Items for sale

1 airline approved pet carrier for large puppy, Sherpa brand: $50. 1 airline approved carrier for large dog: $60. 1 Easy Rider dog car harness, medium: $10. One buyer, all three items: $100. Call 912-772-5549.

Knotty Pine desk w/chair, good for student $50. 4 wood kitchen chairs $80. HD wood stair rails for outside steps. $20 pair. Call 748-8101.

‘03 Nemesis Competition Series Go-Kart... Ready to race! New clutch, new tach, with cart! $1500 or best offer. Call 826-0898.

16’ flatbed utility trailer, dual-axle. $1000 OBO. Call 912-604-0252.

Dining room table with 6 chairs and China cabinet, cherry color, very good condition, looks new. $1300. Call 728-3417 or 728-4451.

Table with 4 chairs, table is brass and beveled glass, 36"X54", $150. Also battery operated lift for motorized wheelchair, fitted for van, $300. Call 663-4454.

THE SPIRIT WORKS!

Religion

Godspeaks

“Plan ahead -- It wasn't raining when Noah built the ark.”

-God

Prayer For This Week...

"Heavenly Father, we come before you today to ask your forgiveness and to seek your direction and guidance." "We know Your Word says, "Woe to those who call evil good," but that is exactly what we have done. We have lost our spiritual equilibrium and reversed our values. We have exploited the poor and called it the lottery. We have rewarded laziness and called it welfare. We have killed our unborn and called it choice. We have shot abortionists and called it justifiable. We have neglected to discipline our children and called it building self esteem. We have abused power and called it politics. We have coveted our neighbor's possessions and called it ambition. We have polluted the air with profanity and pornography and called it freedom of expression. We have ridiculed t he time-honored values of our forefathers and called it enlightenment. Search us, Oh God, and know our hearts today; cleanse us from every sin and Set us free. Amen!"

-Paul Harvey

Bulletin Board Briefs

• The History Committee of Sand Hill Baptist Church in Guyton would like to make an appeal to the residents of the area for pictures of old members of our church or pictures of Sunday School activities and events there. We will be using them to make a DVD to celebrate the 100th anniversary of our church's Sunday School. If you have pictures they will be copied and your original returned to you. Please mark them with your name and address and send to: History Committee, Sand Hill Baptist Church, 1936 Sand Hill Rd., Guyton, Ga. 31312. Or call 728-3671 or 728-3122 for more information.

• Pembroke Christian Church is currently seeking an individual to play the piano for our 11 AM service each Sunday. We are also looking for an individual to fill the position as Choir Director. Each individual must have the ability to work well with others and be willing to contribute to our spiritual growth. For more information, please call 653-2457.

• Come join us for Vacation Bible School at Central Baptist Church, 4010 Old Louisville Road, Garden City. This year’s theme: GAME DAY CENTRAL- “Where Heroes Are Made”. June 10-14, 6 PM-9PM. EVERYONE WELCOME!!

• Put your game face on and join us at Game Day Central... Where Heroes Are Made. Chevis Oaks Baptist Church invites all 4 year-olds thru adults to join us on June 10th thru 14th from 6 PM to 9 PM each night as we learn more about some true heroes of the Bible. We will also have a parade and kick-off event on June 9th starting at 2 in the afternoon. We are located at 102 Sylvania Road in the Ogeechee Farms area of Savannah. Please call the church office at 925-3852 for more information or for directions. Please join us! It won’t be the same without YOU!

• Yard Sale to benefit the Windsor Forest Baptist Church Youth. We have everything, from books to furniture... June 2nd, from 8 AM until 12 noon at 12521 White Bluff Road. For more information, call 925-8650.

• Do you love working and taking care of young children? Abundant Life Community Church is currently interviewing for a part-time Coordinator of Nursery. This is a paid position with primary responsibility on Sunday mornings. Position will grow as Abundant Life grows. Background checks mandatory. Call Pastor Seth at 856-6871 to schedule an interview! Abundant Life Community Church is located at 119 Canal Street, Suite 104 in Pooler.

• Howdy Buckaroos! Saddle up your horses and come on out to Spirit Life's Avalanche Ranch. Join us June 3-8 at 6pm for a wild ride through God's word. Full meal will be served each night. Nightly drawings for door prizes! Registration is free! Hurry and register by June 3 for a chance to win a $50 Toys R Us gift card. For more info or to register call 748-0307 or go to www.spiritliferc.org.

• "Game Day Central" Where Heroes are made! Vacation Bible School at Sand Hill Baptist Church in Effingham County will be held Sunday, June 17th through Friday, June 22nd, 6-9 p.m. nightly. Classes for all ages, 4-adult. Nursery provided for the children of Adults attending VBS. A light supper will be held at 6 p.m.

There is no cost. For more info or to pre-register, call Mary Prescott at 728-3122 or Kim Morris at 748-9991 or 748-0632.

• Game Day Central: Where Heroes Are Made! Come be apart of Vacation Bible School at Pine Street Baptist Church in Guyton. The dates are Sunday, June 3rd through June 7th, 6-9 pm for ages 4 and up! On Friday, June 8th we will have commencement services at 7:00 with snacks afterwards. We welcome all to be a part of this exciting adventure where kids and adults alike will learn how to become heroes both on and off the field by focusing on Jesus and following God's plan for their lives. Any questions, feel free to call 772-3753 or 772-3445.

