TBP Handbook Haiti JoyHouse.pdf

THE BROADCASTER THE BROADCASTER

BIBLE READING SCHEDULE BIBLE READING SCHEDULE MAY 2020

IN THIS ISSUE

May Birthdays & Anniversaries Members’ Corner Bible Reading Schedule FBC History Tidbit

A MONTHLY PUBLICATION OF FIRST BAPTIST MENA A MONTHLY PUBLICATION OF FIRST BAPTIST MENA

of as safe but He is always good. What

do I mean that He is not safe? Surely,

we who are in Christ are safe under the

cloak of His righteousness. There can

be no doubt about that, but Christ

Himself is not the weak, effeminate

Jesus that much of church culture in the

USA has painted for us over the years.

Jesus is a fierce conqueror and terrify-

ing judge to those who would array

themselves against Him. Even those

who are Christians know that following

Jesus is not a recipe for safety and com-

fort in this world. People will turn

away from you if you stand for truth

consistently.

There is a world out there today that

because of this epidemic we are facing,

have eternal things on their mind. They

need to hear about the suffering servant.

They need to hear about the Resurrect-

ed Savior. They also need to hear about

the Warrior King. The full picture of

who Christ has revealed Himself to be

can and will be used to move people

toward repentance and faith, as they

VOLUME 245

Week Nineteen May 10 - 16 Day 1: Day 2: Day 3: Day 4: Day 5:

1 Sam 26-27; 1 Chr 8; Acts 18

1 Sam 28-29; 1 Chr 9; Acts 19

1 Sam 30-31; 1 Chr 10; Acts 20

2 Sam 1-2; 1 Chr 11; Ps 96, 106; Acts 21

2 Sam 3-5; 1 Chr 12; Ps 122; Acts 22

Week Twenty: May 17 - 23 Day 1: Day 2: Day 3: Day 4: Day 5:

2 Sam 6; 1 Chr 13; Psalm 60; Acts 23

1 Chron 14-16; Acts 24

2 Sam 7-8; 1 Chr 17; Ps 132; Acts 25

2 Sam 9-10; 1 Chr 18-19; Ps 89; Acts 26

2 Sa 11-12; 1 Chr 20; Ps 51, 32; Acts 27

Week Eighteen: May 3 - 9 Day 1: Day 2: Day 3: Day 4: Day 5:

1 Sam 18-19; 1 Chr 3; Ps 59; Acts 13

1 Sa 20;1 Chr 4; Ps 56, 57, 142; Acts 14

1 Sam 21-22; 1 Chr 5; Ps 52; Acts 15

1 Sam 23-24; 1 Chr 6; Ps 54; Acts 16

1 Sam 25; 1 Chr 7; Acts 17

Week Twenty One: May 24 - 30 Day 1: Day 2: Day 3: Day 4: Day 5:

2 Sam 13-14; Acts 28

2 Sam 15-17; Psalms 3, 63; Romans 1

2 Sam 18-20; Psalm 34; Romans 2

2 Sam 21-23; Psalm 18; Romans 3

2 Sam 24; 1 Chr 21; Romans 4

For it is He who delivers you from the snare of the trapper,

And from the deadly pestilence. He will cover you with His feathers, And under His wings you may seek

refuge; His faithfulness is a shield and bulwark.

(Psalms 91:1-4) Let’s give God praise every day, because He is our God, our loving Father, our strength and shield, our Rock, our Shelter. He will never leave us alone. As the song lyrics tell us: Never once did we ever walk alone; Never once did You leave us on our own; You are faithful, God, You are faithful.

Blessed to serve,

Bro. Vernon

Hugoton High School and served in the Army Reserves. I worked on a farm,

was a meat cutter and market manager and office machine technician. Loretta

- I graduated from Fort Hays State with a degree in Elementary Education and

taught school for 7 years. I was then a stay at home mom until our daughter

started school. At that time, I began teaching private piano lessons and

furthering my music education at Panhandle State University at Goodwell, OK.

I taught piano for 29 years and was church organist for 50+ years. I also ac-

companied school choirs, was a substitute teacher and wrapped meat for Jim.

