Nile Street Notes

Anna Church of Christ

104 Nile Street, Anna, Illinois 62906

833-5815

Vol 23. Issue 6 Feb. 8, 2009

After The Lectureship

I had the privilege of attending the Bible Lectures at Freed-Hardeman University last week. During the three days I spent there, I heard lessons from great Gospel preachers on a variety of subjects concerning “Prayer and Praise in the Psalms.” I don’t attend many lectureships (not as many as I’d like), but I thoroughly enjoy this one. I wish that every one of us at Anna could attend for at least a couple of days.

In addition to being reenergized and edified, I had a chance to bring back some new additions for the church library. Included in that are the following books:

* “Now That I’m A Christian.” – Good for new converts.

* “The Everlasting Gospel: New Testament with Psalms,

Proverbs, and More” – Hugo McCord

* “Protecting Our Blindside – A Discussion of Contemporary

Concerns in churches of Christ” – Dr. Earl D. Edwards

* “Building A Positive Life” – J.J. Turner

* “Inspiration and Authority of the Scriptures”

– Jimmy Jividen

* “The Barnabas Factor – Realize Your Encouragement

Potential” – Aubrey Johnson

* Plus, some audio sermon CD’s.

* I have a personal copy of the Lectureship Book containing

all the lessons presented if any would like to borrow it.

Our library is small, but contains a number of quality, helpful books and other materials on a wide range of important subjects by sound, sincere authors. The newer volumes, including the ones purchased last week, are in my office and available for us to check out. Feel free to do so, just take care not to forget having borrowed the book.

May we all use every means we have to grow in knowledge of the Word.

- R.W.

SERMON TOPICS

A.M. – “The Road Back”

(Jas. 5:19-20)

P.M. – “Did I Really Miss All That?”

(Acts 2:1-4)

Those For Whom We Are Praying:

Kathleen Ritchey

Loren Eddleman

Rosemary Dillow’s mother & Son–in-law

Jerry & Betty Ward

Rodney & Nikki Lingle

Bill Whitnel

Ken and Gilda Snell – Ken is having trouble with his knees.

Lowell Karraker

Mitchell Shock – Grandson of Rosemary’s cousin.

Bonnie Mangum

Austin Detering – Baby battling a number of birth defects.

Carlos Wright

Holly Miller (Wetaug congregation) - Her mother is in Lourdes Hospital. Not doing well.

Don Miller – Being treated for Bell’s palsy.

Veda Pryor – In a nursing home in Dexter, MO. Her address and phone number is on the bulletin board.

Virginia McIntyre – Recovering from back surgery Friday.

Shane Jones’ Great-grandmother

Wisdom From Proverbs: “The lips of the righteous feed many: but fools die for want of wisdom” (Prov. 10:21).

Quotable Quote: “Good instincts usually tell you what to do long before your head has figured it out.” – Michael Burke

UPCOMING ACTIVITIES/ANNOUNCEMENTS

* Phone Calls and Letters are needed for those in hospitals and who are shut-in.

* Also, let us remember to contact those that we have not see in a few weeks.

* Communion sign-up list is on the bulletin board. Please sign up for a month in 2009 to prepare it if

you’re able.

* We have invitation letters to our services to mail out. If you’d like to be a part of this, see R.W.

* Feel free to drop any Bible questions in the Question & Answer box in the foyer.

* Food Pantry needs canned fruit.

* Gospel Meeting in Jackson Apr. 3-5 w/Phil Sanders.

* 4^th Sunday singing will be at Vienna this month and here in March.

Hearing assistance for any service is available upon request.

BIBLE QUESTION/ANSWER:

Last week’s answer: Jehoiachin. II Kings 24:8

New question: Which king had 15 years added to his life?

Sentence Sermon: “When you flee temptation do not leave a forwarding address.”

Birthdays & Anniversaries

Aimee Dasher - 2/11

Ben Whittington - 2/11

Wanda Johnson - 2/14 (born 1918)

A Very Disturbing Email

The following is an excerpt from an email I received from Jared Jackson at “Christian Courier.” I’ve adapted it to fit the space available.

