Month: April 2012

Saturday

“But these things I plan won’t happen right away.

Slowly, steadily, surely, the time approaches when the vision will be fulfilled.

If it seems slow, do not despair, for these things will surely come to pass.

Just be patient! They will not be overdue a single day!”

~Habakkuk 2:3 LB~

David Allen

David Allen learned he has stage two bladder cancer and will begin treatment in two weeks.  Thank God for all He has brought David though so far.  Pray David and his family will continue to trust God to handle their lives, including health issues.  What a mighty God we serve!

http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=37601

Please take time to ready this story of John Harper and his Titantic journey.

Thought for the Day: YOU CAN’T PICK AND CHOOSE

Here is an “urban legend” regarding exams at Cambridge University which is still fun to read.

It is said that during an examination one day a bright young student popped up and asked the proctor to bring him Cakes and Ale.  The following dialog ensued:

Proctor:  I beg your pardon?

Student:  Sir, I request that you bring me Cakes and Ale.

Proctor:  Sorry, no.

Student:  Sir, I really must insist.  I request and require that you bring me Cakes and Ale.

At this point, the student produced a copy of the four-hundred-year old laws of Cambridge, written in Latin and still nominally in effect, and pointed to the section which read (roughly translated): “Gentlemen sitting examinations may request and require Cakes and Ale.”  Pepsi and hamburgers were judged the modern equivalent, and the student sat there, writing his examination and happily slurping away.

Three weeks later, the student was fined five pounds for not wearing a sword to the examination.

When we are study the law, we sometimes are careful to find those things which may benefit us, while trying to ignore the rest.  It happens with the Bible all the time.  Ever known anybody who only quoted the Bible when it was convenient for them (“Judge not that ye be not judged”)?  They want to get their “cakes and ale” but ignore the part about “wearing a sword”?  God’s Word isn’t like a cafeteria.  We don’t get to go through and pick out which parts we want and which parts we don’t like.

“For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all.  For He who said, ‘Do not commit adultery,’ also said, ‘Do not murder.’  Now if you do not commit adultery, but you do murder, you have become a transgressor of the law.  So speak and so do as those who will be judged by the law of liberty.” (James 2:10-12)

Take delight in those parts of God’s law which give delight, but be ready to take the responsibility given by the rest of His law as well.

Have a great day!

Alan Smith
Helen Street Church of Christ
Fayetteville, North Carolina

 

Looking forward to the Lord’s Day!

Anna Lee

Friday

“Lord, You have heard the desire of the humble;

You will prepare their heart;

You will cause Your ear to hear.”

~Psalm 10:17~

The Thursday night Beth Moore ladies completed the study of James.  Ladies, thanks for your dedication and faithfulness.  The Sunday afternoon group skipped Easter, but will finish in three days.  Then, we will have a brunch on Saturday, the 21st, to celebrate completion of another Beth Moore study.  If you would like to join us at the cabin for the brunch, please feel free to join in the celebration.

Coming soon to FBC, Kentwood – 5th Sunday Singing on April 29th.  Come hear some of the musically talented people out church has been blessed to have.  The service will begin at 6:00 P.M.

VBS is scheduled for the first week of January.  Call the church office is you would like to volunteer to help.  Let’s make this one special to the children.

Photographs will be taken new week, Wednesday – Saturday, for the next edition of the church directory.  If you do now have your appointment scheduled, please call the church office.

The WMU Quarterly meeting will be April 16th at New Zion Baptist Church.  The meeting begins at 10:00 and concludes with  pot lunch.

Camp Living Waters will be having a Senior Adult Day Tuesday, April 17th at 10:00.  You can call the church office to sign up or sign the form in the front hallway of FBC.

I hope these dates are beneficial to you.  I did not include any youth or children activities, but you can contact a staff member or the church office for those dates.

Pray for Linda B. Williams as she has surgery at North Oaks this morning.

Thought for the Day: How gullible are we?

A freshman at Eagle Rock Junior High won first prize at the Greater Idaho Falls Science Fair, April 26, 1997. He was attempting to show how conditioned we have become to the alarmists practicing junk science and spreading fear of everything in our environment. In his project he urged people to sign a petition demanding strict control or total elimination of the chemical “dihydrogen monoxide.” And for plenty of good reasons, since it can:

1. cause excessive sweating and vomiting
2. it is a major component in acid rain
3. it can cause severe burns in its gaseous state
4. accidental inhalation can kill you
5. it contributes to erosion
6. it decreases effectiveness of automobile brakes
7. it has been found in tumors of terminal cancer patients

He asked 50 people if they supported a ban of the chemical dihydrogen monoxide. Forty-three said yes, six were undecided, and only one knew that the chemical was…

WATER!!!

The title of his prize winning project was, “How Gullible Are We?” The conclusion is obvious.

Religion is another area where people have a tendency to be gullible. Extreme examples can be found in David Koresh’s followers and the Heaven’s Gate cult. But it can happen any time we believe someone without checking out God’s Word to see if what is being taught is the truth. Faith does not mean blindly accepting whatever anyone (even a preacher) says.

