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Announcements Plus Devotional Aids

Community Day coming on August 10th!

Let's Learn a Bible Verse!

Sow for yourselves righteousness, reap the fruit of unfailing love, and break up your unplowed ground; for it is time to seek the LORD, until he comes and showers righteousness on you.
--Hosea 10:12 NIV

 

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Contents

Announcements

School Supplies Time Again

We are now collecting school backpacks and supplies. Go here to find the new lists. We thank you for your support.

Welcome Rev. Simon Chigumira!

Bring a plate of your favorite dish or dessert to share on Sunday, July 14th for our Welcome to Ebenezer fellowship lunch for Simon and his wife, Eunice and daughter, Sarah.

Simon will begin a sermon series this Sunday called: "Church as It Was Meant to Be." It is time to get back to the basics and begin getting serious again about church, worship, and witnessing for Jesus. We hope to see you there.

Red Cross Blood Drive - Report

Thank you to everyone who came to give blood and help with the drive. The Red Cross collected 21 products at this drive.

Give blood to help save lives and enjoy a delicious spaghetti meal or snacks for free at Ebenezer on Monday, July 22nd, 2:30-7:00 p.m. Please sign-up online at www.redcrossblood.org now or call our office to make an appointment. (Search online using zip code 28630.)

Donors will receive a movie ticket for "Twisters" and be entered into a raffle for a 2025 Ram 1500 Big Horn!

We thank you for your support of this vital service.

 

 

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Quote to Ponder

Mainline churches are basically "why bother?" churches. When your church has no distinct theology, is blatantly unbiblical in its teaching and is more focused on promoting the latest social justice cause being pushed by the corporate media instead of traditional Christian values, people say, why bother going to church when none of it matters anyway? –JohnnyBoy1982

 

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For Meditation

Of all tyrannies a tyranny sincerely exercised for the good of its victims may be the most oppressive. It may be better to live under robber barons than under omnipotent moral busybodies. The robber baron's cruelty may sometimes sleep, his cupidity may at some point be satiated; but those who torment us for our own good will torment us without end for they do so with the approval of their own conscience. They may be more likely to go to Heaven yet at the same time likelier to make a Hell of earth. Their very kindness stings with intolerable insult. To be 'cured' against one's will and cured of states which we may not regard as disease is to be put on a level with those who have not yet reached the age of reason or those who never will; to be classed with infants, imbeciles, and domestic animals. But to be punished, however severely, because we have deserved it, because we 'ought to have known better', is to be treated as a human person made in God's image.

--C. S. Lewis, "The Humanitarian Theory of Punishment" in "God in the Dock."

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Mini-Bible Lesson #86: Church Meant to Be

Rev. Simon Chigumira is doing a series of sermons on Church as It Was Meant to Be. Summaries of his first two sermons are provided below. We hope you will consider attending the next one in person. You will be blessed.

Real Worship

Scripture for sermon Pursuing Real Worship: Acts 4:23-31. Pastor Simon expounded on three important aspects of real worship of God.

(1) Glorify God. We glorify God in worship--not good singers or musicians, not the pastor, not entertaining preaching. All we do in the “worship” service should point to and praise our Lord (Father, Son, Holy Spirit).

(2) Bible-based. Our worship should center in and be conducted with the Word of God prominent. The reading of the Lord’s revelation of Who he is from His revealed Word is the best form of worship, and the basis for all preaching and teaching.

(3) Heart-felt and authentic. We should work on entering into worship of our Lord in a heart-felt, authentic, and passionate way. Centering our minds upon Jesus and all he has done for us, concentrating on the acts of worship with our full attention, our whole heart, our whole being is what makes a worship service real and powerful.

Real worship leads to changed lives, empowered ability to resist the devil, and witnessing that will shake the community and the world.

Divine Pattern of Prayer

Scripture for sermon Divine Pattern of Prayer: Exodus 25:8-9; Hebrews 8:3-5. God desires to be among his people and to hear from them. But prayer, or talking with God, can be difficult sometimes. Pastor Simon used the pattern of the tabernacle given to Moses to lead us through a pattern for prayer that will help to bring us to a closer and more powerful form of praying.

