Men Serving on April 28, 2024
Opening Prayer – Elza Campbell
Scripture Reading – Kyle Inouye
Communion – Patrick Holt,
Don Gardner, Doug Gardner
Closing Prayer – Andy Iorg
Our Prayer List:
- Annie Anderson’s brother Herman continues his recovery following a stroke.
- We extend our sympathy to Janet Frazier and the family of Betty Joe Gardner. Her funeral service was Thursday.
- Steve Beyers had his appendix out earlier. Test results showed that it was cancerous.
Jim Haden, Erva Lou Johnson, Roger Hoffman, Pat Jones, Sandy Jones, Geraldine Lench, Wanda Maples, Georgia Hensley, Bill Curtis, Charity Cash & Phoebe Cash. Remember These Individuals in Your Prayers!
Announcements:
- The Fair Haven Pantry Items this week are graham crackers/Ritz/saltine Crackers.
- Our Spring Gospel Meeting is May 5th-May 8th. Don Blackwell will be our speaker. Invite your friends. We will have a potluck dinner following the Sunday morning service. There is an evening service at 6:00 PM for this day.
- Directory Update - Please check your address/phone number/information for accuracy. We would also like to have everyone’s e-mail address for future notification use. Give your updated information to Jack Burk
- There will be a Potluck Dinner on June 2 to welcome Tyler & Sarah Bird as our new minister & minister’s wife.
The word “forsake” in Hebrews 10:25 means to: “leave behind, abandon, desert.” The idea of this word is not only that one decides to quit the church and never return, but also includes the neglect of attending “ALL” assemblies.
The obvious meaning of the verse regards those who choose to forsake, abandon, not attend, the assembling of the church. A
faithful child of God will be at all services whenever and wherever they may be if it is within their power. The only time one will miss is because there is no way for them to be there; not because of the choice they make. Christians fall into this snare of Satan.
Far too many people use whatever “excuse” to forsake the assemblies and then attempt to cover it up by saying “I was providentially hindered,” when in actuality, they could have been there had they “really” wanted to be! God knows the difference between the two; he will be our Judge! The faithful child of God does not miss! The Elders should know if “brother or sister so and so” is not at services, it is because it is not possible for them to be there. Leaders of the church must always be present.
Hebrews 10:25 is often read like this: “not forsaking the assembly of ourselves together.” Supposing the Sunday morning assembly where the Lord’s supper is observed is the one spoken of, they’ll usually be there. That is not the way the passage reads! It says we are not to “forsake the assembling.” No one certain assembly (singular) is spoken of. The wording is regarding whatever assembling (plural), whenever the saints meet do not forsake these assemblies! When the church assembles on Sunday morning, Sunday evening, Wednesday night, be there! WHENEVER the church assembles, just be there! To forsake any assembly of the church points out a definite problem with one’s heart and this becomes sin (Matthew 6:33).
“Assembling” (v.24) is a time for provoking (stirring up) one another “unto love and to good works.” Why would one not want to be there and do that? Would any be so bold as to claim they can obtain the same benefits from “not assembling” that they can by assembling? Surely not!
How can it be said any other way than to conclude that to forsake, abandon, desert, leave behind, leave helpless, just one assembly of the church is a SIN! The Lord’s command is straightforward and simple. Do not forsake the assembling of ourselves together!
To be faithful unto the Lord, you will do what the Lord said! What’s more important?
--Garland M. Robinson
“I’m Trying to Get My Life Together”
So many folks who are not yet Christians have held off on making their decision to be baptized into Christ and to give their life to the Lord UNTIL “I get things in my life straightened out.” Likewise, many Christians have stumbled over the years and then hold off coming back to the Lord UNTIL “I get my life put together again.”
With all due respect friends, you’ve got it backwards. When your life is in pieces (like Humpty Dumpty after his “great fall”), you are ill-equipped to “put it back together again” by yourself. But do you know who is perfectly qualified to “straighten out” the kinks in your life and “put you together” just right? The ONE who made you!
A truly penitent heart will realize that the One, in whose image I have been “fearfully and wonderfully made” (Psalms 139:14), knows the pieces of my heart (1 Samuel 16:7) and my life (John 2:25), and He will help me put everything together just right (2 Corinthians 5:17). Do you trust Him?
--David Sproule