• Please join Pastor Neil Bush at Open Door Ministries for our upcoming "Camp Meeting" June 3rd thru the 10th. Meetings will be at 7:30 p.m. nightly and Sunday at 10 a.m. Our church meets at Joel's Place in Port Wentworth. Please call us at 964-5001 if any questions.

• GAME DAY CENTRAL: “WHERE HEROES ARE MADE”... You and Your Family are Invited to VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL at Faulkville Baptist Church, located at 144 Zeigler Road in Bloomingdale, Sunday, June 10th – Thursday, June 14th. Dinner from 5:45 PM to 6:30 PM, and VBS from 6:40 PM to 9 PM. This Vacation Bible School is for the entire family, and we invite you all to be here. June 1st from 7-9 PM: VBS “Sign-Up” Party for an early VBS preview, and registration. For more information, call the church at 748-7332.

• There will be a REVIVAL held at New Life Worship Center starting Sunday, June 3rd through Tuesday, June 5th, at 7 PM each night. Guest Speaker will be Evangelist Chris Owensby from Grenada, Mississippi. Pastor Paul Flippo will be speaking Sunday night, and invites everyone to come each night. “Come expecting a miracle!!” New Life Worship Center is located at 5509 McCall Road in Rincon. For more information, call 912-826-3832.

• Holy Trinity Lutheran Church of Springfield will host an Organ Recital on Sunday, June 3rd at 5 PM. Several accomplished organists will perform works from various composers such as Bach, Wegner, Wiedor, Yon and Post. Everyone is invited to attend the recital and a light reception immediately following. Holy Trinity Lutheran Church is located at 303 Laurel Street in Springfield. For additional information, contact the church office at 754-3353.

• It Is Time to Get Your GAME On! Game Day Central, “Where Heroes are Made”, is the Vacation Bible School theme this year at Rothwell Baptist Church in Pooler. A Kick-Off Celebration will be held at Rothwell (one block behind Western Sizzlin’ in Pooler) on Saturday, June 9th, from 9 AM until 1 PM with fun activities, food, inflatable games, and special guest Gnate the Gnat. Vacation Bible School is every night, beginning June 10th thru the 15th, 6 PM to 8:30 PM. Call 748-7593 for more information.

• On Sunday, June 3rd, Rincon First Christian Church will begin their “Vision to Victory” line-up of exciting worship opportunities. Sundays, at 9:00am they will add a traditional worship to their schedule which also includes 10:00am Sunday School and an 11:00am Contemporary Worship. Sunday evenings will feature, free to the public, four classes: Divorce Recovery, ABCs of Finances, 21st Century Christians, and Biblical Eldership. RFCC welcomes new Worship Leader, Ricky Stokes and Youth Minister, Randy Jones. (RFCC serves the Lord’s Supper every Sunday during their AM and PM Worship Services.) For more information contact the church office at 826-2224.

• Rincon First Christian Church, located at 5835 Highway 21 South in Rincon, will host a High School Conference Friday night, June 1st from 5:00-11:30pm and Saturday, June 2nd, from 9:00am-3:00pm. The conference will feature Randy Jones, speaker; D-Group Breakouts, Praise & Worship Band, and a Jam Session Friday night. Meals and snacks provided. Please register at www.rinconfirstchristian.com.

• New Harvest International Ministries (formerly located at 510 Stephenson Avenue) has come to Pooler! We are excited about being here and we invite you to come worship with us. Join us for awesome praise, worship and messages that will touch and bless you. We are temporarily located at the Quality Inn Hotel behind Hardee’s at Hwy 80 and I-95 in Pooler, with our new facility soon to be built on Quacco Road. Our services start at 10:30 AM on Sundays and 7 PM on Wednesdays. For additional information, contact Pastor Ken Terrell at 912-844-8365.

• Becoming the Crown Jewel Conference ’07... Savannah Baptist Assembly in Pineora, June 1st thru 3rd... offered to Middle School and High School Girls...

We've all dreamed of being a princess and we're here to tell you that you already are a princess of God! We will have three special speakers who will talk about royalty, purity, and loyalty. Also, there's awesome worship, great food, and lots of fun and new friends! Early registration is $60 for April. Late registration is $75 for May. Full and partial scholarships are available upon request. For more information, check out our website: www.freewebs.com/becomingthecrownjewel, or call 912-663-4621. Come learn your worth in Christ as a princess! Register now!

• First Baptist Church of Pembroke is offering free ESL (English as a Second Language) classes every Monday evening from 6:30pm to 8pm. Anyone is welcome! The church is located at 169 Church Street in Pembroke. For more information or if you have any questions, please contact the church at 912-653-5860 or Stephanie Miller at stephanie_m44@yahoo.com.

• Obsessive Compulsive Anonymous meets every Monday, 7:00 p.m. at New Faith Community Church, Pooler Georgia. No cost to attend. Call 748-9051 or 844-6967 www.ocapoolerga.com.

