Antioch Baptist Church of Harris County

Daily Devotion (November 5, 2020) 1 Timothy 2:14 says, "1 Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, 2 for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence. 3 For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, 4 who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth." (I wrote this in response to a question I...Continue reading

Daily Devotion (November 4, 2020) Isaiah 40:31 (NKJV) 31 But those who wait on the LORD Shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint.... Psalm 121:12 (NKJV) 1 I will lift up my eyes to the hillsFrom whence comes my help? 2 My help comes from the LORD, Who made heaven and earth. I often find my first thoughts being negative. Maybe I approach life’s situations from a pessimistic attitude looking for a better future. I know there is a better future. God is God and He is in control God tells us not to get ahead of Him. We are to wait for God and trust in Himthat is to put our hope and confidence in Him. Our waiting on God is to be actively involved in what He has called us to do. We look to Him to obtain His aid with the expectation that He will miraculously intercede in our lives to bring about His perfect will. The package of seeds says plant wait 90 days then harvest the crop. I discovered if I just plant the seeds and do nothing for 90 days then there will be no crop. The waiting is to be active waiting. Doing those things necessary to bring about a great crop of produce. The same is true in our relationship with God. His Holy Spirit has been planted in our lives. The way we produce the greatest gifts from God is to actively cultivate His Spirit in our lives. We are to be actively doing what God calls us to do. Our journey through this world is filled with great perils. Satan is actively waiting for us. 1 Peter 5:8 says, Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. We must be actively seeking and doing God’s will and purpose throughout each moment of each day. As a line in a movie says, It brings about a more harmonious outcome. Prayer Request: Mickey Barrington Randy and Juanita Comer Nina Dean Tommy Henschel Loren Lamson Ann Smith and family Bill and Judy Broxson Jerri Wynn and family Tom and Linda Sowell Ben Brooks (Praise for answered prayers!) Kerri Deal Judy Hammack Nellie Stewart Scott Broxson Joyce Corcione Jean Hall Howard and Jane Davis Gerald and Sarah Broxson Steve and Darlene Cricket Slappy Ken and Faith Grubb Joe and Pat Coley Michael Teasley Marion Land Our Government and finding the cure of Covid-19

Daily Devotion (November 3, 2020) Jude 5 (NKJV) 5 But I want to remind you, though you once knew this, that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed those who did not believe. ... America the Beautiful. America which was founded on great biblical principles. America a nation in ruins. America a nation that once knew and followed God is now being destroyed. Destroyed not by Republicans nor Democrats, not by liberals nor conservatives, not by whites or people of color. The nation is being destroyed because the roots in which this nation has been built is being destroyed. Christianity for many has become a religion of me-ism. The central focus of worship is me. Jesus Christ must be the central focus of the Christian life. It is Christ who has given His life for us. It is Christ who has brought us into the fold of His salvation. It is Christ who gives true meaning to life. The worship of God is more than a one-hour meeting on Sunday mornings. As important as that time is, we need to remember God exists the other 167 hours of each week. Many of us are like cows in a cattle drive. We are driven to a destination of death. The cowboys watch over us, direct our path, make sure we have food, water, and are protected from any enemy that would destroy us. The problem is they are leading us to the slaughterhouse. We are being prepared for their own personal gain. Belief in God is of utmost importance. God does not fill our ears with fluffy words to make us feel good. God shares His truth with us that helps us to grow to be strong and able to stand. In God’s eyes, we are not just a by-product of life to be consumed at the end of life. We are led on a path that is sometimes difficult but one that brings us upon the green pastures, the still, and refreshing waters. Yes, there are the dark shadows in life, and many experience the evils of life, but we know He is with us. When we are hungry, we know God has already prepared not just a table but a feast for us. God’s blessing over-flow in our lives. Our journey is not to the slaughterhouse but the House of the Lord. America is great because God is great. When we, having been delivered turn to our own way and allow the ways of the darkness of sin to drive our worship of God then we are like the cattle being driven to the slaughterhouse. America will be restored in only one way when the people of God take seriously His Word. Read 2 Chronicles 7:14. Prayer Request: Mickey Barrington Randy and Juanita Comer Nina Dean Tommy Henschel Loren Lamson Ann Smith and family Bill and Judy Broxson Jerri Wynn and family Tom and Linda Sowell Ben Brooks (Praise for answered prayers!) Kerri Deal Judy Hammack Nellie Stewart Scott Broxson Joyce Corcione Jean Hall Howard and Jane Davis Gerald and Sarah Broxson Steve and Darlene Cricket Slappy Ken and Faith Grubb Joe and Pat Coley Michael Teasley Marion Land Our Government and finding the cure of Covid-19

