Warsaw Christian Church
Do not give what is holy to the dogs; nor cast your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you in pieces
-Matthew 7:6
These words of Jesus seem harsh, but they are practical. The Gospel we believe is holy. It is like a beautiful, costly pearl. When we share Christ with others, we may meet with hostility. Some vehemently oppose the Gospel of Jesus. When that happens, we need to move on to someone else. Maybe we should continue to pray for that person, but face-to-face sharing of Christ is a waste of time. Just as a pig does not appreciate a pearl and will trample it underfoot, so some do not appreciate the good news of Jesus and trample it underfoot. Some are so hostile against the Gospel they might attack you personally!
We see how this principle worked out in Acts 13:44-51. Paul is preaching in Antioch. Many heard the good news gladly. However, some of the Jews were envious of the crowds and grew hostile. So Paul decides the wisest course is to move on. Proclaiming Jesus to those whose minds are closed is a waste of time. Just make sure that you are not one whose mind is closed to the Gospel. We need to see the Gospel for what it is, a precious pearl.
From The Pastor's Desk
Did God Intervene?
The secret things
belong to God .....
-Deuteronomy 29:29
Many are saying that God intervened in the attempted assassination of former president Donald Trump a few days back.
My question would be; why didn't He intervene in the shooting of the other three? A family man died. God is no respecter of persons so he is not impressed with the office of the president. I would be offended if I was part of those families.
God could have intervened in the death of John the Baptist but He didn't. Stephen was stoned. Tradition said Paul was beheaded. James the Greater was beheaded. Isaiah was put inside a log and cut in half.
All of the twelve but John were martyrs. History says Bartholomew was skinned alive, Matthew was gutted by a sword, James the Less was thrown off the temple and stoned. Peter was crucified upside down. Phillip was hanged. Thomas was lanced. Andrew was crucified on a cross. Mathias was both stoned and beheaded. Simon was burned at a stake. Judas hung himself.
Others also suffered horrible deaths. Luke was hanged. Mark was dragged to death. Barnabas was stoned. Jude was shot with arrows. No such intervention for these men.
Truth is that we don't know if God intervened for former President Trump. Like you, I am glad he wasn't killed and I am very sorry the former firefighter lost his life.
I do know what Hebrews 9:27 says; "As it is appointed unto man once to die..." . We all die.
Sunday is Friend Day at Grace Baptist Church at 31046 Hwy MM. You are invited. Services are at 10:00 AM, 11:00 AM and 4:00 PM. Call (660) 281-4775 for more info.
Lincoln First Baptist Church
WE WILL BE HAVING A REVIVAL AUGUST 4, 5 AND 6. MARK YOUR CALENDERS AND COME JOIN US!
Happy anniversary to Pastor Jesse and Tina Klaiber. Welcome to the Sterling family who came forward to join our church family. We had five of our youth attend camp this past week. I pray they got a blessing by attending.
1 Corinthians 13 and John 15:9 was the pastor’s text today. God is love. It says we are to love one another as God has loved us. All things will vanish except love. In 1 Corinthians says if we don’t have love we are just a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal.
When we say hurtful things to others that is childish if we are a Christian. You can’t see God if you are a child in your faith. We should have enough in us to lay down your life for your family and others. God sent Jesus to save us. When Jesus was gone there was the Holy Spirit. Christ needs to be needed. Jesus keeps no secrets. Serve each other because we love each other.
COME AND WORSHIP WITH US. SUNDAY SCHOOL IS AT 9:30 AM AND WORSHIP IS 10:30 AM. YOUTH WEDNESDAY AT 6:00 PM. GOD BLESS EACH THIS WEEK.
Hopewell Baptist Church
Today’s text is from Judges 8:18-27. Earlier, God had Gideon thin his army from 30,000 to 300 so the He could deliver them, without thinking they did it in their own strength. Four kings escaped, and Gideon tracked them down to take revenge on them for killing his brothers. First Gideon tells his son to kill them, and we should be uncomfortable with Gideon’s choices. The book of Judges wants us to ask, was he really a hero? The Israelites want Gideon to rule them, but Gideon tells them we have a God and don’t need men to rule. Gideon won’t rule over them but asks them to give them part of their plunder. No applause please, just a large portion of what they collected. Gideon made a golden ephod from the gold, and we see a side of Gideon we haven’t seen or didn’t learn in Sunday School. He puts the ephod in his hometown, wearing it. Gideon is not from a priestly family, and God’s ephod should stay in Shiloh. God is very particular about where things are supposed to be, and the ephod is supposed to stay in Shiloh.
Gideon made wrong choices that affected the people all around him. They worshiped the wrong place, the wrong people, in the wrong time, and with the wrong heart. Gideon’s family abused a system to cause his people to worship improperly and not the God of the universe. The legacy Gideon leaves is this – he goes where God ask but listens to himself and his mistakes affect everything and everyone around him. What legacy are we leaving for our kids? What do we want to leave behind – a better world than we inherited? What can we do tomorrow to demonstrate that Jesus is the most important thing. Share the love of Jesus somehow, someway – the world will be a better place.
Join us Sunday mornings for Sunday School at 10 a.m. with Worship at 11 a.m. We will not have regular Bible Study this Wednesday, July 24, or Sunday evening Children’s Program or Bible Study, Sunday, July 28. Watch our service live at 11 a.m. each Sunday on Hopewell Baptist Church Facebook page.
Unity Of The Lakes
We are pleased to announce that Reverend Martha Mosley will speak on Sunday, July 28 at our 11:00 AM service. We are located at 34948 Hwy 65 South in Warsaw.
Martha was ordained a Unity minister in 1993. She and her husband Glenn served ministries in Sheboygan, WI; St. Louis, MO; Vancouver, BC; and Abilene, TX.
Martha is dedicated to the Unity message, and served for four years as Prayer Associate for Silent Unity. She holds a BA in Public Management, and an MS in Marriage and Family Therapy.
Maratha's talk will explore “Peace When There Is No Peace.” We will find ways of being that create and maintain peace of mind and heart despite outer circumstances. This will include practical steps to establish peace, and ways to live life from a core of peace.
Please join us and stay for food and fellowship afterwards!
