Whitesburg APRIL 2014
VICTORY
Th e desert will rejoice and blossom like a rose.
ISAIAH 35
Whitesburg Baptist Church’s
VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL June 9 – 13, 2014 9:00 am – 12 Noon For ages 4 through 5th Grade completed (must be age 4 by 9-1-13)
Whether your child likes soccer or science, dance or art, there is something for everyone! WinShape Camps for Communities combines sports, recreation, arts, Bible study and worship all into one unforgettable week!
Register at winshapecamps.org!
There is a 10% discount on multiple children in same household. Scholarship information brochures are available at all South Huntsville Chick-fil-A stores and Whitesburg Baptist Church.
Inside
Whitesburg APRIL 2014
Page 3 living in Christ
3 living in Christ
By Dr. Jimmy Jackson
4 victory in scripture By Melody Hubbard
7 are you a morning person? By Terry Herald
8 never forsaken By Joanna Nam
10 media guide 12 a memorial day tribute to my daddy
By Dr. Beth Cape
14 membership matters Page 8 never forsaken
By David Dye
17 Explore
By Bryan Cook
the caring place
WHITESBURG BAPTIST CHURCH
Whitesburg magazine is a publication by Whitesburg Baptist Church, 6806 Whitesburg Dr., Huntsville, AL 35802-2299. (Permit No. 446) Publisher: Whitesburg Baptist Church Editor-in-Chief: Rev. David Dye Editor: Courtney Todd Graphics & Publishing: Melissa Schuster, Ron Snyder Editorial Assistants: Dana Hubbard, Karen Tidwell, Beverly Dishman
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from the pastor
LIVING IN Christ By DR. JIMMY JACKSON
Someone has wisely said about the
spiritual conflict in our nation that the evangelical church is losing the battle but we will win the war. Meanwhile, we are to endure hardness and stay faithful as good soldiers of Jesus Christ. Living in victory does not mean living without confusion, loss, reversal, failure, or pain. It means living in Christ. Trusting Him and knowing that we are in Him and He is in us. Our problems may seem overwhelming and discouraging, but we are still “more than conquerors� through our relationship with Jesus Christ. Whatever we may have to face in this life, and some of these things are gut wrenching and seemingly impossible to handle, we are aware that everything on earth is temporary and will pass, but God is forever, and His children are forever people destined for victory. Right now the Lord brings Heaven into our hearts. Later on, He will bring us into Heaven. May we praise Jesus every day no matter what is going on inside us or around us.
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Victory in scripture song of moses
The Lord is my strength and my song; He has give me victory. This is my God, and I will praise Him - my father’s God, and I will exalt Him! Exodus 15:2 The children of Israel had been in bondage in Egypt for about 400 years when God sent their deliverer in the man of Moses. After the horrific plagues upon Egypt, Pharaoh let the children of Israel go, only to pursue after them right away. When they reached the Red Sea, the children of Israel crossed over on dry land, while the armies of Pharaoh were drowned. Moses sang a song of victory and praise before the Lord and the children of Israel put their faith in the Lord and his servant Moses.
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israel has sinned Israel has sinned and broken my covenant! Joshua 7:10 God had promised victory to Joshua and the children of Israel when they entered into Canaan. When they came to the small city of Ai, Joshua was so sure of victory that he sent only 3000 men into battle, but the Israelites were soundly defeated. Joshua fell on his face and cried out to God but God told him it was because Israel had sinned. It was actually only one of the Israelites who had taken the spoils of war but it affected the whole nation. When Joshua located the sinner and cleaned out the sin, God gave him the land of Ai. (Joshua 8:1-2)
By melody hubbard
elijah and the prophets Answer me so these people will know that you, O Lord, are God and that you have brought them back to yourself. I Kings 18:37 Israel was under the reign of the wicked King Ahab and it had not rained for three years. Elijah was called upon to take a stand as the last prophet of the Lord before 450 prophets of Baal and 400 prophets of Asherah. He told the false prophets to call on their god to bring down fire on their sacrifice, but they were not able to do so. After dousing the wood with water three times, Elijah called upon the one true God and fire fell, consuming the sacrifice, wood, stones, dust and water. Elijah was more interested in bringing the hearts of the Israelites back to the Lord than in proclaiming victory over the prophets of Baal.
death where is your victory But thank God! He gives us victory over sin and death through our Lord Jesus Christ. I Corinthians 15:57 Our earthly bodies are planted in the ground when we die, but they will be raised to live forever. Â Our bodies are buried in brokenness, but they will be raised in glory. They are buried in weakness, but they will be raised in strength. Â They are buried as natural human bodies, but they will be raised as spiritual bodies. For just as there are natural bodies, there are also spiritual bodies. Thank you Lord for the resurrection found in Your Son!
