The Old Ways

I own a White Mountain hand crank ice cream machine. Most people use electric ice cream machines… not me… mine has to be cranked by hand. It takes 20 – 30 minutes to make ice cream. Julie keeps threatening to buy an electric one but I won’t let her. I prefer to crank mine by hand. Years ago I heard from an old guy that when tractors first came out that many farmers were resistant to them. They said things like, “I can make a better crop with mules than with tractors” or “If you buy a tractor then you have to go and buy gas…”

Some people like the old ways and are resistant to change. I’m that way about church too… I believe in the old ways… the Bible ways; singing without instrumental accompaniment, baptism by immersion, taking the Lord’s Supper every week, etc.

Cranking ice cream by hand or farming with mules is a personal choice that we can do or not do, but things related to church come from God. God knows what kind of worship he wants and we should respect that.

I like to hand crank ice cream because it reminds me of good times at my grandparents house when I would take turns with my cousins turning that crank. Those memories are pleasing and precious to me. I worship God the old way because it pleases Him and pleasing Him pleases me too.

Church News Nov 2, 2008

We had a 10 year anniversary party at Tejas Vet. Clinic last month. We invited all our clients to attend. It was very successful. What amazed me, and I guess it shouldn’t have, was how motivated we were to clean the place up and spruce it up a little bit. In fact, a lot of things I have just let slide over the years, all of a sudden I fixed up. That’s human nature I suppose… if there’s no deadline… we’re not greatly motivated to do things. It made me think of our lives and our accountability to God. It sure would be nice if God would just tell us when he’s coming to judge the world. That way we could all be ready. I can just see it… all of a sudden people would start dealing with sin in their lives. Even some of the “gray” areas of sin would suddenly become “black and white” for us.. After all we would not want to take any chance that we could end up in Hell and suffer eternal condemnation. Who would risk that? Not only that but all of a sudden we would be looking for opportunities to serve others But you know what? I’m afraid that if God did actually give the exact date when he was coming back that there would be some “smart” guy who wait right up to the day before judgment to make things right. Sort of sneak in right at the last minute. And that’s not what God wants in people. He doesn’t want folks who are trying to beat the system. He wants people who believe in him and are so grateful that they want to be exactly the kind of people God wants them to be. I guess it’s better for God not to announce the exact day when he’s coming. We need to adjust ourselves to God’s plan and not try to adjust God’s plan to ourselves. Speaking of anniversary parties it would be great if we could have one at Parkway. There are a lot of things that need to be done at the building. If anyone knows how to install door sets we have about four that are sitting around in boxes.

About Cancer from Mom

Cancer is so limited...

It cannot cripple love;

It cannot shatter hope;

It cannot corrode faith:

It cannot destroy peace;

It cannot kill friendship;

It cannot suppress memories;

It cannot silence courage;

It cannot invade the soul;

It cannot steal eternal life;

It cannot conquer the spirit.

Well this was not what we all wanted you to hear today about your new journey, cancer changes your life! Uncle Bob said, he would not want to go back to who he was! Cancer showed him how really blessed he had been and gave him a depth he would have never had! He kept a gratitude book while he was ill.

You have a fight on your hands, you have an example to set of how a godly man marches on, we have a God who loves and cares for us and holds our hand through all the things we have to go through.....He will be right beside you!!! So will everyone who loves and cares for you and maybe even some who don’t our God will listen to them all, he has our name written in the palm of His hand, He knows how many hairs are on our head....He is an awesome God!!

There are so many stories of people who miraculously over come the situation you are in, so many righteous people are praying for you , how wonderful is that!!!

