Church guide

Rev. Wade Bennett - “Christ or Antichrist - You Gotta Serve Somebody” - Revelation 13; 7/14/19 Eure Christian Church Inc.

Rev. Wade Bennett - “The Temple and Two Witnesses” - Revelation 11: 1-14; 6/9/19 Eure Christian Church Inc.

Rev. Wade Bennett - “The Temple and Two Witnesses” - Revelation 11: 1-14; 6/9/19 Eure Christian Church Inc.

Word from Wade June 27,2019 Washington’s Prayer On July 4th we will celebrate the 243rd birthday of our nation. We enjoy freedom that much of the world today does not have – freedom from tyranny, freedom to choose a college or a career, freedom to vote, freedom to express our opinion, freedom to worship at the church of our choice or not to worship at all. We all know that freedom isn’t free – others have paid dearly for the freedom we enjoy. But it is easy to take these things for granted and those sacrifices may seem long ago and far away. We tend to forget that after the Declaration of Independence was signed on July 4, 1776, the Revolutionary War waged on for seven years. It was a long hard battle, and the outcome of the war and future of our infant nation were uncertain to say the least. During the winter of 1777-1778, the bedraggled American Continental Army camped in Valley Forge, Pennsylvania in order to regroup, train, ride out the winter and keep an eye on the British. Just about every school child in America has learned about the hardships suffered by these Patriots at Valley Forge. However, recently I discovered that some think now that maybe things weren’t quite as bad as we were taught – that some of the severe hardships suffered that winter might be more myth than fact. Well I don’t know how to prove or disprove that, but it is a fact that well over 2,000 American Patriots died that winter in Valley Forge from disease. And if that doesn’t convince you that things weren’t all that great during that long harsh winter, consider the following entry taken from the diary of one of the soldiers: “There comes a soldier – his bare feet peep through his worn-out shoes, his legs nearly naked from the tattered remains of an only pair of stockings … his shirt hanging in strings … his face meager - his whole appearance pictures a person forsaken and discouraged. He comes, and cries with an air of wretchedness and despair … I am sick, my feet lame, my legs are sore, my body covered with this tormenting itch. My clothes are worn, my constitution is broken, my former activity is exhausted by fatigue. Hunger and cold. I fail fast. I shall soon be no more.” During this miserable winter at Valley Forge, a Quaker by the name of Isaac Potts was riding his horse in the woods when he heard a voice nearby. He tied his horse to a sapling and crept closer to the voice until he saw a man on his knees in the snow. It was General George Washington. His cheeks were wet with tears as he prayed for help and guidance. Potts later told the story to Rev. Nathaniel Randolph Snowden, a Presbyterian minister, who recorded Potts as saying, “Such a prayer I never heard from the lips of man. I left him alone praying.” The Quakers were not generally supportive of the revolution. But after hearing such prayer, Potts was convinced that Washington and America would prevail. Our nation was birthed in prayer – even our Declaration of Independence is written “appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world” and “with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence.” It is how we began, and it is the only way we can successfully continue. Without God’s help, we have no hope or future. On this July 4th, may we remember the sacrifice of those who suffered, and may we follow the example of our first President in praying for our nation.

Rev. Wade Bennett - “The Temple and Two Witnesses” - Revelation 11: 1-14; 6/9/19 Eure Christian Church Inc.

