Everything is going well in Enola, Arkansas. We have settled into autumn and winter is on the horizon. The leaves are really falling fast now in those gentle fall breezes. Can you believe that Thanksgiving is less than four weeks away with Christmas and 2012 just around the corner? Our hunters are busy nearly every morning in the woods on a deer stand waiting for that trophy buck. Brothers and sisters: Hunt whenever you can, but be at church when the church meets for worship, Bible study, and fellowship. When we are where we are supposed to be good things happen. When we are somewhere else, well, how can God bless us when we are going against His will? Just a gentle reminder of what a great honor it is for Christians to assemble together before God for worship. Let’s not miss a single meeting.
Last Sunday our elders presented four men to the congregation for our consideration as prospective deacons: Wayne Beene, David Berry, Brandon Breeding, and Greg Floyd. These men are fine Christian men and fully dedicated to Christ and His church at Enola. Next Sunday, November 4th these men will be appointed as deacons to serve beside our current deacons, Brothers Patrick Breeding and Sonny Wolfe.
Brother Brandon has been working on our new church website. As soon as we get everything organized we will launch it over the World Wide Web. You’ll be surprised just how much we will use our site every day for updates, news, and information. We plan on recording the lessons every Sunday and uploading them to our website for anyone to hear and consider. People traveling in the area will be able to look at our site, locate where we are, and plan their trip to be with us for worship. People moving into Faulkner country will be able to check out our website and the church as they make their choices where to work and worship. I will be uploading articles related to life and living to the website for the church and those who visit our site to read and consider. Our website is just another way the church of Christ at Enola can reach out to our community for the cause of Jesus Christ.
Cindi and I will host another Birthday and Anniversary Party at our house on Sunday evening, October 30th immediately following our assembly. We will provide the drinks, cupcakes, and utensils. If you or a member of your immediate family has a birthday or anniversary in October, come and be a part. If you would like, bring your favorite finger-food to share. We look forward to having you with us. Nothing complicated. Just a good time to get to know each other a little bit better.
This Sunday morning we will continue in our series “Counting Our Blessings – One by One.” We will look at how we count our blessings when we decide to live our lives optimistically. Paul decided. Then he learned. Finally he knew. These are the facts of life. If you would like to read ahead, read Philippians 4:8-13 to see just how it is. He wrote; “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” I can in Christ. So can you.
On Sunday evening we will learn another lesson from a fisherman, Andrew, the disciple who was quietly effective. I am learning so much from these four fishermen, Peter, Andrew, James, and John. I hope you are learning too.
Thursday, October 27, 2011
Thursday, October 20, 2011
In our world today just about every person you meet has some sort of religious affiliation. On any given day you might hear any one of dozens of names given to various religious groups. What name should we, the followers of Christ wear? Check the Bible. What do you find?
“Then Barnabas departed to Tarsus to seek Saul. And when he had found him, he brought him back to Antioch. So it was that for a whole year they assembled with the church and taught a great many people. And the disciples were first called Christians in Antioch” (Acts 11:25-26).
“King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know that you do believe. Then Agrippa said to Paul, ‘Almost you persuade me to become a Christian.’ And Paul said, ‘I would to God that not only you, but also all who hear me today, ight become both almost and altogether such as I am, except for these chains” (Acts 26:27-29).
“If you are reproached for the name of Christ, blessed are you, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. On their part He is blasphemed, but on your part He is glorified. But let none of you suffer as a murderer, a thief, an evil-doer, or as a busybody in other people’s matters. Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in this matter” (1 Peter 4:16).
Three times in the New Testament we find that the followers of Jesus Christ, His disciples were called “Christians.” You would think that we could understand such simple terminology. Yet even in the Lord’s church I often hear some of my brethren refer to themselves as “church of Christ” as if we are just another group of people who have denominated themselves along with the rest of the “religious” world.
I do understand that the word “Christian” has been manipulated by the world to mean many things. Much of the time the word is used to mean a “good” person in terms of behavior. Sometimes the word “Christian” is even used as a negative label; “Oh, you are one of those “Christians.” Don’t be troubled. If you believe in Jesus as the Christ, the Son of God, if you have turned away from sin in repentance, if you have confessed the name of Jesus before others, if you have been baptized (immersed) with the understanding that in baptism your sins are washed away, then you are truly and wholly a Christian. Nothing more! Nothing less! We must add nothing to it nor take anything away from it. Nothing needs to be explained. “Christian” says everything that needs to be said. I am a Christian, a member of the church that belongs to Christ, His church, the church of Christ.
