Nile Street Notes Anna Church of Christ 104 Nile Street, Anna, Illinois 62906 833-5815

Website: www.annachurchofchrist.com

Vol 24. Issue 1 Jan. 3, 2010

I cAN tell If you’ve Been With Jesus

Every once in a while, I’ll come across a collection of high-speed photography on Smashing Magazine or some other website. I love this stuff—it gives you a glimpse into things that happen all the time but are completely invisible to the human eye. For example, check out these shots of water balloons being popped:

Thanks to a capture rate of 1200 frames per second, something becomes quite evident: water retains the shape of balloon just after the balloon is gone. Before long, though, the water loses that shape and becomes just plain old water. I can relate.

Being close to Jesus has the same effect on a human being—the proximity causes me to take the shape of Christ. He and I become congruent. This is why Luke says of the Jewish rulers, “When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus” (Acts 4:13). Their shape gave them away.

It’s true with us, too. When we’ve been close to Jesus, we resemble him. But the longer it’s been since I’ve been enveloped by his presence, the more his likeness fades and the more I look like just plain old water.

The lesson? I need to constantly keep company with the Master. My form should, like the water in these photographs, reveal my association. I’ve heard it was often said of an old spiritual great, “It seemed as though God Himself must have been in the room he just left.”

I want that said of me. I want the freshness of my encounters with Christ to be palpable and undeniable.

- Justin Gerhardt, Henderson, TN church of Christ

SERMON TOPICS

A.M. – “Year In and Year Out”

(I Pet. 3:15)

P.M. – “God Wants Me To Be Happy,

Right?” (Rev. 1:3)

Those For Whom We Are Praying:

Kathleen Ritchey

Rodney & Nikki Lingle

Bill Whitnel

Mitchell Shock – Grandson of Rosemary’s cousin.

Bonnie Mangum

Virginia McIntyre

Rose Wright – In Herrin hospital recovering from abdominal surgery.

Michelle Ashby (friend of the Driskills) – Has inflammatory breast cancer that has spread to her ribs, liver, lower spine, & right pelvis. Is being treated w/chemotherapy and radiation.

* Please pray for all who are traveling.

Quotable Quote: “Instead of giving myself reasons why I can’t, I give myself reasons why I can.” –Anonymous

Wisdom From Proverbs: “A virtuous woman is a crown to her husband: but she that maketh ashamed is as rottenness in his bones” (Prov. 12:4).

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).

UPCOMING ACTIVITIES/MEETINGS

* Please remember to mute or turn off cell phones.

* A Happy New Year to us all. May we resolve to strengthen our spiritual lives this year and give greater service to God.

* Potluck for today has been canceled.

* Men’s Bible class tomorrow night at 7 p.m. at the building.

* Please clip “Box Tops For Education” & put them in the box in the Preacher’s office.

* Please continue to drop any Bible questions in the Question & Answer box in the foyer.

* Please continue boycotting Pepsi & Frito-Lay products as they support the homosexual agenda..

* Congratulations to Renee McAlister. She has worked part-time at Kent Library at SEMO University for the last 4 years and

has just been hired for a new full-time position there. She begins Jan. 4, 2010.

* 2010 is just around the corner! Be careful as you travel these next few days.

* Hearing assistance available upon request.

BIBLE QUESTION/ANSWER:

Last week’s answer: Jesus is the author and finisher of our faith (Heb. 12:2).

New question: Who was Samuel’s mother?

Sentence Sermon: “If the Lord seems far away, guess who moved.”

Birthdays &Anniversaries

Erin Hartline - 1/3

Lee & Ann Harvick - 1/3

Rosemary Dillow – 1/9

Heidi Jones – 1/6

Joe Johnson - 1/7

Ryan Thornsberry – 1/7

Points From Today’s Lessons

A.M. - Year In and Year Out – When we begin eternity, how we lived on earth will matter!

* Am I concerned about sacred matters year in and year out?

- Jesus paid a high price on the cross so that your sins could be forgiven (Jn. 3:16; Heb. 12:2).

* Do I feed my faith year in and year out?

- Patience and works are keys (Gal. 6:9; Heb 1:1-2; Jas. 1:2-3). We must show kindness to

others (Mt. 25:40). God will give the increase (I Cor. 3:6).

* Am I committed to worshipping and serving the Lord year in and year out?

- Church at Laodicea was lukewarm (Rev. 3:15-16). Out attitude matters! (Jer. 7; Mt. 15:8-9).

* Am I concerned about being the “salt of the earth” and the “light of the world” year in and year

out (Matt. 5:13-16)?

- Some do good for a while, but give in to Satan (I Pet. 5:8).

- Salt that loses its preserving power is useless (Matt. 5:13).

* Am I committed to loving lost souls year in and year out?

- Be ready to give an answer! (I Peter 3:15). – Spread the word! (Mt. 28:19-20)

- Remember the encounter between Jesus & Zacchaeus (Luke 19:2-8).

- Spread the message and trust God to give the increase! (I Cor. 3:6).

P.M. – God Wants Me To Be Happy, Right? – All want happiness, but most search in the wrong places / ways.

* Many are like the prodigal son of Luke 15 – looking for happiness in the world.

* Heb. 11:23-28 – Moses ignored pleasure for true happiness.

* Understand divine happiness. It’s a spiritual exercise; service to God that contains eternal hope.

- Examples: Ps. 144:15; Ps. 146:5; Prov. 3:13; Ps. 1:1-2

* New Testament term makarios, or “blessed.”

- Makarios: “describes that joy which has its secret within itself, that joy which is serene and

untouchable, and self-contained, that joy which is completely independent of all the chances

and the changes of life.” – William Barclay

- Paul & Silas – Acts 16:22-25.

* Conclusion – only a fool would allow himself/herself to be drawn away by temporal pursuits of pleasure or shallow emotions (ex. – this group “cares” so much, that “feels” so good, etc.). See Luke 22:40.

- R.W.

ONE HUNDRED PERCENT MARRIAGE
The success of marriage, or any other human relationship or endeavor, is a percentage game. Someone with more rhetoric than logic and accuracy said, “If you give a hundred percent to your marriage and your spouse also gives a hundred percent, you will have a two hundred percent marriage.” It sounds good, but it is not logical and cannot be true. It is like saying, “make a hundred and ten percent effort.”  It is supposed to mean simply “make an extra effort, do more and give more than expected.”  But literally giving or doing one hundred and ten percent  is impossible. If you give everything you’ve got and do everything you are able to do, that is a hundred percent. You cannot exceed that. Nobody can possibly give more than a hundred percent of what he has, in anything. One hundred percent is all there is – there isn’t any more. Now about the marriage, if each mate gives a hundred percent to the marriage they will have a hundred percent marriage. If each one gives fifty (that is called “meeting half way”) they will have a fifty percent marriage. If one gives a hundred percent and the other gives five percent they will have a five percent marriage. Unless the partners are trying to find ways to improve their marriage as a personal relationship, continuing to give themselves completely to it, they will not only have a deficient and defective marriage, but may end up losing whatever they have already invested in it. Is there an application to life in the church here? No one can have a one hundred percent relationship with the church or with the Lord who is Head of the church unless he gives one hundred percent of himself. If one expects and receives a hundred percent from the church or the Lord, but only gives ten percent of himself, he has a ten percent relationship. Many complain that “the church is not doing enough for me,” when the fact is they are not giving enough of themselves to secure any real or lasting benefits. Scripture says, “Give yourselves to God as a living sacrifice” (Rom. 12:1). If you aren’t receiving properly from God or from the church, perhaps you should examine what you are giving before you start complaining.

- Gerald Cowan via The Encourager