Our Themes for March:  A.M. – Hope – Possessing a Positive Mind                                                                       P.M. – Doors of Opportunity   Spring has now arrived. The trees and shrubs are blossoming.  The flowers  are popping up through the soil.  Our neighbors are outside getting their lawns in order.  I could barely find a parking space at Lowe’s and Home Depot last week.  Don’t you just love this time of the year?   This past Sunday morning and Sunday night we focused on our themes for the month of March:   Hope:  Possessing a Positive Mind – A Single Mind,  Positive in Spite of Circumstances and Opportunity – The Cooperation of a Friend.   It is such a privilege to be your minister and friend.  Every time I stand before you to preach and discuss God’s word, I realize that the words I speak must be founded solely and entirely upon what the Bible says.  Paul wrote to our brethren in Corinth “that you may learn in us not to think beyond what is written, that none of you may be puffed up on behalf of one against another” (1 Corinthians 4:6).   On Sunday night I made a couple of statements that were not entirely correct.  I would like to correct these statements.   Firstly, I remarked that Mary, the mother of Jesus, and Elizabeth, the mother of John the Baptist, were sisters.  The Bible says that they were “cousins” (KJV, Phillips), “relatives” (NKJV, NASV, NIV, CEV), “kinswomen” (RSV, NEB) probably not sisters (Luke 1:36).  The Greek word, suggenes (soong – ghen- ace), means a relative by blood, a fellow countryman, cousin, kin (Interlinear Greek-English New Testament, Strong’s Greek Dictionary of the New Testament, Baker Book House, 1981).  Their relationship would make Jesus and John the Baptist cousins, probably not “first” cousins.   Secondly, I stated that Elijah was taken up by a chariot of fire into heaven.  This statement was not correct.  Elijah and Elisha were talking when suddenly a chariot of fire appeared with horses of fire and separated them (2 Kings 2:11-12).  Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven.  Elisha saw this and cried out, “My  father, my father, the chariot of Israel and its horsemen” and saw Elijah no more.   Thank you so very much for your positive remarks, kind corrections, and your  patience with me as we all grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus and the Word of God.  As your minister, it is my sincere desire and steadfast commitment to preach the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth in thought, word, and action.  As the lesson on Sunday night taught us, the cooperation of a friend is vitally important to obtaining our blessed hope in Jesus Christ.   This Sunday morning we will look at another lesson in our series “Hope:  Possessing a Positive Mind.”   We will look at how a submissive mind helps me stay positive in spite of people.  Paul uses     Jesus, himself, Timothy, and Epaphroditus as examples of people with submissive minds.   On Sunday night we will take a look at “Door of Opportunity #2 –  Associating with the Right People.”   Two keys that determine who I am are 1) Who I think I am, my thinking, and 2) Who I associate with, what others think.  Our thoughts, mannerisms, even our characteristics can be traced    to those we associate with, our friends.  Amos said, “Can two walk together…”  Jesus said, “What part has Christ with Belial…”  Paul said, “Evil communications corrupt…”   Sunday is “Easter Sunday.”  Here at St. Andrews Road, you will see that we will worship God in spirit and in truth just like we do every first day of the week.  Every Sunday is “Easter Sunday” for the Christian, because every Sunday we commemorate the birth, life, death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus the Christ.