“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart,

as though you were working for the Lord and not for people.”

~Colossians 3:23 TEV~

“It’s in Christ that we find out who we are and what we are living for.

Long before we first heard of Christ and got our hopes up,

He had His eye on us,

had designs on us for glorious living,

part of the overall purpose He is working out in everything and everyone.”

~Ephesians 1:11-12 MSG~

I think we all will agree with Becky Arnold Smith’s thought.

“Becky Smith is thankful for those who paid the price for the freedoms I enjoy— Jesus & the American soldier!! Happy 4th of July!”

Father 2

WHEN JOHN F. Kennedy was President of the United States, Life magazine published photos of his children, John Jr. and Caroline, playing with their toys on the floor of the Oval office…

Those images captured the hearts of the American people like nothing before or since. Why? I think it’s because it bridged a gap between two thoughts: Kennedy was the President of the United States, but he was also a father. He held ultimate political power in the Free World, but playing at his feet were two little kids who called him Daddy. I don’t think your kids would have been allowed to do that. No mine. But his kids were. Why? He was their father. He was not only President of the United States; he was their father.

God is both our Father and the Lord of glory. We can approach Him confidently in prayer because we are His dearly beloved children, but we must never forget that He is also the Sovereign of the Universe. (David Jeremiah)

“For this reason I bow my knees

to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

~Eph. 3:14; cf. Matt. 6:6, 9~

Posted by Mike Benson

Shelbi Ann Lane was born this afternoon at 12:51 in McComb.  She was 21 inches long and weighed 7 pounds 14 ounces.  Shelbi and her parents, Scooter and Karen, as doing well.  Big brother, Torbin, is very proud.

Eli Allen, son of David and Fannie, had a bicycle accident while on a trip.  He required twenty stitches in his knee and eight in his forehead.  Pray for him to heal without any complications.  The family should be home tomorrow.

Anne Ellzey of Roseland said her husband, Jerry Ellzey, was just found to have lung cancer.  Anne said they would appreciate your prayers.

Please add Ashby Reeves to the prayor list, she will be having open heart sergery at childrens hospital on 13 July, she is 14 years old.  (Bill Frazier)

Dukes

< falling into place. >
People call Wednesday “Hump Day.” It’s that day in the week that you have to endure to get over the hump toward the weekend. I’ve personally always liked Wednesdays. As a pastor, I think that is rare. It may be because our church family doesn’t have activities on Wednesday nights, except for a small group or two. Our philosophy is to free up folks to be the church in their activities rather than busying them with so many “church” activities.

Mr. Cete Dillon is better after a round with asthma this week.  Pray he continues to improve.

Message from Dwayne Wilson

Today, we´ll be going to 4 different schools here in El Salvador!

Messages from his team in El Salvador

Wednesday, July 1, 2009

Today was an exhausting but rewarding day.  The many miles of driving; the early alarms to catch the van by 7:00; the many encounters we have with the children; and just the drain of being in a foreign country and struggling with a foreign language are seen in the bodies of all of us.  But there is much joy in our faces because of the work that Jesus Christ is doing in El Salvador.  The team was on the bus at 7:00 AM for the second straight day and headed out for a full day of ministry.  Our destination was the area of Sonsonate, about an hour southwest of San Salvador.

Our host for the day was Pastor Guillermo and his wife, Mayra (My-ruh).  Pastor Guillermo has a fantastic testimony.  Ten years ago, Jesus Christ pulled him out of the drug trade through the prayers of another pastor.  Guillermo arrived at the home of this pastor with the intention to kill his son.  The pastor confronted Guillermo with a Bible and said to him, “Are you Guillermo?  I have been praying for you!  You did not come here tonight to kill anyone.  You came here because God has a message for you.”  Guillermo did not kill the man’s son and the pastor invited Guillermo to a lunch with business men, where he heard the good news of Jesus Christ.  That night he went home and flushed all of his drugs down the toilet and stopped using drugs.  He has not used any drugs since that night.

That was over 10 years ago.  Today, Pastor Guillermo and his wife minister at their church and work with the schools and the poor in Sonsonate.  The have four children and the older three are youth and Sunday School leaders in their church.  Pastor Corleto supports his family as a business owner.  He owns an auto mechanic business, a car sales business, and a car wash.  God has blessed Pastor Guillermo with leadership, not only in Sonsonate, but all of El Salvador.  He is the vice-president of the inter-denominational council of pastors for El Salvador, with over 5,000 members.

