Saturday, March 26, 2011

J. Don Hill Graduates to Glory

Don Hill was a self-less example of a follower of Christ Jesus. He was always reaching out to others with the good news of Christ. He operated his businesses in a Christ-like manner. He will be greatly missed by his many friends and by his beloved family. His obituary is from the Carter-Trent Funeral Home website:

J. Don Hill, 81 of Kingsport went home to be with the Lord on Thursday, March 24, 2011 at Indian Path Medical Center in Kingsport.

He was born in Clay County, NC (Hayesville). A Christian since age 15, he and his family are members of Calvary Baptist Church where he served on numerous committees and as Chairman of the Deacons, Personnel and Finance committees. He also served the denomination in many other capacities including being a Trustee of the East Tennessee Baptist Hospital, Knoxville, Executive Committee and Trustee of Tennessee Baptist Foundation and of Tennessee Baptist Adult Homes. Mr. Hill joined the Gideons in 1964 and served on the Tennessee State Cabinet including serving as Tennessee State President from 1973 to1976. Later he served as an International Representative in Africa and Europe as well as a group leader for Extension Action Programs in Kenya, Malawi/Zambia and Brazil and traveled extensively on behalf of the Gideons.

Mr. Hill’s career in the automotive industry started in January 1955 as a salesman. With an interest in trucks, his career gravitated toward heavy truck franchises. In 1992 he divested himself of those and concentrated only on automobiles. During his career, he has owned / operated 31 franchises representing 17 manufacturers. He is past president of the Kingsport New Car Dealer Association and a member of the Tennessee Automotive Association, the National Automotive Dealers Association and the American International Automobile Dealers Association. In 2006 he was honored with the Toyota President’s Award and the Elite of Lexus Award. In all he has earned over 20 Presidents Awards. Among his numerous automotive awards over the many years, Don was named the recipient of the Andrew Jackson Award in 2001, which recognizes his community service and contribution to the automotive industry among Tennessee Automotive Association members. He was very active in community affairs through service in the Kingsport Chamber of Commerce and the Downtown Rotary Club.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Thomas Bunyan and Hazel Mae Yates Hill; a grandson, Jeremy Franklin Chadwell and a brother, Bruce H. Hill.

Survivors include his loving wife of over 57 years, Jeana Davis Hill of the home; children, Rick and Becky Hill and their sons, Zachary and CJ, Donna Hill and her daughter, Laura Beth Cox, Deborah Chadwell and son, Gabriel, Chris and Sommer Hill and son Ryder and Brantley and Sara Beth Burris and their children, Riley and Ava; two sisters, Jean Law and Joline Cagle; brothers in law, Herbert and Bertha Davis and Clifford and Lonia Davis; aunt, Florence Robinson; along with several nieces and nephews.

The family will receive friends from 3 – 7 pm on Saturday, March 26, 2011 at Higher Ground Baptist Church, 1625 Lynn Garden Drive, Kingsport.

Funeral services will be held at 2 pm on Sunday, March 27, 2011 in Higher Ground Baptist Church with Dr. Donnie C. Brannen, Dr. Edward Johnson and Dr. Phil Hoskins, officiating. Music will be provided by Crosswise Quartet.

Burial will follow at Oak Hill Memorial Park, Kingsport. Kenneth Speakman, Tom Meyer, Danny Hilton, Noel Fuller, Peter Speropulos, Bob Sluder, Ken Sparks, and Wiley Webb will serve as pallbearers. Honorary pallbearers are Members of the Kingsport Gideons and the Executive Board of the Mike Jenkins Evangelist Association.

Memorial Contributions may be made to The Gideons International, Kingsport East Camp, P.O. Box 3217, Kingsport, TN 37664.

Carter-Trent Funeral Home, downtown Kingsport is serving the Hill family.

Friday, March 25, 2011

King David of Israel

The following devotional thought was written by the late Rev. Guy Tilley of Kingsport, Tennessee:


Psalm 5:2&3 Hearken unto the voice of my cry, my King, and my God: for unto thee will I pray. My voice shalt thou hear in the morning. O Lord; in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee, and will look up.


Psalm 55:17 Evening and morning and at noon, will I pray and cry aloud: and he shall hear my voice. Verse 22 Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and he shall sustain thee.


Remember the old hymn ‘Take Your Burdens to the Lord and Leave Them There’. That was David’s choice.


In the New Testament in I Thessalonians 5:17 we are told to Pray without ceasing. Romans 12:12 tells us to be instant in prayer. Do these verses mean that we should walk around with our eyes closed and hands folded? No, it is a heart attitude, such that we could talk to the Lord regardless of our surroundings.