John warned, “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world.” (I John 4:1).

Use God’s Word to discern between what is true and what is false. And if you feel like living dangerously today, pour yourself a big tall glass of dihydrogen monoxide.

Have a great day!

Alan Smith
Boone Church of Christ
Boone, NC

Enjoy a great spring day provided by the Lord.

Anna Lee

Thursday

“In Him was life,  and the life was the light of men. …

That was the true Light which gives light to every man coming into the world.” 

~John 1:4, 9~

 

Marty and Sarabeth Simpson

Please be in prayer for us, Marty will be having hand surgery. His surgery date will be Tuesday, April 17, 2012.

Sarabeth got the all clear to go back to school after having her tonsils out. Thanks for your prayers.

Thanks,
Marty, Gretchen, Micah & Sarabeth Simpson

Billy Carl Strickland

We talked with Darnell yesterday.  Billy Carl’s surgeon seems to think he removed ALL the cancer.  That would be awesome news!  Billy Carl will go back in two months for additional testing.

David Allen

Pray for David and Fannie as they see the doctor today to get the results of David’s biopsy.

 

Jadon Pailet

Jadon’s mom shared a brief video of Jadon coloring with his right hand, the one he could not move following surgery.  Jadon has been one miracle after another!

Thought for the Day: Give thanks for your friends

I heard about a farmer who was detained for questioning about an election scandal. The attorney asked him, “Did you sell your vote?”

The farmer said, “No sir, not me. I voted for that there fella ’cause I liked him.”

The attorney said, “Come, now, I have evidence that he gave you fifty dollars for a vote.”

The farmer said, “Well, now, it’s plain common sense that when a fella gives you fifty dollars you like him.”

I suppose that’s one way to define a friend. In fact, Solomon said, “Many entreat the favor of the nobility, and every man is a friend to one who gives gifts.” (Proverbs 19:6).

But, a true friend involves a depth of relationship. It’s someone you enjoy doing things with, someone you enjoy talking with, someone you wouldn’t hesitate to turn to in times of need. Solomon lets us know how important friends are in the difficult times of life:

“Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their labor. For if they fall, one will lift up his companion. But woe to him who is alone when he falls, for he has no one to help him up. Again, if two lie down together, they will keep warm; But how can one be warm alone? Though one may be overpowered by another, two can withstand him. And a threefold cord is not quickly broken.” (Eccl. 4:9-12).

Give thanks to God for the friends who are a blessing in your life. And let those friends know how special they are to you.

Have a great day!

Alan Smith
Boone Church of Christ
Boone, NC

 

Thanks to all who pray each day.  Your prayers mean so much to so many.  If you ever have a praise, a request, or an update, please feel free to send me a message so I can include it.  

Anna Lee

Wednesday

“Sing praises to the Lord, who dwells in Zion!

Declare His deeds among the people.”

~Psalm 9:11~

Thought for the Day: Retirement – A child’s view

Elderly
One teacher asked her young pupils after Christmas break how they spent their holidays. One small boy wrote the following:

We always spend Christmas with Grandma and Grandpa. They used to live in a big brick home, but Grandpa got retarded and they moved to Florida. Now they live in a place with a lot of other retarded people. They all live in little tin boxes.

They ride on big three-wheeled tricycles and they all wear name tags because they don’t know who they are. They go to a big building called a wrecked hall; but if it was wrecked they got it fixed because it is all right now. They play games and they do exercise there but they don’t do them very good.

There is a swimming pool there. They go into it and just stand there with their hats on. I guess they don’t know how to swim. As you go into their park here is a doll house with a little man sitting in it. He watches all day so they can’t go out without him seeing them. When they can sneak out they go to the beach and pick up shells they think are dollars.

My Grandma used to bake cookies and stuff, but I guess she forgot how. Nobody cooks, they just eat out. They eat the same thing every night — “early birds”. Some of the people are so retarded they don’t know how to cook at all so my Grandma and Grandpa bring food into the wrecked hall and they call it “pot luck”.

My Grandma says Grandpa worked all his life and earned his retardment. I wish they would move back up here, but I guess the little man in the doll house won’t let them out.

That’s certainly a unique view of retirement! I suppose most of us look forward to the time when we can retire and take it easy. As long as we don’t retire from serving God!

I love reading about Caleb in the book of Joshua. Caleb is best known for being one of the two faithful spies as the Israelites first approached the land of Canaan. Not only was he an example of faith in his youth, but in his old age as well.

Caleb said to Joshua, “And now, behold, the LORD has kept me alive, as He said, these forty-five years, ever since the LORD spoke this word to Moses while Israel wandered in the wilderness; and now, here I am this day, eighty-five years old. As yet I am as strong this day as on the day that Moses sent me; just as my strength was then, so now is my strength for war, both for going out and for coming in. Now therefore, give me this mountain of which the LORD spoke in that day; for you heard in that day how the Anakim were there, and that the cities were great and fortified. It may be that the LORD will be with me, and I shall be able to drive them out as the LORD said.” (Joshua 14:10-12).

