Due to some technological problems, those who follow this website via E-mail may not have been receiving e-mailed website postings during the months of March and April of this year. Since the recent discovery of the problem, which is now corrected, all the postings have been re-posted within the last couple of days so that you should be caught back up. Sorry for any inconvenience that you may experienced. Thanks for following this website and God bless. – Editor
By man’s measure of a successful ministry, the prophet Jeremiah was a failure. He did not persuade a great number of idolatrous citizens of Judah to change their ways. His preaching did not save the city of Jerusalem from destruction like Jonah saved Nineveh. He was not even liked by the audience to whom he frequently preached. He was persecuted and imprisoned by his own people. If Jeremiah was seeking a pulpit position in the church today, his lackluster resume would likely not even earn him a tryout.
Yet, in spite of man’s shallow, unspiritual assessment of this rabble-rousing preacher, God chose him to be one of the most illustrious of all His ministers.
Why? It was because, by the Word of God, Jeremiah confronted his brethren’s sins and made them see what they did not want to see. He used the Word of God as a mirror that reflected through the self-deceptions and revealed their true nature. For instance in Jeremiah 8:10 & 11, he courageously spoke for God when he preached, “From the prophet even to the priest everyone practices deceit. They heal the brokenness of the daughter of My people superficially, Saying, Peace, peace. But there is no peace.”
This is what powerful preaching is supposed to do, it is supposed to “reprove, rebuke, exhort” (Timothy 4:2). It is supposed to afflict the comfortable and comfort the afflicted! It is supposed to cause men and women to think, to honestly look into their lives and recognize what is wrong. It is supposed to compel all men and women to ask, “What have I done?” and repent (Jeremiah 8:6).
It is a good question to ponder as to whether the preaching in the church today disturbs us enough. It should. When we come to church and hear the Word preached, we should want to be challenged and provoked. We should want something to meditate upon through the week, something to be passionate about, even if the passion is anger and insult.
We need to encourage Jeremiah’s kind of preaching. We need to come to church with the attitude that what is heard from the Bible changes us…..for the better…..to the glory of God.
Floyd Kaiser, Southwest church of Christ, Ada, OK
GUEST SPEAKER
This morning, our guest speaker will be one of our elders, Charles Greenawalt. We always enjoy and look forward to Charles’ concise and to-the-point sermons.
APRIL FELLOWSHIP MEAL
Today after our morning worship assembly. As always, evening worship is dismissed on that Sunday, we have the afternoon off for other good activities.
Hosts & hostesses are: Ken & Gail Darnell, Don & Paula Welch and David & Sheri Zoller.
Hope you made plans to stay and enjoy the good food and fellowship!
DINNER TOGETHER
Will be on Thursday, May 11th at the “Grand Central Cafe” by the Antlers Inn in Kingsland.
The sign-up sheet is on the table in the back of the auditorium. Be sure and sign up by Sunday, May 7th.
Those who will be going can meet here at the building between 5 and 5:30 PM and drive together or go directly to the restaurant.
HELPING HANDS PANTRY NEEDS
No special requests this week. Thank you!
VISITING FOR THE MASTER
VISITATION PROGRAM Team #1 (leaders: Joe & Teri Winnett) will meet on Wednesday, May 10th, at 6:30 pm in the library for their assignments.
BEAUTIFUL FOOTNOTES
Due to technical problems with the Internet, our regular article about our mission work is on hold till next week.
“Brace yourself like a man; I will question you, and you shall answer me” (Job 38:3). “Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be men of courage; be strong.” (1 Corinthians 16:13). The above passages inform that God calls upon us to be men. What is God’s greatest need? It is not wealth. “The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it” (Psalm 24:1). It is not power, either (Genesis. 1:1). God’s greatest need is a man. “Go up and down the streets of Jerusalem, look around and consider, search through her squares. If you can find but one person who deals honestly and seeks the truth, I will forgive this city” (Jeremiah 5:1). Now notice: God seeks a man not a mouse, or a drunkard, or liar, a thief, or a whiner…but a man that is honest and seeks the truth.
God’s greatest need then was a man, so God’s greatest need now is a man. There were men in Jeremiah’s time as there are men today, but God wanted a certain type of man, because a certain work had to be done. The man that God wanted was one that was fair and sought the truth. The type of men God is seeking are men as David, Daniel, Peter, Paul and Christ, (Psalm 1:1-3; Daniel 1:8; 2 Peter 1:5-11; 2 Timothy 2:20-26; Matthew 5:1-16).
