Rev 14:12  Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.

The mission of the Mid-Missouri Church of God (MMCG) is to proclaim the gospel taught by Jesus Christ; the good news of the upcoming Kingdom of God! MMCG hopes to be a lighthouse and resource to the Eldon community. We have weekly services and bible studies and would love to have you.

We hope you find this site helpful and encouraging.   Please feel free to browse around, be sure to look at the events calendar and join our email list to keep posted on current activities and upcoming events.

If you’d like us to email you our monthly newsletter and contact you by email for special announcements and events, please fill out the form below:

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The Ozark Letter July-August, 2010

JULY/AUGUST GREETINGS: “…. those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” (Isaiah 41:31)

2010 HOLY DAY CALENDAR
• Sept. 9—Feast of Trumpets (Thursday)
• Sept. 18—Day of Atonement (Saturday)
• Sept. 23-29—Feast of Tabernacles (Thursday-Wednesday)
• Sept. 30—Eighth Day Festival (Thursday)

In the June newsletter I wrote about the visit to Washington D.C. Since that time, PBS has had a debate about the lack of knowledge of Civics that our young people have today. It just is not taught in the public schools. No, our forefathers who conceived the U.S. Constitution and the Bill of Rights were not perfect and they had no idea how many people would be trying to follow their ideas. Nor did they have any idea how those ideas would be twisted, turned, and ignored.

I helped a young man who was a senior in high school to get through a history class. He was studying about World War I and World War II. He said that he didn’t like history and couldn’t understand why it was taught. I told
him that history was taught “so that we would not repeat the same mistakes and his generation has an opportunity to make a change.” Adolf Hitler knew who to indoctrinate with his ideas; the young people. We have that same opportunity and we must take that opportunity right now. When I heard our National Anthem and then Taps played at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, I could not hold back the tears. If we don’t emphasize what our nation has gone through to become ‘this nation under God’, it will be lost to them and eventually to us. I know the United States is not perfect and I know that democracy is not perfect; but I would rather live here and have this democracy than to live anywhere else. For those who may have had an opportunity to visit a Third World Country, you know just how wonderful it is to set your feet down on the Good Ole USA. In what other country can you disagree with what your President says and not get shot or put in prison? In what other country can you worship where, how, when you please and not have to worry about a knock on your door from the police. In what other country is the Bible the most popular book, but the least read book. Just some thoughts and our freedoms allow you to agree or disagree with me. Our nation is at a perilous time and needs our daily prayers. Count your many blessings, Name them one by one…………..

“The strength of our nation has been challenged before – at its birth, during the Civil War, in the peril of world wars. It is challenged again today. In our past, Americans have risen to the occasion by confronting the challenge honestly and laying their sacrifice upon the altar of freedom. We must do so again.” This is a quote from No Apology, The Case for American Greatness by Mitt Romney. (Editor’s Note: I am not advocating Mitt Romney’s politics, but he does have a point.)

Wall Street Journal contributor Michael Ledeen has warned that “the world is simmering in the familiar rhetoric and actions of movements and regimes – from Hezbollah and al Qaeda to the Iranian Khomeinists and the Saudi Wahhabis – who swear to destroy us and others like us.” These are evil men and they have made it very clear what they intend to do to us and to our allies. The challenge of our time is not to deny the threat, but to soberly and swiftly pursue the policies that will defeat it.

Think about this….We are all missionaries one way or another, called to make a difference in the place where God has placed us. I was raised in a very small town and my best friend lived several miles from where I lived; therefore, I spent the summer anxiously waiting for the Newton County Bookmobile to come by every month. Books about other people and places filled my summers with excitement. I still frequent the library and it’s very organized and computerized, but you know what I really miss? I miss the old library cards that listed the names of those who had read the book. I could pick up a book and not really be familiar with the author, but if I saw Kathleen’s (fictitious name) name as a reader, I could be fairly certain that it would be a book that I would enjoy. Or if the card was full of names, it indicated a popular book. Today, once in a while, when I check out a book, that old library card is still in the book and it does bring back fond memories. And today, it is not names that I knew as a youngster, but names I am familiar with from the local community. Have you ever thought that if you had to sign your name to a card today, would you be more careful about the books you read?

