Mars Hill Baptist Church

Independence Day, the Fourth of July, The Fourth or July 4: Whatever you choose to call it, it’s a truly American holiday. To the rest of the world, it’s just another day. In America, we celebrate our God-given freedom, fought for by heroes of yesteryear and still fighting today. Maintaining our freedom is not free; it comes with a price, paid by our military men and women and their families. Thank a soldier today for your freedom. God bless the USA!

Bro. William Short took the message this week from Matthew 12:25, 30-33: A kingdom or country divided against itself cannot stand; it will be brought to ruin. A city cannot stand divided, nor can a marriage survive with husband and wife against each other. Verse 30 says: “He who is not with me is against me, and he who does not gather with me scatters abroad.” So says the word of God.

This great country of ours is divided today on many issues, one of them being same-sex marriage. The word of God calls it an abomination. Clearly, it’s against the teachings of God. Read again: “He who is not with me is against me.” Figure it out for yourself; it’s not rocket science. You are born male or female. I have never heard of a doctor delivering a baby and saying, “Well, I don’t know which this one is, we’ll have to wait a few years to see which way it goes.” No, you are male or female at birth, after that, the choice of how you live your life is yours. Choose God, and his way.

Verse 31 tells us that every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven, but the blasphemy against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven. What is blasphemy against the Holy Spirit? It is defined as continually attributing the work of the Holy Spirit to Satan in full knowledge that the work is God’s. All sin can and will be forgiven when there is genuine repentance. Even blasphemy or profaning God’s name in some way can be forgiven when God’s forgiveness is sought. Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit gives to Satan what is clearly God’s, and cannot ever be forgiven. Be careful of what you say, always give to God the honor, glory and praise he is due.

Verse 33: “Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or else make the tree bad and its fruit bad, for a tree is known by its fruit.” Live your life in such a way, Christians, that the world won’t have to guess that you are, or are not, a child of God. Be either in or out, for or against him, bear good fruit or bad fruit. We all sin and fall short of the mark at some time or another; the trick is to get on your knees, repent of your sins and get going again for God. The day is rapidly approaching when the choice to belong to God will be taken away. Jesus is coming again; it could be today. Just going to church won’t make you a Christian. Because your mom and dad are Christians doesn’t mean that you are. Ask God into your heart today. Get ready now; tomorrow may be too late.

If you stand for Jesus, when the devil attacks, he sees Jesus, not you, and his poison arrows won’t pierce your soul. The armor of God deflects Satan’s attacks. The devil cannot defeat Jesus. It’s in the book; read it, my friend. Walk with Jesus, not behind him and not in front of him, but with him day by day. God always knows what he is doing, even if we can’t see clearly where the road is going, God can. Stand for Jesus and what is right; don’t back away.

Please pray for our church, our pastor and his family, the sick, the lost, the hurting, our country, our government and our military men and women. God is good, all the time. Amen.

Jackson Chapel Church

Bro. Gary Fant got the morning service started off with “Standing On The Promises” and “Victory In Jesus.” During prayer time, the Holy Spirit made his presence known and people began to come to the altar to pray. If you missed the service, you truly missed an awesome move of the Holy Spirit.

The youth were in charge of the Sunday evening service. Faith Castleberry and Juli Solis got the evening service started off with “He Set Me Free” and “There’s Power In the Blood.” Hannah Burnett was in charge of the military honors and Luke Wilson blessed us with “Amazing Grace.” Faith Castleberry and Juli Solis blessed us with “I’ll Fly Away.” Several of our youth presented a puppet skit titled “Watch and Pray.”

Happy Birthday to Dawson Caudle. Happy Anniversary to Dewayne and Janet Castleberry.

Please remember these as you pray this week: Janie Smitherman, Wanda Chadwick’s dad, Tommy Matthews, Zoey Sturgess, Bobby Smitherman, Calvin Martin, Janice Williams, our lost loved ones and our service men and women.