The Lord blessed Bethany during the September 2018 annul meeting with His gracious presence in all four services. We were blessed with excellent attendance with all our sister churches supporting the meeting with their physical presence and also their finances. Elder Josh Winslett was blessed to preach three messages from the book of Habakkuk with each sermon surrounding each chapter. Friday night he preached from chapter one of Habakkuk with a sermon entitled “Frustration to faith” as Habakkuk mourns why the Lord allows the wickedness to go on without intervening as he wonders “How long” Lord is this going to go on.
Saturday we were blessed with a good congregation with it being a Saturday with good singing and preaching by Elder Winslett from the second chapter of Habakkuk with a sermon entitled “An appointed time for faith”. The Lord answers Habakkuk from the first chapter but not in the way Habakkuk thought. He will send the Chaldeans to punish the wickedness of Israel itself and this is not what Habakkuk expects and doesn’t quite understand. The sermon was followed by an excellent lunch and fellowship around the table.
Saturday night we had an excellent fish supper and other goodies with the fish catered by Gene York. We had an excellent congregation with good singing and preaching by Elder Winslett from the 3rd chapter of Habakkuk. Habakkuk begins the chapter with a prayer and ends it with praise in spite of the calamities that have ensued. He finally comes to grips with the sovereignty of God in knowing that everything God does is good and right as we see in a linear fashion while God sees the end from the beginning.
Sunday Bro. Larry Wise preached from the Isaiah 53:1 about a good report and who believes the good report of the gospel and how reports are mentioned in scripture of both an evil report and a good report. It takes faith to believe the good report and then individuals need a good report of their peers that is accomplished by their obedience to the good report of the truth of the gospel.
Sisterly fellowship at the table
Here are some scenes from the meeting:
Sister Dorothy Clayton: Bro. Larry Visited her Sunday afternoon Sept. 8 she was as jovial as ever and doing fairly well but hasn’t been able to be in church in years.
Elder Josh Winslett
Bro. Boyce Grisham, Elder James Hall and Elder Josh Winslett discussing the situation.
Fellowship visiting after church Saturday morning Sept. 8
Good food and fellowship
Three deacons chewing the fat: Terry Wise, Phillip Wise and Jerry Coleman
Food and fellowship