As some of you know, my husband and I live on a small farm. We have geese and I have to admit that I am not fond of geese; dogs, cats, horses, cows, etc. yes, I like, but geese – they are not the smartest of animals, but they do have enough sense to stay away from the foxes and coyotes. Anyway, I did my best to not have baby geese this spring, but God had a better idea. We did have one gosling and as I watched the adult geese surround that baby every day, I could see that that is how God does us. He surrounds us with His Spirit. He doesn’t promise us that there will not be problems or temptations, but He assures us that He will be there for us. To make a long story short, an owl got the gosling and I do miss it, but maybe God only meant for it to be here a short time.

We are in the process of trying to get Feast of Tabernacle messages from Ray Wooten’s group ‘streamed’ to us via the internet.  As an FYI, at the April meeting the MMCG Board Members gave the okay to have Feast of Tabernacle Services at the building at Eldon September 23-September 30. It will be an informal setting and we welcome anyone who would like to volunteer to speak, provide special music, give a Bible study, etc. The main idea is to “keep it simple”; therefore, it may be planned day to day. We will try to have a speaker at least on the First Day and the Eighth Day and the Sabbath that falls in between the first and last day. Daily activities will also be planned day to day. This service is being provided because there are some who cannot attend a FOT at another location, possibly because of health problems, financial problems, or just problems. We welcome anyone who wishes to attend with us. It would help us if we knew about how many plan to attend; therefore, we would appreciate an RSVP by September 20 by email info@mmcg.org or call Bud or Connie Houston at 573-392-6677 or Clarence or Charleen Gitthens at 573-392-5965 if you think that you will attend with us and/or if you would like to help in any way. Csh**************************

2010 Women’s Conference
United Christian Ministries will have their 2010 Women’s Conference at Ft. Wayne, IN, 8615 U.S. Hwy 24 West on July 30, 31, Aug 1. There is a registration fee of $65 per person which includes all registration materials, reception, Sabbath lunch and dinner. Hotel Rooms are $75 plus tax for 2 queen beds. Price includes breakfast bar. Each room has a refrigerator, microwave, and coffee maker. Be sure to mention you are with UCM to receive this discounted rate. Reception begins Friday evening at 7:00 PM. Weekend concludes at Noon on Sunday. The theme of the conference this year is “Are You Pitiful or Powerful?” Mr. Ray Wooten will host a Sabbath Bible Study and Fellowship near by for all of the men that would like to make the trip to Ft. Wayne with their wives. The service will begin at 11:00AM at the Southwest Lutheran Church, 5120 Homestead Rd., Ft. Wayne, Indiana, 46814. If you have any questions about the conference contact the UCM office by phone at 888-985-9066 or email at ucmfamily@aol.com

CHURCHGOERS LIVE LONGER
(The findings are detailed in the March-April, 2006 issue of the American Board of Family Medicine.)
According to Robert Roy Britt, managing editor of LiveScience at LiveScience.com, one of the things you can do to increase longevity is to go to church. According to a new study among the several factors that contribute to lengthening one’s life expectancy is regular church attendance. Factors that add to the length of one’s life are regular physical exercise (3.0 to 5.1 years), proven therapeutic regimens (2.1 to 3.7 years), and regular church attendance (1.8 to 3.1 years).

This new study is actually a review of existing studies in the three categories mentioned. The study did not, however, reveal why regular religious practice increases one’s life span.

“Religious attendance is not a mode of medical therapy,” said study leader Daniel Hall, a resident in general surgery at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center and an Episcopal priest. “While this study was not intended for use in clinical decision making, these finds tell us that there is something to examine further…. The significance of this finding may prove to be controversial, but at the very least, it shows that further research into the associations between religion and health might have implications for medical practice.”

Hall later speculated in a telephone interview that the social aspect of religion could play a role in the results: “There is something about being knit into the type of community that religious communities embody that has a way of mediating a positive health effect.” He further stated that being involved in religion could “then decrease your level of stress in life or increase your ability to cope with stress.” One other possibility is that, “Being in a religious community helps you make meaning out of your life.”**************************

The following is from the Sabbath Morning Companion
Moral Equivalency?
By Lenny Cacchio

Tod Robberson of the Dallas Morning News made an interesting leap of logic recently that illustrates in part the moral confusion of our times. Writes Mr. Robberson, “In the past three months, Muslims around the world have rampaged against cartoons in a Danish newspaper deemed to be mocking Islam, and an Afghan (sic) faced the death sentence for converting to Christianity. Meanwhile, two popular Christian preachers in the U.S. stoked the flames by labeling Islam as an evil or violent religion.”

