Category: Praises, Requests, & Updates

Friday

“Therefore be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord.

See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth,

waiting patiently for it until it receives the early and latter rain.

You also be patient.

Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand.”

~James 5:7-8, NKJV~

 

 

Lawyer John Buckley, Sr.

“I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day; and not to me only, but until all them also that love his appearing.” 2 Timothy 4:7-8. A retired entrepreneur, road service tire repairman and a photographer, Lawyer died at his home on Saturday, March 8, 2008. He was 68, a resident of Baton Rouge and a native of Osyka, Miss. Visiting at Winnfield Funeral Home on Saturday, March 15, from 9 a.m. until religious service at 10 a.m., conducted by the Rev. Dewitt Brock. Interment in Gilbert Memorial Park. Survived by his two sons, Lawyer John Buckley Jr. and Kendrick Shropshire; two daughters, April Donald and Darcelle Shropshire; four sisters, Undean Reed, Maytee Buckley, Martha Shepherd and Dorothy Domingue; four brothers, the Rev. Earl Buckley, Raymond Buckley, Alton Buckley and Larry Buckley; and two grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his wife, Margie Buckley; father, Arcell Buckley; mother, Stella Buckley; and three brothers, Melton, Edward and Preston Buckley.

 

 

Easter Worship Musical

“The Risen Christ”

FBC, Kentwood

Sanctuary Choir

Sunday, March 16 @ 6 P.M.

Monday, March 17 @ 7 P.M.

 

 

 

First Baptist Church of Arcola

 

“The Celebration of Easter”

  • i-55 Frontage Road, Arcola
  • No admission charge
  • March 14-15, 2008
  • 7:30 – 9:00 P.M.
  • Twelve live drive-through scenes of the life of Christ

 

Jena, La. has received a lot of bad press lately. I thought you might want to read these two articles that show a different side of Jena than you have seen in the press:

 

Baptist Press

March 12, 2008

LOUISIANA–This time, Jena makes spiritual headlines. http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=27604

LOUISIANA–FIRST-PERSON (Craig Franklin): Good news from Jena, La. http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=27609 Thank God for this revival. May it spread to other towns and cities!

 

 

APPOINTED FOR MEN TO DIE ONCE

After buying her kids a pet hamster, after they PROMISED they would take care of it, the mother, as usual, ended up with the responsibility.

One evening, exasperated, she asked her children, “How many times do you think that hamster would have died if I hadn’t looked after it?”

After a moment, her youngest son replied quizzically, “Once?”

Well, that didn’t help make the mother’s point but, technically, their answer was correct — not only for hamsters, but for us as well. The Hebrew writer said, “And as it is apponted for men to die once, but after this the judgment…” (Heb. 9:27).

The fact that we are appointed to die once is both sobering and promising. IOn the one hand, it means that there is no way that we can escape death (“it is apponted for man to die”), but on the other hand it is something that we will have to experience only once. While there are a few notable exceptions in the Bible, everyone who has ever lived on the face of this earth has died, but only once.

But the real point of this passage in Hebrews has nothing to do with us. It has everything to do with Jesus Christ. The Hebrew writer says that Jesus is just like us. He, too, only had to die once. The significance of that is that once was enough. Unlike the sacrifices of the Jews which had to be offered over and over, one sacrifice was sufficient to take away all of our sins — forever! With that knowledge comes this beautiful promise:

“…so Christ was offered as a sacrifice one time to take away the sins of many people. And he will come a second time, not to offer himself for sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.” (Heb. 9:28, NCV)

Praise be to Jesus Christ for the effectiveness of his death and for the promise of his return!

Have a great day!

Alan Smith
Helen Street Church of Christ
Fayetteville, North Carolina

Thank you for being there to pray each day. You mean so much to so many!

Anna Lee

Thursday Evening

Elliott Yarborough had surgery last week on the eye that had glass in it. The surgery showed hope for improvement. He will have another surgery in five weeks. In the meantime, he seems to be able to have more movement in the eye. Please continue to pray for this toddler.

Jesse Dean is getting a pint of blood. After that, he hopes to get moved to rehab at North Oaks later tonight. Please keep him in your prayers.

Melinda Russell sent these requests:

  • Please be in prayer for a Japanese woman named Tsuyako. She has been to the ladies’ bible study Freda Angeletti teaches but not regularly. She is fixing to go into surgery to have her appendix removed. Pray for her as she has the surgery that all will go well. Pray for the doctors and nurses as they perform the surgery. Pray for Tsuyako’s family as they wait to hear how the surgery goes. Tsuyako knows a lot about the Bible but has a hard time believing it. Pray for her heart to be open to hearing God’s call and truly understanding about Jesus wanting to be her Savior.
  • Eiko, another Japanese woman in our bible study was sharing yesterday that eight Japanese families are preparing to return to Japan or go to other countries. None of them are Christian. Eiko is a light for the Lord in the Japanese community here. She desires for her husband and other Japanese to understand how much the Lord loves them and wants them to be a part of his family. Please take a moment and pray for these families that the Lord will bring other Christians into lives that will water the seeds Eiko has planted in their lives. Pray for their eyes to be open to the truth in the Lord and understand how important it is to make a commitment to the Lord.

