Thursday

“…Give yourselves to God…

surrender your whole being to him

to be used for righteous purposes.”

~Romans 6:13 (TEV)~

Mrs. Katie Milton is home after a short hospital stay. Keep her in your prayers.

Continue to pray for Mrs. Faye Price. She continues to have good and not so good days. She’s still in Hammons.

Pray for those who will not be warm during this cold spell we are facing. Do what you can to help others who may not be able to help themselves sufficiently.

JAMES LELAN LEE

James Lelan Lee, a resident of Greensburg, passed away Tuesday, Jan. 5, 2010. He was 87. Arrangements are pending with Charlet Funeral Home Inc., Clinton.

KneEmail

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

Mike Benson, Editor

GORDON BELL IS trying to devise a system in which he can recall almost anything in his life…

For the past decade, Bell, a Microsoft researcher, has been “moving” the data from his brain onto computers. The process is much more involved than saving digital pictures and e-mails. Bell carries around video equipment, cameras, and audio recorders to capture his conversations, commutes, trips, and experiences. He has used a SenseCam—a device being developed by Microsoft that a person hangs around his neck to record automatically every detail of life in photo form. And Bell has been saving almost everything, from restaurant receipts to correspondence, bills, and medical records.

Thus far Bell has accumulated a mountain of data—more than 350 gigabytes, not including the streaming audio and video. He describes the storage of information as a replica of his biological memory. It’s actually better, he says, because if you back up your data in enough places, this digitized “e-memory” never forgets. It’s like having a multimedia transcript of your life. Bell hopes that by developing and implementing this process, people will not have to fret about storing the details of their lives in their heads anymore; they can save the details on their computer and recall it at will.

Do we really want to remember every detail of our lives? After all, we make many mistakes (Romans 3:23). Sure, we want to learn from our mistakes, but do we want to be reminded of them constantly? Aren’t there things that we’d like to forget and know that they won’t be held against us?

There is one who has infallible, total recall: God! “Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do” (Hebrews 4:13). God will recall everything we have done and hold us accountable for every impure thought, idle word, and evil deed (Acts 17:31; 2 Corinthians 5:10).

Unless . . . the memory of our sins has been erased through the sacrifice of Christ. The Old Testament prophets foretold the time when God would establish a new covenant with His people that contained this promise: “I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more” (Jeremiah 31:34; cf. Hebrews 8:12). On Judgment Day, the Lord will not recall those sins covered by the blood of Jesus. Are you covered? —David A. Sargent

“I will forgive their iniquity,

and I will remember their sins no more.”

~Jeremiah 31:34~

Prepare yourself for the cold weather we will soon have. Prepare yourself for eternity. The latter is even more important than the first!

Anna Lee

Wednesday

Carefully consider the path for your feet,

and all your ways will be established.

~Proverbs 4:26 (HCSB)~

Bob Wagstaff had surgery on his back in Korea and is doing well. Lots of interesting things have happened. For example, the American doctor who is assisting is the son of missionaries. Don will be in the hospital for the week, but will need to stay in the country for a month. Pray he continues to do well and that they will be a “positive” influence on those they meet.

Mrs. Kathrine Sanders’ son-in-law, Donise Honeycutt, had surgery yesterday. Donise did well. At this time, the doctors think the surgery was a success. Please pray for the Sanders and Honeycutt families.

Be extra careful in this cold weather!

CaringBridge

Judy Wilson’s photo

I haven’t located an obituary for Mrs. Wanzie Williams yet. Just think of the celebration she and her loved ones in heaven are having right now! Can’t you picture her and hear her?