Mr. Robberson goes on to characterize both the Christian and Muslim subjects of his opening paragraph as extremists. Not knowing precisely who the two Christians are, let’s take a look at the interesting comparison he attempts to make, leaving out the potential personalities involved.

If I understand the logic correctly, the reasoning goes something like this:
1. One side is rampaging in the streets, burning and pillaging, and rejoicing at the thought of killing the other.
2. The other side says the actions of those in the street are evil.
3. Therefore, both sides are extreme.

Call me extreme too, if you wish, when I call his logic a head-scratcher. If #1 and #2 seem morally equivalent, then our values are indeed in crisis, and we have no basis for making rational moral judgments. Is there a moral equivalency between Muslim extremists and conservative Christians? Indeed, are all extremists and conservatives brothers in different clothing, as one man proclaimed to after the 2004 elections? (“I see no difference between the Taliban and the people who won this last election”).

If Americans become convinced that they are on no firmer moral ground than their Muslim antagonists, then there is no moral rationale, and perhaps no moral will, to protect and preserve American interests and indeed even the American way of life.

I find it difficult to believe that the American people in general would accept such assertions. While I can appreciate any attempt at even-handedness, there does come a time when decent people need to call things as they are. A nation that doubts its values and heritage is a greater danger to itself than a confident one, and so it is with any group or movement, including Christianity.

More to the point, Christians have no obligation to accept upon themselves the label of extremis when they call sin for what it is.
(Lenny Cacchio lives in Lees Summit, Missouri)

MID-MISSOURI CHURCH OF GOD
PO Box 92, Eldon, MO 65026/mailing address. Actual physical address is: 602 East North Street. Phone: 573-392-1232 or 573-498-3775; Email: info@mmcg.org Website: www.mmcg.org The Mid-Missouri Church of God (MMCG) holds Christian Sabbath services each Saturday at 11:30 a.m. at 602 East North Street, Eldon, MO… A Bible Study and song service is scheduled at 10:30am before Sabbath services. Potluck meals after services are planned for the fourth Sabbath of each month. A weekly Bible study is held each Thursday at 6:30pm. It is best to call ahead and confirm times if you are traveling any distance to visit us (see the phone numbers above). Occasionally we will cancel local services to attend en masse elsewhere. Come and enjoy the fellowship! Also, the first Wednesday of each month the ladies meet for a “get together” and you can contact Martha Roberts at 573-496-3203 or Charleen Gitthens at 573-392-5965 for location and time if you plan to attend. You can also check the events calendar on the website.

The Ozark Letter, June 2010

JUNE GREETINGS: “Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” (Psalms 139:23-24)

2010 HOLY DAY CALENDAR
• Sept. 9—Feast of Trumpets (Thursday)
• Sept. 18—Day of Atonement (Saturday)
• Sept. 23-29—Feast of Tabernacles (Thursday-Wednesday)
• Sept. 30—Eighth Day Festival (Thursday)

The trip to Washington D.C. was GREAT!!!!! I thank you for your prayers. The one afternoon that it rained, we were inside the Smithsonian and could barely hear the thunder. There were no accidents, no lost youngsters, and though they were tired (and the adults exhausted), I think that everyone had a good time. History, as you and I know it, is not taught in the schools here today; therefore, I hope the young people came home with a reverence for some of what has formed this nation.

There is so much history in Washington D.C. and being at the World War II Memorial on Memorial Day will put more than a big lump in your throat. And the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier – when you think of the many unknowns and knowns who died and then think about the liberties that we have and that they gave their lives that we might have those liberties, just having one Memorial Day doesn’t seem like we are doing enough. At the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, the President of Peru placed a wreath with a full Honor Guard present. It was a hot, humid day and the sweat was pouring off me and I was just standing. The Honor Guard was marching and I did not even see a drop of sweat on their foreheads or any looks of discomfort. They definitely are an “honor” to our country. The Vietnam War Memorial, the Korean War Memorial – so many names, so many families affected…….. I don’t think you could pay me enough money to drive in Washington D.C. (I thought St. Louis and Interstate 70 were bad), but taking a bus, that’s a different story. Our bus driver did not use any ‘choice’ words, but I did see a fist or two waved at him. I was very impressed with all the young people who attended; their reverence and respect shown at the historical monuments. They were pretty rowdy in between visits, but quiet when they needed to be quiet. We went up to the top of the Washington Monument. When you come back down and then look up at the top and realize it has no metal supports; you have to stand in awe. Yes, Washington D.C. does have problems and I am sure that we all continue to pray that our Senators and Representatives remember that they should be representing
our interests and not their retirement. Enough of politics and I really didn’t mean to ‘go there’, but I have never been more disappointed and scared for our leaders and where they are leading our country than at this time. We need to continue to pray for our leaders and nation daily. Psalms 139 tells us that God watches us “all the time”.