Word from Wade 6/13/19 God’s Timepiece Baseball legend Yogi Berra once famously said, “It’s hard to make predictions, especially about the future.” Well that may be true for us, but it is not for God who sees the end from the beginning. The Bible is full of specific prophecies that have already been amazingly fulfilled in history. But many speak of days and events yet to come. I have never been one to get all worked up over end time prophecies in the Bible. I figure there is more than enough there for me to work on today, much less worrying about what is going to happen in the future. Even Jesus said, “Each day has enough trouble of its own.” (Matthew 6:34) But He also said in Matthew 24:33, “When you see all these things, you know that it is near, right at the door.” I recently read a verse In Isaiah 11 that I had not noticed before – and it leads me to believe that the future might be nearer than we think: “In that day the Lord will reach out his hand a second time to reclaim the surviving remnant of his people from Assyria, from Lower Egypt, from Upper Egypt, from Cush, from Elam, from Babylonia, from Hamath and from the islands of the Mediterranean. He will raise a banner for the nations and gather the exiles of Israel; he will assemble the scattered people of Judah from the four quarters of the earth.” When we read the words “a second time,” we must ask, “When was the first?” You might think that the first was when Moses led Israel out of Egypt. But that was not “a surviving remnant” – that was the entire nation. The first was in 536 BC when God brought the exiles of Israel home from Babylon. Which leaves us asking, “When is this second return of Israel from the four quarters of the earth?” That is exactly what happened on May 14, 1948 when David Ben-Gurion, head of the Jewish Agency, declared the establishment of the Jewish State of Israel. United States President Harry Truman recognized the new nation on the same day. Never before in the history of the world has a people been gathered from the four corners of the earth and a nation reborn. Isaiah 11 is all about Christ coming to establish His kingdom upon the earth - prophecies yet to be fulfilled. Yet couched within this beautiful chapter about the second coming of Christ, we find this specific promise about Israel that begins with the words, “In that day.” Apparently we live “in that day.” That’s why the Nation of Israel has been called “God’s timepiece.” So what should our response to this be? I don’t think that it means necessarily that we should get all wrapped up in the details of end time prophecies, trying to fit all the pieces of the puzzle together with current events and Bible prophecy. The real question is, “How should we then live?” Romans 13:11 says, “And do this, understanding the present time: The hour has already come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now that when we first believed. The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light.” We need to make each day count. Another famous Yogi Berra quote is, “The future ain’t what it used to be.” That may be true for some, but for followers of Jesus, it’s getting closer and getting brighter!

Rev. Wade Bennett - “The Temple and Two Witnesses” - Revelation 11: 1-14; 6/9/19 Eure Christian Church Inc.

Word from Wade Read the Bible “For the Word of God is alive and powerful, and sharper than any double-edged sword...and judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.” Hebrews 4:12 A few years ago I served as a prison volunteer at a North Carolina state prison. Every Tuesday night, a group of us men had exactly one hour to lead a Bible study with some of the inmates. We would divide up and each sit at a table with three or four inmates. I learned a lot through that experience. One of the things I learned was that most of the inmates that came to that Bible study really weren’t much different than me. Sure, they had made some serious mistakes and had been convicted of various crimes, but I realized that there was a pretty thin line between some of them on the “inside” and those of us who enjoyed our freedom. I also learned a lot from these guys. Thinking that I would teach them the Bible, I soon realized that some of them knew more than I did. For one thing, they had the time to study the Bible and listen to radio teachers like Charles Stanley. And their faith was being tested every day in prison. On more than one occasion, I felt the Holy Spirit tell me to just be quiet and listen. But I went with really only two objectives: the first was just to let them know that somebody on the “outside” cared about them. It was only an hour each week, but my hope was that my presence would at least send the message that they were not forgotten. My second objective, just as important than the first, was to share the Word of God. Because I knew that although my words and actions may not amount to much, there is power in the Word of God to change lives and reform men. Last Sunday in our church we recognized two of our young people who are graduating from high school. Each year when we do this we present the graduates with a Bible. Why do we do this? Because God’s promise is that if you read it and meditate on it and are careful to follow it, you will be prosperous and successful (Joshua 1:8). What better gift could be given to a high school graduate, setting out on the adventure of life? If the Bible is not integral to your life, you are missing out. It is God’s love letter to you. It is your Manufacturer’s instruction manual for life. It is your roadmap to get to heaven. James 1:21 says to “receive the implanted Word which is able to save your souls.” But it goes on to say, “Do it - don’t just listen to it.” The verse at the beginning of this article likens God’s Word to a double-edged sword. A double-edged sword cuts both ways. On the one hand, when we read God’s Word, we find many great and precious promises that equip and strengthen us in the battles we encounter. On the other hand, it cuts to our own hearts - it judges the thoughts and attitudes of our hearts. We are convicted in our consciences by the Holy Spirit. So we confess these things and claim God’s promise of forgiveness and cleansing. And over time, God changes us, reprogramming and renewing our hearts and minds with His Word. Read the Bible. Listen to it. Study it. Memorize and meditate on it. And let it change your life. You won’t regret it.

