Winter 2014 by MaconFBC

DISCIPLE OUR BACKYARD & BEYOND CELEBRATING MISSIONS IN THE PAST AND GEARING UP FOR 2015 MISSION NIGHT NOVEMBER 30 _______________

BRIDGING THE GAP HOMEGROUPS ARE MAKING A DIFFERENCE

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ONLINE MaconFBC WHAT’S GOING ON AND HOW CAN I FIND OUT?

GETTING READY BEHIND THE SCENES OF THE CHRISTMAS PRODUCTION DECEMBER 6 & 7, 2014 3 PERFORMANCES

May the Lord Jesus bless your family this Christmas season! At MaconFBC our desire is to exalt the Lord Jesus by making disciples for his fame and honor. Come worship with us this Christmas as we exalt the KING of KINGS and LORD or LORDS!

Pastor Phil Bray and his family

It’s not too late to

JOIN THE BOOK BLOG THE BOOK The Hole in our Holiness by Kevin DeYoung The hole in our holiness is that we don't seem to care much about holiness. Or, at the very least, we don't understand it. And we all have our reasons too: Maybe the pursuit of holiness seems legalistic. Maybe it feels like one more thing to worry about in your already overwhelming life. Maybe the emphasis on effort in the Christian life appears unspiritual. Or maybe you've been trying really hard to be holy and it's just not working! Whatever the case, the problem is clear: too few Christians look like Christ and too many don’t seem all that concerned about it. Ready to take holiness seriously? This is a book about God's power to help us grow in personal holiness and to enjoy the process of transformation. CHECK OUT THE BLOG each Monday morning as Pastor Phil posts his comments about a new chapter. You can leave your comments, too.

JOIN IN THE READING AND GROW IN GODLINESS !

social media

facebook.com/hopeformacon “Like” us on facebook

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youtube.com/user/maconfbc watch MaconFBC Sunday services on youtube

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The Power of a Simple Gift!

RETUF IRL NL E D

YOUR BOX S H O E 19 BY NOV.

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DECEMBER 2014

NOVEMBER 2014

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PASTOR APPRECIATION FAMILY SUPPER

“ADORE HIM” CHRISTMAS PRODUCTION

6PM - Everyone is invited to join us as we appreciate the faithful and Godly men who lead us in the truth of the Gospel. Main dish will be provided. Families should bring a side dish and/or dessert. Baskets for each pastor will be available for you and your family to give gifts, cards, gift cards or money.

From a mother’s eyes, the impossible is made possible with God. 3 Performances - Saturday at 2PM and 7PM; Sunday at 7PM. Doors open 1 hour before each performance. Open seating - first come, first serve. Call 660-385-3714 or go online for group reservations of 10 or more.

NOVEMBER 13 SENIOR ADULT THANKSGIVING LUNCHEON

DECEMBER 6 SENIOR ADULT CHRISTMAS DINNER & SHOW

11:30AM - A thanksgiving feast provided for all senior adults. Bring a guest and enjoy a great meal of thanksgiving. Sign up by Nov. 2. No cost.

Enjoy a festive dinner at the Apple basket followed by special seating at “ADORE HIM” Christmas Production at MaconFBC. Leave East Parking lot at 4:45PM, if transportation is needed. If meeting at Apple Basket, be there by 5PM. Sign up by Nov. 30

NOVEMBER 14

DECEMBER 14

HS LOCK IN

“AN UNPLUGGED CAROL” KIDS CHOIR MUSICAL

A night of fun for Grades 9-12 at the Chillicothe YMCA. Leave Macon at 10pm and return at 6:30am.

NOVEMBER 22

2 PERFORMANCES at 9AM and 10:30AM on Sunday morning. Everyone welcome!

PASTORS, DEACONS & WIVES DINNER

DECEMBER 14

6:30PM in the chapel - RSVP by Nov. 12 to office@hopeformacon.com.

EVENING IN DECEMBER

NOVEMBER 30

MaconFBC Handbell Choir concert following by cookies and refreshments.

MISSION NIGHT

DECEMBER 19

6PM - Celebrating past missions and anticipating new future missions. Discover ways you can do missions right out your back door. Meet and learn more about ongoing local mission opportunities such as Macon County Ministries, Shoes from the Heart and more. MACONFBC OFFICES will be closed November 27 & 28 for Thanksgiving.

LEARN MORE DETAILS ABOUT UPCOMING MINISTRY EVENTS AT

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STUDENT CROSSOVER CHRISTMAS PARTY

DECEMBER 21 CHRISTMAS WORSHIP @ MaconFBC 9 & 10:30AM

DECEMBER 24 CHRISTMAS EVE SERVICE at 5PM MACONFBC OFFICES will be closed December 24 & 25 for CHRISTMAS and also on January 1 for New Year’s Day.

