Submitted
Unity of the Lakes
This Sunday 5/14/23 is Mother's Day and Rev. Don will be speaking about Mother's Day and a mother's way. We would love to have you join us for our 11 am service. We will treat you so many ways you are bound to like one of them. If you have not been to church in a long time or have not found the spiritual home that satisfiers your needs, you may want to give us a try. We are located 8 miles south of Warsaw on highway 65. Dress is casual and all are welcome. We look forward to seeing and meeting you.
Warsaw Christian Church
Thanks be to God for His unspeakable gift (2 Corinthians 9:15).
Paul uses a word found only in this text, "unspeakable." Paul "speaks" of that which is "unspeakable." He speaks of a gift so unique that he is at a loss for words. He speaks of being justified by faith in Jesus. Justification is the gracious act of God in which he imputes to every sincere believer the righteousness of Jesus Christ. God says, in effect, "These are my people. Yes, they are guilty of sin and were once under my condemnation. Now all is different. The price of their redemption has been paid. They have accepted my terms of mercy by faith, having been cleansed by the blood of My Son. I now consider them to be justified." That is indeed an unspeakable gift.
What exactly does justification do? It brings us peace with God. It sets us free from condemnation. It provides eternal life to all who believe. We receive the gift of the Holy Spirit, who enables us to live a God-honoring life. What is there to say except, "Thanks be to God for His unspeakable gift." One writer says we are justified by atonement, not attainment. We do not deserve this wonderful gift. We cannot attain it through our works. All we can do is trust in Jesus, believing His blood did indeed atone for our sins, and then seek to serve Him faithfully.
From The Pastor's Desk
UFO's
I hesitated to write this article but I am seeing a new craze developing for UFO's. The term simply means "Unidentified Flying Objects."
My only UFO story, if you want to call it that, took place over 50 years ago. I was fishing with two friends one night at Fellows Lake in Springfield MO.We had waded out into the water and we're fishing for largemouth bass. There was a light in the distance that spooked my two friends, who ran a quarter of a mile to the car .So naturally, I had to follow them.I was more afraid of the snake and the turtle that I saw in the water than I was the light. I believe the light was a helicopter. I can honestly say I wasn't afraid in the very least . I was worried that my friends would leave me at the lake.
I do not question that people are seeing odd things in the sky. Personally, I have never seen anything in the sky that I couldn't somehow explain.
So what do I believe about UFO's?
Three things.
1. Some are planes being tested by various Air Forces. Not just ours .
2. Some are Holograms. Various sources are messing with us.
3. Some are demonic. Satan is the prince of the power of the air. (Ephesians 2:2) .He is the god of this world. II Corinthians 4:4)
The push today about UFO's is a possible scheme to explain the rapture of the church. The world has to explain what is going to happen and what better than being taken up by UFO's.
So what are aliens? They could be demons. Haunted houses are indwelt by demonic forces. No one talks to the dead and no one has been to heaven and back but the Lord Jesus Himself.
The forces at large want people to believe in aliens so it will weaken their faith in God.
I don't like to talk about these things. There are snakes in the woods and I tend to leave them there.
I am Johnie J. Logue Pastor of the Grace Baptist church at 31046 Hwy. You are always invited.
Lincoln First Baptist Church
Welcome summer. We went in a day or two from spring to summer. Already it is the second week of May. Graduations will be happening the next two weeks. Pray for all the seniors that will be graduating. They are off to a whole new world. Today in church we honored two of our church youth who are Lincoln graduates. Connor Lynde who will be attending State Fair Community College and playing baseball to the Road Runners next year. Asia Shrader will also be attending State Fair Community College. We wish them well on their journey. They both received gifts from the church. Loretta Szobodi celebrated a birthday.
We will be planting flowers on Lincoln Main street on Saturday May 13th. This is our mission project for May.
Pastor Jesse’s text was Exodus chapters 2 and 3. Make heaven your home because our earthly home will be gone. The Lord doesn’t throw us away. He molds us as clay into who He wants us to be. Moses was born a Hebrew, as a baby his mother sent him in a basket down the river where the Pharaoh’s daughter found him. He was raised as an Egyptian. Then as an Egyptian he killed an Egyptian and was kicked out of Egypt by the Pharaoh. He was sent back to Egypt to free the Hebrew people.
When bad things happen to you He will use that to get you where you need to be. If you love Jesus He will love you. When you come to church you are on Holy ground. The altar is Holier ground. You need to act like you are serving the Lord everyday. You need to have respect when you enter the door of the church.
Moses used excuses. God always finds a way if you are willing. If God speaks we need to listen. Our next home is Heaven. HAVE A BLESSED WEEK AND GOD BLESS. Sunday school is at 9:30 and Worship at 10:30. Bible study and youth meet Wednesday night at 6 pm.
Hopewell Baptist Church
In Matthew 5:42-48 Jesus tells us how to love our enemies. Believers should be able to help others in need. Jesus told them they had heard it said from the teachings of the Rabbi and the Teachers of the Law to love your neighbors, so they decided to love their neighbors and to hate their enemies. Some ask, who are my neighbors, and Jesus told them, their enemies were their neighbors. He told them to love their enemies and pray for those who persecuted them.
Jesus told them to look at the world – God loves your enemies. We must redefine how we view other people. The Bible tells us just because we wrong someone does not mean that God does not love us. Jesus died for the very people who put Him on the cross. The entire scripture is full of stories of how God loves all of us! We do not deserve it, but God still loves us! Love your enemies and pray for those who harm you or are difficult. We are to love like Jesus does!
The world’s view is, if we love someone, we also must accept their bad decisions. Jesus tells us, when we love someone, we do not have to love the things that will harm them. This seems to make no sense, but we can love someone without condoning everything they do. We can love our enemies and yet not like what they are doing. We do not have to tolerate bad behavior! We must be willing to stand up and say this isn’t right. When someone devalues human life – it is our duty to stand up for what is right! If we don’t start here, we’re starting on the wrong foot and will end up in the wrong place.
The core root is there is no Jesus in the world! There is wickedness and evil because we reject Jesus! Jesus stayed on the cross, loving even the soldier who stabbed Him. Jesus has done something in our hearts, and we should share that with those who make it difficult. Love and pray for them, but do not tolerate bad behavior.
Join us Sunday mornings for Sunday School at 10 a.m. with Worship at 11 a.m., and Sunday and Wednesday Bible Study at 6 p.m. Check out Hopewell Baptist Church Facebook page Sunday mornings streaming live at 11:15 a.m.
