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THE BUILDER FOR NOVEMBER/DECEMBER


ALL REGULAR MONTHLY MEETINGS OF MEN FOR CHRIST HAVE BEEN CANCELLED THROUGH AT LEAST THE FIRST THREE MONTHS OF 2021. The Executive Committee continues to meet via Zoom.

Hello, Men for Christ Body
Wow! This has been a unique year to say the least. Everyone has had challenges and obstacles to overcome; some more than others.

I would encourage each of you to stay strong in your community and in your church with the love of Christ as your guide. I read a quote a few days back and it is so true. “Be careful not to dehumanize people you disagree with. In our self-righteousness, we can easily become the very things we dislike in others.” (From Mindful Christianity.) Christ spoke of this when talking to the Pharisees. They were so consumed with themselves and thought so highly of themselves that they were so blinded by self-righteousness and arrogance that they crucified Christ, the very man they were proclaiming. Sometimes we get so consumed with the events going on around us that we lose sight of the fact that we are all human beings and are all loved by our Lord and Savior. The grace and forgiveness is for all, whether it’s for the left or the right, rich or poor, Jew or Gentile.

Our Lord God was in control in the Beginning, on the Cross, in the Grave, and Forever. Sometimes we may feel things are out of control, but the things that we endure are nothing that our Lord has not prepared us for. He has given us a road map of things to expect and instructions on how to proceed with prayer and petition to Him. So as we proceed through our daily lives, let’s remember that Christ our Lord and Savior remains in control and we are to pray and petition all situations to Him because He is the Great I AM, not I Was, not I Might Be, or I Might Get to it When I Have Time. He is the Alpha and Omega, the First and Last, Counselor and Mighty King. Praise Jesus!

Just as He prayed for all people at the cross in Luke 23:34, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing,” we should pray for our enemies as well as our friends.

I pray everyone stays safe and well. Be blessed and stay strong in Christ.

P.S. I want to thank all the men who are graciously serving and will serve this upcoming year. Thanks for all you do.
Your brother in Christ, J.R. Donahue

ELECTION PROCESS
Even though not meeting monthly, it was still necessary for us to choose officers and directors for the next term. Normally conducted at the November meeting, this year’s election was held by ballot sent to men who receive The Builder either by email or regular mail. Thanks for your cooperation.

THANKS
Special thanks to Bill Miller (Pleasant Valley) and Jerry Robertson (Egypt) for their service as MFC directors.

OFFICERS/DIRECTORS FOR 2021
Chairman, Russ Lunsford (Columbia)
Vice Chairman, Adam Hale (Glendale)
Secretary, Jim Pope (Elizabethtown)
Treasurer, Randy Herron(Campbellsville)
Director, Randy Booe (Campbellsville)
Director, David Brown (Elizabethtown)
Director, John Holley (Bristow)
Director, Charles Young (Elizabethtown)
Director, Trinity Searcy (White Mills)
Director, Bill Stivers (Graefenburg)
Past Chairman, J.R. Donahue (Union)

CONGRATULATIONS!
Journey Christian Church celebrated their 10th anniversary October 10. In 2009, the leadership of North Bullitt Christian Church had a vision of planting a new congregation in Shepherdsville. Salt River Men’s fellowship and Men for Christ signed on as supporting partners. Bro. Jeremy Willis was hired and was on the field June 1, 2010. The congregation has continued to grow not only in numbers but also in their participation in community activities. We pray for their continued growth and efforts to lead people closer to Christ.

OUR WEBSITE ADDRESS
www.kymenforchrist.org Please visit the website for periodic updates.
MEN FOR CHRIST FACEBOOK
https://www.facebook.com/kymenforchrist/

NO EXCUSE
“If sinners be dammed, at least let them leap to Hell over our dead bodies. And if they perish, let them perish with our arms wrapped about their knees, imploring them to stay. If Hell must be filled, let it be filled in the teeth of our exertions, and let not one go unwarned and not prayed for.”

FREE WILL
“Free will carried many a soul to hell, but never a soul to heaven.”
THE TRUE SOURCE
“The church does not determine what the Bible teaches, it is the Bible that determines what the church must teach.”
(Charles Spurgeon, 1834-1892)

MY MORNING PRAYER
What guidance is God giving for my living of this day?
Will I help someone who’s needy?
Will I have kind words to say?

Will outrageous acts of kindness be the gifts that I can share?
Let YOUR will, God, be mine today,
Help me to love and care.

COMPLAINT BLOWN
A woman called the newspaper office to complain that her Sunday paper hadn’t arrived. Trying to calm her, the man at the office pointed out that the paper hadn’t arrived because it was Saturday. After a brief silence, the woman said meekly, “Well, that explains why there was no one in church today.”

