Some Time for Ourselves

Well, Martha and I were passing through Nashville, Tennessee several weeks ago. On the way through, she saw a billboard along I-40 advertising the comedian Ray Stevens, and she wanted to go to his show sometime. Martha didn’t think she could convince me. However, relatively easy access to the performer’s “CabaRay” and desiring to please Martha, I relented. As it turned out, we both enjoyed ourselves.

Virtually everyone there was a senior citizen! Mr. Ray Stevens himself will turn 80-years-old in January 2019. Certainly, Ray Stevens had more vigor and pep than nearly anyone 20 years younger than him. I wish I looked as good as he does.

To our pleasant surprise, Ray Stevens mingled with any of his fans who remained awhile after the show ended. Martha wanted her picture made with Mr. Stevens, and so we three smiled for the camera.

Ray Stevens is as funny as he ever was. In addition, he gave the audience a history lesson about the budding prominence of Nashville in country music over the past approximately 80 years. The very well-made and decorated facility was the perfect backdrop for the dinner theatre we attended. The band and staff have been with Ray Stevens for decades, surely a family of sorts.

You’ve just got to hear “The Mississippi Squirrel” live from Ray Stevens. Medleys of his famous funny songs and some complete renditions will make happy anyone who has loved the recorded versions over the years. Take advantage of this national treasure without delay.

Within Two Hours of Home

Today, Sunday, August 5, 2018, Martha and I didn’t travel far from our Winona, Mississippi home in our travels. Just 90 miles northeast of Winona, we were only an hour and a half from our morning appointment with the Crockett Church of Christ outside of Senatobia, Mississippi. During Bible class, I acquainted brethren with our travels abroad and programs overseas for 2017 and the first half of 2018. We are always graciously received and encouraged, as we were today as well. Brother Robert Rawson is the preacher for this church. For worshipped I preached, “Just How Young Is Your Home Planet?” Brother Rawson had requested I speak concerning evolution. I also left several copies of my tract, “Did Dinosaurs Really Exist?”

Next, we scurried to our afternoon appointment with the Courtland Church of Christ. It was about a 45-minute drive, and we arrived in plenty of time for the 1 p.m. assembly following their monthly fellowship meal. (Martha and I helped eat some of the leftovers.) Here, again, we were well received and encouraged; I spoke about missions.

I spoke to both congregations, comparing combat support in the military to the essential nature of stateside brethren to foreign missions and persons who carry them out. The military views combat support as important as fighting units, for without combat support, fighting units could not function effectively. Likewise, we are thankful for every prayer, each word of encouragement and financial participation by Christians and churches of Christ that make it possible for us to apply ourselves to evangelism stateside and abroad. The latter congregation also sent back with me about 10 boxes of songbooks, which will make their way to English-speaking foreign brethren.

Winona to Memphis to Nashville—and Back

Saturday, July 28, Martha and I departed Winona, Mississippi at our leisure. We headed for Rebecca’s home in Collierville, Tennessee. We drug along behind us our utility trailer, loaded with about $28,000 worth of literature. Since we would be in the Memphis, Tennessee area on Sunday—about two-thirds of the way to Nashville, Tennessee from where we ship to Guyana, South America—it was an opportune time to tote the trailer.

Lord’s Day morning, Martha and I convened with the brethren of the East Frayser Church of Christ for Bible class and worship. We always receive a hearty welcome, which we did this time as well. During class time, I talked about foreign mission work. For the sermon later, I preached about “Bible Authority.” Brother and sister Green, who labor with the congregation, treated us to Panda Buffet for lunch.

By 1:30 p.m., Martha and I had made our way to the meetinghouse of the Collierville Church of Christ. Once more during this church’s afternoon worship, I talked about mission work in which we are involved.

All day Monday was consumed in hauling the literature to Caribbean Shipping Services in Nashville, unloading the trailer, packing shipping barrels and driving back to Collierville. We prepared seven barrels for shipment to Guyana. After they arrive in Georgetown, South America, good Christian brethren with whom we partner will distribute the books, magazines and songbooks throughout most of the churches of Christ in that nation. This is the second shipment we have sent this year. (We welcome used but serviceable songbooks, leftover VBS and class literature, communion ware and Bibles for use among English-speaking brethren overseas. Contact me by email at: rushmore@gospelgazette.com.)

