Tuesday

God is working in you,

giving you the desire to obey him

and the power to do what pleases him.

~Philippians 2:13 (NLT)~

Mr. Frankie Gehringer’s surgery went well. He may be able to come home today. Please keep him in your prayers.

Ethan O’Brian, grandson of Joan Hagan, has an unexplained rash. Pray for a diagnosis so proper treatment can begin.

Mrs. Avis Sullivan is progressing at North Oaks. Please keep her in your prayers.

Mr. Bobby Raborn was able to come home last night. Pray for him as her continues to recover from double knee surgery.

Mrs. Faye Price has has some good days. Pray for her as she has additional tests today.

Marvelous Monday was again marvelous! The services have all.been very good. Next week, we will be led by Dr. Steve Echols and Rev. Ronnie Nielson. Services begin at 7 P.M. followed by a time of food and fellowship.

On Mission in Kentwood will be Saturday at 8:00 A.M. Feel free to join us for a time of giving of ourselves in the Kentwood area. You will be richly blessed for your participation.

The Sports Camp at FBC, Kentwood went well yesterday. If you have children in grades K-6 be sure to have them at the church by 8:30 this morning. They will have a good time and learn a lot.

Continue to pray for Rev. Brady Haynes and his group from Birmingham as they work with International World Changers in the Czech Republic. They are ministering to the Roma, Gypsies, with the Hatchel family. Pray for life-changing decisions among the Roma and the young adults ministering to them.

KneEmail

“At the name of Jesus every knee should bow…” (Philippians 2:10).
Mike Benson, Editor

UNEXPECTED THINGS ALWAYS happen…

Life itself is a series of surprises, good and bad. The unexpected brings us both the trivial and earth-shaking. Be it a flat tire at an inconvenient moment or a terminal illness, we can’t and don’t anticipate today’s events.

The disciples were shattered when Jesus was arrested and crucified. They scattered, they ran, they hid, they followed from afar. All had one question in mind: “How could this happen?” After all, he was the Messiah-to-be, the one who would put all things right. And things went so wrong!

But the death of Christ should not have caught them unawares. Time and again he told them he would go to Jerusalem and die. And be raised from the dead. With their preconceived ideas and their own agenda, they discounted his warnings. His words were unintelligible, nonsensical, forgettable.

And then the unexpected happened.

With their world in pieces, some gravitated back to what they did before Jesus called them. Peter went fishing. But there was no return for some like Levi, where another was sitting in his tax office.

And then the unexpected happened again.

Jesus rose from the dead.

The heavenly messengers reminded them. “Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here, but has risen. Remember how he told you, while he was still in Galilee, that the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men and be crucified and on the third day rise” (Luke 24:5-7 ESV).

Around the Table of the Lord, we listen again to the risen Son of Man who tells his disciples that he will come again. Our eating and drinking signals our hope in his return.

And because we eat the bread and drink the cup, his manifestation will not catch us unawares. We live for him and speak the Good News to all. We may not know the day and hour, but we know the fact of his coming.

No more angels will remind us what he said. They will trumpet his return, but there will be no more chiding. Only judgment.

So today we rejoice that, in spite of our daily surprises, good and bad, large and small, for us the Unexpected will not happen again. For ours is hope in the Awaited One.

(J. Randal Matheny at: http://www.forthright.net/communion_meditation/when_the_unexpected_happens_1.html)

“For as often as you eat this bread

and drink this cup,

you proclaim the Lord’s death till He comes.”

~1 Cor. 11:26~

Have a fantastic day!

Anna Lee