Saturday

“Don’t carelessly place yourself in tempting situations.

Avoid them.”

~Proverbs 14:16 TEV~

Today, let’s catch up on the Caring Bridge sites.

You may not be interested in all of the Baptist Press articles from Friday, but I found several of them very interesting.  Hopefully, you’ll have time to read a few today.
October 30, 2009

WASHINGTON–Health care fight nears over abortion. http://bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=31588

NEW JERSEY–ELECTION 09: N.J. race among several key elections. http://bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=31589

VIRGINIA–Vodka unlikely ally for missionary to Lezghi Muslims. http://bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=31590

TENNESSEE–CP EMPHASIS: Diverse profiles reveal a common passion for cooperation. http://bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=31591

LOUISIANA–CP EMPHASIS: Seminarians speak up. http://bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=31592

TENNESSEE–BP journalism conf. ventures to the Web. http://bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=31593

TENNESSEE–CULTURE DIGEST: Vatican invitation could mean married priests. http://bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=31594

MISSOURI–Mo. board authorized to act on suits against 5 breakaways. http://bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=31595

GEORGIA–CP EMPHASIS (FIRST-PERSON, Jim Burton): What about the missionaries? http://bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=31596

MISSOURI–FIRST-PERSON (Tim Ellsworth): A prom to remember. http://bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=31597

LOUISIANA–FIRST-PERSON (Kelly Boggs): Hate crimes law intended to silence. http://bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=31598

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

MANY PEOPLE SUFFER from what has been called the ‘hamster syndrome…’
Day after day, these cute creatures run their little hearts out on an exercise wheel mounted in their cages.  Yet for all that effort, when they step off of the wheel, they have gone nowhere.  That unproductive lifestyle may be acceptable for hamsters, but not for humans.  Aubrey Johnson, “Renewing Your Spiritual Life,” Gospel Advocate, 21
Observation: The first part of Paul’s life was spent on the exercise wheel of Judaism.
  • It was spent persecuting Christ and His church (Acts 8:1-3; 9:1-5).
  • Following his conversion, Paul was determined to no longer run in vain (Galatians 2:2; Philippians 2:16; 1 Corinthians 9:24-27).
  • He was careful to make sure that whatever he did was by the authority of Jesus (Colossians 3:17).  Wade Webster, “Riches From My Reading,” The Searcher, 02.08.09, 4
“Holding fast the word of life,
so that I may rejoice in the day of Christ
that I have not run in vain
or labored in vain.”
Philippians 2:16
Many people appreciate what you do for them.  Your prayer efforts are not in vain.
Anna Lee

Friday

Holly K. is feeling better now.  Thank you for praying for her.  Today is her birthday.  Say a special prayer for her next year as a MK teacher.

Today, we all should focus our prayers on David Allen as he sees a new cardiologist in Baton Rouge.

INTERNATIONAL MISSIONS PRAYERLINE
IMB ( 1-800-395-PRAY)
Friday, October 30, 2009

“The Spirit of the LORD is upon Me, because He has anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted,” (Luke 4:18a, NKJV).

Dear Intercessors, this is Eleanor Witcher of the Office of Global Prayer Strategy, asking you to pray for outreach through medical work.

Five-gallon plastic buckets containing homecare supplies are being used in a home-based project east of Lusaka, Zambia, on a military base and in the villages in a wide area around the base. Both military personnel and church members are involved in the distribution. After receiving 60 buckets provided by Southern Baptist churches in the United States, a military chaplain thanked members of the Greater Lusaka Area Team and told how much the buckets were helping bedfast patients. His face glowed with excitement as he told how people were responding to the message of Christ.

God is doing great things in the Karachi, Pakistan medical community and in the lives of nurses and nursing students. Four young women recently committed their lives to Christ and made this known publically. Please lift up the leaderas she meets with these women and others whom they have invited to come and study the foundations of faith. Pray for these four women to drink in the spiritual milk they need now so they can grow in their new walk with Jesus.

A dental clinic held among the Kyrgyz of Central Asia allowed the team to serve approximately 200 people, relieving many from the pain of terribly rotten and abscessed teeth and doing much-needed teaching on basic dental care. There were opportunities for Truth to be shared, and there was much rejoicing in heaven as one person accepted Christ as personal Lord and Savior.

* Please pray for those who receive homecare buckets that their hearts would also be open to the Gospel.

* As we rejoice over decisions leading to salvation, pray also for their on-going discipleship.

* Ask the Lord to guide you to the brokenhearted in your community and to a ministry you can perform in His honor.

komPRAY

October 30, 2009

“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

Working with dad

We attended our Parent-Teacher Conference at school this morning. And, that means no school for the rest of the day. I know what I want to do…go with my dad to visit the guys in the Nairobi Business as Mission ministry.

I like being around the guys and visiting with them and doing things with them. There are ten of them who work in leather crafting four days a week. The rest of the week they spent their time with their Bible storying groups and telling the good news in their communities.

