The Gospel Gleaner

                               FEBRUARY 28, 2021                        MARCH 7, 2021

East Side           Dan Sommers                                        Allen Eubanks

                               Odell Eubanks                                      Odell Eubanks 

West Side        John Stracner                                       John Stracner

                               Clayton Rogers                                   Larry Nicholson

Alternate         Allen Eubanks                                       Mike Reid 

March 28-31, 2021, 

Downtown Church of Christ and the speaker will be Dr. Kirk Brothers, President of Heritage Christian University. 

Daylight Saving Time will begin 2 weeks from today (3-14).  Be sure to set your clocks and watches back one hour on Saturday night.    

Randolph (Randy) Reynolds, Oregon, for the donation in appreciation of the bulletin.                                

Ronda Sommers 

Had hip-replacement surgery Tuesday and came home that evening. She gets in and out of bed by herself plus does walking. Dan thinks she is doing well for having surgery 3 days ago.  Her throat is very sore from the tube during surgery. 

Amy Stevens 

Is continuing the chemo treatments.  

Beckie Reid 

Had a doctor appointment and had medication changes.   Tests are being made on the liver and kidneys.  She will have another checkup in May. 

Dixie Kitchens, 

Arizona, will start radiation near  an eye in mid-February.  This is due to cancer returning.  

Larry Dicks 

Has improved from the back surgery.  He was dismissed from the hospital Friday and is at home.   

Judy (Mrs. Randall) Bradley 

Is improving now and feeling better from the surgery on her back.  

Sharon Kelley Mays 

Remains at Heritage Place for more therapy.  

Rich Rutledge 

Is still in critical condition in a hospital in Arizona and has contacted Covid.   

Shirley Bradley 

Had an appointment Wednesday and got a good report.  The problem probably was food poison that caused so much pain and a hospital stay.

Maynette Stroud (Mrs. Tim Stroud), 

Conway,  is taking chemo as the cancer has come back.   

John Harper 

Was taking radiation treatments but is taking a new type of treatment.  He has gained some weight, feeling much better and doing more things for enjoyment.  

Micah Sexson 

Has improved and was dismissed from the hospital Friday.  

Tony Freeman 

Has been diagnosed with Covid.  She is a neighbor of Virginia Lovejoy.   

Karson Sommers 

Had tests Sunday (2-21) at Children's Hospital, and he was 

diagnosed having type #1 diabetes.  He and his mother, Ashley, came home Wednesday, staying there to learn  the changes diabetes makes.   

Wynona Bartlett 

Had a checkup and treatment with the dermatologist Tuesday.                                                                                                                                                                       

MARY BRANCH, 

CLARA LOVELAND. 

DESTRY BRANCH, 

JOHN and KIMBERLY BREWER, 

JEFF THOMPKINS, 

CLINT WILSON, 

J. O. DREWRY, 

DAVID SEXSON.

DARANDA GOLDEN, 

AIDEN WATERS, 

CONNIE WILLIAMS, 

BRUCE BLANKENSHIP, 

VIRGINIA LOVEJOY,  

GLADYS NORWOOD,  

TERRY EPPERSON, 

RACHEL RAMSEY, 

BILL KOONCE.

EURA FAYE NORWOOD, 

JAMES and RUBY MAE ELKINS, 

SHIRLEY WILLIAMS, 

SHARON STACKS,  

SYLVIA  BUSH, 

MIKE LOVEJOY,  

TED and BARBARA KNIGHT, 

TROY DUNHAM,  

ODELL and JOAN EUBANKS, 

WALLACE WILLIAMS, 

WANDA PAYTON, 

WILL LANG, 

VAGAN BRYANT, 

SANDRA COLLINGS, 

MICAH SEXSON,  

CAROLE MAYES, 

JACK STOBAUGH, 

DONNIE MAHAN, 

BEN SOMMERS. 

*    Every sin is forgiven  (Acts 2:38).       For the remission of sins. 

