Anna Church of Christ
833-5815
Website: www.annachurchofchrist.com
Vol
22. Issue
26 June
29, 2008
Keep the Skunks Out
A couple of weeks ago while taking care of my father,
I noticed what looked like a large black and white cat scurry past the window.
Upon closer inspection, I realized that it was a skunk! Hurriedly, I grabbed my
camera and began tracking it (following it at some distance, of course). Before
long, I found out the purpose of the skunk’s visit to my father’s farm – she
was transporting her babies from an old hollow tree into the long-abandoned
barn
on the premises.
As I watched her and took some pictures, something came to mind. When I
was much younger and living on the farm, we never had any skunks in the barn.
First of all, they would not have desired to live there, because the barn was a
place of constant activity. We were in it every day doing some kind of work or
another. Humans and livestock were always active in it. No skunk would have
wanted to exist there - they would feel too threatened. And besides, if any
skunks were found in the barn (or immediate area), they would have been
disposed of very quickly. The reason for this is obvious - nobody wants skunks
on their property.
You see where I’m going with this, I’m sure. Just as activity and
alertness made it so that no skunks would be on our place, so it is with our
Christian lives. Satan is a skunk and can wreak havoc and turn our lives into a
stinking mess. It is imperative that we keep him away. Activity in the Lord and
being alert to the devil’s constant advancements are crucial for our proper
defenses.
When we fill our lives with Christ and living His will, Satan’s
opportunities are greatly limited and his efforts are eradicated as soon as he
makes attempts. But if we let our defenses down through inactivity, neglect,
and inattention, Satan will be ready to move right into our lives.
Jesus talked about this in Matthew 12:43-45: “When an unclean spirit
goes out of a man, he goes through dry places, seeking rest, and finds none. Then he says, ‘I will return to my
house from which I came.’ And when he comes, he finds it empty, swept, and put in
order. Then he goes and takes with him seven other spirits more wicked than
himself, and they enter and dwell there; and the last state of that man is
worse than the first.” Peter emphasized it, as well, in 2 Peter 2:20-21: “For
if, after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge
of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again... entangled in them and
overcome, the latter end is worse for them than the beginning. For it would
have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than
having known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered to them.”
Christians,
be warned - fill your lives with godly things, stay active for the Lord, grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus
Christ, be on the watch for Satan’s devices, study your Bible, pray often,
fellowship regularly with the brethren - because if you don’t, Satan will move
in and bring his stinking “babies” with him!
- Edd Sterchi
SERMON TOPICS
A.M. – “Priorities”
(Prov. 3:9-10)
P.M. – “Walking Is Good For The Soul”
(I Tim. 4:8)
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
Sheilah
Whittington – Discouraging report from her doctor last
week.
Gene Ballance family (Kittie’s brother) – Gene passed away recently. A card from the family is on the bulletin board.
Paul Frailey – Carolyn’s father.
Pray for the Thornsberry
family. They’re returning
from Washington, DC today.
Wisdom
From Proverbs: “Honour the Lord with thy substance, and with the firstfruits
of all thine increase: So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy
presses shall burst out with new wine”
(Prov. 3:9-10).
Sentence Sermon: Wild oats take something out of the soil of one’s life that no
system of crop rotation can restore.
Quotable Quote: “The most pathetic person in the world is someone who has sight but has no vision.” – Helen Keller
Birthdays & Anniversaries
None this week.
UPCOMING ACTIVITIES/ANNOUNCEMENTS
*Brother Ron is preaching today in
my absence. I know we’re all excited to hear him and are proud of his
growth in the spirit. – R.W.
*Next week is Potluck Sunday. Make
plans to attend our service then share a meal with us.
*We now have invitation letters to our services to mail out. If
you’d like to be a part of this, see
R.W.
*West Kentucky Bible lectures
July 12-13.
*Feel free to drop any Bible
questions in the Question & Answer box in the foyer.
*Men – Be sure to sign up for a
Wednesday night in July if you’d like to offer the invitation. Sofar, Jamie and
Wardell
have stepped up. Who’s next?
