Getting to the Heart of the Matter

 

Matthew 19:16  And, behold, one came and said unto him, Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life?

           

            In this scripture we find a rich young ruler coming to Jesus asking how he could attain eternal life.  We find Jesus listing the Ten Commandments because these are required by law.  The rich young ruler replied, “all these have I kept from my youth yet what lack I?”  Then Jesus took him to the heart of the matter.  The young man was willing to do one good thing but Jesus knew where his heart was.  Jesus said, “Sell what you have and give to the poor and thou shalt have treasures in heaven and come follow me.”  This is getting to the heart of the matter; whether we think that treasures in heaven are worth more than treasures on earth. 

 

You know I have to thank God for our church.  We have never looked to ourselves or attained a selfish spirit.  We could have a bigger and nicer church with nicer things but we have chosen to see to the needs of others.  Today there is a spirit that glamour and fame is better.  We see people using side shows and all different means to get people in to church, even to the point of compromising on the doctrine.  People seem to think that a bigger crowd or a mega church will please God rather than living a simpler life using the words of Jesus.  Jesus said that He would add to the church daily such as needed to be saved and He commanded us to stand firm on the gospel and doctrine.  Jesus wasn’t executed for being rich or famous.  He was executed for standing firm on the oracles of God. 

 

Some might think this was a lot to ask of the rich, young ruler but Jesus was asked to give His life.  Jesus said, “No one taketh my life but I lay it down.”  Many times we hear the eulogy read at funerals and some have good things that they have accomplished in life.  The man who developed penicillin did a good thing.  Many others have done good deeds but will never see the gates of heaven.  This is why treasures in heaven or treasures on earth are the heart of the matter. 

 

This young ruler walked away sorrowful because his heart was on treasures of the world.  He will not be in that number when Jesus says, “Enter in my good and faithful servants.”  According to the scriptures a servant must first be found faithful.  So as your pastor I urge you to talk to Jesus even though you’re keeping the commandments.  There might be more that you need to do and only you and Jesus can get to the heart of the matter so that you may have treasures in heaven rather than treasures on earth.

 

May God richly bless you as you make your journey toward home.  Let Jesus guide you every step of the way.

           

Love in Christ,

Your pastor,

Charles A. Clark

 

 

 

 

Coldness to Hardness

By Brother Mark Simmons

 

In every teaching we hear from Duane, in every newsletter that John produces, and in every sermon we hear from Pastor Clark, we are continually reminded of God’s grace but also to fear the Lord.

 

Today’s people have lost their fear of God.  The word tells us over and over of the fear of God.

 

Proverbs 3:7, “Be not wise in thine own eyes:  fear the Lord, and depart from evil.”

 

Proverbs 8:13. “The fear of the Lord is to hate evil.”  Therefore by the fear of the Lord people depart from evil.

If you look at people today they can’t possibly fear God because there is too much evil in the world.  This evil is from Satan and is causing many Christians to fall away.

 

Jesus told us that many believers would turn away and grow cold.  Matthew 24:12, “And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.”

 

Many Christians who were on fire for God will drift into spiritual coldness.  Many will return to their worldly ways.  Jesus told us in Matthew 24:8, “All of these signs are the beginning of sorrows.”  If you ever truly loved and followed Jesus but you are now cold and indifferent, the Holy Spirit is speaking to you.  He is inviting you to come back into his merciful arms.

 

Anyone who continues in coldness to God’s voice or who keeps distant from the Holy Spirit will receive “hardness”.  Hardness indicates a condition that is beyond the influence of grace or mercy from the Holy Spirit.  It begins with coldness toward the Church of Jesus Christ.

 

Hebrews 3:12-15, “Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God.”  “But exhort one another daily, while it is called today; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.  Today if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts as in the provocation.”

 

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Wisdom Is For The Young

By Brother Duane Bailey

 

Ecclesiastes 12: 13-14  “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter:  Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.  For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.”

 

I was thinking the other day what it means to get older (not just old).  I thought that as you get older, we really should be getting wiser.  Our knowledge and life experiences should be increased and we should be able to pull from those experiences to make much better decisions.  And it dawned on me:  What if we could somehow find out in our youth, what we know in our older age.  The old saying is that youth is wasted on the youth, but you could also say that wisdom could be wasted on the old.   By the time you figure out how to raise kids you have grandkids.  By the time you learn how to use wisdom and patience, you do not need them as much.