Think of the report found in Daniel in 6:10. Daniel knew that the king had been deceived into issuing a decree that no one could pray to anyone but the king for thirty days. Regardless, Daniel did as he did each day with his window open toward Jerusalem, he knelt upon his knees three times a day and prayed three times a day and gave thanks to God as he always did, knowing that there is no time that is not a good time to pray.


David, a king and Daniel, a man high in the government of a heathen nation, taking time to pray three times a day. They knew it was a great privilege to pray to the God o heaven, knowing he hears and cares.

Have you talked to the Lord today?

Wednesday, March 23, 2011

J. R. Church Passes Into Glory

Rev. J. R. Church of the Prophecy In The News ministry based in Oklahoma City passed into the presence of the Lord around 11:00 am on Tuesday March 22nd. He had been in a battle with cancer for a number of years. The following is from the ministry website:

"He left us on March 22, 2011 and is now in the presence of Jesus. Like the Apostle Paul, he can now say, “I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness . . . “ He influenced many lives and will be greatly missed.

J.R. was a true prophetic visionary who founded this ground-breaking ministry in 1979. His system of prophetic interpretation has led the way in understanding the astonishing growth and influence of latter day Israel and the things that lie just ahead.

Since many churches are now abandoning the study of eschatology, there is more need than ever for people to hear J.R.’s clear message of end-time prophecy. This is the reason Prophecy in the News exists. It was the desire of J.R. and his wife Linda that this ministry continue on, and with your help and support it will.

Your prayers for Linda and the family are greatly appreciated. Expressions of sympathy should be addressed to:

Prophecy in the News
c/o Linda Church
P.O. Box 7000
Oklahoma City, OK 73153

J.R. is now experiencing all the joys of heaven. He’s met Jesus face to face and has seen Him in all His glory. In Peter’s 1st letter, Chapter 5:10-11, there’s a thought that carried J.R. through his last difficult days. “But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered awhile, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you. To Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.”

Before his passing, J.R. was tremendously excited about the nearness of the Rapture. He’ll be coming back soon to greet us in the air with the Lord. We’re excited too! We want to meet each of you in the air on that day. No one said it better than J.R. Church: KEEP LOOKING UP!"

Sunday, March 6, 2011

Happiness of the Home

The Happiness of the Home

Bible Reading: Ephesians 5: 21-33

Bible Text: “So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself.” – Ephesians 5:28

True happiness in the home comes from love in that family unit. In fact it has been said that happiness is love in action.

The Apostle Paul writing to the Church at Ephesus in Ephesians chapter five taught that the husband and the wife must be submitted to one another in Christ Jesus. He taught that there is a special greatness in the unity created in a faithful married couple’s relationship (verse 30) and that they must leave their founding families and cleave only to one another (verse 31). In verses 32 and 33 Paul calls this family unit of husband and wife is an awesome mystery that results in love and reverence.

Paul’s instruction is for each of us and encourages the wife to respect her husbands position and for the husband to love his wife as himself. In fact we are taught that if a husband loves his wife then he loves himself. After all they have become one flesh in the state of matrimony.

Each husband and wife should show the love for God, love for the home, and love for humanity because of the love that Christ Jesus has given to us.

“A husband’s love for his wife must be singular, sacrificial, and supreme.” – Robert Ferguson

Thursday, March 3, 2011

Pray for the Harris Family


George Luis Harris, age 25, of Jonesville, Virginia, died Saturday (February 26, 2011) in New Orleans, Louisiana.

George was born in Belmopan, Belize on November 7, 1985 and was adopted when he was six years old. George was saved as a young boy and is now in heaven. He was a 2005 graduate of Lee High School.

He was preceded in death by his birth father, Cesar Lemus.

He is survived by:

His parents: David W. and Carmen Edwards Harris of Jonesville, Virginia

His brother: David A. Harris and wife, Revonda, niece Lilly of Kingsport, Tennessee

His sisters: Doris and husband, Jorge Garcia, nephew, Michael, nieces, Kaytlin, Hayley, and Britney, all of Elizabeth City, North Carolina; Susan and husband, Michael Dorsey, niece, Emma and nephew, Miles, all of Lenoir City, Tennessee; Heidi and husband, Jason Stutz, nieces, Isabella and Abigail, all of Knoxville, Tennessee; and Marlena and Maraceli Harris, both of Jonesville, Virginia

A special cousin: Robert Oh of Jonesville, Virginia

His birth mother: Sonia Lemus of Santa Elena, Belize

The family will receive friends from 12 noon to 2:00 p.m. Thursday at the Arney-Mullins Funeral Home in Jonesville, Virginia.

Funeral services will be conducted at 2:00 p.m. Thursday in the funeral home chapel with the Rev. Rusty Fitzpatrick officiating.

Burial will follow in Lee Memorial Gardens in Woodway, Virginia.