Mark you are like a son to me, if I could I would take this cancer for you I would...................I love you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Aunt Weenie

Prayer request for Mark Perkins

My cousin Mark Perkins has recently been diagnosed with Duodenal Adenocarcinoma. He is 52 years old. Here is an excerpt from what he sent out to our family... "Because this cancer is so rare, it is difficult to make a lot of predictions, but his feeling is that without treatment I am looking at about 6 months, with chemo up to 2 years (with of course negative effects of the chemo)." Please pray for Mark, he is very special to me and our family. I've attached a photo of Mark when he was in Corpus Christi for Walker and Jo-Len's wedding. To the right of Mark is David Smitherman. I've attached this photo so you can have a face to think about when you petition our God. The second photo is of the male cousins. There are a total of eleven Perkins cousins. Jana and Sharron are not pictured. Mark is the fourth from the left. Here is Mark's e-mail... perkinsmark83@yahoo.com

Darell Hymel Lessons. Aug 25 & 26

Sat 10am - Disciplining Children Sun 9:30am - Choosing a Mate and Preparing to be a Good Mate Sun 10:30am - The Beatitudes and Marriage Sun 5pm - Differences Between Men and Women

Prayer Request

Please pray for my cousin, Mark Perkins, who has been diagnosed with Duodenal Adenocarcinoma.

The Need for Elders in a Congregation

Congregations without Elders are handicapped congregations. For the church to function at a high level a congregation needs Elders. When considering how Elders function in a church it’s important to realize that all the members can and should be doing some of these duties; building up the weak, encouraging to works of service, seeking wayward members, teaching, etc. When the time comes to select/replace/add Elders men should already be performing these necessary things so that a man’s name automatically comes to the mind of most members. For example, “that Joe Schmoe is always checking on the widows, on members who aren’t attending well, he’s hospitable, he encourages people, he knows his Bible, etc. We need him for an Elder!”. Make it easy on a congregation… do the things you’re supposed to be doing anyway.

The Progressive Nature of Two Becoming One Flesh

Ephesians 5 speaks about a husband becoming “one flesh” with his wife. Husbands and wives become “one flesh” at the point of their marital union. However, there is a progressive oneness that develops in the relationship. That is… the quality of the oneness improves.

1 Corinthians 6:12-20 in speaking against casual sexual relationships between a man and a woman (or a prostitute) argues that improper sexual relationships corrupt the relationship we have with Christ by making us “one flesh” with a prostitute.

So by definition we can become “one flesh” with a woman merely by engaging in sex with her. The quality of that kind of oneness is minimal and transitory… even destructive. Certainly the oneness of marriage cannot be compared to the oneness of a casual sexual relationship with a woman that we may barely know.

A husband and wife become one as they experience life’s trials and joys together. Trust and confidence replace doubt and suspicion so that the relationship can grow. A seed is planted and the young sapling grows into a sturdy tree that can withstand the perils of drought and wind.

The relationship is a progressive one and the two become “one flesh” as they live up to their marital responsibilities as outlined in the scriptures. Too often marital couples despair at the troubles they have and lack faith in God’s transforming promise. Ephesians 5:32 calls it a great mystery and I suppose it is because it is better experienced than explained. Have faith in God and what he can do for you.

Church = Jesus Christ

As I wrote previously, Eph.5:22-33 is a section of scripture whose primary intent is to describe how Christ and the Church become one flesh. We’ve already visited the concept of being in subjection to Christ and living sin free lives so that we can be a pure bride to him. The second thing that helps us be “one with Christ” is accomplishing the mission of the church, i.e. the church must become Jesus Christ. Eph. 4:15 states that the church must grow into him… Jesus Christ the head of the body (Church). In fact, this same section of scripture states that God gave gifts to the church to help accomplish this process; apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers. So how do we become Jesus Christ? It is a growth process. We must all come to a complete knowledge Of Jesus Christ, learn true humility (bury our pride and self- will) by living lives of service to each other and create a unified body of believers. Which by the way is God’s primary evidence today for Jesus having come from God (John 17:21-23). Christ’s true bride must be pure and cleansed from sin and work to become him so that when others view the Church they see Jesus Christ. The two are one flesh.