Doctrines & Devotions

Pharmakeia

2006-11-02T11:27:00.000-05:00

Two weeks ago today there was a disturbing article in the Valley News reporting a significant drug bust on the corner of Dana and Maple streets. What is most alarming about this incident is the fact that this happened just a block away from our church, which is in a fairly safe, residential neighborhood. A couple was arrested and charged with possession of heroin - 700 small bags to be precise.

Although the Bible has quite a bit to say about the dangers of alcohol, there is not an abundance of scripture regarding the use of drugs. In the new Testament there is a Greek word pharmakeia used in various forms which is defined by Strong's as meaning medication, drugs or poison. This word is most often used in the Book of Revelation and pertains to the "last days."

Galatians chapter five not only lists the "fruit of the Spirit" but also catalogs the "works of the flesh" in the preceding verses. Please note that the word witchcraft is translated from this same word pharmakeia. Drug abuse, probably not as prevalent in the 1600's, was associated with the divinations of false religion and mystics of Bible times.

"Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, 20 Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, 21 Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God." Galatians 5:19-21

We see this word used again in various forms repeatedly used in Revelations translated as the word sorcery.

"And the rest of the men which were not killed by these plagues yet repented not of the works of their hands, that they should not worship devils, and idols of gold, and silver, and brass, and stone, and of wood: which neither can see, nor hear, nor walk: 21 Neither repented they of their murders, nor of their sorceries, nor of their fornication, nor of their thefts." Revelation 9:20&21

The scene described takes place during the Great Tribulation, Daniel's 70th week. Notice the correlation between the "sorcery" (drug use) and false worship. It is evident by this and other passages that Satan uses drugs to deceive his victims in the end times.

Revelation chapter 18 depicts the destruction of the one world system referred to as "Babylon the Great." Drug abuse is cited here as being the agent of deception.

"And the light of a candle shall shine no more at all in thee; and the voice of the bridegroom and of the bride shall be heard no more at all in thee: for thy merchants were the great men of the earth; for by thy sorceries were all nations deceived." Revelation 18:23

Chapter 21 is the start of eternity with a new Heaven and a new earth without sorrow, pain, death or tears for all those who believe. However, verse eight plainly declares that the "second death" is the judgment that awaits those who have not put their faith in the crosswork of Christ and repented of their sins. Drug users will be together in the lake of fire along with the murders and whoremongers according to God's Holy Word.

"And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely. 7 He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son. 8 But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death." Revelation 21:6-8 (sorcerers = pharmakeus)

There may drugs in your home or at your school. There are drugs in prison as well. But there won't be any drugs in Glory. Neither will the drug abusers be allowed through the gates.

"Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city. 15 For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie." Revelation 22:14&15 (sorcerers = pharmakos)

My dear friend, many years ago as a young man the devil deceived me into addicting my flesh to the daily use of so-called "recreational drugs." At the time I did not understand and neither could I see how this sinful practice was changing my personality and degrading my behavior. When I repented and trusted Christ as my Savior, He delivered me and forgave me of all my sins and made a new person out of me, free from the bondage of drugs and alcohol. He will do this for you if you will only come as a sinner, turn from your sin, and trust Jesus as your Savior. You will be "born again" and sealed by God the Holy Spirit. Then and only then will you truly be set free.

"But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name." John 1:12

"Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new." II Cor 5:17

Preacher Dan

2006-10-23T14:56:00.000-04:00

He Preached in black lizard skin boots. His towering Texas voice permeated our auditorium as a Stetson "crown" was proudly perched on a seat behind.

Evangelist Dan Meaders from Houston Texas was our Revival Speaker from Sunday, October 8th through Thursday Evening, October 12th. Preacher Dan stirred our hearts with Bible messages intended to enhance our spirituality as well as our walk and relationship with the Lord. Each message brought us into His power and presence and reminded us about our calling and purpose.

The meetings closed on Thursday night with a wonderful sermon on Job's life. Although Job loved God and had a testimony of being perfect & upright, he defended his righteousness throughout his trial. God tenderized Job's heart through all of that suffering. When he was humbled, God blessed him twice as much as before. The key is verse five. Thank you Preacher Dan!

I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear: but now mine eye seeth thee. Job 42:5

Salt

2006-10-09T12:16:00.000-04:00

Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men. Matthew 5:13

"I wish that the Lord would come today. I don't know how much more I can take!"

This is the unfortunate attitude of some Christians today. Their lives have become so miserable that they are crying out to be Rescued. The "Blessed Hope" of the believer is no longer a yearning to be with Jesus, which Paul says, "is far better," but has become a doctrine of desperation to some because of their own unfavorable life circumstances. A few take responsibility for their plight, others blame God and most look to blame others.

We are to walk with God in this life as saved believers that experience God's peace and joy even through the trials of this life. The key to having the proper outlook is found right here in Matthew 5:13. We need to realize that we are Salt.

Salt was used as a preservative and often enhances the flavor of our favorite foods. Jesus said that we are to be salt to the unsaved of this world in order to preserve and enhance their lives through the ministry of the Gospel. We must realize primarily that we are put in very tough places or situations to be their salt or the positive factor in making things better through our hope and faith in the Lord as we extend those things to others. Our walk with God and testimony before men are of utmost importance. The reality very often reveals that we allow the circumstances to get the better of us by not exercising the spiritual resources that we are given. WE become "trodden under foot" and join the ranks of the defeated instead of enjoying victory through our Savior. Israel was delivered from the bondage of Egypt with the mighty hand of God and preserved for two generations in the wilderness. Yet, while God's blessings were upon them they became a "stiffnecked & rebellious" people and earned God's disappointment because of their constant "murmuring & complaining."

It is a shame that we often find ourselves as Christians complaining about the lot that God has dealt us instead of being thankful and content. It is often a struggle to go to work and not take part in the latest gossip of the breakroom or run down the boss along with everyone else. Some Christians murmur about their home life and carry on about their wives and children. These are the exact times that we must remember that we are salt. We are part of the solution and not victims of the circumstances. God is still in control and we must trust him to work and even use us in the process. Prayer beats pouting every time.

Work - We are to be the salt of our workplace. We should be on time, work hard. follow instruction and be loyal to those that God uses to provide our livelihood. Being lazy, gossiping, demeaning our supervisor and resisting to perform our job is not being good salt. We need to guard against becoming the salt that has lost its savour. In Genesis 39, Joseph was wrongly put into prison. He did not become depressed because of his unfair situation but immediately went to work as the salt of the prison house.

But the LORD was with Joseph, and shewed him mercy, and gave him favour in the sight of the keeper of the prison. 22 And the keeper of the prison committed to Joseph's hand all the prisoners that were in the prison; and whatsoever they did there, he was the doer of it. 23 The keeper of the prison looked not to any thing that was under his hand; because the LORD was with him, and that which he did, the LORD made it to prosper. Genesis 39:21-23

Life - Life is never fair! We shouldn't expect it to be. We need to be the salt of our family, friends and neighbors. Many Christians are unhappy with their marriages and children. We may or may not be the cause of the problems but still need to deal with these issues nonetheless. Complaining about your wife or husband at work or to your friends only makes you look bad. Why did you choose or agree to share your life with them if they are that bad? "Oh, you don't understand, they have changed." I know. I have changed a lot too. Maybe we need to be the salt of our marriage and ask the Lord to help us to work hard and love unconditionally to get back the passion and desire that we once cherished in our marriage relationship.

Perhaps our children are the way they are because we have neglected to love them enough to parent them. The Bible says that children are a blessing from the Lord, yet they seem to suck the life right out of us. Being salt to our children means making the daily effort to love them and parent them. Neglecting them or giving them everything that they want will only lead to disaster. Spend time with them, pray for them and with them, set their boundaries and provide a disciplined routine for their lives, love them and let them have a little liberty in the environment that you have built around them and you may see a much better attitude and brighter future.

Being a pastor is like being "the old woman who lived in a shoe." it is very difficult to meet the needs of many people at one time. I believe that Moses was the greatest pastor that ever lived. Even when the children of Israel chided with him, rebelled against him and wanted to stone him to death, he still got on his face before God and pleaded for Jehovah to take his life and not theirs although God was angry with them for their behavior. Moses was surely the salt of Israel.

And it came to pass on the morrow, that Moses said unto the people, Ye have sinned a great sin: and now I will go up unto the LORD; peradventure I shall make an atonement for your sin. 31 And Moses returned unto the LORD, and said, Oh, this people have sinned a great sin, and have made them gods of gold. 32 Yet now, if thou wilt forgive their sin--; and if not, blot me, I pray thee, out of thy book which thou hast written. Exodus 32:30-32

Church - Like our homes, our church should be a place of peace and refuge for the believer. However, there are many places of worship that have become tough and grisly and in need of salt. Politics and contention often take over when the Spirit of God is not leading. We should be excited about attending church services and fellowship with the saints of like precious faith. We should be like salt on fries as we look forward to each opportunity to worship. Many Christians are easily offended and find it easier to move on than to stay and be the salt of the local church. They may find that a new place has the old problems. It is better to be where God has called you and look to Him to help you make your church a better place to worship. The church at Corinth had a lot of problems. These issues needed to be identified and corrected. If everyone simply quit and moved on we would not have been given the wonder instructions by the Apostle Paul who shows us even today how to be the salt of the church in I & II Corinthians.

We salt the foods that we love and should also salt the ones we love with love.

And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins. I Peter 4:8

Baptism - September 17, 2006

2006-09-30T15:54:00.000-04:00

Each year our church holds a special baptismal service at Storrs Pond in Hanover, NH. Immediately after our Morning Service we all head up to the pond and gather on the shore. I preach a brief message explaining baptism from the water as the many onlookers anticipate the actual baptizing of the individuals who are making a "public" declaration of their faith in Christ. As my voice echoes over the water and permeates the corners of the park, it reminds me of Jesus preaching from a small ship in the Gospels. At least I am sure that everyone will have the opportunity to hear God's saving message of the death, burial, and resurrection of our Savior.

This year we had two of our young men, Andy Kalacinski and Don White come forward for baptism. It was a perfect day as we witnessed these two men publicly affirm their faith. After the Baptism there was a special time of fellowship. There was a cookout provided by our people and we all enjoyed our time in the Lord. Special thanks to Gene and Anna Yeager and their crew.

The message was regarding the "Signs of Salvation." Colossians 2:12 says, "Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead." Baptism is a "sign" or picture of salvation for it represents the death, burial and resurrection of not just our Lord Jesus Christ, but of all who have repented of their sins and received Him into their hearts by faith and have been born again of the Holy Ghost. We see this more closely in Romans 6:3-5, "Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? 4 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. 5 For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection." So then we see that baptism has 3 purposes. First we do it out of obedience to the one who died for us and freed us from our sin, delivering our souls from eternal damnation. Secondly, we are making a public declaration that we have been saved and that our hope for eternity lies soley on the crosswork of Christ at Calvary and does not rely upon our own sinful flesh. And lastly, we become an open object lesson, revealing the picture of baptism by being "immersed" in the water (representing death & burial) and rising again forshadowing our resurrection from the dead.

When the religious crowd asked Jesus for a sign in Matthew 12:38-40, He responded by giving them another sign of salvation. "An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given to it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas: 40 For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale's belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth."

Another sign of salvation was given by Jesus in John 12:24, "Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit." This too is a picture of the gospel of our salvation. We are not to try and make our lives better through religion and good works, we are to receive Christ and a new life in Him. First we must die to self, and when we live unto Him, only then will we experience true religion and serve him with our works after we are saved.

Jesus warned us about seeking after a "sign." We shouldn't be seeking a sign but seeking salvation. This salvation is found in His shed blood on the cross. He loves you. He died for you. You must repent and receive Him by faith and like Nicodemus, you will be born again.

Romans Road

2006-09-11T11:49:00.000-04:00

God loves you
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. John 3:16

We are all sinners
As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one. Romans 3:10
For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God. Romans 3:23

Christ died for you
But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:8

Salvation is a free gift
For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Romans 6:23

You must trust Christ as your Savior
That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. Romans 10:9&10

Your Salvation is Secure
He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life. These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God. I John 5:12&13

Sufferings

2006-08-22T13:12:00.000-04:00

The Lord Jesus Christ plainly told his disciples that the Christian life is one that is filled with tribulation, suffering and trials. He also promised fellowship, deliverance, growth, strength and victory through those times. God builds our faith, wisdom and understanding by the adversity He allows to permeate our lives. He is always in control (i.e. Job) and brings us into His power and presence not just through His Word and His Spirit, but also by the experiences that test our character and Christian walk. In the New Testament, the Apostle Paul exemplifies this idea in the most stunning way. We admire his grit and spiritual understanding, but would most probably not be willing to consecrate our lives with the intensity in which he displayed throughout the Book of Acts. Here is a catalogue of his sufferings for Christ:

I say again, Let no man think me a fool; if otherwise, yet as a fool receive me, that I may boast myself a little. 17 That which I speak, I speak it not after the Lord, but as it were foolishly, in this confidence of boasting. 18 Seeing that many glory after the flesh, I will glory also. 19 For ye suffer fools gladly, seeing ye yourselves are wise. 20 For ye suffer, if a man bring you into bondage, if a man devour you, if a man take of you, if a man exalt himself, if a man smite you on the face. 21 I speak as concerning reproach, as though we had been weak. Howbeit whereinsoever any is bold, (I speak foolishly,) I am bold also. 22 Are they Hebrews? so am I. Are they Israelites? so am I. Are they the seed of Abraham? so am I. 23 Are they ministers of Christ? (I speak as a fool) I am more; in labours more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequent, in deaths oft. 24 Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one. 25 Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep; 26 In journeyings often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils by mine own countrymen, in perils by the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren; 27 In weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness. 28 Beside those things that are without, that which cometh upon me daily, the care of all the churches. 29 Who is weak, and I am not weak? who is offended, and I burn not? 30 If I must needs glory, I will glory of the things which concern mine infirmities. 31 The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which is blessed for evermore, knoweth that I lie not. 32 In Damascus the governor under Aretas the king kept the city of the Damascenes with a garrison, desirous to apprehend me: 33 And through a window in a basket was I let down by the wall, and escaped his hands. II Cor 11:16-33.

Our Savior clearly marked out the path for this great man of God by shewing him the cost of serving the Most High and receiving an abundance of revelations. The question is - are we willing to pay?

But the Lord said unto him, Go thy way: for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel: 16 For I will shew him how great things he must suffer for my name's sake. Acts 9:15-16.

The problem with the things of life like death and suffering is that we don't always look at these things in the same way that God does. I would like to show you the Biblical perspective regarding suffering as laid out in our New Testament. You will soon realize that our Lord is blessing us with these things that we often detest and reject.

1. Rejoice - The early church disciples saw the ultimate joy in suffering for Jesus. As worthy servants, their sufferings only motivated them to serve and worship with greater enthusiasm. We too often exhibit the opposite reaction when we are mocked or persecuted for our Lord. We fall prey to being overcome with fear and shame and our effectiveness for Christ is easily neutralized when we suffer for His name.

And to him they agreed: and when they had called the apostles, and beaten them, they commanded that they should not speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go. 41 And they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name. 42 And daily in the temple, and in every house, they ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ. Acts 5:40-42.

2. Glory - We not only suffer for Jesus, we suffer with Him. It is sharing in Christ's sufferings that enable us also to share in His Glory. Even if we were to suffer like our beloved Paul, our suffering could never pretend to compare to the suffering of our Savior. He suffered for us because He loved us. If we love Him, we should glory in suffering for Him. Our suffering in this present evil world and in this brief life will never retain the eternal value of our promised glory to come.

The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: 17 And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together. 18 For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. Romans 8:16-18.

3. Choice - If we could actually chose between suffering or not, my choice would most likely be not. After all, no one enjoys suffering. The pain and heartache that accompany trials often seem defeating and eternal. They seem to lead us to despair and uncertainty and cause us to question why our loving God permits such hardships in our lives. Perhaps if we looked at suffering the way that God does we would realize the benefit of God's blessings. (no pain, no gain?)

By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter; 25 Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season; 26 Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompence of the reward. Hebrews 11:24-26.

4. Example - The most important example revealed by our suffering is our testimony of faith in exercising patience. Trials never seem to be shortlived. We must prepare at the start of our suffering as if it were to last a good long while. Each moment of suffering seems to last an eternity. It is important to start out in prayer, trusting the Savior to give us faith, patience, comfort and encouragement. We must ask for His will to be done not our wishes, He knows best. He doesn't always deliver us from a trial, but always walks with us through the trial on to the victory side. I like to focus on that victory from the very start. It is exciting to witness God's hand at work in our lives. It is mystifying to observe how he maneuvers our world on our behalf. It is exhilarating to experience the outcome; often beyond our most lofty expectations. Yes, it is possible to have real joy in suffering.

Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain. 8 Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh. 9 Grudge not one against another, brethren, lest ye be condemned: behold, the judge standeth before the door. 10 Take, my brethren, the prophets, who have spoken in the name of the Lord, for an example of suffering affliction, and of patience. 11 Behold, we count them happy which endure. Ye have heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord; that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy. James 5:7-11.

5. Patience - It is the most difficult task of all to endure a trial patiently. Especially knowing that life is never fair and rarely do we think that we deserve it. In fact, no matter what adversity develops in our lives, we deserve to be in hell for all eternity because of our sins. It is only by God's infinite grace that he loved us and saved us by the shed blood of our Savior, Jesus Christ. No matter what we are called to go through; it is still far better and briefer than being in hell. We can never have enough divine lessons in patience. Suffering helps us more than we will ever admit. Why should we think that we are any better than our Savior, who suffered but never sinned?

For this is thankworthy, if a man for conscience toward God endure grief, suffering wrongfully. 20 For what glory is it, if, when ye be buffeted for your faults, ye shall take it patiently? but if, when ye do well, and suffer for it, ye take it patiently, this is acceptable with God. 21 For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps: 22 Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth. I Peter 2:19-22.

6. Establish - Our faith and testimony in Christ Jesus is something we ought to value, cherish and protect. The devil is only interested in destroying the things that glorify Christ. We should always be faithful and committed and put the Lord first in our lives. Our Christianity needs to be founded on some foundations that cannot be rocked or shaken by Satan himself. Are you established in your faith? Does it mark and define your life? Are you living for Christ and eternity? Make your foundations sure. Be established by His word and empowered by His Spirit. Suffering is actually good for us and really only lasts a little while. Our faith and foundation in Christ, however, will never tarnish throughout all eternity.

Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.
and to all to be sober, watchful, and firm in the faith
8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: 9 Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world. 10 But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you. I Peter 5:7-10.

Ask the Lord to help you to deal more biblically with sufferings and to benefit from them. This was Paul's secret. He was not only equipped to deal with sufferings, he understood the spiritual benefits derived from suffering. He relished the joy and victory from God through his suffering. How about it, are YOU ready???

We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; 9 Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed; 10 Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body. 11 For we which live are alway delivered unto death for Jesus' sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh. II Cor 4:8-11.

Premie

2006-07-31T15:18:00.000-04:00

We believe that the Bible teaches that all believers in this present church age will be raptured or "snatched away" by the Lord Jesus upon His return. This is the next great prophetic event and may happen at any moment.

But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. 14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. 15 For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. 16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: 17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. 18 Wherefore comfort one another with these words. IThes 4:13-18

The second advent of Christ takes place in two stages. First He returns to meet us "in the air" at the Rapture. Seven years later, we return with Him at the end of the Great Tribulation to set up His earthly kingdom, that was promised to Israel. This Kingdom is a literal thousand year reign of Christ we refer to as the millennium.

It is not my purpose in this article to expound upon the prophetic sequence of events in a detailed and comprehensive method, but to focus the scope of this discussion on the answer to a most important issue. When does the Rapture take place? We are Premies, that is, we believe that the Rapture is pre-millenial and pre-tribulational.

With regard to the Millenial Kingdom, there are those that believe that it is not literal and they are referred to as Amillenialists. The "A" in front of the word negating its literal meaning. There are others that believe that the "Church" is the Kingdom of God or that the church age believers are responsible for bringing in the kingdom. We believe that God will keep His Biblical promise to Israel and give them a literal 1000 year kingdom here on earth.

The Great Tribulation, Daniel's 70th Week, immediately precedes the Kingdom age.We believe that the Rapture immediately precedes the Tribulation. Some believe in a mid-trib or post-trib rapture. In my opinion, there are two problems associated with these views. They negate the imminentcy of the Rapture as stated in the Epistles to the Thessalonians well as other scriptures. These theories also nullify Biblical promises from God to save us from the wrath to come.

The paramount prophecy of the OT which reveals to us God's prophetic sequence of events is found in Daniel chapter nine. Seventy sets of seven years unfold Biblical history that pauses after the 69th week, when Christ is crucified. The Church age, of an undetermined amount of time, has carried us forth to this day while we look for the Savior to appear. Then, God will resume his dealings with Israel in the final seven year period known as the Tribulatiuon where He will deal with Israel regarding the Messiah. Notice that six things are determined in verse 24. Three were fulfilled at the cross and three are yet future. The Messiah is "cut off" in verse 26 at the cross of Calvary. Verse 27 exclaims how the antichrist will work during his week of seven years. The church age is inbetween.

Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy. 25 Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks: the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times. 26 And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined. 27 And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate. Daniel 9:24-27

1. We see in the Old Testament how God spared "just" Lot. The NT reveals that Lot was "saved" in spite of his wretched testimony. Lot had chosen Sodom and had become a city Elder (sat in the gate). He failed to have any influence on the townspeople although they had quite a negative impact on him. His married daughters did not believe and chose to stay. His son-in-laws laughed at him when he told them about Jehovah and the coming destruction. He offered his two unmarried daughters to a group of depraved men that surrounded his house wanting to defile the angels lodged within. Lot's wife left her heart in that wicked city and turned into a pillar of salt as the angels escorted the family from God's wrath. Lot became drunk and impregnated his two daughters which had escaped with him.

And Abraham drew near, and said, Wilt thou also destroy the righteous with the wicked? 24 Peradventure there be fifty righteous within the city: wilt thou also destroy and not spare the place for the fifty righteous that are therein? 25 That be far from thee to do after this manner, to slay the righteous with the wicked: and that the righteous should be as the wicked, that be far from thee: Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right? 26 And the LORD said, If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city, then I will spare all the place for their sakes. 27 And Abraham answered and said, Behold now, I have taken upon me to speak unto the Lord, which am but dust and ashes: 28 Peradventure there shall lack five of the fifty righteous: wilt thou destroy all the city for lack of five? And he said, If I find there forty and five, I will not destroy it. 29 And he spake unto him yet again, and said, Peradventure there shall be forty found there. And he said, I will not do it for forty's sake. 30 And he said unto him, Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak: Peradventure there shall thirty be found there. And he said, I will not do it, if I find thirty there. 31 And he said, Behold now, I have taken upon me to speak unto the Lord: Peradventure there shall be twenty found there. And he said, I will not destroy it for twenty's sake. 32 And he said, Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak yet but this once: Peradventure ten shall be found there. And he said, I will not destroy it for ten's sake. Gen 18:23-32

Abraham's concern was obviously directed toward Lot and his family. God delivered Lot from the judgment of Sodom just as He will deliver us from His judgment upon the earth during the Tribulation.

2. We are not waiting for tribulation and judgment. We are waiting to be delivered from the wrath to come. The Rapture is the "Blessed Hope" of the believer in this age according to Titus 2:13. When Jesus plainly told us that we would experience tribulation in this world, I believe that he was refering to trials and tribulations of our daily Christian walk and not the Great Tribulation.

For they themselves shew of us what manner of entering in we had unto you, and how ye turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God; 10 And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come. I Thes 1:9&10

3. The Bible tells us that the Lord views us as being "seated in the Heavenlies." We have the righteousness of Christ and have been washed in His blood. He took our "punishment" upon himself that we should not be smitten. He is coming for us and although we can't know when, we have a divine appointment.

But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you. 2 For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. 3 For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape. 4 But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. 5 Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness. 6 Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober. 7 For they that sleep sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are drunken in the night. 8 But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation. 9 For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ. I Thes 5:1-9

4. The Bible reveals to us that we will be gathered together with Christ at His coming and that the Antichrist will be revealed. I strongly believe that verse seven speaks expressly of the Holy Ghost. "He who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way." The Holy Spirit gives way to the antichirst when the Holy Spirit is removed at the Rapture. He is taken out because, although he is omnipresent, he chiefly resides in the Believers who will be snatched away at the Rapture. Verse eight says, "And then shall that Wicked (one) be revealed only to be destroyed by the Lord at His return to earth to set up His Kingdom. Verses 10-12 also reveal that those who have heard the gospel and rejected Christ will believe the lie of the antichrist and follow him to eternal destruction.

Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him, 2 That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand.
and shows that there will be rebellion as the man of lawlessness appears
3 Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; 4 Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God. 5 Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things? 6 And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time. 7 For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way. 8 And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming: 9 Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, 10 And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. 11 And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: 12 That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness. II Thes 2:1-12

5. The Bible tells us in Revelation that we are to be kept from the time of judge which comes upon the whole earth during Daniel's 70th week.

Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth. Rev 3:10&11

6. Perhaps the strongest evidence in the Bible supporting the pre-millenial, pre-tribulational Rapture theory is found in the chronology of the book of Revelation. Chapters 2&3 are the messages to the seven churches speaking of the church age. Chapter 4 is a prophecy of the Rapture as John goes through the door of Heaven after hearing the shout, "come up hither." Chapters 5-18 tell about the seal, trumpet and vial judgments as well as the antichrist and the harlot church among other aspects of the Tribulation. The "Church" does not appear again until Chapter 19 when we return to earth with the King to set up his Millenial Kingdom.

After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter. 2 And immediately I was in the spirit: and, behold, a throne was set in heaven, and one sat on the throne. 3 And he that sat was to look upon like a jasper and a sardine stone: and there was a rainbow round about the throne, in sight like unto an emerald. 4 And round about the throne were four and twenty seats: and upon the seats I saw four and twenty elders sitting, clothed in white raiment; and they had on their heads crowns of gold. 5 And out of the throne proceeded lightnings and thunderings and voices: and there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God. 6 And before the throne there was a sea of glass like unto crystal: and in the midst of the throne, and round about the throne, were four beasts full of eyes before and behind. 7 And the first beast was like a lion, and the second beast like a calf, and the third beast had a face as a man, and the fourth beast was like a flying eagle. 8 And the four beasts had each of them six wings about him; and they were full of eyes within: and they rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come. 9 And when those beasts give glory and honour and thanks to him that sat on the throne, who liveth for ever and ever, 10 The four and twenty elders fall down before him that sat on the throne, and worship him that liveth for ever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying, 11 Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created. Rev 4:1-11

Let me close with these promises from God's Word that show us His mercy in passing us by with condemnation.

There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. Romans 8:1

Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life. John 5:24

Dedication of Children

2006-07-20T11:11:00.000-04:00

On Sunday, July 16th, during our morning worship, we were pleased to have six families dedicate their children to the Lord Jesus Christ. There following children were presented before the church:

Samuel Klungler
Jackson Leland
Lilly Rajaniemi
AJ Kalacinski
William & Emily Devers
Sarah & Hannah Frederick

The purpose of dedication is threefold. First, to trust God for the salvation of these young souls at the earliest possible time. Secondly, for the parents to be committed in raising their children faithfully in the "nurture and admonition" of the Lord. Lastly, to trust the Lord to watchover and protect these young ones as they grow and mature to become fruitful and successful Christian adults.

The charge to the parents from the pulpit was given using Mark 10:13-16 as a text.

And they brought young children to him, that he should touch them: and his disciples rebuked those that brought them. 14 But when Jesus saw it, he was much displeased, and said unto them, Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God. 15 Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter therein. 16 And he took them up in his arms, put his hands upon them, and blessed them.

The scripture clearly reminds us of the simplicity of the Gospel as God's saving message can be believed and understood by even a young child. We as adults must not over complicate the Death, Burial and Resurrection of Christ and the simple means of being born again by receiving as our very own Savior and repenting of our sin. We must approach Him with the same trusting childlike faith.

Jesus said, "suffer (allow) the children to come unto me." There are five essential areas where parents need exhortation regarding the spiritual aspects of raising their children in Christ.

Salvation - It is not my intent to address the issue of the age age of accountability in this article. I do however think that there is an age in which most children can understand the Gospel and truly repent and trust Christ as their Savior. Although the age differs it is generally thought to be between 4-6 years old. Paul reminded Timothy how his mother and Grand mother raised him according to the scriptures.

When I call to remembrance the unfeigned faith that is in thee, which dwelt first in thy grandmother Lois, and thy mother Eunice; and I am persuaded that in thee also. II Tim 1:5

But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them; 15 And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. II Tim 3:14&15

Growth - Most all young parents are specifically concerned about the physical growth and development of their children. Yet, not all Christian parents are greatly concerned about their child's spiritual maturity. Getting them up before school to pray, family devotions and church attendance is vital during these early years. Teaching our children living faith is also an important aspect of their spiritual development.

As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby. I Peter 2:2

But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen. II Peter 3:18

John the Baptist showed great spiritual growth as a child and our Lord Jesus was in the Temple discussing spiritual things with the experts of that day while his parents had already made a days journey back home.

And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, and was in the deserts till the day of his shewing unto Israel.
Luke 1:80

And he said unto them, How is it that ye sought me? wist ye not that I must be about my Father's business? 50 And they understood not the saying which he spake unto them. 51 And he went down with them, and came to Nazareth, and was subject unto them: but his mother kept all these sayings in her heart. 52 And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man. Luke 2:49-52

Heritage - Children are a godly heritage as well as a gift from God. When brought up correctly, they will be an incredible blessing. When not properly parented, they will undoubtedly "suck the life right out of you!"

Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD: and the fruit of the womb is his reward. 4 As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are children of the youth. 5 Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them: they shall not be ashamed, but they shall speak with the enemies in the gate. Psalm 127:3-5

Now therefore hearken, O Israel, unto the statutes and unto the judgments, which I teach you, for to do them, that ye may live, and go in and possess the land which the LORD God of your fathers giveth you. 2 Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish ought from it, that ye may keep the commandments of the LORD your God which I command you. 3 Your eyes have seen what the LORD did because of Baalpeor: for all the men that followed Baalpeor, the LORD thy God hath destroyed them from among you. 4 But ye that did cleave unto the LORD your God are alive every one of you this day. 5 Behold, I have taught you statutes and judgments, even as the LORD my God commanded me, that ye should do so in the land whither ye go to possess it. 6 Keep therefore and do them; for this is your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the nations, which shall hear all these statutes, and say, Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people. 7 For what nation is there so great, who hath God so nigh unto them, as the LORD our God is in all things that we call upon him for? 8 And what nation is there so great, that hath statutes and judgments so righteous as all this law, which I set before you this day? 9 Only take heed to thyself, and keep thy soul diligently, lest thou forget the things which thine eyes have seen, and lest they depart from thy heart all the days of thy life: but teach them thy sons, and thy sons' sons. Duet 4:1-9

Worship - Children need to be taught worship at home and in the house of God. It is important to provide a disciplined environment for them to learn. Today we even provide special services such as Sunday School and children's' Church so that they can be ministered to on their level. Family devotions should be geared to their age group and ability as well.

Then Joshua built an altar unto the LORD God of Israel in mount Ebal, 31 As Moses the servant of the LORD commanded the children of Israel, as it is written in the book of the law of Moses, an altar of whole stones, over which no man hath lift up any iron: and they offered thereon burnt offerings unto the LORD, and sacrificed peace offerings. 32 And he wrote there upon the stones a copy of the law of Moses, which he wrote in the presence of the children of Israel. 33 And all Israel, and their elders, and officers, and their judges, stood on this side the ark and on that side before the priests the Levites, which bare the ark of the covenant of the LORD, as well the stranger, as he that was born among them; half of them over against mount Gerizim, and half of them over against mount Ebal; as Moses the servant of the LORD had commanded before, that they should bless the people of Israel. 34 And afterward he read all the words of the law, the blessings and cursings, according to all that is written in the book of the law. 35 There was not a word of all that Moses commanded, which Joshua read not before all the congregation of Israel, with the women, and the little ones, and the strangers that were conversant among them. Joshua 8:30-35

Notice how the Bible clearly infers the need for the "little ones" to be present and participating in Worship.

