Month: July 2010

Tuesday

“Even if my mother and father forsake me,

the Lord will receive me.”

Psalm 27:10

Pray for Mrs. Catherine Yarborough who will be having surgery Thursday.

Pray for Ellen Morris vande Vuss who will be having kidney stones blasted today.

Pray for Mrs. Katherine Sanders.  She has been “under the weather”.

CaringBridge

Mission Team News

  • The Amite team had 70 in VBS yesterday.
  • The Canadian team (Miranda Erwin and others) had camp in the morning and did service projects in the afternoon
  • The Kentwood team is scheduled for VBS this morning and youth rally tonight.

Continue to pray for the Muse family today.

From Judy McElveen

Thank you for your prayers for my cousin, Frank and his family. God has released him from his pain. Our God is an awesome God.

Baptist Press Stories for Jul. 26, 2010
—————————————
Tony Dungy: From Super Bowl coach to ‘All Pro Dad’
http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=33409
All Pro Dad shows Dungy’s personal side
http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=33410
Ex-NFL player to teens: Shine amid darkness
http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=33411
Coast Guard pilot is online seminarian
http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=33412
Groups call Justice Department’s defense of Day of Prayer inadequate
http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=33413
FIRST-PERSON: Atheism among scientists
http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=33414

Enjoy a cooler day today!

Anna Lee

Monday Evening

Charles Wayne Rohner
(August 22, 1944 – July 26, 2010)

A resident of Amite, LA, died at 8:30 a.m. on Monday, July 26, 2010 at North Oaks Medical Center in Hammond, LA. He was born August 22, 1944 in Amite, LA and was 65 years of age. He was a veteran of Viet Nam and retired from Local 2B Operating Engineers. Visitation at McKneely Funeral Home, Amite, from 9 a.m. on Wednesday until religious services at 1 p.m .Wednesday. Services conducted by Rev. Don Meadows. Interment Killian Chapel Cemetery, Amite, LA. Survived by wife, Joyce Hughes Rohner, Amite, 3 sons, Mark Rohner and his wife, Renie, Holden, David Rohner, Albany, and James “Scooter” Rohner and his wife, Beth, Roseland, grandchildren, Larrilyn Rohner, Chris Rohner, Blake Rohner, and Jayden Rohner, great-grandson, Bryson Rodriguez, brother, Jimmy Rohner, Amite, 2 sisters, Sharon Needham, Amite, and Linda Rohner, Amite, father-in-law and mother-in-law, Earl and Betty Hughes, Roseland. Preceded in death by his parents, Clyde and Ruth Rohner.

Chris Bond
(February 27, 1973 – July 26, 2010)

Died at 8:04 a.m. on Monday, July 26, 2010 at his residence near Independence. He was born February 27, 1973 and was 37 years of age. He is survived by his grandmother, Inez Randall, Amite, special niece, Laci Randall, 2 special nephews, Blake and Will Carter, special cousin, Shelby Smith. Preceded in death by his mother, Barbara “Bobbye” Randall Bond, father, Carlton G. Bond, Sr., brother, Carlton “Chip” Bond, Jr., grandparents, Lawrence Randall, Clarence and Meda Bond, cousin, Jason Randall.

Arrangements are incomplete at McKneely Funeral Home, Amite.

Monday

The Kentwood Mission Team arrived safely in Canada.  They will be doing VBS in the mornings and working with the youth at night.

Miranda McDaniel Erwin and some of her family members are participating in a mission trip from Canada into another area of Canada this week.

Please pray these mission trips bring others into the “fold”.

Sunday

“Turn to Me and be saved, all the ends of the earth.

For I am God, and there is no other.”

~Isaiah 45:22, HCSB~

The youth from Osyka have returned from M-Fuge.  They had a wonderful experience.

The mission team from FBC, Amite made it to Mexico City yesterday.  Pray for their time of ministry there.  Also, pray for the health of the team.

KneEmail

“At the name of Jesus every knee should bow…” Philippians 2:10

Mike Benson, Editor

I HAVE A confession–I didn’t pay any real attention to the World Cup…

Yes, I dabbled in “football” (e.g., soccer) when I was a youngster, but the sport just didn’t hold my attention. Sure, there was a lot of movement on the playing field, but a score of 2-1 or 2-0 just wasn’t sufficient for my personal taste. There simply wasn’t enough “scoring return” for all of that cumulative exertion. “He shoots–No!” “He shoots–No, he missed!” “He shoots–and the ball goes wide!” That mantra continued for all but a few, brief moments during every game. But enough about my sporting affections.

Several days ago, I stumbled across an article in USA Today pertaining to the World Cup. The piece said:

“The Dutch will literally be praying for victory in the World Cup Final.

On Sunday morning in the village of Obdam, north of Amsterdam, the
Rev. Paul Vlaar and the members of his choir plan to wear orange
robes for Mass before the Netherlands’ match against Spain kicks off
in South Africa.

