SAVAGE STREET. Church of Christ. Persecution Only Spreads the Gospel. The Story of the Bible Leads to Jesus. March 12, Our History: 6:00 service

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1 March 12, 2017 Our History: SAVAGE STREET Church of Christ The Savage Street Church of Christ began on March 4, 1923 at 6th and H Streets. After sometime on Evelyn Street, we moved to our present location on March 20, 1960 Another way to spend time in the word The disciples wanted to serve the Lord The Lord gave the children of Israel instructions on what their king should not do. Then the Lord said what the king must do, Also it shall be, when he sits on the throne of his kingdom, that he shall write for himself a copy of this law in a book, from the one before the priests, the Levites. And it shall be with him, and he shall read it all the days of his life, that he may learn to fear the Lord his God and be careful to observe all the words of this law and these statutes, that his heart may not be lifted above his brethren, that he may not turn aside from the commandment to the right hand or to the left, and that he may prolong his days in his kingdom, he and his children in the midst of Israel (Deuteronomy ). The twelve disciples got things wrong often, like we do, but they also got things right, like we do also. One time they argued about who was greatest among them, but watch what they did on the night before Jesus died, and what He told them to do, Now on the first day of Unleavened Bread, when they killed the Passover lamb, His disciples said to Him, Where do You want us to go and prepare, that You may eat the Passover? And He sent out two of His disciples and said to them, Go into the city, and a man will meet you carrying a pitcher of water; follow him. Wherever he goes in, say to the master of the house, The Teacher says, Where is the guest room in which I may eat the Passover with My disciples? Then he will show you a large upper room, furnished and prepared; there make ready for us (Mark ). The Lord wanted the king of Israel to have his own copy of the Scriptures, and he would write it out himself. Doing so would make him more aware of the Lord speaking to him and how he should and should not conduct himself as a king. He would learn to fear the Lord; he would know what the Lord wanted done; he would keep himself humble before his brethren, giving him a long reign as king. When was the last time you wrote out Scripture? Get away from the computer, get paper, find a writing instrument, and write down one of the Psalms. See what it does for you. DR Jesus had evidently already worked out the arrangement for that Passover, and the disciples did not know of the arrangement. However, they wanted to serve Him. They wanted to prepare the Passover. This was not slapping together a few sandwiches, but required a great deal of work and care. However, they loved Jesus, they loved Israel, and they were thankful to God for Israel s deliverance from Egypt. DR 10:30 Service 6:00 service The Story of the Bible Leads to Jesus Persecution Only Spreads the Gospel Acts 7 Acts 8

2 March Activities The 26th: Potluck The 29th: Singing August Activities 14th 18th: Vacation Bible School Serve the Lord in your work by working hard for Him. (Diligent Hands) Colossians 3:23-24 Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people. Remember that the Lord will give you an inheritance as your reward, and that the Master you are serving is Christ. 2 Timothy 2:6-7 And hardworking farmers should be the first to enjoy the fruit of their labor. Think about what I am saying. The Lord will help you understand all these things. Colossians 3:17 And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. Proverbs 6:7-8 Though they have no prince or governor or ruler to make them work, they labor hard all summer, gathering food for the winter. Proverbs 12:24 Diligent hands will rule, but laziness ends in forced labor Proverbs 20:13 If you love sleep, you will end in poverty. Keep your eyes open, and there will be plenty to eat! 2 Thessalonians 3:10 While we were with you, we gave you the order: Whoever doesn t want to work shouldn t be allowed to eat. Proverbs 12:24 Diligent hands will rule, but laziness ends in forced labor. 1 Corinthians 10:31 Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God. Revelation 2:2-3 I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate wicked people, that you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them false. You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name, and have not grown weary. John 5:16 But Jesus answered them, My Father has been working until now, and I, too, am working.

3 Our Mission Works Outside of Josephine County, Oregon Don Iverson s India Work NEWSLETTER FROM DON AND CATHY IVERSON This 12 foot jumping snake was recently pulled from the ceiling of the office at our Dindigul Evangelism School. The snake charmer charged $7 to retrieve him for us. When Arokiyadass attempted to bargain, the skilled charmer threw his catch to the ground and we quickly agreed to the price he had asked. Lesson learned: Never negotiate with the snake charmer! F E B R U A R Y Every time I stand beside of Solomon I am reminded of his great faith and love for our Lord. This man is possibly the mightiest evangelist I have met in my life. Most remember him as the fifty-mile-bicycle-man, as he use to ride his bicycle fifty miles each way, every weekend, in his attempt to establish the Lord s church in Kuppam. Since my initial contact with him, more than ten years ago, he has taught scores of evangelists in various schools along the Tamil Nadu/Andre Pradesh border. God continues to bless this mighty warrior. 554 BAPTISMS AND 9 NEW CONGREGATIONS Solomon s latest group of men had a phenomenal last year (2016), as 554 souls were added and nine new congregations were established. This mighty soul-winner spends long hours with his students, outside of class, using the men as opportunities, teaching them how to establish faithful congregations. Solomon is also one of the most humble men I have ever met, and is quick to remind all that God is the one who gives the increase (I Cor. 3:6). FIFTEEN DENOMINATIONAL PREACHERS As I prepared to leave India at the end of 2016, Solomon contacted me to ask if I would come and teach for a day among 15 preachers, all coming from various denominations. He had already been teaching them for 8 months. He explained how they had had very little formal training in the Bible and were asking