God used the men He needed. Noah, “But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord” (Genesis 6:8). God needed Noah to preserve the human race. He needed and used Abraham to become the father of the nation through whom God would bless the world (Galatians 3:28, 29). God used Moses to deliver Israel. Moses refused the glory of this world, riches and honor to serve God. God needed David to accept the challenge of Goliath and to free Israel. We need men like David today whose trust is in God. He used and needed Peter to announce the Gospel of Salvation to the Jews on Pentecost and to the Gentiles at the house of Cornelius. God used and needed Paul to carry the Gospel to the Gentiles and write a large portion of the New Testament.
God’s greatest need now is a man. The work of saving the lost has been given to man (2 Cor. 4:7). It takes a real man to stand in the face of discouragement, trials and persecution. God needs men who will push ahead and never look back (Luke 9:62).
Will you supply God’s Greatest Need Today? J.D. Conley, Church of Christ Hamar Hill, Marietta, OH
LADIES BIBLE CLASS
Ladies, next Wednesday, April 26, will be our last Bible Study Class before Summer starts.
We will meet at Gattis’ Pizza after the class to eat together. Thanks to all the teachers who taught the classes and to the ladies who attended these last sessions. Class will start up in the Fall again.
FELLOWSHIP MEAL
Our April Fellowship Meal will be next Sunday, April 30th, after our morning worship assembly. As always, evening worship is dismissed, we have the afternoon off for other good activities.
Hosts & hostesses will be: Ken & Gail Darnell, Don & Paula Welch and David & Sheri Zoller.
Make your plans to come and enjoy the good food and fellowship!
HELPING HANDS PANTRY NEWS
Plastic Bags are needed. Thank you!
WITH OUR DEEPEST SYMPATHY
We were saddened to hear that former member, Minnie Jernigan, passed away on Monday, April 17th, 2017. She had moved to Pasadena, Texas, a few years ago in order to be close to her daughter, Shirley Jernigan. She will be buried in Pasadena close to her husband.
Cards can be sent to her daughter, Shirley Jernigan (address available from the church office)
We send out condolences, love and prayers to Shirley and all the family and friends.
BEAUTIFUL FOOTNOTES
10 So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith. Galatians 6:10 (ESV):
We were blessed a few months ago to help Brother Sylvester Imogoh in Nigeria with funds to drill a Water Bore Hole project to provide fresh water for his family, their neighbors and Christians in their area. What follows is part of a report and thank you letter from Sylvester. Continue to keep the work in Nigeria in your prayers in the efforts to bring “living water” into the lives of its people. For the elders, Ken D
Dear Brethren,
With plenty of gratitude to God who makes all things happen and to YOU who has been used by God to make this project a reality, I am hereby saying “THANK YOU”. I am so very happy and fulfilled to announce to you all that the Water Bore Hole Project for which you sent funds is now complete and working!!! The impact of this is that our home running has been made easier and our house neater. This has impact on health. We are very thankful for these wonderful privileges we are now enjoying.
And as for my neighbors, there are as many as 15 buildings around us from where people come to get water. Some of our brethren come from farther places to get water from our home. Some passerby who notices water running stop by to fetch water also. This time of year is the hardest for water supply. The dry season this year has been very, very tough and dry – which has made water supply even more difficult. You can then imagine the joy in the hearts of people when they know they can come and get water “for free”. Some bore holes in Nigeria are done for ‘commercial purposes’, that is the owners embark on the project as a means of making money by selling the water. Therefore it is not a small thing at all here for people to have free water for their drinking and other domestic purposes.
It is now common to see neighborhood children running to our house as soon as they hear the crank of the generator. Some school children stop by to have a drink from our public outlet by cupping their hands and having a swallow. Even domestic animals – like goats, sheep and chicken also come to have a swallow from time to time from the run -offs on the ground as people fetch water.
The fact is there is no way I can in a letter like this give you enough details for you to know all the values of this water bore hole project that YOU have funded for us . Our joy is full. This has been a long dream – now fulfilled!! Therefore all we are saying again is THANK YOU!
Please be sure to come by our home and have a drink any day you happen to be in our neighborhood!!
In Christian love, Sylvester A Imogoh
Hold Tightly to a personal relationship with God
Don’t let your personal relationship with the Lord depend on someone else!
Joash, a Judean king for forty years, was fortunate to just be alive. If his Aunt, Jeosheba, had not grabbed him up when he was a baby and hid him for six years from his wicked grandmother, Athaliah, he might, if God had not interceded, have been killed along with her other grandchildren.
Jehosheba’s husband was the priest Jehoiada, and he had a significant influence on Joash until he, the priest Jehoiada, died at age 103. Then everything went downhill for Joash and his people as he aligned himself with God’s opponents and started worshiping idols.
Jehoiada’s priest son Zechariah (not the writer of the book by the same name) told the people, “Because you have forsaken the Lord, He has forsaken you.”
Many of us may be like Joash and remain faithful to the Lord as long as everything is going our way, someone is holding our hand, or pushing us to ostensibly remain faithful to the Lord, however superficial that faith may be.