2015 CHURCH MINISTRY BUDGET SCHEDULE November 9 Presentation of Proposed Spending Plan November 23 Q & A for Proposed Spending Plan December 7 Vote/Adopt 2015 Spending Plan

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FIND US ON GOOGLE MAPS Macon First Baptist Church 302 North Rutherford Street Macon Missouri 63552

JANUARY 18

WEEKLY SERVICE TIMES & LOCATION

STATE OF THE CHURCH

SUNDAY WORSHIP

6PM Pastor Phil Bray will cast vision for the new year and reflect on ministry in the past as we continue our mission of MAKING DISCIPLES.

9:00 & 10:30AM in main Worship Center FAMILY WORSHIP at 6:00PM

JANUARY 18 & 19

ADULT BIBLE STUDY

STUDENT SKI TRIP more info to come.

Explore the Bible Classes at 7;45 and 10:30AM

FEBRUARY 6-8

FOUNDATIONS at 9AM.

FOCUS 2015 Live for Christ so that His Good News can be carried to the ends of the earth. See PG 18 for schedule & details

Per IRS regulations, contributions for each year must be received or postmarked by December 31 of that year in order to receive donation credit for that year's tax purposes. WEEKEND SERVICES Any cash or check donation placed in the offering by December 28 will be counted in 2014 and those placed in the black drop boxes by Dec. 31 will be counted in 2014.

IN THE OFFICE

Our greeters are available at each entrance to help guide you to the age-appropriate Sunday School classes for you and your children. Ask our greeters for assistance.

KIDS Sunday School at 9AM in Kid’s Cove Children’s Wing & Lower Level. Worship at 10:30AM in Worship Center.

STUDENTS FOUNDATIONS Bible Study at 9AM on lower level. Worship at 10:30AM in Worship Center.

CHILDCARE Nursery for children ages birth through 3 years is provided during all Sunday morning and evening worship services.

Any cash or check donation brought into the church offices on Dec. 31 by 4:30PM will be counted in 2014.

BY MAIL Any cash/check donation postmarked Dec. 31 or earlier will be counted in 2014.

ONLINE Any donation transacted by midnight Dec. 31 will be counted in 2014.

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t n e i n e inconv Truth can be an inconvenient intruder into your life at times, can’t it? It would be so much easier to lie and slip away from the grasping fingers of punishment, wouldn’t it? Any parent can testify to that reality. You can see the wheels whirling in your child’s little minds as they process the best possible answer to avoid the hammer that is poised to fall upon their young and fragile life. Truth can be messy. Truth can be dangerous. Truth is absolutely indispensable though. It is like blood. Blood spilling out all over the floor is horrific. It is messy, life threatening, and dangerous. It is inconvenient. Yet, blood is absolutely indispensable for life. Truth is like that. We live in the midst of a generation that is ready and willing to pull the trigger on truth. People do not want to submit their lives, their experiences, or their desires to some higher authority. They do not want anyone telling them what they can or cannot do, what they must or must not believe. They want to captain their own ship and be the

PHIL BRAY LEAD PASTOR master of their own fate. In the name of tolerance they perpetuate the ruse that all truth claims are equally valid and that no one should criticize anyone else’s truth claim. This position is untenable. By criticizing the claim of absolute truth they violate their own principle! People live in this house of cards though. They are rejecting the reality of their gender, claiming to be the opposite sex despite the biology to the contrary. The recent controversy in Houston, TX demonstrates just how ridiculous the rejection of truth has become. Truth, absolute truth, is a reality regardless of whether or not you agree with it or not. It is a lot like gravity. It is there and it exerts a tremendous inescapable force upon your life if you leap out of an airplane at 20,000 feet. The illusion of resistance to gravity created by the plane is instantly replaced by the gut wrenching terror of reality as the

ONLINE GIVING is available A convenient & secure method of giving

Go to Hopeformacon.com/giving FIRST TIME allows you to create a login and review or print your giving history at any time. Setup recurring giving as you wish or give once. QUICK GIVE allows you to give quickly without logging in. You will not be able to look at your giving history or print a report with this choice. 6

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earth rushes to meet your face at over 100 mph. Our generation is living in the plane of truth denial. There will come a day when we will all stand before God and give an account of our lives though. Truth will be inescapable on the last day. As Pastor Sam so rightly explains, there are only two ways to live. Either you will submit your life and experience to the revealed word of God (truth) or you will submit the word of God to your life and experience. Which will you do? The issue of homosexual marriage in our culture will be the litmus test of our generation. Either we will continue to explain that homosexual acts are sinful or we will justify homosexual acts as legitimate expressions of human sexuality. We know it to be wrong because God has declared it to be wrong. Will you obey God’s word and submit to His instructions or will you force God’s word to adjust to our cultural expression of sexuality? The pressure will come socially, politically, financially, and legally to reject God’s instructions regarding human sexuality and gender. Will you stand upon the word of God as the absolute truth or will you cave into the pressure? The truth is messy, and for some, a very uncomfortable presence. Yet, God will judge sinners. He will judge all sinners, even the homosexual ones. If we do not speak the truth to them in love how will they escape from the path of destruction? Take a moment to look out the window of this cultural plane we are flying in and remind yourself that gravity is real. Absolute truth is real. Never forget that and never abandon God’s word. It’s a matter of life and death.