 

Solomon was just such a man.  He spent his youth searching, searching for the meaning of life.  In the second verse in the first chapter of Ecclesiastes, we find him saying that all is vanities or all is vapor; basically nothing.  This was Solomon the wise old man.  He found out that he had wasted his time and efforts on things of the world.  He sought pleasure, laughter, and wine.  He made great houses and vineyards.  He had servants and maids.  He had silver and gold, cattle.  Whatsoever his eyes desired he got it.  He withheld nothing from himself.  He finally looked one day at everything he had and it made him sick, it vexed him.  There was no profit to it.  He then looked and decided it was better to be dead than alive.  More still it was better to never had been alive.  This has the sound of a man that has looked back over his life and is very unhappy with how he has spent it.  You can almost taste the distaste in his mouth.  Solomon went to sleep as a young man with wisdom from God, but without the desire to seek that wisdom.  He awoke as an old man that saw the error of his ways, no doubt wishing to go back and redo his life.  But we have but one life to live.  

He finishes out the book showing that wisdom is better than strength and weapons of war.  He gives reference to the difference between the wise and the fool.  He says that riches and the work that we do here on earth are vanity.  He finds that it is better with the person that fears God than with the sinner whose days are prolonged. 

 

God gave Solomon his wisdom for a purpose, to share.  Not with just those of his days, with everyone through time.  As he started the final chapter of the story of his life, Solomon starts with “Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth”.  Solomon referred to himself as the Preacher in this book.  As we just learned in our Sunday school lessons, in order to believe, we have to hear and to hear we have to have a preacher. 

 

How can we as young men and young women obtain the wisdom that is normally reserved for the aged?   By fearing God and by keeping His commandments.  Keep God close to your heart in your youth and strive to get as close to Him as you can.  But Solomon wished that all of us could learn from the mistakes that he made in life.  These are lessons that can be learned by all of us no matter the age.  You are only as young as you think you are.  Not once while speaking of wisdom did Solomon mention old.  Let us all follow after God and His ways so that we do not wake up and find our lives being vanity.

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The Flow of Anointing

By Sister Brenda Bailey

 

I want to say a big THANK YOU to our pastor for allowing me to take our young ladies to the Esther conference.  It was refreshing and I hope our young ladies were able to take something lasting away from it.  I just wanted to share a couple of things with you from the conference.

One of the classes had to do with hair; we learned biblical principles on why our hair is our covering and also heard testimonies about how God moved in situations because ladies had honored God by not cutting their hair.

The highlight for me was hearing about the flow of anointing.  In biblical times, whenever someone was anointed, the oil was poured out over the head and it flowed to the feet.  God is our head, then the man is the head of our household and we, as women fall in line as our children follow us.  The anointing comes from God and then flows to our husbands and then on to us and our children.  This is the way God intended it to be and we are to follow after Him.  If we become rebellious and take away our covering (our hair) we are stepping out of line and we break the flow of anointing.

I truly believe that as women of God we are protectors of the home.  We set the tone for our families.  If we don’t fall in line according to the scriptures we are in danger of God turning away from us.  I want God’s blessing and anointing on my family.  I want my children saved.  I want my husband’s ministry to increase and I want to be used of God.  I am not perfect by any means but I want to always strive to do what God would have me do.  I want to keep the flow of anointing on my family without interruption.

Lord, help me to daily seek Your face and do what is right before you.  Help me to be an encourager to others and not a hindrance.  In your name Jesus- Amen.

Day by Day

Written by Eloise Speer

Submitted by Brenda Bailey

 

Jeremiah 18:4 “And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter: so he made it again another vessel, as seemed good to the potter to make it.”

 

            The Lord told Jeremiah to go to the potter’s house because He had a lesson He wanted him to learn or maybe a message for all Israel.  When Jeremiah went, he saw the marred vessel and how the potter took the clay and made it again into another vessel.  Can’t you just see the Prophet Jeremiah standing there watching the potter work the wheels?  Maybe Jeremiah could not see much wrong with the vessel the potter was looking over.  He might have thought, “That vessel will be all right.  It looks good to me.”  However, the potter’s eyes were searching that vessel inside and out; his hands could feel the slightest imperfection.  He knew the purpose the vessel was being made for, and if it had flaws in it, then it would not be fit for its intended use.

            Oh, this is such a wonderful lesson for us.  We are worthless as the lump of clay-just nothing.  Then the Master Potter takes us into His hands. The flaws in our life are not because of something the Potter has done or not done, but they are because of too much clay (too much self) or even too much water, making us slippery and where we won’t hold form.  We will be like the waves of the sea, unstable.  As the Potter looks us over, His all-seeing eyes will see every flaw.  He knows what our purpose in life is, and with any little flaws, He knows that we will not serve His purpose.  Let us not fret and complain when the Lord begins to put us on the potter’s wheel to remake us.  As the Lord said, it is foolish to think that the clay would argue with the potter.  He tells us to learn to be as clay in the potter’s hands.  Anything, Lord, you want me to be, I’ll be pleased to be.  Yes, anything, for what a wonderful privilege just to be in His hands.