Its graduation season and schools are preparing to send a new crop of young minds out into this treacherous world. When I read the following words from the Valedictorian of the Eldon High School, Emily Harbison, it shows hope for the coming generation. She closed her speech with a quote from David Thoreau, who said, “Go confidently in the direction of your dreams” and “live the life that you have imagined.” Mia Peck, Salutatorian, closed with a quote from Anthony Robbins, who said “success is doing what you want to do, when you want, where you want, with whom you want, and as much as you want.” Our future is in the hands of these young people; they will be the leaders of tomorrow. Jillie Roberts is the graduate from our group and we wish her blessings at whatever she endeavors. She certainly is an inspiration to me – a fine young Christian woman.

Chuck Grimes, age 84 died in his sleep on Sunday, May 9. His Memorial Service was held at MMCG on Sunday, May 23. About 115 people were in attendance. Aletta Grimes, his wife, preceded him in death.

The annual church picnic will be held on June 26th. The picnic will follow directly after services. Location for the picnic has not yet been decided, but we would like to invite everyone who can to come and join us where ever we end up. It will probably be at the local park, here in Eldon or out at Charleen and Clancy’s Lake. If you need more information just give us a call or email at the contact info on the last page of the newsletter.

As an FYI, at the April meeting the MMCG Board Members gave the okay to have Feast of Tabernacle Services at the building at Eldon September 23-September 30. It will be an informal setting and we welcome anyone who would like to volunteer to speak, provide special music, give a Bible study, etc. The main idea is to “keep it simple”; therefore, it may be planned day to day. We will try to have a speaker at least on the First Day and the Eighth Day and the Sabbath that falls in between the first and last day. Daily activities will also be planned day to day. This service is being provided because there are some who cannot attend a FOT at another location, possibly because of health problems, financial problems, or just problems. We welcome anyone who wishes to attend with us. It would help us if we knew about how many plan to attend; therefore, we would appreciate an RSVP by September 20 by email info@mmcg.org or call Bud or Connie Houston at 573-392-6677 or Clarence or Charleen Gitthens at 573-392-5965 if you think that you will attend with us and if you would like to help in any way. Remember to count our blessings; name them one by one……………….csh

PSALMS 139: 1-24
A Psalm of Rejoicing over God’s Personal Care.
O LORD, thou hast searched me, and known me. Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, thou understandest my thought afar off. Thou compassest my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways. For there is not a word in my tongue, but, lo, O LORD, thou knowest it altogether. Thou hast beset me behind me and before, and laid thine hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain unto it. Whither shall I go from thy spirit? Or whither shall I flee from thy presence? If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there. If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea: Even then shall thy hand lead me, and they right hand shall hold me. If I say, Surely the darkness and the light are both alike to thee. For thou hast possessed my reins: thou hast covered me in my mother’s womb. I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvelous are they works; and that my soul knoweth right well. My substance was not hid from thee, when I was made in secret, and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in the book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them. How precious also are the thoughts unto me, O God! How great is the sum of them! If I should count them, they are more in number than the sand: when I awake, I am still with thee. Surely thou wilt slay the wicked, O God: depart from me therefore, ye bloody men. For they speak against thee wickedly, and thine enemies take they name in vain.

Do not I hate them, O LORD, that hate thee? And am not I grieved with those that rise up against thee? I hate them with perfect hatred: I count them mine enemies. Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thought: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.

The following is an article from the Eldon Advertiser

Stroke

Miller County Health Center – Jeanine Blankenship, Health Educator

Here we are, it’s Spring and May was National Stroke awareness month. Heart disease and stroke are respectively, the first and third leading causes of death in both the United States and Missouri. Stroke is a medical emergency and knowing the signs and symptoms of a stroke, calling 9-1-1, and getting to a hospital are crucial to your best outcome after having one.

What exactly is a stroke? It is sometimes called a brain attack. Strokes can be identified in two main types; Ischemic and Hemorrhagic. An ischemic stroke is a sudden loss of blood supply to any part of the brain, depriving brain tissue of oxygen and nutrients. It is usually caused by a blood clot or fatty deposits. Within a few minutes brain cells begin to die. As a result, the affected area of the brain is unable to function, leading to inability to move one or more limbs on one side of the body, inability to understand or formulate speech, or inability to see one side of the visual field. Hemorrhagic strokes are caused by bleeding within the brain and bleeding between the inner and outer layers of the tissue covering the brain.