Christmas! What a wonderful time of the year - decorating the Christmas tree and house, the snow, wrapping gifts, cookies baking, Christmas cards, Christmas music, visiting family and friends near and far, and a visit from Santa makes Christmas special. But the real meaning of Christmas is the giving of love everyday.

morning.” They left immediately and found Joseph, Mary and the baby—lying in the manger. Did they realize that they were looking at the Great Shepherd—the Sacrificial Lamb of God so unlike their lambs which would be sacrificed in the temple? Did they say, “Well, let’s go back and check on our lambs and get

RUN SHEPHERDS RUN CLARK DOBBS SENIOR ADULT PASTOR

That’s exactly what God did that night when Joseph and Mary’s baby was born—He gave us not only love but also a Savior, His Son Jesus! God proclaimed the birth announcement that very night to shepherds who were watching their flocks in the field. Wow! Can you imagine what it was like to have the angel of the Lord tell them to not be afraid. “I have good news for you, a Savior who is Christ the Lord has been born!” The angel said, “He could be found in Bethlehem lying in a manger, wrapped in cloths. Then there was a large host of angels praising God. The shepherds didn’t say, “We’ll check it out in the

some sleep before morning?” No! They were the first missionaries who told everyone in the Bethlehem area about all that they had seen and heard. The people were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. The shepherds then returned to their flocks praising God for all the things they had seen and heard - just as they had been told. What about this Christmas? Is there someone whom you could share the good news with enthusiasm and excitement like the shepherds did? “God has sent His Son, Jesus to be our Savior, Christ the Lord!” Run, shepherds, run!

SENIOR ADULT JUBILEE BRANSON TRIP April 13-15, 2015 Approx. Cost is $248 per person $50 deposit per person due by November 9 10 deposits needed to continue planning the trip.

Have questions about MEMBERSHIP? Go to HopeForMacon.com/Membership -at-maconfbc HOPEFORMACON.COM

fostering more close-knit relationships

The simple truth is… it’s easy for people who visit a church our size to not feel connected. A guest visiting MaconFBC for the first time at a worship service with 200-300 other people does not lend ample opportunity for them to meet and connect with other believers. HOMEGROUPS at MaconFBC are designed to bridge that gap. HOMEGROUPS meet one night a week in homes with the purpose of building relationships, praying for one another, and holding each other accountable to Godliness while also providing the opportunity for evangelism. Since their start in May 2014, HomeGroups have paved the way for personal one-on-one ministry to hurting families, met financial needs of several individuals, and provided a friendly, home setting for people to learn about Christ. Some of the new faces on Sunday morning have started attending because of the impact of a HomeGroup. As HomeGroups grow, new ones are started. We want reproduction to be a part of the DNA. If you are not yet involved with a HomeGroup, but would like to find one to visit…..

go to hopeformacon.com/homegroups to learn more.

IT’S NOT TOO LATE TO JOIN A CLASS @ 9:00AM EACH SUNDAY IN THE CHAPEL, ROOM 115, OR ROOM 121 8

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LUKE BRAY Guest Pastor & Speaker for FOCUS 2015 Laying on a bed burning with fever, Asahel Grant reflected on his life. Years before, he earned his medical doctorate and married at a very young age. But in 1831, his wife died after only four years of marriage. Grant resettled in New York where he built a successful medical practice, but during a missionary conference the Lord changed the trajectory of his life. His heart was inflamed for the Gospel and God called him to reach the Nestorian people in the mountains of Turkey. Grant loved the Nestorians. He sacrificed all that he had for them. He put his life at risk from mobs, bandits, cold, dysentery and neardrowning. His family suffered from illness and tragedy always seemed to linger about them. Before his extensive book on the Nestorian people was published, Judith, his wife, died of a fever. She was loved by all that knew her because of her charity and passion for the Gospel among the Nestorians. Just a few months later, Grant’s twin daughters also became ill and died. Just weeks after their deaths, Grant, weakened by the emotional weight of losing his family, became sick and nearly died in Mardin. But during his trial, the Lord providentially cared for him. While he was out to take a walk for exercise, a rioting mob attacked his residence hoping to kill him, but he was nowhere to be found. His heart burned with Gospel zeal

for the Nestorian people, but his faithful efforts to open a mission among them only seemed to magnify their threat in the eyes of Muslims. When the Muslims and Kurds attacked, Grant escaped through the mountains to the city of Mosul in Turkey. There he cared for Nestorian refugees that poured over the mountain. The following year Grant contracted typhus from the refugees that he was helping. He died on April 24, 1844, at the young age of 36. The next day he was buried and the Nestorian people of Mosul wept. Grant saw few conversions during his lifetime, but he was faithful to the mission that God had given him. While the echo of missionary stories should capture our imaginations, we should never think that missions is only the undertaking of the spiritual elite. The call of missions is upon every disciple of Jesus Christ. Issuing his final instructions to his disciples, Jesus said, “As you are going, make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe everything that I have commanded you (Matt 28:19-20).

