We began our Sunday morning worship service at Mill Creek Baptist Church by praising God for the much-needed rain. There were several prayer requests -- spoken and unspoken. Doug Cory greeted the congregation and Janet Chaney shared a devotional about the choices we make and the wisdom of Solomon. "From Bible times to modern times, if you don't make a choice, someone will make it for you. Try to think positive this week."
We had a wonderful vacation Bible school on Saturday and Brother Mark thanked everyone who helped with "Destination Dig: Unearthing the Truth About Jesus." Thanks also to all the children who came and participated. It was a great day.
The adult Sunday school class studied 2 Kings 7 in the lesson "God Provides" taught by Shelly Hall. The lesson reminds us that "doubts in God lead to missed opportunities, God provides in unexpected ways, believers have a responsibility to share with others about God's grace and people must be given an opportunity to investigate God's grace."
Tyrel Lett asked God's blessing upon the offertory, and he and Rick Lett served as ushers. Susan Cory and Karen Gardner led the congregational hymns, with special praise music from Karen.
Sunday's message was "Dealing with Demons," and Pastor Mark Hall began by reading Mark 5:1-20. He began by telling us that demons are real. "Even Jesus had to deal with them, and so do we."
Brother Mark addressed six questions about dealing with demons. "What are demons? They are the fallen angels that followed Satan out of heaven. They are unclean spirits. How do you get rid of them? The same way we get rid of seed ticks. You don't intend to attract them, you can feel them crawling on you and they attach themselves. Demons are like seed ticks.
How can you recognize if someone has a demon? They are out of control. They have been taken over by an unclean spirit." Brother Mark referred to Mark 5:1-5. "How do you keep the demons off you? Just like we spray for seed ticks, we must be soaked in Jesus to keep the demons away. Demons can't stand the presence of Jesus. But the spray you used for seed ticks last week doesn't last into this week. It is just like having Jesus. We have to have Him all the time, not just one day a week. Part-time Christianity will not protect you."
Brother Mark referred to Luke 11:24-26 and Proverbs 6, and he then asked, "Why do we see so few people set free in comparison to the number in society? It's very expensive for some. A real revival in the county would take time and money. We can't just sit and complain about those out of control, judge and condemn them, and then wonder why they don't come to church. Do you go to church for Jesus?"
Lastly, Brother Mark asked, "How do you get rid of demons? We spray for fleas, Can we spray for demons? We spray for demons by giving our own testimony and telling others what the Lord has done for us. Folks see you every day and notice how you 'spray' for demons." In Mark 5:19, Jesus says, "Go home to your friends, and tell them what great things the Lord has done for you, and how he has had compassion on you."
As he closed the message, Brother Mark asked, "Has the Lord done great things for you? Do you tell it to others? Have you told others about the compassion the Lord has for you?"
Our hymn of invitation was "Trust and Obey," and Wayne Emanuel gave the benediction. We invite you to worship with us at Mill Creek Baptist Church on Sunday mornings at 11 a.m. Bible school begins at 10 a.m and Bible Study is Wednesday nights at 7 p.m.
We will hold our annual Homecoming on Sunday, Aug. 21, as we celebrate 118 years of worship at Mill Creek. The Butler Creek Boys will provide praise music during our morning worship service, and lunch will be served following the service. Everyone is welcome.
The opinions expressed are those of the author.