Bulletin Articles

By Clifton Angel

Jesus said, “Blessed are they that mnourn, for they shall be
comforted” (Matt 5:4). The late V.P. Black organized mourning
into three categories: natural, unnatural, and godly.

Natural mourning is the result of suffering in this world of
decay: “As by one man sin entered into the world, and death by
sin; and so death passed upon all men” (Rom 5:12). Many may
assume Jesus is speaking of natural mourning at Matthew 5:4.

Truly God is the God of all comfort (2 Cor 1:34) and He knows
and cares about our natural mourning (cf. 1 Cor 10:13; Rev 21:4):
however, at Matthew 5:4, Jesus is not speaking of natural
mourning.

Unnatural mourning includes worldly sorrow, ungodly fear,
and unnecessary guilt. Worldly sorrow is insincere and selfish. If
not repented of, it leads to spiritual death (2 Cor 7:10). It is the
person who is only sorry because he got caught. Ungodly fear is
deceptive, futile, and destructive (cf. Matt 6:25-34; Phil 4:4 9;2
Tim 1:7: Rev 21:8). Unnecessary guilt happens when we will not
forgíve ourselves for something for which we’ve already been
forgíven (cf. 1 John 1:7-9; 3:20). Certainly, it is not unnatural
mourning Jesus is speaking of at Matthew 5:4.

Godly mourning is the result of an honest heart recognizing sin
and the consequences of it (2 Cor. 7:10; Rom. 6:23). It is
connected to being “poor in spirit,” since the person who is poor
in spirit recognizes he is in need when he sins, and he is nothing
without God. King David’s godly mourning is evident in the
words of Psalm 51: “Have mercy upon me, O God, according to
thy lovingkindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender
mercies blot out my transgressions. Wash me throughly from
mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. For I acknowledge
my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me” (Psalm 51:1-3)

What does it mean to be among them that mourn? 
It is the grief felt and expressed over the acknowledgement of
one’s sin and its consequences. The blessing is that with
proper direction, this soul will be comforted. “Come unto me,
all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take
my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and
lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For
my yoke is easy. and my burden is light” (Matt. 11:28-30).

Joseph D.Chase by Via Bulletin Gold

It really is up to you! You can see the myriad of
problems that plague us in this world and worry about
them. You can complain about them, You could curse
them or many other actions. However, there is only one
way that we, God’s family, ought to respond to these
troubles…

God has given us the opportunity to shine our lights
before men and so glorify the God of heaven (Matthew
5:16). I can decide to work for the Lord and right
wrongs that I see, lift up the broken and hurting. I can
become a part of God’s solution for a lost and dying
world..”Go out and make disciples…”, visit the poor,
the widowed, the orphan (James 1:27), offer a simple
cup of cool water in the name of our Lord Jesus. When
we do the Lord’s work it makes the world a better place.
We bless and are blessed when we view problems as
opportunities.

It won’t be easy, but I assure you it will be worthwhile.

Joe Slater Via Bulletin Gold

The Lone Ranger Perry Mason – Superman. When you
watched those old black-and-white TV shows, you knew all
along that by the time the credits rolled the bad guys would be
defeated, the good guys would be vindicated, and justice would
prevail. No matter how hopeless it looked, the Lone Ranger and
Tonto would arrest the bandits, Perry Mason would prove his
client innocent, and Superman would confound the crooks.
Real life doesn’t quite match a thirty-minute drama, or even a
sixty-minute one, does it? Innocent people get railroaded!
Criminals remain free! Might makes right! Whatever shall we do
about life’s inequities?

First, make certain you aren’t the perpetrator of evil. “Let none
of you suffer as a murderer, a thief, an evildoer:, or as a busybody
in other people’s matters” (1 Peter 4:15).

Second, when you suffer despite being innocent, take it
patiently as a way to glorify God. That goes double if being a
Christian is the cause of the abuse (1 Peter 4:16). Jesus suffered
infinitely more than you ever will, and He was 100% innocent.
You shouldn’t expect to be treated better than He was.

