Faith
A7
THURSDAY, MARCH 17, 2011 by Picture Perfect
Church Directories, Daycare and Preschools, Events, Family and Individual Portraits, Sports, Schools and Weddings Lynn Caruso Photographer • 901-476-1213 • Brighton, TN
"Affordable & Accommodating"
476-4000 Scrapyard & Recycling Center 170 Hodge Lane • Stanton, TN 38069
901-476-8415
McBride Stitt & Williams Insurance and Wealth Management
Paradise Baptist Church is located at 520 Simonton St. in Covington. Their phone number is 476-6446. Pastor Jerry L. Alston and his congregation welcome all visitors. Sunday worship services begin at 9 a.m., with evening worship services at 6 p.m. Tuesday night Bible study begins at 6 p.m.
BUSINESS • HOME • AUTO • FARM • LIFE • HEALTH Tel: 901-476-7137 • Fax 901-476-3560 Securities offered through LPL FINANCIAL, member FINRA/SIPC
Tipton County Gun Trader
Church of the week form
1015 B Hwy 51 North • Covington, TN
Name: _____________________________________________________________________________________
Jay Ridings Cell: 619-5991 John Evans Cell: 201-9426
(901)476-0607
Address: ___________________________________________________________________________________ Phone: _____________________________________________________________________________________
To add your church or place of worship to the list, please call The Leader at 901-476-7116 or send an email to smckee@covingtonleader.com
Pastor(s): __________________________________________________________________________________
Steven Newman - Manager 2054 Highway 54 South • P.O. box 189 Covington, TN 38019-0189 Office: 901-476-4936
Service times: ______________________________________________________________________________
The point of no return By RICK HUFFMAN Gilt Edge Church of Christ Nearly two decades ago, I visited Niagara Falls with my family. The power and force of those falls with the nearly deafening noise of the water as it makes its descent over the falls is an experience I shall never forget. 150,000 gallons per second go over the American falls and four times that amount over the Canadian falls. While viewing the American falls along the banks of the Niagara River, there was a sign quite a distance up river from the falls itself. It read something like this, “NO WATERCRAFT, SWIMMING OR WADING PAST THIS POINT”. The reason was simple. The force of the water was greater than the watercraft, swimmer or wader. Anyone or anything in the water beyond that point would be swept over the falls to certain death. This was the point of no return. Anyone in the river at that point would not be able to extricate themselves safely from the river. God has given each of us a conscience. If trained properly according to God’s Word, it is safe to follow. It is always wrong to violate our conscience or do anything where we have doubts that it is right. Ro 14:23 And he that doubteth is damned if he eat, because he eateth not of faith: for whatsoever is not of faith is sin. Many of us pay little attention to our conscience. When we first go against our conscience, it hurts. We have feelings of guilt, shame and remorse. We may not be able to sleep, eat or function normally. We should never do anything to wound our own conscience or that of a brother. 1Co 8:13 Wherefore, if meat make my brother to offend, I will eat no flesh while the world standeth, lest
I make my brother to offend. Mr 9:42 And whosoever shall offend one of these little ones that believe in me, it is better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he were cast into the sea. Over time and with each additional occurrence where we violate our conscience, it becomes easier. Our conscience becomes dull, our heart becomes hardened, and the inner voice that tells us something is wrong grows more and more faint. Spiritually speaking, we can reach the point of no return or the point where there is no turning back. Just like the parachutist who jumps from a plane, there is no turning back. Our preacher told me once of such a man. The preacher had studied with this man. The man had faith but he would not obey and faith has to be shown by obedience to God’s works. (Jas 2:18 Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works. Jas 2:18 Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.) The man was like King Agrippa that Paul tried to convert long ago. Ac 26:27 King Agrippa, believest thou the prophets? (Paul asks),I know that thou believest. 28 Then Agrippa said unto Paul, Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian. Our preacher asked the man why he would not become a Christian (Repent of his sins- Acts 17:30-31, Confess the Christ- Mat. 10:32 and Be Baptized for the remission of his sins- Acts 2:38). In a pitiful voice from a soul filled with anguish, the man faintly whispered these two words, “I can’t”. This man had reached the point
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of no return. He had come to the point that he could not turn around; he could not turn back to God. He wanted to but he could not, just as Esau had wanted to but could not. Heb 12:17 For ye know how that afterward, when he (Esau) would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected: for he found no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears. No wonder Solomon pens this warning, “Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them. (Eccl. 12:1) When we are young, our heart is tender, much like a young plant’s leaves. As we grow older and as we allow lusts to tempt us, each time we allow sin to enter our lives, it becomes easier to give in and harder to overcome. Our conscience becomes dull. Ultimately we can get to the point we do not care any more about what is righteous and godly or even worse, we begin to love evil rather than good. We can get to the point we no longer hear our conscience or it is so seared that we are past feeling remorse for wrong doing. Listen to Jesus’s description. Mt 13:15 For this people's heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them. We all need to examine ourselves and see exactly at what point we are, spiritually speaking. We all need to be careful that we do not go past the point, the point of no return from which there is no turning back.