Graduate Recognition Sunday- Pastor Wade presents Jonathan and Luke with Study bibles in recognition of their high school graduation.

Rev. Wade Bennett - “Whose Earth Is It Anyway” - Revelation 10; 6/2/19 Eure Christian Church Inc.

Word from WADE: June 1, 2019 “God’s Word is Alive and Powerful” I have been writing in recent weeks about the reliability of the Bible as the Word of God. The importance of reading the Bible and getting to know its Author (God Himself) cannot be overstated. Look at it like this – if there is a God (and there is), and He came up with the idea of you to begin with and put you on this earth (and He did), wouldn’t you want to know Him? And if He had revealed Himself to you in the pages of a book (and He has), which He also provided as an instruction manual for life, wouldn’t you want to read it and follow it? Maybe there are things in or about the Bible that you don’t understand. That’s OK. Even Jesus’ disciple Peter wrote that some of the Apostle Paul’s letters “contain some things that are hard to understand.” (2 Peter 3:16) The Bible contains Divine mysteries that are beyond human comprehension. It’s OK to have questions as long as you sincerely want answers. Some folks stop with the questions, simply using them as excuses to not believe. Mark Twain famously said, “It’s not the parts of the Bible I don’t understand that trouble me. It’s the parts I do understand!” Well said. Did you know that at one point, even Billy Graham struggled with questions about the Bible? Graham had a contemporary and friend by the name of Charles Templeton, an eloquent preacher who was a graduate of Princeton Theological Seminary. Templeton believed that the Bible was flawed and that academia – not Jesus - was the answer to life’s problems. He tried to convince Billy Graham that the Bible could not be trusted. When Graham was in his early thirties he was invited to speak at a conference at the Forest Home Retreat Center in California. The night before he was to speak, troubled by Templeton’s questions, Graham went for a walk in the woods. He fell to his knees with his Bible laid out before him on a tree stump. He confessed to God that there were things about the Bible that he did not understand, but he kept seeing the phrase in his Bible, “Thus sayeth the Lord.” With tears in His eyes and the conviction of the Holy Spirit in his heart, he decided once for all to accept the Bible as God’s Word by faith. Although he had seen limited results in his preaching and evangelistic services up to that point, the next day when he spoke, 400 people made a commitment to Christ. Henrietta Mears commented that he preached with an authority that she had not seen in him before. Just a few weeks later Graham preached the historic 1949 Los Angeles Crusade in a tent dubbed the “Canvas Cathedral.” Scheduled to last for three weeks, it went on each night for eight weeks with over 300,000 in attendance. Graham was immediately thrust into the national and international spotlight, preaching the Gospel to millions around the world. No one in history has preached to more people or seen more conversions than Billy Graham. Whatever happened to Charles Templeton? He not only stopped preaching, he eventually left the faith and died an atheist. Read the Bible and believe it. The core message of the Bible is the message of the cross and resurrection of Jesus. That’s what Billy Graham preached. “For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.” (1 Corinthians 1:18)

Live from Mevo Eure Christian Church Inc.

Revelation 8:6-9:21 The Seven Trumpets Rev. Wade Bennett Live from Mevo Eure Christian Church Inc.

Live from Mevo Eure Christian Church Inc.

Live from Mevo Eure Christian Church Inc.

May 5, 2019 Revelation 7 “Where Are These People?”

