DR. HAMMOND'S NERVE AND BRAIN PILLS

The following advertisement is a verbatim excerpt from a 1902 Sears & Roebuck mail order catalog, found on page 446 and reprinted in Jack Exum's book entitled "The Art of Illustrating."

"Six Boxes Positively Guaranteed To Cure Any Disease, for which they are intended. This will cure you if you feel generally miserable or suffer with a thousand and one indescribably bad feelings, both mental and physical; among them low spirits, nervousness, weariness, lifelessness, weakness, diz-ziness, feeling of bloating after eating, or sense of goneness or emptiness of stomach in morning, flesh soft and lacking firmness, headache, blurring of eyesight, specks floating before the eyes, nervous irritability, poor memory, chilliness, alternating with hot flushes, lassitude, throbbing, gurgling or rumbling sensation in bowels, with heat and nipping pains occasionally, palpitation of heart, short breath on exertion, slow circulation of blood, cold feet, pain and oppression in chest and back, pain around the loins, aching and weariness of the lower limbs, drowsiness after meals but nervous wakefulness at night, languor in the morning, and a constant feeling of dread, as if something awful was going to happen.

If you have any of these symptoms our nerve and brain pills will cure you. No matter what the cause may be or how severe your trouble is, Dr. Hammond's Nerve and Brain Pills will cure you.

Beware of Quack Doctors who advertise to scare men into paying money for remedies which have no merit."

I have cited the story about “Brain & Nerve Pills,” because it illustrates that which is so typical of society in general and also of many who are members of the church. With every physical malady that arises we want an instant cure. We pop pills and badger doctors into giving us shots of antibiotics! With regard to spiritual illness that adversely impacts our spirituality or the nu-merical growth of the church, many in the church display this same type of attitude. We clamor for “a fix,” a “cure all” that will instantly make everything right. Such thinking is as unrealistic as it was for anyone back in 1902 to expect “Dr. Hammond’s Nerve and Brain Pills” to cure all of the maladies listed in the advertise-ment reprinted above.

If we who are members of the church here at Bethel really desire to become strong spiritually, we must spend more time imbibing the Word of God. It alone can completely equip the man of God. (See: 2 Tim. 3:12-17 & 2 Pet. 1:2-3). If we truly want to see the church grow, we must put into practice daily the things that God requires of us in His holy word; and, we must do this in a positive prayerful manner. There are not short cuts—no quick fixes—no cure alls that bring instant success.

The word of God equips us “unto every good work” and therefore we must prepare ourselves and “be ready unto every good work.” As some wise sage once said: “The only place suc-cess precedes work is in the dictionary!” Amen! I implore every member here at Bethel to think on these thinks. Hymn #700 in our songbook contains these words: “To the work! To the work! We are servants of God; Let us follow the path that our Master has trod; With the balm of His counsel our strength to renew, Let us do with our might what our hands find to do.”

In the sermon last Sunday evening we noted that if all who were present were to mutually compose a list of wayward, out-of-duty church members, it would in all probability include more than enough names of people to fill our building. I also challenged all who have expressed concern about numerical growth to invite and bring at least one visitor to every service. If everyone would do this, our attendane would double what it is currently. I close with the inspired words of Paul, found in Galatians 6:9-10: “And let us not be weary in well doing; for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not. As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.”

May God’s blessings be upon each and everyone of us this week as we strive to “labor till the Master comes!”

Carl

A Moment With Your Minister…

In John 10:10 our Lord told his disciples one of the primary reasons for which he came into this world. He said, “I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.” We cherish his words, but how many of us truly feel that we are living the abundant life? Observation reveals the truth of what one man said about society in general: “Some people do not know what they want, but they are certain they don’t have it.” Consequently, the perpetual quest for happiness continues and usually it is being sought in all the wrong places.

I really like what Robert Harkrider wrote about this subject. Here are a few of his words: “The key to happiness is so simple. It comes through having the right attitude toward life. Solomon said, ‘For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he.’ (Prov. 23:7). The Christian should be the happiest person on earth because his thinking should be right. He has for-giveness of sins; One in whom to trust; and the promise of eternal life.” Happiness is indeed “a state of mind” and the article that follows is being reprinted in an effort to encourage us to cultivate that state of mind. Carl

WHERE IS HAPPINESS FOUND?