Tuesday, we arrived back in Winona in the middle of the afternoon. Wednesday, I published the August edition of Gospel Gazette Online to the Internet (www.GospelGazette.com).

Thank you for your prayers, encouragement and participation that enables us to be some service to our Lord Jesus Christ. We are partners together in any good that through our hands occurs.

Noccalula Falls

Saturday, July 21, Martha and I drove from Winona, Mississippi to Piedmont, Alabama. We left at 11:25 a.m. and arrived at the home of brother Bob and sister Peggy Rogers at 5 p.m. They treated us to supper at a local Italian restaurant across the Georgia line and in another time zone. The tasty food was only surpassed by the company of dear brethren.

On the Lord’s Day morning, Martha and I assembled with the Highway Nine Church of Christ, whereupon I spoke for Bible class, a.m. worship and worship once more at 12:30 p.m. Between the worship periods, we were treated to an amply delicious cuisine, complemented by cherished brothers and sisters in Christ. Incidentally, one of our waitresses in the family run eatery was only 9-years-old. She did a very good job and was so cute. Her brother, mom and dad comprise the balance of the team.

Sunday afternoon, we caught up with our hostess, sister Peggy, at the local nursing and rehabilitation center where brethren from the Piedmont Church of Christ were conducting a devotional. A little over three hours later, we assembled with that congregation, and I was again afforded the privilege of speaking to this church, too. Following worship, youth loaded about a dozen boxes of used songbooks into the van; they will eventually make their way overseas to English-speaking Christians.

Passing through Gadsden, Alabama, we stopped briefly at Noccalula Falls; we enjoyed the natural beauty of the site nestled in the cityscape, and we noted the lore surrounding the spot. Then, through the dark of night, we aimed the car back toward Winona, and we pulled into the driveway at 1:00 a.m. In less than an hour, we had the van unloaded and readied ourselves for bed—thoroughly exhausted.

Monday and Tuesday, young people—10-months-old through middle teens—congregated at the World Evangelism Building. They came from the Double Springs Church of Christ in Alabama. For those two days, boys and girls prepared several mailings (i.e., the Bates’ newsletters, The Voice of Truth International), unloaded a truck and warehoused Volume 96 of The Voice of Truth International, packed boxes of books to be sent to student preachers (free of charge), shredded papers and cleaned. They also loaded literature into Jerry’s utility trailer; Wednesday he and Paula left for Texas where they will offload the literature for eventual shipment to African nations.

Wednesday, Martha and I personally delivered two cases of The Voice of Truth International #96 to the West President Church of Christ in Greenwood, Mississippi. We were passing through before services on our way to the Indianola Church of Christ in Indianola, Mississippi. Before we got to Indianola, we paused for awhile in Moorhead, Mississippi at the home of brother Gene and sister Madolyn Gibson. Gene has been and is valiantly fighting illness as they have tirelessly for many years operated a Christian Student Center across from Mississippi Delta Community College.

Brother Gene Hill taught the adult class at the Indianola Church of Christ. It was good to assemble with these familiar brethren. We were cordially greeted, and we left some The Voice of Truth International and Global Harvest magazines as well as a few of the Rushmore Newsletter. We arrived back home at 10 p.m.

Between incidents mentioned above, we devoted ourselves to sundry office duties. Martha has been contacting schools of preaching and Bible colleges associated with the churches of Christ to prepare for sending books to men in training to be preachers. I have been working on the August edition of Gospel Gazette Online and volume 98 of The Voice of Truth International. Today, we also prepared “Thank You” cards for our most recent donors over the past week. There is always much to do—often behind the scenes to further the cause of Christ. We are pleased to be of some service to our Lord, and thankful that congregations and Christian families make it possible for us to so do.

Behind the Scenes

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Sunday, July 15, 2018, Martha and I assembled for the a.m. Bible class and worship with the West President Church of Christ in Greenwood, Mississippi. I talked about missions during class time and preached during worship about “Biblical Interpretation.” Sunday evening, we dropped in on the Coffeeville Church of Christ in the Mississippi town by the same name. The congregation’s new preacher, Ben McRee, was preaching. Brother Don Roberson, Coffeeville’s former preacher, led singing.