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encouragement
are you a morning person? By terry herald This
edition
of the Whitesburg Magazine is dealing with the theme of victory. You cannot have victory throughout the day without victory in the morning. Jesus Himself exemplified being a “morning person.” And in the morning rising up a great while before day He departed into a solitary place and there prayed (Mark 1:35 KJV). As a young boy in West Virginia, I began drinking coffee with my dad at 5:00 in the morning to spend time with him. As a 10 year old, I looked forward to those private times with my daddy. I was so fortunate to have a dad that I could talk to in the morning. Fifty years later, I am privileged to begin my days with the Lord. If Jesus needed to spend time with the Heavenly Father in the morning,
I believe that every Christian should do the same. Our Pastor is consistently reminding us to spend time with God in Bible reading and prayer. During the past year, a number of our staff members have been studying the Spiritual Disciplines. Beyond praying and reading the Bible, we should be involved in fasting, memorizing God’s Word, meditating on God’s Word and writing in a journal to express ourselves to the One who has provided us victory. A horse is prepared for the day of battle, but victory comes from the Lord (Proverbs 21:31 HCSB). Paul wrote, “Thanks be to God who gives us the victory through our Lord, Jesus Christ.” May God help you become a “morning person” and give you a victorious Christian life.
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never forsaken
By joanna nam
The wilderness and the dry land will be glad; the desert will rejoice and blossom like a rose. It will blossom abundantly and will also rejoice with joy and singing. The glory of Lebanon will be given to it, the splendor of Carmel and Sharon. They will see the glory of the Lord, the splendor of our God.
Isaiah 35:1-2, the theme for this
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magazine, was also the theme of Ebenezer Academy in Kenya where I served from August 2012 to August 2013. Since I was in college, I have always desired to go to Africa, but the Lord never opened the door and an opportunity was never presented until 2012. I knew this experience would change my life, but I didn’t really know how or to what capacity. Going to Africa was to
me a miracle, but what was more of a miracle was what I learned through the experience. I was asked to write about a miracle or victory and while so many stories could be told, the real miracle and victory was in my life and the change that I experienced. Abreha is one of the students I taught while in Kenya. He is so bright and truly loves the Lord. He has such an incredible outlook on life and I learned such a great lesson from him. It was to trust in the Lord for everything and know that even in the storm, God is present and would never forsake me. You see, Abreha’s father passed away when Abreha was younger from HIV/AIDS and his mother’s health is deteriorating very quickly also due to HIV/ AIDS. Luckily, Abreha is clean, but he has lost his father and will soon lose his mother to this battle. The devastating thing is that Abreha was not the only student who experienced this kind of loss. This is the reality for so many children in Africa and it wasn’t until I spent time there that I realized this reality. Once I realized all of this, it was devastating to me because I
knew there was so much more I could be doing to help those in need. As I grew to know Abreha in the year I was there, his enthusiasm and love for life, but more than that, his love for the Lord amazed me in so many different ways. I did not realize until later the impact Abreha had on my life. Abreha has obviously been dealt a difficult hand in life. Every day he goes through things that we can never even imagine, but seeing him still hold on to the promises of God and to trust God with his life, was so uplifting for me in my life. So, I guess I tell you all this to say that the real miracle and victory was in my own life and the way the Lord used my time in Africa to draw me closer to Him and to have my eyes opened to the reality and needs of this fallen world. However, despite living in this fallen world, there is beautiful redemption and reconciliation through Jesus Christ! I praise God for the things I learned through my time in Kenya and I wait for the day that everyone will see the glory of the Lord and the splendor of our God! April 2014 | Whitesburg
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media preschoolers Join the fun with Preschool Praise Songs! Miss Patty Cake and friends will have your child singing and learning Bible stories from Creation to the “Mighty Resurrection Day!” Mark your calendars: Miss Patty Cake will be at Whitesburg Baptist Church in August!
