The Reporter   
 Volume 54 # 6  --  February 23, 2014

Archives - Past Issues

Mourning For Seven Days

    God has blessed us with so many good and perfect gifts. “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.” (James 1:17) God has brought wonderful people and wonderful things into our life. Yet, in spite of all the amazing parts of life there is still sadness, heartbreak and sometimes hardships to be dealt with. Thank God for all the ways He has blessed you and after that you should then learn to mourn with those who are going through their struggles. “Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.” (Psalm 100:4) When sadness and despair comes into our life, we should cling even more closely to our Creator. The psalmist wrote, “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.” (Psalm 23:4) Even in the depth of our mourning, we should never be hopeless, because we serve a mighty God. “Thou shewest loving kindness unto thousands, and recompensest the iniquity of the fathers into the bosom of their children after them: the Great, the Mighty God, the LORD of hosts, is his name.” (Jeremiah 32:18) God never foresakes His children and we should never forsake those who mourn.

  Joseph mourned for his father, Jacob, for seven days. Genesis 50:7-10 describes a grievous mourning over Jacob. “And Joseph went up to bury his father: and with him went up all the servants of Pharaoh, the elders of his house, and all the elders of the land of Egypt, And all the house of Joseph, and his brethren, and his father's house: only their little ones, and their flocks, and their herds, they left in the land of Goshen. And there went up with him both chariots and horsemen: and it was a very great company. And they came to the threshing floor of Atad, which is beyond Jordan, and there they mourned with a great and very sore lamentation: and he made a mourning for his father seven days.” (Genesis 50:7-10) Like it happened with Joseph, we must surround people with our loving concern. As we shed tears with those that are morning, let us remind them that these tears will not last forever. “For his anger endureth but a moment; in his favour is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.” (Psalms 30:5) It is human to cry, but it is God who heals the broken heart.

    The people mourned and fasted for seven days at the death of Jonathan and Saul.

    Christians must help others have hope for a brighter day::

    “The world cares very little for broken hearts, but the God of the Bible is the God of the broken-hearted.” Will you be baptized into Christ to put on Christ so that your sins can be forgiven by His blood? "For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ." (Galatians 3:26-27) Believers contact Christ's saving blood by being baptized into His death. John said, "And this is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life." (1 John 5:11-12) The key to our salvation is to come to Jesus because He has already come to us.  He left heaven and came to earth and lived a perfect life and He became the perfect sacrifice for our sin. We must now do our part through loving obedience to God. “My flesh and my heart faileth: but God is the strength of my heart, and my portion for ever.” (Psalms 73:26)

                    - - - - Charles Box

News & Notes

11. Prayer List: In Need of Prayer: Teresa Boutwell, Douglas Butts, Terry Claunch, Johnny Cole, Camren Coleman, Lisa Cook, Tim Croley, John Curry, Nell Daughtry, Nelson Daughtry, Haley Fortune, Richard Harrell, Michael Hartin, Devin Hawkins, Darlene Herring, Betty Hobbie, Orene Johnson, Stephanie Maddox, Charlotte Moody, Katherine Myers, Ramona Newton, Bill & June Perry, William Pierce, Jesse Mae Powell, Linda Reynolds, Peggy Scribner, Nathan Simmons, Evelyn Smith, Raylee Stinson, Andy Taylor, Mary Lou Terrell, Alice Thompson, Leroy Waller, Cleo Wilson, and Barbara Woods. Crowne Health Care: Dorothy Buck, Jewel Cauthen, Gladys Childs, Arlene Coletrane, Ruth Davis, Betty Findley, Betty Garlock, Davis Hester, Ruth Hester, Jim Holmes, Kathy Johnson, Sarah Knight, Alice Padgett, and Annie Ruth Tetter. Pine Needle: Lydia Ann Raybon and Elizabeth Perdue

2. Our Lord’s Invitation::

3. Sympathy Expressed:

4.. Help Marty and Alisha Celebrate: We want to help Marty and Alisha Sexton celebrate the adoption of their precious daughter, Quinn. On Sunday night, February 23rd

5. Anniversary: Celebrating an anniversary this week: February 25h

6. Birthdays: Celebrating a birthday this week: February 23rd February 266th Allan Jackson, February 27th Ken Smith, and February 28th

7. Reorder of “Muscle & a Shovel” by Michael Shank:

8. Thank You: (a) Thanks to our church Family, Thank you for praying for me, your visits, calls, cards, balloons and basket of goodies and fruit basket were so special. Our thanks to the youth for the plates of food; it was delicious. God is so good to us, and we are thankful to be in such a loving congregation. I am much better, but I still need your prayers. Love, Tete Stabler and (b) To Walnut Street Church of Christ, We are very excited for your willingness to support our family and the work in Peru through monthly support. We are looking forward to working in Peru and are diligently working to prepare. Your support will help ensure that we will be able to continue with our efforts. If anyone is interested in being added to our monthly newsletter mailing list, please email Derrek at derrekwilson@gmail.com. Thank you very much for your generous contribution to this work and we look forward to keeping you updated on our progress. In Christian Love and Service, Derrek & Danyel Wilson

8. Religious Debate: The University of North Alabama Christian Student Center is hosting a religious debate on April 4th beginning at 6 PM. Bart Ehrman will affirm the proposition, “The pain and suffering in the world indicates that the Christian God does not exist.” Kyle Butt will deny that proposition. For more details

9.. Immediate Needs For Our Mission Work In Annai: We need, (1) Cement to finish Building -- $810. (2) Moving fill-dirt to building in Annai -- $500. (3)

Safe In His Arms

      The Bible says, “Cast all

      We often fret over the cares of this world.  How will my wallet make it through this month? What if my health is failing? But these trials will come, that is to be expected.  However, by “looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith,” we should be able to keep from becoming weary and discouraged in our souls. (Hebrews 12:2-3)  Paul said our “light affliction,” which lasts for but a moment helps to build for us an exceeding and eternal weight of glory. (II Corinthians 4:17) Therefore, let us turn those worries into joy for the hope that is set before us.

      Each day the devil connives, schemes, and tries to trick each of us into the dreary depths of sin. The picture he paints is one of beauty and endless pleasure, but the reality that lies beneath is an ugly and gruesome sight. At times the temptation seems unbearable, but be sure that our God is faithful and will not allow us to be tempted above what we are able to stand, and He will always leave for us a way of escape. (I Corinthians 10:13) In all our spiritual trials, there is one who is constant and unchanging and will always be there to protect us from the death, which Satan brings. That is our almighty God and Father.

      I hope that we will all strive to live in such a way that when the eve of our earthly lives is come, we will be able to say, “I did my best to obey God, and then I let Him do the rest.”  He most certainly will keep His promises.  Have faith and take comfort in His arms.

----Darrell Powell

The greatest griefs are those we cause ourselves.

 

Service Time:

Sunday

Morning:                                              Evening:

    Bible Study 9:30                                 Worship 6:00

    Worship 10:30                               

Wednesday:

Bible Study 7:00 pm

 

Here To Serve:

Elders:                                              Deacons:

    Mike Bagents                                      Bruce Cauthen

    Wayne Garlock                                  Wheeler Chance

    Bobby Terrell                                     Jason Holladay

Minister:                                                   Dennis Lowery

    Charles Box                                         Jim Till

Youth Minister:                                     

    Darrell Powell