Monday and Tuesday, young people the Leoma, Tennessee Church of Christ came to work at the World Evangelism Building in Winona, Mississippi. For two days, teen boys and girls as well as their chaperones attended to a lot of chores. Several mailings were prepared whereby copies of Global Harvest magazine and sister Betty Choate’s newsletter were dispersed throughout the country. They also loaded a utility trailer with nearly $28,000 worth of literature—a little over 2,400 pounds. Eventually, this shipment will make its way to about a hundred churches of Christ throughout the South American country of Guyana.

For lunch Tuesday, brethren Joshua and Kabita Gootam from Kakinada, India—plus their son, daughter-in-law and grandbaby girl—joined the whole crew. Boys and girls got to hear firsthand from brother Joshua about the introduction of the Gospel into India in the 1960’s through the present. Finally, everyone departed, and the Winona bunch retired to their homes.

There are a lot of components to the foreign mission work of World Evangelism team members behind the scenes and of which Christians are largely unaware. We travel nearly every weekend to congregations throughout the USA—trying to speak for two churches each Lord’s Day that are within driving distance of each other. We keep literature going (e.g., The Voice of Truth International and Global Harvest magazines, tracts, books). We are responsible for international radio and television Gospel broadcasts, massive distribution of literature, the Internet magazine Gospel Gazette Online, worldwide teaching (e.g., Bible schools, churches, streets, homes). Each of us, amenable to our respective overseeing congregations with their elderships, voluntarily cooperate to provide a comprehensive approach to evangelizing the world. There is a whole lot of what goes on behind the scenes to make it possible to fulfill today the words of our Lord Jesus Christ in the Great Commission. We couldn’t do any of it without the prayers, physical help from time to time and financial participation of fellow Christians and the churches with which they worship. Thank you!

2018 World Evangelism Team Meeting

Thursday and Friday, July 12-13, 2018, several brethren convened on Winona, Mississippi for our annual World Evangelism Team Meeting. We shared notes on our varied activities around the world over the past year, and we brainstormed about how we could be more useful to our Lord Jesus Christ in the coming year.

Naturally, we had to eat, too. As we always do, Thursday night we assembled for our supper meal at the Carmack Fish House. Back at the World Evangelism Building otherwise, we had breakfast and lunch meals also.

It is ever a pleasure to commune with our fellow-laborers and encourage each other. We are graying (or balding) and becoming feebler but no less energetic spiritually. “Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day” (2 Corinthians 4:16 NKJV).

New Reading Material!

Three new PDF files are ready for your reading pleasure and enjoyment. The price is right, too—no charge! The following items have been added to the newsletter archive and to the 100+ titles in the Digital Library at Gospel Gazette Online (www.GospelGazette.com).

• The Rushmore Newsletter (http://www.gospelgazette.com/Newsletter/2018/June.pdf) for June is available in a PDF file, besides the nearly 1,200 printed copies that were mailed recently. Keep abreast of happenings concerning Martha and me—stateside and abroad.
• Volume 97 of The Voice of Truth International (http://www.gospelgazette.com/Library/Voice%20of%20Truth/VOT_097.pdf) also is accessible now in a PDF file. Recently, the digital file was made available to the printing company that prints it, but the printed copy will not be ready for distribution for months. This is another instance where you can read it before you can hold it!
• Job’s Journey to Know God, a 122-page study book, likewise, is obtainable for your edification. You can access it at http://www.gospelgazette.com/Library/PDF%20Books/Job’s_Journey_to_Know_God.pdf.
• In addition, the July issue of Gospel Gazette Online is newly available at GospelGazette.com. Thousands of articles are also archived and searchable at Gospel Gazette Online.

Printed editions of the first three above are available upon request. The printed Rushmore Newsletter is free to all who want it; just contact me at Email: rushmore@gospelgazette.com. The Voice of Truth International and Job’s Journey to Know God are sold for nominal fees to offset publishing costs. They and about 350 other titles can be inspected online at www.WorldEvangelismMedia.com.

Aside from the above, Friday, July 6, Martha and I had eye examinations. Our eyesight has remained constant over the past year, for which we are happy, of course. Martha involuntarily posed for the snapshot!