This Sunday morning (October 23, 2011) at Enola we will continue in our series entitled “Counting Our Blessing One by One.” We count our blessing one by one when we LIVE ONE DAY AT A TIME. Too many people try to live three days every day, yesterday, today, and tomorrow. Yesterday is past. Tomorrow is yet to be. Today is called the present. What precious gift from God today actually is! We must not neglect it, refuse it, or waste it.
This Sunday night we will take a look at the next lesson from one of four fishermen. We will study about Andrew and how he was quietly effective in his ministry for Jesus Christ. He was looking for the Messiah. Are we? He was evangelistic in his every-day life. Are we? He was always helpful in a quietly effective way. Are we? He was faithfully dedicated. Are we?
“Then Barnabas departed to Tarsus to seek Saul. And when he had found him, he brought him back to Antioch. So it was that for a whole year they assembled with the church and taught a great many people. And the disciples were first called Christians in Antioch” (Acts 11:25-26).
“King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know that you do believe. Then Agrippa said to Paul, ‘Almost you persuade me to become a Christian.’ And Paul said, ‘I would to God that not only you, but also all who hear me today, ight become both almost and altogether such as I am, except for these chains” (Acts 26:27-29).
“If you are reproached for the name of Christ, blessed are you, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. On their part He is blasphemed, but on your part He is glorified. But let none of you suffer as a murderer, a thief, an evil-doer, or as a busybody in other people’s matters. Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in this matter” (1 Peter 4:16).
Three times in the New Testament we find that the followers of Jesus Christ, His disciples were called “Christians.” You would think that we could understand such simple terminology. Yet even in the Lord’s church I often hear some of my brethren refer to themselves as “church of Christ” as if we are just another group of people who have denominated themselves along with the rest of the “religious” world.
I do understand that the word “Christian” has been manipulated by the world to mean many things. Much of the time the word is used to mean a “good” person in terms of behavior. Sometimes the word “Christian” is even used as a negative label; “Oh, you are one of those “Christians.” Don’t be troubled. If you believe in Jesus as the Christ, the Son of God, if you have turned away from sin in repentance, if you have confessed the name of Jesus before others, if you have been baptized (immersed) with the understanding that in baptism your sins are washed away, then you are truly and wholly a Christian. Nothing more! Nothing less! We must add nothing to it nor take anything away from it. Nothing needs to be explained. “Christian” says everything that needs to be said. I am a Christian, a member of the church that belongs to Christ, His church, the church of Christ.
This Sunday morning (October 23, 2011) at Enola we will continue in our series entitled “Counting Our Blessing One by One.” We count our blessing one by one when we LIVE ONE DAY AT A TIME. Too many people try to live three days every day, yesterday, today, and tomorrow. Yesterday is past. Tomorrow is yet to be. Today is called the present. What precious gift from God today actually is! We must not neglect it, refuse it, or waste it.
This Sunday night we will take a look at the next lesson from one of four fishermen. We will study about Andrew and how he was quietly effective in his ministry for Jesus Christ. He was looking for the Messiah. Are we? He was evangelistic in his every-day life. Are we? He was always helpful in a quietly effective way. Are we? He was faithfully dedicated. Are we?
Thursday, October 13, 2011
We’ve had a good week of Christian living here in Enola, Arkansas. The fall weather is simply gorgeous with cool mornings warming up nicely through the evening. I hope you are taking full advantage of such wonderful blessings. Get up a little earlier to go for a morning walk. Walk outside just after sunset and look up at the stars. Sit on the deck for a few minutes early or late and enjoy a bit of nature: squirrels preparing for the winter, falling leaves, geese settling on or lifting off the lake if you are near the water or flying overhead toward a warmer climate. These simple experiences make life worth living. Some people never look up to see the evidences of God. They rarely look out past their own feelings and needs to see the beauties around them. They seldom look around them at the opportunities for joy and service to others. They have even more difficulty looking within themselves to see that they have become far removed from the balance of life.