And all Judah stood before the LORD, with their little ones, their wives, and their children. II Chron 20:13

Service - We should also do our best to teach our young children to serve. Whether it is being a witness and testimony of the Gospel of our lord Jesus Christ or doing something particular for Jesus at church, the little ones should always endeavor to pleas Him. Even as a little boy, Samuel was a faithful servant at the Temple. The little maid in II Kings chapter five earnestly bade her master to to seek the man of God

But Samuel ministered before the LORD, being a child, girded with a linen ephod. 19 Moreover his mother made him a little coat, and brought it to him from year to year, when she came up with her husband to offer the yearly sacrifice. 20 And Eli blessed Elkanah and his wife, and said, The LORD give thee seed of this woman for the loan which is lent to the LORD. And they went unto their own home. I Sam 2:18-20

Now Naaman, captain of the host of the king of Syria, was a great man with his master, and honourable, because by him the LORD had given deliverance unto Syria: he was also a mighty man in valour, but he was a leper. 2 And the Syrians had gone out by companies, and had brought away captive out of the land of Israel a little maid; and she waited on Naaman's wife. 3 And she said unto her mistress, Would God my lord were with the prophet that is in Samaria! for he would recover him of his leprosy. II Kings 5:1-3

Children are a gift and a blessing from God. We as parents need to be sincere about raising them for Christ. Dedicating our children is a tradition that can only strengthen families and churches.

Children's children are the crown of old men; and the glory of children are their fathers. prov 17:6

Our Salvation

2006-06-29T16:19:00.000-04:00

Salvation is God’s gift of Love reaching out to fallen man. Religion is man’s way of reaching out to a Holy God. Biblical Salvation differs from man’s religion in a very basic and fundamental way. Religion denotes the myriad of avenues in which sinful man tries to earn salvation by doing “something.” Salvation, according to the Scriptures is solely based on “faith” in what God has done on our behalf by providing a perfect sacrifice to redeem us from our sin. The shed blood of the Lord Jesus Christ on the cross is the only means to access God’s forgiveness, and faith is the only way for us to receive God’s free and eternal gift.

Our Sin – This is our problem, plain & simple. We are “born dead in trespasses and sins” because we inherited a sin nature from Adam, our forefather. Our sin is what separates us from a holy God and renders us unqualified to spend an eternity with Him in Heaven.

As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one. Romans 3:10

For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God. Romans 3:23

Our Savior – Jesus is our only possible Biblical solution for having our sins forgiven. He is the only acceptable sacrifice and the ONLY avenue available for us to secure a home in Heaven for all eternity. His blood sacrifice is the only way to satisfy God’s demand for perfect holiness & righteousness. Jesus died on the cross in our place because of His infinite love for you & me. The depravity of the human soul renders us incapable of providing any means to save ourselves.

But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. Romans 5:8&9

Our Salvation – Salvation is a free gift from a loving God received only by faith and rooted in His loving grace. Each one of us must receive Christ into our heart as our very own Savior from sin.

That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. Romans 10:9

Our Repentance – We must turn from our sin to a Holy God. This doesn’t imply that we will be sinless, but that our desire will be in pleasing our Savior and not in the carnal enjoyment of the “pleasures of sin for a season.”

I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish. Luke 13:3

Our Receiving Christ – Knowing about Jesus is not good enough. The Bible requires that we are born again by the Holy Spirit by repenting and receiving Christ into our hearts by faith. Trusting Jesus as personal Savior is much deeper than repeating a prayer or having a spiritual experience.

But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name. John 1:12

Our Regeneration – Being born again provides a whole new and eternal life in Christ. This is not to be confused with the reformation of our existing life, but a life changing event that commences the very moment that we believe.

Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. II Corinthians 5:17

Our Assurance – God wants us to know that we belong to Him forever. He does not want us to wonder or worry. We must know our eternal destiny here in this life before we die and it is too late.

And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life. These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God. I John 5:11-13

For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. Romans 10:13

Grace

2006-06-12T14:23:00.000-04:00

The Bible clearly tells us that the Lord Jesus Christ came "full of grace & truth." It would benefit us as Christians to try and become more like our Savior each day. Some believers are full of truth but lack grace. Others are big on grace and void of the truth of God's word. It is evident that we need both!

John 1:14-17
And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth. 15 John bare witness of him, and cried, saying, This was he of whom I spake, He that cometh after me is preferred before me: for he was before me. 16 And of his fullness have all we received, and grace for grace. 17 For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus.

Salvation is also obtained by grace. Grace is receiving from God something that we don't deserve or God's unmerited favor. We are sinners and deserve to spend eternity in hell. But because of God's love in sending His Son Jesus to die in our place, we are saved by His grace when we repent and place our faith in the precious shed blood of our Savior's cross.

Acts 15:11
But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved, even as they.

Titus 2:11
For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men.

Ephesians 2:8&9
For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.

There are six areas in our lives that are performed by God's grace upon us.

Clothed - The Bible states that our Lord Jesus, even as a young child was "clothed with grace."

Luke 2:40
And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, filled with wisdom: and the grace of God was upon him.

I believe that the same grace covers or clothes each one of God's children who have been saved by grace. Grace is something that we put on each day and wear all the day through. It is possible to stand for the truth in a way that conveys God's grace to the unbelievers. It is this very grace coupled with truth that the Holy Ghost will use as a strong testimony for the Gospel in the lives of our loved ones, friends, neighbors and work mates. Remember always that you are clothed in grace.

Content - The apostle Paul gave a litany of sufferings that he experienced while serving God with all his being for many years in II Corinthians, chapter 11. He then tells of a miraculous spiritual experience that left him with a taste of heaven which God used to motivate him in his selfless Christian service. He claims that he learned to be content, no matter what the circumstance. It was the grace of God that provided him with that contentment as he went from city to city preaching the riches of Christ's Gospel. No matter what we are facing, God is still in control. He will do the same for us today as He did for the apostle Paul. The Lord often reveals His grace to us by revealing someone else's plight which is far worse than ours at the very moment we are about to be overtaken in self pity. His grace is sufficient!

II Corinthians 12:7-10
And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure. 8 For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. 9 And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 10 Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.

Commissioned - We see in this passage how the early church saints spread the Gospel in the mighty working power of the Holy Ghost with great grace enveloping each one. Want more Holy Spirit Power? Do you want to have a more powerful testimony and witness for the Lord Jesus Christ? Then pray for more grace.

Acts 4:33
And with great power gave the apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus: and great grace was upon them all.

Called - Are you a preacher, missionary, Sunday School teacher? Whatever your calling and service for the master be sure that it was all of His grace. It is truly a privilege to serve Him in whatever capacity He desires for us. We don't choose, He calls. We do not serve in our power but he empowers us with His precious gifts to enable us to be used of Him and give all the Glory to His precious name.

Galatians 1:15
But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother's womb, and called me by his grace.

II Timothy 1:8&9
Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner: but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God; 9 Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began

Courageous - I give the same advice to every young preacherboy preparing for the ministry. I tell them plainly, "Grow a hide, everything that you say can and will be used against you." As Christians we all need a strong backside. When provoked by someone energized by the devil to destroy our testimony or ruin a relationship, we need to respond in the Spirit and not react in the flesh. The strength to do this comes purely from grace. We ought to defend Christ, not ourselves. It's not about us, but about Him and his bloodstained cross.

II Timothy 2:1-6
Thou therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. 2 And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also. 3 Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. 4 No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier. 5 And if a man also strive for masteries, yet is he not crowned, except he strive lawfully. 6 The husbandman that laboureth must be first partaker of the fruits.

Continuous - This is the best part of all. His grace is never exhausted! It continues forever. It is always with us and will never leave us.

Ephesians 2:5-7
Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) 6 And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: 7 That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.

Got Grace?

For You!

2006-06-03T11:28:00.000-04:00

II Corinthians 12:14&15
14 Behold, the third time I am ready to come to you; and I will not be burdensome to you: for I seek not yours, but you: for the children ought not to lay up for the parents, but the parents for the children. 15 And I will very gladly spend and be spent for you; though the more abundantly I love you, the less I be loved.

Seek You - Paul told the problem plagued church members at Corinth that he was yearning for them. Not for what they had, or who they were; neither how they were able to benifit the church, but, he sought their very soul & spirit! He wanted them to give themselves wholly to the Lord. The Lord wants our hearts, that is to say, "all of us." The minister seeks his people out of a deep love for each of them that he might assist them in being spiritual and have their own personal relationship with the Savior according to the Spirit of God and in compliance with the Word of God. The preacher seeks them that they might seek Him, that is the Lord.

According to II Corinthians 8:1-5, This mission was a success as the people were wholly given and submitted to God and his perfect will. "Moreover, brethren, we do you to wit of the grace of God bestowed on the churches of Macedonia; 2 How that in a great trial of affliction the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded unto the riches of their liberality. 3 For to their power, I bear record, yea, and beyond their power they were willing of themselves; 4 Praying us with much intreaty that we would receive the gift, and take upon us the fellowship of the ministering to the saints. 5 And this they did, not as we hoped, but first gave their own selves to the Lord, and unto us by the will of God."

According to the Apostle's own testimony, Paul gave himself first to the Lord in every aspect of life holding back nothing.

Philippians 3:7-9
But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ. 8 Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ, 9 And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith.

Paul said, "I will very gladly spend and be spent for you." This is the love that every preacher must show his people. I am glad that when I was a young Christian that my Pastor showed a personal love and interest in my spiritual well being and helped me whenever I needed Him.

The Preacher seeks his people so that they might grow to serve and worship as Christians who please the Lord as they spend their days waiting for the Savior and ministering in and through the local church. "And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ." I Thes. 5:23.

Spent for You - Just as our Lord Jesus gave himself for the sheep, all good ministers of the gospel live to please Jesus and to bless and help the Christians that God has called them to reach with the Gospel and build up in the faith. Paul gave some moving last words to the church leaders of Ephesus in Acts 20:17-24:

"And from Miletus he sent to Ephesus, and called the elders of the church. 18 And when they were come to him, he said unto them, Ye know, from the first day that I came into Asia, after what manner I have been with you at all seasons, 19 Serving the Lord with all humility of mind, and with many tears, and temptations, which befell me by the lying in wait of the Jews: 20 And how I kept back nothing that was profitable unto you, but have shewed you, and have taught you publickly, and from house to house, 21 Testifying both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks, repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ. 22 And now, behold, I go bound in the spirit unto Jerusalem, not knowing the things that shall befall me there: 23 Save that the Holy Ghost witnesseth in every city, saying that bonds and afflictions abide me. 24 But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God."

His life did not matter, but their spirituality did. This was the very example that the church leaders witnessed so that they might carry on their leadership with Paul's example. I know many pastors who are spent trying to serve their people! Being a good pastor means giving to the saints and to the Lord in a sacrificial way.

Acts 21:10-13
And as we tarried there many days, there came down from Judaea a certain prophet, named Agabus. 11 And when he was come unto us, he took Paul's girdle, and bound his own hands and feet, and said, Thus saith the Holy Ghost, So shall the Jews at Jerusalem bind the man that owneth this girdle, and shall deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles. 12 And when we heard these things, both we, and they of that place, besought him not to go up to Jerusalem. 13 Then Paul answered, What mean ye to weep and to break mine heart? for I am ready not to be bound only, but also to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.

II Timothy 2:8-12
Remember that Jesus Christ of the seed of David was raised from the dead according to my gospel: 9 Wherein I suffer trouble, as an evil doer, even unto bonds; but the word of God is not bound. 10 Therefore I endure all things for the elect's sakes, that they may also obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory. 11 It is a faithful saying: For if we be dead with him, we shall also live with him: 12 If we suffer, we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us.

Love You - Love is the glue that holds us together with Christ. We must remember that our love is always in the Holy Ghost and can never be contrary to the Scripture. Love is not enabling our people to sin. Here are 5 things that we should know about love in order to effectivly minister:

1. Love is Commanded - John 15:9-12 "As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love. 10 If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love. 11 These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full. 12 This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you."

The command is not simply to love, but to love with the same quality that our Savior loved us. This command came from Jesus and should be stressed and followed just as seriously as the command to "go into all the world and preach the Gospel."

2. Love should be Confirmed - John 13:34&35 "A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. 35 By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another."

Our love for eachother should be confirmed by the unsaved. We should be concerned about the testimony of our church. Each one of us contribute to that testimony when we are out in the world. Is our church a place that they would feel welcome or is it just like the worlplace and like other social circles that are degraded by clicks, contention and division.

3. Love should Continue - I Thes. 3:12 "And the Lord make you to increase and abound in love one toward another, and toward all men, even as we do toward you."

Notice that our love for one another should not only continue, but should also increase! We ought to love who Jesus loves and He loves every one of his saints. I realize that all of us may be hard to love at times, but we must make that effort to maintain a sweet spirit in our church.

4. Love should be Complete - I Peter 1:22 "Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently."

We should love eachother fervently and completely. We may not always get along or agree. We may irritate eachother from time to time. But it is always important to love for "love covers a multitude of sins."

5. Love is Courageous - I John 3:16 "Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren."

True love is giving yourself for another like Christ did for us. We need to look around our church and ask ourself if we would be willing to give ourselves for the others sitting there. And if the answer is no, then we must ask our Savior to give us of His courageous love.

Paul said that the more he loved them, the less they seemed to love him. It is not easy being the preacher because you must always love the Lord enough to stand by His Word and not just tell people what they want to hear. You must love your people enough to tell them what's right eventhough it may be hard for them to swallow the truth. The devil attacks the church in two ways, from without and from within. The devil's favorite game is to turn the people against the preacher. If you are not walking with God you may find yourself mixed up in the devil's snare. Preachers need to love their people so that they know that they are being cared for and prayed for and loved.

Missions Revival 2006

2006-05-22T12:34:00.000-04:00

The last few weeks have been spent in preparation for our annual Missions Revival always held the week before Memorial Day. This year the Revival started Thursday evening, May 18th and ended on Sunday, May 21st. Dr. Don Davis, Director of Prayer Baptist Missions International was our main speaker and he brought two families from his mission board.

Moses Yoder, Pastor of Hardwick Bible Baptist Church, Hardwick, VT opened the conference with a captivating message on the "PERSON Driven Life" as opposed to the "Purpose Driven Life." The "person" of course, is the Lord Jesus Christ. Our worship and service must be motivated out of love for Him. Oftentimes many people are caught up in what they are doing rather than who they are doing it for! Pastor Yoder beautifully articulated why the Bible must be our basis for faith and practice rather than the latest fad or teachings of current popular personalities in Christianity.

Our Saturday Service started with breakfast at 9am ended with a great barbecue chicken dinner at noon. We held our meeting in between. It was such a blessing to have our first major conference at our new venue. We had plenty of room for seating and we were also able to set up tables for the two meals right in the auditorium. The kitchen was a real Godsend and we certainly appreciate the folks from our church who work so hard to be a blessing to us and the Lord.

Both missionaries spoke at the meeting. Joshua Sykes is a young man who is called to plant churches in the Mormon dominated state of Utah. He is a graduate of Crown College and has a wife, Christie, and two small children, Jesse and Chloe. Marty Goddard is a missionary to Mexico and brought his wife, Dawn, and their five children. They provided special music for the conference and Bro. Marty preached a great message on "Temptation."

The revival concluded on Sunday evening with a message from Bro. Sykes on, "Where is Your Faith," and a stirring message by Bro. Don on "Hindrances to Faith." Bro. Don highlighted the behavior of the Prodigal Son's elder brother who was displeased with his younger brother's repentance and return. He skillfully applied the message to all of us as we interact together in the local church. It was a wonderful week of blessing and fellowship and we thank our missionary guests as well as our own people who labored to make it such a special time.

Eating at the Hand of God

2006-04-24T20:24:00.000-04:00

The Bible is a book about giving. We are told in John 3:16 that "God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son." Christians ought to be giving people. Giving to God should be a joy, pleasure and priority. I feel so sorry for so many Christians who have not experienced the joy of giving. They are missing out on an important part of their relationship with the Lord. First let me illuminate the real problem. For some giving is about money. Biblically this is wrong for giving, like all other aspects of the Christian life is about faith.

Luke 21:1-4
And he looked up, and saw the rich men casting their gifts into the
treasury. 2 And he saw also a certain poor widow casting in thither two
mites. 3 And he said, Of a truth I say unto you, that this poor widow hath
cast in more than they all: 4 For all these have of their abundance cast in
unto the offerings of God: but she of her penury hath cast in all the living
that she had.