KneEmail

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

Mike Benson, Editor

YEARS AGO, A thunderstorm swept through southern Kentucky and blew over an old pear tree on a farm where the Claypool family had lived for six generations…

Old Grandpa Claypool grieved to lose the tree he had climbed as a boy. For all of his life, he had enjoyed eating pears off of that old treee. A neighbor came by and said, “John, I’m really sorry to see that find old pear tree blown down.” John Claypool replied, “I’m sorry too. It’s a real part of my past.” “What are you going to do now?” the neighbor asked. Grandpa Claypool paused for a moment, then said, “I’m going to pick the fruit and burn what is left.”

There’s a lot of wisdom in those words. The past can have its uses. We should enjoy what if of use from the past, and then burn the rest. We may need to grieve over the past; we can even rejoice in the past; but there is no point in longing for it. (Sermon Central)

“After the death of Moses the servant of the LORD,

it came to pass that the LORD spoke to Joshua the son of Nun,

Moses’ assistant, saying: ‘Moses My servant is dead.

Now therefore, arise, go over this Jordan, you and all this people,

to the land which I am giving to them–the children of Israel.'”

~Joshua 1:1-2~

Have a great day!

Anna Lee

Tuesday

“For the Son of Man has come to seek

and to save that which was lost.”

~Luke 19:10~

Pray for the family of Mrs. Wanzie Williams.

Pray for those who will suffer from the cold this week. Do what you can to help someone in need for warmth this week.

Check out the new version of Baptist Press @ http://www.bpnews.net/.

Layaway

(DID YOU KNOW that some advice is offered on the layaway plan…?

You may have no need of it today, but it can be stored in your mind and reserved for some time later. (I use advice today that I laid away years ago–advice that made little sense to me as a teenager but has wisdom I can fully appreciate today.)

Someone gave me advice on how to keep a job before I even filled out my first resume, advice on how to handle bills even before I ever had any, and advice about marriage long before I ever started dating. (My parents told me the best way to keep my marriage healthy was to “board up the kitchen and eat out.”)

I couldn’t use much of that advice in the fourth grade, but I still listened. And when the day came that I got a job, got my first bill, and said, “I do,” I had a storehouse of good advice to draw from.

When someone gives you good advice, don’t tune it out because you don’t feel you need it right now. Put it on layaway. Keep it in reserve. Who knows? It could come in very handy some day. (Martha Bolton)

“Hold on to instruction,

do not let it go;

guard it well,

for it is your life.”

Proverbs 4:13

Posted by Mike Benson

Be careful this week! The cold weather is dangerous in many ways! Don’t forget to check on others.

Anna Lee

Sunday

… That you may love the Lord your God,

listen to his voice,

and hold fast to him.

For the Lord is your life,

and he will give you many years

in the land he swore to give to your fathers,

Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

~Deuteronomy 30:20 (NIV)~

Closet

HOW DO YOU build a “sanctuary” in your busy life; a place where you can meet with God…?

Build a “closet.”

Isaac’s closet was in a field (Genesis 24:63). Peter’s closet was on a housetop (Acts 10:9).

You must fashion your own.

It may mean leaving the kids with your spouse, while you sit out on the back porch with a cup of coffee and your Bible for fifteen minutes.

It may mean snatching a few minutes when your baby is taking his or her afternoon nap.

For those who have a long drive to work, your sanctuary may be in your car with a CD player. It may mean posting a passage of Scripture near your steering wheel, where you can meditate and pray about it during the time that you drive.

It may mean reading your Bible during your lunch break at work.

It may mean taking the first ten minutes to read and pray in your office each morning.

It may mean putting your tennis shoes on and going for a walk with your Bible in hand.

It may mean sitting in your garage or workshop with a CD player to listen to sermons.

It’s not what the sanctuary looks like or where it is that matters. It’s what you do there that makes it a meaningful place. The sanctuary does not provide rest. What takes place there in the desert is what refreshes the inner man. (Steve Farrar)

“But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.” Matthew 6:6

Posted by Mike Benson

Enjoy some fellowship time and some Bible study with Christians today.

Anna Lee

Saturday

But the basic reality of God is plain enough.

Open your eyes and there it is!