The candles, piano and even the snacks served with coffee afterward
will also bear the national hue.

‘I will say a special prayer and talk about the football game in my
sermon,’ Vlaar said Thursday.

He is expecting only a few hundred people in his small parish church,
but the Catholic priest has caught the mood of the nation as it heads
to its first World Cup final in 32 years…”  Friday . July 9, 2010 . 8C

I had to stifle a laugh when I first read those brief paragraphs. The big news of the day was about how a nation bowed in reverential prayer for a win over their European opponents.

May I ask a few questions…? Forgive my sarcasm, but a few points seem in order:

1. Have we really come so far as human beings that we think God is concerned with the outcome of a soccer match? With all of the issues that plague our planet and the souls of mankind, is the Almighty bending His ear to hear prayers about an activity with no eternal dimensions?

2. Have we become so selfish that we can petition the Lord for a victory in this realm?James said, “You ask and do not receive because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures” (James 4:3). Toask amiss is to ask for the wrong reason. “Lord, help us to crush the Spaniards today as we battle them for supremacy in this epic struggle…”

3. The apostle Paul’s mandate to preachers says, “Preach the Word…” (2 Timothy 4:2a). Read that again slowly, “Preach…the…Word.” And why are we to preach the Word? Because it’s the only message for a lost and dying world (cf., 1 Corinthians 1:18, 21). A worship service and a sermon that majors on the outcome of a football game obviously can’t accomplish the Lord’s purpose. People are hell-bound and separated from the Father (Romans 3:23). They need the Word, not ESPN.

4. Paul spoke of those “whose god is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame–who set their mind on earthly things” (Philippians 3:19). Earthly things, perhaps like a football match?

If this whole situation weren’t so sad, it would be humorous. Dear friends, God is not Santa Claus–One who grants our whims like a child’s Christmas list. Worship is not about my wants; it’s about what the Lord desires and commands.  Mike Benson at: http://www.forthright.net/fidelity/worship_and_the_world_cup.html

“Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth.”

~Colossians 3:2~

Have a great Lord’s Day!

Anna Lee

Saturday Obituary

Please be in prayer for the family of Jimmy Muse.

James Edward Muse, Jr.

James Edward Muse, Jr., 69 years old of Kentwood, Louisiana, died July 24, 2010, surrounded by friends and family at his home. He was born on September 23, 1940 in Tangipahoa, Louisiana, son of the late James Edward Muse, Sr. and Vera Kennedy Muse.

Surviving are his wife of 50 years, Norma Travis Muse; daughter, Elizabeth Muse Sharp and husband Ronnie, Pumpkin Center; son, James Edward Muse III, Aurora, Colorado; daughter, Trudy Muse Shockley and husband Walter, Springfield; son, Stephen Creighton Muse and wife Melissa, Magnolia, Texas; grandchildren, Ronnie Paul Sharp, Atlanta, Georgia; Jordan Amber Shockley, Springfield; Brayden Alexander Muse and Sydney Elizabeth Muse, Magnolia, Texas; sister, Parmys Muse Weinberg, Carmichael, California; John Kent Muse, Sr., Kentwood; and Abbie Muse Hilburn, Kentwood.

He is preceded in death by his parents, and sister, Helen Lurline Muse.

Visitation will be at McKneely Funeral Home in Kentwood, on Monday, July 26, 2010 from 6:00 p.m. until 9:00 p.m. and Tuesday, July 27, 2010 from 8:00 a.m. until services begin at 10:00 a.m. in the funeral home chapel, conducted by Pastor Kevin D. Smith.

Interment will follow in Pine Ridge Cemetery, Kentwood.

An on-line guest book is available at http://www.mckneelys.com.

Saturday Addition

From Pam Sellers

Please add my great-nephew, Luke Locklear, to the prayer list. He is two months old and will be having heart surgery on Monday.

From Stacey Scarle

Well, I got all good news from my oncologist Friday! She said all of my tests and scans were clear and that I was strong and handling the chemo remarkably well. Thanks for all your thoughts and prayers. Next month I have chemo on the 17th, see the surgeon on the 18th and the oncologist on the 26th. Please keep me in your prayers. I’m praying for a miracle. ~ Stacey

Saturday

“Come!” answered Jesus.
So Peter got out of the boat and
started walking on the water to Jesus.
~Matthew 14:29 (TEV)~

Baptist Press Stories for Jul. 23, 2010
—————————————
Cowboy church the setting for western-themed VBS
http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=33403
Centrifuge Korea touches ‘trans-culture kids’
http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=33404
‘
Experiencing God’: 20 years, 45 languages
http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=33405
TRUSTEES: IMB moves on GCR recommendations, honors Rankin
http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=33406
MARRIAGE DIGEST: Protests show intolerant side of ‘gay marriage’ movement
http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=33407
FIRST-PERSON: Do clothes display values?
http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=33408