Faith, exemplified by the poor widow, is giving what God wants you to give and trusting him to provide. Simple but not always easy. The question that we must ask ourselves is this - are we providing for ourselves, or are we eating at the Hand of God? Often Christians trust the limits of their paycheck and the meager extras of overtime instead of the mighty outstretched arm of God. Many Christians have given up their church attendance to work a second job. God cannot bless this approach for it is carnal and not spiritual. The problem is that we like to be in control. Okay, come on now, admit it; wouldn't we be a whole lot better off if we allowed the God that spoke the universe into existence to control our lives, yes, even our finances? When we are in God's will and obedient to His word, His great provision provides far more than we can possible earn on our own and He supplies in ways unknown to our frail human logic proving once again that faith is the only way to please Him and receive His might bounty from glory. Trusting the Lord with our eternal soul took far more faith than trusting him with our finances. God's plan and program for this age is to work through the local church. That is where your giving should be focused. Eating at the hand of God and giving by faith will usher you into a spiritual realm that you may have not visited before. Here are 7 Biblical steps or principles to follow:

1. Start with Tithing (10%)
Some say that tithing was only meant under the dispensation of Law. Yet, Abraham tithed before the Law was given. He gave tithes to Melchizedek, King of Salem, who was a forshadowing of Christ to come.

Genesis 14:17-20
And the king of Sodom went out to meet him after his return from the
slaughter of Chedorlaomer, and of the kings that were with him, at the valley of
Shaveh, which is the king's dale. 18 And Melchizedek king of Salem brought
forth bread and wine: and he was the priest of the most high God. 19 And he
blessed him, and said, Blessed be Abram of the most high God, possessor of
heaven and earth: 20 And blessed be the most high God, which hath delivered
thine enemies into thy hand. And he gave him tithes of all.

Jacob vowed to tithe "of all that God would give him." Somehow he knew who was providing and what his responsibility was to give back of God's generosity.

Genesis 28:10-22
And Jacob went out from Beersheba, and went toward Haran. 11 And he
lighted upon a certain place, and tarried there all night, because the sun was
set; and he took of the stones of that place, and put them for his pillows, and
lay down in that place to sleep. 12 And he dreamed, and behold a ladder set
up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven: and behold the angels of
God ascending and descending on it. 13 And, behold, the LORD stood above
it, and said, I am the LORD God of Abraham thy father, and the God of Isaac: the
land whereon thou liest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed; 14 And
thy seed shall be as the dust of the earth, and thou shalt spread abroad to the
west, and to the east, and to the north, and to the south: and in thee and in
thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed. 15 And, behold, I
am with thee, and will keep thee in all places whither thou goest, and will
bring thee again into this land; for I will not leave thee, until I have done
that which I have spoken to thee of. 16 And
Jacob awaked out of his sleep, and he said, Surely the LORD is in this place;
and I knew it not. 17 And he was afraid, and said, How dreadful is this
place! this is none other but the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven.
18 And Jacob rose up early in the morning, and took the stone that he had
put for his pillows, and set it up for a pillar, and poured oil upon the top of
it. 19 And he called the name of that place Bethel: but the name of that
city was called Luz at the first. 20 And Jacob vowed a vow, saying, If God
will be with me, and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread
to eat, and raiment to put on, 21 So that I come again to my father's house
in peace; then shall the LORD be my God: 22 And this stone, which I have
set for a pillar, shall be God's house: and of all that thou shalt give me I
will surely give the tenth unto thee.

God determined that 10 % would be given for his work and service through the Levites. I don't know what Christians who don't give through their local church are thinking. How is the building payed for? How does the Pastor get payed? The answer usually is "through someone else's tithe."

Numbers 18:20&21
And the LORD spake unto Aaron, Thou shalt have no inheritance in their
land, neither shalt thou have any part among them: I am thy part and thine
inheritance among the children of Israel. 21 And, behold, I have given the
children of Levi all the tenth in Israel for an inheritance, for their service
which they serve, even the service of the tabernacle of the congregation.

People who think that Tithing is strictly OT have not read Hebrews chapter 7. God validates tithing for the NT as well. The illustration is regarding the account of Abraham paying tithes to Melchisedec. The point made is that the Aaronic priests who received tithes under the Law were the descendants of Abraham. So, why did Abraham pay tithes to Melchisedec? Because he was greater than Abraham. Hebrews 7 tells us that the priesthood of Melchisedec was also greater than the preisthood of Aaron. So if Abraham payed tithes to Melchisedec before the Law, and Jesus our Savior is a better high priest after the order of Melchisedec. Doesn't He deserve and expect our tithes in this age through the local church. If you are confused now please reread this until you grasp it.

Hebrews 7:1-10
For this Melchisedec, king of Salem, priest of the most high God, who met
Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings, and blessed
him; 2 To whom also Abraham gave a tenth part of all; first being by
interpretation King of righteousness, and after that also King of Salem,
which is, King of peace; 3 Without father, without mother, without
descent, having neither beginning of days, nor end of life; but made like
unto the Son of God; abideth a priest continually. 4 Now consider how
great this man was, unto whom even the patriarch Abraham gave the tenth of
the spoils. 5 And verily they that are of the sons of Levi, who receive
the office of the preisthood, have a commandment to take tithes of the
people according to the law, that is, of their brethren, though they come
out of the loins of Abraham: 6 But he whose descent is not counted from
them received tithes of Abraham, and blessed him that had the promises.
7 And without all contradiction the less is blessed of the better.
8 And here men that die receive tithes; but there he receiveth them, of
whom it is witnessed that he liveth. 9 And as I may so
say, Levi also, who receiveth tithes, payed tithes in Abraham. 10 For he
was yet in the loins of his father, when Melchisedec met him.

The fact is (don't get nervous here) that Tithing is the Start or Beginning of giving according to the NT. The next step is

2. Offerings

The Bible talks about Tithes and Offerings. Offerings refer to giving above and beyond the tithe which is given to the Lord and goes to the support of his church of which he is the head.

II Cor 8:1-11
Moreover, brethren, we do you to wit of the grace of God bestowed on the
churches of Macedonia; 2 How that in a great trial of affliction the
abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded unto the riches of their
liberality. 3 For to their power, I bear record, yea, and beyond their
power they were willing of themselves; 4 Praying us with much intreaty that
we would receive the gift, and take upon us the fellowship of the ministering to
the saints. 5 And this they did, not as we hoped, but first gave their own
selves to the Lord, and unto us by the will of God. 6 Insomuch that we
desired Titus, that as he had begun, so he would also finish in you the same
grace also. He urges the Corinthians to be liberal 7 Therefore, as ye abound in every
thing, in faith, and utterance, and knowledge, and in all diligence, and in your
love to us, see that ye abound in this grace also. 8 I speak not by
commandment, but by occasion of the forwardness of others, and to prove the
sincerity of your love. 9 For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ,
that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his
poverty might be rich. 10 And herein I give my advice: for this is
expedient for you, who have begun before, not only to do, but also to be forward
a year ago. 11 Now therefore perform the doing of it; that as there was a
readiness to will, so there may be a performance also out of that which ye have.
We should give Liberally (vs2). We should give Willingly
(vs3). We should give of Ourselves (vs5). Our giving should Abound (vss 7&10). We should give out of Love (vs8). According to vs 11 our giving is a Performance. Chapter 9, vs 7 says that we should give Cheerfully. Are you still with me? God
met every need exactly for those that "ate at the hand of God." (II Cor 8:15)
"As it is written, He that had gathered much had nothing over; and he that had
gathered little had no lack." If we are tight with God, he'll be tight with us. (II Cor 9:6) "But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully."

3. When should we give? Sunday - the First day

I Cor 16:1&2
Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I have given order to the
churches of Galatia, even so do ye. 2 Upon the first day of the week let
every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him, that there be
no gatherings when I come.

4. Give the Firstfruits
Always give to God First! Of your Gross pay, not net. God is like me, he doesn't care for leftovers. You give the government a lot more and they get theirs off the top. Show your Savior the same respect. If you don't, I will guarantee that you will never have any leftover and God won't get much if any.

Neh 10:35-39
And to bring the firstfruits of our ground, and the firstfruits
of all fruit of all trees, year by year, unto the house of the LORD: 36 Also
the firstborn of our sons, and of our cattle, as it is written in the law,
and the firstlings of our herds and of our flocks, to bring to the house of
our God, unto the priests that minister in the house of our God: 37 And that
we should bring the firstfruits of our dough, and our offerings, and the
fruit of all manner of trees, of wine and of oil, unto the priests, to the
chambers of the house of our God; and the tithes of our ground unto the
Levites, that the same Levites might have the tithes in all the cities of
our tillage. 38 And the priest the son of Aaron shall be with the Levites,
when the Levites take tithes: and the Levites shall bring up the tithe of
the tithes unto the house of our God, to the chambers, into the treasure
house.

5. Bring your gift to the House of God.
Some Christians will give to TV and radio ministries and a host of missionary endeavors instead of tithing to the church that they should belong to. This is wrong. Most churches sponsor missionaries through Faith Promise or dedicated missions giving in the local church. The idea of "individuals partnering" with certain missionaries is not a good idea in my opinion. Let the whole church get behind a missionary and pray for them. They will lose a lot less support once they get to the field. (Exodus 36:5) "And they space unto Moses, saying, The people bring much more than enough for the service of the work, which the LORD commanded to make."

6. Your giving should support the Man of God.
The preacher should not be the poorest man in the church. The church should honor God by caring well for their Pastor. He does not have to live lavishly but shouldn't have to beg either. (I Cor 9:14) "Even so hath the Lord ordained that they which preach the gospel should live of the gospel." I know how difficult it is to work full time and Pastor. I thank God that our church is able to support me well and has been for the past many years. That is a great testimony for a small church.

7. Giving invites the Blessings of God.
Everyone down South wants to be "under the spout where the blessings come out." Amen to that Brother. God will bless our obedience if we are sincere about eating at his hand.

Malachi 3:8-11
Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we
robbed thee? In tithes and offerings. 9 Ye are cursed with a curse: for ye
have robbed me, even this whole nation. 10 Bring ye all the tithes into the
storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith,
saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour
you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.
11 And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, and he shall not destroy
the fruits of your ground; neither shall your vine cast her fruit before the
time in the field, saith the LORD of hosts.

Giving is the one area in our Christian lives where God challenges us to put him to the test. He promises that he will open Heaven's windows and dump a heaping bucket full of blessing upon us for trusting Him and being faithful. However, he also warns that those who withhold are stealing from him. We would never think of putting our hand in the till but somehow not giving to God does not bother us as much. Not only do we rob from God when we don't give, but he claims that he allows the devil to take away from our spending power. Haggai called it "putting money in bags with holes." We can lay up treasure in heaven or serve the god of mammon and consume all that God has blessed us with on our own lusts. The key to understanding how to eat at the hand of God is found in the doctrine of Stewardship. You know well that "we are not our own" but that we are "bought with a price." And everything that we posses comes from the very hand of God. I am trying to encourage you to get in on one of the greatest blessings of the Christian life that will bring endless joy and encouragement to your Christian walk. There is nothing more wonderful than seeing God's hand at work in your life. Start giving and see what God does. You will be amazed.

Sign of Jonah

2006-04-23T20:32:00.000-04:00

The proof that Jesus gave to the unbelieving Pharisees that he was in fact the true Messiah was the "sign of the prophet Jonah. The Bible tells us clearly that Jesus our Savior, "died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures." I Cor 15:3&4. So then the "sign " of Jonah was a forshadowing of our Lord's death burial & resurrection. In fact, the cornerstone belief of Christianity is resurrection.

38 Then certain of the scribes and of the Pharisees answered, saying,
Master, we would see a sign from thee. 39 But he answered and said unto
them, An evil and adulterous generation seeketh
after a sign; and there shall no sign be given to it, but the sign
of the prophet Jonas: 40 For as Jonas was three days and three nights in
the whale's belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the
heart of the earth. 41 The men of Nineveh shall rise in judgment with this
generation, and shall condemn it: because they repented at the preaching of
Jonas; and, behold, a greater than Jonas is here. Matthew 12:38-41

In order for the sign of Jonah to be correct and accurate, I believe that it must also include resurrection and that there is Biblical evidence of this is in the Book of Jonah. Matthew 12 tells us that Jesus spent 3 days & nights in the heart of the earth and we also know from other Scriptures that he was physically dead. His resurrection is the victory over hell and death for all that believe. As Jonah spent the same amount of time in the belly of a great fish, I believe that he too was also resurrected.

Then Jonah prayed unto the LORD his God out of the fish's belly, 2 And
said, I cried by reason of mine affliction unto the LORD, and he heard me; out
of the belly of hell cried I, and thou heardest my voice. 3 For thou hadst
cast me into the deep, in the midst of the seas; and the floods compassed me
about: all thy billows and thy waves passed over me. 4 Then I said, I am
cast out of thy sight; yet I will look again toward thy holy temple. 5 The
waters compassed me about, even to the soul: the depth closed me round about,
the weeds were wrapped about my head. 6 I went down to the bottoms of the
mountains; the earth with her bars was about me for ever: yet hast thou brought
up my life from corruption, O LORD my God. 7 When my soul fainted within me
I remembered the LORD: and my prayer came in unto thee, into thine holy temple.
8 They that observe lying vanities forsake their own mercy. 9 But I
will sacrifice unto thee with the voice of thanksgiving; I will pay that that I
have vowed. Salvation is of the LORD. He is delivered from the fish 10 And the LORD spake unto the fish, and it vomited out Jonah upon the dry land. Jonah 2:1-10

Many unbelievers ask the question, "how could a man live for three full days submerged under water in the belly of a fish?" That is a great question! Eventhough I believe that ALL things are possible with God, I think that the Biblical answer regarding Jonah is that he didn't. When Jonah prayed in verse one, he cried out of the fish's belly. That word simply means "hollow place." In verse 2 he gives more detail and says that he cried out of the belly of hell. This is the OT word sheol equivalent to the NT hades which simply means "underworld." In verses 3&5 he speaks of being "compassed about" in the depths. Verse 6 gives the clearest evidence where he states that he "went down to the bottoms of the mountains," and that the "bars of the earth" were about him for ever. This certainly speaks of an "out of the belly experience" (please excuse the pun). He also claims that the Lord brought his life up from "corruption." I Cor 15 also uses this word to speak of physical death. I believe that the context here and that the sign Jesus gave clearly imply that Jonah had died physically and was resurrected. Chew on that for awhile, if you don't like it, you can always spit it out.

I also believe that when the apostle Paul was stoned at Lystra in 46AD, that he actually died and was brought to life again as the disciples stood round about him.

19 And there came thither certain Jews from Antioch and Iconium, who
persuaded the people, and, having stoned Paul, drew him out of the city,
supposing he had been dead. 20 Howbeit, as the disciples stood round about
him, he rose up, and came into the city: and the next day he departed with
Barnabas to Derbe. 21 And when they had preached the gospel to that city,
and had taught many, they returned again to Lystra, and to Iconium, and Antioch,
22 Confirming the souls of the disciples, and exhorting them to continue in
the faith, and that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of
God. Acts 14:19-22

In 60AD, Paul humbly writes about this experience in the third person so that people wouldn't not glory in him, but in the Lord.

1 It is not expedient for me doubtless to glory. I will come to visions and
revelations of the Lord. 2 I knew a man in Christ above fourteen years ago,
(whether in the body, I cannot tell; or whether out of the body, I cannot tell:
God knoweth;) such an one caught up to the third heaven. 3 And I knew such
a man, (whether in the body, or out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth;)
4 How that he was caught up into paradise, and heard unspeakable words,
which it is not lawful for a man to utter. 5 Of such an one will I glory:
yet of myself I will not glory, but in mine infirmities. 6 For though I
would desire to glory, I shall not be a fool; for I will say the truth: but now
I forbear, lest any man should think of me above that which he seeth me to be,
or that he heareth of me. 7 And lest I should be exalted above measure
through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the
flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above
measure. II Cor 12:1-7

In verse 2, Paul states that it was 14 years previous. If you examine the context you will discover that he was trying to deflect all attention away from him personally. If you read the previous chapter you will be amazed at what Paul suffered to serve Christ and establish the churches. I have no doubt that this "glimpse of Glory" is what motivated him and kept him going unto the very end. Paul said in Romans 8:18, "For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us."

The Bible does not teach "soul sleep." It clearly states that when we are "absent from the body," we are "present with the Lord." II Cor 5:8. We are created in God's image and likeness, we are tri-partate being consisting of body, soul and spirit. When we die, our soul & spirit go directly to Heaven (if we are saved) and our bodies go into the grave. I Thess 4:13-18 explains this perfectly:

But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are
asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. 14 For if we
believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus
will God bring with him. 15 For this we say unto you by the word of the
Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not
prevent them which are asleep. 16 For the Lord himself shall descend from
heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God:
and the dead in Christ shall rise first: 17 Then we which are alive and
remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in
the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. 18 Wherefore comfort one
another with these words.