Finally, rest assured that justice really will prevail in the final
analysis. It will take longer than thirty or sixty minutes. In fact,
it may not happen in your lifetime! But, as the old song says,
“There’s a great day coming by and by.” We might prefer to see
all the accounts settled now. Since God’s wisdom eclipses ours,
however, we will do well to “run with endurance the race that is
set before us” (Hebrews 12:10).

Rob Redden via Bulletin Gold

For you once were not a people, but now you are the people
of God: you had net received mercy, but now you have
received mercy”. (1 Peter 2:10 NAS)

The Jews looked down on the Gentiles, the Gentiles loathed
the Jews and the Pharisees despised the Jewish common folk.
There was plenty of loathing back then as there is today. But the
Lord makes a difference, changing self-loathing people into
valued souls. Jesus died for sinners.

The Broadway musical Man of LaMancha, with its theme
song. To Dream the Impossible Dream,” featured a ridiculous
knight named Don Quixote. He rides through the Spanish
countryside mistaking windmills for giants During his
adventures he meets a cheap woman in a tavern. Any man can
have this woman for one night, but no man wants her for life.
Then Don Quixote rides into town. The people treat her like dirt.
But Don Quixote bows before her as though she were a queen.
She puts herself down, but he lifts her up. When she finally is
convinced that he really believes in her, she begins to believe in
herself. She found a friend who says she is priceless even when
she feels worthless.

This story was told several times at a Marriage Encounter
seminar Linda and I attended many years ago; it has left an
indelible impression on us. We are here to help others to see themselves
as lovable souls and give them hope. We may make a difference in the
lives of those who sadly see themselves as losers.

Christian, let’s look past the veneer and see how damaged a
precious soul is because of his or her past, and see that just a
caring, loving helping hand may change a soul’s life for the Lord.

All Posted

By Dan C. Bailey Via Bulletin Gold

When Jesus was upon the rugged cross of Calvary, He
prayed for those who were responsible for His
crucifixion saying, “Father, forgive them; for they know
not what they do..” (Luke 23:34). The prayer came
forth from the only sinlessly perfect man to ever live. It
was prayed from a heart of love and spoken without
malice. Yes, my friend, Jesus loved their souls and was
concerned about their forgiveness.

On the first Pentecost after the resurrection of Christ,
Peter told many of the same crowd to “Repent, and be
baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ
for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of
the Holy Ghost” (Acts 2:38). “Then they that gladly
received his word were baptized: and the same day there
were added unto them about three thousand souls” (Acts
2:41).

Yes, Jesus prayed for their forgiveness and His
prayer was answered when the people repented of their
sins and were baptized into Jesus Christ. Let us never
forget that forgiveness involves not only our Lord, but
also ourselves. Jesus wants us to be forgiven just as
much as ever. The only question is, are we willing to
obey Him in all things? “He that believeth and is
baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall
be damned” (Mark 16:16). “If ye love me, keep my
commandments” (John 14:15).

By Joe Slater Via Bulletin Gold

Does God give you chances, or does He provide
opportunities? We sometimes treat those words as
synonyms, but their meanings are quite different! Chance
indicates something random, uncertain, even accidental -a
roll of the dice, as it were. You have no way to influence the
outcome. Opportunity, by contrast, implies that you play
a role in choosing a course of action. You may choose
wisely or foolishly, but it remains your choice. It is neither
random nor accidental.

Some things do, indeed, happen by chance. Solomon
wrote by inspiration, “Time and chance happen to them all”
(Ecclesiastes 9:11). Sometimes our plans don’t work out no
matter what we do. We didn’t plan to become ill or be laid
off from work, but it happened. Such is life.

But not everything is subject to chance. God can and does
provide opportunities. Paul urged the Galatians to do good
to all” as they had opportunity (Galatians 6:10). He
understood when material support from the church at
Philippi was delayed: “You surely did care, but you lacked
opportunity” (Philippians 4:10).

Our salvation depends not on chance, but on how we use
the opportunity God has provided in Christ. Acts 14:27
refers to it as God opening “the door of faith.” As one
chooses whether to walk through an open door, so we
choose whether to trust Jesus and obey His gospel. This is
neither random nor accidental.

