By Joe Widick
Elaine and I were in East Tennessee during our recent vacation. It was a delightful time. We ate breakfast at a Cracker Barrel on the Saturday of Tennessee’s first football game. There was an air of cautious optimism. Will this be a year of improvement? What is the new coach going to do? Obviously things went exceptionally well during the first game (this article is not about why or an analysis of the game). We remained in East Tennessee the entire following week. Every radio station we listened to was delighted for the great improvement. They had one jingle that said you “need to get on the Lane Train.” We were still there on the following week when the bottom fell out and the Vols lost during the second week. I guess it is human nature to want to follow a winner. I guess there is high expectation on the collegiate level to win. As I listened this past week to all the comments about the second loss and the predicted loss to Florida, the fans were vicious. If it were my son who was the quarterback and he was being called everything that Tennessee’s quarterback was called, I would tell him to pack his bag and come home, it is just not worth it.
From time to time in the ministry of Jesus things became a little rocky. Jesus would be teaching or healing or simply doing good only to be accused of false matters by the scribes, Pharisees teachers of the law and elders. On one occasion Jesus was challenging the people about the “Bread of Life.” He was in Capernaum and it was said “This is a hard teaching, who can accept it?” The disciples get to the point that they too begin to grumble. They were the ones who were his closest and most loyal supporters; they were not the ones who were constantly accusing Him of one thing or another. John then records the words of Jesus; “This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless the Father has enabled him.” I wonder where I would stand after hearing that. Would I continue to be loyal to Christ or would I do as John said so many did; “From this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him.” Things were getting a little rocky for Jesus. He was going to hold on to the truth and teach it and live it. The challenge was becoming greater than they wanted to deal with.
Jesus then turns to the 12 and said; “You do not want to leave too, do you?” Peter replied; “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We believe and know that you are the Holy One of God.” I guess I need to rethink what I would have told my son. Maybe I would need to encourage him simply to hang in there and do his very best. Let each of us determine that when the road gets rocky we will stand firm on the rock of our salvation.
Prayer thought: Thank you Lord for lifting me up when things are difficult.
By Danielle Gray
Thia class meets every Monday night at 6 PM. These quilts are made to comfort the seriously ill. Please see Cynthia Cluck with any questions.
By Danielle Gray
Meets Tuesday’s from 7 – 9 PM at the church building. Call the church office for more information.
By Danielle Gray
When using the building for events, meetings, etc. please fill out a heating and cooling form from the office.
By Joe Widick
All blessing and honor, and glory and power be to the King of kings and Lord of lords! Once again receive greetings from the Cartagena Mission Team, and let us share some news about what has been going on in Cartagena.
Thanks to the Lord we are one step ahead in the bettering of the space for the children’s Sunday school area (an area that can also be used by the entire church in any other activity). We have challenged the church to make more of an effort in offerings so we can do this job. In the photo to the left you can see what we had before, and in the two photos below, what we have now. There is still a lot to be done for this to be finished. Please continue to pray so we can be able to finish this work for blessing of the church and for God’s glory.
The last Sunday of august, we started officially with the youth ministry in our congregation. The youth meetings are 4:30 p.m on Sundays. For our beginning, we had 5 young people that attended.
For this new month we have also started evangelizing a new area of the city. For now we have more than 10 new contacts for Bible study in this new area. Please, may your prayers also include them, so they may go through the entire course of the Bible, and decide to seek the Lord’s Kingdom.
In August there were more additions to our family. We had three souls that put on Christ in baptism. Two ladies (Enilda and Irinis) and one young man (Sergio). We ask your prayers for them, so they can be firm in the faith they have embraced.
My sister Saintelise (Elisa) is here with me again. She is a blessing for me to help me in some activities at home and the church work. Now she is singing in the praise minister group. Please your praise for her t oo.
Thank you for your constant support and prayers. The Lord’s Kingdom is going forward. God bless and keep you always!
In the love of Jesus:
Cartagena Mission Team
By Joe Widick
That peace of the Creator covering your lives and yours.
During the month of August we have seen the manifestation of God to the congregation of Calanterique. Despite the difficulties facing the country, God’s work progresses.
Ladies Meeting
For financial reasons and others, these meetings had been held, the nature of these is to gather all the sisters of the congregations of Siguatepeque. The time had already spent several months and no congregation took up the challenge. But for the last Saturday of the month, Calanterique sisters took the challenge and made the meeting. Carol my wife received much cooperation from the sisters to perform this.
Youth Meeting
As was usual, the second week of September was made the ” Young meeting Baxter” this was to bring together young people from many countries of America Central and teaching issues of youth. But for health reasons (flu H1N1) and security problems in Honduras this year will not realize.
Our young people were saddened by the news, but the congregation is supporting his brother Fernando, minister of youth has made youth a local meeting in Siguatepeque. Still we are looking for the place, because we want our young people feel comfortable and willing to participate throughout the program.