~Romans 1:19 (MSG)~

Mary Criswell sent this message.

Wayne Criswell is back at home and doing well. Thanks for your prayers.

CaringBridege

Today, many people are again traveling so they can be at home/church for the weekend and back to their regular schedule/work on Monday. Be extra careful as you travel.

Margurite Wilkinson Travis Vernon

Vernon, Margurite Travis McKneely & Vaughn Funeral Home, Amite, at 1 p.m.

Published in The Advocate on January 2, 2010

For those of you who participated in Operation Christmas Child and those who are considering participating next year, please read http://www.baptistmessage.com/articledetail.php?articleID=e0bb2084d3cc581256d7c5331ed76e39

Thank-you for your participation. If you did not participate, pray about participating next year.

Members of Florida Boulevard Baptist Church in Baton Rouge unload some of the 12,317 shoeboxes collected at the church for Operation Christmas Child.

Undeserved

Jesus knock2.jpg A MAN IN his sixties was walking down the street of a modern subdivision…

In his hand was a scrap of paper from a doctor’s office with a name and address scribbled in pencil. As the man approached the house, he waded the paper and pushed it into his pocket. He made his way to the front door, pushed the doorbell button, and waited anxiously.

Earlier that day, the man had been reading a medical journal in a doctor’s office wiating room when he came across an interesting article about organ donation. He was reading how so many people were on waiting-lists for kidney transplants, and how some would surely die waiting. As he closed the journal, still waiting for his name to be called, he imagined what it would be like too be dying in a waiting room. Right then, he made the decision to donate one of his kidneys.

An hour after asking his doctor for a lead, he was standing out in the cold on the doorstep of a complete stranger. As he herd the door being unlocked from the inside, he was eager to look upon the face of the one who would benefit from his sacrifice. The door pulled open.

“If you’re selling something, I’m not interested.” The first response was automatic. The man inside was middle-aged and appeared somewhat annoyed by his uninvited guest. “No, I’m not selling anything sir,” the older man answered back. “Actually, I guess it might seem odd why I’m here, but you see, I was just out walking and this air is terribly cold, so I thought perhaps you would allow me to step in for a few moments to warm up…” The man inside hesitated for a couple of seconds, glancing back and then sighing with a hint of frustration. “Alright, come on in.” The invitation was cold and half-empty.

The older man stepped into the warm house, and for the next few minutes, he did everything he could to carry on small-talk with the stranger. More than anything, he just wanted a glimpse of who this man was, a peek at the life he would spare. But it soon became evident that this man was ready for his guest to leave. “Sorry, but I’ve got something planned, so I’m afriad you’re going to have to be on your way now.”

The older man generously offered his thanks and quickly stepped back out into the cold. As he walked away from the house, he paused and looked back. Through the large front window, he watched as the man inside plopped down in front of a television and reclined back in his chair. It was precisely at this moment, as he looked upon the undeserving man, that he smiled and said to himself, “This is the man I want to help.”

Why choose to help someone who doesn’t deserve it? When Jesus came to this earth, he voluntarily sacrificed himself to offer us hope — and certainly not because we deserved it. As Christ hung on the cross, He looked down upon an undeserving crowd of spectators and cried, “Father, forgive them…” Thank God that His desire to save the hopeless was not detoured by rejection. Alan Pitchford

“For scarcely for a righteous man will one die;

yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die.

But God demonstrates His own love toward us,

in that while we were still sinners,

Christ died for us.”

Romans 5:7-8

Posted by Mike Benson

Thank-you for praying as you read The Prayer Link each day. Have a great weekend!

Anna Lee

2010

For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you

except Jesus Christ and him crucified.

~1 Corinthians 2:2 (NIV)~

Holly K. made it back to West Africa (with luggage).