Thursday

“Who knows,

perhaps you have come to the kingdom

for such a time as this,”

~Esther 4:14b, HCSB~

McComb Bank Tragedy

Pray for all the families involved in the tragedy at the bank in McComb yesterday.

Cancer Free!

Smiley Conerly and Sammy Broyles are now cancer free! Than-you for your prayers for them. Please continue to pray for them and their families.

Jesse Dean

Today is the day set for Jesse to be released to rehab or home. Thank God for the progress he has made since surgery.


Lauree and Cliff Titus

Pray for Lauree and Cliff. It seems like they have gone from one health issue to another lately.

Baby Aaron Hill

Well, God does not want Aaron to head home to MS just yet. Today’s echo and visit with Dr. Szwast have yielded another plan. First the good news–Aaron now weighs 7 ½ lbs and is 20 inches long, so he is gaining weight and growing longer. (I was so proud!). His echo, however, was cause for some concern. There still appears to be some problem with the mitral valve, as it doesn’t look like it is opening wide enough to allow proper blood flow from the left atrium into the left ventricle. While Aaron has some pulmonary stenosis (that was cause for concern early on for opposite reasons), apparently there is so much blood flow through his heart that there is pressure building up in his left atrium. Because of this buildup of pressure, the doctors are concerned that leaving his heart like this might cause damage to his lungs over even a short period of time. Given this danger, Aaron will undergo a heart cath on Tuesday at CHOP where the doctors will evaluate the heart and lung pressure and gauge the overall function and capacity of his heart.

Our surgeon, Dr. Spray, does not feel like the possible mitral valve problem will prevent a two-sided repair procedure. Therefore, if the heart cath goes well and yields positive findings, Dr. Spray will perform surgery in the immediate future to move Aaron’s aorta over to his left ventricle and repair the other problems with his heart. If the surgeons begin the surgery and determine the mitral valve will not sustain his heart, they will place a band on his pulmonary artery to reduce the amount of blood flow through his heart and stop there, leaving us to return for the first single ventricle repair surgery when Aaron is between four and six months of age.

As you can see, so much still remains uncertain. I am grieved that we will not be going home this week. Scott and I had so wanted to be home even for a little while with Aaron and Levi. We miss everyone terribly. However, we are both glad that the pressure problem has been discovered now rather than after our return home. Please continue to pray for us (especially Aaron) as we get ready for the heart cath and prospective surgery. Scott will head home tomorrow then back on Monday for the cath. My mom and sweet Levi will also return soon—I have missed both of them a lot. Please say an additional prayer for my dad while my mom is here giving me support. We are blessed with wonderful family and friends. We love you all.

BCM Lunch

The BCM lunch at Southeastern yesterday was a big success. The were about 125 students there o enjoy the jambalaya and other foods. Thanks to all who contributed and all who went. Special thanks to Marty and Gretchen for cooking the jambalaya.

Donald J. “Buster” Dieterich

A retired senior purchasing agent of Barnard & Burk Engineering, a U.S. Air Force veteran, a resident of Baker and a native of Amite, he passed away Saturday, March 8, 2008, at Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center. He was 69. Visitation at Rabenhorst Funeral Home East, 11000 Florida Blvd., on Friday, March 14, from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., with a memorial service at 6 p.m. He is survived by his wife, Shirley M. Dieterich; daughters, Marie Angel’ Tetrick, Smyrna, Ga., Monica Brian and husband Tracy, Zachary, Sharon Price, Baton Rouge; stepdaughters, Natalie Roussel, Geismer and Jennifer Lay, Oklahoma; son, John Scott Dieterich and wife JoAnna; step son, Richard “Ricky” Lay and wife Debbie, Walker; sisters, Patsy Dieterich Norton, Gretna, and Jean Dieterich Mitchell, Metairie; brother, Thomas Dieterich, Jackson, Miss.; 16 grandchildren, Casey Lee, Cody Tetrick, Lindy Babin, Laird, Aubin and Jude Brian, Mazie and Mary Dieterich, Tori, Megan, Joshua and Christina Lay, Amber Guzzardo, Kimberly Sanchez, Maranda and Taylor Ree; and a great- grandchild. Preceded in death by his parents, Peter Gemeth and Ora Mae Dunnington Dieterich; brother, Earl Dieterich; and grandson, Thomas Devin Lay. He was a member of the Knights of Columbus.

Tony Gene King

Tony King died at 3:55 a.m. Tuesday, March 11, 2008, at North Oaks Medical Center in Hammond. He was 44 and a resident of Amite. Visitation at McKneely Funeral Home, Amite, on Thursday, March 13, from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m., followed by graveside service at Amite Memorial Gardens, Amite. Survived by his daughter, Jessica Goudy, Randolph’s Air Force Base, Texas; four brothers and sisters-in-law, Ronnie and Ashley McDonald, Amite, and Mike and Carol King, Jeff and Khris King and Tracy and Beth King, all of Cleveland; and sister and brother-in-law, Betty and Jerry Hughes, Amite. Preceded in death by his father, Ted King; and mother, Cinderella Williams King. For more information, visit http:// www.mckneelys.com.