BY: Allen Webster

We're all looking for it. But few find it. Homer P. Reeves explores some of the options with us:

* Not in military glory. Alexander the Great conquered the known world. Having done so, he wept in his tent, because, he said, "There are no more worlds to conquer."

* Not in unbelief. Voltaire was an infidel of the most pronounced type. He wrote: "I wish I had never been born!"

* Not in pleasure. Lord Byron lived a life of sensuous pleasure. He wrote: "The worm, the canker, and grief are mine alone!"

* Not in money. As Jay Gould, an American multi-millionaire, was dying, he said, "I suppose I am the most miserable man on earth."

* Not in position and fame. Lord Beaconsfield enjoyed more than his share of both. He wrote, "Youth is a mistake; manhood, a struggle; old age, a regret!"

Where, then, is happiness found? The wise man reasoned, "Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: To fear God and keep His commandments; this is the whole duty of man!" (Ecclesiastes 12:14). Happiness is found in Christ! He has much to give: Freedom from guilt over past mistakes; purpose for living today; hope for the future. He said, "I will see you again and your heart shall rejoice, and your joy no man taketh from you" (John 16:22).

If you could stand a little more joy in your life, why not become a follower of Christ? It's a good life now, and the retirement plan is the best thing going! Jesus invited,"Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart; and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light" (Matthew 11:28-30). Via: The Reflector


To make you smile

A Poor Preacher

A preacher told a mechanic that he hoped
he would not charge too much because he said:
“I am just a poor preacher.” The mechanic re-
plied, “I know, I heard you preach last Sunday.”

A Moment With Your Minister…

Today as I begin this column, my thoughts keep going back to Wednesday evening and the things that Brian Horner had the courage to say during the devotional he presented. My prayer is that God will bless everyone of us with strength, and that instead of merely complaining we will look for ways to make things better. God wants each and every one of us to be steadfast; “always abounding in the work of the Lord.” (1 Cor. 15:58). He wants us to “consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works.” (Heb. 10:24). He wants us seek the lost and to diligently try to restore to faithful-ness those who have fallen. The reality before us is this: the success or failure of the church at Bethel is in our hands. So, instead of saying, “Somebody ought to do something,” I must recognize that I am “somebody” and then look for“something” to do. Amen? Amen! With loving concern, Carl

P.S. Perhaps the following Guest Editorial will serve to encourage all of us.

How Do I Preach???

The majority of people are acquainted with the preaching from the pulpit, but they never think of the preaching done from the pews. It is a fact that neither will accom-plish very much by itself. The average church member never thinks of himself as a preacher and yet he preaches a sermon by his life that is often the only kind of preaching from the church and its members that some people ever hear.

The preaching from the pew should re-inforce preaching that is done from the pulpit. The one should complement the other. Too often this is not the case; in fact, the preaching from the pews often cancels the force of the preaching done in the pulpit.

The pulpit preaching condemns dancing as sinful because of its lasciviousness, its results and its worldliness. Few people of the world hear the sermon, but those that do have the lesson ruined by pictures of the church members who attend dances appearing in the newspapers.

Divorce for any and every cause and remarriage is condemned from the pulpit. In the world this is laughed at because it sees a member of the church divorce his wife and marry another without scriptural reason.

A sermon from the pulpit condemning immodesty in dress is soon forgotten by those who see members of the church appearing in public only in shorts and skimpy tops, or skin tight jeans or stretch slacks.

When the world compares the difference in preaching from the pews and preaching from the pulpit, according to this kind of observation, it is prone to condemn all concerned by saying, and rightly so, "HYPOCRISY!" Will men glorify God when they see what you do? Will God be pleased when He sees what you do? How do YOU preach?

--Foster L. Ramsey

The Preacher’s Pondering...


I want to express my thanks to all here at Bethel who were so faithful in praying for our safe-keeping and also for the success of the gospel meeting at Pembroke, KY. The brethren there stated that this was the best attended meeting of any they have hosted in recent years. There were no baptisms or restorations during the meeting, but the seed was sown and we trust in God to give the increase.

The most difficult thing about the meeting was driving back and forth each evening. Wednesday evening on our way home, we were tied up in a big traffic jam on I-40 and did not get home until close to 1:00 a.m. As I pen these words for your consideration, I am still weary in body–but, my spirit was refreshed during the gospel meeting. In fact, I find myself wishing that I could drive back up to Kentucky and preach tonight. Thank you again for your prayers and for being so supportive. To God be the glory.