ENDURING HARDSHIP

It’s the end of December which means that, in some parts of the country, ski season is in full swing. For those of you who plan to do some skiing this winter, someone has composed the following list of exercises to get you prepared:

~ Visit your local butcher and pay $30 to sit in the walk-in freezer for half an hour. Afterwards, burn two $50 dollar bills to warm up.

~ Soak your gloves and store them in the freezer after every use.

~ If you wear glasses, begin wearing them with glue smeared on the lenses.

~ Find the nearest ice rink and walk across the ice 20 times in your ski boots carrying two pairs of skis, accessory bag and poles. Pretend you are looking for your car. Sporadically drop things.

~ Place a small but angular pebble in your shoes, line them with crushed ice, and then tighten a C-clamp around your toes.

~ Buy a new pair of gloves and IMMEDIATELY THROW ONE AWAY!

~ Secure one of your ankles to a bed post and ask a friend to run into you at high speed.

~ Fill a blender with ice, hit the pulse button and let the spray blast your face. Leave the ice on your face until it melts. Let it drip onto your clothes.

~ Drink several ounces of water (or another beverage of choice), dress up in as many clothes as you can; now, quickly take them off because you REALLY, REALLY HAVE TO GO TO THE BATHROOM!

~ Repeat all of the above every Friday and Saturday until you’re ready for the real thing.

When I lived in Boone, North Carolina, I was in an area where skiing is a popular activity. There were several ski slopes within a 30-minute drive of our house. Before moving to Boone, I had never been skiing before, but it sure looked like fun, so one year I gave it a try. Will I do it again? Reread the list above for my answer! 🙂

Maybe I shouldn’t have waited until I was 40, or maybe I’m just not coordinated enough (skiing was no problem — it was the stopping that I had trouble with). I just know I spent several hours saying to myself, “People actually pay to go through this?!”

Why do skiers endure such hardship? You would need to ask them that question, but there is obviously a certain amount of pleasure that they find in skiing. If the reward of an activity is not greater than the hardship, we tend not to continue to engage in that activity.

Some people, no doubt, wonder the same thing about Christians. They don’t understand people who make sacrifices, putting others ahead of themselves, living in a way that brings glory to God, and denying the “pleasures of life”. So why do Christians endure hardships? I’ll let the apostle Paul answer that question:

“Therefore I endure all things for the sake of the elect, that they also may obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory. This is a faithful saying: For if we died with Him, we shall also live with Him. If we endure, we shall also reign with Him.” (2 Timothy 2:10-12a)

Again, if the reward of an activity is not greater than the hardship, we tend not to continue to engage in that activity. So it’s important that we continue to remind ourselves of the “reward” of living the Christian life. If you find that living the Christian life is getting tough, remind yourself every now and then why you’re doing what you’re doing.

Have a great day!

Alan Smith
Helen Street Church of Christ
Fayetteville, North Carolina

“If you find that living the Christian life is getting tough, remind yourself every now and then why you’re doing what you’re doing.” The reward is heavenly!

Anna Lee

Tuesday

Dear friends, let us continue to love one another,

for love comes from God.

Anyone who loves is born of God and knows God.

~1 John 4:7 (NLT)~

John J. “Joe” Cutrer
(January 21, 1933 – December 28, 2009)

John J. “Joe” Cutrer a loving husband, father, brother, and grandfather was born January 21, 1933 and passed away at 6:15 p.m., Monday, December 28, 2009 at his residence surrounded by his loving family. Mr. Joe was 76 and a resident of Greensburg.

Arrangements will be added on Tuesday, December 29, 2009.

An on-line Guestbook is available at http://www.mckneelyvaughnfh.com

McKneely & Vaughn Funeral Home, Amite, is located at I-55N & Hwy 16W next to Bill Hood Chevrolet and Mr. Tom’s Car Wash.