Meetings in Homes
On Wednesday night in each home of members of the congregation will study evangelistic meetings. Thank God provided at each session we receive two or more non-Christians to preach them.
Improvements to the building church
Since last year the project began to pave streets, as a city program to improve Siguatepeque. In this street stands the church building, and this has been to help our congregation this more accessible and central at the time.
Brothers Thank you for your friendship and support for the work in Siguatepeque. God continue to reap many benefits through your lives.
In Christ,
Juan and Carol Santamaria
By Danielle Gray
Agape has contracted with Maple Hill to provide counseling services in Lebanon. Diana Crawford, Licensed Clinical Social Worker, will be available at Maple Hill building on Mondays from 11:00 AM to 6:00 PM. Diana sees both children and adults. For more information, call 547-4244.
By Joe Widick
I recently received one of those “must see” emails. It was on YouTube and took about 3 minutes to watch. I am glad I took the time to see it. The setting was Antwerp, Belgium Central Train Station. The train station was filled with people who were moving about with their normal routine trying to catch a train, hurrying from point A to point B. Very typical of what most of us do. Over the loud speaker comes a very familiar song. It is Julie Andrews singing ‘Do, Re, Mi.’ as the song starts; people begin to look around to see what is happening. Then a man and young girl begin to dance to the music in the middle of the train station. Before the song is completed 200 dancers are in the middle of the train station happily dancing. It had all been staged! The 200 dancers had practiced twice. As unique as that was, the reaction of the travellers was even more spectacular. People stopped in the midst of their busy schedules to look. Some took out camera phones and were taking pictures. Others were smiling and swaying to the music. One father puts a child on his shoulders so he could see well. Others were talking on their cell phones (You won’t believe what I am seeing)! It was very much a happy time.
In my mind, I believe people want to be happy. I believe that there is so much trouble in our world that sometimes we forget to be happy, to smile, to slow down and enjoy life. We live in such a fast paced world and we say to ourselves I have so little time that I must press on. I wonder if in our fast paced lives that we show others our joy of being a Christian? Do people sense that there is an inner joy that we have, because we serve the creator and sustainer of life? On one occasion Jesus was speaking and he said; “…I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full” (John 10:10). Is that how you feel about your life? Your Christian life? I believe one of the things that will make a difference in this old world is to show to the world the joy we have of being one of his children, of having this full abundant life. Think about it the next time you are out with friends or family. What do people see in you? Do you have a contagious spirit that says to others stop look and listen, life is good, life is precious and we need to treasure our time. When you pass someone in a hallway or in a parking lot, or wherever, look at them and give them a smile maybe even say hello. Maybe, just maybe, we will be able to make a difference. If you are interested in looking at this video go to; http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7EYAUazLI9k as you watch it put a smile on your face. As a matter of fact, put a smile on each and every day. God loves you.
By Joe Widick
I recently read a story of a man who told his minister that his oldest brother had passed away six weeks ago. The minister expressed his surprise as well as regret in not knowing about it. The minister wanted to make sure he received all the details so he could have it announced in the church paper. It was at that point that the man said; “We never had it announced in any way. He cared about nobody and nobody cared about him.” When I read this brief story, I was shocked that someone felt this way even about his on brother. It seemed to me that someone would have cared about him or wanted to be of assistance at a time like this. I stumbled across a story in the Bible that opened my eyes to the fact that this does happen and as it happens it is a legacy to the type of life that had been lived.
In II Chronicles 21 we read about a man, King Jehoram. His name is not well known by most of us. The Bible talks about the fact that in his reign he killed all of his brothers and other potential rivals. It was during this time that he let the nation in the worship of false gods. It finally gets to the point that God sends the prophet Elijah to deliver a letter to Jehoram. In short the letter tells Jehoram that he will lose all of his kingdom, family and possessions. He will then be struck with a terrible disease that will cause great pain. This disease will be a “lingering” disease. Then in verse 20 we have this sad commentary on his life. “He passed away, to no one’s regret and was buried” If there was to be an epitaph for his life, it would be found in vs. 6; “He did evil in the sight of the Lord”
It seems to make sense that each of us needs to remember the extent to which we care about our relationships—both with God and the people He has put in our lives. Our relationship with God as well as others will be a determining factor in how much we will be missed. If we keep this in mind and live to please God and show love to others, we’ll be missed when we depart this earthly scene.
Think back over the past several years of individuals you know who are no longer with us. Think of their life and how they conducted themselves. Do you find qualities of life that are worthy of imitation, or do you find qualities of life that need to be shunned. Are we following the same paths of destruction or are we following the righteous example of those who have gone on before us. A poet once said “Make others happy wherever you go, not whenever you go.”
Prayer Thought: Help me to live a life that will be remembered for the service to others that I was able to accomplish.