Bible Time with Ken and Gary this morning at 10:00. Mark Mirza will be with us again this morning. Mark is the founder of "Common Thread Ministries" and has written a number of books on prayer. We will be on Zoom, so if you have a question you would like to ... ask Mark join us. The meeting ID is 275 121 0530 See more

Daily Devotion (November 2, 2020) 1 Kings 13:2 (NKJV) 2 Then he cried out against the altar by the word of the LORD, and said, O altar, altar! Thus says the LORD: ‘Behold, a child, Josiah by name, shall be born to the house of David; and on you he shall sacrifice the priests of the high places who burn incense on you, and men’s bones shall be burned on you.’ ... Speak the truth of God’s Word. When we see people defiling God’s Word we are to stand for the truth. In today’s America, it is important for Christians to stand and to stand firm in God and His Word no matter what it may cost. Chapter 13 of 1 King is a dire warning. Speak the truth of God’s Word no matter what. The unnamed prophet of God did so with boldness. He refused the king's hospitality of shelter, food, and a gift. As he was returning home an older man, a false prophet met him on his way. The older prophet seduced the younger by false prophecy. Telling the younger to forget what God instructed him earlier and listen to what he was saying. Listening to words of men who teach us to contrary to the Word of God is dangerous. God had a mission for the young prophet. He completed his mission but failed to follow God’s Word to the end. It cost him his life. The prophecy of verse 2 is fulfilled almost three centuries later. We may never see the fulfillment of what God is doing but we are to stay faithful in carrying out His Word to us. This is one reason why we should know the Word of God. This young prophet failed because he did not fully trust God’s Word and listened to the false prophet. We are to know, trust, believe, and carry out God’s Word to us today. Be involved in a church that teaches and lives the complete truth of God’s Word. Prayer Request: Mickey Barrington Randy and Juanita Comer Nina Dean Tommy Henschel Loren Lamson Ann Smith and family Bill and Judy Broxson Jerri Wynn and family Tom and Linda Sowell Ben Brooks (Praise for answered prayers!) Kerri Deal Judy Hammack Nellie Stewart Scott Broxson Joyce Corcione Jean Hall Howard and Jane Davis Gerald and Sarah Broxson Steve and Darlene Cricket Slappy Ken and Faith Grubb Joe and Pat Coley Michael Teasley Marion Land Our Government and finding the cure of Covid-19

Remember to set your clocks back an hour before you go to bed tonight. This makes Kathy Johnson Hartman happy!!! She gets an extra hour of sleep tonight. I will do a Phone Tree later to remind the church.

Daily Devotion (October 30, 2020) John 12:1213 (NKJV) 12 The next day a great multitude that had come to the feast, when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, 13 took branches of palm trees and went out to meet Him, and cried out: Hosanna! ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD!’ The King of Israel!... Kings, presidents, potentates come and go. There is only one true King and His name is Jesus. It is in Jesus we trust, and our daily lives and future are put in His care. Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths. - Proverbs 3:56 Prayer Request: Renee Slappy Randy and Juanita Comer Nina Dean Tommy Henschel Loren Lamson Ann Smith and family Bill and Judy Broxson Jerri Wynn and family Tom and Linda Sowell Ben Brooks (Praise for answered prayers!) Kerri Deal Judy Hammack Nellie Stewart Scott Broxson Joyce Corcione Jean Hall Howard and Jane Davis Gerald and Sarah Broxson Steve and Darlene Cricket Slappy Ken and Faith Grubb Joe and Pat Coley Michael Teasley Marion Land Our Government and finding the cure of Covid-19