*Men – A date in July will be set for our prayer breakfast.
*One more thing, men - be sure
to pick up a copy of the service list for July in the foyer.
*We received a new shipment of
the “Gospel Preacher.” They’re on the shelf beneath the bulletins.
Hearing assistance for any service is available upon
request.
BIBLE QUESTION/ANSWER:
Last week’s answer: Felix (Acts
24:25).
New question: Who in the Bible
was “A
devout man, and one that feared God with all his house, which gave much
alms to the people, and prayed to God alway” but even so, not yet a Christian?
God’s Rich, Deep
Wisdom
I’ve been reminded recently of the fact that God is
in control in my life. Thursday, week before last, I was ready to combine my
wheat crop. I had readied the combine, serviced the tractors and had wagons
hooked to them, had my water jug full –
I was ready! I started the combine, put the separator in gear, and
dropped the head into the wheat. I combined several yards and everything was
working just as it should. After a short while, the thought occurred to me that
even though all was going well, it would probably be a good idea anyway to test
the wheat for moisture. It was carrying nearly three points of moisture which
would result in a 30 cent dock at the grain elevator. I was a little “down,”
but I figured it’d be best to wait until it was dry. I wanted to combine wheat
that day. Renee doesn’t have to work Thursday through Sunday, I had gotten all
the equipment ready, and the wheat looked ready. Using the “old timer’s” test,
I bit a few grains. It “bit hard.” It was surely time! I had done everything in
my power to be in the field working. I had my own timetable worked out. I could
see no reason why it couldn’t or shouldn’t work the way I had figured, but it
didn’t.
Nevertheless, I waited until the
following Monday. The wheat was dry. I combined Monday and Tuesday afternoon,
and I hauled my wheat Tuesday and Wednesday morning. By Wednesday afternoon, I
was ready to have my wheat straw baled. Everyone I called who custom bales was
busy and couldn’t come until the weekend. I happened to think of brother Ron’s
father-in-law. I called him and he could come Friday. I decided that was good
enough because it would give me Friday and Saturday to get it out of the field
so I could plant soybeans where the wheat & straw had been (July 4th
is the deadline for soybean planting).
As it turned out, it rained Thursday
night, but only ¼ inch. I checked the straw Friday afternoon and it was dry.
Saturday would still be o.k.! Lo and behold, it rained another ¼ inch Friday
night. Maybe late Saturday evening? Alas, maybe not. I just watched the 10 p.m.
weather forecast and we have a good chance of rain Saturday.
The point of all this rambling is this: in
the midst of my plans (that I thought were airtight), I was reminded of Romans
11:33: “O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how
unsearchable are his judgments,
and his ways past finding out!” It was as if an inspired man had become
overwhelmed with the beauty and magnitude of what he’d been inspired to write.
The riches of God - He is rich in mercy, love, grace, faithfulness, power, and
goodness! The wisdom of God is infinite, unsearchable, incomparable, and
invincible! The knowledge of God – God is omniscient! (I John 3:20). God is in
control, I’m not!
His decisions are unsearchable: they are too deep
for mind of man to fully understand. The ways in which He guides creation,
history, redemption, and providence are beyond our limited intellects to
understand. What I did notice are these things: the price of wheat went up
nearly a dollar from the time I wanted to harvest it until the time I did.
Because Renee had to work on the days I was in the field, Dad got to babysit
his grandkids and deepen his bond with them. I had reasonably comfortable
weather in which to work – more so than the week before.
By having to wait for the rain to
move through in order to bale my straw, the bales didn’t get wet in the field
and the soybeans I had recently planted received two good rains that will help
them germinate and emerge.
Things didn’t work out the way I had
envisioned, instead, they worked out better. God’s infinite wisdom and
knowledge deemed it better for things to work out differently from the way I
wanted them to. His decisions were (and are) too deep for my mind to fully
understand – and yet even with my limited understanding, I can see that God’s
way was better. It is always better. We all need to have the faith to remember
that. - R.W.