Another type of stroke is a Transient Ischemic Attack or TIA. A TIA is a warning that a person is at risk for a more serious stroke. Usually with a TIA, the symptoms go away within an hour. However, when symptoms begin, there is no way to be able to tell if it will be a mini-stroke or a more serious stroke because the symptoms are the same. Any sudden symptom of a stroke signals an emergency! Anyone who may think they could be having a stroke should not wait to see if symptoms go away. What are the symptoms you might ask? There are three questions that help identify signs of a stroke. If a person has difficulty with responding to the following instructions, they could be experiencing signs of a stroke.

• Ask the person to smile. (Can he/she move both sides of their face evenly?)
• Ask them to close their eyes and raise both arms. (Do they understand the instruction and are they able to raise both arms easily and at the same height?)
• Ask them to repeat a simple sentence. (Do they understand your question, and can they answer so that you can understand their speech?)

Here are some other signs of a stroke. There are five signs and symptoms to look for with a stroke.
• Sudden confusion or trouble speaking.
• Sudden numbness or weakness of face, arm, or leg especially on one side.
• Sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes.
• Severe headache with no known cause.
• Sudden trouble walking, dizziness or lack of balance.

Each year, stroke accounts for more than 3,000 deaths in Missouri! This makes stroke the third leading cause of death in the state. Stroke is also a leading cause of adult disability. If you think you or someone you know might be having or showing the symptoms of a stroke, you must think FAST! Here is a quick way to check off a list of possibilities:

FAST
• Face numbness or weakness
• Arm numbness or weakness
• Speech slurred
• Time to call 9-1-1

Here are some steps you might keep in mind for helping to prevent a possible stroke. There are alarming statistics concerning the occurrence of a second stroke in patients who have survived a first. The American Heart Association/American Stroke Association estimates nearly a third of the strokes which occur every year are actually secondary strokes. Statistics may indicate that many of these are within five years of the first.

There are actions that you can take to reduce the chances of a reoccurrence.
1. Monitor you blood pressure
2. Cut down on the salt and fat intake in your regular diet.
3. Consult your doctor regarding antithrombotic medications (these prevent the blood from clotting.)
4. Consider aspirin therapy (also to be discussed with your physician).
5. See if you have arterial fibrillation. (This is an irregular heartbeat.)

MID-MISSOURI CHURCH OF GOD
PO Box 92, Eldon, MO 65026/mailing address. Actual physical address is: 602 East North Street. Phone: 573-392-1232 or 573-498-3775; Email: info@mmcg.org Website: www.mmcg.org The Mid-Missouri Church of God (MMCG) holds Christian Sabbath services each Saturday at 11:30 a.m. at 602 East North Street, Eldon, MO… A Bible Study and song service is scheduled at 10:30am before Sabbath services. Potluck meals after services are planned for the fourth Sabbath of each month. A weekly Bible study is held each Thursday at 6:30pm. It is best to call ahead and confirm times if you are
traveling any distance to visit us (see the phone numbers above). Occasionally we will cancel local services to attend en masse elsewhere. Come and enjoy the fellowship! Also, the first Wednesday of each month the ladies meet for a “get together” and you can contact Martha Roberts at 573-496-3203 or Charleen Gitthens at 573-392-5965 for location and time if you plan to attend. You can also check the events calendar on the website.

todd@mmcg.org

“Everybody that I know that goes to church goes on Sunday.
Why are you so weird?”

Salvation
For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.  Ephesians 2:18-19. We are not saved because we enter into a weekly Sabbath (Friday sundown to Saturday sundown) rest.  We are saved through the blood of Christ. The Sabbath is a great blessing that allows us to share our salvation in a special way. Our love for our Lord also directs us to be obedient to all God directs in the Bible, even if the road is narrow.

Creation
In Jesus’s day a discussion came up regarding divorce.  Jesus didn’t base his answer on “majority rules” or “what was politically correct”.  For His answer He went back to the beginning.  Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female… see Matthew 19:4-6  Most biblical based Christians reject evolution by going to the beginning explanation of the world in Genesis.  Isn’t it interesting that by the seventh day of Creation God “rested from all his work” and then blessed the day and sanctified it (made it holy, set it apart)?  Why did He do this?  Who did He do this for? What would it take to change such a mandate?