Daily Devotion (October 29, 2020) 1 John 4:7 (NKJV) Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God.... Do we really love God? The testDo we love one another? The very nature of God is love. To be born of God means we have the nature of God. What have we done to deserve God’s love? Absolutely nothing but God loves us! Having accepted God into our lives we have accepted His nature into our lives. We have accepted His love into our lives. When others see us they see the very love of God working in and through our lives. How do people know we are followers of Christ? They see His love The song says, They will know we are Christians by our love, by our loveThey will know we are Christians by our love. Prayer Request: Renee Slappy Randy and Juanita Comer Nina Dean Tommy Henschel Loren Lamson Ann Smith and family Bill and Judy Broxson Jerri Wynn and family Tom and Linda Sowell Ben Brooks (Praise for answered prayers!) Kerri Deal Judy Hammack Nellie Stewart Scott Broxson Joyce Corcione Jean Hall Howard and Jane Davis Gerald and Sarah Broxson Steve and Darlene Cricket Slappy Ken and Faith Grubb Joe and Pat Coley Michael Teasley Marion Land Our Government and finding the cure of Covid-19

Daily Devotion (October 28, 2020) If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. Colossians 3:1-3 Christians not only are to be good citizens of this world but exemplary citizens. What makes the difference in our lives? It has to do with where our true citizenship is held. ... When we accepted Christ everything in life changed from this world to Heaven. We now sit at the right hand of God. Our treasures are not on earth but in Heaven. Our focus should be where Christ is. We look to Him to direct our lives through the power of the Holy Spirit living in us. What others see in us is the focus of what our true citizenship is. Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; as obedient children, not conforming yourselves to the former lusts, as in your ignorance; but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, Be holy, for I am holy. (1 Peter 1:13-16) Prayer Request: Renee Slappy Randy and Juanita Comer Nina Dean Tommy Henschel Loren Lamson Ann Smith and family Bill and Judy Broxson Jerri Wynn and family Tom and Linda Sowell Ben Brooks Kerri Deal Judy Hammack Nellie Stewart Scott Broxson Joyce Corcione Jean Hall Richard Nelson and me (we take tests this week) Howard and Jane Davis Gerald and Sarah Broxson Steve and Darlene Cricket Slappy Ken and Faith Grubb Joe and Pat Coley Michael Teasley Marion Land Our Government and finding the cure of Covid-19

Daily Devotion (October 27, 2020) 1 Peter 2:9 (NKJV) 9 But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; ... To be chosen! What an exciting experience. If you have accepted Christ you are now part of a special group. You are part of the special group of people who are followers of Christ Jesus. When we were on the outside of Christianity, we could not have a renewed mind, way of thinking. Paul tells us in Romans 12:2, And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. The world is always working to transform our minds away from God. God renews our mind through His word. Paul also says we are a new creation in Christ. 2 Corinthians 5:17 says, Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. What we were we are no longer and what we are is not what we will be. We are continually being transformed into what God intends us to be. We are made into a royal priesthood. He gives us open access into His presence forever. Again, we have been given open access into His presence forever. When John Kennedy was president of the United States there was a picture of his son doing something nobody outside of the president’s family could do. He entered the Oval Office, ran up to the president, and sat in his lap. JFK, jr. was a part of the family of the president. We are part of a greater familythe royal family of God. Prayer Request: Renee Slappy Randy and Juanita Comer Nina Dean Tommy Henschel Loren Lamson Ann Smith and family Bill and Judy Broxson Jerri Wynn and family Tom and Linda Sowell Ben Brooks Kerri Deal Judy Hammack Nellie Stewart Scott Broxson Joyce Corcione Jean Hall Richard Nelson and me (we take tests this week) Howard and Jane Davis Gerald and Sarah Broxson Steve and Darlene Cricket Slappy Ken and Faith Grubb Joe and Pat Coley Michael Teasley Marion Land Our Government and finding the cure of Covid-19