Preparing for the Tribulation

Kent,

 

You asked, "How can ministers go about preparing their people" for tribulation to come? 

 

It was said of Jesus that "for the joy that was set before him he endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God" (Heb. 12:2).  Earlier it was said of him, "this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God; from henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool" (10:12, 13).  He has died for us.  He has gone away for a time to be our Mediator.  We are expecting that he shall come at God's set time to be King over the world.

 

I say [we can prepare ourselves and our people] by planting deep in their minds and hearts the HOPE OF THE KINGDOM.  We need to teach them as much as the Record tells about that age to come.  THEN, they, like Jesus, can endure the cross we are called to carry.  Remember, that the cross is an instrument of death, not just a difficult burden and we need to instill in our people that example of bygone martyrs: "Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night.  And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and the loved not their lives unto the death" (Rev. 12:10, 11).  "Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth:  Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labors; and their works do follow them" (Rev. 14:13).  There has been much tribulation past; there will be some in the future as the "souls under the altar" were told (Rev. 6:11).  We must prepare ourselves and our people for it.

 

Sureness of hope gives us peace and joy now, and even in the face of death gives also strength for endurance.  Romans 5:1-5 is a vital passage in this regard. 

– In that hope, Arlen Rankin / afrankin@verizon.net

 

 

 

DAVID & MEGAN FREDERICK sent an e-mail saying the new baby boy is about 2 weeks from being born and Hannah is excited about getting a brother.  They wrote, “We'll let you know when there's news to report.  Please tell everyone we say hi!”  Thanks for your prayers!    - David, Megan, Hannah, & Baby, 1-21-07

 

GREETINGS: I hope to come see you all soon.  I want it to be on a week that Phil is off work.  Tell everyone we all said "hello".

– God bless, Susan May and family

 

COMMUNION DEACONESSES for next Sunday will be Dorothy Robertson and Marge Reed.

 

He declares his word to Jacob, his statutes and ordinances to Israel. 

He has not dealt thus with any other nation;  they do not know his ordinances. Praise the LORD!

Ps. 147:19, 20nrsv 

 

DAVID CHEATWOOD: Pastors, I just received a call from Dennis Cheatwood that David was being taken by ambulance to a hospital in Indy [Indianapolis IN] with a serious blood clot in his leg and possibly several in his lungs.   He had knee surgery last week as you recall.   - Pastor Michael Hoffman, Oregon IL / Jan. 22, ‘07

 

1-23-07: Dad was moved to ICU early this morning. The clots were bigger than the first medical team believed, and it appears that some of that has moved to his lungs.  Jon Cheatwood

 

1-24-07:  He’s back in his room / clots are dissolving.

 

                NOTES would reach David: 2984 East Third St / West Lebanon IN 47991.  David & Wanda pastored here in mid 70s.

 

SUPERBOWL COACHES (Excerpt from our Pastor’s list):  “Indianapolis has been a lot of fun this week and last night was no exception!!!  I have been impressed with Tony Dungy and Peyton Manning in their remarks.  Manning speaking about praying during the game and Dungy has been a real promoter of Christian values.  Today when asked about being one of the first African Americans to take a team to the Super Bowl he expressed great joy in it and yes it was a goal he wanted to achieve and he was proud to do it with Lovie (interesting name) because they shared the same values of moral conduct, clean language and encouraging their players and that winning at all cost was not the idea.    He made a statement that the demonstration of their faith and Christianity was as important as anything else for the world to see.   I was really pleased to hear it.   I am sure if you can find his statements on line it reads better then my trying to sum it up.” 

– Pastor Mark Tschaenn / Jan. 22

 

Your Sunday School Staff Met Jan. 21^st And …

·   Voted to observe March Mission’s Month / Using Vortex

·   Appreciation was expressed for Christmas Program & Agape work at Emerald Ridge Christmas Program

·   Treasury Balance is $1263.73

·   Discussed Andy & Barney S.S. Series / Begins Today

·   Discussed Easter / Men Are In Charge of Breakfast This Year

·   March 18 / Annual All-Church Outing / Mongolian Buffet

·   April 8 / Easter (8am Sunrise / 9am Breakfast / 10am Worship)

·   June 3 / Graduation Social & Bridal Shower for Dan & Rachel

·   June 10-15 / State Youth Camp at Higher Ground, St Paris Ohio

·   July 15-20 / National Camp in Indiana

·   August 26 / Annual S.S. Picnic

·   September 16, 2007 / Next S.S. Meeting

·  Fourteen Present at This Meeting

 

