her,” and his spirit will withdraw from you. You cannot save yourself, and you cannot be saved just because someone else was saved. Only the Spirit of the living God can and will save you.

When the time comes and you draw your last breath, you won’t be concerned about your house, your money, your car or your friends; your only thought will be, “Where will I spend eternity?” If you know Jesus and are saved by his grace, your next breath will be with the Father in heaven. If you don’t know Jesus, you will spend the rest of eternity in a lake of fire. What is your choice going to be?

Don’t delay. Bring down the walls that separate you from God. Ask God to bring those walls down by accepting him. Worship him in spirit and truth. Your life depends on the decisions you make. Time is growing short; Jesus is coming back one day soon. Come to God when he calls. There is no one else like the living Jesus Christ. He will make your life more meaningful than you ever knew possible.

Our back-to-school bash will be held on Aug. 29 from 1-3 p.m. Come and have a great time.

Don’t forget to bring your Operation Christmas Child shoebox items this month. Our pastor, Bro. William Short, will be in revival at Cedar Grove Baptist Church this week. Come out and support him there.

Please continue to pray for our church, our pastor, the sick, the lost, the hurting, our children and schools, and teachers, our military, our government, our missionaries, the upcoming presidential election and the peace of Israel.

God is good, all the time! Amen.

Submitted by Danny L.