4 MARCH SOUL-WINNING CAMPAIGN With great eagerness, our brothers anticipate the March campaign. It is a wonderful opportunity for sacrifice, fellow ship and growing the Lord s church. A great part of the success of this work can be attributed to the fact that our preachers are self-supported, or supported by the Indian brethren, making the churches self-sustained. The regular campaigns, in which the evangelists receive approximately $5 per day to cover transport and supplement their loss of wages, is cherished as a special opportunity. Lord willing, more than 400 men will participate in the week-long March event. The total cost for the campaign will be approximately $15,000, a very reasonable amount considering that generally, more than 1,200 souls are added ($13 per each). Additionally, thousands more among the billions of worshipper of idols of silver and gold will learn of the True and Living God who created them. This is our job as sowers: planting and watering. 7,300 SOULS Is the Goal for 2017! We work very hard to establish new Christians and help them grow in their faith. From what we can ascertain, more than 90% of all baptized over the past four years are still serving faithfully. 111 NEW CONGREGATIONS Were established in 2016 Please do not think we are boasting, but allow us to glory in the Lord (I Cor. 1:31) for the marvelous works He has wrought. Rejoice with us and continue to pray for the many new opportunities in SANDIYAH Sandiyah is one of the girls we have raised at Deva Anbu Illam. From time to time, I sit with the children to ask about their plans for the future. This sixteen-yearold, after completing her Bible education and secular studies, plans to be an airline pilot, a lofty goal for a girl in India. as the fifty-mile-bicycle-man, as he use to ride his bicycle fifty miles each way, every Considering that her grades in our Bible classes average 99%, she will likely become, according to the will of God, whatever she aspires to be. In 2015, after sitting down every boy and girl, she won the annual Bible Bee contest among all of the children on the three campuses. Incidentally, she was one of the children that the government attempted to remove from our campus in May God has blessed Cathy and I so richly, allowing us to be a part of this great work. As I sat interviewing Sandiyah I anticipated the day when I will board a flight in India and hear, Good morning! My name is Santhiyah and I am happy to be your pilot for our journey over to Chennai today! SATURDAY HAIRCUT On each of our campuses, we are blessed with older boys willing to be the Saturday barber. It saves us money, and provides experience for our boys striving to learn a new profession. The older boy is Perisothaman, a child on our DNI campus. He was also one of the children sent out last year by the government from the DAI campus. By God s grace and our persistence, we have him back. He has great respect from his younger brothers. He often leads in the worship service and is capable of teaching and preaching. His younger sister also lives on this same campus. Please continue to pray for all of our children, as Satan seeks to destroy these great works. Greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world (I John 4:4). for help to strengthen their knowledge. Though I was unable to attend, I requested Arokiyadass and Santhanaraj to spend a day with these men. After learning more about the Lord s church and the necessity of baptism, all fifteen men were baptized at the end of the day. Solomon continues to work with these brothers, and they meet together for worship and breaking bread on the Lord s Day. I am exhilarated and excited as I anticipate the future for this area of Andre where these men work. Lord willing, we will have a preacher training school here, and hundreds of congregations will spring up in decades to come. God is great! PHOTO BELOW: Saravanan, along with his wife, stand with nine sisters who have just enrolled in our new Saturday schools for ladies. Ladies, whether living in India or America, are some of the most powerful soul-winners among us. For several years, we have been experimenting, trying to design a program suitable to train these ladies and multiply their talents. This new program was the focus of a recent planning meeting among ninety of our preachers and teachers in Tamil Nadu. We are currently beginning thirteen Saturday programs for ladies. Each sister must commit to promptly attend for two full years. The materials used will be the same as we have taught to the men in the Kingdom Builder s Program, including weekly exams, memory verses and mandatory evangelism on all Saturday afternoons. These students receive no support. We provide their lunch as well as bus fare for their transportation ($2 per Saturday). The maximum number of students allowed in each program is nine, and we anticipate approximately 100 ladies will enroll.