 

KneEmail

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

Mike Benson, Editor

Storm

JESUS TOLD THE twelve to get into a boat on the Sea of Galilee…

As they started across the sea, everything was smooth and calm, and Jesus went to sleep. Suddenly a huge wind blasted on the sea and the boat began to be swamped with water. They awakened Jesus in great fear and said, “Master, Master, we are perishing!” (v. 24). They believed they were going to die right there on the water. Jesus woke up and told the wind and water to be still, and instantly the sea was as smooth as glass. At this point Jesus turned to the disciples and asked, “Where is your faith?” (v. 25). The disciples were now terrified, not of the storm that had stopped, but of the One who stopped the storm.

Why were they suddenly afraid? They had already witnessed so much power from Jesus. What was different on this occasion? The difference was that is was their storm. They were the ones in the boat this time. It was their lives on the line. They knew Jesus could take of the storms in someone else’s life, but it was an entirely different issue when it was personal. People tend to do this all the time. Spiritual lives are destroyed because of the storm of family problems, or the storm of past sin, or the storm of sickness, or the storm of money troubles, ad infinitum. It is easy to tell someone else that they need to trust God to take care of them, but what about when it is my boat that is sinking? What do we do?

If Jesus is with you, outside influences cannot enslave you, nor can they sink your boat (Rom. 8:31-39). Outside influences cannot take away eternity as long as you weather the storm. They may make life more difficult here, but they will not defeat you unless you allow them to do so. Jesus Himself suffered more than any of us, yet He was victorious because His focus was on God’s eternal plan, not the immediate storm of life. The next time you are facing a storm, remember that He needs to be in the boat first, and then you will be successful in weathering whatever storm you are facing. (Terry Frizzell)

“But He said to them, ‘Where is your faith?’

And they were afraid, and marveled,

saying to one another, ‘Who can this be?’

For He commands even the winds and water,

and they obey Him!”

~ Luke 8:25~

 

 

We all have “storms” in our lives. When they come, we need to remember Jesus is walking along with us, just like he does on all the other days. Going through the “storms” of life is not always pleasant or easy, but we can get through them.

Anna Lee

 
     
 

Wednesday

“Declare His glory among the nations,

His wonders among all people.”

~1 Chronicles 16:24~

PAISA OF COLOMBIA (PIE-sah). The “Pied Piper,” for whom you have been praying, is a man who has a heart for the children of one of the poorest and most dangerous parts of a major city. He faithfully goes each Saturday to tell Bible stories to the children. On Sundays, he has been going early to this area to ensure that the children are dressed and ready to travel the long distance to the Baptist church down the mountain. Join the Paisa Team in giving thanks that on February 3, the Pied Piper started church services on Sundays in the area where the children live so they no longer have to travel down the mountain. Pray that the parents of the children will attend the services since they are now more accessible to them. Also pray that the hearts of all who hear the Bible stories will be open to the gospel message.

HANDS ON: CENTRAL, EASTERN AND SOUTHERN AFRICA. Missionaries serving on the Eastern Metropolitan Evangelism Team in Johannesburg, South Africa, ask: “Please pray for the ‘Hands On’ missionaries who have recently arrived and are working with many of our field personnel. Pray specifically for the missionary supervisors to have wisdom, patience and understanding as they plan and direct meaningful gospel ministry. Ask God to open doors for the gospel in many new neighborhoods, and pray for Him to call those ‘Hands On’ missionaries to a lifetime of service in missions as a result of their time here.” http://www.hands-on-africa.com/

KEKCHI OF GUATEMALA (KEK-chee). Hearing God’s Word proclaimed over the four Kekchi radio stations has brought many unbelievers to a saving faith in Christ Jesus. During 2007, these stations aired in its entirety the stories from both the Old and New Testaments. The workers at these stations met at the beginning of the new year to discuss a burden they all have for teaching their people how to share their faith on a day-to-day basis. As a result of this meeting, a new radio evangelism course, complete with nine lessons, was birthed. Intercede for the broadcast of these lessons all over the Kekchi area. May many believers be encouraged and challenged to tell others about Jesus. Pray for many to be saved as a result of this new ministry and for new works to open up. http://www.macregion.org/

PACIFIC RIM MEDIA. Video is the medium of choice in today’s visual culture. Many of the media specialists in the Pacific Rim are being asked to learn videography. Pray for wisdom and quick acquisition of these skills for people who are trained in other areas, such as photography and writing. Ask God to call videographers to the Pacific Rim. Pray for wisdom to use the right level of technology to tell our Pacific Rim stories effectively.

Billy Roy “Poppy” “Woodsie” Allen Sr.

