The Censorious Eye (part one)
Clothed in perfect innocence, the first human pair walked with God in a world of ineffable delights. They greeted the dawn of each day in anticipation of hearing the voice of God making its way through their paradisiacal home. Their countenance was free of furrows of grief or regret. Pain and sorrow were as alien to their experiences as sin is to the mind of God. Their thoughts were laced in flawless purity. Their words matched the unblemished beauty of Eden. Their lives were monuments of loveliness, moving in impeccable harmony with the will of him in whose image they had been made. When Adam and Eve left the world of Genesis 1 and 2 and entered the world of Genesis 3:6, they broke the heart of God. But "in wrath" God "remembered mercy" (Hab. 3:2), and commenced a 4,000-year journey that would culminate on Golgotha. Because of Calvary, from sin's beginning to time's end, God looks on the penitent, compliant heart with eyes of intense love, tenderness, compassion, mercy and forgiveness. "He will turn again, he will have compassion upon us; he will subdue our iniquities; and thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea" (Mic. 7:19). "For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more" (Heb. 8:12). Manasseh wielded the scepter over Judah for 55 years. He carried the nation into depths of sin that surpassed the depravity of the heathen nations that preceded them in Canaan (2 Chron. 33:9) He extirpated every vestige of God from national life and permeated Judah with multiple forms of idolatry. He desecrated the temple with an idol and even murdered his own children as an act of homage to a graven image. He extracted the spiritual heart from Judah in a bloody assault upon the righteous remnant. The words of the text are striking, "Manasseh shed innocent blood very much till he had filled Jerusalem from one end to another" (2 Kings 21:16). Wrapped in chains of suffering, Manasseh clothed his heart in deep contrition, penitence, and humility. As a result, God "heard his supplication, and brought him again to Jerusalem into his kingdom" (2 Chron. 33:13).
While fellow Israelites were locked in a life and death struggle in the heat of war, David arose from his bed on a tranquil spring evening, ascended to the roof of his house, and beheld a woman of unusual physical beauty bathing herself. Lingering eyes turned lustful. Learning of Bathsheba's marital state did not prevent David from converting his lust into an overt act of adultery. Deception and inducement to drunkenness could not conceal his treacherous act with another man's wife. Uriah's unexcelled loyalty and integrity enabled David to send a letter to Joab by Uriah's own hand containing a blueprint for his death. A childlike story of a poor man and his lamb kindled David's wrath and moved him to exact a fourfold payment and the penalty of death. When the prophet told David that he was the object of his own wrath, he humbled himself mightily before God, and in deep penitence confessed his sin. Though the consequences of his sin encompassed the remainder of his life, God looked upon his penitent hear through the eye of "tender mercies" (Ps. 51:1), and "put away his sins" (2 Sam. 12:13).Peter viewed himself as a bulwark of spiritual strength. He boasted of his ability to stand alone in the presence of fearful men like a mountain in the midst of a storm. "Though all men shall be offended because of thee, yet will I never be offended" (Matt. 26:33). He opposed the very words of Christ, and adamantly affirmed his choice of death over denial (Matt. 26:34-35). At the moment of testing, he severed himself from the presence of Christ, followed him from afar, warmed himself by the enemies' fire, and culminated his third denial with an oath laden with curses. When he wrapped his penitence in tears of bitter remorse (Matt. 26:75), God looked forward to his Son's blood, now only hours yet future, and buried Peter's sins in the graveyard of the past. The passion of lust bore the fruit of adultery. Hands infused with hypocrisy and impelled by an invective spirit, thrust the woman into the presence of Christ (John 8:3). They could already hear her screams of death; visualize the earth reddening with blood, as her body lay broken under a hail of stones. The incessant inquiries as to the judgment he would make punctured the silence of Christ. A void of sinless hands to cast the first stone found Jesus and the woman alone. Mercy supplanted a stone; forgiveness nullified guilt and liberated a soul from the killing power of sin.
(To be continued...)
--Frank Chesser
Current Concerns
Jim Weaver got home on Thursday, February 15th, after having hip replacement surgery at the Covenant Hospital
in Lubbock. His surgery went very well; however, his recuperation time will be four to six weeks. Continue to keep
Jimmy in your prayers.
Nell O'Beth Willoughby is on antibiotics and on blood thinner. She is back at the nursing home.