What areas have you served in ministry? Loretta - Before moving to Mena we

were members of FBC Guymon Oklahoma. I have served in ministry as the

church organist, WMU Leader, various committees, Librarian, in the Vine After

School Program, VBS, Choir, and the Handbell Choir. I’ve been on mission

trips to Lake Havasu AZ, Marseille, France, and spent one Summer working in

inner city in Denver, CO. Jim - I was a boys teacher, Director of College De-

partment, Sunday School Director for 15 years and Served on many commit-

tees. I’ve been a church choir member, sang in a quartet for over 20 years and

helped take water to victims of Hurricane Katrina.

Do you have a favorite verse and song or hymn? Jim - Philippians 4:13 and It is

Well with My Soul are my favorite verse and hymn. Loretta - My favorite Bible

verse is John 14:1-6 and my favorite hymn is How Great Thou Art.

What is your favorite treat? Jim - German Chocolate Cake is my favorite treat.

Loretta - I like ice cream or anything with peanut butter.

Do you have any hobbies or interests? Jim - I enjoy golf, hunting, fishing,

table games, reading and sports. Loretta - Growing up on a farm, I learned to

feed pigs, milk cows and separate the milk, feed chickens, gather eggs, butch-

er chickens, drive a grain truck, take meals to the field, feed the harvest crew

and many other things. Basically having a great time with my 3 brothers and

learning how to work. My hobbies are reading, traveling, piano, crossword

puzzles, spending time with grandchildren.

Do you have any other things to share? Loretta - We have enjoyed various

interesting trips during our 53 years together, but probably the most relaxing

one was our trip to Hawaii to celebrate our 40th Anniversary. It was with a

tour group so all arrangements were already made. As we hopped from island

to island it was great not needing to keep up with luggage, etc. One day, I

decided it would be a thrill to go parasailing. However, Jim wasn’t to excited

about getting off the ground, so as I went to check on a reservation, he

decided to join me. Guess he thought, “If she perishes, I will perish with her!”

It ended up being a great experience and we lived to tell about it!

Proverbs 31:28

therefore write out their prayers using the acrostic ACTS. This method of prayer begins with adoration (A) and then moves into confession (C). Thanksgiving (T) follows, and then finally we can lift up our needs in suppli-cation (S). The primary advantage of this outline is that it helps keep us focused on the Lord and His kingdom. The apostle Paul tells us to “pray without ceasing” (1 Thess. 5:17). Many people find it hard to maintain a consistent prayer life, and so they neglect this important means of grace in the Christian journey. We all find it difficult to pray at times. Today, write out a prayer using the ACTS model or pick a Psalm to follow. Whether or not you find it hard to pray, focus on the kingdom’s advance whenever you go before the Lord.

“Aslan is a lion-the Lion, the great Lion.”

“Ooh” said Susan. “I’d thought he was a

man. Is he-quite safe? I shall feel rather

nervous about meeting a lion…” “Safe?”

said Mr. Beaver… “Who said anything

about safe? ‘Course he isn’t safe. But

he’s good. He’s the King, I tell you”

-excerpt from The Lion, the Witch,

and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis

Matthew 10:34 Do not think that I have

come to bring peace to the earth! I came

not to bring peace, but a sword.

Who is Jesus? Son of God? Yes. Prince

of Peace? Yes Messiah? Yes. What

about Righteous Judge? Yes. Conquer-

ing King? Yes. He is the One who told

the church at Pergamum that if they did

not repent, He would “war against them”.

To truly understand the beauty of Christ,

we must embrace the fullness of who

Jesus is both as the suffering servant and

the Warrior King.

As in the above excerpt from the Chroni-

cles of Narnia where Aslan the Lion is

the picture of Christ, we see throughout

the Bible that Jesus is not to be thought

National Day of Prayer Thursday, May 7th

12:00 Noon

Go to Polk County AR -

National Day of Prayer on

Facebook to join a prayer

group. A prayer guide is

included in church mailing

& on our website at www.firstbaptistchurchmena.com

Week T

wen

ty T

wo

: M

ay

31 -

Ju

ne

6

Day 1

:

Day 2

:

Day 3

:

Day 4

:

Day 5

: 1

Ch

r 2

2-2

5;

Psa

lm 7

8;

Ro

ma

ns

5

1 K

ing

s 1

; 1

Ch

r 26

-28

; R

om

an

s 6

1 K

ing

s 2

; 1

Ch

r 29

; R

om

an

s 7

1 K

ing

s 3

; 2

Ch

r 1;

Ps

42;

Ro

ma

ns

8

1 K

ing

s 4

; P

rov

1-2

; P

salm

43

; R

om

an

s 9

HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY!