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THE BUILDER NEWSLETTER SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER

THE BUILDER
September/October 2020
ALL REGULAR MONTHLY MEETINGS OF MEN FOR CHRIST HAVE BEEN CANCELLED FOR THE REMAINDER OF 2020. The Executive Committee continues to meet via Zoom to conduct essential business.

MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIRMAN
Greetings Men,
Hope to find you all well. I would like to take a look at II John 4-6:
“It has given me great joy to
find some of your children
walking in the truth, just as
the Father commanded us.
And now, dear lady, I am
not writing you a new com-
mand but one we have had
from the beginning. I ask that
we love one another. And
this is love: that we walk in
obedience to His commands.
As you have heard from the beginning, His command is
that you walk in love.”

As we look around today, we see so much hate and hostility. There is so much anger and division every time you turn on the media outlets. Satan is a master craftsman at disguising his agenda and his plans. Satan actively seeks us. He works to deceive us and toils to dishearten us to think there is no hope. He puts selfish desires and uses the words I and Me to put a wedge between people. He glorifies and disguises evil actions as just and righteous.

We, as Christian men must be prepared and know that as Satan is working his deceit, our God is planning our salvation
and homecoming! As we see these things unfold, we are to operate out of love and obedience to Christ. Understand that what is happening before us is nothing that the Bible hasn’t already said would happen. II Timothy 3:1-5 is an example. So, we need to be grounded in the Word and know that Christ loved us so much that He does not want one to perish. Be safe and love one another.
Yours in Christ, J.R.

ELECTION PROCESS
Even though not meeting monthly, it is still necessary for us to choose officers and directors for the next term. Normally conducted at the November meeting, this year’s election will be by ballot sent to all men who receive The Builder either by email or regular mail.

OUR WEBSITE ADDRESS
www.kymenforchrist.org Please visit the website for periodic updates.

MEN FOR CHRIST FACEBOOK
https://www.facebook.com/kymenforchrist/

OUR PRAYER TIME
“For our prayer time to combat anxiety and stress, we have to take the time to memorize and meditate on the scripture more than once.” (Dale McCamish, Wilmington Ohio Church of Christ and a Timothy of First Christian in Elizabethtown)

A SERVANT
“You are where you are to help others where they are. The reason our hands are where they are in this world is to give other people in this world a hand.” (Ann Voskamp)

JOHN 3:36 NLT
“And anyone who believes in God’s Son has eternal life. Anyone who doesn’t obey the Son will never experience eternal life but remains under God’s angry judgment.”

“There are only two kinds of people in the end . . . Those who say to God, ‘Thy will be done’ and those to whom God says, in the end ‘Thy will be done.’ “All that are in Hell choose it. Without that self-choice there could be no Hell.” (C.S. Lewis)

Human history is the long terrible story of man trying to find something other than God which will make him happy.” (C.S. Lewis)

MY CONCERN
“My concern is not whether God is on our side; my greatest concern is to be on God’s side, for God is always right.” (Abraham Lincoln)

FEAR
“The remarkable thing about fearing God is that when you fear God you fear nothing else, whereas if you do not fear God you fear everything else.” (Oswald Chambers)

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THE BUILDER FOR AUGUST 2020

THE BUILDER
August 2020

Men for Christ
Hope to find you all well. I pray each day that you and your church families are continuing to be the feet of Jesus carrying His word throughout your community. I feel the need to share my feelings about the mask and what’s happening in our communities. I’m feeling frustrated, irritated, angry, sad, confused, and so over all this hoopla and how people are acting. After watching and hearing people’s reactions and some of the feelings, I have decided I need to dig into God’s word a little deeper on how to handle our current situation and how we should view things. Here are a couple of verses I found to be helpful to put my perspective where it should be. “Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.” (Ephesians 4:31-32) “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.” (Philippians 2:3-4) Upon reflecting and praying on these two verses, I understand that it’s not about how I feel but how I handle and treat others during this time of uncertainty. How will my actions help bring someone closer to Christ? How will my attitude transcend Christ’s gift to others? How are my reactions glorifying God? Remember God is in control and has His plan laid out. We can only control our actions and our responses to situations that are happening. So, our responses and actions should mimic Christ for we are all God’s children and He does not want one to perish.
I felt the need to share in hopes that if someone else was feeling a little discouraged, that these verses would lift your spirits. God is good! Thanks again to the churches who were scheduled to host in August and September. I look forward to the day when we will be able to join in-person fellowship again.
Yours in Christ
J. R. Donahue, Chairman

RESERVED SEATING
To meet new seating guidelines, the churches who have resumed in house worship have come up with special signs. Here are some examples:
“The front row is blocked off. No problem. Baptists don’t use the front row anyway!”
“Jesus sat the 5,000 down in rows. . .But not this one!”
“Abraham was 100 years old when Isaac was born. And if he were here today, he still wouldn’t be allowed to sit in this pew.”
“Zacchaeus climbed a sycamore tree to get a better seat. This pew was not it.”
“This pew is saved. So you’ll have to wait and sit in it in heaven.”
“Why did Paul refuse to take John Mark on another missionary journey? Because he sat in a pew that had been taped off. Don’t be John Mark!”