The Bible teaches that the bodies of the dead in Christ are in a state of "sleep" while waiting to be resurrected and glorified when united with the soul & spirit at Christ's return. Christ's resurrection makes it possible and even immutable for Christians to take part in the "sign of Jonah." The next time some zodiac loving unbeliever asks me what my sign is - I think I'll be like Jesus and just say , Jonah.

Valley News Goes to Church

2006-04-17T09:24:00.000-04:00

Olivet Church Celebrates Rebirth
Easter Services Finally Held in New Home
By Carolyn Lorié
Valley News Staff Writer

West Lebanon -- With wispy hair and a dress the color of cotton and daffodils, 18-month-old Emily Devers looks around the new church, wide-eyed and silent, as Pastor Joe Scearbo invokes the story of Jonah and the whale, the miracle of the raising of Lazarus and the Acts of the Apostles.
It is an Easter sermon about resurrection, but yesterday morning the story of the Olivet Baptist Church was one of being born again.
Started in 1993 by Scearbo, the church has grown from a handful of people gathering in the home Scearbo shares with his wife, Michele, to about 50 people showing up for sermons in a cramped space on Railroad Avenue to yesterday's inaugural service in the parish hall of the former Holy Redeemer Church on Maple Street.
“We are just so excited, because we've actually prayed about this whole property since the Catholic Church closed,” said Scearbo, minutes before his sermon.
The path to the parish hall, however, was a complicated one paved with deals between developers and a diocese, zoning board decisions and threats of lawsuits.
In 2003, Holy Redeemer Church closed because of a lack of priests, but the Catholic Diocese of Manchester held onto the property. Last year, it was in negations to sell the 3-acre lot, the church and the parish hall to Smith-Jackson, a development company based in Nashua, N.H. Part of the deal would have included ousting the Montessori School housed in the basement of the parish hall and selling that building to the Olivet Baptist Church. But Elise Thayer, head of the school, refused to leave, and threatened a lawsuit against the diocese.
In the meantime, the Lebanon Zoning Board rejected Smith-Jackson's plan to subdivide the lot, by selling the hall to Olivet, tearing down the old church and building single-family houses in its place. The deal eventually fell apart, leaving the school and the church facing an uncertain future.
Finally, Hanover developer Jolin Salazar-Kish bought the property, signed a five-year-lease with the school and rented the hall to Olivet.
“It's wonderful,” said parishoner, Lorraine Slack, of Lebanon. “We felt we needed growth and the lord led us to this space. And we feel the Holy Spirit already.”
Before starting the church, Scearbo, who is 48, was businessman living in the suburbs of Boston. He was raised a Catholic, but at 24 he said he was “called by the Lord” at which time he became a minister. Scearbo and Michele moved to Lebanon with their three children 13 years ago and put a sandwich board in their front yard inviting people to a bible-study class they held on Thursday evenings.
“We started with no one,” said Scearbo.
But word of the new church -- named for the mountain where Jesus was said to have spent his last hours in the garden of Gethsemane -- spread, and yesterday morning about 60 people gathered to listen to Scearbo preach. As he did so, he paced the dais, raised his arms and even jumped once to emphasize a “hallelujah.” He rarely looked at his notes and spoke in a stentorian voice that could be heard in the basement where the children had gathered for Sunday school.
Whatever twists and turns it took to get the church to Maple Street, its members, like Slack, spoke of the process in terms of faith and patience.
“It was a blessing because it showed us the power of God and the power of prayer,” said Rocky Moxley of Hartland.
Moxely said he joined the church five years ago and throughout Scearbo's preaching, he punctuated points by calling out: “Amen,” or “Yes, Lord God.”
Unlike many churches, which seem to be dominated by an aging population, Olivet has attracted a large group of young people. Among them are Michelle and Patrick Wade, who are 29 years old and 30 years old, respectively.
The couple moved to the Upper Valley from Michigan eight months ago with their two young sons and began searching for a spiritual home.
Though they have not officially joined Olivet, they said they are through looking. The Wades were one of many couples who held babies and toddlers on their laps throughout the service.
The church has about 50 core members, which Scearbo described as having a “great spirit” and being “one big happy family.” The hope, he said, is to double in number over the next five to 10 years -- but to not change in the process.
“My goal is to strive to maintain that spirit as we grow in the future,” he said.
As Scearbo closed his first sermon in the parish hall on Maple Street, a muted gray light seeped through the windows, the congregation stood for a final hymn and Emily Devers slept on her father's shoulder.
Valley News staff writer, Mark Davis, contributed to this article.
Carolyn LoriÐ can be reached at clorie@valleynews.com or (603) 727-3220.
Photo by James M. Patterson, Valley News

Easter

2006-04-10T13:07:00.000-04:00

Now about that time Herod the king stretched forth his hands to vex certain of the church. And he killed James the brother of John with the sword. And because he saw it pleased the Jews, he proceeded further to take Peter also. (Then were the days of unleavened bread.) And when he had apprehended him, he put him in prison, and delivered him to four quaternions of soldiers to keep him; intending after Easter to bring him forth to the people. Acts 12:1-4

This is the only place in the Bible that the word Easter is found. I have been told many times by many Christians over many years that my beloved King James Bible has a mistake in this verse and the "correct" translation should be Passover. Since I believe and the Bible claims not just to be inspired but also to be preserved; and that the Word of God is inerrant and infallible, I cannot let this false charge to go unanswered. The KJV differs from all modern bible versions in that it is the only one that originates from the correct source, the Received Text or Textus Receptus. All other bibles come from or are at least influenced by the Alexandrian text which I believe to be corrupt. Although these versions differ in thousands of passages, to the best of my knowledge they all incorrectly translate the word Pascha as Passover in Acts 12:4.

Why did the KJV translators, who were noted for being consistent in translating words according to their context, use the word Easter in this passage alone and not use the word Passover as they did in every other occurrence? The answer is simple - it would just plain be incorrect!

Please note the context here. The subject is a heathen King (Herod) who is persecuting believers to please the Pharisees. The Jews honored the Passover, however the heathen celebrated Easter ( not exactly the same as our "Christian" Easter).

Secondly, I am told by Greek speaking people that they use the same word pascha when referring to orthodox Easter.

Lastly, and most importantly, Easter is the only translation of this passage that agrees with Scripture.

12 For I will pass through the land of Egypt this night, and will smite all the
firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of
Egypt I will execute judgment: I am the LORD. 13 And the blood shall be to
you for a token upon the houses where ye are: and when I see the blood, I will
pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you, when I smite
the land of Egypt. 14 And this day shall be unto you for a memorial; and ye
shall keep it a feast to the LORD throughout your generations; ye shall keep it
a feast by an ordinance for ever. 15 Seven days shall ye eat unleavened
bread; even the first day ye shall put away leaven out of your houses: for
whosoever eateth leavened bread from the first day until the seventh day, that
soul shall be cut off from Israel. 16 And in the first day there shall be
an holy convocation, and in the seventh day there shall be an holy convocation
to you; no manner of work shall be done in them, save that which every man must
eat, that only may be done of you. 17 And ye shall observe the feast of
unleavened bread; for in this selfsame day have I brought your armies out of the
land of Egypt: therefore shall ye observe this day in your generations by an
ordinance for ever. 18 In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the
month at even, ye shall eat unleavened bread, until the one and twentieth day of
the month at even. Exodus 12:12-18

Notice the date of the Passover, it is the first month and the fourteenth day and it is followed by the Feast of Unleavened Bread.

In the fourteenth day of the first month at even is the LORD'S Passover.
And on the fifteenth day of the same month is the feast of unleavened
bread unto the LORD: seven days ye must eat unleavened bread. Lev 23:5&6

Looking back at Acts 12:3, we see that Passover had already gone by for "Then were the days of unleavened bread." Verse 4 plainly states that it was Herod's intent to bring forth Peter to trial and execution after Pascha. Since Passover was over and the feast of Unleavened Bread was already being observed (vs 3), the only correct translation is to use the word that agrees with scripture and is most likely the same context used by a heathen king. I believe that word in this lone passage to correctly be Easter.

Believers Baptism

2006-04-07T14:25:00.000-04:00

There are a wide variety of doctrines associated with baptism and I would like to explain Baptism in the NT and comment on a couple of errant views. First, the word baptizo literally means "immersion." Sprinkling or pouring is not the same as scriptural immersion. Immersion is the only correct manner because it fulfills the picture of the gospel in Romans 6, meaning death, burial and resurrection.

Baptism's Purpose

The purpose of baptism has always been for identification. Long before John the Baptist, religious sects and secret societies required baptism as an official part of initiation or acceptance thus proclaiming ones identification as part of that group or sect. So long before Christian baptism, Satan had a counterfit baptism as explained so well by Rev. Hislop in his work called Two Babylons. Because the method was by immersion, and the purpose was for identification, this prevented what is currently practiced around the globe regarding infant baptism which is by sprinkling or pouring. This is why it is called, believers Baptism.

In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judea, And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. For this is he that was spoken of by the prophet Esaias, saying, The voice of
one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight. And the same John had his raiment of camel's hair, and a
leathern girdle about his loins; and his meat was locusts and wild honey.
Then went out to him Jerusalem, and all Judea, and all the region round
about Jordan, And were baptized of him in Jordan, confessing their
sins. Matthew 3:1-6
John was certainly preaching the Gospel of the Kingdom when he cried for repentance and identification with the Kingdom at hand. It was John who was ordained of old to introduce the King of the Kingdom shouting, "prepare ye the way of the Lord."
Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John, to be baptized of him. But John forbad him, saying, I have need to be baptized of thee, and
comest thou to me? And Jesus answering said unto him, Suffer it to be so
now: for thus it becometh us to fulfill all righteousness. Then he suffered him. And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him: And lo a voice from
heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. (vs13-17)
Some wonder why Jesus himself demanded of John to be baptized. Since John was the chosen one to herald the first advent of the Messiah, Jesus himself was immersed to identify not just with the Kingdom, but also as the King. God bearing him witness by the Holy Spirit in the form of a dove, and by the voice from heaven proclaiming Christ as well.
Paul, in Acts 19:1-6, meeting Appolos and his crew asked what baptism they had received. When they responded "the baptism of John," Paul baptized them over again in Christ. Why? So that they would correctly identify with the current message being the Gospel of Christ's death, burial and resurrection.
Although the disciple's of Appolos in Acts 19 received the Holy Spirit at that time we must remember that the book of Acts was the transitional book taking us from the Gospels (law) to the new dispensation of Grace or the Church age. According to Mark 16:19&20, The Lord gave his "stamp of approval" to the early church disciples while the churches were born and the NT nearing completion. Cf: I Cor 13:8-12.
So then after the Lord had spoken unto them, he was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God. And they went forth, and preached every where, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following. Amen.
Not The Same As Spirit Baptism
Water baptism and spirit baptism are not the same. On the day of Pentecost in Acts 2, the early church disciples were baptized with the Holy Ghost the day the church was born. Then, those that gladly received the word were baptized by water upon their profession of faith in Christ, Jesus. (vs 41)
For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit. I Cor 12:13
The context of this passage is obviously refering to "Spirit Baptism." The Bible clearly teaches that for NT Believers in this age, we are baptized by the Holy Ghost the moment we believe. His Spirit quickens or brings to life our dead spirit and we are Born from above according to John 3.
Not only are we baptized with the Holy Ghost the moment we repent and receive Christ; we are also sealed by His Spirit. Once the Church Age had commenced and the NT completed there was no longer any need for the "laying on of hands" in order to receive the Holy Spirit as cataloged in Acts 19:1-6 regarding those that were saved under John's ministry and message. We now are sealed from the moment we believe.
That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ.
In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the
gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, Which is the earnest of our
inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory. Eph 1:12-14
In ancient times, declarations from the king were irrevocable when "sealed with the King's signet." Although we are able to grieve and quench the Holy Ghost within, as children of Heaven we are sealed by the Holy Ghost for all eternity Cf: II Cor 1:22 & 5:5. Ephesians 1:13 claims that being sealed by the Holy Ghost is God's earnest of our inheritance in Glory and for the redemption of the purchased possession - meaning our bodies. The word earnest means downpayment! Being sealed by God's Holy Spirit is His downpayment on those of us who were "bought with a price," even the precious blood of Christ." I Cor 6:30
Since we are sealed the moment we trust Jesus as our very own personal Savior, and because Spirit baptism and water baptism are different events, the idea of receiving a "second blessing" and loosing one's salvation do not hold up under careful examination of the Scriptures. Those that teach the second blessing believe that Spirit baptism happens post salvation and is also associated with evidence such as "speaking in tongues." I will address Eternal Security at another time.
Some also teach that water baptism is a necessary part of salvation. The first question that comes to mind is, "what about the thief on the cross?" To this they answer that Water Baptism only became essential after Christ's crucifixion. My following question is always "What about those that were saved under John the Baptist?" Christ had not yet been slain yet those disciples were instructed to be baptized! If it was not necessary, why were they compelled to do it. Of course, they have no answer. I also like to take them to I Corinthians 1;14-18.
I thank God that I baptized none of you, but Crispus and Gaius; Lest any
should say that I had baptized in mine own name. And I baptized also the household of Stephanas: besides, I know not whether I baptized any other. For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect. For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.
Paul clearly states that Christ sent him "not to baptize, but to preach the gospel." Of course, they are unable to answer this as well. We are to preach "all the Counsel" of God and "compare spiritual with spiritual" (scripture with scripture). When a doctrine is made from a single scripture or is largely confined to only one or two books of the Bible. We should immediately be suspect.
Not Required For Salvation
According to Romans 6:3-5, baptism is a picture of the gospel.
Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection.

It is very clear in the NT that baptism does not save. Baptism pictures the Gospel and enables us to identify with Christ's death, burial & resurrection on the cross for our sins. Baptism is our outward & public declaration that our hope for eternity lies squarely on the sacrifice of our Savior, Jesus. We are baptized after salvation in obedience to his will and Word. Just because it is not essential for salvation does not mean that it is not important!
When the early churches were established in the Book of Acts, those that were saved were baptized shortly after their profession of faith to be obedient to Christ and to publicly declare their faith in Him.
Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls.
the apostles work miracles And they continued steadfastly
in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in
prayers. Acts 2:41 & 42
Then Philip opened his mouth, and began at the same scripture, and preached unto him Jesus. And as they went on their way, they came unto a certain water: and the eunuch said, See, here is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized? And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. And he commanded the chariot to stand still: and they went down both into the water, both Philip and the eunuch; and he baptized him. Acts 8:35-38
Note: verse 37, containing the gospel ("if thou believest with all thine heart") is missing from most modern bible versions.
And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved? And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house. And they spake unto him the word of the Lord, and to all that were in his house. And he took them the same hour of the night, and washed their stripes; and was baptized, he and all his, straightway. And when he had brought them into his house, he set meat before them, and rejoiced, believing in God with all his house. Act 16:30-34

The question in Acts 2:37 is simply "what shall we do?" The answer in verse 38 is " repent and be baptized everyone of you in the name of Jesus Christ, for the remission of sins." The converts of the first church at Jerusalem asked a general question. I believe that Peter correctly tells them to get saved and get baptized. The Question from the Philippian jailer in Acts 16:30 is more specific, he asks "what must I do to be saved." The answer in verse 31 is simply "believe on the Lord Jesus Christ." Notice that the whole family believed the gospel and made a public declaration that same night through believers Baptism.
Commanded By Christ
Eventhough baptism does not save, the most important reason for every Born Again Believer to be immersed is because Jesus commanded it.
Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, into a mountain where Jesus had appointed them. And when they saw him, they worshipped him: but some doubted. And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen. Matthew 28:16-20
Jesus commanded that His disciples be baptized publicly in the name of the Father, Son & Holy Ghost. Baptism is an important step in the spiritual life of the believer to identify with the gospel and to be obedient to Christ's command. Baptism is the believers public proclamation of faith in Christ just as the Lord's Supper is a local church's public & corporate testimony of faith in Christ.

Pastor's Report 2005

2006-03-24T15:21:00.000-05:00

This past year led our church through many ups & downs and trials and blessings. At the end of the year I can still truly say, “Praise God for His manifold Blessings.” The wedding of our daughter Elizabeth to Eric Shamansky on February 19th marked the start of 2005 with a very joyous occasion. Although I could barely walk due to a trial with tendonitis in my ankle, it was truly a blessing to officiate the ceremony of my last child to be wed. I was also honored to conduct a wedding service for Monica & Tony Kalacinsky on September 17th at Sunnymede Farm in Hartland, Vermont.

