4/12/2007

Here and There

Here and There

by Wes Price

We were blessed with a good number of visitors on Sunday for which we are thankful. However, we were short many of our own members who are out of town for various reasons and we look forward to having them back soon.

Thank you for your generous comments about the Sunday morning lesson where we combined our thoughts about the resurrection along with those of the Lord’s Supper. It seems to me that the religious world makes with too much pomp and ceremony on the day they call “Easter” (a word which by the way does not appear in the original text of the Bible) and so we simply wanted to illustrate the quiet and less spectacular way in which we observe the Lord’s Supper.

It is distressing to learn that along with other changes that many of our larger congregations are making, including resorting to the use of instrumental music, they are also beginning to observe the Lord’s Supper on other days of the week except the Lord’s Day. And why shouldn’t they? If it’s all right to change on other key doctrinal matters, why worry, just do it any old way you want. BUT, there will be an accounting for the capricious way we treat worship and God has said that he will not accept all worship simply because we want to call it that. Jesus commented about that when He said, “In vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrine, the commandments of man.”I’m thankful we don’t “celebrate Easter” and Christmas in this church. They are never mentioned as special days of celebration in the Scripture and if we are to be true to the book, we must look upon them as a man-made effort to satisfy himself with being in sync with the denominational world. Good luck on the judgment day!

- – - – - – - – -A special word of thanks to our dear sister Dorothy Foster. In her last will and testament, she designated a large donation to the Jefferson Boulevard church. We thank Jacqueline Bost, her daughter for sending us the check last week. We will put it to good use and it will be designated for missions, since this was Dorothy’s special interest. If you want to correspond with Jacqueline Bose, her mailing address is:Jacqueline Foster Bost, Ar. Nacoes Unidas, 8341/74-C, 05423-000 Sao Paulo – SP – Brazil. I know that she and Bryan will enjoy hearing from you.

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As many of you know, Louise Gerner has been away from us for the past several weeks taking care of her sister during a serious time of illness. Her sister, Laura Gerner Wood, is a cancer patient but this past week also underwent a gall bladder removal operation. Her address is Louise Gerner, C/O Gerald Gerner,Route 3, Post, TX 79356.

- – - – - – - – -Grady Theobalt is staying with his son, Ricky, who lives in Mansfield. You can drop him a card at6801 Wooded Court, Mansfield, TX 76063. We hope he will soon be able to be back in his own home and back with us at church.

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We now have a new supply of calling cards for your use when you visit others in the hospital or make courtesy calls. They are on the front seat in the auditorium. Let’s put them to good use, especially in our efforts to share the House to House newspaper.- – - – - – - – -

On Sunday morning, April 15, Mack Lyon’s lesson will be “Seven Things God Hates.” He writes:“The Bible says, “God is Love.” Therefore some of us may be worshiping a mental image of a god who does not “hate”. However, God specifically says there are seven things He does hate. What are they? Shouldn’t His children hate them, too? Join him at 7:00 a.m. on Channel 27, KDFI-TV.- – - – - – - – -

The Faith of Abraham

“THE FAITH OF ABRAHAM”A very large number of people claim to be saved by “faith only.” They sincerely believe that salvation is in Christ separate and apart from any act of obedience on the part of the believer. They pride themselves on being saved by faith “like Abraham.”Romans 4:3 does indeed say “Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness.” It does not say that Abraham was accounted righteous apart from the will of God.

Romans 4:16 speaks of “the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all.” How- ever, there is a key verse that sheds light on how we are justified by faith as Abraham was. Romans 4:12, speaks of those “who also walk in the steps of that faith of our father Abraham.” If you wish to claim to have “Abrahamic faith”, be sure you are willing to walk in the steps of that faith.

Abraham’s faith was strong enough that when called upon to offer his son Isaac on an altar. He arose early in the morning and made his way to the mount where God told him to go to make the sacrifice of his son.

Can you possibly imagine someone’s claiming to have the kind of faith Abraham had and yet refuses to do what God commands. Would you dare say, “If God told me to offer my only son on an altar and take his life, I would do it. But, if God tells me to be baptized for the remission of my sins I am not about to do that”?

James writes that Abraham was justified by works when he offered his son upon the altar. True faith puts one’s absolute trust in God. We do not trust our own devices but humbly accept whatever God says do.

Lewis G. Hale

Those on our prayer list who are ill.

Grady Theobalt – Home from the hospital, improving each day, staying with his son, Ricky, in Mansfield.

Debbie Morris – Gall bladder surgery, Renaissance Hospital, Room 231

Betty Thornton – Remains at Methodist Dallas, Room 5020

Ruben Sanchez – Presbyterian Hospital, Room 433, Jackson Building

Kella Jones, granddaughter of Helen Jones, is expected to go home today.

Christine Potter – Methodist Charlton, ICU, She is the cousin of Maurine Fleming.

Viewpoints by Jack Armstrong

“Viewpoint”

by Jack Armstrong

 

Being human we are all guilty of taking things for granted, even our dear church family, but when they are gone for a while we realize how important they are, and how blank the pews are where they are sit each Lord’s day when they are not with us. My case in point, some of our folks have been out for a while, and we sorely miss them! Grady Theobalt, Rita Harrison (was back on 04/01/07), Louise Gerner (our prayers are with her and her sister, Laura Wood), Vertie Lee Stanley, Angie Sabedra, the Sanchez family , and all of you who have been out for a while. Ed Horn and Weldon Siler are two more who we would love to see back. It was good to see Alma Faye back after her illness. Now, I know some are going to say what about so and so they are out, too, but just remember my age, and know I’ll get’em all before I’m through, okay?

Well, this has been one cold Easter (as the world proclaims) but us old timers remember them from the old days, right Bro. Paul?

I learned in advance Bro. Wes was going to bring us a sermon on the Lord’s Supper and was going to really get into the “Resurrection,” and I’m quite sure it was a good one!

When Oleta and I visited our kids over at the Cedar Hill congregation a couple of weeks ago we noticed how different the Communion Service was from ours. They had a man lead the prayer for the Bread, one for the Vine, and one for the Contribution, and sang a hymn while giving. I know this is all scriptural but just different from our way of doing it. We would have a problem having enough men to carry out all those positions, because, even now, some do double and triple duty, right Richard and Ben Perkins, and David Calvert. Sometimes some folks fuss a little when asked to do a couple of things at one service, and when they do I remind them of what our Senior (oldest) Elder told me when I asked him to lead an extra prayer, when he was already teaching his class, and leading the opening prayer that night, he said, “lay it on me, I don’t do enough anyway,” but he does, and we all love him for all he does. The beauty of it is there are lots more like him here at JBCoC!

We are so sorry about the change in our Bulletin delivery, but as Bro. Wes said, “it was a necessary step to save on how we spend the Lord’s funds,” and many other congregations are doing the same thing.

I feel sure we will find a way for our shut-ins and members who have moved away to get the paper. Drop me a line and we’ll try to help. Address: 215 Van Rowe Ave. Duncanville, TX 75116.

That’s it for now and I sure did enjoy the visit. See you next time, the Good Lord Willing!

Semper Fidelis

(Always Faithful)

Remember our goal….

“When Duty Becomes Desire”.

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PSALM 33:22

Let thy mercy, O Lord, be upon us, according as we hope in thee.

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