Building God’s Church

“The Higher Call Builders” have graciously agreed to begin work at Beulah Baptist Church on our new sanctuary, starting June 8th through the 13th. They are a group of about 50 to 100 volunteers from several churches throughout the state of Georgia.

The group was started several years ago and evolved with each mission trip. The group has gone into South Carolina, Kentucky, Virginia, and Georgia. The members take a week of their vacation time in June in order to follow God’s calling to be servants. The group picks up new members on each mission trip for the next mission.

The group is made of all ages. It consists of families, youth, young adults, young married couples and a lot of retired couples. The group brings their own cooks and pays all their own expenses. The church does not have to furnish anything to sustain the group, although, on all trips the members of that church often help with food, but more importantly, they provide their prayers for the group.

Beulah Baptist Church members are collecting bottled water, powdered Gatorade, popsicles, ice cream, hand towels and fresh vegetables. All donations are greatly appreciated.

If you would like to come out and share in the great fellowship with the “Builders” and the folks at Beulah, we would love to have you. The “Higher Call Builders” will be providing three meals a day for $10 a day for volunteers.

For more information on this project, or to make a donation you can contact Rev. Dan Bryant at 823-2848.

Q: My aunt almost died last year, and she claims that when she was at her worst she had a vision of Jesus welcoming her into heaven. The only problem is, she'd never had any use for God, and she didn't even believe in life after death. What do you think happened to her? - Mrs. L.L.

A: I don't know exactly what happened to her - but I hope she learns the right lessons from her experience. God has spared her life and given her a second chance to turn to Him, and it would be tragic if she failed to heed His warning.

Why do I say that I hope she learns the "right" lessons from her experience? The reason is because she could easily draw the wrong conclusion from it (as some people have done who have had a similar experience). She could easily conclude that it doesn't matter what she believes or how she lives - because God will welcome her into heaven anyway. But this would be wrong.

The Bible is clear: Ahead of us is eternity, and we will spend it in one of two places: either with God in the place the Bible calls heaven, or in that place of eternal darkness apart from God that the Bible calls hell. And where we will spend eternity depends on what we do with God's offer of salvation in Christ right now. The Bible says, "Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved" (Acts 4:12).

These are solemn words, and we ignore them at our peril. Pray for your aunt, and ask God to help you point her to Jesus. And if you are not certain about your own salvation, turn to Christ in repentance and faith today.

(Send your queries to "My Answer," c/o Billy Graham, P.O. Box 1270, Charlotte, N.C., 28201; call 1-(877) 2-GRAHAM, or visit the Web site for the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association: www.billygraham.org.)

By Nicholas A. Kennicott

"For I would have you know, brothers, that the gospel that was preached by me is not man's gospel. For I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it, but I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ." Galatians 1:11-12 ESV

I've often heard the statement, "God helps those who help themselves" attributed to the Bible without a specific Scripture reference – do you know why? Because it isn't in the Bible! This pronouncement actually comes from Benjamin Franklin and is actually quite unbiblical.

Franklin's quote is an example of man's gospel, and is exactly the type of thing that Paul did not want attributed to himself. The words of Paul, both spoken and written, were contrary to many of the things that were being taught by false religions of his day.

In verse 11, Paul says, "For I would have you know," or "I want you to know," (NIV) to make perfectly clear the importance and truth of that which follows. It is an indication that Paul is about to make a formal assertion. This was not a matter of inferior importance to Paul, for the very heart of the gospel was at stake if the believers did not understand the words of Paul to be given directly from Christ.

The attack on the gospel that Paul was dealing with was subversive and menacing, and he knew it right to defend that which he received from God. Paul wanted the believers in Galatia to understand that the gospel message he preached did not arrive through human channels – it was not presented to him through another man.

This was the same assertion that Paul made regarding his apostleship in verse 1: "Paul, an apostle – not from men nor through man, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised him from the dead." The apostleship and gospel of Paul were both from and by God, through Christ, apart from man.

Paul also makes clear that he was not taught the gospel of Christ. Christians today are taught the gospel, as were the Galatians, but Paul received the truth by revelation.

Christ revealed (literally, unveiled) the true nature of the gospel that it would be seen clearly by Paul. From this, we learn that only God can truly reveal himself. Believers today should teach, preach, evangelize, but all within the realization that only God can prepare and change a hardened heart for His glory. In His goodness, God will lift the veil from the gospel in the proclaiming of His word that people might see the light of divine truth.

Paul's words are reliable because they come not from him, but from God alone. Christians show the gospel to be valuable when it is incorporated into every aspect of life and shared with others.

For just as Paul received the Word of God through revelation, we too receive the Word of God directly. It comes through His servants, but without error, as recorded in the pages of the Bible. The Scriptures do not proclaim the gospel of man, but the good news of redemptive work, accomplished by God through His son, Jesus Christ.

Editor’s Note: Nicholas Kennicott and his wife Felicia attend Woodlawn Baptist Church where he is the new Associate Pastor of Youth and Education. Questions, comments, or prayer requests? You can e-mail Nicholas at kennicon@comcast.net or read his blog at http://kennicon.squarespace.com.