“A golden heart stopped beating and hard working hands were put to rest. God broke our hearts to prove to us He only takes the best.” A longtime resident of Jackson and a native of Kentwood, he died Monday, March 10, 2008, at his residence. He was 72, retired for 17 years from the Eastern Louisiana Mental Health System, Jackson, with 33 years of service. Visiting at Charlet Funeral Home Inc., Zachary, on Wednesday, March 12, from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Visiting continues at First Baptist Church in Jackson on Thursday from 9 a.m. until religious service at 11 a.m., conducted by the Rev. Alvin Hall. Burial in Second Baptist Church Cemetery. A loving and caring husband, father, grandfather and great-grandfather, he leaves to cherish his memory his wife of 52 years, Willie Jean Williams Allen; son, Billy Roy Allen Jr., of Jackson; three daughters and their spouses, Brenda and Harvard Brian, of Slaughter, and Debbie and Jimmy Norsworthy and Tracy and James “Peanut” Stevens, all of Jackson; six grandsons, Jason Allen, whom he raised as his own, his wife, Carla Connell Allen, and their children, Rileigh, Olivia and Jason “Jace” Allen Jr., all of Jackson, Josh Perkins, of Slaughter, James Allen Stevens and Adam Allen, both of Jackson, and Cody Rollins and Matthew Thomas, both of Norwood; three granddaughters, Jeana Perkins, of Slaughter, and Jaci Stevens and Anna Allen, both of Jackson; stepgrandson, Jamey Norsworthy, of Jackson; stepgranddaughters, Toby Kay Edwards, of Central, and Victoria and Grace Brian, both of Slaughter; stepgreat-grandchildren, Slade and Isabella Edwards, both of Central, and Talon and Jake Norsworthy, both of Jackson; sisters, Jewel Easley, of Kentwood, and Sybil “Sam” Marcantel, of Jackson; and stepfather-in-law, Edward “Coonie” Fontenot. He enjoyed reading his Bible in the early morning hours and always enjoyed spending time with his family gathered on his back porch, where lots of lessons were learned. He was an avid outdoorsman. He loved to hunt and listen to his rabbit dogs. He always had a large garden and you could always find him piddling with something outside. He definitely knew the value of a hard day’s work and if you hung with him, you would, too. He loved them Tigers, his first love being the Centreville Academy Tigers, then the LSU Tigers. His all-time favorite was watching his grandsons play ALL sports for the CA Tigers. He would even (sometimes) watch his granddaughters dance and cheer, but his biggest passion was the football game. He was preceded in death by his parents, Charlie and Minnie Hurst Allen; mother-in-law, Helen Fontenot; father-in-law, Collins Williams; four brothers, Luther Reed Allen, Charlie Ray “Bo” Allen, John Freeman Allen and Felix Warren “Peter Rabbit” Allen; and two sisters, Rena Weigand and Robbie Allen Bueche. Pallbearers will be Jason Allen, Josh Perkins, James Allen Stevens, Adam Allen, Jamey Norsworthy, Joe Allen Easley, Mitch Allen and Joe Bueche. Honorary pallbearers are James “Peanut” Stevens, Jimmy Norsworthy, Harvard Brian, Edward Fontenot, Bill Hurst, Cliff Hurst, Brian Lea Hurst, David Stevens, Fred Allen and Gerald Connell. Special thanks to his family and friends with whom he has been so blessed to have: Dr. Chaillie Daniel, Dr. Michael Castine, Dr. Ryan Majoria, Feliciana Home Health and St. Joseph Hospice and Nurse Tanya Tillman. Share sympathies, condolences and memories at http://www.charletfuneralhome.com/

 

 

Baptist Press

March 11, 2008

TENNESSEE–China harasses Christians ahead of Beijing Olympics. http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=27593

TENNESSEE–Chinese Christians forced into labor camps. http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=27594

HAWAII–Missionaries see Hawaii’s less exotic side. http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=27595

TENNESSEE–America must not forget history, Bush tells NRB. http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=27596

OHIO–Fired Cedarville prof wins initial appeal. http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=27597

TENNESSEE–RESOURCE: New study Bible helps defend the faith. http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=27598

TENNESSEE–RESOURCE (Gregory E. Ganssle): God & evil. http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=27599

LOUISIANA–FIRST-PERSON(Keith Manuel): It’s block party time. http://www.bpnews.net/BPFirstPerson.asp?ID=27600

The Way to Salvation

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life. (John 3:16)

Man is obligated by God to do certain things to receive the benefits of Christ’s sacrifice. We are saved by grace, which is the unmerited favour of God in that we have nothing inherent within us that can save us from the penalty of sin which is death. God has provided a specific way for our salvation in the bible:

BELIEVE: Believe in the Lord Jesus and you shall be saved, you and your household (Acts 16:31)

REPENT: Unless you repent you will all likewise perish (Luke 13:3)