MORE ON PAGE 18 These words must shape the purpose and plan for our lives. This mission is God’s rescue plan for the world. His name will fall from the lips of every person ever created. From some it will drip from their tongues in bitter rebellion. From others it will be a sweet song of praise. Our mission is to plead with people, “be reconciled to God” (2 Cor 5:19). We must wage war against the devilish forces at work in our world by prayer and the ministry of the Gospel. Generations come and go, but the mission remains. Only what we do for Jesus and his Kingdom will last. Most of us have probably never heard of Asahel Grant. And a hundred years from now, our names will also be lost among the millions who have faithfully worked to spread the Gospel among the nations. Authors will not write books about our lives. People will not scour the internet to find a quote by us. We will be forgotten. Forgotten by all except for one, God. Live for the mission. Live for Christ so that his good news can be carried to the ends of the earth.

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“What is

IMPOSSIBLE

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made POSSIBLE with God”

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THE DISCIPLE NEWSLETTER

I don’t know how it is at your house, but mornings at our house are full of craziness in getting ready for another full day.

This year’s pageant is based on a story of self-denial, true surrender, and complete obedience despite reputation, hope of domestic happiness, and above all being shunned as damaged goods. We are excited to bring to life the story of the Nativity before and when it happens and the lives it changed for the salvation of the world. This is always a big undertaking and this year is no exception to the rule. It is not just the music and the drama but also the technical parts with lights, sound and of course some action. The set up will be different. Our staging will be on two separate stages for a different effect so our seating will be different as well. Our choir rehearsals have already started and so have the drama rehearsals. This cannot happen without prayer and people putting feet to their prayers. We need all kinds of help in this endeavor to make this happen. We need tech people, carpentry, helpers with lights and other behind the scene operations that make a production like this work. We will also need people for the performances to be greeters, ushers, back stage help, and other areas. If you are willing and are available to help out please call the office and talk with Sarah or Pastor John—we need you. Our prayer is that people will come and see and realize Jesus came for them and that He is their only hope of salvation. So, come let us ADORE HIM. See you there!

The showers, breakfast, practice, making beds, brushing teeth, combing hair, making sure our fish is still swimming (we have been through several) and whatever else there is to do and above all—have family devotions before we leave for the day. We have gotten quite good at it and the routine is set pretty much in stone for us because this is the only way we can function and get to our places on time. Each one is as important as the other and is a building block to a common goal and that is to get to where we need to be at the time we need to be there. Although this is important, I sometimes wonder how much time we take personally to prepare for worship before we come together as a body of believers? When the Lord visited Mount Sinai He told Moses to consecrate the people, have them wash their garments, and get ready for the Lord to ascend on the Mountain and talk with them. They took three days of preparation in getting ready to meet the Lord. Ron Owens, the author of the book “Return to Worship,” makes a statement about corporate worship and the church as a whole “Have you lost your song?” he asks. I might have mentioned this in a former article but as I was reflecting on some underlined things in this book, that phrase caught my eye. I wonder if we approach the throne, especially in corporate worship, unprepared. Perhaps you are thinking what do I have to do with it— the choir and praise team are the ones leading, the pastor comes to preach, I am just the innocent bystander that hopes they play one of my favorite songs and the pastor preaches a good message and gets us out on time for Sunday dinner! I know I have been there before. And we wonder why we have “lost our song!” It takes time getting ready—time with God alone through prayer and in His word. Remember, worship involves action it just doesn’t happen all by itself but by a life surrendered to God. Sometimes I busy myself with things that really don’t matter or at least should not be at the top of my list of getting ready. Rather, I should make sure I have taken the time to prepare my heart to give praise and to hear from God. This is not like getting ready for work or going out for the evening. This is far more important than that.

Getting Ready!

As Owens states in his book “we gather to worship the God of creation! We gather to worship the God of redemption! We gather to worship the Lamb”. That is why we prepare our hearts, minds, our physical (Get rest!) to bring an attitude of praise & thanksgiving and humbleness before Him. As you are getting ready with all the usual paraphernalia don’t forget that it is not just about the physical but more about THE HEART.

Psalm 95:6-7 Oh come, let us worship and bow down; Let us kneel before Jehovah our Maker: For He is our God, and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand. Today, oh that ye would hear his voice!

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pel. But when we talk about salvation, we focus on the gospel message.” (33)

Taken from Mack Stiles’ Evangelism: How the whole church speaks of Jesus. J. Mack Stiles. Crossway, 2014.