Today I worked with the guys in the shop. We have several Christmas projects we are working on. Today, I helped put ornamental strings on beaded leather Christmas ornaments. It was harder to do than you think. The strings are small and it’s not easy to tie the knots. The guys asked a lot of questions about what was happening at school and I was glad to visit with them.
I have to return to school tomorrow and I will miss them. I pray that their groups go well this week and many visitors come to the groups to hear the Bible stories. ERIN, age 12 (Sub-Saharan African peoples)

Prayer Requests from Missionary Kids

Please pray for my uncle. He is in the hospital and his brain recently started to bleed. Please pray for me, and my family because this is our 2nd time on stateside assignment and it is a little bit harder than it was because we were creating new relationships and new friends in Brazil so it’s harder to readjust when your older. GLORIA, age 12 (American peoples)

Pray for us and our family as we spend time together this last month before our new baby brother arrives.  Pray we will be able to enjoy our parents and feel loved and secure and ready for all the changes that will take place soon. WIL, age 1, and ANNA, age 3 (European peoples)

Who’s missing? Whose mission?

You play a key role in teaching children about God’s love for children who live in Peru, Ghana, India or China, about the people He uses to show His love and about His commission to all who love Him to tell His story around the world. During 2009, we invite you to join us as we focus on “Who’s Missing? Whose Mission?”  More than 1.5 billion people are still missing out on the opportunity to hear the Gospel. Do your children know they have an important role in helping to reach them?

Are you ready for a challenge?
THINKING ABOUT GOD

Richard Fairchild tells the following story in his book, “Not Far From the Kingdom of God”:

In the days of the circuit riders a minister was out riding one afternoon and came upon a man out working in his field.

“Fine day, isn’t it?” the minister called out.

“It’s fine for you”, the man replied, “All you have to do is ride around on that horse thinking about God all day long, while I have to sweat here in this field and then walk home afterward. I don’t think it is right you should have things so easy while I have to work so hard.”

“On the contrary”, the minister answered, “thinking about God is one of the most difficult things you can do.  And to prove it, I’ll give you this horse if you can think about God and nothing else for one minute.”

“You’re on,” said the man and immediately he sat down in silence.  Thirty seconds later he looked up at the minister, and said, “Does that include the saddle?”

I would agree that thinking about God and nothing else is a very difficult thing to do.  I would also add, though, that it is just as hard for ministers as it is anyone else!

The apostle Paul wrote, “Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth.” (Colossians 3:2).

But our mind is filled nearly every minute of the day with things on this earth — concerns about things that have happened, concerns about things that will (or might) happen, concerns about what we have (or don’t have), concerns about how to get what we don’t have, concerns about people that have done us wrong, concerns about what we want others to do for us.

And our mind is so crowded with the things of this world, that there’s just not much room left for God.  It’s hard to think about God and God alone, for there is so much competing for our attention.

Allow me to give you this challenge — think about God and nothing else for one minute.  If you can achieve that goal, strive for five minutes.  May thoughts of God increasingly fill your mind so that you can eventually say with the Psalmist all day long, “I will meditate on the glorious splendor of Your majesty, and on Your wondrous works.” (Psalm 145:15)

Have a great day!

Alan Smith
Helen Street Church of Christ
Fayetteville, North Carolina

Operation Christmas Child

Church aims to fill 1,200 shoe boxes

Baptist Press
Posted on Oct 29, 2009 | by Staff FLORISSANT, Mo. (BP)–

With just 100 members, Parker Road Baptist Church consistently donated more than 1,000 shoe box gifts to Operation Christmas Child for each of the past three years.

Parker Road is participating again this year, doing its part from Florissant, Mo., to help Samaritan’s Purse reach a goal of 8 million gift-filled shoe boxes for children in 100-plus countries.

The boxes, filled with toys, necessity items, school supplies, candy and handwritten notes of encouragement, are collected by the relief and evangelism organization headed by Franklin Graham and hand-delivered to children worldwide who are suffering because of natural disaster, disease, war, terrorism, famine and poverty.

Parker Road already has packed and wrapped hundreds of shoe box gifts on the way to its goal of 1,200.

Jim McCaughan, who leads the undertaking at Parker Road, noted “the joy it brings to hurting boys and girls.” For many of the children, the love conveyed by the shoe box is the first gift they have ever received.

McCaughan’s personal commitment to Operation Christmas Child extends to shopping year-round for bargains to help the church pack as many shoe box gifts as possible.

“We have folks at the church who pack shoe box gifts all year, and then a few days before Operation Christmas Child’s National Collection Week [Nov. 16-23 for 2009], we get a bunch of people together and set up a shoe box assembly line,” McCaughan said. “On that Sunday we have a dedication service — and I’ll tell you what, it’s pretty impressive to see more than a thousand shoe boxes stacked up at the front of the church.”

The church has received thank you notes from kids in such faraway locations as India, Uganda, Kenya and the Republic of Georgia. The church also received an e-mail from someone who had visited a small church in an isolated village deep in Sudan where they saw a card that read, “We want you to know that we love you and Jesus loves you.” It came from one of the shoe boxes signed Parker Road Baptist Church.

(This article first appeared in The Pathway (www.mbcpathway.com), newsjournal of the Missouri Baptist Convention. For more information on Operation Christmas Child, visit http://www.samaritanspurse.org or call 1-800-353-5949.)

