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For Your Benefit...

• Great Coat Caper — There is a men’s size 42 black wool overcoat in the foyer. It is a J C Penney “Stafford”. Please check and see if it belongs to you. Also if you have a similar coat at home, make sure it is yours. One of the women has lost her coat.
• New Directories — Chuck Barnett has just finished a new directory. They have pink covers and are on the table in the foyer. Two per family please. There are also some letter-sized ones you can take.

Calendar

• March 18-23 — Hebron Lane; Central Shelby (Shelbyville); Oak Grove; Westside (Salem, IN); Galena (IN).
• Tonight —
  • Kid’s Singing @ 4:25
  • Monthly singing @ 5:00

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To My Fellow Christians:

It bothers and embarrasses me that we had very little support from our members when someone came to feed us from God’s Word. If it were not for visitors, the preacher would almost be preaching to empty pews. It seems we give very little of our time to the Lord, but we expect a lot from Him.

It makes me wonder: Do we hunger for a close relationship with God? Do we thirst for His instructions? Or, do we long for the world and for all it offers?

Do we prefer close friendships with those who share our faith? Or, do we spend our time with those who draw us away and feed us the foolishness of the world?

Have we chosen jobs, worldly goals and recreation that require all our time, money and energy?

When Don died I realized his lifeless body and all his relationships and worldly possessions were useless to him anymore. All he took with him was his relationship with his Maker, and hopefully he went to a place prepared for him because he stored his treasure in that place and not here on earth.

I believe we all need to reevaluate who we are, where we are going and how we need to spend our time everyday to get there.

Is our fellowship truly with God?

In Christian Love,

Mary Boatright

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When Jesus came to Golgotha,
They hanged him on a tree.
They drove great nails through his hands and feet,
And made a Calvary.

They crowned him with a crown of thorns;
Red were his wounds and deep,
For those were crude and cruel days,
And human flesh was cheap.

When Jesus came to Louisville,
They simply passed him by.
They never hurt a hair on him,
They only let him die.

For men have grown more tender,
And would not cause him pain.
They simply passed on down the street,
And left him in the rain.
 
Still, Jesus cried, “Forgive them, Lord;
They know not what they do.”
And still it rained the winter rain
That drenched him through and through.

The crowds went home and left the streets
Without a soul to see,
And Jesus crouched against a wall,
And cried for Calvary.

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’Twas the night before Jesus came and all through the house
Not a creature was praying, not one in the house.
Their Bibles were lain on the shelf without care
In hopes that Jesus would not come there.

The children were dressing to crawl into bed,
Not once ever kneeling or bowing a head;
And Mom in her rocker with baby on her lap
Was watching the Late Show while I took a nap.

When out of the East there arose such a clatter,
I sprang to my feet to see what was the matter.
Away to the window I flew like a flash,
Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash!

When what to my wondering eyes should appear,
But angels proclaiming that Jesus was here!
With a light like the sun sending forth a bright ray
I knew in a moment this must be the day!

The light of His face made me cover my head;
It was Jesus returning just as He had said!
And though I possessed worldly wisdom and wealth,
I cried when I saw Him in spite of myself.

In the Book of Life which He held in His hand
Was written the name of every saved man.
He spoke not a word as He searched for my name;
When He said, “It’s not here,” my head hung in shame.

The people whose names had been written with love
He gathered to take to His Father above.
With those who were ready He rose without a sound
While all the rest were left standing around.

I fell to my knees, but it was too late;
I had waited too long and thus sealed my fate.
I stood and I cried as they rose out of sight;
“Oh, if only I had been ready tonight.”

In the words of this poem the meaning is clear;
The coming of Jesus is drawing e’er near.
There's only one life and when comes the last call,
We'll find that the Bible was true after all!

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