The challenges of life multiply: a woman loses her husband, so she turns from the Lord; the breadwinner of a family loses his job, so he turns from the Lord; things don’t go like one wants at church, so he turns from the Lord; an auto wreck leaves one bound to a wheel chair, so he turns from the Lord. The list can go on and on.
May we not be like Joash and have to depend on someone else to keep us faithful to the Lord. Let us not allow what others do to interfere with our personal relationship with the Lord. May we resolve to remain faithful to Him regardless of what others do, how many unanswerable challenges come our way, or how many bad things come our way. Let’s strive for a personal relationship with the Lord and unswerving faith in Him who has promised He will never leave or forsake us (Hebrews 13:5b). – Edna M. Walling, Newsletter Editor of WBS
Death to the Bugs!
ACI Pest Control will be here to spray our building on Thursday, at 9 AM. We are told that this spray is not harmful to humans, but since it has a very unpleasant odor it is probably best for some who may have to come to the building on that day to either come in the afternoon or on another day.
VISITING FOR THE MASTER
VISITATION PROGRAM Team #2 (leaders: Cary & Brenda Miller) will meet on Wednesday, April 19th, at 6:30 pm in the library for their assignments.
BEAUTIFUL FOOTNOTES
14 How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? 15 And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!” Romans 10:14-15 (ESV)
We have been privileged for many years to support in a small way the gospel efforts in the nation of India. The note that follows is from the brethren who oversee the work we help support. It reminds us how the Gospel is carried on the beautiful feet of those who preach and teach it. Continue to pray for the spread of the gospel in India and everywhere. For the elders, Ken D
Dear brethren,
Thank you for your contribution in support of the work of the gospel in India and especially evangelist P.J. Krupalini.
It has been a while since I’ve mentioned the ladies who diligently teach other ladies and children the word of God. We send a few of them a small amount of money to help with their travel expenses, so they are able to visit nearby villages. This allows them to ride a bus to their class locations or nearby. I’ve seen the bus travel in India and I have to say I admire our dedicated sisters who travel this way. People often ride on top of the overcrowded buses or hang off the sides while they travel. The roads are busy, bumpy, dusty, and narrow. Near misses and accidents are common place. Many people have been converted by the truth these courageous ladies have been so faithful to teach.
Only by the generosity of our contributors are we able to reach so many souls with the gospel. Thank you for your partnership.
Your sister in Christ, Susie Frederick, secretary International Gospel Teacher and India Evangelism, a work of West Freeway church of Christ in Fort Worth Texas.
Don’t we all wish that everyone would be a better person? Do we not hope that some bad people would turn their lives around and start doing good? Do we wish our neighbor would treat us better than before‘? Do we hope that the people we meet each day would show us respect and treat us fairly? If we expect others to be nicer and fairer, should we not make the effort as well? The Golden Rule is that we should treat others the way we would want them to treat us.
Be a better person now. Do not wait until next year and make a resolution about it. Do not put it off until next week or even tomorrow. Start right now. Look at the person closest to you and show them love. Pick up the phone and call someone who would appreciate a thoughtful consideration. Help someone who needs it, and even if they do not need help, help them anyway. Perhaps they will return the favor and help someone else. If we would just try, we could turn our society around and make it a pleasant adventure each day to interact with others. Smile. Wish someone a nice day. Be courteous. Encourage others to be good. Tell people about God and His promises. Read 1 John 3:17 and meditate upon it.
“My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth” (1 John 3:18). Don’t just talk the talk, but walk the walk. Show your love to others.
“If someone says, ‘I love God,’ and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen?” (1 John 4:20).
One way to turn your life around is to change your focus. When you focus upon God you become a better person. When you focus upon helping others, you become a better person. Our goal is to get people focused upon God and become people that are better. Our community would be much better if more people were better. Carey Scott, Findlay church of Christ, Sparta, TN
A BAPTISM
We rejoice with W.B. & Ramona Stacy! Their grandson, Zachary Stacy, was baptized into the death of his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ on Sunday, April 4th, for the remission of sins. He chose to do this here, so that his grandparents could witness this important event in his life.
Zachary lives in Tomball, TX 77375, and he attends the Tomball church of Christ.
We pray the richest blessings on him in his new life in Christ.
Helping Hands Pantry News
No Special Request this week. Thank you!
VISITING FOR THE MASTER
VISITATION PROGRAM Team #2 (leaders: Cary & Brenda Miller) will meet on Wednesday, April 19th, at 6:30 pm in the library for their assignments.
HOWDY!
We greatly enjoyed our visit last weekend with you all. The food and the fellowship was sweet. I really appreciated the opportunity to report about our work in the Bible Class time & to preach that morning. My family also enjoyed being able to stay out at the “Heart of Texas Resort”. We are so thankful for your love & support the past 20 years for our MOSES work & church planting!