TBP Handbook Haiti JoyHouse.pdf

Attendance & Giving April 2020

Worship Services

(SUN AM/PM/WED) NA

Sunday School NA

Month

Tithes & Offerings $38,907.84

Expenses $26,834.99

Net Balance $12,072.85

Year to Date

Tithes & Offerings $129,743.03

Expenses $118,300.95

Net Balance $11,442.08

Light Up the Church (Due) $3,189.57

Annie Armstrong $3,367.60

In these uncertain times, as we continue to be cautious about going out, holding church services, or visiting with our friends and neighbors, some may feel depressed, fearful, and at a loss about what to do. We are being told to expect that our lives and routines are forever changed, that we will never be able to go back to the way things were, that America will nev-er be what it was before this pandemic. I don’t buy into all the gloom and doom. I am not going to wear a mask the rest of my life. I am not going to discontinue my associations with people I care about. I refuse to give up my Constitutional rights so easily to the social engineers who are using the current crisis to push their radical globalist agendas. My hope and peace rests in the Lord.

consider the beauty of salvation and

the terrible reality of rejecting the

Gospel of Peace, that was purchased

by the blood of Christ, who is the

righteous judge and conquering king.

In Christ,

Bro. Russell

Tune in to KAWX 93.1 in Mena or 94.9 in South Polk County for Bro. Russell’s sermon every Sunday morning at 11:00 AM. “Moments with Bro. Russell” can be heard

Monday - Saturday at 5:58 AM & 5:56 PM &

Sunday @ 5:26 AM & 3:27 PM.

He has blessed this nation and us as a people immeasurably. He will continue to bless as long as we do not give in to earthly fears, if we repent of sin, seek His face, and trust in His goodness and grace. Things may change around us, but we can cling to our unchanging God who is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Psalm 91, each time I read it, brings to mind the blessings of abiding in fellow-ship with God through mindful turning to Him. Following are some selected verses from that chapter: He who dwells in the shelter of the

Most High Will abide in the shadow of the

Almighty. I will say to the Lord, “My refuge

and my fortress, My God, in whom I trust!”

STUDENT MINISTRIES

Grounded in Truth. Strong in Faith. Vibrant in Love.

to self and submit to the life-giving

power of the Spirit. We should not

be surprised to find that another

weed of sin has appeared in the

same place that we plucked from

yesterday. In fact, we should ex-

pect it and so be ready to crucify it

that we might live to God (Romans

6:11). And we should take encour-

agement and strength from the

truth of Romans 8:34 that in Christ

we stand free from condemnation.

If God does not condemn us, then

we cannot allow our hearts to sink

into self-condemnation. We must

fight the good fight and press on.

We cannot live in spiritual igno-

rance of the weeds of sin in our

lives. Instead, we should prayerfully

ask God to reveal to us through the

Holy Spirit, those beds in our lives

that need to be sanctified further

into the image of Christ.

Your Fellow Servant, Bro. Kevin

anger, laziness, engaging in

“entertainment” that is worldly,

lying, gossip, bitterness, etc. These

are the weeds in the flowerbed of

our spiritual lives.

Read Colossians 3:5-10 and notice

with me how Paul has two lists. The

first list in verses five and six is more

overt and scandalous while the

second in verses eight and nine

are less so. What catches my eye

are the first few words of verse

eight, “But now you must put them

all away” We cannot simply deal

with the “big”, scandalous sins in

our lives and then settle in a life

filled with weeds of sin that are

more “acceptable”. But weeding

is hard, tedious work as I’ve found.

So, we tend to either ignore it or

we try to deal with it but then give

up in disillusionment when the

same sin crops back up.

This is where I find encouragement

from the words of Jesus in Luke

9:23, “And he said to all, ‘If anyone

would come after me, let him de-

ny himself and take up his cross

daily and follow me.” We must dai-

ly pluck the weeds of sin as we die

Outside my house is a flowerbed

that extends from next to the front

door to just around the corner of

our home. Last spring, I developed

a complicated relationship with

said flowerbed. The issue was not

the bed itself but the incessant

weeds that seemed to grow up

every few hours. I worked and

worked until I was sore from squat-

ting down to pluck the green

nuisances. All my efforts, however,

seemed of no avail. My relation-

ship with the flowerbed has

become one of ignorance. What I

mean by that is that I see the

flowerbed each time I see my

house, but I simply ignore its

unsightliness.