Stiles defines evangelism as “teaching the gospel with the aim to persuade.” (27) He argues that all 4 parts (teaching, gospel, aim and persuade) are critical. We must teach.

and wanted to argue liberal versus conservative policies. Pastor Phil chose not to argue about politics because he understands our aim as evangelists of Christ. Our job is not to convert someone to conservative politics but rather to explain the gospel that can give them eternal life. Of course, when we have these conversations we are persuading not manipulating. We are to share the gospel and leave the actual converting to God. He identifies what he calls the “inverse economic bang for your buck” related to programs and media used for evangelism. Only 1% of people under 21 interviewed said they came to faith through TV or other media. Compare that to 43% who said that they came to faith through conversations with a friend or family member. How much does it cost to have a conversation with a friend?

Characteristics OF a cultu I just read Stiles’ book in preparation to teach a class on evangelism. I highly recommend it. It is small and easily digestible yet very challenging to the current culture of the church. He challenges us to not make the gospel that we share too small or too big. We make it too small when we think only in terms of “fire insurance” without understanding the implications for all of life. We make the gospel too big when we say that the gospel is everything. “When we talk about living the life of a Christian, we are talking about living out the themes and implications of the gos-

We must open our mouths and share. The message we share is the gospel which explains who God is, why we are separated from him, what Christ did about it and how we are to respond to him. We aim at leading people from darkness to light, from bondage to sin to freedom in Christ. Understanding our aim helps us to know which fights to pick. For instance, Pastor Phil recently was able to witness to a lady he was sitting by on a flight. The lady was a producer for what we would identify as an immoral reality TV show. She was clearly a liberal politically speaking

Maybe the price of a cup of coffee. Compare that to the cost of big programs and TV/media. Stiles believes that church leaders want their churches to be loving communities committed to sharing the gospel as part of an ongoing way of life, not by the occasional evangelistic event. So with that in mind, he gives us 11 characteristics of a culture of evangelism that he hopes will develop in our churches. I am not going to expound on each one in great detail here. I want to put them before you to spur your thinking. Perhaps you will be interested enough to get the book and read it yourself. 

About the book... BLOG POST & INTERVIEW WITH MACK STILES on teaching the Gospel with an aim to persuade with David Platt. Scan code to read. Order the book or kindle ebook at Amazon.com/ Evangelism-Church-Building-Healthy-Churches/ dp/1433544652

SAM OWENS ASSOCIATE PASTOR 12

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1. A culture motivated by love for Jesus and his Gospel. For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this; that one has died for all, therefore all have died; and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised. (2 cor. 5:14-15) Quite simply, people that are truly in love with Jesus and His gospel don’t have to be pushed to do evangelism. Evangelism flows out of their worship and devotion to their Savior.

2. A culture that is confident in the Gospel. I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is power of God for salvation. (Rom. 1:16) We must trust in the Gospel completely. We must believe that Jesus is THE way of salvation and not just one among many.

3. A culture that understands the danger of entertainment. Your people, who talk together about you by the walls and at the doors of the houses, say to one another, each to his brother, “Come, and hear what the word is that comes from the Lord.” And they come to you as people come, and they sit before you as my people, and they hear what you say but they will not do it; for with lustful talk in their mouths they act; their heart is set on their gain. And behold, you are to them like one who sings lustful songs with a beautiful voice and plays well on an instrument, for they hear what you say, but they will not do it. (Ezek. 33:30-32) We live in an entertainment saturated culture. We are tempted to put on big shows to draw people in. John Piper warns that what we win them with is likely what we have won them to.

4. A culture that sees people clearly. From now on, therefore, we regard no one according to the flesh. (2 Cor. 5:16a) We don’t need to see people as the world does through sexist, racist or other demeaning eyes. We see people as created in the image of God. We see them as valuable yet fallen, sinful and separated from their Creator.

5. A culture that pulls together as one. I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy, because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now. (Phil. 1:3-5) We need to do away with the notion of giftedness in evangelism. Evangelism is a matter of faithfulness not giftedness. We must all be participating in the work of sharing the Gospel.

6. A culture in which people teach one another. …always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you. (1 Pet. 3:15b) Follow the pattern of sound words that you have heard from me, in the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. (2 Tim. 1:13) It is not enough to just say follow Jesus. There are different positions on who Jesus was, what He did and what His work means. We must teach specifics about who Jesus was, what He did and what it all means. We must hand the same biblical faith that according to Jude was once for all handed down to the saints.

ure of

7. A culture that models evangelism. What you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men who will be able to teach others also. (2 Tim. 2:2) We learn from teaching, as well as observing the example of others. We must be evangelists in front of others. We must demonstrate how to share the gospel so that those younger in the faith can learn and then practice.