Baptist Press

December 28, 2009

GEORGIA–GPS: An audacious vision to reach North America. http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=31944

GEORGIA–10 steps for implementing GPS. http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=31945

WASHINGTON—Adult stem cells continue advances. http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=31946

TEXAS–FamilyNet sold again. http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=31947

TEXAS–FIRST PERSON (Rob Phillips): Why some people miss the kingdom of heaven. http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=31948
PUT IT TO DEATH

“Mommy, my turtle is dead,” the little boy, Freddie, sorrowfully told his mother, holding the turtle out to her.

The mother kissed him on the head, then said, “That’s all right. We’ll wrap him in tissue paper, put him in a little box, then have a nice burial ceremony in the back yard. After that, we’ll go out for an ice cream soda, and then get you a new pet. I don’t want you….” Her voice trailed off as she noticed the turtle move.

“Freddie, your turtle is not dead after all.”

“Oh,” the disappointed boy said. “Can I kill it?”

Using the mind of a child, it’s easy to see why Freddie felt that way. In his immature mind, the “blessing” of an ice cream soda more than made up for any loss suffered through the death of a pet.

There is a sense, though, in which the benefits of death far outweigh any sadness we might feel. The apostle Paul frequently wrote of the need to “put to death” the sinful behavior that once characterized our lives. We’re well aware of what he’s talking about because we constantly struggle with temptation. Just when we think we’ve given our sins the death blow, they resurface with new life. Putting them to death is not an easy thing to do. It helps to be reminded of the benefits of doing so:

“For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.” (Rom. 8:13)

The thought of “living” with God far outweighs any sadness I might experience from putting to death those “deeds of the body.”

Father, as I look at my sinful behavior which resurfaces from time to time only to hurt and disappoint you so much — that behavior which you hate even more than I do, enough to sacrifice your only Son — I have only one question: Can I kill it?

Have a great day!

Alan Smith
Helen Street Church of Christ
Fayetteville, North Carolina

May you recognize the blessings of this day.

Anna Lee

Monday

… That you may love the LORD your God,

listen to his voice,

and hold fast to him.

For the LORD is your life,

and he will give you many years in the land

he swore to give to your fathers,

Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

~Deuteronomy 30:20, NIV~

Continue to pray for Mrs. Wanzie Williams. She was home briefly, but had to be taken back to the hospital. She is Baton Rouge now. Pray for her family as they help care for her.

Randy Meadows was released from the hospital and is now on his cruise. Pray he is well enough to enjoy this time.

CaringBridge

Time

EVERY MORNING GOD doles out a limited amount of time to every soul on the planet…

86,400 seconds, 1,440 minutes, or 24 hours–depending upon how you count time. We can do what we want with this daily allotment: spend it, use it, waste it, kill it, invest it, or just ignore it. Whatever we do it it, our time for that one day will be gone There is no way to save any of it.

“The day of our lives are seventy years; and if by reason of strength they are eighty years, yet their boast is only labor and sorrow; for it is soon cut off and we fly away.” Psalm 90:10

Posted by Mike Benson

Make the most of today!

Anna Lee

Saturday

Birth Announcement

Suddenly, God’s angel stood among them and God’s glory blazed around them. They were terrified.

The angel said, “Don’t be afraid. I’m here to announce a great and joyful event that is meant for everybody, worldwide: A Savior has just been born in David’s town, a Savior who is Messiah and Master. This is what you’re to look for: a baby wrapped in a blanket and lying in a manger.”

At once the angel was joined by a huge angelic choir singing God’s praises:

Glory to God in the heavenly heights,
Peace to all men and women on earth who please him.

Luke 2:9-14 (MSG)

Thank God for taking care of Bro. Butch Reviere, his friend, and the other driver during an accident in Bogalusa. None of them were serious hurt. Bro. Butch will need to get a new vehicle though. It’s a little cool to ride his motorcycle every day.

Randy Meadows, husband of Sherry Alford Meadows, got to spend Christmas in the hospital thanks to an infection. Pray Randy gets to feeling better and can enjoy his vacation/holiday time with family.

