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Hello Bethlehem, The Year of God

Early in the morning, they left for the Desert of Tekoa. As they set out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, "Listen to me, Judah and people of Jeru-salem! Have faith in the LORD your God and you will be upheld; have faith in his prophets and you will be successful." 2 Chronicles 20:20 My first year in 2007 at Bethlehem was what I describe as a year of hope. Everything was brand new. There was great enthusiasm. People were starting a new with the new Pastor and First Lady. Everybody came to church to check out the new preacher in town. The church ral-lied around the Man of God and the Church of God. God was healing hurt and wounded people. People even came to church during the summer time and the church was growing. It was an exciting time. Therefore I deeded that half of 2007 as the “Year of Hope”.

Then, we entered into 2008 sadden over the death of Pastor R.C. John-son. Loved ones began to be called on home to be with God. Other love ones had a date with death. People in our church family and home fam-ily were dropping as it seemed like flies. Other things like the stock mar-ket begin to drop. Membership seemed to drop during the summer of 2008. Many members seemed to drop from attendance do to sickness. We seem to drop and grow at the some time. We lost people do to death, sickness and discouragement. Therefore, I deeded 2008 as the “Year of Lost”. Continue on page 2...

Volume 19, Issue 1

January 2009

BETHLEHEM MISSIONARY BAPTIST CHURCH PAULS VALLEY,

Hear God’s Word

Word of the Month 2

Sermon Series 3

Minister of Music 4

Brotherhood 6

Ushers 8

First Lady 10

Announcements 118

Inside this issue:

Dates to Remember

1 Happy New Year

19 Dr. Martin Luther King

20 Presidential

Inauguration

Pastor Michael & Kimberly Eaton

Yes God Can!

We are now dawning upon a new year. We ended our year in victory. God told us from 2 Chronicles 20 to: Look to Him v.12, Learn from Him v. 15, and to in 2009 Loot for Him in 2009 v.25! God also told us from Matthew 17:20 right before we enter into 2009 that if we have a mustard seed of faith we can do the impossible in 2009. God told us that if we believe in Him the moun-tains will be removed and the momentum of our life and church will change the mountains into mold hills. Yes God Can! This is what God is say He can do.

Yes God Can!: Make Something Out of Thing

Yes God Can!: Deliver My Child

Yes God Can!: Make A Way Out of No way

Yes God Can!: Give Me a Promise Land

Yes God Can!: Shut the Mouth of the Loin

Yes God Can!: Deliver Me Through the Fire

Yes God Can!: Open the Windows of Heaven

Yes God Can!: Deliver Me a Mate

Yes God Can!: Show Me the Way

Yes God Can!: Speak Peace to the Storms

P a g e 2 H E A R G O D ’ S W O R D

The Word of the Month By Pastor Michael Eaton

2007 The Year of Hope 2008 The Year of Lost 2009 The Year of God

Since this is the “Year of God” will be changing our rally cry to the following below. I will explain the cry on the First Sunday of the month. Also we will be studying the follow-ing themes below for the “Year of God”. Remember in 2009 that Yes God Can!

“Year of God”.

