Nile Street Notes

Anna Church of Christ

104 Nile Street, Anna, Illinois 62906

833-5815

Vol 23. Issue 29 August 2, 2009

A Diamond Ring

Just yesterday, I was sitting across a table from a little 8-year-old girl, and was teasing her about boys. I noticed she had "diamond" earrings in her ears so I decided to have a little fun with her. I asked her, "What does a girl get from a man who wants to marry her, and it begins with the letter "D." She thought for a moment, and in all the innocence of an 8 year-old child, she said in an uncertain tone, "Disrespect?"

Ouch! Disrespect? Well, at first I laughed because she didn't understand what she said. She was just grasping for a word that began with the letter "D." But upon reflection, this little girl spoke more truth than she or I realized.

Statistics tell us that nearly 50% of marriages end in divorce. Then consider too, how many of the marriages that aren't broken in the courtroom, are broken in the heart. Friends, we have work to do, and as I see it, that work consists of two things:

 We must teach what God's word says about marriage, and how the husband and wife are to treat each other (Ephesians 5:25-33).

 We must also begin to model our marriages before our youth so that they can see what God intended marriage to be.

Marriage contains too much potential for good than to sit back and watch it be destroyed and dismantled by people who do not know the joy and fulfillment it can bring if it is done God's way. We must begin to speak with our words and our deeds!

Men, when you asked the woman you loved to marry you, did she end up getting a "diamond" or "disrespect?"

- Steve Higginbotham via MercEmail

SERMON TOPICS

A.M. – “Amos Reproves Israel”

(Amos 5:4-9)

P.M. – “Ready To Meet Goliath”

(I Sam. 17:8-11)

Those For Whom We Are Praying:

Kathleen Ritchey

Rodney & Nikki Lingle

Bill Whitnel

Ken and Gilda Snell

Lowell Karraker

Mitchell Shock – Grandson of Rosemary’s cousin.

Austin Detering

Carlos Wright – Dr. says cancer is currently “dormant.”

Charles Dillow – Freda’s brother-in-law

Paul Etherton - Sara Wilkins' father. Cancer in lymph nodes.

Jean Brown – Kris’s aunt.

Diane Schultz - Recovering from injuries sustained in a car crash.

John Bradley - Broken finger is healing.

Wisdom From Proverbs: “Where no counsel is, the people fall: but in the multitude of counsellors there is safety.” (Prov. 11:14).

Sentence Sermon: “Life is like a ladder; every step we take is either up or down.”

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

* Thanks to all who took part in yesterday’s Prayer Breakfast.

* Today is potluck Sunday. We invite all to stay and eat with us following the morning service.

* Men’s Bible class tomorrow night at 7.

* Ladies’ Day will be September 19. Shelley Hazel will be the speaker and the theme will be, “Women Teaching Women.”

* Let’s remember to contact those we haven’t seen in a few weeks.

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

* Also continue boycotting Pepsi products as they support the homosexual agenda. If you haven’t signed the boycott, why not?

Is it right for a Christian to financially support sin?

Hearing assistance for any service is available upon request.

BIBLE QUESTION/ANSWER:

Last week’s answer: In a house. Mt. 2:1-2, 11

New question: What Bible character changed dust into lice?

Quotable Quote: “Be the change that you want to see in the world.” - Mahatma Ghandi

Birthdays &Anniversaries

John Bradley - 8/2

George Lackey - 8/6

“Brotherhood Babies”

I love children. My wife and I have three. I teach in the public school system and genuinely enjoy being around young people. There are some childhood (childish?) behaviors I don’t particularly enjoy, however, and they include:

1) Selfishness – when children feel they must have their way and throw temper tantrums if they don’t get their way (not tolerated in our household).

2) When a young child may be hurt by a name (often mild and meaningless) someone else called them and threaten to never play with that person again.

3) When they threaten not to play a game if a certain person is in charge. They might refuse to enter a room or building if a certain individual is present, and so on.

Unfortunately, “legion” are those who never outgrow these behaviors – even in the family of God.

There is a tendency for great numbers in the brotherhood today to be so “touchy” that you can’t say one word to them about a choice or decision they’ve made that’s sinful. If you do, if you dare question them or “call them on it,” they’ll throw a temper tantrum and berate you for even considering to speak to them about the situation. If someone stays out of church for months at a time, occasionally makes a “hit and miss” appearance, and a faithful brother or sister were to question them about it, what are the odds that caring brother or sister would get a “thank you” for caring enough to mention it?

Amos said of sinful Israel, “They hate him that rebuketh in the gate, and they abhor him that speaketh uprightly” (Amos 5:10). Speak uprightly to an erring Christian today and you’ll find that many will hate you, as was the case with Israel.

We have those in the Lord’s church today who may be standing on pretty shaky spiritual ground and yet still have the nerve to declare, “If the elders appoint brother __________________ an elder, I won’t come back to church.” If that statement is made because the prospective elder clearly, demonstrably doesn’t meet the qualifications set forth in I Tim. 3 and Titus 1, then it’s justified. However, if that statement is made because of personal bias without substance, then you have a “brotherhood baby” that needs to grow up. If someone has wronged us, we have an obligation to speak to them directly about it and resolve the issue (Matt. 18:15&16). If the offender sincerely apologizes, then we must forgive him (Matt. 18:21&22) and the matter is concluded. We have no right to continue to hold that against him: “Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge...” (Lev. 19:18). The Lord said, “And let none of you imagine evil in your hearts against his neighbour... (Zec. 8:17).

We also have those in the church today who can’t handle a careless word or remark. “Brother/Sister ______________ said something mean about me that hurt me, so I’ll never be back to church!” Great decision. Jeopardize your own soul because of someone else’s thoughtlessness. We don’t attend study & worship services because we’re following men, we attend because we’re following Christ! (I Cor. 11:1; Heb. 10:25).

Just because someone said a mean thing about or to us doesn’t relieve us of our obligation to be present for worship! Moreover, if we choose to “church hop” every time we get our feelings hurt, then who really has the problem?

Granted, there are some situations in which it may be best for a Christian to worship with another congregation of the Lord’s people, but moving from place to place for the smallest of reasons or staying home because we got upset over something is not the behavior Christ wants from us. We are to be in harmony: “perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment” (I Cor. 1:10).

My favorite counseling advice is “Get over it!” and it’s applicable to many, if not all, situations in life. Someone was rude to you? Get over it. It’s not worth staying mad forever! Some faithful Christian you don’t like/had a conflict with once is going to be appointed to a leadership position? Get over your personal feelings and evaluate him by the Scriptures! Understand that we all sin and fall short from time to time! (Rom. 3:23). Maybe it’s time for our “brotherhood babies” to rededicate their lives to God and progress from the milk to the meat (Heb. 5:12-14). Think about it.

- R.W.