Below, I am reprinting for your consideration an article that was written by Ron Roberson. I first met Ron in Hopkinsville, KY. I was laboring with the Westwood church and he moved into the community to work with the Southside congregation. Later, he worked with the church in Lafayette, TN and now he is in Memphis, TN. The article is a bit humorous and it contains a great moral lesson.

Carl

Permanently Traumatized

For a minister, one of the advantages of visiting another con-gregation is that you can pick up some new illustrations. My friend, Robert Brown, at the Macon Road church in Memphis, told this supposedly true story.

A lady in Galveston, Texas, has a little pet bird named “Chippy.” One day this lady was cleaning her house with a canister type vacuum cleaner. In the process she decided to clean “Chippy’s” cage, so she removed the attachment and proceeded to pick up the lint and litter in the bottom of the cage with the hose. Just then the telephone rang and you’ve already guessed what happened next. “Chippy” was sucked into the canister.

Hurriedly, the lady opened the canister, ripped open the bag and rescued “Chippy” who was stunned but still very much alive. However, “Chippy” was filthy, so the lady carried him to the bathroom, washed him off under the faucet, and dried him with the hair dryer.

Whoever originally heard this story called the lady several weeks later to see if this had actually happened. She assured him that it had. At that point the caller asked, “Well, how is Chippy doing?” To which the lady replied, “Okay, but he just doesn’t sing anymore.”

Robert’s point in using this illustration and my point in re-peating it here is that life is traumatic. Life is unfair. Sometimes we all feel like Chippy, but we can still choose to sing. After the initial crisis has passed, we can sing again. Paul and Silas did (Acts 16:25) and, with God as our helper, we can too.

–Ron Roberson

A Moment With Your Minister...

I want to begin this column by extending my congratulations to Dan and Tracie Carter who were united in marriage yesterday. Marriage was ordained by God Himself and is one of the greatest blessings that He has ever provided for mankind. My prayer for them is that God will bless them with many happy years of marital bliss. I know that He will, if they will follow the instructions He has given in His holy word pertaining to the duties of husbands and wives.

Secondly, since this is the holiday in the USA on which we honor “fathers”, it seems timely to reprint the following:

TEN COMMANDMENTS...

For Wives!

(1) Honor thine own womanhood that thy days may be long and happy in the house which thy husband provideth thee.

(2) Expect not thy husband to give thee as many luxuries at first as thy father hath given thee after many years of hard labor and economies.

(3) Forget not the virtue of good humor for verily all that a man hath will he give for a woman’s smile.

(4) Thou shalt not nag.

(5) Thou shalt speak well of thy husband.

(6) Remember that the frank approval of thy husband is worth more to thee than the sidelong glances of many strangers.

(7) Forget not the grace of cleanliness and good dressing.

(8) Permit no one to assure thee that thou art having a hard time of it.

(9) Keep thy home with all diligence for out of it will come the joys of thine old age.

(10) Commit thy ways unto the Lord thy God and thy children shall rise up and call thee blessed.



For Husbands!

(1) Remember that thy wife is thy partner and not thy property.

(2) Do not expect thy wife to be wife and wage earner at the same time.

(3) Think not that thy business is none of thy wife’s business.

(4) Thou shalt hold thy wife’s love by the same means that thou won it.

(5) Thou shalt make the building of thy home thy first business.

(6) Thou shall co-operate with thy wife in establishing family dis-cipline.

(7) Thou shalt enter into the house with cheerfulness.

(8) Thou shalt not let anyone criticize thy wife to thy face and get away with it; neither thy father nor thy mother, nor thy brethren, nor thy sisters, nor thy children.

(9) Thou shalt not take thy wife for granted.

(10) Remember thy home and keep it holy.

For Parents!

(1) Thou shalt love thy child with all thy heart, with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, but wisely.

(2) Thou shalt think of thy child, not as something belonging to thee, but as a person.

(3) Thou shalt regard his respect and love, not as something to be demanded, but something worth earning.

(4) Every time thou art out of patience with thy child’s immaturity, thou shalt call to mind some of thine own mistakes attending thine own coming of age.

(5) Remember, that it is thy child’s privilege to make a hero out of thee, and take thought to be a proper one.

(6) Remember that thy example is more eloquent than thy fault finding and moralizing.

