Tuesday, January 27, 2009

OUR WEEK - FEBRUARY 1 - FEBRUARY 7

——REMINDERS——WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 28TH —
Confirmation Class from 6:00 to 7:30 P.M.
Sandy Farnsworth will bring rations.

≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈
≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈
FEBRUARY 1, 2009 - Fourth Sunday after Epiphany
THIS WEEK'S MEMORY VERSE: 2 Timothy 3:16-17
“All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for
teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in
righteousness, so that the man of God may be
thoroughly equipped for every good work.”

Color: Green
—— WE HAVE COMMUNION TODAY
Our Scripture Readings for today are:
DEUTERONOMY 18:15-20 —
It is here promised concerning Christ, that there
should come a Prophet, great above all the
prophets; by whom God would make known
himself and his will
to the children of men, more
fully and clearly than he had ever done before.
He is the Light of the world. He is the World by
whom God speaks to us. In his birth he should
be one of their nation. God, having raised up his
Son Christ Jesus, sent him to bless us. He should
be like unto Moses, only above him.

CHRIST THE GREAT PROPHET.

DEUTERONOMY 18:15-20 (Amplified Bible)

15 The Lord your God will raise up for you a Prophet from the midst of your brethren like me Moses; to him you shall listen.

16 This is what you desired and asked of the Lord your God at Horeb on the day of the assembly when you said, Let me not hear again the voice of the Lord my God or see this great fire any more, lest I die.

17 And the Lord said to me, They have well said all that they have spoken.

18 I will raise up for them a Prophet from among their brethren like you, and will put My words in his mouth; and he shall speak to them all that I command him.

19 And whoever will not hearken to My words which he shall speak in My name, I Myself will require it of him.

20 But the prophet who presumes to speak a word in My name which I have not commanded him to speak, or who speaks in the name of other gods, that same prophet shall die.

PSALM 111 (UMH 832) — Praise to God for fulfilling promises of deliverance, establishing the nation, and providing guidance for the people.

PSALM 111 (New Century Version)

Praise the Lord's Goodness

1 Praise the Lord!
I will thank the Lord with all my heart
in the meeting of his good people.
2 The Lord does great things;
those who enjoy them seek them.
3 What he does is glorious and splendid,
and his goodness continues forever.
4 His miracles are unforgettable.
The Lord is kind and merciful.
5 He gives food to those who fear him.
He remembers his agreement forever.
6 He has shown his people his power
when he gave them the lands of other nations.
7 Everything he does is good and fair;
all his orders can be trusted.
8 They will continue forever.
They were made true and right.
9 He sets his people free.
He made his agreement everlasting.
He is holy and wonderful.
10 Wisdom begins with respect for the Lord;
those who obey his orders have good understanding.
He should be praised forever.

1 CORINTHIANS 8:1-13 (Amplified Bible)

1 NOW about food offered to idols: of course we know that all of us possess knowledge concerning these matters. Yet mere knowledge causes people to be puffed up, to bear themselves loftily and be proud, but love, affection and goodwill and benevolence edifies and builds up and encourages one to grow to his full stature.

2 If anyone imagines that he has come to know and understand much of divine things, without love, he does not yet perceive and recognize and understand as strongly and clearly, nor has he become as intimately acquainted with anything as he ought or as is necessary.

3 But if one loves God truly with affectionate reverence, prompt obedience, and grateful recognition of His blessing, he is known by God, recognized as worthy of His intimacy and love, and he is owned by Him.

4 In this matter, then, of eating food offered to idols, we know that an idol is nothing, it has no real existence, and that there is no God but one.

5 For although there may be so-called gods, whether in heaven or on earth, as indeed there are many of them, both of gods and of lords and masters,

6 Yet for us there is only one God, the Father, Who is the Source of all things and for Whom we have life, and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through and by Whom are all things and through and by Whom we, ourselves exist.

7 Nevertheless, not all believers possess this knowledge. But some, through being all their lives until now accustomed to thinking of idols as real and living, still consider the food offered to an idol as that sacrificed to an actual god; and their weak consciences become defiled and injured if they eat it.

8 Now food itself will not cause our acceptance by God nor commend us to Him. Eating food offered to idols gives us no advantage; neither do we come short or become any worse if we do not eat it.