CONFESS THAT: Thou art the Christ (Messiah), the Son of the living God. (Matthew 16:16) For with the heart man believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation (Romans 10:10)

link arrowBE BAPTIZED INTO CHRIST: And now why do you delay? Arise, and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on his name (Acts 22:16)

link arrowLIVE THE CHRISTIAN LIFE: Or do you not know that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, shall inherit the kingdom of God. (1Cor 6:9-10)

Upon your obedience to these steps the following wonderful possessions are yours:

ALL your sins are forgiven

Of Him all the prophets bear witness that through His name every one who believes in Him has received forgiveness of sins. (Acts 10:43)

YOU shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit

Now He who establishes us with you in Christ and anointed us is God, who also sealed us and gave us the Spirit in our hearts as a pledge (2 Cor 1:21-22)

YOU are a member of Christ’s body the church

For even as the body is one, and yet has many members, and all the members of the body, though they are many, are one body, so also is Christ. (1Cor 12:12)
For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free, and we were all made to drink one spirit” (1Cor 12:13)

YOUR future sins are forgiven through repentance and prayer to God through Christ who is now your intercessor

If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1John 1:9)

YOU will inherit ETERNAL LIFE (1John 2:25)

And this is the promise which He himself made to us: eternal life. (1John 2:25)

“He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him. (John 3:36)

Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgement, but has passed out of death into life. (John 5:24)

For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 6:23)

Have a great day!

Anna Lee

Tuesday

 

Pray for Lee Widas and his family as they face the uncertainties of his future.

Pray for the choir as they practice Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday nights this week in preparation for their presentations Sunday and Monday. Please also pray for those working on the set this week. Pray lives will be touched thought the music and the videos that go along with it.

 

KneEmail

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

Mike Benson, Editor

Emotions

THE OPTIMIST FELL from the fourth floor sill
And as he passed each window bar,
He shouted to the folks below,
“Doing all right so far…!”

How ridiculous! Yet there are preachers across the land that advocate a lot of feel-good religion without a call to commitment or even a call to reality. A preacher was telling a congregation that if they lived right, God would bless them with health, wealth, popularity, and happiness. Tell that to families who mourn the loss of their loved ones. Tell that to a family who loses their home in a fire. Tell that to one who works for years at a job and then gets laid off in a cut back.

Jesus Himself is described as “a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief” ( Isaiah 53:3). Jesus calls us to have a balance in life. He wants us to be real, not some kind of phony religious nuts who go around with fake, painted-on smiles. The difference between us and the world is not measured by our lack of problems, but rather by the presence of a constant Friend who helps us through them.

In contrast to those who never appear to have a sad moment, there are some who are under the misconception that to be truly humble, we have to put on a sad look and a sad disposition. Jesus specifically warned against trying to get people to feel sorry for us when we are fasting, giving, or praying ( Matthew 6:1-18).

Neither is spirituality the same as feeling guilty all the time. We believe in the awesome power of the cross of Christ to receive remission of sins and inner healing. If we are truly forgiven, why should we mope around acting pathetic? If we have the promise of eternal life in Heaven, why should we live in worry, fear, or doubt?

The key to a fulfilling Christian life is to learn to live appropriately. We must be open and sensitive to the needs and the feelings of those around us. When one member of the Body is hurting, we should all feel the pain. When one member of the Body has cause to celebrate, we should all join in to enjoy the person’s success and blessing. In doing so, we draw closer and closer each day. We become stronger so that we can better endure our hardships, overcome our obstacles, and enjoy our fellowship even more deeply. (Roger Wright)

“Rejoice with those who rejoice,

and weep with those who weep.”

~ Romans 12:15~

The last few days have been full of emotions for me. The emotions have gone from one extreme to another. I’m thankful to have the happy to go with some of the sad.

As we see people in out daily lives, we don’t always know what is going on in their lives and why they sometimes act the way they do. We haven’t walked in their shoes and often wouldn’t want to do that.

Many people carry their burdens without friends, family, or church support. Pray for those around us to always know they can share their emotional load on us. That’s part of our responsibility as Christians. Most importantly, some people don’t know God and can’t take their burdens to Him. Pray we can lead them in that direction.

Anna Lee

 

Monday Evening

New Baby

I forgot to mention the birth of Noah Titus last Friday. Noah weighed 6 pounds and was 18 inches long. Proud grandparents are Laree and Cliff Titus.

Update on Jesse Dean

Jesse’s surgery went well. He will be moved home or to rehab Thursday. Please keep Jesse and Majel in your prayers.

Update on Baby Aaron Hill

Aaron is doing well after surviving 3 days alone with me…We were lonely this weekend, but we got to catch up on some reading, listen to some sermons and our friend Mary even called us during the song service at PL Madison so we could listen to the worship music. That was nice.

We have still been working hard on feeding. We want to show the drs that we are getting bigger and stronger at Wednesday’s visit. I started feeding Aaron exclusively with a bottle yesterday and I think he is doing better with that method. He seems to have an easier time breathing when eating from a bottle and doesn’t seem to get as exhausted as when he nurses. I hope this will help him gradually begin to eat more. Please pray that it does.