children The Bible App for Kids is an interactive animated storybook app for smartphones and tablets. It’s filled with games and activities to help kids remember what they learn. Best of all, it’s free and available at the Apple Store, Google Play, and Amazon.
teen boys Checkpoints by Brian Mills and Captain Nathan Wagnon Society today rejects the idea of absolute truth and is openly hostile toward God. For boys who want to be more like Christ, going through adolescence in this culture is like crossing a minefield without a map. 10
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guide teen girls Lies Young Women Believe by Nancy Leigh DeMoss and Dannah Gresh Certain habits and relationships can leave you confused and lonely. This is not the way it’s supposed to be. This book exposes 25 of the lies most commonly believed by young women. Best of all, it shows you how to be set free by the Truth.
young adults I Am Second by Doug Bender and Dave Serrett is a great collection of personal stories of people being radically transformed by the power of God’s grace and the realization that any place other than second to God will never bring what they are seeking. This is a book that will leave you inspired and encouraged.
mature adults SI-Cology 101 is a compilation of short stories told by Silas Merritt Robertson, the favorite uncle in the Duck Dynasty clan. He reminds us of the value of a story and the legacy it leaves your family. So unplug from the media world and spend some quality time with your family. A good story may be just what you need. April 2014 | Whitesburg
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The last weekend in May
is Memorial Day. This is a day when we remember people who have given their lives in service to our country and those who have served in the military. Recently, as we were looking over some pictures from my daddy’s time in the service, my daughter, Becca, was asking lots of questions. My mother said, “We need to tell them about all this,” and I agreed. My father, Walton M. Watkins, left high school during his senior year to become a Marine. He was 17 and a half. After bootcamp and several months of training, he went to the Pacific War Zone. He served on the islands of New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Peleliu, Guadalcanal, and Okinawa. Though he never talked much about his time in the war, once he did sit down with my sister and let her write down some of his experiences. “We had a big battle on the island of Peleliu. After 14 days of fighting, they pulled us off the line because there were not enough people. We had started with 280 men and 16 of us made it. Shortly after this we went to Guadalcanal to get
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reinforcements. We went with a full company to Okinawa (260 men). We fought in Okinawa a long time. We fought to take the hills, mountains and the tunnels and we finally took it. Three days before surrender, we pulled off the front lines because there were only 18 of us left.” After four years of service, he was very blessed to be one of the soldiers who came home. When he came back, he went to Jones County Jr. College and Mississippi State where he got a degree in agriculture. He married my mother who was a nurse. They were secretly married for three months because my mother was in nursing school and she could not be married and be in nursing school at that time. They made their home in Moselle, Mississippi. In 1951, he was called back into service and went to Korea. They took the picture of my parents and my brother before he left for Korea. I can’t imagine the way they must have felt knowing that he was going to war again. Like many of their generation, war affected their whole lives. My daddy received
a memorial day tribute to my daddy By dr. beth cape
many medals including a bronze star with valor while on Peleliu Island, and a purple heart. He came back from Korea, his story ended happily, and I am here today. We have four children in our family. My father is 89 and my mother is 86. He is in the
final stage of Alzheimer’s and my mother takes care of him at the family home. I am so thankful for my daddy and many others who served and gave their lives for our freedom. April 2014 | Whitesburg
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membership matters
By david dye
When you think about
membership, what comes to mind? When I was a young boy growing up in a very blue-collar household, I would think of the local country club and all the great benefits I imagined that came along with membership. I could envision people bringing you drinks by the pool and mounds of large fluffy towels at you disposal. You know, the full Hollywood picture. Now, I know it was definitely not so glamorous but the image was set. Membership has its privileges. So, what does it mean when we talk in terms of church membership? When we think of membership in a country club or other such organization, we typically think in terms of what can I get out of this. What needs do I have that can be met here? What’s in it for me? When talking about church membership, it must be quite a different matter. We should never join a church based on what we get out of it. If we are going to be the church member 14