Remember
The 10 commandments are the base of God’s holy law.  They do not change with man’s whim.  The first four call for our obedience to God.  The last six deal with our relationship to man.  God’s desire is that these commandments be written on our heart.  Isn’t it ironic (or tragic) that of the 10 commandments only the one that God starts with “Remember” is forgotten or ignored by most of the Christian world? See Exodus 20.

Jesus
Jesus is supposed to be our example.  He taught against the incorrect rules of the Jews of his day regarding the Sabbath.  He made it clear that He was Lord over the Sabbath and that the Sabbath was made for man (not just the Jews).  Many of His recorded healings were on the Sabbath.

Apostles
If God intended for Sunday to replace the Sabbath then when we study the New Testament books you would expect this to be a very clear theme (especially after what was recorded for us from Creation).  However, the strong pattern by the early Christians is clearly directed toward continuing Sabbath observance.  Check out the book of Acts and do your own study.

Warning
Hebrews 4 tells us that “there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God”. If you study scripture with an open mind regarding the Sabbath you will come up with many warnings or red flags for any replacement of Sabbath with Sunday.  Does being saved by grace give us a license to violate a command of God?  Would intentionally violating any other of the 10 commandments be acceptable to God just because everyone else does it?  God blessed it, sanctified it and said to remember it.  Be very careful about saying every day is the same when God has said otherwise.

Tradition
Many churches and denominations strongly emphasize their tradition, their creeds, their founder or “prophet”.  They may say they do things based on the Bible, but in reality it isn’t so.  Jesus spoke harshly against the traditions of the religious leaders of his day.  Perhaps it is time to look at all we do, the day we set aside for worship and rest included, through primarily the light of Holy Scripture? Think about it. 
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And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last. Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.  Revelation 22:12-14

A couple of points/concerns without going into too big of a rant… hopefully.

1. Who do you think wrote and gave the Ten Commandments on the mountain?  When the tablets were broke, who wrote them on our hearts? 
2. Jesus professed that He was about His Father’s business.  Many times, Jesus made it clear that Him and the Father were in absolute agreement.

Continue study and prayer… and make no excuse for not keeping His commandments.

The Ozark Letter – March, 2010 <<<<<PDF Download Link<<<<<<

MARCH GREETINGS:  “And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to the disciples and said, Take, eat; this is My body.”  Matt 26:26  “For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.” Matt 26:28,29  “…assuredly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you.  Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day.  For My flesh is food indeed, and My blood is drink indeed.  He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him.”  John 6:53-57

February 27, 2010 was the Super Sabbath.  We were blessed with good weather, good speakers, good fellowship, and good food.  About 80 people attended.  We thank all of you who helped to make it a wonderful success and blessings to all!

I don’t know about you, but I am sooooooo looking forward to March and spring.  I hope that in the next newsletter I am talking about the dogwood and redbud trees blooming and maybe even the tulips.  I mentioned in an earlier newsletter that the horses had really heavy winter coats and got them earlier than usual and I wondered if that meant a cold winter.  Well, now they are shedding those winter coats; therefore, I think that is an indication of spring.

The little squirrel that I watched earlier this year building her nest is proving to be a real challenge to me.  She keeps getting into the barrel where I keep the sunflower seed.

On a personal note, I apologize for being late with the newsletter.  My husband had three-way by-pass surgery on Wednesday, February 24.  We thank everyone for their prayers, support and cards.

This is the month that most of us will be observing Passover.  The destiny of those who share the body and blood of Jesus on Passover evening share an eternal destiny that, to our weak and feeble minds, is incomprehensible.  It is important to take the Passover symbols because our eternal lives are at stake.  Every one who takes part in the Passover ceremony has eternal life guaranteed by the promise of Jesus.  Can we ask for any higher assurance?

