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When asked to write down phrases and words that come to mind when she heard or thought of FAITH Sis. Shirley Dowd of Friendship, Harviell wrote the following:

• All growth in our spiritual life depends on faith.
• Impossible to please or have any walk without faith.
• The shield of faith is as bias as God himself.
• Free grace, free pardon, change of heart, comfort poured in , satisfies our heart, great gain thru faith.
• With faith, we become well pleasing to God. Without faith we have NO fellowship.
• Everything of God hinges on faith.
• Faith supplies our greatest wants, delivers from our greatest danger and admits us to our greatest glory.
• A waiting faith is rare.
• If you are without faith, you are in a fearful state.
• To be nothing and let Him be everything.
• Weapon of prevalence, shield of safety, substance of hope, evidence of eternity, passport to glory.
• Sins are cleansed, carried away, drowned in the sea, blotted out behind God’s back.
• A precious promise as great as the demands of our sins.
• Thru faith, God is ALL sufficient!
• We are clothed and dressed in his righteousness, once aliens, now saints and will live in the household of God.
• Heirs of God, joint heirs of Jesus Christ, never taste death, just fall asleep.
• We have the harps of heaven, streets of glory, trees of paradise, river of life, eternal bliss.
• You are rich thru faith. What treasures, what a gold mine, what oceans of wealth. What mountains of sparkling treasure, all because of faith in God.
• Faith, first sure sign of a spiritual life. All JOY of a spiritual life depends on faith.
• When God comes, He will not look for riches, honors or abilities but he will look for our faith.

Will he find faith on earth at His return? He will search for even a mustard seed size of faith.It is necessary for us to believe MUCH or we will do LITTLE for God. I Corinthians 2:5, “Our faith should not stand in the wisdom of man but in the power of God.” Faith for me is the bliss of ever beholding the face of God. If the church ever has faith enough to expect great things, she will see great things.

submitted by Carolyn Meade

Evangelistic International Ministries will have their trailer at the BMA of America national meeting in Jackson, MS in April to pick up any Shepherd Bags you may have. This would be a good time for our Shepherd Bags drop off stations to bring any bags they have as well.

Shepherd Bags Update: We currently have 15,000 bags awaiting shipment to the Philippines. And we are currently working on our 2012 Honduras school campaign. We have over 2,000 bags already assembled so we’re well on our way for this year.

If you would like to get involved in this God blessed ministry of presenting the Gospel to children in the Honduras schools, we need your help. A 40 ft. container holds approximately 35,000
to 40,000 bags so we have quite a ways to go.

Please pray and get involved!

If you have questions, visit our website at www.eimworldwide.org or you can contact us here at EIM at 870-226-3626 or you can email fnorris@eimworldwide.org.

President – Terri Adams – Abundant Life in Christ, Charleston, MO
First Vice President – Sharon Lourance – Black River, Qulin, MO
Second Vice President – Juanita May – Ohlman, Bunker, MO
Secretary – Norma Womble – Zion, St. Louis, MO
Asst. Secretary – Becky Cate – Friendship, Harviell, MO
Treasurer – Cathy Fox – Mount Zion, Poplar Bluff, MO
Asst. Treasurer – Connie Reifsteck – Zion, St. Louis, MO
Literature, Bible & Tract – Vi Maclin – Emmanuel, Sikeston, MO
Historian – Tracy Goede – Zion, St. Louis, MO
Youth Promoter – Shelia Polk – First, Matthews, MO
Asst. Youth Promoter – Karen Magee – First, Matthews, MO

by Ted Hurley, Pastor • First Baptist Church Bourbon, MO
Friction keeps the world moving! Without friction between the road and your tires, your car will not move. Friction
warms your hands when you rub them together on a cold winter night. Friction occurs when people disagree over a particular subject.

The online Oxford Dictionary defines friction as:
1. the resistance that one surface or object encounters when moving over another;
2. the action of one surface or object rubbing against another;
3. conflict or animosity caused by a clash of wills, temperaments, or opinions.

Even though the science of friction affects our daily lives, please consider the third definition 3; conflict or animosity caused by a clash of wills, temperaments, or opinions. Have you ever experienced friction between yourself and someone else? As human beings this type of friction often leads to some serious consequences. Verbal assaults, fights, and even wars have started as a result of friction between individuals or nations.

The online Oxford dictionary defines Brotherhood as:
1. the relationship between brothers;
2. the feeling of kinship with and closeness to a group of people or all people;
3. an association or community of people linked by a common interest, religion, or trade.

Once again the third definition moves to the forefront for consideration in this article: an association or community
of people linked by a common interest, religion, or trade.

Brotherhood within the BMA of Missouri sounds much better than friction within the BMA of Missouri! Sadly,
both exist within our state. The Apostle Peter stated in I Peter 2:1-3, “Wherefore laying aside all malice, and all
guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speaking. As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that
ye may grow thereby: If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious.” He continued in verse seventeen, “Honour all
men. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honour the king.” (My emphases)

The Apostle Peter understood the idea of friction between people. He often clashed with the other disciples as
well as Jesus. Yet the Apostle Peter went from denying Jesus to preaching on The Day of Pentecost when thousands
were saved! Years later he wrote that we are to “love the brotherhood.”

Does there truly exist a brotherhood within the BMA of Missouri as defined by the dictionary, or has friction
become the predominate theme within our work? Because of the many different individuals that make up our state
association, there also exists many different personalities. These different personalities often lead to friction and not brotherhood. How about it men (and women), especially you pastors and preachers, do others see the Brotherhood
in your life? Friction must not destroy the “common interest” that exists within the Brotherhood of Jesus Christ
in the BMA of Missouri! Yes, friction keeps the world moving, but Brotherhood should keep the BMA of Missouri
moving. Brotherhood will accomplish more goals than friction! How about letting Brotherhood become the main theme of our Association? When friction becomes the center of focus instead of the preaching of Jesus Christ, the devil becomes the winner. Just remember, when two sticks are rubbed together hard enough, both sticks will be destroyed by the friction they create. When two sticks work together in Brotherhood, they are twice as hard to break!