Highland Lakes church of Christ

Following is an update on the solar players that are being sent around the world. This congregation helped with this with a special contribution, and we wanted you to know more about the impact of this effort.

SOLAR EVENT PHASE III CONTINUES

Since the last update, deliveries of solar players to the Spanish speaking world have continued. Chris Swinford led a group to Nicaragua and distributed players with the help of our partner schools in that country. Tim Burow and Arthur Puente took players to Ecuador and worked with Josh Marcum and the Quito School of Biblical Studies to distribute the players among the preachers there.

So far in Phase III, there have been over 300 players distributed in Cuba, Ecuador, Honduras, Bolivia, and Nicaragua.

STILL WORKING IN AFRICA

In addition to the work being done distributing the Spanish solar players, there has been an ongoing effort to take more English solar players to Africa. So far this year, over 400 solar players have been delivered to seven nations in Africa. This was made possible by a large matching grant from two very special families who were “not ready to give up on Africa.” This effort to provide extra solar players to Africa is over and above the 4,000 supplied to seven African nations in 2014-2015. This is also in addition to our current Phase III effort to provide 3,000 solar players to seven or eight Spanish speaking nations. Nigeria, Ghana, Zimbabwe, and South Sudan all received additional players to supplement what was already provided. South Africa, Lesotho, Malawi, Namibia and Mozambique received players for their ministries. These countries were not included in Phases I or II.

SOLAR EVENT PHASE III – LASTING RESULTS

Recently brothers from Nigeria and Ghana came to Sunset for a visit and shared how the solar players are making an impact in the kingdom of God. Prince Ugbe from Nigeria (pictured left) discussed how the players are helping leaders to be better equipped for assisting the flock and to have a better understanding of the Word of God. Prince was able to take 80 or more players back with him. Emmanuel Antwi from Ghana (pictured with Truitt on the right) also shared the way the players are helping Christians where he ministers. Several blind brothers and sisters are now capable of studying the Bible in audio format and are honing their understanding through the use of the Sunset curriculum on the device. Students and teachers alike are improving themselves as spokesmen for God because of the generosity of our brethren who are making the solar players available. Emmanuel was able to carry 20 back to Ghana with him, and we will be sending more to him.

SOLAR PLAYERS PROVIDE ENCOURAGEMENT DURING TIMES OF WAR

Tim Brumfield took 65 more players to South Sudan. In one location he delivered several, but had to leave in a hurry before training the students there due to the fighting that continues to plague that area. In Pajok, near the Ugandan border, our brothers meet weekly to study together at the Bible Learning Center using the solar player as their teacher. That study group continues to grow in spite of the fact that they are at war and live in fear every day. Interestingly enough, the church is still meeting on Sundays and continues to grow in spite of war and fear. In refugee camps of Uganda, where hundreds of thousands of South Sudanese are, the solar player is also being used by those who speak English to help them prepare Bible classes and sermons. What a valuable tool!

At Your Weakest Moment …

. . . that’s when Satan will tempt you to sin. Our adversary is no fool. He’s not going to waste time and effort by working against your strengths. He will attack you when you are the weakest and where you are most vulnerable.

Here’s an example: Someone has had harsh words to say about you. They have assumed the worst, impugned your motives, jumped to false conclusions, spread rumor and innuendo about you. How will you react? You are angry, hurt, insulted, disgusted. The strong temptation is to strike back, to get even, to put this person “in his place”. But, you must not submit to the temptation. God’s word says, “Never pay back evil for evil to anyone… Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good” (Rom. 12:17,21). It’s hard to follow this instruction at the moment, because you are weak and vulnerable. But this course of action is best – the Lord says so, and our own experience bears this out.

During such times of weakness and vulnerability, we should pray as David did, “Set a guard, 0 Lord, over my mouth; keep watch over the door of my lips. Do not incline my heart to any evil thing, to practice deeds of wickedness with men who do iniquity; and do not let me eat of their delicacies.” (Ps. 141:3,4).