8. A culture in which people who are sharing their faith are celebrated. I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you soon, so that I too may be cheered by news of you. For I have no one like him, who will be genuinely concerned for your welfare. For they all seek their own interests, not those of Jesus Christ. But you know Timothy’s proven worth, how as a son with a father he has served with me in the gospel. (Phil. 2:19-22) We need to share and hear each other’s stories of evangelism and those experiences need to be celebrated so that others will be encouraged to be faithful.

9. A culture that knows how to affirm and celebrate new life. We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, since we heard of your faith in Christ…just as you learned it from Epaphras our beloved fellow servant. (Col. 1:3-4, 7) We need to genuinely rejoice when one comes out of darkness into the light of Jesus. It needs to be a big deal in our lives.

10. A culture doing ministry that feels risky and is dangerous. I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel, so that it has become known throughout the whole imperial guard and to all the rest that my imprisonment is for Christ. (Phil. 1:12-13) He is not saying that you are not doing evangelism unless you have a gun pointed at your head. He is saying that if we are comfortable, it is likely that we are not being faithful in evangelism. We must get out of our comfortable building and go out to where the lost are.

11. A culture that understands that the church is the chosen and best method of evangelism. And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved. (Acts 2:46-47) The local church living out implications of the gospel in community while calling others from the wider community to follow Christ even as we follow him is the method that God designed to share his message of salvation, to announce that His kingdom has come and to bring glory to His own name. Evangelism must become an intentional part of lives. We must plan for evangelistic opportunities with our co-workers and neighbors. We must begin to see evangelism as part of our culture, of who we are and not just an event. May God use this to encourage us here at MaconFBC in this area.

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STUDENT FEBRUARY 1, 2015 SUPER BOWL XLIX pARTY WATCH THE GAME ON THE BIGGEST SCREEN IN TOWN @ MACONFBC

STUDENT JAN18-19 REGISTRATION BEGINS SOON! SAVE THE DATE

TRIP

CELEBRATING WORK AND MISSIONS OF 2014. THE

JOIN US as we hear stories abou partners and learn how you and y us celebrate how God has used u

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MAKE A DIFFERENCE in the life of a prisoner’s child this Christmas! DEC 7 Pick up an ANGEL off the Christmas Tree at the NORTH WELCOME CENTER. DEC 14 Return your gift for your ANGEL at the table marked for ANGEL TREE GIFTS at the WELCOME CENTER.

Providing new clothing and food baskets to families in need in our community.

Helping Hands

If you and your family could use the help through Helping Hands this Christmas, please call the church at 660.385.3714 by Nov. 10 . If we don’t know you have a need, we cannot help. If you sign up through the church you will not be able to sign up again at Macon County Ministries, too.

If you and your family, or SS class, or your HomeGroup would like to give to Helping Hands families this Christmas, call Jan at 660.385.3714 by Monday, November 10.

COMMISSION TO GO IN THE PRESENT & FUTURE.

ut recent mission trips and opportunities to participate in upcoming missions. Interact with local mission ministry your family can get involved. Everyone is called to do missions. Make plans to join us NOVEMBER 30, 2014 and help us this past year and prayerfully consider how you can participate in present and future mission opportunities.

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Recently I was asked by a friend to share my opinion about the prophesied “mark of the beast” (Rev. 13:16-17). The question came to me in the context of fear and an unsettled spirit that plagues more than just my friend. In our technologically driven culture rumors and talk of microchips being embedded in people’s skin seems to be a genuine concern among some evangelicals. Rumored devices such as the R.F.I.D. microchip that has come up in recent conversations about President Obama’s Affordable Health Care Act are of particular concern. Before turning to the scripture a disclaimer must be made. Much of the confusion and disagreement that surround theological discussions about the end times are due to a lack of fulfilled prophesy. Whether discussing the rapture or the millennial reign or the mark of the beast there are as many different opinions as there are people sharing them. I believe one reason for this

acts as much like God as he can. He twists God’s words, distorts God’s truth and perverts God’s gifts in order to, ever so slightly, lead people away from truth. While this truth is evident throughout Scripture it can be seen most clearly in the apocalyptic literature of the book of Revelation. Consider Revelation 13 (pause to read it now), in verse one we see Satan in the form of the great dragon causing a beast to rise from the sea. All the world is deceived by this beast. People begin worshipping the Dragon and singing the beast’s praises because Satan gives his power, throne, and authority to the beast. The dragon and beast even go so far as to fake a very believable resurrection of one of the beast’s heads which appeared to have been slain (Rev. 13:2-6). Notice also that all this power, deception, blasphemy and war on the saints is allotted to the dragon for a season (“it was given to him”). He is always under the sovereign hand of

