Do The Right Thing

By Kitty Collingsworth

As we gathered to worship for the last Sunday in 2018, we had many visitors and a good crowd. Doug Cory opened our service with prayer and special prayers were requested for Tom Sharp, Mildred Easter, Bob Easter, Cindy Cory, Mertie Harmon, Laney Hamilton, Wayne Johnson and the Ken Crowder family. A thank you note was read from the Hazelton's. Business meeting will be held Sunday evening at 6 p.m.

"Two Old Women Sitting on a Bench" was the title of the devotional read by Linda Abercrombie. Scripture was Psalm 92:14. It reminded us to not lose our instinct to care for each other. The comfort we get from each other will not solve our problems but can give us comfort. It is our gift to each other in our weakest moments.

Jerry Abercrombie led the congregation in singing traditional hymns including "Victory in Jesus" and "Blessed Assurance."

Tyrel Lett asked God to bless the offering and he and Mitchell Lett served as ushers.

"Doing the Right Thing" was the title of God's message for us from our Pastor, Brother Mark Hall. Scripture was from Deuteronomy 6:18 "So what is right and good in the Lord's sight, so that it may go well with you and you may go in and take over the good land the Lord promised on oath to your ancestors." Deuteronomy 12:28 says "Be careful to obey all these regulations I am giving you, so that it may always go well with you and your children after you, because you will be doing what is good and right in the eyes of the Lord your God."

Brother Mark told us that as Christians, we are to be like God. "Just as we want our children to do the right thing, as God's children, He also wants us to do the right thing. It shouldn't be so hard to do the right thing. We can't do wrong to make sure that right gets done to us. Doing the right thing always has an initial cost. Doing the wrong thing is easy, but in the long run, doing the wrong thing really costs us. Doing right is like saving for retirement. There is always a reward down the road even though it may be a while. Doing the wrong thing is always tempting because a lot of times it has immediate reward.

Your image is what people think you are, but your real image is what you really are. Do the right thing instead of the easy thing."

Brother Mark told us there are two advantages Christians have that the world doesn't have. First, we want to be like Jesus who always does right and second, we have a God - the Holy Spirit - the day we got saved. "The day you got saved, you got all of the Holy Spirit, but since then, everyday you choose how much of you the Holy Spirit gets. Even when you have little spirit, the Holy Spirit is still there. Give all of yourself to God and be spirit filled. He will take you in the right direction. We will always be tempted, but He is there to guide us through. How much Holy Spirit do you need? How much help do you need? How much help do you want? Be the person not just known for doing the right thing, but be the person who does the right thing. Doing the right thing is not always easy, but it is worth it." James 4:17 says "If anyone, then, knows the good they ought to do and doesn't do it, it is sin for them." In Romans 7:15-25, Paul tells that he wants to do the right thing, but we do wrong because we still have sin in us.

Brother Mark said, "There is a war within us. One battle is not the whole war. It is like gathering cattle that have never been corralled. It would be easy to quit the first time they run off, but you don't quit if you want to load them. When you are determined to do something, you don't quit or give up. It is the same with spiritual battles. We lose one and think we have lost the war and not worthy of heaven. One battle is not the whole war. Jesus has already won the war for us." (Brother Mark referred to Romans 7:15-25.) "If the war is won, why still go to battle? Remember the reward is still there waiting for us. We go to battle for our kids to see us do the right thing so they will also. The battle is not for us. It is to try and make the world a better place. You can preach a better sermon with your life than you can with your lips. People notice you doing the right thing. You can talk the talk and walk the walk, but can you walk the talk? We always want people to do the right thing by us. Share the feeling of doing right with others by doing right by them. There is a reward from God for that. Don't just be known for doing the right thing, but do the right thing."

Brother Mark's prayer for 2019 is to ask God to make us a people that always does the right thing not just in man's sight, but in God's sight.

Our hymn of invitation was "Without Him" and Wayne Holly gave the benediction. We invite you to begin the new year in God's house in worship. Everyone is always welcome at Mill Creek Baptist Church. Sunday school begins at 10 a.m. and worship service at 11 a.m. Mill Creek is located 3½ miles east of Noel just off Highway 90. It is our wish that God bless you with peace, happiness and good health in the New Year.