January: God Can Give Self-Control

February God Can Give Love

March God Can Give Hope

April God Can Give Compassion

May God Can Give Humility

June God Can Give Joy

July God Can Give Peace

August God Can Give Kindness

September God Can Give Goodness

October God Can Give Faithfulness

November God Can Give Gentleness

December God Can Give Purity Truly in Christ, Rev. Michael Eaton

P a g e 3

The Word for the Month By: Pastor Michael Eaton

V O L U M E 1 9 , I S S U E 1

David’s Song-II Samuel 22 By Minister of Music: Sis. Tommie E. Sampson There comes a point of time that we need to be delivered from our ene-mies and foes. This scripture is about David’s song of praise when the Lord delivered him from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of King Saul. We are like the people of old where enemy after enemy confronts us as we walk throughout life. An enemy can be a person or persons. People who become offended by us or at the least dislike us. Dislike may deepen into bitterness and opposition. Bitterness may make them become extremely angry and even hate us or despise us. Despising us cause them to sow seeds of discord against us or among us, which creates a matter of gossiping and slandering our character and reputation. Need I say more? Not only can a person be our enemy but the trials and temptations that may come and attempt to destroy us. A barrage of trials and temptations face us every day of our lives, such as: physi-cal and mental exhaustion, loneliness, illness or disease, depression, unemployment, distress, torment, abuse, addiction, evil thoughts, as well as the lack of purpose and direction. Well, here’s my perspective, on this :Chapter of II Samuel 22, I believe that David wrote this song after being delivered from the hands of all his enemies. Because I know that the Lord will deliver us from all of our enemies, whether the enemy is man or the most severe temptation or trial. God’s power to deliver was the great lesson that David had learned, and it is the great les-son for us in this present passage of Scripture. In looking back over his life, David could see the glorious hand of God saving and delivering him time and again. And in reviewing his life, his heart was flooded with praise and thanksgiving. At some point during this reflection, David sat down and penned the present song of praise, which is a classic example of Hebrew poetry as song by Israel in Psalm 18. David praised the Lord for His unfailing security in protecting and delivering him from the vio-lence of men. Throughout his life, the Lord had delivered him from every enemy and through every struggle and war. From being pursued by King Saul himself and being engaged in one war after another. Still, he survived all of them. David’s song focuses on the Lord being His Rock, His Fortress and His Deliverer; the Lord being His Rock, in whom he trusts and takes ref-uge; the Lord being His Rock, His Shield and the Power of His Salvation; the Lord being His High Tower, his Stronghold. David praised the Lord for His Power to answer prayer and to deliver Him. Throughout life he had faced crisis after crisis, impossible situations. In facing these, there was only one thing to do, which was, to cry out to the Lord, begging him to deliver Him. In this song of praise, David declared that the Lord heard and answered his prayer.

H e a r G o d ’ s W o r d P a g e 4

David praised God for His Salvation and Deliverance. No matter what enemy confronted him, whether human enemy or natural catastrophe or some physical misfortune, the Lord saved David. Never failing, the Lord was always present, strengthening and upholding David, giving him the power to either conquer or walk through the impending threat. The Lord always deliv-ered and led him into a place of safety because he was delighted in David. Not to be misleading, please remember that David had repented of his sin against Bathsheba and her husband Uriah and that God had forgiven his sin, as terrible as it was. Disobedient and wicked behavior was not characteristic of David’s life. Other than that period of failure, I believe David lived a clean and righteous life, obeying and keeping the commandments of the Lord. David declared that the Lord had saved and delivered him because of his righteousness. He wasn’t boasting in self-righteousness, nor was he claiming that God saved him because of his personal righteousness. David knew that his righteousness was found in God and God alone. David declared that his heart was set upon righteousness, that he did everything that he knew to seek after the Lord and to serve Him. As a result, the Lord saved and delivered him. The Lord moved and acted in his behalf, delivering him from every enemy and from all distressing circumstance; Why? Because he did live a righteous, holy life. Because his hands were clean. Because he did live a moral life, keeping the ways of the Lord. Because he was loyal and had not turned to evil by turning away from the Lord—not permanently. Because he was obedient and sought to keep the laws of the Lord ever before his face and sought not to turn away from His commandments. Because he was living a blameless life, keeping himself from sin, except for the occasion with Bathsheba and Uriah. As David looked back over his life, he knew that God did not show favoritism, never showed partially to any person. Every person was just as important as any other person. So David de-clared that the Lord will reward every person upon the earth. The rewards basics are: your right-eousness and cleanliness, meaning living a life of righteousness and a clean life. David closed his song by declaring the reasons for praising the Lord. The Lord is to be praised for these reasons: He lives and is the rock, the foundation of life. For this reason, He is to be exalted as “the rock of my salvation”. The Lord is the God who avenged and subdued all of David’s enemies, putting them under him. For this reason, the Lord is to be praised and worshipped. The Lord freed David from all his enemies, exalting and rescuing him. Because of the Lord’s wonderful salvation and deliver-ance, David was stirred to praise the Lord. He was aroused to praise the Lord among all the na-tions singing praise to His glorious name because the Lord is the tower of salvation, enabling the king to defend himself and to gain victory over his enemies. David praised the Lord because the Lord is merciful, always showing mercy to His anointed leader and to his descendants for-ever. God will rescue and deliver us also if we only trust him. Remember faith the size of a teeny, tiny mustard seed. 2009 CAN… Be a Brand New Year of Brand New Beginnings in Christ Jesus!!!!