As Christians, we can, we must live a different, better, balanced life. Every morning let us think of God, His majesty, His richness, His purposes, His blessings toward us. Let us speak to Him in prayer and remember the assurances we have in Jesus Christ. Let us read God’s word, the Bible to be reminded of our past, our blessings, our present duty to Him and to our fellow man, and our future in Christ. Let us do more than read the Bible. We must rightly divide it (2 Timothy 2:15), realizing that God communicated to people before the coming of Jesus Christ in different ways (Hebrews 1:1-2). Today we do not read to obey the Old Testament, the Psalms, nor the Prophets of old. The Old Testament was God’s word to those who lived before the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. We read to obey His Son, Jesus Christ in the twenty-seven books called the New Testament with words written down by nine inspired men chosen by God (Matthew, Mark, Luke (2), John (5), Paul (13), Peter (2), James, Jude, and the writer to the Hebrews). These twenty-seven books are the final revelation from God to mankind in these last days in which we live (Jude 3, Galatians 1:6-10, Luke 16:16). Now make no mistake about it. The Old Testament is valuable to us today. Paul wrote in Romans 15:4, “For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope.” The Old Testament was written for our learning, not for our keeping. The New Testament is ours today to read, respect, reflect on, remember, and respond to immediately.
This Sunday (10.16.11) at Enola we will begin a new series of lessons entitled “Counting Our Blessing One by One.” God blesses all of His creation every day with life and everything that is needed to live. There are blessings that only come from God to those who are in a right relationship with Him. We’ll see what the Bible says about God’s blessings.
On Sunday evening we will consider “Four Lessons from Four Fishermen.” Simon Peter teaches us about doing what we can with what we have. I hope the entire congregation at Enola will be here on Sunday evening for this special series of lessons. We all will be encouraged and challenged to come closer to God and to one another.
Cindi and I made a trip to Columbia, South Carolina last weekend. I preached in a gospel meeting at the Windsor Lake congregation on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Thank you for your prayers for us while we were away. Thank you to Brother Brandon and Brother Eddie for preaching and teaching for me in my absence.
As Christians, we can, we must live a different, better, balanced life. Every morning let us think of God, His majesty, His richness, His purposes, His blessings toward us. Let us speak to Him in prayer and remember the assurances we have in Jesus Christ. Let us read God’s word, the Bible to be reminded of our past, our blessings, our present duty to Him and to our fellow man, and our future in Christ. Let us do more than read the Bible. We must rightly divide it (2 Timothy 2:15), realizing that God communicated to people before the coming of Jesus Christ in different ways (Hebrews 1:1-2). Today we do not read to obey the Old Testament, the Psalms, nor the Prophets of old. The Old Testament was God’s word to those who lived before the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. We read to obey His Son, Jesus Christ in the twenty-seven books called the New Testament with words written down by nine inspired men chosen by God (Matthew, Mark, Luke (2), John (5), Paul (13), Peter (2), James, Jude, and the writer to the Hebrews). These twenty-seven books are the final revelation from God to mankind in these last days in which we live (Jude 3, Galatians 1:6-10, Luke 16:16). Now make no mistake about it. The Old Testament is valuable to us today. Paul wrote in Romans 15:4, “For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope.” The Old Testament was written for our learning, not for our keeping. The New Testament is ours today to read, respect, reflect on, remember, and respond to immediately.
This Sunday (10.16.11) at Enola we will begin a new series of lessons entitled “Counting Our Blessing One by One.” God blesses all of His creation every day with life and everything that is needed to live. There are blessings that only come from God to those who are in a right relationship with Him. We’ll see what the Bible says about God’s blessings.
On Sunday evening we will consider “Four Lessons from Four Fishermen.” Simon Peter teaches us about doing what we can with what we have. I hope the entire congregation at Enola will be here on Sunday evening for this special series of lessons. We all will be encouraged and challenged to come closer to God and to one another.
Cindi and I made a trip to Columbia, South Carolina last weekend. I preached in a gospel meeting at the Windsor Lake congregation on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Thank you for your prayers for us while we were away. Thank you to Brother Brandon and Brother Eddie for preaching and teaching for me in my absence.
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