RL COULSTON & SONS Building Supplies / Contractor Covington, TN
476-9718
Certified Prosthetist & Orthotist
Artificial Limb & Brace Care For All Your Needs
0 89 1 ce Maley - Yarbrough Funeral Home Inc. Sin
Covington Memorial Gardens, Inc. "To Better serve Humanity"
Landon B. Yarbrough - President 1701 Hwy. S. Covington Obituary Line: 476-9753 • Fax line: 476-1349 476-9778
2031 Highway 51 South • Covington , TN 38019
Phone : 476-2631
Member
“Right Where You Are”
901-476-2686 Check Advance • Jewelry • Title Loans
Pawn Shop 14382 Hwy. 51 S.
Atoka, TN 38004 (901)837- Cash (2274) • (Across from 51 furn)
DAN PICKARD OWNER MICAH FULCHER MANAGER
FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH 5010 West Union, Millington, TN 38053 901-872-2264
Sunday School 9:00 am & 10:30 am Sunday Worship 9:00am,10:30am,6:00 pm Wed. Services - 6:30 pm
TV Broadcast on Millington Cable Sunday's 10 a.m. & 9 p.m.
First Utility District Tipton County “Natural Gas is Best” Phone 901-476-9525 901-476-0714
Hwy. 59W. and Bringle Road
Whitley & Hughes Family Eye Care Modern eye care with a hometown commitment!
312 South Main St. Covington 476-8614
68 Doctors Drive Munford 837-0188
3080 Hwy. 51 S. Covington TN 38019
476-8500
Atoka Fitness Center
Swim or Walk in our Endless Pool 101 Wesley Reed • Atoka, TN 38004
(901) 840-4900
TUESDAY NIGHT SPECIAL Reg. Hamburger #1 & #2 1/2 price 5p.m. - 11 p.m.
Open Sun - Thurs. 9 a.m. - 11 p.m. Fri - Sat. 9 a.m. midnight 710 Hwy.51 N. Covington 476-1307
FRED'S
Covington SUPER DOLLAR STORE Munford 476-3364 837-2000 Deborah Vanbeukering D.O.
Covington Pediatrics
1998 Hwy. 51 S. P.O. Box 911 Covington, TN 38019
Telephone 901-476-1155
COVINGTON SELF STORAGE 91B Peeler Street • (901) 476-5760
$27 Move-In Special New On-Site Management • Code Access Entry Gates
Hometown Medical Services, LLC
Make Your Pet’s Grooming Experience a Pleasant One
111 Munford St. South • Covington, TN 38019 901-476-9996 • 901-476-9986 Fax Alan Hopkins, Msn, Rn, Cs, Acnp
WOODS
SALES & SERVICE
Jimmie L. Beasley, M.D.
Jon Knickerbocker, CPO, FAAOP Call for Appointment Ph: 901-388-1388 • Fax: 901-388-1771 1400 B. Hwy 51 N. • Covington, Tn 38019 Toll Free: 1-877-389-1388 innovativeoandp@earthlink.net
Wooten Tractor Co.
PET SALON
(901) 476-3386
Linda B. Mills
Cell (901) 489-5559