(7) Thou shalt strive to be a signpost on the highway of life, rather than a rut out of which the wheel cannot run.

(8) Thou shalt teach thy child to stand on his own feet and to fight his own battles.

(9) Thou shalt help thy child to see beauty, to appreciate kindness, to love the truth, and to live in friendship.

(10) Thou shalt make of the place wherein thou dwellest a real home–a haven of happiness for thyself–for thy children–for thy friends and thy children’s friends.

Author Unknown

A Moment With Your Minister...

“Ere you left your room this morning, did you think to pray” are words from a familiar hymn. I really hope that you did, since we are studying the subject of prayer during the month of June. Prayer is so important to our spiritual well-being that we dare not neglect this sacred privilege. Another hymn speaks of this saying, “The world has lost the right of prayer and saints have failed to pray; What loss sustained beyond repair! How blind of heart are they!”




If your prayer life isn’t what you know the Lord wants it to be, let me encourage you to attend our Sunday morning bible class. Tim Campbell is doing an excellent job teaching on this subject.

To further whet your appetite, I am reprinting an article on the subject of prayer. It was published in the weekly bul-letin of the Chestnut Drive Church of Christ, Doraville, GA a few years ago. 

Carl

JESUS & PRAYER

The importance and significance of prayer is best ex-emplified in the life of Jesus, our perfect example. It was the spiritual environment in which He lived, moved and had His being. Someone has written, “Like the diver who goes down to the bottom of the sea, he kept his communion unbroken with the top, and was thereby enabled to live unharmed in the poisonous air of this lower sphere.” There was never a moment of His earthly ministry that Jesus was not in the spirit of prayer. Consider the following examples:

1) Prayer at His baptism (Lk. 3:21-22).

2) Prayer in solitude (Lk. 5:15-16).

3) Prayer before choosing the twelve (Lk. 6:12).

4) Prayer on the Mt. of Transfiguration (Lk. 9:28-29).

5) Prayer of praise and thanksgiving (Lk. 10:21).

6) Prayer for Peter (Lk. 22:31-32).

7) Prayer of anguish (Jn. 12:27-28).

8) Prayer for His disciples (Jn. 17).

9) Prayer in Gethsemane (Mt. 26:36-46).

10) Prayer on the cross (Lk. 23:34; Mt. 27:46; Lk. 23:46).

Obviously, the Lord not only preached prayer, He practiced it. Shockingly, He actually neglected the needy populace for a while in order to retreat in prayer. Prayer seemed to have been with Him always. Just think of it: He was without sin; the only begotten Son of God; clothed with power from on high; the only representative of perfect manhood; possessed with miraculous power; and yet He prayed constantly. If Jesus sensed the need for communion with God through prayer, certainly we sense this need. As Jesus said, “Men ought always to pray.”

May God help us to be more effective prayer warriors. Remember Matthew 21:22; “And whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith.”

Author Unnamed

The Preacher's Page...

Recently I was asked to express my personal opinion about a practice which is becoming more prevalent in some places and especially among “youth groups”, namely: the practice of applauding by the clapping of hands when a person is baptized. Even though I risk being branded an “old fogy” I want to share my opinion with those who read this bulletin. It is my humble opinion that this practice smacks of denominational emotionalism in which people are seeking “a better felt than told” type of religion.

According tho the scriptures, there is rejoicing in heaven when even on sinner repents. Joy is an emotion, but does it have to be expressed by the clapping of hands? Let me illustrate what I'm driving at in this way: At both the physical births of my children and also their spiritual births later (when I had the privilege of baptizing them into Christ), my heart was filled with utter and complete joy. The joy that filled my heart was great, but it did not have to be expressed in applause. When my children entered this world I did not applaud them, their mother, nor the physician who delivered them; but I did humbly thank God. At their spiritual births into the family of God, with tears in my eyes and a lump in my throat I did the very same thing – humbly thanked God for their obedience to the gospel.

Today, I still feel great joy when I am privileged to witness a precious soul being born into the family of God, but this is not the type of joy that seeks to express itself in applause. In fact, let those who are seeking to justify the practice of applauding at baptisms answer these questions: Whoa re they really applauding? God? The sinner who has just been saved by God's grace through the obedience to the gospel? Multiple conversions are recorded in the scriptures, why do we not read about thunderous waves of applause on those occasion?

