The BIBLICAL MESSENGER

9th & Main
CHURCH OF CHRIST
San Angelo, Texas

ASSEMBLIES
SUNDAY

Bible Classes	9:30 am
Morning Worship	10:30 am
Evening Worship	5:00 am

WEDNESDAY

Bible Classes

9:30 am

ELDERS

John Mayfield	Benny Rogers
Ed Roper	Jim Vinson

DEACONS

Don Cheek

Dennis Reed

EVANGELIST
John Hobbs

ON THE WAY TO THE BARN

     There's an old story about a farmer who one morning decided to plow the south forty acres. His tractor needed oil, so he started to the barn to get it, but on the way he noticed that the pigs hadn't been fed. Near the corncrib was a pile of sacks, reminding him that the potatoes were sprouting. But on his way to the potato pit, he passed the woodpile and remembered that the kitchen stove was burning low. While picking up the wood, he saw that one of his chickens was ailing, so he dropped the wood to doctor the chicken....and so it went all day, and he still hadn't oiled the tractor or plowed the south forty.
     Is your Christian life like this trip to the barn? do you have grand visions of great service that never gets done? Have you found too many "other things" to do that interfered with your goal of being a productive servant in God's kingdom?
     The only way you and I will ever "get to the barn" of Christian service is to get our priorities in order. The farmer in the story didn't have any priorities. He just flowed with the tide of events around him.
     Our life contains plenty of "pigs to feed", "wood to cut", and "chickens to doctor." But we can't allow them to get in the way of serving God. If we will make the commitment and extend our effort, God will make a way for us to "get to the barn".

George Miller

(From The Bulletin Digest)

Answer to our last BIBLE question:

In revelation, it is the pale horse that represents death.(Revelation 6:8) [In Revelation, what horse represents death?]

This weeks question:

What people did Jesus compare to whitewashed tombs?

Answer next week.

Are you still wondering what you can do to help?

If you will notice on the bulletin board, there is a roster for people to volunteer to prepare Communion each Sunday for one month.

Some of our families have volunteered to do this task for two months, and there are still two months un-taken.

This is a necessary service, it is something everybody can do, and it only takes a few minutes each week. So, If the question is, "what can I do to help?" Maybe this is the answer!

Also, several members have asked about our picture directory. there has been no progress made on this project because we have had no one volunteer to do it. so, we as, once again, if you can -please do!

We have a camera, we have software and we have a computer. Now all we need is someone with the ability and time to do this for us.

If this is something that you can, and will do, just get with Ed to work out the details.

COMING EVENTS

May 31 - "Cherokee Day". Cherokee Children's Home will have their annual food/fund drive. Everyone is welcome. The Mayfields will be going to this event. We look forward to having their Executive Director speak to us later in the year.

June 1 - Bi-Monthly potluck friendship meal. come and bring somebody with you. Good food, good fun, good fellowship and a good outreach program for our church.

June 1 - Men's business meeting immediately following the potluck meal.

June 2 - Elder and Deacon meeting here at the building 7:00 P.M.

Our thanks to Bro. Phil Palmer for the fine job of conducting our song service Sunday Morning.

Mike Turk is moving to Irving, Texas. We do not yet have a new address for him.

From the pen of John Hobbs

TEACH US TO NUMBER OUR DAYS

       One thing we must learn and realize is that our life on this earth is not forever. Our real home is heaven (Philippians 3:20) One day our earthly body will die. When that day comes, our soul will leave this body and return to God (Ecclesiastes 12:7). We will have to answer for what we have done "in the body" - not "out of the body" (II Corinthians 5:10). We will then be ushered into eternal life or eternal suffering (John 5:28-29). Are we ready for that day? The Bible is emphatic that our life on this earth is very short. Job 14;1 states, "Man that is born of woman is of few days and full of trouble". Psalms 90:10, "The length of our days is 70 years or if by reason of strength 80 years."
       James 4:14, "Our life is like a vapor that appeareth for a short time and then vanisheth away". We are only here "for the moment" (II Corinthians 4:17) We are only here "a little while" (I Peer 5:6).
       What should be the result of all these scriptures? We should learn from what Moses said in Psalms 90:12, "So then teach us to number our days that we may get us a heart of wisdom." Amen!! When we "number our days", we will realize that this life is short and live for God! That is, we will be "wise" and do what God would have us to do. One day we will answer for everything we have done in this body (Ecclesiastes 12:14.
       The whole duty of man is to "Fear God and keep His commandments" "Ecclesiastes 12:13).

In Christian Love,
John Hobbs