Calvary Independent Baptist Church

We want to say a special thanks to the Clanton Advertiser for their commitment to serving Chilton County with continued coverage of the local church news. We also want to thank everyone who attended services this past week.

Sunday morning’s service included a message from John 12:12-19 titled “The Things That Are Written.” By the word of God, we know who Jesus Christ is, and we also know that he had a triumphant entry into Jerusalem over 2000 years ago. Today, we also know that the Lord Jesus Christ can have a triumphant entry into anyone’s life who will choose to believe on him by trusting in the gospel of Christ unto salvation.

We hope you are in a right relationship with Christ and are looking forward to a very merry Christmas full of peace and good will toward all.

Sunday night’s service included a message from Luke 2:1-18 on the birth of Christ, looking at “The First Christmas Message from the Shepherds Point of View.” The gospel of God relates to us the deity and purpose of God in Christ. Who Jesus Christ is needs to be understood before one can fully trust in the gospel of Christ for salvation, that his death, burial and resurrection have been accepted as the propitiation for our sins.

We want to invite you to be a part of services at Calvary this coming Sunday. Sunday morning, we will have a Christmas cantata with communion service afterward. Sunday night, we will have our monthly family night, so after service upstairs, we will have breakfast downstairs. We hope you will consider joining us for these two special services. We will also hold service downstairs at 6:30 p.m. on Dec. 25. Come out and help us praise and honor our great God and Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.

Visit our website at www.cibc-clanton.com to add prayer request, check our events calendar, latest news, listen to or download sermons or email our pastors. For more information by phone, call Pastor Oscar Mims at (205) 755-9399.

Cedar Grove Church

There is power in the name of Jesus.

Pastor Bro. Jeff Carroll’s text came from Mathew 1:17-25 titled “The Whole Story of Christmas: Part Two.”

So all the generations from Abraham to David are 14, from David to Babylonian captivity are 14, from Babylonian captivity to the Christ are 14, equaling a total of 42 generations and letting us know beyond a shadow of a doubt that our time is not God’s time.

Now the birth of Jesus was as follows: After his mother, Mary, was betrothed to Joseph, and before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Spirit. Then Joseph, her husband, being a just man and not wanting to make her a public example, was minded to put her away secretly. But while he thought about these things, behold an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. And she will bring forth a son and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.”

So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying, “Behold, the virgin shall be with child and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel, which is translated “God with us.” Then Joseph, being aroused from sleep did as the angel of the Lord commanded him and took to him his wife.

Wow, talk about faith! This to me is the most amazing show of one’s faith in God. How many blessings do we miss by not having faith enough to obey God in times of trouble or a dilemma like Joseph found himself in?

Wise men still seek him. It is foolish indeed to try to live a life without Christ. So many are being deceived, accepting what the world has to offer and not accepting Christ as their Savior. Public worship of Jesus Christ is becoming less and less favorable. Beware, because the wisdom of this world will never overcome the wisdom of God, and so many will miss the mark by choosing not to follow Christ. I urge you to be careful of the devil. He is a liar. He wants to steal your joy of living for Christ and having a personal relationship with Christ. He will laugh at you all the way to hell.

Love to all. Christ is Christmas, no matter who denies it, but be warned: if you deny Christ now, he will deny you on the Day of Judgment. Have a blessed week!

Announcements: Friday night prayer service is held a 7 p.m.

Prayer concerns: Kailee Nelson, Jean Varden, Mary McGuire, Janet Wyatt, Sharon Gothard and family, Renee Cleckley, spoken and unspoken requests.