We have started making mental and physical preparations to leave NJ later this week. Pray that God will bring us home if that is what’s best for Aaron and if not, that He will give us the strength to stay here for a while longer.

Please lift up continued prayers for Marshall Sanders. He now has a bacterial infection and is not able to get a new heart until this clears up. He has been on bypass more than 10 days now.

Love from NJ…

Monday

“Then He said to His disciples,

‘The harvest truly is plentiful,

but the laborers are few.

Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest

to send out laborers into His harvest.’”

~Matthew 9:37-38~

INTERNATIONAL MISSIONS PRAYERLINE


INTERNATIONAL MISSION BOARD


Monday, March 10, 2008

 

 

And He “gave some…pastors…

for the training of the saints

in the work of ministry,

to build up the body of Christ”

(Ephesians 4:11-12, HCSB).

 

Dear Intercessors, this is Eleanor Witcher of the International Prayer Strategy Office, asking you to pray for national pastors.

In a small, dry and dusty village in Mexico, a young man wakes up early to ride his bicycle an hour to work. Six days a week, he works 10 hours a day in a hot metal building, caring for chickens. He does this to earn money for his family. After he finishes work for the day, he begins studying God’s Word to help lead his church family. At times he feels inadequate for the task.

PT was one of the first Christians among the Tripura in his area of Bangladesh. Soon after he accepted Christ, he began to tell others about Jesus. PT has seen many Tripura baptized, but also knows many who have fallen away from the faith. He has a desire to organize the believers into thriving churches. One of his goals for 2008 is to see Sunday School classes for all ages in the churches.

Pastor C of Mtsala Baptist Church in Malawi was involved in seminary studies but was unable to continue due his lack of English; he was not able to keep up with the classes. Pray that he will not be discouraged but will continue to seek God’s guidance in his ministry, leading a Ngoni congregation.

Spring training has begun for church leaders in Luwingu, Zambia–not baseball teams, but church-planting teams are training specifically in the area of their prayer lives as they study God’s Word together every other week. Why prayer? Because it is the foundation of the work they will begin in the month of April, the work of going out in teams to start new churches in their neighboring villages.

* Please pray for national church leaders as they lay a foundation of personal prayer.

* Ask God to grant these leaders knowledge and wisdom as they invest hours in Bible study.

* Thank the Lord for pastors who faithfully build up the body of Christ.

Don’t forget to pray for Jesse and Majel Dean today as Jesse has knee surgery.

Peyton Alford, our granddaughter in Rome, GA had hit her head on the coffee table at her home. She had a big “goose egg”, but a scan showed her to be okay. Thank God for not allowing this injure to be more serious.

Pray for students all over the state as they take the state LEAP tests today. Pray the testing goes smoothly for everyone and students will be able to show what they have learned without being intimidated by the tests.

The F.B.C, Kentwood WMU will meet at 6:30 tonight. All ladies who are interested in missions are invited to attend.

DEAF OF COLOMBIA. A Colombia Hands for Life Team member shares: “‘Be patient’ is typically not a phrase we like to hear. In 2001, I was able to visit a Deaf school in one of the major cities. Shortly after that first visit, I was told that because we are Christians, we could not come back to visit. For the last seven years, we have been praying, you have been praying, and we have been waiting. Last year, this Deaf school called and asked for copies of the ‘JESUS’ film for their students. Recently representatives from the school came to visit us and asked us to take over the evangelism being done among their students and to give training in job skills. They will provide training and workshops for our teachers! Wow, what an awesome answer to prayer! Pray for us as we continue to work out the details for working together.” http://colombiandeaf.all.peopleteams.org/

HUNGARY. Easter is an important religious holiday in Hungary and is celebrated over the course of two days: Easter Sunday and Monday. On Monday, the men and boys visit their female friends and relatives, greeting them with a poem and a splash of cologne or water. The girls and women reward them with a hand-painted egg, baked goods, or some other treat. Please pray that traditions and rituals will not obscure the true meaning of this holiday. As the people are reminded of Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross and His resurrection from the dead, may they come to a new understanding of how much God loves them and calls them to a personal relationship with Himself through the blood of Christ. http://www.heartforhungary.com

(I think we should have the same desire that people know about Jesus, not just the Easter traditions, here in America.)

LAST FRONTIER. This month, missionary women serving among Last Frontier people groups in two nations will have the opportunity to attend a retreat designed to give them a break from the stress and rigors of living cross-culturally. The women will worship and study God’s Word together, and have various workshop choices designed to meet their specific needs. And they will have time for just relaxing, having fun, talking, and praying together. Pray that both of these retreats will be a blessed time of refreshment and encouragement. Thank God for the volunteers who are making the retreats possible, both with leadership and financial support. Pray that no roadblocks will come up to hinder God’s appointed time for these women.

MISSIONARY PERSONAL NEEDS. Missionaries are looking for a house where they can begin full-time service among their people group. May God’s perfect will be revealed to them.

