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Nile
Street Notes
Anna Church of
Christ 104 Nile Street,
Anna, Illinois 62906 833-5815 |
Website: www.annachurchofchrist.com
Vol 24. Issue
33 Aug.
15, 2010
The Good News Still Works!
Last
week I received a call from one of my oldest and dearest friends. We
played football against each other in high school (he has been reminding me for
nearly 35 years that he intercepted one of my passes, and I have been reminding
him that long that my team won the game!), as young preachers we lived close to
one another in our very first preaching jobs, he had family members who
worshipped where I preached for ten years, and we have stayed in close contact
through all of these years. We have been through some very tough times
together and my appreciation for him grows with age.
Okay,
back to the phone call. He called to tell me about a wonderful success story
that occurred recently in his work. He had lunch and a couple of meetings
with a preacher in a religious group in his community. This preacher asked my
friend if he would come speak for his church about how drugs/narcotics affect
lives (my friend has worked the past several years in the DA’s office in his
county). They continued to meet and my friend had the opportunity to talk
to this preacher about the church.
The
preacher called my friend one day and informed him that after their discussion
he had been teaching the people in the church where he preaches. He told him
that he had taken the entire congregation down to the river and they were all
baptized for the remission of their sins!!! He further stated that they were
all baptized just like Matthew
28:18-20 and Acts
2:38 teaches! Isn’t the Word of God amazing?
The
preacher also reported that they had removed their sign from the building and
had replaced it with a sign that reads, “The Church – Practicing New Testament
Christianity!!” He further said that they were continuing to study and they
were determined to teach and practice only what they find in the New Testament.
It may take some time to work through some issues and practices, but with God’s
help they will continue to move in the right direction.
Praise
God!! No wonder Paul declared, “For I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ,
for it is the power of God to salvation, to the Jew first, and also to the
Greek.” (Romans
1:16) The Gospel of Jesus still works.
When we
teach/preach the Gospel it still convicts the hearts of men and causes them to
want to obey God (Acts
2:37-38). Some in the church would have us quit teaching about
the accounts of salvation in Acts and quit teaching the necessity of baptism.
One
preacher said we should quit teaching baptism because it has become a barrier
to church growth. That is an incredible statement. The very act
that, according to the Word of God, saves us, has become a barrier???
Friends,
here is an entire congregation of people who crossed over what some contend is
a barrier and became children of God! Praise God for His powerful Word that convicts the hearts of men,
Praise God for men like my friend who continue to teach this Good News to
others, praise God for open and honest hearts that are willing to obey the
Gospel.
Jeff Jenkins
SERMON TOPICS
A.M. – “Be Ye Separate!”
(II Cor. 6:14-18)
P.M. – Song
Service
Those For Whom We Are Praying:
Kathleen Ritchey
Jerry Ward
Kittie Yates’ sister, Peggy – has Parkinson’s Disease.
Charles Dillow – Cancer in remission.
Virginia
McIntyre – Improving.
Jerry Toler – battling prostate cancer.
Haley Inman –
Ann’s granddaughter. Remember Ann in your prayers as well.
Nellie
Childers - Mellie's sister.
Ron Pind of Anna, friend of Cliff
Thomas, is suffering from cancer.
Carlos Wright – Blood clot in his leg.
Quotable Quote: “You win only if you
aren’t afraid to lose.” – Rocky Aoki
Wisdom From Proverbs: “The light of the righteous rejoiceth:
but the lamp of the wicked shall be put out.” (Prov.
13:9).
Welcome! If you’re visiting with us, we extend you a
special welcome and invite you to come back at every opportunity. If our
worship seems unusual to you, please let us know what you find different. We
endeavor to worship “in Spirit and in truth” (Jn. 4:24) and do only what
scripture authorizes (Col. 3:17, Deut. 4:2; Rev. 22:18-19).
NEWS & UPCOMING ACTIVITIES
* Please remember to mute or turn off cell
phones.
* Thanks to all who
attended yesterday’s prayer breakfast.
* Youth “Laser Tag”
activity next Sunday after morning service.
* Our Ladies' Day will
be Sept. 18.
* Summer Series begins
Wed., Aug. 18 at the Vienna congregation and runs through Sept. 15.
Bro. John will be speaking on Sept. 15. More
info on the
bulletin board.
*
* Change collection cans
for Schults-Lewis Children’s Home are on the shelf in
the back of the auditorium. They’re due at
month’s end.
* Southeast
* Please
continue to drop any Bible questions in the Question box in the foyer.
* If you've not brought in a wedding photo or had your picture taken, please do so. See Sherry W.
* Wayne & Sandy have disconnected their home
telephone service. Their cell phone numbers are: Wayne – 697-5477.
697-7653.
* Hearing assistance available
upon request.
BIBLE QUESTION/ANSWER:
Last week’s
answer: Hagar (Gen.
16:15).
New question: True or false: Christ prefers His
followers to be lukewarm.
Sentence
Sermon: Christianity is more than
a faith system, it’s a way of life.
Birthdays &Anniversaries
Tony Ward – 8/19
Renee McAlister – 8/21
A Biblical Viewpoint about Tattoos
Recently, I was told about the inclinations of some
younger Christians to get tattoos. Some will argue that it is an individual’s
choice and that as long as the image is a “Christian” image (cross, dove,
Christ) or displays a biblical name or title then it is showing reverence to
God. Some may argue that tattooing is no different from ear piercing or any
other body modification. But how should a Christian feel about tattoos? Let us
go to scripture.
Leviticus 19:28 cites, “Ye shall not make any cutting
in your flesh for the dead, nor print any marks upon you: I am the Lord.”
As God instructed Moses with the commands for holy
living, God prohibited this type action. The reason for the prohibition was
that the surrounding peoples were tattooing themselves and this action had
become a significant custom for these idolatrous nations. God has never
commanded, given an example, or allowed a necessary inference to be drawn that
marking one’s body would be an acceptable means to display Godly reverence.
Yes, this command was given to the children of
Jeremiah 16:6 finds God speaking to the prophet, “Both the great and the small shall die in this land; they
shall not be buried, neither shall men lament for them, nor cut themselves, nor
make themselves bald for them:’
In the preceding passage, God instructs Jeremiah on
how deal with loss. Some tattoos are memorials for loved ones that have passed
away (I even saw a woman with a paw print tattooed on her shoulder that read “MUFFY”).
Clearly, marking our skin in this manner is not acceptable with God. Once
again, the reason is because of the heathen nations and their idolatrous
rituals that surrounded death.
My home is vinyl and brick. It has many similar
qualities to the other homes in my neighborhood. But, as a homeowner, I have
the right to mark up the outside as I wish. I can paint lewd pictures all over
the front and write shameful, hateful words from top to bottom. It is my right.
But does that make it right for me to do it? Notice those markings distinguish
me from other homes in the neighborhood; notice how it reflects upon me, the
homeowner (the one who resides in the place). Now let us draw the parallel with
1 Corinthians 6:19. In this passage Paul writes, “What? Know ye not that your
body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and
ye are not your own?”
Paul is urging those at
Although the Bible may not come out and expressly
state the forbidding of tattoos, I feel it makes it clear that we must make
wise choices with our bodies in our service to God. Would the money spent on
the tattoo be better if it was sent to the Lord? In the Old Testament, the main
individuals that received markings or tattoos were slaves and criminals. Would
our devotion to God be better exercised if we wore a “badge” of courage,
humility, and love for God, others, and ourselves? - Ryan Thornsberry