P a g e 5 V o l u m e 1 9 , I s s u e 1

Recognize the Beginning By: Morrie Baltzell-President: Brotherhood Genesis 1:3-4 (NIV) 3 And God said, "Let there be light," and there was light. 4 God saw that the light was good, and He separated the light from the darkness. 5 God called the light "day," and the darkness he called "night." And there was evening, and there was morning—the first day. What was your or How was first or beginning encounter with the Lord? As for me, once I came back to church and confessed my sins to the Lord. I started to ask the Lord daily to “forgive me and guide me this day Lord”. I know that I have been changing , every minute and every hour. I don’t want to go back to my old ways. Things changed in my life and all I did was ask and I believed. 2 Corinthians 5:17 (NIV) 17Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! All this is from God who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconcilia-tion. This meaning “ I must want to change! Change, Do it! Start it! Make a New Years resolution in 2009. I along with you to change something in our lives. I am a witness for God that He will do what He says He will do. So stay righteous, keep God’s commandments and put Jesus first in your life. Every morning, every eve-ning and every night, I say to Him, “Lord Jesus, King of Kings and Lord of Lords, forgive me for I am a sinner, but through your grace and mercy, Thank you, Thank you and Thank you!” I thank Him for another days journey. The Lord, gives you and I food, shelter, great health, a job, a car, a truck, a hus-band, a wife, boyfriend, girlfriend, finances and clothes to wear. He gives us everything that we need. Bruce Wilkerson said this: “Not long ago-not far away, a Nobody named Ordinary lived in a land of Familiar. Every day was pretty much the same for Ordinary. In the mornings, He got up and went to his usual job. After work, he almost ate the same dinner that he had eaten the evening before. Then he sat in his recliner and watched the box that mesmerized most Nobodies on most nights. Sometimes, his best friend came over to join Ordinary in front of the box. Sometimes Ordinary went to his parents house and the watched the box together. For the most part, not much happened in Familiar that hadn’t happened be-fore. Ordinary thought he was content. He found the routines reliable. He blended in with the crowd. And for the most part, he only wanted what he had. One day, Ordinary noticed a small nagging feeling that something big was missing from his life or that he or she was missing from something big. He or she wasn’t sure. The little feeling grew And even though Nobody in Familiar didn’t generally expect the un-expected, Ordinary began to wish for it. Recognize Your Beginning

H e a r G o d ’ s W o r d P a g e 6

Youth Corner: Rev. T.B. & Jocelyn Rushing Kudos to the youth for an outstanding performance “Jesus, Hope for the Ages a Christmas play by Karen L. Mechtly. We appreciate the youth counselors and everyone who had a part in making this production a success.

H e a r G o d ’ s W o r d P a g e 7

Hear God’s Word

Usher Ministry President: Claudia Newton Psalm 84:10 Better is one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere; I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of the wicked. The ushers will would like to extend an invitation for anyone that is interested in joining this ministry. They will meet on Monday, January 13th and Mon-day January 27th at 5:30 PM. See Claudia Newton for more information.

DOORKEEPER This word is used in Psalm 84:10 (R.V. marg., "stand at the threshold of," etc.), but there it signifies properly "sitting at the threshold in the house of God." The psalmist means that he would rather stand at the door of God's house and merely look in, than dwell in houses where iniquity prevailed. Persons were appointed to keep the street door leading into the interior of the house (John 18:16,17; Acts 12:13). Sometimes females held this post

H e a r G o d ’ s W o r d P a g e 8

“V i s ion to Real ity” Building a Church to Build a Congregation

H e a r G o d ’ s W o r d P a g e 9

Begin the New Year meditating on these encouraging Bible verses chosen to inspire a fresh new walk with God and a deeper commitment to living the Christian faith.

New Birth - A Living Hope 1 Peter 1:3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. (NIV)

Hope for the Future Jeremiah 29:11 "For I know the plans I have for you," says the LORD. "They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. (NLT)

A New Creation 2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. (NKJV)

A New Heart Ezekiel 36:25-27 "Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean. Your filth will be washed away, and you will no longer worship idols. And I will give you a new heart with new and right desires, and I will put a new spirit in you. I will take out your stony heart of sin and give you a new, obedient heart. And I will put my Spirit in you so you will obey my laws and do whatever I command. (NLT)

Forgetting the Past Philippians 3:13-14 No, dear brothers and sisters, I am still not all I should be, but I am focusing all my energies on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I strain to reach the end of the race and receive the prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us up to heaven. (NLT)