KneEmail

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

Mike Benson, Editor

 

Ride

HAVE YOU HEARD the story about the family who was moving from the East coat to the West coast…?

It seems that they were going to have to drive in two vehicles. The father was driving one vehicle, and his brother was driving the other. When it came time for the children to choose who to ride with, they chose their fun-loving uncle, to the uncle’s great delight. He was flattered that they had chosen him over their own parents.

However, before they left town, the little boy asked his uncle, “What happens if we get separated from mom and dad?” To which the uncle said, “Don’t worry, we won’t.” But the boy persisted, “Well, what if we do?” The uncle jokingly remarked, “Well, I guess we’ll never see them again.” After a moment of silence, the little boy said, “I think I’m going to ride with my mom and dad.”

This world contains many things that are flashy, fun, and exciting which capture our attention, but when it comes right down to it, I wouldn’t want any of those things if it meant that I would be separated from my heavenly Father forever. Maybe we ought to take a moment and think about the one with whom we are riding. (Steve Higginbotham)

“Do not love the world or the things in the world.

If anyone loves the world,

the love of the Father is not in him.

For all that is in the world — the lust of the flesh,

the lust of the eyes,

and the pride of life —

is not of the Father but is of the world.

And the world is passing away, and the lust of it,

but he who does the will of God abides forever”

~ 1 John 2:15-17~

 

“This is how God showed his love among us:

He sent his one and only Son into the world

that we might live through him.”

~1 John 4:9, NIV~

 

 

 

NAMB’s Woodalls Minister in Hawaii

 

and See the State’s Less Exotic Side

 

By Mickey Noah


HONOLULU, Hawaii – For most Americans and even for world travelers, Hawaii is the ultimate, exotic tourist destination. After all, it’s paradise.

But for Southern Baptist missionaries Chris and Monica Woodall, Hawaii is not just a paradise, but islands inhabited by the lost and hurting.

While visitors crowd Waikiki Beach in Honolulu for sunning and shopping, surfers invade Oahu’s North Shore for some of the world’s most dare-devil surfing, and tourists enjoy the green flora, dark-sand beaches and blue Pacific waters of Maui, the Woodalls see Hawaii’s underbelly.

“When you get behind the glitz of Waikiki, you find a lot of needs,” Chris says. “When you get away from there and get back into the communities, it’s just like anywhere else in the world. There are real people who have real problems, real hurts and needs. They just happen to live in a place that others like to come to on vacation.

“Yes, the beaches are beautiful. But Hawaii is home to many, many people. These people have names and souls and are in need of the Gospel,” said Woodall, director of prayer and evangelism since 2005 for the Hawaii-Pacific Baptist Convention, headquartered in Honolulu. He also heads up the convention’s disaster relief and chaplaincy teams.

The Woodalls are two of more than 5,000 missionaries in the United States, Canada and their territories supported by the Annie Armstrong Easter Offering® for North American Missions. They will be featured as part of the annual Week of Prayer, March 2-9, 2008, the theme of which is “Live with Urgency: Seize Your Divine Moment.” The 2008 Annie Armstrong Easter Offering’s goal is $61 million, 100 percent of which is used for missionaries like the Woodalls.

Chris’ friend, Robert Wittekind, a pastor at Waianae Baptist Church in Honolulu County on Oahu, knows of the poor and illiterate in the Waianae community.

“There are a lot of broken homes here,” said Wittekind, who the locals call “Kahu,” the Hawaiian word for pastor. “According to statistics, six out of 10 prisoners have relatives in the Waianae area. We have a lot of drugs, a lot of homelessness – people just running the streets. We have a lot of broken families and marriages. Many are not married but just live together. One of the highest populations of teenage pregnancy is on this coast.”

Chris met Monica while they both served the International Mission Board in East Asia. After they returned from overseas, they married and a year later, became the parents of their first child, Moriah, now almost two years old. They’re currently expecting their second child.

“Because of what God has put on my heart,” said Monica, “we wanted to live our lives somewhere where the Gospel’s not being readily accepted or abundantly shared, and not where there’s a church on every corner.

“Although Hawaii is a hard place to live, we want to live where we can be salt and light, and Hawaii is definitely one of those places.”

Monica, who first served in Hawaii as a semester missionary after college, says her experience in Hawaii has taught her that people here are spiritually searching, and to get them to talk about spiritual things is fairly easy.

“But then when you start talking about Jesus and Jesus being the only way, that’s when it gets a little bit more complicated. While it’s easy to get into spiritual conversations, I was heartbroken by how that never meant Jesus.”

Woodall says his and Monica’s roles are to “support pastors in doing what they do.

“There are 115 churches in our convention, worshiping in 15 different languages,” he said. “Our convention is not made up of just Hawaii, but includes American Samoa, 1,000 miles away, and Guam, Okinawa and Saipan, more than 3,800 miles from Hawaii. Of course, we have churches on all of the Hawaiian Islands (Oahu, Hawaii or the Big Island, Maui, Kauai, Molokai and Lanai).”