March 19th was a sad day for our church family as we said goodbye to a beloved sister in Christ. That Saturday, we packed over 90 people in our small church for the Funeral Service of our dear friend Ellen Marquay. “Mom” (as we affectionately called her) would have been very happy to know that the celebration of her entrance into Glory brought more people than ever to Olivet Baptist Church.

Hanover Terrace still remains my main focus of community outreach as I visit to encourage our senior friends in the Lord each week. Although too often friends pass on, it is always a blessing to have given them the Gospel. I would like to thank our people who minister with me at the services there. We also started a monthly service at the Westboro House in West Lebanon, NH. We thank God for this opportunity and the pleasure to see “Gram” (Beverly Potwin) each time we go.

Our annual Missions Revival was held on May 19-22. Bro Don Davis brought Arnold & Wanda Worley, Transporters for Christ, and the Mark Hill Family, missionaries to Ireland. It was a wonderful conference and both missionaries were supported by our church. Our Faith Promise Missions Giving was over $40K for the third year in a row.

The Rolands came again this November and treated us to our yearly dose of Southern Gospel Music. It is always exciting to have the Rolands sing at our church and quite uplifting.

Although the church was already too full on Sunday Mornings, the Lord brought in new people and some souls were saved at the end of the year. It is so encouraging to see God’s hand at work in our ministry.

The end of the year was also marked with the calling of Bro. Joe Poissant to the Pastorate of Green Mountain Baptist Church in Rutland, Vermont. Joe & Belinda faithfully and sacrificially served the Savior in our church and we were most delighted to see God lead them to a ministry of their own.

Our annual Christmas Gathering and Pageant was a smashing success. The children did a great job with the program as many relatives and visitors attended. The meal was fantastic as usual. We had record attendance in excess of 120 people at the Senior Center in Lebanon.

The year was most remembered by a lengthy endeavor to expand our ministry through the purchase of the Parish Center of the former Holy Redeemer Catholic Church on Maple Street. In April, we agreed to a purchase price with a development firm under contract with the Catholic Church. The developers were to subdivide the property, sell us the Parish Center and tear down the church building to construct a handful of new homes. Later in August, we began the second phase of this endeavor by requesting approval from the City of Lebanon Zoning Board. After 3 months and three times going before the board we were unable to gain approval. This nullified our contract with the developers and their contract with the church. In November, the property was purchased by a local investment firm and we began negotiating with them, leading us to our present situation. I praise God that our people did not give up faith and hope in the power of our God to provide in a miraculous way. I would like to thank all of our people for their service to Olivet Baptist Church as well as the opportunity and privilege to worship with each one of you. You make our church the special place that it is. I Corinthians 15:58.

Healthcare for Christians

2006-03-20T15:01:00.000-05:00

With so many pastors, missionaries and church members needing affordable healthcare, here are some possible options to choose from:

Medi-Share is an affordable and biblical alternative to health insurance. It is a non-profit organization that gives Christian families the care they need without paying for the health issues related to the sins of the unsaved. Plan members must have a salvation testimony and current church membership and agree to abstain from sex outside of marriage, alcohol, tobacco and drugs. Family plans start at $232 per month for the 911 plan which carries a $911 deductible per incident and the 250 plan which is a $250 deductible per year for $374 per month. For more info check their website at www.medi-share.org.

Evangelical Benifit Trust is a full blown PPO Health Insurance plan offered to ministers and Christian workers under a group plan for each church or organization. They offer 3 levels of coverage that include a prescription drug plan. Plans and rates are tailored to fit individual needs. For example, their 90/70 plan pays 90% coverage for in program and 70% out of program with a $250 deductible. They also offer an 80/60 plan with up to a $2000 deductible. Rates are based on individuals health and the particular program and deductible chosen. They can be reached at 866.902.6227 or at www.churchplan.org.

Olivet Baptist Church Relocating

2006-03-16T13:21:00.000-05:00

OBC will be moving just a block up the street to our new location at 44 Maple Street, West Lebanon, NH. We will be meeting in the former parish center of the Holy Redeemer Catholic Church. We have been praying about this particular property for over two years now and believe that it is God's will for us to worship there. Our plan and desire is to purchase the property at the expiration of our lease. Our immediate goal is to turn the hall into a Sanctuary so that our local church may receive more people. We hope to have our first service at our new location sometime in April. Praise God for His Faithfulness!

Biblical Issues

2006-03-14T10:07:00.000-05:00

Although these issues may be controversial to some and others may not agree, I believe that there is sufficient evidence in Scripture to claim the following statements as Biblical Truth:

Racism
Mankind was made in the image of God; every person is a descendent of Adam through Noah and his sons, from whom the races came; that unkind and unjust behavior toward someone on the basis of circumstances of birth is oppressive and forbidden by the Bible; the Lord Jesus demonstrated that right behavior toward someone of another race; and the presence of racist notions among believers is especially abhorrent to God because all who are in Christ are cherished by Christ, who is no respecter of persons. Gen. 1:27; 10:1; Exodus 22:21; Malachi 2:10; James 2:9; Eph. 5:29-30; Acts 10:34-35.

Separation
All the saved should live in such a manner as not to bring reproach upon their Savior and Lord. God commands His people to separate from all religious apostasy, all worldly and sinful pleasures, practices, and associations, and to refrain from all immodest and immoderate appearances. Rom. 12:1-2; 14:13; II Cor. 6:14-7:1; II Tim. 3:1-5; I John 2:15-17;
II John 9-11; Lev. 19:28; I Cor. 6:19-20.

The Personality of Satan
Satan is an actual being, the author of sin and the cause of the Fall of Man; he is the open and declared enemy of God and man; and he shall be eternally punished in the Lake of Fire. Job 1:6-7; Isa. 14:12-17; Matt. 4:2-11; 25:41; Rev. 20:10.

Creation
God created the universe in six literal, 24-hour periods. We reject evolution, the Gap Theory, the Day-Age Theory, and Theistic Evolution as unscriptural theories of origin.
Gen. 1-2; Ex. 20:11.

Civil Government
God has ordained and created all authority consisting of three basic institutions: the home, the church and the state. Every person is subject to these authorities, but all (including the authorities themselves) are answerable to God and governed by His Word. God has given each institution specific Biblical responsibilities and balanced those responsibilities with the understanding that no institution has the right to infringe upon the other. The home, the church, and the state are equal and sovereign in their respective Biblically assigned spheres of responsibility under God. Rom. 13:1-7; Eph. 5:22-24; Heb. 13:17; I Pet. 2:13-14.

Human Sexuality

1. God has commanded that no intimate sexual activity be engaged in outside of a marriage between a man and a woman. Any form of homosexuality, lesbianism, bisexuality, bestiality, incest, fornication, adultery and pornography are sinful perversions of God’s gift of sex. God disapproves of and forbids any attempt to alter one’s gender by surgery or appearance. Gen. 2:24; Gen. 19:5, 13; Gen. 26:8-9; Lev. 18:1-30; Rom. 1: 26-29; I Cor. 5:1; 6:9; I Thess.4:1-8; Heb. 13:4.

2. The only legitimate marriage is the joining of one man and one woman. Gen. 2:24; Rom. 7:2; I Cor. 7:10; Eph. 5:22-23.

Family Relationships

1. Men and women are spiritually equal in position before God but God has ordained distinct and separate spiritual functions for men and women in the home and the church. The husband is to be the leader of the home and men are to be the leaders (pastors, elders and deacons) of the church. Accordingly, only men are eligible for ordination by the church. Gal. 3:28; Col. 3:18; I Tim. 2:8-15; 3:4-5, 12.

2. God has ordained the family as the foundational institution of human society. The husband is to love his wife as Christ loves the church. The wife is to submit herself to the Scriptural leadership of her husband as the church submits to the headship of Christ. Children are an heritage from the Lord. Parents are responsible for teaching their children spiritual and moral values and leading them, through consistent lifestyle example and appropriate discipline, including Scriptural corporal correction. Gen. 1:26-28; Ex. 20:12; Deut. 6:4-9; Ps. 127:3-5; Prov. 19:18; 22:15; 23:13-14; Mk. 10:6-12; I Cor. 7:1-16; Eph. 5:21-33; 6:1-4, Col. 3:18-21; Heb. 13:4; I Pet. 3:1-7.

Divorce and Remarriage
God disapproves of divorce and intends marriage to last until one of the spouses dies. Divorce and remarriage are permitted in the case of fornication. Although divorced and remarried persons or divorced persons may hold positions of service in the church and be greatly used of God for Christian service, they may not be considered for the offices of pastor, elder or deacon. Just as our Lord loves and forgives, we do not judge or look down upon those that have made mistakes in their lives, but try to encourage them as Christians. Mal. 2:14-17; Matt. 19:3-12; Rom. 7:1-3; I Tim. 3:2, 12; Titus 1:6.

Abortion
Human life begins at conception and that the unborn child is a living human being. Abortion constitutes the taking of unborn human life and is murder. We reject any teaching that abortions of pregnancies due to rape, incest, birth defects, gender selection, birth or population control, or the physical or mental well being of the mother are acceptable.
Job 3:16; Ps. 51:5; 139:14-16; Isa. 44:24; 49:1, 5; Jer. 1:5; 20:15-18; Luke 1:44.

Love
We should demonstrate love for others, not only toward fellow believers, but also toward both those who are not believers and those who oppose us. We are to deal with those who oppose us graciously, gently, patiently, and humbly. God forbids the stirring up of strife, the taking of revenge, or the threat or the use of violence as a means of resolving personal conflict or obtaining personal justice. Although God commands us to abhor sinful actions, we are to love and pray for any person who engages in such sinful actions. Lev. 19:18; Matt. 5:44-48; Luke 6:31; John 13:34-35; Rom. 12:9-10; 17-21; 13:8-10; Phil. 2:2-4; Col. 3:12-15; II Tim. 2:24-26; Titus 3:2; I John 3:17-18.

Missions
God has given the church a great commission to proclaim the Gospel to all nations so that there might be a great multitude from every nation, tribe, ethnic group, and language group who believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. That commission begins in our community, extends throughout our country and reaches to the ends of the earth. Matt. 28:19-20; Mark 16:15; Luke 24:46-48; John 20:21; Acts 1:8; II Cor. 5:20.

Giving
Every Christian is a steward of that portion of God’s wealth entrusted to him, is obligated to support his local church financially. God has established the tithe as a basis for giving, but every Christian should also give other offerings sacrificially and cheerfully to the support of the church, the relief of those in need, and the spread of the Gospel. A Christian relinquishes all rights to direct the use of the tithe or offering once the gift has been made. Gen. 14:20; Prov. 3:9-10; Acts 4:34-37; I Cor. 9:11-14; I Cor. 16:2; II Cor. 8:1-3, 7-15; II Cor. 9:6-7; Gal. 6:6; Eph. 4:28; I Tim. 5:17-18; I John 3:17.

Sign Gifts
The sign gifts of the Holy Spirit, such as speaking in tongues, prophesy, knowledge and gifts of healing were temporarily used by God during a transitional period of the conception and the empowering of the early church. Speaking in tongues was never the common or necessary sign of the baptism or filling of the Holy Spirit. We believe that God does miraculously heal individuals in answer to prayer, but deny special apostolic power that was given primarily to the early church disciples. I Cor. 1:22; 13:8; 14:21-22; Heb. 2:3-4.

Bible Believers

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On our church sign and literature you will find that we refer to ourselves as Bible Believers. This means that we believe the Holy Scripture and endeavor to live by it. Our church verse is Philippians 1:17b, “set for the defense of the gospel.” We take the Word of God for what it plainly teaches and practice it by faith without apology. To please the Lord Jesus Christ and live for eternity is our ambition. We are for what God is for and against what God is against. Our aim is to encourage and convict so that the child of God may be fruitful in their Christian walk. We do not add or take away from the doctrines of scripture. When necessary, we warn the precious souls in our congregation against false teaching as commanded in the Bible. For those instances when the Bible is not clear we encourage our people to pray and seek God’s will and develop their own convictions as God leads. We believe this to be the true sense of Christian Liberty as taught in Romans 14. It is not our purpose to straighten every crooked stick or to force our views on anyone, only the Holy Ghost, through the Word of God and by the power of God can accomplish that task. We love and respect every truly born again child of God, eventhough we may not agree with their doctrine or practices.

We have been called legalists by more liberal Christians because we believe and obey the Bible and do not agree with their opinions. The more militant Christains have likewise labeled us as liberals. Because we do not agree with all of their convictions, we are viewed as on the fence and not taking a stand. We are neither legalists nor liberals but Bible Believers. My experience with those on the left has been that their beliefs are in some part based on what they think and how the feel and not solely based on Scripture. My experience with those on the right has been that their convictions have been placed above their beliefs and what they hold to generally comes from the views of a well known preacher and not from the Bible. As independent churches, we are to stand on the doctrines of the Bible and respect eachother’s convictions. It is human nature to gravitate towards extremes. We only become compromisers when we depart from God’s Word, either to the right or to the left. The only label that I care to pursue is that from the Lord Jesus himself, “well done thou good and faithful servant.” Amen

Booze or the Bible?

2006-03-14T09:57:00.000-05:00

Proverbs 14:12
There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.

Does the Bible support social drinking for believers or teach abstinence? A careful examination of Scripture along with prayerfully seeking God's will should lead us to an obvious conclusion. Let us consider the following:

I. Common Words Used For Wine

A. Old Testament

Wine, (yayin) - usually fermented or alcoholic.
Strong drink, (shekar) - prepared or distilled from grain, intoxicating.
Mixed wine, (mesek) - a mixture of wine and drugs.

When wine was used for religious purposes it was customary to mix it with water, thus diluting the alcoholic content or consume moderate amounts in between courses of prepared food.

B. New Testament

Wine, (oinos) - any extract derived from a fruit or vegetable.

This word is used generically throughout the New Testament and can represent juice or fermented wine depending on the context or circumstance.

II. Examples Of Abstinence Commanded By God

A. For Priests to be sanctified in their service for God. Drinking is deemed unholy and unclean.

Leviticus 10:9-10
Do not drink wine nor strong drink, thou, nor thy sons with thee, when ye go into the tabernacle of the congregation, lest ye die: it shall be a statute for ever throughout your generations: And that ye may put difference between holy and unholy, and between unclean and clean.

B. For Nazarites to be sanctified in their vow of fellowship with God. Abstinence is essential to walking with the Lord.

Numbers 6:2-3
Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When either man or woman shall separate themselves to vow a vow of a Nazarite, to separate themselves unto the LORD: He shall separate himself from wine and strong drink, and shall drink no vinegar of wine, or vinegar of strong drink, neither shall he drink any liquor of grapes, nor eat moist grapes, or dried.

C. For Kings to be sanctified in their rule and judgment. Drinking is for the unbelievers that perish and are appointed to destruction.

Proverbs 31:4-8
It is not for kings, O Lemuel, it is not for kings to drink wine; nor for princes strong drink: Lest they drink, and forget the law, and pervert the judgment of any of the afflicted. Give strong drink unto him that is ready to perish, and wine unto those that be of heavy hearts. Let him drink, and forget his poverty, and remember his misery no more. Open thy mouth for the dumb in the cause of all such as are appointed to destruction.

D. For Church Elders to be sanctified in their office as overseers of our souls and spiritual well-being.

1 Timothy 3:3
Not given to wine, no striker, not greedy of filthy lucre; but patient, not a brawler, not covetous.

The phrase "not given to wine (paraoinos)" literally means: not staying near wine.

E. For Deacons to be sanctified in their office as administrators of church business.

1 Timothy 3:8
Likewise must the deacons be grave, not doubletongued, not given to much wine, not greedy of filthy lucre.

The phrase "not given (prosecho) to much wine" means: do not let wine "hold the mind" or pay attention to it. The Bible does not contradict itself, in I Timothy 5:23, Paul advises Timothy to use a little wine for his infirmities or for medicinal purposes only.

III. Examples Of Compliance To God's Commanded Abstinence.

A. The family of Rechabites remained obedient.

Jeremiah 35:14
The words of Jonadab the son of Rechab, that he commanded his sons not to drink wine, are performed; for unto this day they drink none, but obey their father's commandment: notwithstanding I have spoken unto you, rising early and speaking; but ye hearkened not unto me.

B. Daniel in captivity at the king's palace would not defile himself.

Daniel 1:8
But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king's meat, nor with the wine which he drank: therefore he requested of the prince of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself.

C. John the Baptist was filled with the Holy Spirit and forbidden to drink.

Luke 1:15
For he shall be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink; and he shall be filled with the Holy Ghost, even from his mother's womb.