*    Name written in God's Book of Life  (Luke 10::20; Philippians 4:3).  Names are written in heaven.

*   Adopted into God's family  (Romans 8:15)----a  child of the King (I John 3:1-2),  citizen of heaven (Philippians 3:20).  Receive the Spirit of Adoption; called children of God; our citizenship is in heaven.

*   A new creature (II Corinthians 5:17).  He is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold all things have become new. 

*  A new start (1 Corinthians 6:9-11). Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God.

*   Needs provided (Matthew 6:25-34).  “Do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor what you will put on.  Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things shall be added to you. 

*   Peace with God (Philippians 4:6-7).  And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

*   Spirit-indwelled  (I Corinthians 6:19).  Your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own?

*  Filled with hope (Titus 2:13).   Looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ.

*   Jesus presence in life (Hebrews 13:5).Jesus said: “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” *   A  mansion in death (John 14:1-3).   Jesus said: “In my Father's house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you.  I go to prepare a place for you.” 

*   Eternal life (John 6:47;10:28).  Jesus said: “He who believes in Me has everlasting life. And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish.  

One of the kindness things God did for humans was to institute marriage. Marriage is not a Christian ordinance; it is a general concept for all mankind (Genesis 2:24). It is the oldest of all earthly institutions.

 Spiritual help.  There is no greater relationship help in going to heaven than the constant help of a loving mate.  It is difficult for one to make it through the strait and narrow passage of life, however a good spouse, who has common values and a common love for God, certainly helps. One's loyalty to God will be made evident as he tries to help his family grow spiritually.  It will also be seen as she sets priorities in rearing children to believe in and respect the God of heaven.  Spouses with respect for God treat each other with respect.  The husband loves his wife as himself; the wife is in subjection to her husband (Ephesians 5:25-33). 

Child rearing.  Your faith is a great tool to make your family a better one.  Children see the faith of parents in action in making good choices, so their faith grows.  Parents have the assurance that God will answer their constant prayer for wisdom to guide their children in the right way (James 1:3-5). 

Heirs together.  Husbands and wives are “heirs together for the grace of life” (I Peter 3:7). No other way in life leads to such blessings.  Zacharias and Elizabeth are a good example: “They were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless”  (Luke 1:6).  “Marriage is honorable among all”  (Hebrews 13:4).  

There is a song that says:                                                                               

“I'm in a hurry to get things done, I rush and rush until life's no fun.                                              

All I really gotta do is live and die, but I'm in a hurry and don't know why.”                               

Does this line describe your life?  We seem to be a very busy people, having more to do than we can get done.  Just maybe, we need to slow down and evaluate what we are doing with our time.  Slow down and consider what it is that God wants us to do.  Slow down and consider what is more important.  Paul said, “redeem the time.”  Are we doing that?  (Eph. 5:16).             

Adam and Eve for one bite of luscious fruit when they were not even hungry, brought sin, suffering, shame and death upon themselves and the human race (Genesis 3).   

Lot's wife, regarding her longing for the things that pertain to earth, took one look back and became a pillar of salt (Genesis 19).                                                                                                                              

Achan, for a garment of gold he could not wear and for silver and gold he could not spend, paid with all his possessions, his family and his life (Joshua 7).                                                         

Samson, for the caress of a hypocritical woman, lost his will, his strength, his liberty, his eyes, and finally his life (Judges 15).                                                                                                       

David, to enjoy another man's wife, handed to posterity a tale of adultery, shame, and tears, boldly written across its face (2 Samuel 11-12).                                                                                      

Ahab, coveting another's vineyard, permitted his wife to have its owner killed (I Kings 21). 

Judas, for thirty pieces of silver which he had no occasion or conscience to use, took his own life in shame and despair (Matthew 27).                                                                                            

Demas, loving the transient world more than a permanent future, forsook Paul and provoked the wrath of heaven (2 Timothy 4).                                                                                                    

The Christian who seeks anything above the kingdom of heaven will lose his soul forever. (Matthew 6:16).