with Carolyn Goff
Greetings from Deanburg. Sorry I missed last week. Hope every is well.
Our sincere condolences to Donald Hopper and his family. He has lost his Mother and brother in the last few weeks. Donald is a member of Bethel Baptist Church. Another Bethel member, Candace Woody, lost a sister in-law, Dianna Austein. Thelma King lost her Aunt Luneate Millis. Our prayers are with you all!
I just found out that Jimmy Ruth, who has been on all the community writer’s prayer lists for some time, passed away June 2. Our sincere condolences to his sister Ossie Mae Beshires and his brother Bobby Ruth.
Our prayer list: Kristen Carlton Jones, Tim Landers, Brianna Landers, Gary Hyatt, Woodie Deming, Samantha Mosier. Also, remember our military, law enforcement and first responders. What would we do without them?
Remember our great nation. Despite all that is going on, it is still the greatest nation in the world. Please pray every day that things will turn around and all the corruption and evil will be replaced by goodness and respect.
Belated birthdays: John Salango in June 10, Cathy McKinnie in June 11 and Linda Robertson on June 14. I hope you all had a great day celebrating another year!
We only have one this week, and it is Farley Guy on June 20. Have a good one!
“BE BOLD LIKE PAUL – ‘When they heard about the resurrection of the dead, some of them sneered, but others said, “We want to hear you again on this subject.” At that, Paul left the Council. Some of the people became followers of Paul and believed. Among them was Dionysius, a member of the Areopagus, also a woman named Damaris, and a number of others.’ Acts 17: 32-34
The apostle Paul was no stranger to criticism. And when it comes to the Gospel of Jesus Christ, some people just aren’t interested. Jesus warned that following Him would not be easy – in fact, we will often face criticism, insult and even persecution (Matthew 5:11) because of our faith. Some of you may have experienced this at work or among friends. Maybe it’s light teasing or public criticism for the way you live your life. Perhaps your views are seen as old fashioned, politically incorrect or irrelevant. How do you respond when others criticize your faith?
When Paul visited Greece, he spent time sharing with the intellectual elite of the day. After sharing the truth of Jesus, he issued a challenge: repent. In other words, Paul was saying to turn from their old ways of living, thinking, and believing and turn towards God.
Well, this challenge didn’t go over so well. It appears that the majority’s response was some serious eye rolling and mocking. However, there was a smaller group that wanted to know more. Even before mentioning the name of Jesus, this particular group was interested to see where this conversation would go. From this group came a much smaller group, those who embraced the truth and became believers.
So was Paul’s mission in Greece a failure? Are we a failure when we face sneers and mocking? Not at all. Paul, the most famous and successful missionary in the history of the Church, was successful because he remembered that we are all searching for something. From society’s elite to its humblest – we will never find true joy, peace, meaning and purpose until we come to trust in the one true God. So what will you do when your faith is criticized? Don’t let fear or rejection keep you silent. Be bold; be like Paul.”
Praise God in everything! God bless you all!
My number is 879-9777. Please call with any news, events, births, anniversaries and give me your family birthdays!
