A Brand New Meadows

I am happy to announce that I'm an uncle...again! The newest member of the Meadows family is...

Isaiah Samuel Meadows
Born at 6:10 AM on April 30th 2008
7 pounds 15 ounces
21 inches long

I would like to congratulate my brother Jason and his wife Jennifer on this new bundle of joy. I went to see him today, and he is adorable!!

Jason and Jennifer request that we pray for them as they transition into a 4 member family and as Josiah gets used to his new little brother.

Martin Luther

Someone recently shared this with me and I thought it good to post it here. This is by Martin Luther (1483-1546).

Come, Holy Ghost, God and Lord,
With all your graces now outpoured
On each believer's mind and heart;
Your fervent love to them impart.
Lord, by the brightness of your Light
In holy faith your Church unite;
From ev'ry land and ev'ry tongue,
This to your praise, O Lord, Our God, be sung:
Alleluia! Alleluia!

Communion Sunday

Just a reminder that tomorrow is Communion Day at New Beginnings. We will be observing Holy Communion on the fourth Sunday of each month.

The Holy Communion (also referred to as the Lord's Supper and the Eucharist) is one of the ordinances given by Christ to the church. Because it is an ordinance (commanded by Christ, the Lord of the church) it is not optional. As surely as all believers are commanded to be baptized, likewise all believers are commanded to partake of the Lord's Supper. The Lord's Supper is a symbolic act of obedience whereby Christian believers, through partaking of the bread and the fruit of the vine, remember the death of the Redeemer with thanksgiving and anticipate His second coming.

Steve Weaver explains that 1 Corinthians 11:26-28 gives an overview of four important looks that one should take before, during and after taking the Lord's Supper:

* The first is a backward look to the cross. The Lord's Supper's primary message is about remembering the cross of Christ and what was accomplished there for our sins. Any celebration of the Lord's Supper with acknowledging the cause of its celebration causes one to become "guilty of the body and blood of the Lord" (v. 27). The purpose of the Lord's Supper is, as v. 26 states, to "shew the Lord's death till he come."
* Secondly, one must also take an inward look to examine one's own heart and motives (v. 28). Are you considering what this Supper represents? Are you right with God and your brother? These matters must be dealt with properly before receiving the Lord's Supper.
* Thirdly, a forward look is needed. We must look forward to the Second Coming of Christ. Every celebration of the Lord's Supper is an occasion to look forward to the day when we consummate this great feast with Jesus Christ Himself at the head of the table. "“For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord'’s death till he come"” (v. 26).
* Finally, a outward look to our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ is needed. Although the Lord's Supper is intensely personal, there is an important corporate element to this ordinance as well. Failure to care for the needs of our brothers and sisters results in the same condemnation received by the Corinthians. To come to the Lord's table without the attitude and action of humble, serving love for one another is a failure to properly "discern the Lord's body." As we remember how the physical body of Christ was broken for us, it is also important that we remember that we are a part of the spiritual body of Christ. Therefore, it matters whether or not we are in fellowship with one another when partaking of the Lord's Supper.

Heartfelt Thanks

I wish to express my sincere and heart-felt appreciation for all the wonderful cards and expressions of love for my birthday. I received several phone calls on Monday and tonight I was very surprised with a birthday party at the church. I can usually sniff surprises out, but you guys got me on this one! You guys are just awesome, and I thank the Lord for you all. I am humbled by your kindness...even you, Chelsie! (Ha! Ha!).

Death Notice

Yesterday Jerry Houston passed away. Jerry was the father of my sister-in-law, Brenda Meadows. The arrangements are as follows:

Visitation from 11 AM to 1 PM tomorrow (Saturday, April 18) at Hood Funeral Home. The funeral will follow the visitation.

Please join me in prayer for Brenda, her brother and the rest of the family.

Hosea a Portrait of God's Love

I received the following from Pastor Terry Barnwell.

Recently White Wing Publishing House commissioned Pastor Terry Barnwell at Arrowhead Church, to write some curriculum for them in the Spirit Matters Lessons. These lessons are now available for purchase. They are designed for Sunday School, Small Group Studies, or Wednesday Evening classes. These lessons are undated meaning they can be taught anytime, without following a set teaching schedule as the traditional Sunday School lessons in the past. The study I have written in this series is called; "Hosea a Portrait of God's Love". These lessons are centered on the biblical character Hosea and his unconditional love for a promiscuous wife. Each lesson is designed to challenge the student concerning how they impact the world around them with Christ Love. I have attempted to make the material cutting edge, fresh, and applicable to real life for the student.

