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Bulletin cover

October 11, 2020
CORONA VIRUS ISSUE 18

FAMILY NEWS OF
THE M-51 CHURCH OF CHRIST

This is the church bulletin for the congregation of the Church of Christ that meets in Dowagiac, Michigan, on M 51 just south of the city. Ordinarily we meet on Sunday morning for Bible study and worship and also on Sunday evening and Wednesday night for a Bible study. Since the pandemic forced us into not having meetings at our building we have been meeting via Zoom on our smartphones, tablets, and computers. After almost two months of worship under the trees we have moved into the building with our Zoom meetings for those who are not able to meet in person. Everyone is welcome to participate in this worship service at 11:00 on Sunday morning. If you want to participate with Zoom, contact Karl Marcussen at 574-514-1400 to get the information to join us.

DUE to the COVID-19 pandemic
and government mandates we
will not have Bible classes until further notice.

FAMILY NEWS

WELCOME TO OUR VISITORS: Like everyone else, we are trying to avoid COVID-19 among all of us. Some of us are more vulnerable than others. We ask everyone to keep six feet from others and wear a mask so that no one becomes ill by attending worship. Some of us will be participating virtually through Zoom at home and others will be in the building. If in the future you wish to participate on Zoom at home contact Karl Marcussen at 574-514-1400 and he will help you join us.

SHULTS-LEWIS will be coming this next week. If you intend to be a part of helping them you need to get your change cans and commodities in right away.

COOPERATION: We are very thankful for our sister congregations in the Michiana area who have helped us in our various outreach efforts. In the past month or so we have had brothers and sisters from congregations in Niles, St. Joseph, and Mishawaka come and help us. They came for our Food Truck project September 10. On September 26 we had a number come and help us in our highway cleanup work. Several folks from Niles and St. Joseph have brought items for the Shults-Lewis commodity drive.

In Acts 2:41 we are told that on the Day of Pentecost 3,000 souls were added to the church. In the next six verses (Acts 2:42-47), we learn that the church was active and verse 46 says they met daily. How did they get 3,000 people into one place? They did not have structures that could hold that many people. The answer is that they met all over Jerusalem, not all in one place — and yet they were united and had “all things in common.” We too do not meet in one place, but by pooling our resources and working together we can do great things. Congregations can worship separately but can work together. Our thanks to those who came from other congregations and helped us. Together we can do some even greater things.


TODAY'S LESSON

WHAT IS THE WILL OF GOD?

Sound on icon

John Clayton

INTRODUCTION
A. Is COVID-19 the will of God?
Did God cause it? Why did he allow it?
B. Does God have any role in what happens on Earth?
C. The “Determinist View.” God has a predetermined plan for every life which can not be altered. It is wrong because it
(1) makes man a robot;
(2) invalidates biblical examples;
(3) violates the purpose of God creating man.
D. The will of God happens in three ways:
I. GOD'S DESIRE AND GOD'S DECISION
A. Ephesians 1:1-11; 1 Corinthians 12:4-6
B. Some things are set in stone and will happen —  Judgment, the end of time
II. GOD'S DESIRE AND MAN'S DECISION
A. Marriage — Genesis 2:24 and Mark 10:5
B. Diet — Romans 14:1-3, 17
C. Special days — Romans 14:5-7
D. Matthew 23:37 — God never forces man to obey.
E. There are consequences when we do it our way.
III. MAN'S DECISION AND GOD'S PERMISSION
A. Polygamy
B. Israel having a king
C. Lydia opening her home to the church — Acts 16:40
D. Sometimes God uses man's decisions to do his will.
1. Joseph in Genesis 45:4-10
2. Anna in Luke 2:36-38
IV. SO HOW DOES GOD'S WILL AFFECT YOUR LIFE?
A. Acts 22:14 — God appoints us to know his will.
We are led into ministries — follow Paul's example.
B. God can stop us — Acts 16:7.
C. We can actively seek God’s will — Ephesians 5:17; Colossians 1:9.
D. This is important — Matthew 12:50; 7:21.
E. We reap what we sow — Galatians 6:7.
John referred to this SONG: “Take Time to Be Holy.”



THE BACK PAGE

Halloween

We are entering that time of year when a group of holidays are observed by us and the world around us. Halloween, followed by Election Day, Veterans Day, Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, Christmas, Kwanzaa, and New Year's Day are the best known but new ones are added every year. In the past we have had preachers who told us it was a sin to carve a pumpkin or let our kids do “trick or treat.” Having a Christmas tree with lights on it was considered by some to be a form of idolatry. Paul made it clear in his letters that our only concern about special days and even religious days is how we influence others (See Colossians 2:16; 1 Corinthians 8, 10).

We can look pretty silly by throwing a tantrum about things that no one knows the history of. Have you ever bobbed for apples for example? That started in the Roman festival for Pomona, the goddess of fruit. The Romans believed that the first person to catch a bobbing apple with his or her teeth would be the first to marry in the new year. They also believed that if that person peeled that apple in one long unbroken piece and threw it over their shoulder while being spun around, the shape of the peel on the ground would be the first initial of the peeler's true love.

It is true that the modern jack-o'-lantern began in ancient Ireland when large turnips would be carved into a demon's face to frighten away spirits when a candle was put inside. Immigrants to the U.S. found pumpkins a great substitute for turnips.

The whole holiday of Halloween dates back to Samhain which was an ancient Celtic festival for summer's end and had religious implications. When the Romans took over Celtic lands in the first century they took on Samhain but changed the name to Allhallowmas, hallow meaning to sanctify. Years later the Catholic church designated November 1 as All Saints Day to honor all Catholic saints. People paraded through villages costumed as angels and saints. November 1 was All Hallows Day and that made October 31 (All) Hallow(s) E(v)en which was shortened to Halloween. Enjoy and appreciate the history of human attempts to celebrate God's blessings at the end of summer; but, do not attach religious significance to any of these attempts.


— John Clayton

Our sign by the street!

While you are sanitizing everything, wipe away hate!

Sign quote from a similar street sign in front of a store in LaGrange, Indiana.

Scripture links/references are from BibleGateway.com. Unhighlighted scriptures can be looked up at their website.

www.dowagiaccoc.org
10/12/2020