QUOTES FROM A. W. TOZER
“If God gives you a few more years, remember, it is not yours. Your time must honor God, your home must honor God, your activity must honor God, and everything you do must honor God.”
“While it looks like things are out of control, behind the scenes there is a God who has not surrendered His authority.”
QUOTE FROM CHARLES SPURGEON
“Consider how precious a soul must be when both God and the devil are after it.”


JESUS IS COMING AGAIN!
The “coming again” of Jesus is mentioned more than 300 times in the New Testament. Check out John 14:1-3, Acts 1:11, I Thes. 4:13-18, 2 Thes. 1:7-10, Hebrews 9:28, and 2 Peter 3:1-18. To what did Jesus compare His second coming? (1) It will be like lightning which shoots instantly from one section of the sky to another, not giving warning as to where it will start or stop. (2) It will be similar to the destruction which came in the days of Noah (everything was progressing normally, and then the end came). (3) It will happen with the swiftness with which destruction came to Sodom (with the exception of Lot’s family, the city’s inhabitants had no warning about what was going to happen). From these illustrations we learn that no signs (none that can be interpreted) will precede His coming. When things are normal, when people are not expecting it, Jesus will return. Material is reprinted from The Jesus Years by Thomas D. Thurman (1977). Note: This book is still available from Amazon.com.

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HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE BUILDER

THE BUILDER
June/July 2020

MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIRMAN

Hello Gentlemen
Just wanted to drop a word of encouragement to you all. As we wake up in the morning it is quite easy to let the burdens of this world and everyday life weigh you down. I would encourage you to wake up to God’s word, either in the traditional way in the good book or if you have a Bible app that gives you a verse each day. Choose to find one blessing before you get out of bed that you can focus on for the day. Each time you start to feel upset, angry, or sad, focus on your blessing for the day. As you go throughout the day try to find one blessing that you can bestow upon someone else; just one. At the end of the day go to the Lord in prayer and thank him for your blessing and the ability to bless someone else. Do this for the next couple of weeks. Watch how your life perspective will change on how you perceive things. Our Lord has blessed us with so many things and the devil tries to distort our view on His blessings or make it seem as what He has given us is not enough. We have to keep our minds sharp and heart pure. Don’t let the ways of the world harden your hearts. Do as Jesus has commanded. Love one another!
Just an update–Men for Christ does have a website and a Facebook page. Please like and follow as we will begin to put information on these sites to better communicate. As always thanks for all you men do for the Lord. A special thanks to Judy Clay for continuing her work on The Builder.
Your Brother in Christ, J. R. Donahue

A NEW WAY TO STAY IN TOUCH
Make sure you follow us on Facebook. Head to Facebook and search for “Kentucky Men for Christ.” Click the one with the logo you see on the newsletter and click the “Like” button. Liking the Facebook page will help ensure you won’t miss any news or events coming from Men for Christ! You can also like the page by typing in https://www.facebook.com/kymenforchrist/

GREAT QUOTES ON DOCTRINE
(From One Body Magazine, Spring 2020)
“As church leaders, one of our most sacred responsibilities is to be custodians of sound teaching and social engagement with our children.” (Jerry Harris)
“For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine.” (The Apostle Paul)
“The basic task of the church is to teach sound doctrine. It is not to give one pastor’s opinion, to recite tear-jerking illustrations that play on emotions, to raise funds, to present programs and entertainment, or to give weekly devotionals.” (John MacArthur)
“You must not do, you must not even try to do, the will of the Father unless you are prepared to ‘know of the doctrine’” (C. S. Lewis)
“Those who teach by their doctrine must teach by their life, or else they pull down with one hand what they build up with the other.” (Matthew Henry)

REMEMBERING SOME GREAT PREACHERS

Joplin, MO (1929-2020) Reggie Thomas, 91, went to be with the Lord on March 2, 2020, after a sudden stroke. He preached his first sermon at 16 and graduated from Cincinnati Bible Seminary in 1951.

Dallas, TX (1930-2020) Dr. Marshall Leggett, 90, went to be the Lord March 2, 2020, following a recent stroke. Leggett graduated from Milligan College in 1951

Springfield, MO (1936-2020) Ronny Foy Wade, 83, went to be with the Lord January 7, 2020, after a battle with cancer. For 45 years (1963-2008) he was the speaker for the nationally televised program “Let the Bible Speak.”

THINK ON THIS
At some point it has to go from being highlighted in your Bible to being written on your heart.