Each lesson includes an introduction titled "Introductory Matters", with the study body including sessions titled; "Principle Matters", "Questions Matters”, and "Resolving Matters". The "Questions Matters" section is designed to allow the teacher to initiate discussion either at the conclusion of the lesson or at times within the lesson.

This inviting booklet has ten lessons on "Hosea a Portrait of God's Love" which includes;

Lesson One: Bearing the Name of Jesus - Salvation
Lesson Two: A Wife Named Gomer - Completeness
Lesson Three: Hosea's Love for His Wayward Wife - Covenant
Lesson Four: Silent, Unnoticed Love - Serving
Lesson Five: Tough Love, Wounding to Heal - Great Physician
Lesson Six: In the Pits - Suffering
Lesson Seven: I Am Wrong - Repentance
Lesson Eight: A Redemptive Payment - Mercy & Grace
Lesson Nine: Putting His Name on the Line - Reputation
Lesson Ten: A Home Coming - Restoration

Each book also includes a CD. The CD contains a variety of resources for use by the teacher. All CDs include student pages to be printed out for each student. A Printed copy of the student pages is also included in the book.

Our prayer is that you will freely and creatively adapt these courses to your teaching style and setting as God leads.

This inviting study can be purchased today for $24.99 plus shipping and handling by calling White Wing Publishing House at 1-800-221-5027 and ask for Darlene, she is the account specialist. Soon it should be online at;
www.whitewingbooks.com

Funeral of Gertrude Turner

I failed to post this on Saturday, but I wanted to express how beautiful the service for Sister Turner was.

Brother Tacket, Pastor of Abundant Life Church, and Bishop Jimmie Turner officiated. They both shared about the life of this precious lady and what a beautiful example she set for others. Two granddaughters also shared about their grandmother--Lisa Shaw, and Mary Kimbro. It was very touching to hear them share some of their personal experiences. As Lisa concluded her remarks, she read a poem her husband wrote about Sister Turner.

While the loss of a loved one is a sad occasion, I know it must have been comforting to the family to know that this precious lady lived in Christ and she died in Christ. And her life was a testimony to that fact all the way to the end!

Upcoming Events

The state director of Women's Ministries has announced that the "Tennessee Ladies Day “Early Bird” registration is extended to Monday, April 7th to allow promotion one more Sunday." For more information or for an application please visit the Women's Ministry website here. You may also pick up an application at New Beginnings. Ladies Day is scheduled for April 25-26, 2008 at Camp Hickory Hills in Dickson, TN.

Also, the Crab Orchard Church of God of Prophecy will be having a Youth Revival April 28-May 3, 2008. There will be various speakers as well as drama and singing groups. I'm sure you will be blessed by attending.

Funeral Arrangements

The funeral arrangements for Gertrude Turner are as follows:

The family will receive friends at Hood Funeral Home on Friday, April 4 from 6 P.M. to 9 P.M. The funeral service will be on Saturday, April 5 at 1 P.M.

Please continue to pray for this family.

Gertrude Turner

I am saddened to share with you the death of Sister Gertrude Turner. Sister Turner served the Lord for many years. I am thankful that I had the privilege of knowing this precious lady. She lived an exemplary life demonstrating the love of God.

I will post funeral arrangements as soon as I know them. Please join me in praying for the family.

Also the Presiding Bishop of Tennessee announced today that Deacon Frank Howard (father of our General Overseer) passed away. You can find out more by clicking here.

EASTER

We had a wonderful Easter service on Sunday with 31 in attendance. Paul Netherton opened the service with a warm welcome and a few words.
Here are a few more photos taken after the service.

Prayer Request

I was informed this morning that my nephew, Josiah, has a temperature of 103, and Jennifer is taking him to the doctor today. She has not been feeling well, either, so she has an appointment, as well. Please keep both of these in your prayers.

Pastor Ken Dyer

It was a joy to have Pastor Ken Dyer from Harvest Christian Fellowship as our special guest yesterday. Pastor Dyer preached an awesome message entitled, “Are You Ready for Action?” His text was from Acts 10:34-44 with emphasis on verse 38.

“Then Jesus arrived from Nazareth, anointed by God with the Holy Spirit, ready for action. He went through the country helping people and healing everyone who was beaten down by the Devil. He was able to do all this because God was with him” (Acts 10:38 MSG).

