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Announcements Plus Devotional Aids

Let's Learn a Bible Verse!

And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.
--2 Corinthians 9:8 (NIV)

 

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Contents

Announcements

March 2025 Newsletter is now online.

Red Cross Blood Drive - March 10, 2025 - Report

Thank you to everyone who helped with this year's Red Cross Blood Drive at Ebenezer. We collected 20 product units (with 5 potential donors unable to give). Our next Blood Drive will be on July 21. Please make plans to give on that day. May God bless all those who were able to give this time.

We will have our annual winter Red Cross Blood Drive on Monday, March 10, 2025 from 2:30 - 7:00 p.m. Please sign-up online at www.redcrossblood.org or call our office to make an appointment. (Search online using zip code 28630 for Ebenezer UMC.) Hot soup and toasted cheese bread and sweets will be served for free to donors and workers.

 

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Quote to Ponder

"[S]eems to be the trend in so many religious leaders today, the message of sin and repentance is swept aside, even though this was the primary message of Jesus. At the beginning of His public ministry, Jesus said, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” (Mt 4:17) They call for mercy, but the lesson of salvation history is that mercy comes after repentance."
https://www.americanthinker.com/articles /2025/01/.

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For Meditation

"And so we are called to choose; the way of God or the way of the devil. As Joshua told the Israelites on entering the promised land, “Choose whom you will serve… [secular gods], the gods in whose country you are dwelling. As for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.” (Joshua 24:15) The secular call to “tolerance” rather than admonishing the sinner, puts us on the wide, easy path, which many follow. “Enter by the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is easy, that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard, that leads to life, and those who find it are few.” Mt 7:13-14


Our secular society and even religious leaders have been caught up in the intolerance of tolerance, calling good things evil and, rather than calling out sinners as is their duty, actually preach on accepting sin as the new normal"
https://www.americanthinker.com/articles/2025/01/ god_s_binary_world.html#:.

 

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The Spirit of Evangelism

References: Acts 1:1-8, 14; 2 Kings Chapters 22-23; Acts 6:3; NIV Application Commentary by Ajith Fernando.

[Jesus] said to them, "It is not for you to know times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." –Acts 1:7-8 NIV

How does evangelism happen in the church or in a believer’s heart and life? How does revival become a reality in the church, in the believer's life and then spread out into the world?

The book of Acts could be called "The Book of the Acts of the Holy Spirit" for it recounts the stories associated with the pouring out of God’s Holy Spirit on the early church disciples, and how everyone was empowered by that Spirit to do great and miraculous things in Jesus' name.

It is here that we learn of three important acts that can and do lead to the growth of God’s kingdom on earth: 1) Teaching and preaching of God’s Word, 2) Fervent and continuous prayer, and 3) the baptism of the Holy Spirit.

In Acts 1:1-3, we learn that Jesus was teaching his disciples and telling them about the kingdom of God. He commissioned them to bring the Good News about salvation through him to all the world, yet, before his ascending back to his Father, Jesus told the disciples to wait (vs 4). Knowledge alone was not enough. They must wait to be empowered by the Holy Spirit (vs. 8). While they waited, they continued to learn God’s Word and to pray together (vs. 14).

"The place of biblical teaching in revival has been debated, and sometimes great outpourings of revival have been criticized for being low on preaching and teaching the Word. This was not the case with Peter’s speech at Pentecost, and several spiritual awakenings have been recorded where the Word was uncompromisingly taught. Whatever may have happened during the revival, it is well established that, as in Acts, Bible teaching has always been done before a revival." As historian J. Edwin Orr and D. John Mackay have said enlightening the mind with theology comes first, then the heart can be changed. In the Old Testament in 2 Kings, chapters 22-23, we see this happen to the nation of Israel when the Book of the Law is rediscovered during the reign of King Josiah and a great return to God and godliness occurs. So, "we must be faithful in teaching the Word to our people" if we want to have revival in our churches today. (see Fernando, p. 53)

"The early church showed that being filled with the Spirit was mandatory for Christians by making it a basic qualification for those who were to administer the distribution of food (see Acts 6:3)(p. 56, Fernando)…" Christians who do not ask for nor seek for the infilling of the Holy Spirit are a "scandal," because it is God’s Spirit that leads us on to a full and vibrant relationship with our Lord. When this relationship blooms in the power of the Holy Spirit, we believers become more able to witness and to give to the kingdom’s work, and to work better in the kingdom. "The fullness of the Spirit is essential for Christian life and ministry (Fernando, p. 56)." In verses 6-8 of Acts 1, Jesus told the disciples not to be inquisitive about the "end times" (or earthly power, which is what they were really asking about), but to be concerned with witnessing at home, in their cities, in their countries and all the world—after they were filled with his Spirit. We do not serve in our own power, but with God’s power. He imbues us with salvation, and he imbues us with power to be his disciples and his kingdom witnesses and workers.

"The Spirit of Christ is the spirit of missions, and the nearer we get to him, the more intensely missionary we become." –Henry Martyn (1781-1812)

We believers here today cannot witness with the same experience as the first disciples who saw, touched, spoke to, and heard directly from Jesus in the flesh. Yet, our witness must also come from a personal encounter with Christ that to us is just as real as what the disciples experienced. The only way to do that is by being filled with the Holy Spirit.

The presence of the Holy Spirit is vital to missions, to the spreading of God’s Word and the Good News about salvation in Jesus. We need the Spirit’s presence, guidance, his works in our mouths, his strength, his power, his holiness, his boldness. He leads us to go, where not to go, and when to go, and when not leave or let go. "The Christian mission and ministry, then, can only be done in the power of the Spirit (Fernando, p.57)."

So, evangelism isn’t all about feelings. It isn’t all about knowing the Bible and church doctrine fully and completely. It involves both heart and head, love and truth telling, preaching and teaching about sin and forgiveness, about the wrath of God and the grace (mercy) of God, about God’s power and about his love, about his Sovereignty and Kingship over us and his Fatherhood to us, about God’s set boundaries and our freedom from the burden of sin and guilt in Christ.

"From Acts 1, then, we can infer that the ideal Christian teaching is done by Spirit-empowered individuals whose teaching is grounded on objective facts of the gospel and should result in evangelism (Fernando, p58)."

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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