Prayer List
Epimenia Armendariz; Betty Branson; Mark Brewer; Darwin Carroll; Fannie Copeland; Doug Duncan; RuLonna
Edwards; Harvey Garvin; Burt Groves; Linda Lane; Marion Lee; Justine McCollum; JoAnna Minter; Wilma Mitchell;
Ruth Norman; Jim Reyna; Patsy Sanchez; Janelle Shirley; June Turnbow; ; Delora Wood.
Shut-ins
Mildred Bell; Mary Dunn; Sharon Fisher; Fay Gann; Cecil and Mildred Hext; Lela Jo McElroy; Virgie Price; Charles
and Pearl Tucker
Thank You
(To the Youth Group & Sponsors & Teachers) Don't know when I've had a nicer, fun time. Everything was so
good and fun! Thank all of you and your teachers, etc. Good Show! Jewell B. Dennard.
Events
Watch In Search of the Lord's Way with Mack Lyon every Sunday morning at 7:30 am on CBS, channel 7.
This week's topic will be titled, "Conversion Experiences."
Jim Young from Jonesboro, Arkansas will be here to begin a three day gospel meeting on Sunday, March 4th,
so please mark your calendars so that you won't miss out on hearing God's word proclaimed. We will have a potluck
luncheon immediately after the Sunday morning services to welcome Jim and his wife.
FYI
The New Mexico Christian Children's Home will be here on March 5th. Some of the items they have requested are
canned meats, tea bags, and chap stick. Monetary donations are also accepted and appreciated.
Please sign the book, which will be given to Carolyn Wilkerson, displayed on the table in the east foyer . She has been
a member at Eisenhower for many years, but will be moving to Burnet next Thursday, March 1st. This book is to show
her that we here at Eisenhower have appreciated good works and example for others to follow. We want to wish Carolyn
God speed and ask that He continues to watch over her wherever she may go.
The pocket directories are ready on the table in the east foyer. Please pick up one per family. We did not print out a large
amount since these are just temporary until things become more stable. If we run out before you are able to pick one up,
please let one of the office staff know and we will get you one.
Goodbye
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
I'll be starting a new life in Burnet. I'll be leaving on March 1st. I never planned on anywhere but Eisenhower being my
church home, but I've been in constant prayer since Johnny's death and all the prayers keep turning out that this is the
thing to do, so I'll try following the answers God has directed. I have to have my faith. I'll never ever forget any of you all.
I've been here since I was a teen in 1957 except for short periods of time. I have been so richly blessed because Eisenhower
is a true Bible church. I've had so many of my family saved here at Eisenhower, my did, my beloved Johnny,
my son-in-law Scot, my children, some of my grandchildren and I pray the rest of them will do the same. Vows
were repeated and the loss of a 30 year old son-in-law. I pray that you will all keep working to stay conservative
and not give in to the ways of the world. I pray I can find me a faithful church to attend and work at. I can't live
without God and Christian brothers and sisters. Please keep me in your prayers. My heart will always be here at Eisenhower.
Thank all of you for all the love and care given me through all Johnny's illness and death. May God bless you all. Like
I said this was not what I had planned but God works in mysterious ways, so I'll follow God.
In Christian Love,
Carolyn Wilkerson
Office News
Our food coordinators for the month of February are Robbie Butler and Nancy Easlon.
| February 25, 2007 | Morning | Evening |
|---|---|---|
| Announcements | Lon Howard | Lon Howard |
| Song Leader | Ronnie Lane | Steve Horton |
| Sermon | Steve Horton | Steve Horton |
| Opening Prayer | Lon Howard | Lon Howard |
| Scripture | Jack Wright | John Bethune |
| Second Prayer | C.M. Riggs | Halley Brookshire |
| Closing Prayer | Charles Watson | Mike Roemisch |
| Lord's Supper | ||
| West | Bill Bayless Jeff Wesson John Carroll Michael Arbuckle |
Marcus Crain Jeff Wood |
| East | Charles Wood Johnny Warren Tom Sorenson Tony Marrs |
Trini Wood |
Other Responsibilities: Elder: Charles Wood ~ Deacon: Charles Watson
Pulpit - Bill Brown ~ Table - Bill Butler ~ Song Leaders - Ronnie Lane
Sunday AM ~"The Poisoning Effect of False Teaching" (Revelation 2:12-15)
Sunday PM ~ "Pen Knife Religion" (Jeremiah 36:22-23)
Our Records
Bible Class...118
Morning Worship...204
Evening Worship...114
Wednesday...100
Contribution... $5,213.00