The first school the team visited was Centro Escolar La Coquera.  After two days, the drama team is working well together and the children are very attentive.  One drama is humorous and all of the children are laughing throughout.  The second drama is much more intense and tells a powerful message of redemption.  The older children grasp the message and the younger children are still enthralled with the story.  It is amazing to see the children’s faces as the drama unfolds.  After the drama, the message is clearly explained so that everyone can understand.

The teachers at all of the schools sacrifice so much.  There are precious few supplies and the classrooms are hot and sometimes crowded.  The kindergarten teacher at Centro Escolar La Coquera is Dina Luz Monge Ramirez.  “Lucy” has been teaching for only one year.  She said she started teaching after staying home to raise her children.  Her son is a first grader at the same school.  “Lucy” said her greatest joy in teaching kindergarteners is when they comprehend the lesson and she can see they are really learning.  “Lucy” was very helpful to our team when we shared the gospel story through the gospel bead bracelets.  We need to pray for “Lucy” and all of the teachers in El Salvador.  Like many teachers everywhere, they teach because they love the children.  Even more so in El Salvador where the conditions and supplies are challenging.  Praise God for these believers, like “Lucy”,  who give so much for His children.

Wed 1 Jul 2009

Today was our second full day of travel in El Salvador and we got up extra early this morning (6 a.m. instead of 7) because the school we went to was only in session during the morning hours. On the bus ride, we enjoyed one of our daily devotionals from Leslie, who talked about how we need to humble ourselves as a team and allow the Holy Spirit to work in us, to work through us.

We arrived at the Bonanza school (grades 1-6) around 8 a.m., where we were greeted warmly by the children peering out of their classrooms to see what all the excitement was about. Once we arrived, we performed a couple of skits, shared a little bit about our lives in America, and Jaye did a little magic show (probably the most popular amongst the younger kids). Afterwards, we broke up into 4 different classrooms (in our small groups) where we played some more games (my group in particular did an egg-race). When it came time for us to share our pictures which help tell our spiritual paths) and the gospel-bead bracelets, the kids were really responsive. A couple of girls, named Katya and Maria, gave me hugs; and it made me feel that I really do have a purpose here and God has put us here for a reason: and this is it! The principal told us that since they have no one at home to love them and care for them, they are so grateful we came along and showed them compassion and kindness: the things that they are missing in their lives.

After we were finished at the school, we went to the local mall, around 5 minutes from Hotel Siesta. There, we played a scavenger hunt game, where each small group had a list of tasks to complete in 2 hours: ranging from buying a candle, to seeing how many people each group could share the gospel bead bracelet. I believe that we were able to minister to more than 50 people at the mall, which was nice since they stopped what they were doing to listen what we had to say about God’s love for them.

Lastly, in the evening, we traveled to a homeless shelter where we served for a couple hours. There, Tim presented the gospel bead bracelet and Howard said a prayer to bless them and let them know that there is someone who loves them and desires to become part of their lives. It was really moving to see the way that so many people wanted God to lift the burden of their sins away: there were even people gathering outside to listen to what we had to say.

Mon 29 Jun 2009

This morning the GAiN El Salvador 09 team travelled 2 hours by bus to visit a public school in San Jose El Naranjo.  In this school we split into groups and shared our testimonies and the Gospel using the Gospel Bead Bracelets.  We also did skits, magic and balloon animals and face painting for the kids. Numerous children raised their hands indicating they had invited Jesus Christ into their lives. The team  travelled 45 minutes to reach our afternoon assignment, Quebracho school. The school staff graciously provided lunch for us. We repeated our program for the students, grades K-9.

Many of the roads we travelled we’re unpaved and the going was slow. But after a hard, hot day’s work we had some r & r time down a scenic route to our dinner on the coast.  After dinner the team invested time in concerted prayer for the students and school staff we have visited so far, the those we will visit tomorrow.  We also prayed for the team to work at the Holy Sprit’s direction and by His guidance, and for God’s work in the hearts of the children preparing them to hear the Gospel.

Sun 28 Jun 2009

Today we started off like a shot!  The first day of ministry was spent serving at  a local church. When we arrived  we split into 3 groups.  The first group was involved with the adult in the worship service, the second  group spent time working in the Sunday school, and the third group went into the neighborhood inviting  neighbors and kids to a small program put on by our team so they could learn more about the local church and God.  Today was a wonderful day where we experienced the hospitality of our host country and got to worship with our El Salvadorian brethren.

“But from there you will seek the Lord your God,

and you will find Him

if you seek Him with all your heart and with all your soul.”