He stated that there are two things that give legitimacy to our existence as a church: 1) The fact that God’s presence is here, and 2) that we are making a positive impact in our community. These two go hand in hand.

We were challenged to bombard heaven with prayer and to bombard our community with the love, grace, and power of our Lord Jesus Christ. It’s time to make a difference.

Reminder

This Sunday, March 9, Daylight Saving Time begins. This is the time of year when we “spring forward” one hour. In the U.S., DST begins at 2 a.m., so it’s a good idea to move your clock forward one hour before you go to bed.

Also, Pastor Ken Dyer, of Harvest Christian Fellowship in Knoxville, will be our guest minister on Sunday morning. Pastor Dyer is the President of Harvest Restoration Outreach Center Ministries, Inc., and is also the Senior pastor of Harvest Christian Fellowship Church. HCF is a spiritual arm of Harvest ROC Ministries.

Pastor Dyer is a native of Knoxville, TN. and is a graduate of the old South High School in South Knoxville. He is also a graduate of Johnson Bible College where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Ministry and Leadership. Later, he received his Master of Theology and a Master of Arts in Pastoral Counseling from Life Christian University, Knoxville Campus.

A Wonderful Worship Service

Yesterday was a wonderful time for New Beginnings. We had 25 in attendance with 3 new people.

Lisa Shaw opened the service with the Word, and our newly formed praise team led the congregation in an enthusiastic time of praise to our Lord.



I preached on the subject Overcoming Spiritual Limits, and we had an awesome time of prayer and praise. It was a great day, indeed!

New Life

NEW CREATION

London businessman Lindsay Clegg told the story of a warehouse property he was selling. The building had been empty for months and needed repairs. Vandals had damaged the doors, smashed the windows, and strewn trash around the interior.

As he showed a prospective buyer the property, Clegg took pains to say that he would replace the broken windows, bring in a crew to correct any structural damage, and clean out the garbage.

"Forget about the repairs," the buyer said. "When I buy this place, I'm going to build something completely different. I don't want the building; I want the site."

Compared with the renovation God has in mind, our efforts to improve our own lives are as trivial as sweeping a warehouse slated for the wrecking ball. When we become God's, the old life is over (2 Cor. 5:17). He makes all things new. All he wants is the site and the permission to build.

Ian L. Wilson.

The photo is from http://www.heartlight.org/cgi/heartgallery.cgi
The illustration is from http://www.higherpraise.com/illustrations/new_creation.htm

Men's Ministry Breakfast

Just a reminder that our Men's Ministry is having a Men's Breakfast tomorrow morning at 8:30 A.M. at Ryans. We are looking forward to a good time of fellowship.

Prayer for Brother Varlack

I received the following e-mail from Glynis last night.

"Please be in prayer for my dad, Adrian Varlack, Sr. He's been sick for 3 weeks and is being advised to go to the emergency room with swelling in his legs that medicine isn't helping. He has not been this sick as long as I can remember. Please also remember my mom, Janice. Please please pray! Thank you! ~G~"

I spoke with her this morning and she said, she talked to Brother Varlack last night and he has fluid around his heart. "Just pray for his overall healing as he has several issues right now and pray for wisdom for him, mom and the doctors. Thank you, thank you, thank you. Love you. ~G~"

Brother Varlack is a powerful and anointed man of God! Please join me in prayer for his healing.

Prayer Requests

Here are a few prayer requests.

Gertrude Turner is still in the hospital and is not doing well at all. Sister Turner is 96 years old and has given her life in service to our Lord. She is the mother of Bishop Jimmie Turner and the grandmother of Lisa Shaw and Tina Blaylock.

Audra Spurlin is still in need of our prayers. She is back home now, but still recovering.

Mary Waldo broke her foot yesterday and requests our prayers.

Dan and Marcia Juday are both sick and request our prayers.

Also, Bishop McKinley has posted a request for John Payne on his blog. You can read it here.

Please join me in prayer for each of these! Our God is an AWESOME God!!

Praise Report

We are thankful to the Lord for all He is doing at New Beginnings! Sunday morning we had a very exciting worship service and we had 4 new people. I preached that we need to stop limiting the power of God in us. God wants to do great and wondrous things in and through His people. He wants to give hope to the hopeless. He wants to strengthen the weak. He wants to restore the broken heart. He wants to heal the sick. God wants to shower His people with every good thing (Psalm 84:11), but we must have faith and trust Him. After the message, several people made their way to the altar for prayer.