Love, Richard Emperado & family
FELLOWSHIP THURSDAY DINNER
We will gather together on Thursday, April 13th, at the River City Grill, for a dinner together with the Marble Falls group. Meet here at the building between 5 and 5:30 PM to go together or go to the Grill directly.
BEAUTIFUL FOOTNOTES
Welches Grapevine for the glory of God – A recent Mission Cambodia News & Update. Please keep this work in your prayers. For the elders, Ken D
We are eternally grateful for you and your continued love, encouragement and support. Furthermore, your prayers and partnership strongly impact our lives as well as the lives of others here in Cambodia. Thank you for being a part of the family that God has given us as we all join together to proclaim Christ to the nations.
Praise & Thanksgiving…
As you might already know, Sharon made yet another unexpected trip back to the States to help assist and care for her oldest sister Marcia. Although Sharon’s time there had many emotional challenges, we are rejoicing she is home and our family has been reunited.
We continue to praise God and are thankful He is helping us use our gifts through coaching and encouraging others to tap into their God-given gifts and potential.
A recent workshop we attended in Bangkok, Thailand left us encouraged, as disciple makers from the Philippine s, Myanmar, Laos, India, China, Thailand and Cambodia met together to share about their ministry and contribute to the conversation. The goal of this time was to give input toward building a network!
Praising God for the opportunity to serve Him and His Kingdom by mentoring and discipling others, Khmer and foreigner.
Working definition of Disciple making: Learning from 2 Timothy 2:2, Paul starts with himself (1st generation), then he teaches (disciples) Timothy (2nd gen), then Timothy disciples faithful men (3rd gen), then the faithful men disciple others (4th gen).
Other news and highlights…
We love our new neighborhood. The area in which we live has lots of activity and offers us many opportunities to be among the locals. With lots of mom & pop shops, vendors, rice shops, and coffee shops we continue striving to build relationships and trust among them. Our three Cambodian daughters are an added blessing in these efforts.
Language and culture studies will always be a factor in our ministry. We desperately desire to understand all we can in or der to effectively reach out to Cambodia. Dennis has a private tutor (Christian) who i s helping to improve his listening ability by telling stories from the culture.
Our Scripture verse we are memorizing and meditating on: Mark 12:29-31 — Jesus answered, “The most important is, ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these. “(We are memorizing these verses in the Cambodian language.)
Thank you for praying with us…
Continue praying for new relationships leading toward making new disciples serving in His Kingdom.
A critical area of disciple making is for a community of prayer partners. Thank you for joining us in prayer! Pray specifically for us as individually gifted by God to use our gifts. Part of this work is clearly counter to our gifting. What is God up to in us and among us?
Prayers for our patience, steadfastness and perseverance.
Each of you and your special gifts holds a special place in our ministry, hearts and prayers. Thank you for the investment of time, prayer, support — both emotional and monetary that you have provided us. We are extremely blessed by the depth and genuine friendships we have with you. May the Lord continue to shower you with His blessings.
Grace, Peace, Love & Blessings, Dennis & Sharon
Everyone knows the first five words of the 23rd Psalm: “The Lord is my Shepherd…” These words not only introduce the Psalm and the God of the Psalm, but are actually powerful words that reveal our relationship with Him. Notice, for example:
The – This reveals that Jehovah God is the only God. He is not merely a god – He is THE God. He is not one of many – He is the One and only! We should, like Paul, always profess, “yet for us there is one God” (1 Corinthians 8:6).
Lord – This shows that God is the Lord – our master. A Lord is one who has rule over your life. If He is our Lord then He is first in everything. As Peter suggests, let us “sanctify the Lord God in your hearts” (1 Peter 3:15).
Is – This present tense word shows that God lives. He was, and is, and always will be. God is just as alive today as when David wrote this Psalm. Let us indeed be convinced of what God thundered forth in Malachi 4:6, “For I am the Lord, I do not change.”
My – God is not an abstract power – He is not an aloof entity. He wants to be our personal God. He wants a relationship with us. It is imperative that we become as close to Him as possible. Let us, like Thomas, proudly proclaim, “My Lord and my God” (John 20:28).
Shepherd – A good shepherd is one who lovingly cares for, feeds, guides, and protects the sheepfold. This is what God does for us if we stay faithful to Him. We can be at peace if we fully trust in Him and obey His will. And we should, like the Psalmist, express joy all day long for Him: “So we, Your people and sheep of Your pasture, will give You thanks forever; we will show forth Your praise to all generations” (Psalm 79:13).
Is the Lord God truly your Shepherd? If so, you have nothing to fear: read the rest of Psalm 23 for this assurance. Edd Sterchi Campbellsville, KY
Highland Lakes church of Christ 