Counting The Cost

  Missionary Charles Wesco (44), along with his wife and eight children, had been in the West African country of Cameroon for just twelve days. They were living their dream of serving the Lord among the people of this needy land. On October 18, 2018, Charles, his wife Stephanie, a son, and another missionary, who was driving them to the market to purchase supplies, were caught in the cross-fire of government security forces and rebels. A bullet passed through the car window and struck Charles in the head. He was quickly rushed to the hospital where he was later pronounced dead.

  The tragedy would be more than most could bear, but while living this nightmare, the Wesco family believes that God has promised to work all things together for their good. They have decided to get better rather than bitter. Their testimony of continued faithfulness to God and His service is an inspiration to us all.
Corinth Baptist Church has invited Ben Sinclair, the missionary who was driving the car when Charles was shot, to be with us for services on May 31st – June 2nd. Ben will be sharing his testimony of what happened that day and how the Lord has used this tragedy to effect the lives of many for good. We invite you to come and be challenged by this story of courage and sacrifice. We have chosen the theme Counting The Cost.

Missionary Ben Sinclair and Family
May 31st — June 2nd
Friday evening at 7:00pm; Saturday evening at 7:00pm
Sunday at 9:30am; 10:45am and 1:15pm
The Wesco testimony will be shared during the Friday evening service.
Please feel free to call for more information.

Great Woman

  What makes a great woman great?  Someone who loves basketball might say, “A great woman is one who can run with the ball and not double dribble!  A fisherman might answer, “A great woman is one who has her own tackle box.”  A child might unashamedly profess, “A great woman is somebody like my Mom.”

  Who’s right?  What really makes a woman great?  In the Bible, great women of God played leading roles in God’s drama of redemption.  The story of one such woman is found in 2 Kings 4.  “And it fell on a day, that Elisha passed to Shunem, where was a great woman (v. 8a).”

  Several characteristics manifest this woman’s greatness.  First notice, this Shunammite  woman was hospitable.  Verse 8 says, “…she constrained him to eat bread.  And so it was, that as oft as he passed by, he turned in thither to eat bread.”  In our day of hurry, we need to be reminded of the importance of simple hospitality.  My grandmother was to hospitality what Arnold Palmer is to golf.  The visiting preacher, the milk man, the vacuum cleaner salesman, and anyone else who came to her house would leave pleasantly full, smiling, and assured of a new found friendship.  They had also heard of the love of Christ and His power to save.

  Secondly, we see that the Shunammite woman had a keen spiritual perception.  Verse 9 says, “And she said unto her husband, Behold now, I perceive that this is an holy man of God, which passeth by us continually.”   O that women of this century would take time to know God and His ways.

  Later, this woman lost her only son to an unexpected illness, but she refused to relinquish her faith in the God of Elijah.  Verses 18-37 tell how her faith resulted in her son being raised from the dead!

  Think of it ladies, because of her sincere hospitality, spiritual perception, and faith in God, this woman’s story is indelibly published in Holy Writ.  Perhaps you would aspire to be the next great woman of God.

Don’t Forget God

  This is the essence of Moses’ final warning to Israel after he had led them out of captivity, delivered them to God at Mount Sinai and given them the laws of God. He said, “And it shall be, if thou do at all forget the LORD thy God, and walk after other gods, and serve them, and worship them, I testify against you this day that ye shall surely perish. (Deuteronomy 8:19).”

  Though America is not Israel, our nation was founded upon the same principles that were delivered to our forefathers by the God of Moses. We are becoming a nation that has forgotten God; and like Israel of old, without knowledge of God and faith in His promises, we will surely perish. Certainly God would have us heed Moses’ warning today.

  How have we forgotten God? I invite you to step outside next Sunday morning and listen. You will not likely hear the stillness of God’s prescribed “day of rest,” but the roar of lawn mowers and other machinery used by an increasing number of neighbors who view God as a mental or emotional crutch for the weak at heart. Take a look around at the businesses that are open for “business as usual” on the Lord’s Day. People flock to the retail stores dressed in their daily duds to celebrate the first day of a new week without God.

  Even those who call themselves Christians are obviously becoming more contented with less of God. Churches have become the meeting places of people with itching ears, desiring only a pep talk to pacify their spiritual hunger and entertain their flesh. As God predicted, “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables. (2Timothy 4:3-4).”
We contend with those who would alter our pledge, “One nation under God.” But contrary to our criticisms, our lifestyles argue for the words “One nation without God.”

Sexist?

  It never ceases to amaze me at how quickly a nation can become so foolish about some of the most important issues of life.  Let me say first that I understand that in some circles, women are treated like dirt by selfish, lustful, greedy men.  Though some are not altogether innocent, considering their dress, mannerisms and ambitions, I am adamantly opposed to the disrespect that many women endure.

  Like so many issues, our culture deals with social ills by going to the opposite extreme in hope of reparation.  On this particular topic, those who deplore the error of both extremes are viewed as either womanizers or misogynists, depending on who is talking.

  Truth is that women were never intended by God to be men or to act like men.  God made us male and female and gave us the temperament, emotional perspective, physique, anatomy, etc. to fulfill our roles.  

  Common sense agrees with the Bible: What father or mother would want his/her daughter to be drafted into the armed services and ushered to the front line to fight some burly man trained in the art of hand to hand combat?  What kind of man would have his daughter work with a crew of ungodly linemen who huddle in the crew cab of a truck bunched together for warmth in the cold of winter?  What thinking man would have his grandchildren raised in a day care so that his daughter could scale the corporate ladder?

  If we hope to regain any sanity in this God blessed country, we had better return to the moral moorings that kept us on the right track in the early years.

   God said,  Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord.  For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church…  Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; (Ephesians 5:22, 23, 25)”   “That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children, To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed. (Titus 2:4–5)”

The Last Step

  Imagine going to a shop to purchase new tires for your car.  After a long wait, finally someone announces, “Your car is ready.”  With the bill taken care of, you locate your car in the parking lot, but something just doesn’t seem right; the car is sitting lower than usual.  A quick survey of the situation reveals that all four new tires are completely flat.  When the technician returns to your car with you, he immediately notices the flat tires, slaps his forehead with the palm of his hand and shouts, “Oh no, I forgot to put air in your new tires!”  “I knew I was forgetting something!”

  The last step is always crucial whether you are baking a cake, sewing up an incision after surgery, or tying your shoes after getting dressed in the morning.  In most cases it would be better to do nothing than to start something and leave out the essential last step.

  If our last steps are important, how much more critical must they be in spiritual, eternal matters—say in God’s preparation to save men from their sins.  You perhaps have heard that God loves you, but because of your sin, you have been separated from Him.  To remedy the situation, God sent His Son, Jesus, to pay the penalty for your sins.  We call this good news, the Gospel.  Jesus came to earth and lived a perfect, sinless life in order to make Himself a sufficient sacrifice for your sin.  He gave Himself to be crucified on a Roman cross and was buried.  Now if the story ended here, God’s plan would lack the critical last step.  A dead Savior is no Savior at all.  Jesus must be alive if He is to save those who come to Him by faith, as He promised.  There must be a resurrection.

  Rest assured the last step in God’s plan to offer forgiveness and eternal life has indeed been completed.  Jesus is alive.  In three days, He arose from the grave and lives now to welcome you into the family of God—If you will trust Him for forgiveness!  “Jesus said…, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live (John 11:25)”