 

Ecclesiastes 8:12 Though a sinner do evil an hundred times, and his days be prolonged, yet surely I know that it shall be well with them that fear God, which fear before him:

 

Lord I can’t even walk without You holding my hand.

 

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Difficulties in Our Lives

By Sister Lynne Conley

 

Scripture Text: Thou art my hiding place; thou shalt preserve me from trouble; thou shalt compass me about with songs of deliverance. Selah. (Psalm 32:7 KJV)

 

Mary and Martha were sisters who lived in town called Bethany. Jesus loved Martha, Mary and their brother, Lazarus. Jesus entered Martha’s house, and she welcomed him into her home. Martha was troubled about the meal she was preparing for her visitor. Mary was at the feet of Jesus instead of helping her sister prepare the meal for Jesus. Martha said to Jesus,’’ Don’t you care I have to make this meal by myself? Jesus, please enlighten my sister that I need help with the meal.” Jesus answered her, ‘’Martha, Martha; you are so worried and troubled over many things. Your sister, Mary, has chosen the best part which will not be taken away from her.” Does this really mean Jesus cared more for Mary than Martha? No, they both had something different and unique to give to Jesus. Martha needed to focus on loving her neighbor as herself and to be a servant of Jesus. Martha had a servant’s heart and wanted to be sure that Jesus was well fed. Mary was like a young child at the feet of Jesus; she didn’t want to miss one word Jesus was telling her. Mary and Martha’s brother Lazarus was not well. Both of them sent word to Jesus that Lazarus was very sick. Jesus risked his own life to go see about His friend’s sickness. By the time the disciples and Jesus arrived to see about Lazarus, he had been dead four days. Jesus finally came and Martha met him in the road. She began to tell Jesus, ‘’ Lord if you were here our brother wouldn’t have died.”  He began to tell her this,’’ Lazarus is just asleep; I will awake him up.”  Mary was in the house sitting so still. Martha plainly showed her great faith in Jesus. Martha confessed that Jesus was the resurrection, and it’s recorded in the scriptures this way, ‘’She saith unto him, Yea, Lord: I believe that thou art the Christ, the Son of God, which should come into the world” (John 11:27 KJV).   We all have distractions in our everyday lives. God’s people don’t always sing in the midst of trials. There are times that we have to have faith that God will see us through. Many times we have said “God where are you? What have I done to deserve this trial?”  We have to rehearse this in our minds; all my tomorrows must pass by the Lord before they come to me. Even through sicknesses, death, pain, trouble, heartache, God has to approve it before it comes to us.

 

Let us all remember in our prayers daily: All the many individuals suffering with all kinds of pain and heart aches. All the individuals with cancer, heart related problems, diabetes, mentally, physically, emotionally, and spiritually sick people everywhere. All those individuals that have the authority over our churches, our communities, our jobs, our government, our politicians, our leaders, homeless individuals, the many people who have lost their loves ones, all the elderly in the nursing homes, the shut ins… that each day that someone will give them all a kind word, and a phone call or a card in the mail from their children. Let’s not forget all the little children with cancer at St. Jude’s hospital, the trauma units, all those individual are in financial ruin. Our service men and women as they are in harm’s way, they are protecting our freedom.

 

 

 

 

Sunday School Reports

 

Kindergarten Class

Sister Lynne Conley

 

My class learned in the month of March.  There is only one God.

 

‘’Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD’’ Deuteronomy 6:4 (KJV)

 

Worshipping God can be fun and exciting, but, there is a quiet time that we talk to God.

 

My name is Sister Lynne, my close friends and family call me ‘’ Lenny’’ and you all call me the Bug Lady. I am the same person? They said yes, you are. ‘’Bug wady’.’   There isn’t three of me, there is just one of me. When we talked to God, We all may say God, or Lord, or Jesus, but we are only talking to one God. There is only one God. Some people pray to the sun, moon, stars, and statues.  A statue can’t heal your body! God also wants us to know we love Him, and we should love each other.  I asked the children to put their right hand over left shoulder and put your left hand over their right shoulder! I said, on your mark, get ready, get set, go… Squeeze really hard! ‘’ You just hugged yourself! God wants us all to know that every boy and girl is our neighbor… We should love them as much as we do ourselves… We give God hugs when we Praise, worship, giving offerings, going to church, reading the bible, loving other people.

 

Primary Class

Sister Larissa & Sister Darlene

 

As we go into the month of April the class will learn about the Power of Sowing and Reaping.

The scripture text this month is taken from James 1:22-24.

 “But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.    For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: For he behold himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was”.

 

The class will learn that we are to be doers of the word and not hearers only; our lesson tells us we must do something with God’s seed (His Word). We can hear it all day long but we must do something with it. When we listen to and obey God’s Word we are a “doer of the Word”.

The class is given activity/take home papers with stories that reinforce the Bible lesson each Sunday.