Thursday Afternoon

Daddy’s, Grant Smith’s, procedure went well at North Oaks today.  He’s not home yet, but is on the way.  Thank-you so much for all the prayers.

David Allen went to Baton Rouge and back to Hammond about his heart today.  He will be seeing a new doctor in Baton Rouge tomorrow morning hopefully for several procedures.  Please say prayers for David, his family, and those who will be taking care of him.

Thursday

“Run from anything that stimulates youthful lusts.

Instead, pursue righteous living, faithfulness, love, and peace.”

~2 Timothy 2:22 NLT~

Pray for David Allen as he receives a defibrillator today in Baton Rouge.  Pray for his family as they have another time of waiting while David receives medical care.

Momma had better days Tuesday and Wednesday.  Pray she does well today while Daddy has outpatient surgery.  Pray for Daddy and those working with him.

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

THE STORY IS told of a little boy who was helping his father move stones out of a ditch…

“Dad, here’s a big one’, he said.  ‘I’ve done my best, but I can’t budge it.’  The father replied, ‘Son, you have never, never done your best until you have asked your father to help you.'”  That story well illustrates a real problem many of us experience.  We try to grapple with guilt without going to our heavenly Father for help.  Gary Hampton

“I acknowledge my sin to You, and my iniquity I have not hidden.

I said, ‘I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,’

and You forgave the iniquity of my sin.”

~Psalm 32:5~

Dr. Jerry Rankin, president of the International Mission Board, will be speaking at FBC, Kentwood Tuesday at 6:30 P.M.

Wednesday Evening

From Mary Ann Cutrer

Greenlaw Baptist Church Revival led by Bro. Gibbie McMillan will be Nov. 15-18, 2009.
Sunday morning services at 11 a.m.
Night services at 6:30 p.m.

From Cheryl Hughes Greene

Could you add Vaughn Sutton to your prayer list. He is a babe in Christ and he is being attacked hard.

Holly K. is running a fever.  Let’s pray she doesn’t have anything serious and is able to recover quickly.

David Allen continues to do well.  Pray for him as he has heart procedures in Baton Rouge.

Wednesday

“I mean that I want us to help each other with the faith we have.

Your faith will help me,

and my faith will help you.”

~Romans 1:12 NCV~

Reminders:

  • Lottie Moon Missions Rally; Dr. Jerry Rankin, president of the North American Mission Board, will speak at FBC, Kentwood November 3 @ 6:30 P.M.
  • Drive Thru Prayer Ministry; October 31 @ Connie’s Jewelry: 10:00 – 1:00
  • Operation Christmas Child Shoe Box Ministry: Filled boxes due November 15; Brochures available with all the needed informaion.
  • Fall Revival at FBC, Kentwood; Nov. 15-18: Led by Dr. Bill Robertson and Rev. Dennis Walker;  Begin praying now.

Caring Bridge Updates:

Baptist Press

October 27, 2009

WASHINGTON–Seeking to hold Obama ‘to his word,’ pro-life Dems could decide health care. http://bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=31554

WASHINGTON–Land to D.C.: SBC strongly opposes ‘gay marriage.’ http://bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=31555

ILLINOIS–Pastor’s accused killer found unfit for trial. http://bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=31556

TENNESSEE–CP EMPHASIS: Profiles of passion for cooperation. http://bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=31557

TENNESSEE–Sunday School in black culture examined. http://bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=31558

KENTUCKY–Urban curriculum aids church in transition. http://bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=31559

KANSAS–Kan.-Neb. Baptists honor Peck Lindsay. http://bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=31560

MONTANA–Fellowship blankets Mont. annual meeting. http://bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=31561

VIRGINIA–FIRST-PERSON (Chuck Colson): What’s really at stake with global warming. http://bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=31562

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

AS PROFESSIONAL GOLFER Ray Floyd got ready to tap in a routine nine-inch putt, he saw the ball move ever so slightly…

According to the rule book, if the ball moves at all, the golfer must take a penalty stroke.  Floyd was among the leaders in the tournament offering a top prize of $108,000.  To acknowledge that the ball had moved could mean losing his chance for big money.

Writer David Holahan described what some golfers might have done: “The athlete ducks his head and flails wildly with his hands, as if being attacked by a killer bee; next, he steps back from the ball, rubbing his eye for a phantom speck of dust, all the while scanning the playing partners and the gallery for any sign that the ball’s movement has been detected by others.  If the coast is clear, he taps the ball in for his par.”

Ray Floyd, however, didn’t do that.  He assessed himself a penalty stroke and wound up with a bogey on the hole.

The patriarch Job also showed remarkable honesty in matters not seen my human observers.  He maintained his integrity by fearing God and shunning evil.  Job knew that the eyes of the Lord were on him at all times, and that was what really mattered to him.  The true test of our integrity comes when no one is watching us.  If we remember that God sees what others don’t and that it’s His approval that matters, our integrity will improve. M.R.D.II

“Does He not see my ways, and count all my steps?”
Job 31:4
Count the many blessings in your life today!
Anna Lee