The altar in the courtyard where the animal sacrifices were performed show us the seriousness with which God looks upon sin. As Christians, this is where we should begin by concentrating on what Jesus did for us on the cross. He became our sacrifice for our sins. The water basin is where the priests would wash off the blood that came from the sacrifices. The priest could see himself in the mirror of the water in the bronze bowl. This is where we should look at ourselves truthfully and then “wash our feet” (see John 13:1-10) or list and repent of our sins in God’s presence in prayer. The Holy Spirit will remind us of what we need to confess. Our God is holy, and we are called to be holy. This prepares our hearts as we proceed into the Holy Place.

In the Holy Place we find the Menorah that holds 7 candles. This symbolizes the Light. Here we begin to speak about Jesus, We need the Holy Spirit to walk with us, to give us wisdom, comfort, courage. Welcome the Holy Spirit (Jesus’ “mouthpiece” or presence) and thank him for being with us and enabling us to grow in holiness. There is also an altar for the burning of incense which is symbolic of the prayers of the saints (believers). Prayers are a sweet aroma to God. The shewbread reminds of the Bread of Life, the written Word of God. Thank God for his Word and study it diligently.

Next stop is the veil which leads to the Holy of Holies. Long ago, only the head priest could enter this area. At Christ death, the veil in the temple was ripped from top to bottom to show that God had opened the Holy of Holies to all believers.

The Holy of Holies holds several important items. The Ark contained a vessel of manna, showing God’s provisioning, the tablet with God’s basic laws upon them (The Ten Commandments) to teach us how to be holy, and Aaron’s staff that was used to show God’s power to Pharoah and to the people of Israel. It reminds us that God works in history and is all-powerful. In this area, keep in mind that this is a holy place. Here is where we talk to God directly because we can now approach the throne of Grace. Here we work to let the flesh die by dropping our struggles, worries, and doubts by giving them over to God. When we are serious with God, God is serious with us. Begin to pray for others and for the wisdom and power to be who God has meant us to be. Fear of God is the beginning of wisdom.

Prayer changes us. Pray often. Pray deeply. Try this pattern of prayer and see what mighty things God can do in us and through us.

Based upon notes taken during the two sermons by Rev. Simon Chigumira on July 14 and 21st, 2024 and made into this article by Cindy Sears.

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Special Resources

The picture below is our new Resource Room with books, dvds, videos, and a TV screen (not shown in photo). Individuals are encouraged to take resources home for Bible study or reading; and classes can use the room to show videos related to their studies. We would appreciate donations of books or dvds, especially for young children for this collection.

 

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Ongoing Collections - Updated - 10/09/2023

CCC & TI Food Pantry Collection - Yearly in April

Throughout the month of April, we will be collecting single serve, microwaveable or ready-to-eat items for students at Caldwell Community College and Technical Institute. Suggested items: single serve Ramen Noodles, macaroni and cheese, crackers with cheese or peanut butter, cookies, single serve canned meats, etc.

Oakhill Backpack Ministry

We are beginning to collect single serve, easy to microwave or use food items to send home with needy children, such as, fruit cups, mac and cheese, snacks, noodles, etc. The children will receive a backpack of these items to take home on the weekends, and use for themselves and their families. Put the items in the old fellowship hall. We thank you for helping.

Local Schools Supply Closet

We continue to collect items for our local teachers.This ministry provides items for teachers and their students that they cannot obtain through the regular budget.

They include the following: Clorox wipes, hand sanitizer, hand soap, paper towels, facial tissues, sharpies, dry board markers highlighters, black/blue/red ink pens, colored pencils, glue sticks, composition books and notebook paper (wide and college ruled), crayons, scissors (children's type), index cards, construction paper, pencil sharpeners, sheet protectors, file folders, large and small legal pads, white out, paper clips, staples, pencil pouches, markers, rulers, ring binders, card stock white/assorted, 3 ring note books, large and small pencil top erasers, and post it notes.

South Caldwell Christian Ministries

We are collecting non-perishable food and clean used clothing in good condition that will be taken to South Caldwell Christian Ministries. You may leave the items at the church on Sundays or during normal office hours (8:30 to 1:00 p.m., Monday-Friday).

We thank you for helping us to minister to the needs of our community.

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Contact Information: 828-396-2214 or emcdudleyshoals@yahoo.com;
4948 Burns Rd., Granite Falls NC 28630