As if the spiritual challenges were not enough, Woodall and Wittekind agree that Hawaii is very much a closed society among the state’s indigenous residents.

“This community is a tight, local Hawaiian community,” Woodall said. “We just don’t ease our way in after a few short years, or even 10, 15 or 20 years. This is a hard culture to get into. It’s tough. I’m a minority and so is everybody else who comes from the mainland.”

Another challenge is that Hawaii is a very expensive place to live. Usually, a husband and wife both must work because it may take one of their entire paychecks to pay the mortgage on their home. Honolulu, for instance, is one of the most expensive places for housing in the United States. A four-bedroom house worth $303,000 in Atlanta would cost $738,000 in Honolulu.

“In Hawaii, there are people working multiple jobs,” according to Woodall. “You have people working the night shifts, so it’s important to have churches that hold services when the night shift is over. That may be at 4:00 or 5:00 in the morning. Or you have worship services in the middle of the night when people have time to attend.”

Despite these cultural and economic challenges, Southern Baptists have also used the state’s natural disasters and disaster relief as a major way to demonstrate the love of Christ to the local population.

Woodall describes Hawaii as “just a little speck of dirt in the middle of a big ocean.” It’s a geological and meteorological time-bomb. One or more of the state’s six inhabited islands is constantly ripe for hurricanes, flooding, earthquakes, tsunamis or volcanoes.

“The next earthquake here is not ‘if’ but ‘when’,” says Karl Ragan, senior pastor of First Baptist Church, Waimea, and another close friend of the Woodalls. Waimea is on the Big Island.

On Sunday, Dec. 15, 2006, an earthquake – measuring 6.8 on the Richter scale – hit Hawi and Kapaau, small towns on the north Kohala coast of the Big Island around 7:10 a.m. For 45 seconds that must have seemed like an hour, the earthquake rattled local homes. All of the 3,000 homes in the area suffered damage. Most of the homes were jilted off their post- and pier-foundations.

“Since last January, we have been working along side our partners in California to assist families whose homes were either heavily damaged or destroyed by the earthquake,” said Woodall. “This has provided many opportunities to minister to families who have never set foot into a church.”

“Most of the houses shifted about two inches off their foundations,” said Ragan. “We didn’t try to put a house back in its original position, but put in new piers and cement posts. We wanted to do that quickly before the next quake,” he explained, adding that Hawaii records hundreds of little quakes each month.

Ragan said the work was done by Baptist Builders who rushed in from California and Utah. Southern Baptists also have the only feeding unit on the island for assisting volunteers and victims of disasters.

“People were just amazed that Baptists would come over from the mainland, at their own expense, and help,” he said. Ragan said folks were also amazed that Southern Baptists would help anyone, not just other Baptists. It’s opened the doors wide open to share the Gospel.

“Chris has been really wonderful,” said Ragan. “He’s on Oahu, which is 200 miles away so we have to rely on airplanes. He’s been really great in facilitating and connecting with the North American Mission Board. He’s assured us that bills will be paid and has helped us get volunteers from the other islands.”

With such a significant list of challenges and needs, Woodall said the congregations in Hawaii must have the support and financial assistance that the Annie Armstrong Easter Offering brings.

“The Annie Armstrong offering provides a means by which we can help the churches do what God has called them to do – share the Gospel, equip leaders and start new churches all over the Pacific.”

BE COURAGEOUS


At the zoo, a man watched as an attendant entered a wildcat cage through a door on the opposite side. He had nothing in his hands but a broom. Carefully closing the door, he proceeded to sweep the floor of the cage. The onlooker observed that the worker had no weapon to ward off an attack by the beast. In fact, when he got to the corner of the cage where the wildcat was lying, he poked the animal with the broom. The wildcat hissed at him and then lay down in another corner of the enclosure.

He remarked to the attendant, “You certainly are a brave man.”

“No I ain’t brave,” he replied as he continued to sweep.

“Well, then, that cat must be tame.”

“No,” came the reply, “he ain’t tame.”

“If you aren’t brave and the wildcat isn’t tame, then I can’t understand why he doesn’t attack you.”

The man chuckled, then replied with an air of confidence, “Mister, he’s old — and he ain’t got no teeth.”

Some situations don’t require much courage. Others, however, require a great deal of courage. Take, for example, the choice Daniel was given — stop praying to God or face the hungry lions (which weren’t toothless!). Or Moses — live a life of luxury in the king’s palace, or align himself with God’s people. Or Esther — keep quiet and not cause a commotion, or stand up against evildoers at the risk of losing her life.

How we need such courage in our own lives! Courage to stand for the truth regardless of the consequences. Courage to live a life where Christ comes first regardless of what others might think. Courage to confess the name of God to a world which regards us as fools.

“Be of good courage,

and He shall strengthen your heart,

all you who hope in the LORD.”

~Psa. 31:24~


Have a great day!

Alan Smith
Helen Street Church of Christ
Fayetteville, North Carolina