A former student, Charlotte, spent her Chirstmas Eve and Christmas at her dad’s bedside. He’s better now. Pray for continued improvement.

Pray for all the other families that had members hospitalized during the holidays. I remember spending some holiday time visiting relatives on Christmas or even being at the funeral home with family. It’s a holiday memory that you don’t forget. It’s so assuring to know God walks with us on holidays like all the other days. He can provide the assurance and comfort we need each and every day.

Why?

WHILE APPEARING ON a panel with other bereaved parents, I was surprised at how much I learned by listening…

We were there to help a group of ministers help the grieving, but we ended up learning from one another.

One mom, who had lost her infant daughter to meningitis, shared a simple truth that touched me. She related that as she tried to work through the huge question of “Why?” she spoke to her dad about it. He told her that a better question to ask is “Who?” He explained that she may never know why her daughter was taken so early, but the help she needed most would come from pursuing who God is in this tragic situation.

Think of what this means to us in our difficulties. When we face unexpected grief and ask “Who?” we thus answer: “The Father of mercies and God of all comfort” (2 Cor. 1:3). When we face a period of weakness, we discover that “the LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer” (Psm. 18:2). When the ungodliness of this world seems overwhelming, we can know that the “God of peace will crush Satan under your feet shortly” (Rom. 16:20). When “Why, God?” is on your heart, ask instead, “Who are You, God?” Then seek Him in His Word. (Dave Branon)

“Lord, all my desire is before You;

and my sighing is not hidden from You.”

~Psm. 38:9~

Posted by Mike Benson

May you have a blessed day today.

Anna Lee

Christmas Eve Evening

THE JOY OF GIVING

The Santa Claus at the mall was very surprised when a young lady about twenty years old walked up and sat on his lap.

Santa doesn’t usually take requests from adults, but she smiled very nicely at him, so he said, “OK, you can ask for something but it has to be for someone other than yourself. What do you want for Christmas?”

“Something for my mother,” said the young lady.

“Something for your mother? Well, that’s very thoughtful of you,” smiled Santa. “What do you want me to bring her? ”

Without blinking she replied, “A son-in-law!”

We often say that Christmas is a time when the focus is on giving, but let’s be honest — for many (perhaps most) people, the greater excitement of Christmas is in what we receive, not in what we give. How many people do you know who are saying, “I can’t wait to give a gift!”? Now, how many people do you know who are saying, “I can’t wait to see what I get!”? As parents, we know the joy of watching our children open their gifts, but are we instilling in our children the joy of giving, or is Christmas simply a time when they are excited to receive what they wanted (or perhaps they’re upset because they didn’t get what they wanted)?

While trying not to sound too cynical, how many of the gifts we give every Christmas are given because we feel obligated to give, or because we are hoping to receive something back? Is it possible for those of us who are Christ-followers to give simply for the joy of giving?

Jesus said in the Sermon on the Mount, “If you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet your brethren only, what do you more than others? Do not even the tax collectors do so?” (Luke 5:46-47). To take it one step further, if we give only to those from whom we expect to receive something back, how are we different from anyone else in the world? What should distinguish God’s people is a desire to give with no thought no receiving anything back.

In Luke 14:12-14, Jesus said, “When you give a dinner or a supper, do not ask your friends, your brothers, your relatives, nor rich neighbors, lest they also invite you back, and you be repaid. But when you give a feast, invite the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind. And you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you; for you shall be repaid at the resurrection of the just.”

May I encourage you, not only this season, but year-round, to seek to find ways to give to those who can’t give back, to learn to give simply for the joy of giving.

Have a great day!

Alan Smith
Helen Street Church of Christ
Fayetteville, North Carolina

I hope you have remembered that Jesus is the reason we are celebrating! Please remember to give of yourself, just as God did when He sent Jesus to earth long ago. Merry CHRISTmas!