We’ve been warned that Satan has many “devices” (2 Cor. 2:11). Chief among these is his ability to detect our weaknesses and attack us there. Please realize that you must work hardest during your weakest moments, because that is when Satan is at work against you.

Greg Gwin, Collegevue Church of Christ, Columbia, TN

Let me share with you a true story from the pages of the late 19th century. A famer settled in Africa and heard of others that had made millions through the discovery of diamonds. The African continent was rich in diamonds and he could hardly wait to sell his farm and search for diamonds for himself. The farmer sold his farm and spent the rest of his life wandering the vast African continent searching for those “gleaming gems” which brought such high prices on the markets of the world, but without success. Finally, years later, as an old man, broke and desperate, he threw himself over a bridge and drowned.

Meanwhile, the man who had bought his farm was plowing and cultivating the land, working with that which he had, and he found a large unusual stone. This particular field was covered with them. He wasn’t sure what they were, so he took one of them to an expert to have it examined. It turned out to be a great diamond of enormous value! Today, his farm is one of the richest diamond mines. Imagine, the first farmer sold his farm for practically nothing in order to look for diamonds elsewhere. If he had only taken the time to study and find out what diamonds looked like in their rough state, and first thoroughly explored the land he presently owned, he would have the riches he sought — right in his own backyard! I believe each of us, at this very moment, is standing in the middle of our own acres of diamonds — if we would just take the time and have the patience to first thoroughly explore the circumstances in which we now find ourselves. Don’t you see? Right now, the contacts, friends, neighbors, loved ones, and business associates that we know and see regularly, are the riches that we seek in their rough state, literally right in our own back yards!

” Lift up your eyes and look on the fields, they are white for harvest”. . (John 4:35).

For His Cause, Tim Woodward

The Australian coat of arms pictures two creatures: the emu, a flightless bird, and the kangaroo. The animals were chosen because they share a characteristic that appealed to the Australian citizens. Both the emu and the kangaroo can move only forward, not back. The emu’s three-toed foot causes it to fall if it tries to go backwards, and the kangaroo is prevented from moving in reverse by its large tail.

Those who truly choose to follow Jesus should try to be like the emu and the kangaroo, moving only forward, never back (Luke 9:63, Philippians 3:13-14).

Luke 9:62 “And Jesus said to him, no one, after putting his hand to the plow and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.”

Philippians 3:13-14 “13 Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do, forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead. 14 I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”

Welcome Home!

Gary Crabtree made it known that he would like to be identified as a member of this congregation. Gary was a member several years ago, and we rejoice to have him back. We will have his information in the bulletin next week.

Bible Class Workshop for Ladies

October 22, 2016 – 9:00 a.m.—3:00 p.m.

All ladies are invited to attend a Bible Class Workshop hosted by the Southwest Church of Christ and World Video School. It will be a great opportunity to better prepare each of us to teach in the Bible class setting.  Please check the bulletin board for more information.

Helping Hands Pantry News

PANTRY NEEDS:

Toiletries: Shampoo, deodorant

Egg cartons and plastic bags are NOT needed at this time. Thank you for responding so quickly and helping make our pantry such a success.

Sympathy

Our sincerest sympathy is extended to Cary and Brenda Miller. Cary’s brother-in-law, Duane Blair, passed away last week. Services were held on Friday, October 14th, at 2 p.m. at the Southside Church of Christ in Ft. Worth. Our prayers will continue to be with the Millers and the Blair family.

Grief Support

Seton Highland Lakes Hospice is sponsoring an ongoing grief support group the first Wednesday of the month. The group meets at the Marble Falls Public Library from 3:00 to 4:00 p.m. No pre-registration is required. There is more information on the bulletin board.

Monthly Fellowship Meal

Our fellowship meal will be Sunday, October 30th, following morning services. Hosts and hostesses are: John and Tina Brewer, Bob and Doris Foster, and Don and Paula Welch.

Update

Barbara Greenawalt continues to improve and has been moved to a rehab facility, the Cornerstone Hospital-Round Rock, in Round Rock. The information if you would like to send a card is available from the church office.