KneEmail
“At the name of Jesus every knee should bow…” Philippians 2:10
Mike Benson, Editor
WHEN I THINK of Zacchaeus, I see Danny DeVito–someone short, crooked, and a little flamboyant…
As an employee of the Roman government who made himself rich by skimming the tax money, Zacchaeus was ostracized from Jewish society.  He’s scum.  And since he manages the local tax collectors, he’s a crook managing other crooks.  His mere presence disgusts his fellow Jews because he is a reminder that they are an occupied country.  Roman soldiers stand next to his tollbooth, enforcing his collections.
But Jesus boldly intrudes into Zacchaeus’s life.  He stops and looks up at him, and then invites Himself over for dinner and to stay the night.  This is similar to the President stopping his motorcade to say he’s coming to your house–Jesus is the hottest thing to hit Israel in a few hundred years.  If you were Zacchaeus, you’d be honored.  Yet I doubt the President would say “I must stay” or “come down immediately” (literally, “hurry up”).
But in the first century “good people” didn’t eat with tax collectors because a meal was not just about eating; it was a sharing of life.  Jesus’ willingness to eat with Zacchaeus told everyone that Jesus not only accepted the tax collector, He also forgave him.  This disgusted the crowd.  Jesus had broken a social taboo.
When we love, we get dirty.  Here the dirt comes the opinions of people who look down on Jesus for associating with someone who has stolen from his fellow Jews and divided their money between himself and the Roman government.
Why does Jesus intrude?  He’s on a God-directed mission to seek and save what was lost.  Jesus sought out Zacchaes.  He didn’t just wait for people to come to Him.  He is an invading king.  But what a strange kingdom:  the poor, outcasts, prostitutes, Samaritans, and women!  No wonder Jesus told Pilate, “My kingdom is not of this world” (John 18:36).  Paul E. Miller, “Saying ‘Yes’ To Gentle Intrusion,” Love Walked Among Us, 149-150
“For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save
that which was lost.”
Luke 19:10
Have a super day as you prepare for the Lord’s Day!
Anna Lee

Friday Afternoon

Betty Trammell
(March 28, 1937 – July 23, 2010)

A resident of Kentwood, she died at 2:43 a.m. on Friday, July 23, 2010 at North Oaks Medical Center in Hammond. She was born March 28, 1937 in Poplarville, MS and was 73 years of age. McKneely Funeral Home, Kentwood, in charge of arrangements.

CaringBridge

http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/calliecole/journal?jid=5840672

Mission Trips

  • FBC. Amite leaves tomorrow for Mexico
  • FBC, Kentwood leaves Sunday for Canada

Friday

From now on if you listen obediently to the commandments

that I am commanding you today

, love God, your God,

and serve him with everything you have within you,

he’ll take charge of sending the rain at the right time ….

Deuteronomy 11:13-14 (MSG)

Make preparations today in case “Bonnie” decides to visit us Sunday.  We all need to be prepared.  Pray for those she will “visit”.

Jennie said it rained and was cooler last night. Everyone slept much better.  Thank you for praying for them.

Baptist Press Stories for Jul. 22, 2010
—————————————
Medicine and missions get together at IMB summit
http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=33392
Equestrian Games shapes mission project
http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=33393
Rick Warren has sight loss; expects recovery
http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=33391
ERLC’s Josiah Road extends its reach
http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=33394
EDUCATION BRIEFS: Bush to speak at Univ. of Mobile; 2 schools changing names …
http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=33395
FIRST-PERSON: We must not be silent on North Korea
http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=33396
WORLDVIEW: Three ‘lies’ about reaching Muslims
http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=33397
PLEADING WITH THE LORD

I heard about a youth minister who sent a thank you letter to those adults who had served in some way throughout the previous year.  His letter  began:  “Last summer I asked you to consider working as a youth coach in our church’s junior high youth group.  I am thankful for your acceptance of that challenge over this past school year.  You may have felt extremely incapable as you thought about working with junior highers, but you claimed 2 Corinthians 12:9 nevertheless.”

Part of this verse says, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”

However, his secretary made the mistake of typing 2 Corinthians 12:8 as the scripture reference instead, which reads, “Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me!”

Though the particular verse quoted may not have conveyed the proper thought, that whole passage in 2 Corinthians is a powerful lesson to us.  Through it, we learn that God does not always grant us what we request in prayer.  Sometimes he sees that what would be best for us is not the same thing as what we believe would be best for us.  We want the problems to disappear; God wants us to grow closer to him.  We want life to be easier; God wants us to mature and be strengthened.  Listen again:

“Concerning this thing [the thorn in the flesh] I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me.   And He said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.  Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” (2 Cor. 12:8-10).

Perhaps there is a trial in your life that you are praying for God to remove.  He may do so.  But if he does not, may God bless you with grace and strength.

Have a great day!

Alan Smith
Helen Street Church of Christ
Fayetteville, North Carolina

Have a great day!
Anna Lee