A Word from Wade: April 26, 2019 Rescue from the Priscilla On a recent trip to the Outer Banks, my wife and I were driving a lonely stretch of NC 12 near Salvo when we decided to check out a beach access. It just so happened that we pulled off at the exact site of a famous shipwreck and rescue. It is an amazing story from North Carolina history so I thought I would share it with you, taken directly from the historical marker at that site. “Late night patrols along the beach just across this dune were usually dark, but it was nearly pitch-black for US Life-Saving Service Surfman Rasmus S. Midgett on August 17, 1899. A hurricane was driving winds and water over the island, and he was alone on patrol when he saw the Priscilla, a 643-ton ship, grounded 100 yards off the beach. The cries of the crew forced him to make a hard choice: take three hours to get help from the Gull Shores US Lifesaving Station or attempt a solo rescue now. Midgett, one of a long line of local surfmen, chose the latter. Seven times he waded to the ship through crashing waves, and seven men he brought to safety, one at a time. Even then, three were still on the Priscilla, too injured and exhausted to make the journey. Midgett, undaunted, risked his life and braved the raging sea to climb the Priscilla’s side and carried each man down the boat and to safety. For his efforts, Midgett was awarded he Gold Lifesaving Medal of Honor ‘In Testimony of Heroic Deeds in the Saving of life from the Perils of the Sea.’ The US Coast Guard still recognizes the rescue from the Priscilla as one of the top ten rescues in American maritime history.” Research on this shipwreck after arriving back home turned up a few more interesting facts. The hurricane was the San Ciriaco, one of the worst storms to ever hit the Outer Banks, packing winds in excess of 100 mph and 25 foot seas. When Midgett arrived at the scene on his horse, waves were washing over the island from the ocean to the sound, and the Captain’s wife and 12 year old son along with three crewmen had already been washed overboard and lost. However, due to Midgett’s heroic efforts, the ten remaining crewmen including the Captain were saved. How would you feel if you were one of those ten men that Midgett rescued – knowing that you had no hope of survival had it not been for this one man who risked his life to save you? Well there is One Who came to save you, but He did so not only at risk of His life, but knowing that saving our lives meant giving up His own. We were lost and without any hope for survival, but Jesus Christ, the Son of God, waded into the murky waters of this earth to carry out the greatest rescue of all history. Unfortunately, there are still those who refuse to take His strong hand to pull them to safety. Maybe some don’t realize how bad the storm really is and that the ship is going down or about to break up. Maybe some folks are just too proud to take a helping hand reaching out to save them and falsely think they can find their own way to safety. Maybe some just can’t seem to grasp that their eternal destiny is at peril. Whatever the reason, don’t let that be you. Jesus still saves. His hand is reaching out to you - take it.

A Word from Wade: 4/18/19 A Pure Heart In our Tuesday night Bible study we have been studying Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount. It begins with the “Beatitudes,” a name which comes from the Latin word for “Blessed” since that is the first word of each verse. I like to think of them as “beautiful attitudes.” In the sixth beatitude, found in Matthew 5:8, Jesus says, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.” If we want to see God, we need to have clean hearts. David said something similar in Psalm 24:3-4: “Who may ascend the mountain of the Lord? Who may stand in His holy place? The one who has clean hands and a pure heart…” Today I am praying for a pure heart. This is not something that comes naturally. Jeremiah 17:9 says, “The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?” Jesus said in Matthew 15:19, “For out of the heart come evil thoughts – murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander. These are what defile a person.” In other words, none of us starts out with a pure heart, and what’s down in the well comes up in the bucket. Following Christ is a life of transformation. We are never the same when we truly give our hearts to Him. But real and lasting change doesn’t come by just trying to conform to rules and regulations. Over time, He changes us from the inside out by changing our hearts, as we seek Him in prayer, in Scripture and spend time with other believers. So here are some good prayers to pray (I pray these often): “Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.” Psalm 51:10 “Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Thy sight, O Lord, my strength and my Redeemer.” Psalm 19:14 “Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there be any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” Psalm 139:23-24 Sometimes God may allow situations or hard times in our lives to test us and reveal what is in our hearts. Deuteronomy 8:2 says, “Remember how the Lord your God led you all the way in the wilderness these forty years, to humble and test you in order to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep His commands.” And Hebrews 4:12 says His Word judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. We also need to guard our hearts from evil influences. Proverbs 4:22 says, “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.” The KJV reads: “Keep thy heart with all diligence, for out of it are the issues of life.” We “keep” our hearts as one would keep a garden, watering it and pulling harmful weeds. Hours of sunlight are necessary for a good garden, and our hearts need time basking in the light of God’s presence. God promised His people in Ezekiel 36:25-26: “I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your impurities and from all your idols. I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.” Only God can change our hearts. But we must seek Him and want Him to change us. Let God cleanse your heart and you will see Him in ways you have never seen before!