Several years ago the lat Roy H. Lanier, St. wrote about the topic of baptism. He mentioned the fact that he had never baptized a person without stating “by the authority of Jesus Christ and upon your confession of him as the Son of God, I baptize you into the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, for the remission of your sins. Amen.” Then he stated his reason for doing so: “It gives us a fine opportunity to impress the person with the idea that his act of baptism brings him into fellowship and communion with the Father, and the Son, and the Holy spirit; in this act the greatest spiritual relationship ever to be enjoyed in the world is being established. Next this gives u the opportunity to teach people who are observing the baptism a lesson. They need to be impressed with the solemnity, the sacredness, and the importance o the act of baptism.” Brother Lanier shows why hand-clapping is inappropriate; It destroys the solemnity, the sacredness of the moment, and demeans the important of the act.

Random Thoughts

After reflecting upon the purpose of observing “Decoration Day,” it occurred to me that every day is Decoration Day for the child of God! How so? Well, according to the scriptures our lives are to be arranged in such a manner that the gospel of our salvation is adorned – made beautifully appealing to those who observe us.

In Titus 2:9-10 as he gave directions for those Christians who found themselves in positions of servitude, Paul said: “Exhort servants to be obedient unto their own masters...showing all good fidelity; that they may adorn the doctrine of God our Savior in all things.”

As he commented on these very verses, brother Carl Spain had this to say: “The admonition to adorn the doctrine of God applies not only to slaves, but to all those admonished in verses 1-10.”  Indeed, all Christians are to show “good fidelity” and are expected by God to live the kind of lives that make the gospel attractive to others.  Brother Spain also stated that the word for adorn means “to make something beautiful.”

In our nation one day per year has been officially designated as a day upon which to decorate or adorn the graves of our war dead – a day upon which to demonstrate that their sacrifice has not been forgotten. Similarly, Christians have a weekly memorial service in which they commemorate the death, burial and resurrection of the Lord, but that memorial service becomes an open mockery of His sacrifice if we do not each day “adorn the doctrine of God our Savior in all things.” Please think on these things and strive to live for Him who died for you!

Carl

What I Could Do If I Wanted To:

• If I wanted to, I could help make the church the most wide awake and working church in all the world.
• If I wanted to, I could visit members who are sick or home bound and find other ways of helping them.
• If I wanted to, I could attend Bible classes regularly and encourage others to do the same.
• If I wanted to, I could show more devotion in worship and receive much more good from the services myself.
• If I wanted to, I could profit more from the sermon by not resenting the truth when it reveals some of my weaknesses.
• If I wanted to, I could tell others about Christ and His church and lead them to Him.

Of course, this all depends on what I want to do. I could be an honor servant of the greatest of all kings. I have the ability – If I really want to!

The Preacher's Page

I want to take this opportunity to extend a hearty welcome to you, if you are visiting with us today. My prayer is that you will be edified by the word of truth, uplifted in spirit and filled with a desire to come and worship with us again. Here at Bethel we strive to do only those things authorized in the New Testament, because our desire is to worship God in spirit and in truth. If you have a question about anything you hear or see, I will be more than happy to meet with you privately to discuss your questions.

Looking For a Volunteer

As you have no doubt noticed, the message board area of the church sign in front of the building has been blank for the past two weeks. I am looking for a volunteer who will be responsible for posting new messages on the sign. If you are interested in doing this important task, please see brother Goad.

A Tip of the Proverbial Hat...

goes to Brian Horner for taking care of mowing the lawn. He has been doing this job without any fanfare. Thank you, Brian for a job well done. I also want to commend Kyle Richardson for the work that he has done in setting up our website. He records the sermons and then posts them there. Recently, via email I received a request from a member of the church in Georgia for permission to download those sermons to a CD, so they can be shared with a person with whom that member is studying. How thrilling it is to contemplate that souls may be saved in eternity because of this program of outreach. Our web page is: www.Bethelcoc.net Invite a friend to visit it!

Carl

We Teach...

Love...

    We are a family of believers who accept one another because God has accepted us.

Bible...

    The Bible is inspired and our perfect guide in life and teaching.

Grace...

    Salvation is God's free gift. No one is saved by one's own merits but by the atoning sacrifice of Jesus on the cross.

Response...

    It is necessary to respond to God's offer of salvation by faith, repentance, confession and baptism.

Ministry...

    Because of what God has done for us we serve others in Jesus' name.