PRAY FOR: David Cheatwood, Bob Knebl (heart, by R Cain),Amy Gunselman (cancer, 30, 2 children / by R Phillis), Cathy Panyard (untimely death of husband / by K Cain), Evelyn Pennington, Katie Cramer (chemo), Pastor Ray Hall (chemo), Ralph & Iona Childs, Ruby Korode, Penny Frederick, Lucinda (by Szekely), Gene & Gloria Faehnrich, Edith Speer, Grady Hudspeth*, Jacob Hinton*, Kathy & Destiny Reed*, (*by Skip), W.C. & Craig Blank­en­ship, College students: Jackie Schuld, Dan Cain, Rachel Cunningham, Shut-ins: David Onderdonk Sr., Helen Matthews, Military: Rodger Schuld, Those serving in other countries: Lupe Badillo-Mexico, Tracy Zhykhovich-Russia, Beder Ucañay-Peru, Pastors in Malawi &  Mozambique, Lesly Bertrand and the Pastors in Haiti. Colleges / Churches: RRCC, ABC, Golden Rule, Grace Breth­ren and for the peace of Je­ru­sa­lem, Ps. 122:6; Isa. 62:6,7

 

January 2007

28        Andy Griffith movie in S.S. / Rachel Weaver leading

February 2007

23        Ethel Sherman’s 101^st Birthday

 

Future Dates: Feb 23, Ethel Sherman’s 101 B-day / Mar 18, Ch Outing / Apr 8, Easter / Jun 3, Grad Social & Bridal Shower Social / Jun 10-15 State Camp / July 15-20 National Camp / July 22, D. Onderdonk;’s Sr 100^th B-day / Aug 26, Annual SS Picnic

 

Welcome / Announcements

Worship Hymns / Mark Cain

498 What If It Were Today?

494 Even So, Lord Jesus, Come

Prayer / Offering

Message: The Great Escape / An Overview

Key Texts: Rev 11:15-18; Rom 1:18; 5:8,9; 1 Thess 5:8,9; 1:10; Rev 20:5,6,11; Gal 1:3-5; Eph 6:12; Acts 3:20,21; Jn 5:28,29; Isa 65:17-23; 1 Cor 2:9; Isa 11:9; Heb 11:6,7

416 Faith Is the Victory

 

You gain strength, courage and confidence by every experience in which you must stop and look fear in the face.  You must do the thing you think you cannot do.

– Eleanore Roosevelt / submitted by Karen Cain / 9-16-06

 

BOOK REVIEW - FEBRUARY, 2007 by Anita Cain

 

How to Become A Saint

By Jack Bernard

When you read the title of this month’s review book–How to Become a Saint – your first impulse may be to laugh, as mine was. Yeah, right, me a saint? Well, yes. The author is dead serious when he says that all of us who are followers of Christ should be aspiring to sainthood.  Most of us equate saintliness with goodness, but that is only partly true. Saints are good, but it is borrowed goodness, or reflected light. The scriptures say there is only One who is good, and all other goodness is just a reflection of God’s goodness. Trying hard to be good may have the opposite effect. What we need to do to become good is to lean upon the Holy God who is the source of all goodness.  We need to be as dependent and trusting and humble as little children, confessing our need.  Saintliness is not about trying to be good. It is about learning to trust God.

 

How to Become a Saint (A Beginner’s Guide) by Jack Bernard - It was a personal crisis of faith which brought the author to the point of realizing the importance of holiness (sainthood).  He was despairing and about to give up on faith, not because of disillusionment with God, but with himself. He says he was not a great sinner struggling with God, but a petty one wrapped up in deceptive images of himself, which he says is just as bad. That’s where most of us are, and perhaps it is just as bad.

 

When we lack the humility to hear the Gospel as news which has to do with ourselves, we miss letting it change the way we see the state of our lives and the purpose of them. Unless we see holiness as achievable, we won’t even strive toward it, however, this author says that sainthood isn’t a special calling for a few.  We are all called to holiness, which means separated or set apart.  God’s drawing you into holiness will not have you focus your attention on yourself, but on the larger picture of what He is doing.  "One of the stumbling blocks to holiness is setting out to personally save the world while skipping right over the church."