CHRISTIAN ABERNATHA NEXT GENERATION LEADERSHIP PASTOR

is found in John 12:16 where we find a group of very confused disciples. They were confused about the Scriptures and by Jesus’ words and actions. However, after Jesus was glorified they understood what had been written about Him. Let us agree that in our diligent study of God’s Word there is a little mystery when it comes to the end times because much of it has not yet taken place. Friends, what we know for sure is that Jesus is coming again and when He does we will have new understanding about what was written concerning these things. With that being said, the following article is what I have come to understand the mark of the beast to be. We have an awesome God who is tremendously perfect in His creativity. In fact, on a purely ontological level God is the best of all possible or imaginable beings. Therefore, everything God does is the best that could possibly be done and He does it the best possible way. Satan knows this is true about our God and, therefore, imitates Him as much as possible to deceive people. Satan is not so foolish as to think that he could come up with something new or creative. Therefore, in order to lead people away from God he

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rest on His people. It is the Spirit who breathes life into our spiritually dead bodies. Everything Satan does in the book of Revelation is a desperate attempt to be like God. But there is no one like God. So what about the mark? Well, in order to understand the mark of the beast you must first understand the mark of God. The mark of God is the true mark. The mark of the beast is a pathetic counterfeit. The mark of God is a real promise of eternal provision and a real guarantee of safety from judgment to come. It can be easily traced throughout Scripture; I will point out a few examples: Lets begin with the Deuteronomy 6:4 -9. God tells the truth about Himself (4), then commissions the people to love Him and pass the truth from generation to generation (5-7). Finally, God tells the people to wear the truth of the law on their bodies. Specifically, they are told to put it on their foreheads and their hands symbolizing that

E H T S I T A H W

the Creator. Next, the third being comes onto the scene. Another beast from the earth who causes people to worship the first beast by calling on the “resurrection miracle” (Rev. 13:12). The second beast then causes all kinds of signs and wonders, which include fire falling to the earth, as he encourages and even causes people to worship the first beast. Revelation 13:15 even says the second beast is given the ability to give breath to the image of the beast so that the beast can begin killing those who do not worship him. Then in verses 16-17 the beast causes people to take a mark that identifies them as his followers and by doing so the beast promises them earthly provisions and safety from his judgments on all who do not worship him. Do you see how desperate and uncreative Satan is in imitating the One true God? The true three-in-one God who gave his throne and power and authority to His only begotten Son Jesus. Then Jesus left earth promising the Spirit who comes and convinces us of all truth and causes us to walk in worship before God. It is the Spirit who convinces us of the resurrection. It is the Spirit who causes God’s fire to fall and

these truths will guide their thoughts and actions. Of course, many Jewish people took these verses literally and actually strapped miniature scrolls to their bodies. I do not think that this is what God had in mind because they willfully sinned against the very Scriptures they wore. Now consider the Exodus story when God’s judgment was coming on Egypt. The only safety from this coming judgment was to mark the door with blood so that the death angel would pass over the house and spare those inside from God’s wrath (Exodus 12:13). Look also at Ezekiel 9 where God intends to destroy the evil among the people. However, in an act of mercy God precedes His judgment with a mark. In verse four God sends angels out to put a mark on the foreheads of all the righteous in the city. Then in verse five and following God sends judgment to destroy every living soul in the city and only those with the mark of God are spared. The true mark of God is found in the end times prophesies also. In Revelation 7:1-3 and in Revelation 9:1-4 we find the same truth as in Ezekiel. God is about to send judgment on all those who do not worship Him. Once again, in a

grand act of mercy, He holds off the judgment until all the saints and servants of the most high God have received the seal of God. Where do they receive this seal? On their foreheads (Rev. 7:3 & 9:4), and the saints of God will worship Christ for eternity with His name written on their foreheads (Rev. 22:4). It is God who promises provisions to those with His mark. Satan tries to imitate that by promising provisions only to those who take his mark and not to the saints of God (Rev. 13:17). It is God who promises safety from the wrath to come to all those with the mark of God. However, Satan tries to imitate that by promising safety to those who take his mark and not to the saints of God (Rev. 13:15). Satan is the great impostor known only for his deception, and his end will be in the Lake of Fire with his false trinity (Rev. 20:10), Satan, the antiChrist, and the false prophet. No one knows for sure if the mark of

The Bible warns us to not be deceived and even says that Satan’s deception would be strong enough to fool anyone and everyone, even the elect, if that was possible, (Matthew 24:24) which, thanks to the preserving work of the Spirit, the implication in the verse is that it is not possible. So please do not misunderstand what I am about to say and conclude that you do not have to be on your guard, because you must be. The taking of the mark of the beast is going to be a clear act of allegiance to and worship of the beast along with a clear rejection of God and His gospel. To take the mark of the beast is not an accident but rather a deliberate act of faith in the beast to provide and protect. Notice that in every verse in Revelation that references the taking of the beast’s mark it is joined with the worshipping of the beast (Rev. 13:15-16, 14:9, 14:11, 16:2, 19:20, 20:4). The mark of the beast is no accidental cosmic “oops” nor does it have power to damn God’s people who have the true mark of God written on their hearts.

our hearts, souls and minds. We must study Him as He revealed and continues to reveal himself in His Holy Word. We must love Him as He is. We must know Him for that alone will guard us from deception. There is no God like our God and those who truly know Him will not be fooled by an impostor. Secondly, we must act in faith. Romans 14:23 tells us that anything not done from faith is sin. I am often asked about the role of a “rebellion” or a rising up against evil governments. I have heard of people wanting to run off to live in less significant countries that would be less likely to be involved in another world war, or building bunkers deep in the earth, or storing up food for the apocalypse. This article’s purpose is not to address those issues but I can say this, the mark of God on His people is a promise of provision and protection from final judgment. Anything you do or not do must be clothed in faith in that truth or you act in sin.