IV. Warnings From God

A. God says that drinking is not only unwise but leads to self deception.

Proverbs 20:1
Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging: and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise.

B. God says that drinking causes negative emotional and physical conditions and leads to sin. He says not to even look upon it.

Proverbs 23:29-35
Who hath woe? who hath sorrow? who hath contentions? who hath babbling? who hath wounds without cause? who hath redness of eyes? They that tarry long at the wine; they that go to seek mixed wine. Look not thou upon the wine when it is red, when it giveth his colour in the cup, when it moveth itself aright. At the last it biteth like a serpent, and stingeth like an adder. Thine eyes shall behold strange women, and thine heart shall utter perverse things. Yea, thou shalt be as he that lieth down in the midst of the sea, or as he that lieth upon the top of a mast. They have stricken me, shalt thou say, and I was not sick; they have beaten me, and I felt it not: when shall I awake? I will seek it yet again.

C. God pronounces woe upon those who seek "the party life".

Isaiah 5:11
Woe unto them that rise up early in the morning, that they may follow strong drink; that continue until night, till wine inflame them!

D. God says that drinking causes irresponsibility, selfishness, and hopes of delusion.

Isaiah 56:9-12
All ye beasts of the field, come to devour, yea, all ye beasts in the forest. His watchmen are blind: they are all ignorant, they are all dumb dogs, they cannot bark; sleeping, lying down, loving to slumber. Yea, they are greedy dogs which can never have enough, and they are shepherds that cannot understand: they all look to their own way, every one for his gain, from his quarter. Come ye, say they, I will fetch wine, and we will fill ourselves with strong drink; and to morrow shall be as this day, and much more abundant.

E. God says that drinking feeds our flesh and leads to lustfulness.

Romans 13:13-14
Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying. But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfill the lusts thereof.

F. God says that drinking can keep the unsaved from entering Heaven unless they repent and trust in the blood of Christ.

1 Corinthians 6:9-11
Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.

G. God says that drinking leads to spiritual darkness and is unacceptable to the Lord.

Epheshians 5:8-11, 18
For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light: (For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth;) Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord. And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them.
And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit.

V. Examples Of Believers Involved In Drunkenness.

A. Noah became drunk and indiscreet after God saved him through the flood.

Genesis 9:20-21
And Noah began to be an husbandman, and he planted a vineyard: And he drank of the wine, and was drunken; and he was uncovered within his tent.

B. David tried to deceive Uriah with drunkenness after committing adultery with his wife.
2 Samuel 11:11-13
And Uriah said unto David, The ark, and Israel, and Judah, abide in tents; and my lord Joab, and the servants of my lord, are encamped in the open fields; shall I then go into mine house, to eat and to drink, and to lie with my wife? as thou livest, and as thy soul liveth, I will not do this thing. And David said to Uriah, Tarry here to day also, and to morrow I will let thee depart. So Uriah abode in Jerusalem that day, and the morrow. And when David had called him, he did eat and drink before him; and he made him drunk: and at even he went out to lie on his bed with the servants of his lord, but went not down to his house.

Notice that Uriah, one of David's mighty men, had more sense and dedication than the king in initially refusing to drink and that David's wicked scheme failed before Almighty God.

C. In the Parable of the Faithful Steward, the Lord teaches us that we ought to be prepared for his coming again and not be found in a backsliden and sinful state.

Luke 12:41-48
Then Peter said unto him, Lord, speakest thou this parable unto us, or even to all? And the Lord said, Who then is that faithful and wise steward, whom his lord shall make ruler over his household, to give them their portion of meat in due season? Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing. Of a truth I say unto you, that he will make him ruler over all that he hath. But and if that servant say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming; and shall begin to beat the menservants and maidens, and to eat and drink, and to be drunken; The lord of that servant will come in a day when he looketh not for him, and at an hour when he is not aware, and will cut him in sunder, and will appoint him his portion with the unbelievers. And that servant, which knew his lord's will, and prepared not himself, neither did according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes. But he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes. For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more.

D. The believers at Corinth involved in heretical beliefs were chastised for coming to church drunk.

1 Corinthians 11:19-22
For there must be also heresies among you, that they which are approved may be made manifest among you. When ye come together therefore into one place, this is not to eat the Lord's supper. For in eating every one taketh before other his own supper: and one is hungry, and another is drunken. What? have ye not houses to eat and to drink in? or despise ye the church of God, and shame them that have not? What shall I say to you? shall I praise you in this? I praise you not.

We have all witnessed destroyed lives and families as a result of alcoholism and abuse. Drinking never strengthens or builds up, it only destroys and tears down.

VI. The Example Of Jesus

Turning water into wine at the marriage feast of Cana was the first recorded miracle of the Lord Jesus Christ. It not only gave proof of his deity (John 1:14) but led to the salvation of many disciples.

John 2:1-11
And the third day there was a marriage in Cana of Galilee; and the mother of Jesus was there: And both Jesus was called, and his disciples, to the marriage. And when they wanted wine, the mother of Jesus saith unto him, They have no wine. Jesus saith unto her, Woman, what have I to do with thee? mine hour is not yet come. His mother saith unto the servants, Whatsoever he saith unto you, do it. And there were set there six waterpots of stone, after the manner of the purifying of the Jews, containing two or three firkins apiece. Jesus saith unto them, Fill the waterpots with water. And they filled them up to the brim. And he saith unto them, Draw out now, and bear unto the governor of the feast. And they bare it. When the ruler of the feast had tasted the water that was made wine, and knew not whence it was: (but the servants which drew the water knew;) the governor of the feast called the bridegroom, And saith unto him, Every man at the beginning doth set forth good wine; and when men have well drunk, then that which is worse: but thou hast kept the good wine until now. This beginning of miracles did Jesus in Cana of Galilee, and manifested forth his glory; and his disciples believed on him.

Jesus, the Living Word of God (logos, John 1:1), could in no way act contrary to the written Word of God. The following verses will conclude that, based on this premise, what Jesus made was grape juice and not fermented or alcoholic wine:

Romans 14:21
It is good neither to eat flesh, nor to drink wine, nor any thing whereby thy brother stumbleth, or is offended, or is made weak.

Habakkuk 2:15
Woe unto him that giveth his neighbour drink, that puttest thy bottle to him, and makest him drunken also, that thou mayest look on their nakedness!

Jesus was at a formal Jewish wedding ceremony and not a party. He was there for a purpose and in the perfect will of God. He did not go there to get drunk or provide alcohol for others.

Conclusion:

1 Thessalonians 5:21-22
Prove all things; hold fast that which is good. Abstain from all appearance of evil.

In order to prove what is good and acceptable before a holy and righteous God (Romans 12:1&2), we are told to refrain ourselves from anything which is remotely considered evil or sinful.

There are many humanistic programs developed to encourage people toward abstinence. Although these may be a help, they cannot break the bonds of addiction created by this destructive agent. Drinking is a sin and not a disease. The only real cure is to repent and trust the Lord Jesus Christ as personal savior. Faith in his shed blood is the only pathway to forgiveness which provides new life in Christ (II Cor. 5:17).

John 8:36
If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.

The Levitical Offerings

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THE BURNT OFFERING

This was one of the sweet savor sacrifices that pleased God and brought favor to the bearer. The five types of animals required were typical in themselves of different aspects of our Lord. The bullock speaks of Christ’s patience and endurance; the sheep of his unresisting obedience; the goat of his vicarious suffering for the sinner; and the doves of his innocency and poverty.

The offerer led his sacrificial animal to the entrance of the Tabernacle and laid his hand upon its head, fully identifying with it in compliance the substitutionary principle. He then would slay the animal. From there, the priest would sprinkle its blood on the horns of the brazen altar. The skin was kept by the priest but the animal itself was cut up and washed and laid upon the altar to be fully consumed by the fire of God. Doves were simply handed to the priest who carried out the ritual from there.

This sacrifice, a male without blemish or spot, was a foreshadowing of Christ, the lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world. Jesus said in John 10:17 & 18, that his Father loved him because he lay down his life for the sheep in complete obedience to the Father’s will. This is fulfilled by Ephesians 5:2 where Christ has given himself for us a sacrifice of sweet savor.

The application for us would be in fully consecrating our lives to him. This is the idea in Romans 12:1, but also in Hebrews 10:8 & 9, which states that God has no pleasure in sacrifice, he only desires the true dedication of our hearts. “By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us.” (Heb. 10:20a). This is to be voluntary and out of love. “If we hate our lives for his sake, we shall gain life eternal.” (John 12:25)

THE MEAT OFFERING

This was really a meal offering, also of a sweet savor unto the Lord and was often given in connection with the burnt sacrifice. The ingredients are also significant in their typology. Fine flour represents Christ as the perfect man tried by suffering, oil as the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, salt as a preservative of life, and frankinscense as the aroma of dedicated service toward God. Notice that leaven, a picture of evil; and honey, a natural sweetener, were prohibited.

There were three methods of preparation for the sacrifice. It could be offered as unbaked flour, pan baked loaves or cakes, and parched or roasted ears of corn or wheat, as it was thought to be.

The offerer would bring his sacrifice to the priest who lay upon the altar a portion of flour or cakes, mingled with a portion of the oil, and all of the frankinscense, adding a touch of salt. The remainder of the flour or cakes and the oil belonged to the priests.

Christ was the perfect man, full of truth, but not naturally desirous. He was filled with the Holy Spirit and suffered greatly performing the will of his Father, whom he did well please. The typology of the ingredients point directly to Christ, and his life of service. In John 6:38 Christ said, “I came not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me.” This was completed at Calvary when Jesus cried, “it is finished.” (John 19:30).

Just as God desires us to consecrate our lives to him, He expects that we put our efforts toward his work in a life of service because we are “created unto good works,” (Ephesians 2:10). If our hearts are dedicated to him, then he can use us to do those great and mighty things that our labor be not in vain. Flour came from the grain that was farmed by men as a fruit of their labor, so should we labor for our God.

THE PEACE OFFERING

This sacrifice is the last of the sweet savor offerings and was similar in manner to the burnt offering. The animal prescribed could be a bullock, sheep, or goat; doves were not allowed. The animal was to be without blemish, but could be a female in this case.

The sacrifice was to be brought to the tabernacle and slain, the offerer identifying with it by laying his hand upon its head. The priest would then sprinkle its blood upon the consuming altar. The fat, kidneys, and rump were offered to God. The right shoulder was heaved up and down and the breast was waved before the Lord. This portion was presented to God but consumed by the priest. The remainder of the animal belonged to the offerer. The priest would eat his portion with his family, friends, or servants in the courtyard.

The sacrifice was made for one of three reasons, as a thank offering, a freewill offering, or a votive offering. This points to Christ the one who would reconcile us to God when we were by nature his enemies. “Therefore, being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” (Romans 5:1).

This offering is not just one of reconciliation and peace but also one of thanksgiving and emphasizes our fellowship with God. We should always be thankful and full of praise, seeking his presence. We should desire that nearness to the one who has made peace with us because of his love. The table is a picture of fellowship and is portrayed by the priest dining with his loved ones. This is exactly what we do at the Lord’s table when the entire congregation gathers in fellowship to remember their great peacemaker in corporate testimony.

THE SIN OFFERING

This sacrifice was mandatory and therefore was not of a sweet savor unto the Lord. Bullocks, goats, lambs, and doves could be offered (either male or female). The sin offering was distinguished by four types of offerers, a priest, a congregation, a ruler, and an individual. The animal used would depend upon the position of the offerer. Two methods were used for performing the ritual, one for the priest and the congregation, and a slightly different method was used for a ruler and an individual.

As in previous sacrifices the animal was always put forth as a substitute for the offerer by the laying on of hands followed by the slaying of the victim. An offering for the priest and the congregation was carried out in the following manner: The blood of the sacrifice was taken by the priest and sprinkled before the inner veil seven times and upon the horns of the altar of incense, the rest being poured out at the base of the brazen altar. The fat of the animal was cut out and offered to God on this altar. The remaining parts were taken and disposed of without the camp.

For rulers and individuals the blood was only put on the horns of the brazen altar and the rest was poured out at the base. The fat was also burned on the brazen altar but the remainder was the priest’s portion. On the Day of Atonement, blood was actually taken into the Holy of Holies and sprinkled upon the mercy seat of the ark.

This sacrifice was for those who sinned in ignorance and weakness, in error and not defiently; because of carelessness or expedience, not intentionally. This substitutionary sacrifice removed the guilt of sin against the holy God as perceived by the first four commandments. It was an atoning sacrifice and covered the sins of the offeror until Christ would come and taken them away. This foreshadowing is brought to light in II Corinthians 5:21 where “Christ became sin for us who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.”

THE TRESPASS OFERING

This sacrifice is the second of the non-sweet savor offerings and closely associated with the sin offering as it was offered in similar manner. There were three types of sacrifices accepted, a female lamb or kid, two doves, or an tenth ephah of fine flour.

Similarly, the sacrifice was made as the sin offering for the common people It was brought, identified, and slain. The priest sprinkled blood on the horns of the brazen altar and offered the fat upon it. The rest of the meat and the skin was the priestly portion.

The sin offering was for our atonement, but this sacrifice was more specific in nature. It dealt with the injury or damage caused by sin, and likewise is linked to the last six commandments, which are manward and deal with our responsibilities. If a man would swear, or witness a swear; or would touch an unclean thing, or lie, commit fraud, or steal or withhold from his neighbor, he was to bring an offering.

Christ is our trespass offering, “to wit, that god was in Christ reconciling the world to himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them.” (II Cor. 5:19a). When we received Christ as Savior, he became our sin offering. After we were saved, we still sinned, so Christ was also our trespass offering to keep us in unbroken fellowship with our God. In john 13:10a Christ said, “He that is washed needeth not save to wash his feet. As Christians, we need to be sanctified daily, walking in this sin stained world.

Burning or Burial

2006-03-14T09:44:00.000-05:00

Isaiah 55:8-9
For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. [9] For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.

Does the Bible support cremation for the believer or teach burial? A careful examination of Scriptural evidence along with earnest prayer should lead us to an understanding of God’s will.

Cremation has been practiced for thousands of years and was a method that was used by the Greeks and other ancient empires. When the Romans eventually adopted Christianity as their state religion, cremation was replaced by Christian burial. Early church saints did not practice cremation because of its pagan influence. Cremation was even prohibited by the Catholic Church in the late nineteenth century. Some other ancient cultures such as the Egyptians carefully embalmed their precious dead in preparation for an afterlife. During the new millennium however, cremation has become more popular here in America. Cremation seems to be a sensible answer to the limited number of available gravesites and the rising cost of burial. Before we draw a conclusion on this important subject, let us consider what the Bible has to say.

I. The Patriarchs of the Bible were “careful.”

Genesis 3:19
In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.

A. Dust to dust, not dust to ashes.
The Lord God formed man out of the dust of the ground and breathed life into him. We are to return unto dust or to the dust. I believe this to mean that we are to be buried in the dust or dirt and not necessarily turned into dust.

Genesis 47:28-31
And Jacob lived in the land of Egypt seventeen years: so the whole age of Jacob was an hundred forty and seven years. [29] And the time drew nigh that Israel must die: and he called his son Joseph, and said unto him, If now I have found grace in thy sight, put, I pray thee, thy hand under my thigh, and deal kindly and truly with me; bury me not, I pray thee, in Egypt: [30] But I will lie with my fathers, and thou shalt carry me out of Egypt, and bury me in their burying place. And he said, I will do as thou hast said. [31] And he said, Swear unto me. And he sware unto him. And Israel bowed himself upon the bed's head.

B. Burial grounds and deceased bodies were sacred.
Jacob made Joseph promise that he would bury him with his ancestors eventhough the Egyptians carefully preserved the corpses of their dead.

Genesis 50:24-26
And Joseph said unto his brethren, I die: and God will surely visit you, and bring you out of this land unto the land which he sware to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob. [25] And Joseph took an oath of the children of Israel, saying, God will surely visit you, and ye shall carry up my bones from hence. [26] So Joseph died, being an hundred and ten years old: and they embalmed him, and he was put in a coffin in Egypt.

Hebrews 11:22
By faith Joseph, when he died, made mention of the departing of the children of Israel; and gave commandment concerning his bones.

Exodus 13:19
And Moses took the bones of Joseph with him: for he had straitly sworn the children of Israel, saying, God will surely visit you; and ye shall carry up my bones away hence with you.

C. Family gravesites were important.
Like Jacob, Joseph was careful to leave explicit instructions to carry his embalmed body back to the land of his Fathers.

