Bethany Baptist Church

Sunday services began with the hymn “When I See the Blood” and a devotion, “Proclaim the Risen Savior,” from Acts 4:10-12. Jesus Christ was the stone, which became the head of the corner. The builders were the Israelites. There is no salvation in any other than Jesus Christ, the perfect sacrifice who intercedes on our behlaf. Bro. Aubry led in prayer before going to Sunday school.

We then sang, “He Is Worthy,” “Sweet, Sweet Spirit” and “It Is Well With My Soul.” Aubry announced the VBS meeting. Laney Nicole Vines was welcomed to our church, after which we sang “Because He Lives.”

Bro Aubry’s message, “Jesus Christ, The Same Yesterday, Today and Forever,” was from Hebrews 13:8. We as humans do not like change. There are many changes we face every day, some good and some not good, but that is life. The only thing we can be certain will never change is Jesus Christ. There is only one way we can ever have peace in this life and that is through Jesus Christ. Jesus is powerful because he is God, eternal and the creator. Jesus was powerful in his death and resurrection.

Bro. Aubry had to stop his message due to severe allergies, but picked up in the evening service where he stopped. We were dismissed with a prayer, a hymn and a dismissal prayer.

In the evening service, we sang “Amazing Grace” before Bro. Aubry continued his message “Jesus Christ, The Same Yesterday, Today and Forever.” Jesus, in Isaiah 9:6, is called the Mighty God. He has the power to heal the sick, stop storms and raise the dead. He no longer raises the dead as he did while on earth, but in the resurrection, we will all be raised from the dead. Jesus had power to die for our sins, rise from the grave and ascend into heaven. He is as powerful today as in the past (Ephesians 1:19-21).

Everything in this life isn’t always God’s will, but he allows us to make choices. Jesus (God) answers prayer. Jesus said, “Whatsoever ye ask in my name” according to his will, he will give us. Jesus is powerful throughout eternity. One day he is coming to take his children to live forever in heaven.

Not only is Jesus powerful, but he also pardons us. Before God created man, he knew man would sin (1 Peter 1:18-21). He planned ahead for us to escape eternal punishment in hell, the lake of fire (Romans 5:6-8). Even though we sin after being saved, Jesus will forgive us our sins if we will only ask (1 John 1:7-9). By one offering he perfected forever them who are sanctified. Jesus is also always present, and being God, he has been present forever. God could not die for our sins until he became a man (John 14:16-18) and we are never alone (1 Thessalonians).

We were dismissed in prayer, sang the hymn “Blest Be the Tie” and had a dismissal prayer. Our prayer list includes: Our church, Bro. Aubry, Shirley, Kurt Wallace’s daughter, missionaries, Bro. Paul and Amy Armstrong and their family, Chris Knight, Glenda Wallace, Larry Miller, Lisa Rodriguez, Glen, Michelle, Laney, Billie, Jackie, Elwyn, Grace, Jeanette, J.C. and the unsaved.

Mars Hill Baptist Church

When you are tired, feeling lonely, depressed, sick at heart, where do you go? How do you handle these feelings? Try Jesus, he is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow. Jesus is better than any pill we could take, better than any doctor we may see, better than the shoulder of any friend we have. We may not know what our future holds from one hour till the next, but when you know Jesus, you know that he will be there with you. He has promised never to leave us nor forsake us. This is a promise that he cannot break, friend. God cannot lie and he cannot break his promise. Put your trust in God alone. You will find that when you do this, you are happy, happy, happy all the time, regardless of your circumstances. The joy of his salvation is like no other kind of joy you will ever experience.

Bro. William Short’s message this week came from Isaiah 62:11-12 “Indeed the Lord has proclaimed to the end of the world; say to the daughter of Zion, “Surely your salvation is coming; behold his reward is with him, and his work before him. And they shall call them The Holy People, the redeemed of the Lord; and you shall be called sought out, a city not forsaken.”

God is still looking for someone to follow him, someone who believes the truth of the Bible and is not ashamed to tell others. He will be searching for these followers until the time of Jesus return, until the end of the world. Could you be one of these followers? You can if you ask Jesus into your heart and accept that he is the Son of God. We are redeemed through the blood of Christ. We become the holy people when we are saved, though we are not a perfect people. We mess up and fall short of the glory of God, but he is always there to forgive and pick us back up. Knowing this should make us joyful in heart, soul, mind and body.

Wake up America! Stop believing everything you hear. Look to the Bible for the truth. If something was wrong 10 or 20 years ago, it is still wrong today. Society may try to sugar coat sin, saying things like, “Everybody else is doing it,” “ It is not so bad,” or “Go ahead and live with him or her if that’s what you need to do.” Sin is sin; there are no big sins or little sins. Homosexuality was a sin in Bible times, and it is still a sin today. Infidelity in marriage was a sin yesterday and it is still a sin today. Lying, cheating and stealing are still sins. Murder is most definitely a sin, but so is gossiping, backbiting and backsliding. Have you recognized your sins yet? Well, keep looking, inside your heart, they may not be printed here, but the Bible tells us that all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. No one is perfect. If you know someone who won’t attend church because there are sinners that attend, just tell them there is always room for one more! Saved people don’t go to church because they are perfect; they go to church because they are not perfect. Amen.

Saved people should give their best to Jesus, the one who gave his all for us. There is something for everyone to do, no matter what it is. Your body may be older, unable to do things you once did, but the church of Jesus offers opportunities for everyone, no matter the age or the condition. You still have a mind and a mouth, use them for Jesus. We have a precious lady at Mars Hill that is in a wheelchair, and she attends church more regularly than some who have no physical limitations. Attend church to worship God in truth, not to gossip or to see who was wearing what, or whether the preacher shook his hand. You know what I’m saying here. If you come for any reason except to worship God, you will probably leave church in the same condition that you came in: unfulfilled, unhappy with yourself and making those around you unhappy as well. Jesus deserves better than that attitude; he deserves our time, our love and our faithfulness to him—indeed our all. Why not give Jesus what he deserves? The end result for you will be a better life, full of love and joy.

No one can repent for the sins of another. Mom and Dad can’t save your soul, nor can any preacher, only Jesus can do that. John the Baptist had one message that he preached daily: “Repent or perish!” Jesus had the same message, and so did Paul. So should we be telling the world, “Repent or perish!” It is the one thing that Jesus requires of his holy people, the sought out, to share his message of love, hope, and heaven with a lost and dying world. He is still fishing for lost souls today just as he did on the Sea of Galilee so many years ago. Won’t you be a fisher of men, telling the lost of Jesus and his love? Your reward will be great. It is the retirement plan that never runs out of funds, an investment that will keep on giving. Amen.

We praise God for three more members of our church this week, some new friends and some returning old friends. We love you all!

We will have baptism on Sunday, March 2 at 11 a.m. On Saturday, March 1, at 6 p.m., we will hold the Senior Citizen Supper and Show. Please attend and bring a friend. You are sure to be entertained!

Saturday, March 15, our children will be going to Tropical Bouncers in Clanton. Please see Hailey or Brook for more information.

Our WMU prayer chain is asking for anyone who wants to be part of this group to sign up or see Pauline.

Sunday night, March 2, at 5 p.m., our pastor and Ms. Cindy will be starting a new class for any adult to attend. It is sure to be great!

Please continue to pray for our church, our pastor, his family, the sick, the lost, the hurting, our children, our schools, our troops and our government. God is good, all the time! Amen.