~Deuteronomy 4:29~

Dukes

Not a whole lot of new news to share today. However, my mother-in-l

aw shared a video with my wife and me that really touched me and was very encouraging. I posted it on my blog.  (http://jasoncdukes.wordpress.com/)  (Get the tissues ready!  Anna Lee)

We will post at you again tomorrow. Keep praying that the neuro-surgeons will communicate with one another and schedule Mom’s surgery to replace the cranium piece. Please keep praying for Dad’s pain, too.

We couldn’t imagine walking through this without all of you.
-jason

Pray for the Canada Mission team as they travel home today.  They will share their experiences Sunday night at 6 P.M.

KOMpray

Kids on Mission Pray

Prayer Requests

“Let the little children come to Me, and don’t stop them,

because the kingdom of God belongs to such as these,”

Luke 18:16b

She’s forced to do rituals C lives in Cambodia and is one of the Khmer (kuh-MER) people. Her dad wants her to follow the special rituals of their traditional religion. He isn’t a believer in Jesus Christ and tells C things that confuse her.   C says, “The religion of my father is familiar to me because everyone has been doing the rituals for years. That is what we are used to. I know believers of the Son (Jesus) don’t give incense or spend money to do religious ceremonies. So what DO they do? I believe in the Son. I just don’t understand it all. My father forces me to do the rituals. He threatens that if I don’t follow them, I will have more problems. Inside I don’t feel it is right, but I do it anyway just to please my father.”   It is really hard for C. She wants to obey God and she wants to obey her father. Many Khmer believers face the same problem C faces. Pray for them to be strong in their faith. Pray for C that her father will become a Christian and pray that she will become confident in her faith.

MORE PRAYER REQUESTS FROM MISSIONARY KIDS

Please help my grandma. Thank you. HEATHER, age 6 (East Asian peoples)

Pray I’ll have strength in my walk with Christ as I go to school in an environment that is really sinful and worldly. Pray that the Bible studies that we have will grow and continue to work with Christ.  KAYLA, age 15 (Sub-Saharan African peoples)

Pray for my friend Terron in San Francisco—he just became a Christian but doesn’t want to become baptised. Please pray for him. RICKIE, age 9 (Southeast Asian peoples)

Please pray for people in my school that they will stop saying bad words. Also please pray for the Malagasy people. They believe in ghosts and spirits and that their ancestors live still. CALEB, age 11 (Sub-Saharan African peoples)

Pray for my friend S and her family, and all the Japanese people, and my grandma and cousin to get better! Please and thank you. HANNAH, age 11 (East Asian peoples)

Baptist Press

July 2, 2009

TENNESSEE–At 84, U.S.S. Indy survivor attests to God’s grace. http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=30825

SOUTH KOREA–PTSD: NAMB chaplains gain biblical training. http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=30826

FLORIDA–337 baptized at FBC Orlando. http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=30827

TENNESSEE–CULTURE DIGEST: Benefits of alcohol still debated. http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=30828

WASHINGTON–India blocks religious freedom watchdog group. http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=30829

TEXAS–FIRST-PERSON (Chris Plekenpol): Unwanted fireworks on the Fourth. http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=30830

TENNESSEE–FIRST-PERSON (Sara Horn): Pray for our military this summer. http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=30831

LOUISIANA–FIRST-PERSON (Kelly Boggs): Examining celebrity worship. http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=30832

James Edward Harrell
(October 6, 1928 – July 2, 2009)

Died at 5:20 p.m. on Thursday, July 2, 2009 at Kentwood Manor Nursing Home in Kentwood. He was a native of Poplarville, MS and a resident of Kentwood. Age 80 years. Mr. Harrell is a graduate of Gulf Coast Military Academy and Southeastern Louisiana University and is a U.S. Air Force Veteran of the Korean Conflict. He was a member of Kentwood Rotary Club, American Legion, and V.F.W. Visitation at McKneely Funeral Home, Kentwood, from 6 p.m. until 9 p.m. on Friday and from 8 a.m. until religious services at 10 a.m Saturday. Services conducted by Rev. Joey Miller. Interment Woodland Cemetery, Kentwood. Survived by sister-in-law, Norma Harrell, Kentwood, nephews & nieces, William C. “Bill” Harrell, Hazlehurst, MS, John Hove, Westby, MT, Kathy Hove Wankel, Miles City, MT, Becky Hove Sweat, Broadus, MT, Benjamin C. “Ben” Harrell, III, Ponchatoula, Bruce Harrell, Kentwood, Ronnie Harrell, South Pasadena, CA, numerous great-nieces, great-nephews, and great-great-nieces and great-great-nephews. Preceded in death by parents, Claiborne Harrell, Sr. and Lillie Cuevas Harrell, 2 brothers, Hollis Harrell and Claiborne Harrell, Jr., 2 sisters, Lillie Mae McGlathery and Bonnie Jean Hove, nephew, John Bruce Harrell.