If you have already responded to the inquiry about receiving the Ozark Letter, thank you, and it is not necessary to respond again. I just don’t want to remove anyone from the list who does want to receive the Ozark Letter.  In a previous newsletter, you were given the option of  how you would like to receive this newsletter …i.e., email, snail mail, etc.  Or you may opt to not receive this newsletter at all – you must make a positive reply to continue receiving this newsletter – the exception is those living in Canada or foreign countries.  I will assume that they do want to stay on the mailing list, but should you want to get the newsletter via email, you will need to make a response.  Thank you for your participation in this matter and I am always looking for articles to put in the newsletter. You may mail us back the top portion of the next page with your response or you may contact us by email at mmcg.org@gmail.com with your response. Csh

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2010 HOLY DAY CALENDAR
March 29—Passover (Lord’s Supper observed the evening before, March 28 Sunday, after sundown)
March 29—Night to Be Much Remembered (Monday)
March 30 – April 5—Days of Unleavened Bread (Tuesday-Monday)
May 23—Pentecost (Sunday)
Sept. 9—Feast of Trumpets (Thursday)
Sept. 18—Day of Atonement (Saturday)
Sept. 23-29—Feast of Tabernacles (Thursday-Wednesday)
Sept. 30—Eighth Day Festival (Thursday)

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DANIEL’S GLOVES
The following was taken from the Internet.  I had an “experience” at a Wal-Mart just recently and I did not respond as this suggests.  I don’t know that I will have another opportunity, but I pray that I do have another opportunity and that I do the “right thing”.  (editor’s comments)

I sat, with two friends, in the picture window of a quaint restaurant just off the corner of the town-square.  The food and the company were both especially good that day.

As we talked, my attention was drawn outside, across the street.  There, walking into town was a man who appeared to be carrying all his worldly goods on his back.  He was carrying a well-worn sign that read, ‘I will work for food.’  My heart sank.

I brought him to the attention of my friends and noticed that others around us had stopped eating to focus on him.  Heads moved in a mixture of sadness and disbelief.

We continued with our meal, but his image lingered in my mind.  We finished our meal and went our separate ways.  I had errands to do and quickly set out to accomplish them.  I glanced toward the town square, looking somewhat halfheartedly for the strange visitor.  I was fearful, knowing that seeing him again would call some response.  I drove through town and saw nothing of him.  I made some purchases at a store and got back in my car.

Deep within me, the Spirit of God kept speaking to me: ‘Don’t go back to the office until you’ve at least driven once more around the square.’

Then with some hesitancy, I headed back into town.  As I turned the square’s third corner, I saw him.  He was standing on the steps of the store front church, going through his sack.

I stopped and looked; feeling both compelled to speak to him, yet wanting to drive on.  The empty parking space on the corner seemed to be a sign from God: an invitation to park.  I pulled in, got out and approached the town’s newest visitor.

‘Looking for the pastor?’ I asked.

“Not really,” he replied, “just resting.”

“Have you eaten today?”

“Oh, I ate something early this morning.”

“Would you like to have lunch with me?”

“Do you have some work I could do for you?”

“No work,” I replied “I commute here to work from the city, but I would like to take you to lunch.”

“Sure,” he replied with a smile.

As he began to gather his things, I asked some surface questions.  “Where you headed?”

“St. Louis”

“Where you from?”

“Oh, all over; mostly Florida..”

“How long you been walking?”

“Fourteen years,” came the reply.

I knew I had met someone unusual.  We sat across from each other in the same restaurant I had left earlier.  His face was weathered slightly beyond his 38 years.  His eyes were dark yet clear, and he spoke with an eloquence and articulation that was startling.  He removed his jacket to reveal a bright red T-shirt that said, ‘Jesus is The Never Ending Story.’

Then Daniel’s story began to unfold.  He had seen rough times early in life.  He’d made some wrong choices and reaped the consequences…Fourteen years earlier, while backpacking across the country, he had stopped on the beach in Daytona… He tried to hire on with some men who were putting up a large tent and some equipment.  A concert, he thought.

He was hired, but the tent would not house a concert but revival services, and in those services he saw life more clearly.  He gave his life over to God.

“Nothing’s been the same since,” he said, “I felt the Lord telling me to keep walking, and so I did, some 14 years now.”

“Ever think of stopping?” I asked.

“Oh, once in a while, when it seems to get the best of me, but God has given me this calling.  I give out Bibles.  That’s what’s in my sack.  I work to buy food and Bibles, and I give them out when His Spirit leads.”

I sat amazed.  My homeless friend was not homeless.  He was on a mission and lived this way by choice.  The question burned inside for a moment and then I asked: “What’s it like?”

“What?”

“To walk into a town carrying all your things on your back and to show your sign?”

“Oh, it was humiliating at first.  People would stare and make comments.  Once someone tossed a piece of half-eaten bread and made a gesture that certainly didn’t make me feel welcome.  But then it became humbling to realize that God was using me to touch lives and change people’s concepts of other folks like me….”