Comical as my little story may be,

it can also be a sad and sobering

illustration of the state of our spir-

itual lives. Over the last few days,

the Lord has been dealing with

me about areas of my life that I

have allowed to meander and

have not crucified unto submission

to the Holy Spirit. I wish I could say

that I have dealt with those areas,

those sins and overcome. I would

like to say that I have had my

victorious moment and have,

once and for all, slayed my flesh.

And for sure, I have had moments

of victory in the Spirit, but I’ve also

had moments where I have failed.

As I’ve given thought to why it is so

difficult to mortify my flesh in these

areas, I’ve concluded something.

These sins, these areas of fleshly

weakness, are not the obvious,

public ones that are easy to see

and thus deal with. These are the

private, nuanced, and granular

sins that are so habitual we often

don’t even realize we are commit-

ting them. These are sins such as

FBC Mena History Tidbit - (pictured to left) 1940’s - The Broadcaster has changed through the years since the first publication on Sunday, April 2, 1944. Ms. Katie Patterson remembers when she was church secretary (1983-2002) and used a mimeograph (duplicating machine) to produce copies from a thick gel stencil. The Broadcaster has changed in tone too. Some older editions even bluntly asked why church members were not attending or tithing regularly. What began as a weekly publication transitioned to a monthly format in 2002. Now, 76 years later members of FBC Mena can be informed with all of the church activities, Birthday’s & Anniversaries and be encouraged by our pastoral staff.

?

Jim & Loretta Lesley Joined FBC Mena on August 26, 2007

Where did you grow up? Jim - I grew up

in Hugoton, KS Loretta - I was raised in

Gem, KS.

How did you meet? Loretta - I was teach-

ing school in Scott City, KS and my

roommate wanted to introduce me to a

friend she went with to school. So we

ended up in the meat market at the gro-

cery store. Actually, she was the one

wanting to see him, but a few days later

he asked me to go to a basketball game.

The rest is history.

Who makes up your family? Loretta - We

are blessed to have one daughter,

Kendra, and two grandchildren, Maddux

(16) and Maggie (11).

When were you saved? Jim - A pastor

and evangelist came to our home and

led me to Christ. Loretta - I was blessed

to have been raised in a Christian home

and able to attend Sunday School and

church regularly. At the age of 8 I felt a

tug when the invitation was given and

went forward to accept Jesus into my life

and was baptized. Later, as an adult, I

began to have doubts about my salva-

tion because I couldn’t remember if

I understood at the time that I was a

sinner in need of repentance. I prayed to

the Lord that if I wasn’t one of His, that I

was repenting of my sins and putting my

faith and trust in Jesus as my Lord and

Savior. Now I have that sweet assurance.

Tell us about your education and

occupation? Jim - I graduated from

Pray without ceasing. - 1 Thessalonians 5:17

(Excerpt taken from Dr. R.C. Sproul’s teaching series on The Lord’s Prayer.)

Speaking of paraphrases, one of the

most effective means of structuring

one’s prayer life consists in using the

book of Psalms as a model for prayers.

Many pastors have made it a custom to

use the Psalter as a framework for their

pastoral prayer each Sunday morning.

A Psalm is selected each week, and the

minister prays for the people according

to the petitions in the Psalm. For

example, if the Psalm begins with

gratitude for deliverance, the preacher

might thank God for a display of His

power in the church’s life. The entire

Psalm is used in this way so that if the

Psalm asks for forgiveness, there is a

plea for the Father to forgive the

congregation, and so on. Many people

have trouble developing consistent,

God-honoring prayers, and they

The Lord’s Prayer is not the only model

for prayer found in sacred Scripture.

In fact, the largest book of the Bible is

made up entirely of inspired

prayers that we do well to use in our

private devotional lives. We are

speaking, of course, about the book

of Psalms.

Church historians have noted that the

periods of greatest doctrinal and

liturgical reform have been those eras in

which people prayed and sung through

the Psalter regularly. John Calvin, for

example, accompanied his reform of the

church with the reform of worship.

Central to the services of praise and

adoration in Geneva was the singing of

the book of Psalms. Calvin himself is

known to have commissioned the

writing of metrical psalms

(paraphrases of the Psalter) to facilitate