Velton Henly Reid
(December 13, 1928 – July 1, 2009)

Died at 11:30 p.m. on Wednesday, July 1, 2009 at his residence in Folsom, LA. He was a native of Uneedus, LA Age 80 years. He was a U. S. Army Veteran of the Korean Conflict and a retired Civil Technician with the U. S. Army Corps. of Engineers with 30 years of service. Visitation at McKneely Funeral Home, Amite, from 6 p.m. until 9 p.m. on Friday and from 8 a.m. until religious services at 1 p.m. Saturday. Services conducted by Rev. Ronnie Douglas and Rev. Elester Raines. Interment Reed-Raines Memorial Garden, Uneedus, LA. He is survived by his wife, Ella Ruth Wood Reid, Folsom; daughter, Linda Thompson, Slidell; 2 grandchildren, Terry Thompson, Waskom, TX and Stacey Cochran, Bentonville, Ark; 5 great-grandchildren; 2 sisters, Lillian Morse, Folsom and Bonnie Husser, Folsom; numerous nephews and nieces including special nephews and nieces, Lonnie Morse, Loranger, Karl Morse, Folsom, Eric Velton “Pete” Morse, Loranger, Mary Ellen “Gennie” Hernandez, Folsom and Mary Ann Phares, Loranger; special great-nephews who were thought of as grandchildren, Jared Morse, Jourdan Morse and Jathan Morse, all of Loranger. He was preceded in death by his parents, Mary Ellen Reid and Ellis Reid, Sr.; sister, Bessie Berry; brother, Ellis “Jiggs” Reid, Jr.

KneEmail

“May the favor of the Lord our God rest upon us;

establish the work of our hands for us—

yes, establish the work of our hands.”

~Psalm 90:17 NIV~

The East Fork youth made it home from Student Life camp dispite a blowout and having to buy a new tire.  They had a very meaning week.

Canada Mission Trip (FBC) – Reported by Don S.

Another day in Canada working with the kids in Cayley Alberta, Today was Canada day we had bible school in the AM and then off sightseeing WOW!! this place is great!

Pray for the team today as they have their last day in Canada and as they travel home tomorrow.

Dwayne and Trisha’s report on their mission trip

Hi from El Salvador! We´ve shared the gospel at 6 different schools and served at a homeless shelter in San Salvador. Tomorrow, we go into the community to install water filters.

Steve Sanders is home, but will have to schedule surgery for later.  Please keep him in your prayers.

Pray for Mrs. Nadine Council as she prepares for hip surgery on the 13th and Mrs. Wanzie Williams and Mrs. Faye Price as they continue physical therapy.

Mr. I.W. Simmons has been in North Oaks.  Please keep him and the family in your prayers.

Continue to pray for Mr. Orin Davidson and the Tolars as they care for him.

Be Angry and Sin Not.

Jesus taught us a little about anger and how to deal with it. He seemed to say that anger can sometimes be a useful thing, but we are not to let Satan use it as a toehold to get us off on the wrong track.

I must confess that I have had to deal with anger relatively often in recent months. Fortunately

THE WAR IS OVER

The story is told about a man in Amsterdam who, not so long ago, was feeling guilty about something he had done, so he went and talked to his preacher.

He said, “I feel terrible because I’ve sinned.  During World War II I hid a refugee in my attic.”

The preacher said, “I don’t believe that’s a sin at all.  I wouldn’t feel bad about that if I were you.”

“But I made him agree to pay me 20 Gulden for every week he stayed.”

The preacher said,  ”Well, I admit that wasn’t the most noble thing to do, but you did it for a good cause, so I still wouldn’t worry about it.”

The man said, “Oh thank you, that eases my mind.  I have only one more question to ask you —  Do I have to tell him the war is over?”

We as Christians are engaged in a spiritual warfare — it’s Christianity vs. the world, the forces of good vs. the forces of evil.
And it’s easy to get the idea (especially if you watch the news) that God’s side is losing, and immorality is winning out!

John wrote the book of Revelation for Christians who must have been feeling the same way.  After all, Rome certainly seemed to have the upper hand.  Christians were losing!  But, in reality, the war is over, and we know who wins!

John, looking ahead, writes, “These will make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them, for He is Lord of lords and King of kings; and those who are with Him are called, chosen, and faithful.” (Revelation 17:14)

There are battles around us daily, and sometimes Satan does indeed seem to be winning, but looking ahead, the war is over and we know that those who are on God’s side will be victorious!  Keep that in mind today when you feel like you’re fighting a losing battle!

