"… strengthen the things which remain…" Revelation 3:2
March 11, 2010
Thursday, March 11, 2010 11:00 AM
I trust that you have had a good week thus far. I have been in Texas visiting my grandfather for the past two days, but I should be back at the church shortly after lunch today. I am looking forward to being home. While visiting my grandparents in Texas, I had the privilege of preaching at Central Baptist Church on Wednesday evening. It was a good time in the house of the Lord. The people were very warm and friendly. I heard good things about the service at Calvary on Wednesday evening. I am eagerly awaiting Sunday. This Sunday we are on letter "E" in our growing Christian series. After much prayer, the Lord directed me to have "E" stand for "Encouragement." That is a large topic in and of itself. We could study God's Word to learn how to encourage others. That is a needed truth for every Christian to understand. However, that is not the direction that we will take on Sunday morning. Instead, we will learn how to encourage ourselves. There will be times in every Christian's life when they are in desperate need of encouragement, but for one reason or another they will not find that encouragement in others. Every Christian must learn how to encourage themselves. Failure to know how to do this could result in despair and even failure in the Christian life. For these reasons "E" in the Growing Christian Series: Topics for Growing Christians To Understand will be "Encouragement: How to encourage yourself." I hope that you will be here for this important Bible study in God's Word.
While in Texas the last two days I had the privilege to visit with Paul Henderson. Bro. Henderson served the Lord as the Pastor of Central Baptist Church in Bowie, TX for 55 years! He is now 86 and has a wealth of knowledge that would help any Pastor. My grandfather and I went to his house and visited with him for hours. He shared so many beneficial things with me. I believe the Lord orchestrated this short trip in part to help me as a Pastor. Bro. Henderson's wife is Dela. Dela is the daughter-in-law of Eugene Monroe Bartlett. E.M. Bartlett, as he was often called, wrote "Victory in Jesus" in 1939, two years before his death. The song first appeared that year in "Gospel Choruses," a paperback songbook published by James Vaughan in Lawrenceburg, Tennessee. Dela is only one of two people still alive that knew E.M. Bartlett on a personal level. What an exciting thing to have had this history lesson delivered first hand from a senior saint of God. Here is a little known fact that I learned during this history lesson. E.M. Bartlett not only wrote "Victory in Jesus" but he also wrote a song made famous by Little Jimmy Dickens of the Grand Ole' Opry. Did you know "Victory in Jesus" and "Take An Old Cold Tater and Wait" came from the same pen? Who knew? I just thought I would share it with you.
I would like to ask you to pray for my Great Aunt, Martha Jones. Aunt Martha was diagnosed with cancer this week. She is one of tho most Godly women that I have ever know. She is truly a special saint of the Lord. Her favorite phrase is "Praise Jesus." I have never heard her complain. I don't think she knows how. She is the epitome of I Thessalonians 5:18, "In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you." Even now she is praising the Lord. Please pray for Aunt Martha and her family as they go through this valley.
GO TELL,
Pastor Coley