My concept was changing, too.  We finished our dessert and gathered his things.  Just outside the door, he paused.  He turned to me and said, “Come Ye blessed of my Father and inherit the kingdom I’ve prepared for you.  For when I was hungry you gave me food, when I was thirsty you gave me drink, a stranger and you took me in.”

I felt as if we were on holy ground.  “Could you use another Bible?” I asked.

He said he preferred a certain translation.  It traveled well and was not too heavy.  It was also his personal favorite….”I’ve read through it 14 times,” he said.
“I’m not sure we’ve got one of those, but let’s stop by our church and see”.  I was able to find my new friend a Bible that 

would do well, and he seemed very grateful.

“Where are you headed from here:”  I asked.

“Well, I found this little map on the back of this amusement park coupon.”

“Are you hoping to hire on there for a while?”

“No, I just figure I should go there.  I figure someone under that star right there needs a Bible, so that’s where I’m going next.”

He smiled, and the warmth of his spirit radiated the sincerity of his mission.  I drove him back to the town-square where we’d met two hours earlier, and as we drove, it started raining.  We parked and unloaded his things.

“Would you sign my autograph book?” he asked…”I like to keep messages from folks I meet.”

I wrote in his little book that his commitment to his calling had touched my life.  I encouraged him to stay strong.  And I left him with a verse of scripture from Jeremiah, “I know the plans I have for you,” declared the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you; Plans to give you a future and a hope.”

“Thanks, man” he said.  “I know we just met and we’re really just strangers, but I love you.”

“I know,” I said, “I love you, too.  The Lord is good!”

“Yes, He is. How long has it been since someone hugged you?” I asked.

“A long time,” he replied.

And so on the busy street corner in the drizzling rain, my new friend and I embraced, and I felt deep inside that I had been changed…He put his things on his back, smiled his winning smile and said, “See you in the New Jerusalem.”

“I’ll be there!” was my reply.

He began his journey again.  He headed away with his sign dangling from his bedroll and pack of Bibles.  He stopped, turned and said, “When you see something that makes you think of me, will you pray for me?”

“You bet,” I shouted back, “God bless.”

“God bless.”  And that was the last I saw of him.

Late that evening as I left my office, the wind blew strong.  The cold front had settled hard upon the town. I bundled up and hurried to my car.  As I sat back and reached for the emergency brake, I saw them……a pair of well-worn brown work gloves neatly laid over the length of the handle.  I picked them up and thought of my friend and wondered if his hands would stay warm that night without them.

Then I remembered his words: “If you see something that makes you think of me, will you pray for me?”

Today, his gloves lay on my desk in my office….They help me to see the world and its people in a new way, and they help me remember those two hours with my unique friend and to pray for his ministry.  “See you in the New Jerusalem,” he said.  Yes, Daniel, I know I will……..

“I shall pass this way but once.  Therefore, any good that I can do or any kindness that I can show, let me do it now, for I shall not pass this way again.”

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The Lord’s Prayer
Matthew 6:9-13 (NIV)
Jesus encouraged His followers to pray to God with sincerity and not for show.  He gave them a simple outline of a prayer that has become known as the “Lord’s Prayer”.  He did not intend that we only use this prayer when we pray, but that we would include some of the things in this prayer in our own prayers.  This prayer shows reverence to God, dependency on God for our needs, desire for God’s Kingdom to come, thankfulness, an awareness of our sins, a desire to be forgiven and to forgive others, and trust in God to lead us.

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MID-MISSOURI CHURCH OF GOD

PO Box 92, Eldon, MO 65026/mailing address.  Actual physical address is: 602 East North Street. Phone: 573-392-1232 or 573-498-3775;    Email: info@mmcg.org     Website:  www.mmcg.org     The Mid-Missouri Church of God (MMCG) holds Christian Sabbath services each Saturday at 11:30 a.m. at 602 East North Street, Eldon, MO…  A Bible Study and song service is scheduled at 10:30am before Sabbath services. Potluck meals after services are planned for the fourth Sabbath of each month.  A weekly Bible study is held each Thursday at 6:30pm.  It is best to call ahead and confirm times if you are traveling any distance to visit us (see the phone numbers above). Occasionally we will cancel local services to attend en masse elsewhere. Come and enjoy the fellowship!   Also, the first Wednesday of each month the ladies meet for a “get together” and you can contact Martha Roberts at 573-496-3203  or Charleen Gitthens at 573-392-5965 for location and time if you plan to attend. You can also check the events calendar on the website.