Monday Updates – June 11th, 2012

Good Morning Bethesda!

We had a good worship service yesterday including an opportunity to hear the mission work involved in by the Bunch family.  Please remember Elisabeth in prayer as she completes her training in Hannibal.  And please pray for the family who will leave for Minneapolis in another month.

Urgent Prayer Requests

• The Thrower & Notgrass family in the loss of their 16 month old son/grandson.
• The Bunch family, especially Elisabeth in Hannibal for another week
• Marilynn Norvell & her mother
• Pete & Brenda Koelling
• Brenda Koelling’s father who is ill.
• Cynthia Wordlaw, her mother and father suffering physically
• Cynthia’s sister Lois facing surgery for fibroid tumors
• Gene & Lois Schulze at home.
• Caroline, Anne Overton’s sister-in-law, fight with cancer.
• The Overtons as they search for a new church in Indiana.
• Our church and need for revival

Upcoming Activities

1. Business Meeting, Wednesday, 7pm.
2. Sunday School, Sunday, 9:15 a.m.
3. Worship Service, Sunday, 10:30 a.m. including the Lord’s Supper
4. Discipleship Training, Sunday, 5:00 p.m.

Some Words on Worship

Article 22: Of religious worship and the sabbath day (continued from last week)

1.  The light of nature shows that there is a God, who hath lordship and sovereignty over all; is just, good and doth good unto all; and is therefore to be feared, loved, praised, called upon, trusted in and served, with all the heart and all the soul and with all the might.  But the acceptable way of worshipping the true God is instituted by himself and so limited by his own revealed will, that he may not be worshipped according to the imagination and devices of men, nor the suggestions of Satan, under any visible representations, or any other way not prescribed in the Holy Scriptures.

2.  Religious worship is to be given to God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, and to him alone; not to angels, saints, or any other creatures, and since the Fall, not without a mediator, nor in the mediation of any other but Christ alone.

3.  Prayer, with thanksgiving, being one part of natural worship, is by God required of all men.  But that it may be accepted, it is to be made in the name of the Son, by the help of the Spirit, according to his will; with understanding, reverence, humility, fervency, faith, love and perseverance; and when with others, in a known tongue.

From the Second London Confession (also known as the 1689 Baptist Confession of Faith).

Pastor’s Postscripts

I am not and have never been a Roman Catholic and I put no stock into the many “feast days” that church celebrates.  However, I discovered that today, June 11, is St. Barnabas’ Feast Day.

While there is not Biblical ground to celebrate this saint of God, I think it is worthwhile to consider his involvement in the early church according to the New Testament.  So, why not do so today?!

• Barnabas means “son of exhortation” and that certainly was his character.
• He sold a field and gave the proceeds to the support of poor church members.
• “Good man, fully of the Holy Spirit, and of faith”.
• Spoke on behalf of the newly converted Paul.
• Helped the early church work in Antioch.
• Recruited Paul to help with the work there.
• Joined Paul on first mission trip to Asia Minor.
• Attended the Council in Jerusalem.
• Went with Mark, his cousin, on a mission trip.

Some Biblical scholars believe Barnabas was the author of the New Testament book known as “Hebrews”.  Whether true or not, there is no denying that this true saint of God was greatly used by the Lord in the early church.

May our Lord use us in His service as well!

Pastor Bruce
636-233-0645
TheSaxonHus@hotmail.com