BEAUTIFUL FOOTNOTES

And when they had read it, they rejoiced because of its encouragement. Acts 15:31 (ESV)

Every time we hear from our brother in Christ, Sylvester in Nigeria, it is encouraging. Our congregation has supported Sylvester in various ways over many years. Lately we contributed to a project to help him drill an improved water well system at his home which will benefit many people around him. What follows is his response letter. We ask that you continue to keep Sylvester, this project and the gospel in Nigeria in your thoughts and prayers.  For the elders, Ken D

Dear Beloved Brethren,

I greet you with the love of the Lord. This is to express my appreciations to you all once again for the generous gift for my (water well) bore hole project. The money came into my account in early August – just before Sandra and I traveled to the country of Senegal for the Africans Claiming Africa For Christ mission. It was not a long trip, and we have since returned. However, my health has been quite challenging at this time. Especially resulting from my accident on July 1st, there have been one or more complications that have caused me to see the doctor several times in the past weeks. The doctor has recommended X-rays of the spine and lumbar which I have now taken – waiting for his diagnoses and further recommendations. I ask for your prayers.

Even though I have the money you have sent, I am yet to commence the work on the bore–hole project. There are two factors:

1. 1. I do not yet have the funds to complete the project. As a matter of fact, the only funds I have for that project is the amount you sent. Since I still lack a substantial amount for the work, my plan is to make a further appeal in my end-of-quarter report that is due at the end of this month of September to see what response I may get.
2. Even if I have all the funds right now, I cannot start a bore-hold project just yet. And the reason is because we can only sink wells and drill bore holes for water in the dry season. But we are right now in the rainy season. In fact have been serious in the past two weeks such that it has caused flooding in several parts of Nigeria already. We are praying for it to not get worse. Rains in my part of Nigeria begin to reduce by October and our actual dry season is between November and March. That is when I will do the actual work.

I will keep you informed. And since all of your funds pass through Doug Wheeler, then he can also tell you if and when I get any responses to my appeal and how much is needed. Thank you again for your interest and love for me and for all the support for these many years.

My regards to all the saints.

In His love, Sylvester

Have you heard about the boxer who fought like a baseball pitcher-at the end of the fight he had a no-hitter! Most of us attach negative feelings and reactions to the idea of fighting. We learn from childhood up that fighting is bad and that we ought not to fight. But there is at least one fight which not only is not bad, but which God Himself calls us to get in! I’m talking, of course, about the “good fight of faith.” When Paul wrote to his young preacher-friend Timothy, he directed him in I Timothy 6:12 – “Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, to which you were also called and have confessed the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.” These words sound strange to many in our age of user-friendly religion. The popular notion is that faith is more about fan than fighting; more about excitement than effort; more about wearing a crown than carrying a cross. But those who seek to truly follow Christ can expect a fight. The devil has declared war on God and His people. He uses “devices” (2 Corinthians 2:11) and “wiles” (or schemes; Ephesians 6:11) in his efforts to hurt and hinder Christians. Therefore, we are warned, ‘Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour” (I Peter 5:8). Both Paul and Peter teach Christians to fight against the devil because he is fighting against us!

Faith has always had foes. From the Garden of Eden to Golgotha, those committed to God and doing His will have always found themselves in a fight. The foes range from sin and Satan to doubt and discouragement to trials and temptations to pain and persecution. Moses facing Pharaoh, Joshua walking around Jericho’s heavily fortified walls, David glaring at a giant named Goliath, Daniel in a lion’s den, Christ on a cross at Calvary, the apostles and the early church facing prejudice and persecution- all these were fighting the good fight of faith! Brother John Gipson, in a bulletin article entitled, “Have You Made Any Enemies?” tells that back in 1884, General Bragg stirred the entire political convention when he closed his nominating speech for Grover Cleveland with the words, “We love him for the enemies he has made.” The cross where Jesus died proved that He had enemies and that He was in a fight. That’s precisely why we love and serve Him today! Faith still involves a fight and intense effort, but those who fight to the finish lay hold on eternal life! How about it?

Are you in the fight?

Dan Gulley, Smithville Church of Christ