Rev. Wade Bennett - “The Power of the Resurrection” - 1 Corinthians 15; 4/21/19 Eure Christian Church Inc.

Word from Wade April 10, 2019 Digging Ditches I have many fond memories of Wednesday nights at church when I was growing up. Activities began with Wednesday night suppers, which was usually fried chicken or a ham dinner. These dinners included collards along with hot pepper vinegar sauce. Boys then went to RA’s (Royal Ambassadors) and girls to GA’s (Girl’s Auxiliary) which was followed by Wednesday Night Prayer Meeting in the Sanctuary. Seems like there was choir practice as well but my memory may be getting it mixed up with Sunday evenings. Even with all the activities, we always found time to hang out together outside. There would be some phenomenon in the sky to behold, or someone had a new car or motorcycle to check out. I remember when someone showed up in a brand new Mustang – the first one I had ever seen up close – and he took me for a ride. And then another friend bought a Plymouth Duster – a pretty hot car for the money back then. In similar fashion, while at church last Wednesday evening, several of us guys stepped outside to check out the work on our new church sign while the children were having their choir practice. That’s when we saw it – In order to get electricity to our new lighted sign, someone had dug a ditch to bury the wiring. But this was no ordinary ditch. It was perfectly straight, exactly 19 inches deep, with sides that were exactly vertical. It was a sight to behold – a thing of beauty. We stood there and wondered what kind of precision machine could have done such a thing. The only problem was, there were no wheel or track marks in the soft ground next to the ditch. It wasn’t until the next day that I learned that this work of art had been hand dug by two Askew brothers in our church. Now one would think that these two grown successful men could have delegated this backbreaking work to younger folks or contracted it out. But no, they did it themselves, and not only did it right but obviously took great pride in their work. I could hear the words of my Dad ringing in my ears: “If a job is worth doing, it is worth doing right.” And I thought about Ecclesiastes 9:10 which says, “Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might.” It took Michelangelo four grueling years to paint the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, working overhead from scaffolding with his neck bent back in an unnatural position. He wasn’t even a painter – he was a sculptor prior to this project, and had to learn the methods of painting frescoes in order to comply with the Pope’s demands. Yet he labored with an increasing standard of excellence, and the project expanded from a simple depiction of the twelve apostles to more than four hundred figures and nine scenes from the book of Genesis. Once when asked why he was working so intensely on a dark corner of the ceiling that no one would ever see from the floor below, he replied, “God will see.” Indeed Proverbs 15:3 says, “The eyes of the Lord are in very place, beholding the evil and the good.” He doesn’t miss a thing. Colossians 3:23-24 says, “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.” Amen – may we all give Him our best!

Rev. Wade Bennett - “Christ or Antichrist - You Gotta Serve Somebody” - Revelation 13; 7/14/19 Eure Christian Church Inc.

Rev. Wade Bennett - “The Temple and Two Witnesses” - Revelation 11: 1-14; 6/9/19 Eure Christian Church Inc.

Rev. Wade Bennett - “The Temple and Two Witnesses” - Revelation 11: 1-14; 6/9/19 Eure Christian Church Inc.

Rev. Wade Bennett - “The Temple and Two Witnesses” - Revelation 11: 1-14; 6/9/19 Eure Christian Church Inc.

Rev. Wade Bennett - “The Temple and Two Witnesses” - Revelation 11: 1-14; 6/9/19 Eure Christian Church Inc.

Rev. Wade Bennett - “Whose Earth Is It Anyway” - Revelation 10; 6/2/19 Eure Christian Church Inc.

Live from Mevo Eure Christian Church Inc.

Revelation 8:6-9:21 The Seven Trumpets Rev. Wade Bennett Live from Mevo Eure Christian Church Inc.

Live from Mevo Eure Christian Church Inc.

Live from Mevo Eure Christian Church Inc.