Learning from Past Mistakes Hebrews 12:10-11 Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness. No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it. (NIV)

Wait on the Lord Psalm 37:7 Be still in the presence of the LORD, and wait patiently for him to act. Don't worry about evil people who prosper or fret about their wicked schemes. (NLT) Isaiah 40:31 Yet those who wait for the LORD will gain new strength; they will mount up with wings like eagles, they will run and not get tired, they will walk and not become weary. (NASB)

God's Timing is Perfect Ecclesiastes 3:11 He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end. (NIV)

Each New Day is Special Lamentations 3:22-24 The unfailing love of the LORD never ends! By his mercies we have been kept from complete destruction. Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each day. I say to myself, "The LORD is my inheritance; therefore, I will hope in him!" (NASB)

‘Beginning a New Year” By First Lady Kimberly Eaton 1

H e a r G o d ’ s W o r d P a g e 1 0

Announcements

Monday Tuesday Brotherhood

1st & 3rd Monday

6:00 pm

January 6th

January 20th

Women’s Mission

1st & 3rd Monday

6:00 pm

January 6th

January 20th

Deaconess

6:15 pm

January 27th

Wednesday

Choir Rehearsal

6:00 pm

January 7th

January 14th

January 21st

January 28th

Thursday

Bible Study

6:00 pm

January 8th

January 15t

January 22nd

January 29th

Saturday

Sunday

Ministers Meeting

6:00 pm

January 9th

January 16t

January 23rd

Brotherhood

My Brother’s Keepers

Men’s Breakfast

January 3, 2009/February 7,2009

8:00 am

Nurse’s Meeting

January 19th,

Immediately after service

Friday

P a g e 1 1 V o l u m e 1 9 , I s s u e 1

311 North Dunbar Pauls Valley, Oklahoma 73075

Pastor

Rev. Michael Eaton

Associate

Pastors

Rev. Bruce Ford

Rev. T. D. Rushing

Chairman

of Deacons

Deacon Bill Jones

Deacons

Deacon Al Jackson

Deacon Park Prince

Deacon Quinen Ross

Leaders and Ministries

Share the Love!

Phone: 405-238-5818 Email: heargodsword@bethlehem.com

BETHLEHEM MISSIONARY BAPTIST CHURCH PAULS VALLEY, OKLAHOMA

We are on the Web! www.heargodsword@bethlehem.com

Calendar Of Events for December 2008 Sunday: School: 9:30 AM-10:30 AM Sunday: Worship Service: 11:00 AM Monday: Women’s Mission 1st and 3rd Week: 6:00 PM-7:15 PM Monday: My Brother’s Keepers 1st & 3rd Week-6:00 PM-7:00 PM Tuesday Usher Practice: 7:00 PM-8:00 PM Tuesday Adult Choir Practice: 6:00PM– 7:00 PM Wednesday: Bible Study & Prayer: 6:00 PM Saturday: Men’s Prayer Breakfast 1st Saturday of each month: 8:00 AM

Sunday School

Superintendent

Sis. Audrey Jones

Brotherhood

Bro Morrie Baltzell

Usher Ministry

Sis. Claudia Newton

Nurse Ministry

Sis. Kim Jackson

Trustees

Sis. Theola Jackson

Sis. Isom Davis

Treasurer:

Bro Al Jackson

Bro. Herman Jackson

Sis. Audrey Jones

Bro Quinen Ross

Benevolence

Committee

Bro. Al Jackson

Sis. Isom Davis

Bro. Victor

Jackson

Church

Secretary

Sis. Jocelyn Rushing

Deaconess

Sis. Kim Jackson

Sis. Audrey Jones

Sis. Margie Prince

Sis. Jocelyn Rushing

Sis. Nell Watts

Minister of Music

Sis. Toni Sampson

Choir President

Sis. Pam Sanders

Director of

Women’s Ministry

Sis. Kimberly Eaton

Women’s Mission

Youth Director

Youth Pastor

Rev. T. D. Rushing

Mimes

Sis. Theola Jackson

Sis. Audrey Jones

Culinary Ministry

Sis. Denise Stanford

Mother's of the Church

Sis. Gladys Mc Cowen

Sis. Ella Watkins

Bethlehem Baptist Church For People Like You!