9 Only be careful that this power of choice this permission and liberty to do as you please which is yours, does not somehow become a hindrance, a cause of stumbling to the weak or over scrupulous giving them an impulse to sin.

10 For suppose someone sees you, a man having knowledge of God, with an intelligent view of this subject and reclining at table in an idol's temple, might he not be encouraged and emboldened to violate his own conscientious scruples if he is weak and uncertain, and eat what to him is for the purpose of idol worship?

11 And so by your enlightenment your knowledge of spiritual things, this weak man is ruined is lost and perishes - - the brother for whom Christ, the Messiah, died!

12 And when you sin against your brethren in this way, wounding and damaging their weak conscience, you sin against Christ.

13 Therefore, if my eating a food is a cause of my brother's falling or of hindering his spiritual advancement, I will not eat such flesh forever, lest I cause my brother to be tripped up and fall and to be offended.

MARK 1:21-28 (Amplified Bible)
Christ preaches and calls disciples.

21 And they entered into Capernaum, and immediately on the Sabbath He went into the synagogue and began to teach.
22 And they were completely astonished at His teaching, for He was teaching as One Who possessed authority, and not as the scribes.

23 Just at that time there was in their synagogue a man who was in the power of an unclean spirit; and now, immediately, he raised a deep and terrible cry from the depths of his throat, saying,

24 What have You to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have You come to destroy us? I know who You are - - the Holy One of God!

25 And Jesus rebuked him, saying, Hush up, and come out of him!

26 And the unclean spirit, throwing the man into
convulsions and screeching with a loud voice, came out
of him.

27 And they were all so amazed and almost terrified
that they kept questioning and demanding one of another,
saying, What is this? What new teaching! With authority He
gives orders even to the unclean spirits and they obey Him!

28 And immediately rumors concerning Him spread
everywhere throughout the region surrounding Galilee.
THIS IS SUPER BOWL SUNDAY AND THE CREW IS DOING
SUBWAY SANDWICHES AGAIN. THEY WERE DELICIOUS
LAST YEAR AND I'M SURE THEY WILL AGAIN DISTINGUISH
THEMSELVES THIS YEAR. IF YOU HAVE NOT SIGNED UP
FOR SUBS YET, CALL CAROL WESTON AND SHE WILL
GET YOU ON THE LIST - OR SIGN UP AT CASEY UMC.
SUBS AND BARS CAN BE PICKED UP BY NOON, SUNDAY.
≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 2ND —
This is Pastor Lynn and Naomi's day off
CASEY UMC BIBLE STUDY - 6:30 TO 8:30 P.M.
This is Groundhog's Day
Groundhog Day, February 2nd, is a popular tradition in the United States. It is the day that the Groundhog comes out of his hole after a long winter sleep to look for his shadow. If he sees it, he regards it as an omen of six more weeks of bad weather and returns to his hole. If the day is cloudy and, hence, shadowless, he takes it as a sign of spring and stays above ground. (Personally, I hope it is cloudy.)
————————————————————————
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 3RD —
BIBLE STUDY TODAY - 9 A.M. TO 11 A.M.

————————————————————————
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 4TH —
CONFIRMATION IN CASEY UMC - FROM 6-7:30 P.M.
Frankie has volunteered to feed our hungry crew today.
Thank you, Frankie.
————————————————————————
FUTURE EVENT —
FEBRUARY 8TH-We will have a Stone Soup Luncheon
at Casey UMC. Bring a cup of vegetables, or a wedge of
cabbage, an onion, or a few carrots. Perhaps you have a
bit of rice, or quinoa or some celery stalks that are just
beginning to go limp. In our wonderful country we throw
away tons of food that is not quite up to our expectations.
Food that people in many other countries would be very
grateful for. Talk to some of the soldiers who have been
to Iraq and Afghanistan. It is almost incredible.
So, don't forget - - -————————————————————————
Naomi and I would like to thank you for the thoughtful
Christmas presents you have given us. It was truly a
very Merry Christmas. You have been very kind.
Soon we will turn our thoughts toward Lent and Easter.
Surely warm weather can't be far behind.

God Bless and Keep You - Warm,
Pastor Lynn