What a great example! At the age of 85, Caleb requested the most difficult mountain in Canaan to conquer, with faith that God would be with him. And he took it!

Very few of us will be fortunate enough to have that kind of strength at the age of 85, but we can be fully committed to doing all we can for God at whatever age we may be, young or old.

Have a great day!

Alan Smith
Boone Church of Christ
Boone, NC

 

I home you are finding yourself enjoying some time outside.  Spring has been beautiful!

Anna Lee

Tuesday Addition

Christy Mouery Haynes is asking that you pray for Brady’s Mom Peggy Haynes this morning. She’s been in the hospital since last Wed! She has an infection in her arm, that they can not seem to knock out w/the meds. Today they are going to go in and surgically remove the pockets of infection that remain. Please pray that she can finally start healing & come home ♥
From Gloria Gill
I just received a text for Lee Ann Gill mother of Brain Mclain that had the wreck this week end. She said that Brian is in a vegetative state due to brain stem injury. His coma has come from a 2 to a 4 so this means his brain is healing but damage is go great that it is going to take a lot of time. His family is with him now and he has moved for Lee Ann and his Dad. Please continue to pray for this young man and his family. Thank all of you that sent me messages and thank you so much for the prayers, they are still needed.

Baptist Press article that is timely and inspiring

http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=37558

Tuesday

“My people have committed two sins: 

They have forsaken me, the spring of living water, 

and have dug their own cisterns, 

broken cisterns that cannot hold water.”

~Jeremiah 2:13 NIV~

Reminders of some people you might want to include in your prayers:

  • Mrs. Avis Sullivan – Hood Memorial for antibiotics
  • Naomi Ott – Feeling better; No longer confused: Seeing doctor Friday
  • Kenneth Felker – Using oxygen on daily basis; Unable to work in garden
  • Evelyn Bridges – Continues to have health concerns
  • P. and A.B. Harrell – Sweet spirit through many health concerns
  • Shirley Frazier – Recovering from back surgery
  • Kenneth Birch – Keeps going like the energizer bunny; Surgery scheduled
  • Linda B. Williams – Surgery scheduled for Friday; Dealing with pain now
  • Smiley Conerly – Will have back surgery today
  • Caroline Cutrer – Feeling better
  • Marsha Bankston – Sweet spirit
  • Susan Rimes – Able to be in church again
  • Jimmy Schwartz – Able to be at church Sunday
  • Carol Jean Gill – Scheduled to come home in a couple of weeks
Thought for the Day: Tied together
Two guys are walking through the woods and come across this big deep hole. “Wow…that looks deep.” “Sure does. Toss a few pebbles in there and see how deep it is.”

They pick up a few pebbles and throw them in and wait… no noise.

“Wow! That is REALLY deep… here.. throw some of these great big rocks down there. Those should make a noise.”

They pick up a couple of football-sized rocks and toss them into the hole and wait… and wait. Nothing.

They look at each other in amazement. One gets a determined look on his face and says, “Hey…over here in the weeds, there’s a railroad tie. Help me carry it over here. When we toss THAT thing in, it’s GOTTA make some noise.”

The two drag the heavy tie over to the hole and heave it in. Not a sound comes from the hole.

Suddenly, out of the nearby woods, a goat appears, running like the wind. It rushes toward the two men, then right past them, running as fast as its legs will carry it. Suddenly it leaps in the air and into the hole.

The two men are astonished with what they’ve just seen…

Then, out of the woods comes a farmer who spots the men and ambles over. “Hey… you two guys seen my goat out here?”

“You bet we did! Craziest thing I ever seen! It came running like crazy and just jumped into this hole!”

“Nah”, says the farmer, “That couldn’t have been MY goat. My goat was chained to a railroad tie.”

Like the goat and the railroad tie, there are some concepts in scripture that are “tied” together, and you can’t get rid of one without affecting the other. Take, for example, faith and works.

Faith without works is powerless and ineffective (to use James’ terminology, it is “dead”). Works without faith is an empty shell of ritual. The two biblical principles are so closely intertwined that it is not so much accurate to talk about “faith AND works” as it is “a faith THAT works”.

“For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, but faith working through love.” (Gal. 5:6)

“Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works.” (James 2:18b)

May your faith be strong enough that it can be seen by those around you through the way you live.

Have a great day!

Alan Smith
Boone Church of Christ
Boone, North Carolina

Check on some of these people or others who are on your personal list.  See what you can do to help them.  You’ll be blessed.
Anna Lee

Monday Addition

I forgot to include this request from Gloria Gill.  As of Sunday School time yesterday, Brian’s condition was still about the same.  He is still hospitalized without any family being with him.

Got a text from Kelly Gehringer, asking prayers for her cousin Brian Mclain which is also Pete’s nephew. He was in a car accident going to work in California. He is in critical condition, He is on a ventilator, his neck is not broken but he has a chest tube, head trauma, leg is broken. His pelvic is broken and he has a collapsed lung. This is Lee Ann Gill’s son. Please lift him and the family up in prayers. He is out there by himself right now. Thanks everyone.
My aunt, Naomi Orr, will be going to the doctor this morning to check for other possible injuries.