Your eternal destiny depends not on chance, but on what
you choose to do with the opportunities God has given to
you.

By Jeff Arnette Via Bulletin Gold

Can you believe we’re already halfway through the year? It seems
like just yesterday we were celebrating New Years Eve and now, here
we are, six months later. As we move into the second half of our year,
I want to take a moment to reflect on where we’ve been and look
ahead to where we’re going.

The first half of the year has been a journey for all of us. We’ve had
our ups and downs, faced huge challenges, and celebrated victories.
Through it all, we’ve grown together as a church family. Each Sunday,
we gather to worship, learn, and support one another. It’s a beautiful
thing to see how our faith community has strengthened and
deepened.

But as we move forward, I want to challenge each of us to think
about how we can share this journey with others. There are so many
people in our lives-friends, family, coworkers-who might be looking
for the very thing we’ve found here: a place to belong, a place to grow,
and a place to find hope.

Inviting someone to church can feel daunting. We worry about
being rejected or making things awkward. ButI want to encourage
you to see it as an act of love. When we invite someone to church,
we’re not just inviting them to a building or a service; we’re inviting
them to experience the love of God and the support of a community
that cares.

Here are a few simple ways to extend that invitation:

1. Be Genuine: Share why church is important to you. Your personal
story can be powerful and relatable.

2. Be Casual: Sometimes a simple, “Hey, want to join me for church
this Sunday?” is all it takes. No need to overthink it.

3. Be Persistent: If they say no the first time, don’t be discouraged.
Keep the invitation open and let them know they’re always welcome.

4. Be Supportive: Offer to go with them, sit with them, and introduce
them to others, Sometimes, the fear of the unknown can be the biggest barrier.

As we journey through the rest of this year, let’s make it a priority
to reach out and invite others to join us. There’s no better time than
now to extend the love and grace we’ve found to those around us.

Let’s fill the second half of 2024 with new faces and new friends, all
growing together in faith. Remember, it’s not about growing the
numbers-it’s about growing the Kingdom and sharing the incredible
gift of God’s love.

By Clifton Angel Via Bulletin Gold

From 1980 to 2001 (and now brought back in 2023), the popular
recruiting slogan has been used to positively encourage that it is only
in the United States Army that you can “Be All You Can Be.” While
the U.S. Army is pertinent to our nation, it is not the army where one
truly can reach his fullest capacity. Rather, the Lord’s Army is the only
place where you truly can “Be All You Can Be.”

First, it is only in the Lord’s Army that the Captain of the Host is
perfect (cf. Josh 5:14; Heb 2:10). He’s been through the drills; He’s
passed every test. He has experienced every temptation that His
soldiers can experience, and yet remained without error through it all.
He “was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin” (Heb 4:15).

Furthermore, it is only in the Lord’s Amy that the Captain of the
Host has all power. No doubt, captains in the U.S. Army have great
authority and ability, but they do not have complete authority and
ability. In the Lord’s Army, the Captain has ALLL power. He is on
record as saying to some of his soldiers, “All power is given unto me
in heaven and in earth” (Matt 28:18). For this reason, Paul wrote,
“Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his
might. Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand
against the wiles of the devil” (Eph 6:10-11).

Finally, it is pertinent that we understand that it is only in the Lord’s
Army that the Captain of the Host offers ultimate protection. The U.S.
Army is strong, but protection lacks in comparison to the Lord’s Army.
Even with the great strength of the U.S. Army, the faithful soldier can
lose and the entire nation can lose. Such is not so in the Lord’s Army.
For, He is the Captain of our eternal salvation from sin (Heb 2:10), and
He has guaranteed victory for the faithful soldier: To him that
Overcometh will I grant to sit with me in mny throne, even as I also
Overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne” (Rev 3:21).

Faith, repentance, confession, and baptism for remission of sins grants
you an entrance into the Lord’s Army. Are you in His Army? If yes, are you
endeavoring to “Be All You Can Be”? “Whatsoever ye do in word
or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God
and the Father by him” (Col 3:17). As we sing, “I may never march
in the infantry, ride in the cavalry, shoot the artillery; I may never fly
over the enemy, but I’m in the Lord’s Army.”