5 PRAYER REQUESTS: Continue to pray for our children in LTC as they study the book of Acts. Also pray for their teachers they are doing such a wonderful job teaching the kids. Prayer Warriors. Pray without ceasing. Prayers of thanks that Stewart Rhodes is home. Phil and Diana Friesen request prayers, because they have been experiencing a lot of death and medical problems on both sides of their families. Pray for Gloriann Duncan. She is at the Highland House recovering and receiving physical therapy. Please continue to pray for Don Iverson s work in India. The goal is to save 7,300 souls in OTHER NEWS If you would like to receive the bulletin as a PDF, please see Rebekah Calvert. If you would like to have your announcement run in our bulletin, please place it on the secretary s desk before Friday morning or it to Rebekah Calvert: Novesker@gmail.com VBS Countdown (5 months) Vacation Bible School will be August 14th through the 18th. Thank you Thank you to all the teachers who signed up for the spring quarter Contribution Open & Close Building March Greeters Card Collectors Meet with elders & preacher The elders and preacher have Weekly Average... 3,008 Last Week March 5,... 3,051 Total After 10 Weeks... 30,084 March 12: Gene Tomlinson March 19: Rick Calvert No Volunteers Jacob Noveske Billy Henshall regular meetings. You may come Mondays at 1:30 PM to Don s office. Call first. Or they can meet with at another time.

6 RUHL S RULES Suggested Good Work Clean out your closet and donate gently used clothes and shoes. Control Your Tongue When You are angry, A quick-tempered man acts foolishly, and a man of wicked intentions is hated (Proverbs 14.17). The Wisdom of George Washington: On Morality and Religion Observe good faith and justice towards all Nations. Cultivate peace and harmony with all. Religion and morality enjoin this conduct; and can it be that good policy does not equally enjoin it? It will be worthy of a free, enlightened, and, at no distant period, a great Nation, to give to mankind the magnanimous and too novel example of a People always guided by an exalted justice and benevolence. OUR SHEPHERDS: Wayne Duncan Dan Calvert OUR PREACHER: Don Ruhl OUR DEACONS: Gene Tomlinson Michael Crisp, Jr. Carl Peugh OUR SONG LEADERS: Larry Amberg Phil Joseph Kevin Michael OUR WEB SITE: GrantsPassChurchOfChrist.com The Wisdom of Augustine: On Straying from God Augustine confessed to God, Thus the soul commits fornication when she is turned from thee, and seeks apart from thee what she cannot find pure and untainted until she returns to thee. Church History 1899: Sam Jones preaches in Toledo, Ohio, where the mayor is also named Sam Jones. The mayor welcomes the publicity until the preacher says, If the Devil were mayor of Toledo, he wouldn t change a thing. Nonetheless, Mayor Jones will be reelected by a wide margin. 1849: Newly-elected president of the United States Zachary Taylor refuses inauguration on Sunday out of respect for the Lord s day but is inaugurated on Monday. 1805: President Thomas Jefferson in his second inaugural address requests prayer and recalls divine blessings. 1526: Zurich council decrees death by drowning to all Anabaptists. Anabaptists did not believe in infant baptism, but that only believers should be baptized. The Questions the Book of Exodus Answers and Does Not Answer In Exodus chapter one we know the name of the midwives but we don t know the name of Pharaoh. And you have to ask, Why? And I think there s an intentionality in that omission because it is a story about who s the God of the Exodus, not who is the pharaoh of the Exodus. And I think historians sometimes get too carried away either trying to answer the questions when and who, but they are not trying to answer the question the text is trying to answer for us, mainly, Who is the God of the Exodus? That s the question posed by Pharaoh and that is what the book of Exodus is trying to tell us And there are close to ten times in the Exodus narratives where we re told that God is doing this plague or doing this action that you might know that I am the Lord or that the Egyptians might know that I am the Lord and in Exodus 9 that the Earth might know that I am the Lord. So this is the agenda of the text. It s not trying to answer all of the questions we modern historians would like to have answered. But having said that, it doesn t mean its not a historical document. It s talking about real events and real people that took place somewhere around 34, 33, 3200 years ago (James Hoffmeier in Patterns of Exodus, pages , emphasis in original). Our Mission Works Outside of Josephine County, Oregon Mountain States Children s Home, Longmont, Colorado Brad Harrub & Focus Press, Franklin, Tennessee Don Iverson s India Work CONTACT INFORMATION: 220 NE Savage Street Grants Pass, Oregon GrantsPassCofC@iCloud.com WORSHIP AND CLASSES: Sunday Classes... 9:30 Worship... 10:30 Worship... 6:00 Wednesday Classes... 7:00 Wayne Jackson & ChristianCourier.com, Stockton, California Chimala Mission Hospital and Schools, Tanzania, Africa Don Patton s archaeological work, especially Noah s Ark