What I am about to share with you made me so mad, I had to stop what I was doing. Before I get to it though, I have to give a warning. This e-mail will disturb and upset many ... some for different reasons. It may offend your politics, your sensibilities. What's got me so riled up?

A newspaper article about a murder…that will most likely not make the news headlines, not raise so much as an eyebrow on the national news. It won't, but it should.

Why should this murder be more important than hundreds of others that go unnoticed every day? Because the case of Shanice Williams is a barometer of where this nation IS ... not where it is going ... but where it is.

Shanice's mother, an 18-year-old, wanted an abortion. Her doctor gave her medication she would take for a couple of days prior to the abortion ... medicine that would cause her to deliver the baby early. In case you aren't familiar with this procedure, it is preparatory to a partial birth abortion.

The doctor, however, did not show up on time for the actual abortion. So Shanice was born at 23 weeks. Shanice and her mother looked each other in the face. In that instant, her mother bonded with her. In that instant, her 18-year-old mother realized it had been a human being inside her, not just a blob.

Before anything else could happen, the owner of the abortion clinic (not a licensed doctor) came in and cut the umbilical cord. Then took Shanice and put her in a garbage bag which was then thrown out into a dumpster.

Shanice's body was recovered by police, an autopsy performed, confirming she was breathing on her own when she died.

If this doesn't bother you about where we ARE as a nation, I don't know what will.

What's worse is that Shanice's mother has hired an attorney and has filed a lawsuit. Maybe she should. But I have very little sympathy. She was old enough to do the deed, but living with responsibility is now a rare thing.

What really should happen is this. She went for an abortion, she took the medicine, she went to the clinic. As long as she didn't have to see her daughter, she was willing to let her baby be killed because ... Shanice was an unwanted pregnancy, an inconvenience and hardship.

The reality is Shanice's mother should be prosecuted for murder. Along with the doctor, the clinic owner, and anyone else who assisted. But that won't happen. Why?

Because our nation has become so desensitized to killing babies, that we don't really care about it any more. And we're so easily swept with emotions of sympathy for a struggling mother who just had "no other way out." But now, she is having a hard time with it having looked her baby in the face.

But the truth is, we don't really care about Shanice or her mother. We care more about bigger issues than throwing babies out in the garbage: like the economy, hard times, unemployment, stock prices.

Where do you stand? Is the economy more important than protecting little babies like Shanice? Is money a bigger "moral" issue than innocent, helpless babies? Is protecting little babies like Shanice more important than money? You say, "Yes"? Well, I have one other question for you. Did you help elect President Obama? Yes or no? If so,why?

Certainly not because of his willingness to protect Shanice. No, he has a 100% track record against protecting babies like Shanice.

In fact, he ACTIVELY opposed the "Born-Alive Infants Protection Act" (BAIPA). I don't mean he just voted against it. He campaigned against it.

But for some reason, a whole lot of people didn't care about the Shanice's in this world, and voted for him anyway. Was it for money? Because of economics?

My question to you is this. If you voted for President Obama, was your reason only skin deep? Was it just because the way he looks. Just because he has a nice wife and two pretty girls and had the right skin color to make history.

Quite frankly, I'm sick and tired of hearing people who claim to be Christians praise Mr. Obama and glow with pride at having elected the first black President.

And don't point fingers at President Bush or McCain or anyone else. They all made plenty of mistakes, too, which we have criticized when appropriate.

This is about taking a hard look at S-E-L-F and examining where we are, why we do what we do.

It is a shame and humiliation on our country that we can't reason and think any deeper than skin color ... still. No, we really haven't come very far. Racism is alive and well in 2009 ... it just has a different look.

And just like some white people were guilty who turned the other way when black people were lynched and persecuted merely because of their skin color...so are those guilty who turned a blind eye to the innocent children being murdered, the corruption of the family, the CONTINUING degradation of morality ... and SUPPORT those who ACTIVELY campaign for what is EVIL and against what is RIGHT in the name of history.

To read about Shanice, go to www.worldnetdaily.com and type Shanice Williams into the search box. For the President’s abortion record, go to http://www.nrlpac.org/pdf/obamarecord0608.pdf

Jared Jackson

Christian Courier Publications