Have a great day!

Alan Smith
Helen Street Church of Christ
Fayetteville, North Carolina

I think the devotional may had helped some of us clean us an issue in our hearts.  Just what we needed!

Anna Lee

Don Schneeweiss shared the following update:

Canada Day today we are off to bible school in Cayley and then off to a celebration at a local lake for Canada Day. Then off to more sight seeing later in the afternoon. By the way the sun goes down at 10:30 here in Alberta Canada.

“Each of you should go on living according to the Lord’s gift to you,

and as you were when God called you.

This is the rule I teach in all the churches.”

~1 Corinthians 7:17 TEV~

From Bill Frazier

Dean Burnett will be having major heart sergery monday 6 Jul at childrens hospital

“Call 2 Fall”

http://www.baptistmessage.com/articledetail.php?articleID=dfff85b8f919eef30a7d1afeebb00fbb

Baptist Press

June 30, 2009

KENTUCKY–Churchill Downs chaplain sees faith blossom. http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=30802

WASHINGTON–Obama chides ‘old attitudes’ about homosexuality. http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=30803

KENTUCKY–Korean Baptists reach goal 1 year early. http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=30804

KENTUCKY–NAMB honors top Annie-giving churches. http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=30805

OHIO–Kay Kwok: ‘Living life as an act of worship.’ http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=30806

CALIFORNIA–Urban missions leader Francis DuBose dies. http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=30807

KENTUCKY–’Idol’ concert among SBC family events. http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=30808

KENTUCKY–Mohler receives Union’s Dodd Award. http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=30809

LOUISIANA–FIRST-PERSON (Keith Manuel): Eternal life on death row. http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=30810

KneEmail

Don’s Update  – On Mission in Canada

Another day of bible school here in Alberta Canada and today we had 23 kids so we doubled the number from Monday, thanks for the prayers. Tomorrow is Canada Day up here kind of like our 4th of July. Keep us in your prayers, weather today was overcast and upper 60s. Mr Gopher dug out his hole again and I filled them in again.

Charles Slade was bitten by a snake and is in Lallie Kemp.  Please be in prayer for him.  Also, Ruby Slade is in North Oaks.

Dukes

< positivity vs. reality. >
I ask it a lot to people. “How are you doing?” It has become a greeting of sorts in most settings. It’s kind of funny, isn’t it? I see people ask it, while walking past each other, with no intention to stop and listen for a response. I guess it’s a non-questio

“We give thanks to You, O God, we give thanks!

For Your wondrous works declare that Your name is near.”

~Psalm 75:1~

Pray for the group from East Fork Baptist Church that is at Student Life camp this week.

Pray for the Vacation Bible Schools this week.

Pray for Dwayne and Trisha and others on that mission trip and our FBC group as they continue On Mission in Canada.

Pray for the IMB personnel as they have returned to their places of service after meeting with co-workers.  Several large groups have already met.  For those who have not yet met, pray the meeting will be a time of refreshing and vision for the adults, a time of unity and purpose for the youth, and a great time of play and VBS for the children.  (Our group has just completed their time together – a highlight of the year for all of them!)

Baptist Press

June 29, 2009

TENNESSEE–GCR chairman issues call for 5,000 prayer volunteers. http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=30788

KENTUCKY–Ohio’s Kay Kwok dies in Owensboro, Ky. http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=30787

KENTUCKY–U.S. troops ‘best of this generation,’ top chaplain says. http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=30789

KENTUCKY–Evangelists underscore revival preparations. http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=30790

KENTUCKY–DOMs challenged to live as servant leaders. http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=30791

KENTUCKY–Network renames award to honor Sid Smith. http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=30792

KENTUCKY–Sid Smith receives award posthumously. http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=30793

KENTUCKY–Ministers’ wives ponder ‘Quiet Influence.’ http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=30794

KENTUCKY–Ministers’ wives honor Shirley Lindsay. http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=30795

KENTUCKY–Women gain freedom in God’s Word, speakers proclaim. http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=30796

KENTUCKY–Messianics: ‘Bring the exiles home.’ http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=30797

KENTUCKY–Seminary luncheons draw alumni, guests. http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=30798

KENTUCKY–Mohler: At 150, SBTS a tribute to God’s grace. http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=30799

TENNESSEE–FIRST-PERSON (Art Toalston): Michael Jackson’s love. http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=30800

LOUISIANA–FIRST-PERSON: Emergency measures for an economic drought. http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=30801