OF THE the beast is a literal mark or an act of allegiance. I tend to think it will be a literal mark that allows people to buy and sell during Satan’s rule. However, that is nothing more than my opinion. If I am right and the beast’s mark is literal, no one knows if it is a tattoo of some kind or a microchip or something else not yet invented. This is what I am convinced of however, you cannot accidentally receive the mark and thereby doom yourself to hell. Your children cannot be eternally damned because some school system decided to implant a chip in them without your permission. I say that for two reasons: First, because the mark of the beast is always associated with worship of the beast and his image. Secondly, because Satan’s mark is a counterfeit mark that cannot overcome the mercy of God. Eternal security and perseverance of the saints are true.

Secondly, the mark is a counterfeit of the true mark of God. The saints of God have the mark of God written on their hands, on their foreheads and over their lives. His mark is our true worship and trust in the one true God. It is our stubborn refusal to be led astray even in the face of death and the wrath of the beast. It is our spirits saying with Jesus in the desert, “Thou shalt not worship any other god.” God’s mark is real and eternal and if it is written on your heart then fear not. I will end with two things we as Christians must do in preparation for the mark of the beast. First, We must know, love and worship the one true God of the Bible with all

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F O C U S

2 0 1 5

The Prayer is verbalized

faith.

Prayer is the work of a believer.

We are commanded to DEVOTE OURSELVES TO PRAYER (Col 4:2). Yet PRAYER is often times one of the

most neglected aspects of our life. We know that we should pray. We feel convicted regularly about our lack of faithful and persistent prayer. Yet, we never seem to make the transition from feelings of frustration and guilt to a vibrant prayer life. Why is this? Part of the problem is that we are in the middle of a spiritual war and the enemy attacks us on the two fronts that do him the most damage. He assaults our bible reading with weariness, boredom, and feelings of irrelevancy. He lays waste our prayer life through meaningless repetition and lack of faith. We begin trusting in our methodology and strength rather than the power of the invisible God. Something must change. Each year we mark the new year with new beginnings. We make new year’s resolutions with regard to healthier eating, exercise, and spiritual devotions. We set lofty goals that prepare us for the slough of despond. Our goals are unattainable by reasonable expectations and yet when we don’t reach them we feel utterly defeated and worthless. I suggest beginning this year with a couple of modest goals. Work on developing a habit in one area of your life, not a full scale makeover all at once.

HOW DO I SET A GOAL FOR PERSONAL DEVOTION?

MAKE THE GOAL SPECIFIC! Generalized goals are not goals at all, simply directions you kind of want to go toward but with no accountability or measurable progress. Be very specific in what you hope to accomplish.

MAKE THE GOAL MEASURABLE. Can you measure progress? Can you discern improvement?

MAKE THE GOAL SIMPLE AND EASY TO ACHIEVE. Start

small. Instead of feeling convicted about your prayerlessness and committing to praying every day for 3 hours before you go to work, start with a few minutes a day. The key is to develop a habit and then you can increase your time or frequency. Start small and grow rather than starting big and failing.

Whether you are reading your Bible, praying, or setting any other goal – start small and grow. Work on developing a habit of piety and personal devotion. Be content with steady, slow, and consistent growth. If you fail one day, don’t try and catch up. Remember that we are not earning our righteousness! We live by faith in God’s unending and everlasting grace! Pick up the next day and keep going. No matter how many days you miss, just keep going. If it takes you longer than a year, or if you don’t reach your quota of days of consistent prayer, you will have done more and grown more than you ever have before when you just quit because you got behind. Hang in there and grow!

secret

to success IN

reading your Bible Daily IS to... Many of you have enjoyed reading the Bible chronologically through this year. Several of you have mentioned this is your first time reading all the way through. This coming year starting January 1, we’ll promote another Bible Reading Plan for anyone who wants to follow along.

START

Next year’s reading plan will have us reading certain genres (types of scripture) on certain days. Stay tuned to the DISCIPLE WEEKLY in December when we announce that plan. Decide right now to join us and START reading the living Word of God!!!

Online Bible Reading Options you can start at ANYTIME…

YouVersion Bible App BibleGateway Get the App for your phone or visit BibleGateway.com & look for the audio icon to LISTEN.

Word of Promise Visit WordofPromiseapp.com. The Word of God comes alive in dramatized audio. HOPEFORMACON.COM

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