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God desires us to be, then church can’t be about our preferences, our needs, or our demands. When my church membership is based around me, I am looking in the wrong direction. So, why bother? Does church membership really matter? It does, and it does especially to God. Ephesians 5:25 says, “Husbands, love you wives, just as also Christ loved the church and gave Himself for her.” Did you catch that? Jesus loved the church so much that He gave his life up for her. One doesn’t give their life up for something that really doesn’t matter. While our thought process of church membership must be different than that of other groups we are a part of, it is important to remember that church membership has its privileges as well. God created us to live in community. In Genesis 2 when God says, “It is not good for the man to be alone,” He’s not just figuring this out. He is telling us how He created us. We were
created to live in community. When Christ speaks of the church, He never does so in the context of an individual believer but as a group of believers. And while all Christians from all time do make up the bride of Christ, the universal church, we must understand that the universal church and local church are not mutually exclusive. Thom Ranier writes in his book I Am A Church Member, “To the contrary, the majority of the New Testament books are written about and to local churches. . . It’s a lame and invalid excuse to say you will limit your involvement to the universal church. The Bible is clear that we are to be connected to a specific church in a specific context.” Church membership places us under spiritual authority. In today’s “I can do it myself world,”
this may not seem like a privilege. Why in the world would I willingly seek to put myself under someone else’s authority? The truth is, it’s a scary world out there and without it we will not only stumble but certainly fail. Our problem is not with being under authority, we always are, but choosing the right authority to be under. Ephesians 4:11-12 tells us that in the distribution of gifts, “And He personally gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, for the training of the saints in the work of ministry, to build up the body of Christ. . .” This tells me that we can’t all be our own pastor because he didn’t give that to all and that we need someone of spiritual authority over us to train and lead us and that is by God’s design. If I am April 2014 | Whitesburg
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going to function as a Christian as God desires me too, then I must function as a Christian the way God instructs me to under the spiritual authority of a pastor and as a part of a local church. When I am a member of a local church, I receive the privilege of accountability. Accountability! “Where’s the privilege in that?” you may be questioning. When we become a church member, we become a part of something much larger than ourselves. Our lives are no longer just a reflection of ourselves or our family but of the church and the name of Christ. Hebrews 10:24 says, “Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works.” Accountability is God’s plan to keep us moving in the right direction. Church membership gives us the privilege of service. “Now you’re talking,” you might be thinking. “I am ready for someone to serve me.” As a church member it is our privilege to serve others. 1 Corinthians 12 tells how God distributes spiritual gifts, different gifts for different believers and all for the benefit of the church. “By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” John 13:35. When we 16
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love one another it is natural to serve one another. Finally, church membership offers us the privilege of sacrifice. Christ is our ultimate example. Just as Christ gave Himself up for the church (Ephesians 5) ,so we too must follow His lead and sacrifice ourselves for the church. As church members we can sacrifice our time, talent and resources to spread the Kingdom of God. John 15:13 teaches us that “No one has greater love than this, that someone would lay down his life for his friends.” In Romans 12:1 we read, “…I urge you to present your bodies as a living sacrifice. . .” Christ died for the church. Will you live for it? Community, service, spiritual authority, accountability, and sacrifice: now those are the types of privileges that when embraced will change the world.
explore
By bryan cook Isaiah 45:12 It is I who made the earth, and created man upon it. Â I stretched out the heavens with My hands and I ordained all their host. As the weather is warming up you may want to get outside. Here are some options for outdoor fun the whole family will enjoy!
Huntsville/Madison Area 1. Green Mountain Land Trust 2. Green Mountain Nature Trail 3. Monte Sano Park Trails 4. Three Caves Land Trust 5. Hays Nature Preserve Trails 6. Rainbow Mountain Trails
Surrounding Area
(approximate driving time from Huntsville listed)
1. Walls of Jericho - Jackson County, AL (1 hour) 2. Guntersville State Park - Guntersville, AL (1 hour) 3. Desoto State Park - Near Fort Payne, AL (1.5 hours) 4. Fall Creek Falls - Pikeville, TN (2.5 hours) 5. Sipsey Wilderness - Bankhead National Forest, AL (1.5 hours) 6. Lost Sink Trail - Keel Mountain Reserve, AL (30 minutes)
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B A P T I S T C H U R C H
W H I T E S B U R G
the caring place
LIFE Groups 8:00, 9:30 & 11:00 am Blended Traditional Service 9:30 am Contemporary Service 11:00 am Evening Service 6:15 pm
Come worship with us on Sundays! 6806 Whitesburg Drive Huntsville, AL 35802
Whitesburg Baptist Church
PAID
Huntsville, AL Permit 446
Non-Profit Organization US Postage