Jude 1:9
Yet Michael the archangel, when contending with the devil he disputed about the body of Moses, durst not bring against him a railing accusation, but said, The Lord rebuke thee.

D. Dead or alive, our bodies belong to the Lord.
Michael the archangel rebuked Satan in the name of the Lord over the deceased body of Moses.

II. The Cremated of the Bible were “cursed.”

Joshua 7:24-26
And Joshua, and all Israel with him, took Achan the son of Zerah, and the silver, and the garment, and the wedge of gold, and his sons, and his daughters, and his oxen, and his asses, and his sheep, and his tent, and all that he had: and they brought them unto the valley of Achor. [25] And Joshua said, Why hast thou troubled us? the Lord shall trouble thee this day. And all Israel stoned him with stones, and burned them with fire, after they had stoned them with stones. [26] And they raised over him a great heap of stones unto this day. So the Lord turned from the fierceness of his anger. Wherefore the name of that place was called, The valley of Achor, unto this day.

A. Cremation was the judgement pronounced upon the transgressor.
Achan disobeyed God and took of the accursed thing. His punishment was death by stoning. His body was then burned as an example to deter others.

1 Kings 13:1-2
And, behold, there came a man of God out of Judah by the word of the Lord unto Bethel: and Jeroboam stood by the altar to burn incense. [2] And he cried against the altar in the word of the Lord, and said, O altar, altar, thus saith the Lord; Behold, a child shall be born unto the house of David, Josiah by name; and upon thee shall he offer the priests of the high places that burn incense upon thee, and men's bones shall be burnt upon thee.

B. Burning bones was considered a desecration.
Apostate priests and men who practiced false worship at a counterfeit altar would be burned by godly King Josiah as a curse.

2 Chron. 34:3-5
For in the eighth year of his reign, while he was yet young, he began to seek after the God of David his father: and in the twelfth year he began to purge Judah and Jerusalem from the high places, and the groves, and the carved images, and the molten images. [4] And they brake down the altars of Baalim in his presence; and the images, that were on high above them, he cut down; and the groves, and the carved images, and the molten images, he brake in pieces, and made dust of them, and strowed it upon the graves of them that had sacrificed unto them. [5] And he burnt the bones of the priests upon their altars, and cleansed Judah and Jerusalem.

2 Kings 23:15-20
Moreover the altar that was at Bethel, and the high place which Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin, had made, both that altar and the high place he brake down, and burned the high place, and stamped it small to powder, and burned the grove. [16] And as Josiah turned himself, he spied the sepulchres that were there in the mount, and sent, and took the bones out of the sepulchres, and burned them upon the altar, and polluted it, according to the word of the Lord which the man of God proclaimed, who proclaimed these words. [17] Then he said, What title is that that I see? And the men of the city told him, It is the sepulchre of the man of God, which came from Judah, and proclaimed these things that thou hast done against the altar of Bethel. [18] And he said, Let him alone; let no man move his bones. So they let his bones alone, with the bones of the prophet that came out of Samaria. [19] And all the houses also of the high places that were in the cities of Samaria, which the kings of Israel had made to provoke the Lord to anger, Josiah took away, and did to them according to all the acts that he had done in Bethel. [20] And he slew all the priests of the high places that were there upon the altars, and burned men's bones upon them, and returned to Jerusalem.

C. The altar itself is stamped and burned in judgement.
Before the altar is destroyed, Josiah burns the bones of the false worshippers but left the graves of the true men of God alone!

Amos 2:1
Thus saith the Lord; For three transgressions of Moab, and for four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof; because he burned the bones of the king of Edom into lime:

D. God pronounced judgement on Moab for the burning of bones.
This is probably the clearest example in Scripture. God judges the Moabites for destroying the corpse of the king of Edom. Fire had consumed his body with such intense heat that his bones turned to lime.

Amos 6:9-10
And it shall come to pass, if there remain ten men in one house, that they shall die. [10] And a man's uncle shall take him up, and he that burneth him, to bring out the bones out of the house, and shall say unto him that is by the sides of the house, Is there yet any with thee? and he shall say, No. Then shall he say, Hold thy tongue: for we may not make mention of the name of the Lord.

E. The Lord’s name is not mentioned in connection with cremation.

1 Samuel 31:8-13
And it came to pass on the morrow, when the Philistines came to strip the slain, that they found Saul and his three sons fallen in mount Gilboa. [9] And they cut off his head, and stripped off his armour, and sent into the land of the Philistines round about, to publish it in the house of their idols, and among the people. [10] And they put his armour in the house of Ashtaroth: and they fastened his body to the wall of Beth-shan.
[11] And when the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead heard of that which the Philistines had done to Saul; [12] All the valiant men arose, and went all night, and took the body of Saul and the bodies of his sons from the wall of Beth-shan, and came to Jabesh, and burnt them there. [13] And they took their bones, and buried them under a tree at Jabesh, and fasted seven days.

1 Chron. 10:8-12
And it came to pass on the morrow, when the Philistines came to strip the slain, that they found Saul and his sons fallen in mount Gilboa. [9] And when they had stripped him, they took his head, and his armour, and sent into the land of the Philistines round about, to carry tidings unto their idols, and to the people. [10] And they put his armour in the house of their gods, and fastened his head in the temple of Dagon.
[11] And when all Jabesh-gilead heard all that the Philistines had done to Saul, [12] They arose, all the valiant men, and took away the body of Saul, and the bodies of his sons, and brought them to Jabesh, and buried their bones under the oak in Jabesh, and fasted seven days.

2 Samuel 21:12-14
And David went and took the bones of Saul and the bones of Jonathan his son from the men of Jabesh-gilead, which had stolen them from the street of Beth-shan, where the Philistines had hanged them, when the Philistines had slain Saul in Gilboa: [13] And he brought up from thence the bones of Saul and the bones of Jonathan his son; and they gathered the bones of them that were hanged. [14] And the bones of Saul and Jonathan his son buried they in the country of Benjamin in Zelah, in the sepulchre of Kish his father: and they performed all that the king commanded. And after that God was intreated for the land.

F. Desecrated bodies were partially burned and the bones buried.
The bodies of King Saul and his sons were decomposing and desecrated by the enemy. The men of Jabesh burned the flesh of Saul and his sons to cleanse them of the desecration and bacteria associated with decomposed bodies. The bones were rightfully buried. This is the only Biblical example of burning dead bodies. The bodies were not totally consumed however, and there were unusual circumstances surrounding this event.

III. The teaching and example of Christ.

Matthew 26:6-13
Now when Jesus was in Bethany, in the house of Simon the leper, [7] There came unto him a woman having an alabaster box of very precious ointment, and poured it on his head, as he sat at meat. [8] But when his disciples saw it, they had indignation, saying, To what purpose is this waste? [9] For this ointment might have been sold for much, and given to the poor. [10] When Jesus understood it, he said unto them, Why trouble ye the woman? for she hath wrought a good work upon me. [11] For ye have the poor always with you; but me ye have not always. [12] For in that she hath poured this ointment on my body, she did it for my burial. [13] Verily I say unto you, Wheresoever this gospel shall be preached in the whole world, there shall also this, that this woman hath done, be told for a memorial of her.

A. The example of Christ in burial.
Precious anointing oil was used as a foreshadowing of the burial of our Saviour.

John 11:41-44
Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead was laid. And Jesus lifted up his eyes, and said, Father, I thank thee that thou hast heard me. [42] And I knew that thou hearest me always: but because of the people which stand by I said it, that they may believe that thou hast sent me. [43] And when he thus had spoken, he cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth. [44] And he that was dead came forth, bound hand and foot with graveclothes: and his face was bound about with a napkin. Jesus saith unto them, Loose him, and let him go.

B. The example of Christ’s disciples.
Lazarus, the friend of Jesus was buried. Jesus resurrected his embalmed body from the grave.

Romans 6:3-5
Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? [4] Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. [5] For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection:

C. The example of baptism.
Baptism is a picture of the Gospel; death, burial and resurrection.

1 Cor. 15:1-6
Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; [2] By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. [3] For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; [4] And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures: [5] And that he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve: [6] After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep.

D. The example of the Gospel.
Our Lord was buried, “according to the Scriptures.”

1 Cor. 15:20-23
But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept. [21] For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. [22] For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. [23] But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his coming.

E. The example of the resurrection.
Our bodies belong to the Lord and he has promised to raise them up at his return.

1 Cor. 15:51-55
Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, [52] In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. [53] For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. [54] So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. [55] O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?

1 Thes. 4:13-18
But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. [14] For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. [15] For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. [16] For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: [17] Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. [18] Wherefore comfort one another with these words.

F. The Bible clearly states that the dead bodies of the Christians are in a state of Sleep. The Bible teaches that “to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord.” Our soul and spirit go directly to heaven when we die and our bodies are buried in the grave. They are in a state called “sleep” until the resurrection.

Conclusion:

Christians have always respected the sacred graves and graveyards of the departed dead. The current trend toward cremation is due in some measure to convenience and economics. We must remember that we cannot override Scripture with logic or sensibility. Some would argue that the body degenerates in burial as well. This is true to a much lesser degree as the purpose in burial is to preserve the body as much as possible in light of the promised redemption by Christ. The word cremation means to burn. Bodies are subjected to heat of @ 2000 degrees for hours until disintegrated. Others proclaim that God is able to raise up even those whose bodies were vaporized in a nuclear explosion. The question at hand is not whether God is able, but what is God’s will?

Philip. 3:20-21
For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ: [21] Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself.

What can wash away my sins?

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Jesus said, "those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man...but to eat with unwashen hands defileth not a man." Mt.15:18 & 20b. It is sad to think that so many people today are careful about washing their clothes and bodies but have neglected their own sin stained hearts. A covering of religion and good works are but mere fig leaves for "all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags." Isaiah 64:6. After King David had sinned with Bathsheba, he cried unto the Lord, "wash me throughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin...wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow." Psalm 51:2 & 7b. David was a friend of God and one of the most respected believers in history. But just like you and me, he was a sinner in need of forgiveness. He knew that he was completely unable to cleanse himself and trusted in the Lord. The bible says that Jesus "loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood." Rev. 1:5b. Are you preoccupied with keeping yourself clean on the outside? Only the Lord Jesus Christ can cleanse the sin in your heart. Will you ask him to be your personal savior and be forgiven right now? "For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved." Romans 10:13.

Answer: Nothing but the Blood of Jesus!

My Statement of Faith

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I. THE SCRIPTURES
I believe that the Holy Bible, composed of 66 books of the Old and New Testament, is the verbally inspired and infallible Word of God, the supreme and final authority in faith and life; and that God has kept His promise to preserve His word through the ages. His word for English speaking people has been preserved in the King James Version. Honest examination of manuscript evidence will conclude that all modern versions originate from a corrupt source.
II Tim. 3:16; Heb. 1:1-2; Psalm 12:6-7; Psalm 119:89; Isa. 40:8; Mat. 24:35; II Peter 1:20-21.

II. THE TRINITY
I believe in one God, eternally existing in three persons - Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
Gen. 1:1; Duet. 6:4; Eph. 4:6; Mat. 3:16-17; Mat. 28:19; II Cor. 13:14; I Peter 1:2; I John 5:6-8.

III. THE LORD JESUS CHRIST
I believe in the deity of the Lord Jesus Christ, His virgin birth, His sinless life, His true humanity, His miracles, His vicarious and atoning death on the cross, His bodily resurrection, His ascension into heaven, His present intercession and sole mediatorship, and His personal and visible return in power and glory. John 1:1,14; Mat. 1:18-23; Col. 2:9; Luke 1:35; I John 3:5; Acts 2:22-24; Col. 1:14; Gal. 1:4; Mark 10:45;
I Cor. 15:3-5; Acts 1:9-11; Titus 2:13; I Thes. 4:13-18; I Cor. 15:51-57; Heb. 7:25; I Tim. 2:5.

IV. THE HOLY SPIRIT
I believe in the personality of the Holy Spirit, who is our comforter, and it is His ministry to reveal Christ to mankind. He also convicts of sin, regenerates, sanctifies, and empowers for service.
John 14:16-17; John 16:7-8, 13-14; John 3:3; Eph. 1:13; Eph. 5:18; Rom. 8:26-27; I Cor. 2:9-12;
Psalm 139:7-8; Gen. 1:2-3; Rom. 8:2,10-14; Acts 1:8.

V. MAN
I believe that man was created in the image of God; that he sinned and thereby incurred spiritual death; and that "all have sinned and come short of the Glory of God." Romans 3:23.
Gen. 1:26-27; Gen. 2:17; Gen. 3:6; Rom. 5:12; Eph. 2:1; Acts 16:31; Rom. 10:13.

VI. SALVATION
I believe that the Lord Jesus Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures and salvation from sin is received only by the grace of God through personal faith in Jesus Christ. All who receive Him are justified on the basis of His shed blood, born of the Spirit and thereby become children of God.
I Cor. 15:3-4; Rom. 10:17; John 1:12; John 3:4-7,16; Acts 4:12; John 14:6; Rom. 3:10-11,23-24;
Luke 13:5; Rom. 10:9-10,13; Eph. 2:8-9; Titus 3:5.

VII. ETERNAL CONSCIOUSNESS
I believe in the resurrection of the saved to everlasting conscious blessedness with Christ and in the resurrection of the lost to everlasting conscious punishment in the lake of fire.
John 5:28-29; Rev. 20:5; I Thes. 4:17; I Cor. 15:51-55; Mat. 25:41; Rev. 20:14-15; Rev. 21:8.

VIII. ETERNAL SECURITY
I believe that all true believers, having been born again into the family of God, are possessors of everlasting life and shall never perish; for they are eternally secure in the Lord Jesus Christ.
Titus 1:2; I John 2:25; John 3:16; John 5:24; John 6:37; John 10:27-31; II Tim. 1:12; Eph. 1:13-14;
Rom. 8:28-38; I Peter 1:4-5; Jude 1.

IX. THE CHURCH
I believe that the Church is the body of Christ and a spiritual organism composed of scripturally baptized, born again believers whom God has called together for worship, service, and the spread of the Gospel. The Bible teaches that the church is made up of God's "called out" people in a given locality, and not a universal or invisible institution.
Heb. 10:25; Mat. 16:18; Acts 2:47; I Cor. 1:2; Rom. 16:3-5; Gal. 1:2; Col. 1:18; Eph. 1:22-23.

X. ORDINANCES
I believe that baptism is the immersion of the believer in water, portraying death to sin and resurrection to newness of life. The Lord's Supper is a commemoration of the Lord's death until He comes.
Mat. 3:13-17; Acts 2:38; Rom. 6:4; Acts 8:36-37; Mat. 26:26-28; I Cor. 11:23-30.

XI. THE GREAT COMMISSION
I believe it is the responsibility of all believers to make known the gospel of Jesus Christ to all men. Mark 16:15; II Cor. 6:2; II Tim. 4:2; Mat. 28:19-20; Ezek. 3:17-21.

XII. THE FUTURE
I believe in the pretribulational and premillenial return of Christ for his Bride, the Church. Following this period known as the Tribulation, Christ will return with his church to set up the literal millennial kingdom.
I Thes. 5:9; Rev. 3:3,10; Rev. 4:1; Rom. 8:1; John 5:24; John 14:2-3; Acts 1:11; Phil. 3:20-21; Col. 3:1-4;
I Thes. 1:10; James 5:8; Titus 2:13; I Thes. 4:13-18; I Cor. 15:51-57; Joel 2:1-2; Mat. 24:21-22;
Luke 21:25-26; Dan. 9:24-27.

Little Jack

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We had our very first grandbaby born on January 11th. Jack Leland, son of Adam and Andrea of Wilder, Vermont.
Nana is the most happy!

Don't Look Back!

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Luke 9:62
And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.

The Christians' 3 great adversaries are the World, the Flesh & the Devil. We are often tempted to return to "wallow in the mire" that our Saviour's blood delivered us from. This temptation is often difficult to resist when we are not walking with God in the power of the Holy Ghost. Why is it that the very thing we were thankful to be delivered from and forgiven for is so alluring to our "old man." Romans chapter six clearly exhorts us to "reckon ourselves dead" and Jesus our Saviour commanded us to "take up our cross" and die daily. II Corinthians 7:1 urges us to "cleanse ourselves from the filthiness of the flesh and spirit." When I look back to the way I lived my life before Jesus saved me, I become totally disgusted. Those things that I called "fun," God calls sin. We as Christians are to have the kind of testimony that affects the unsaved and sinners. When they affect us we become more tempted by the things of this world and the desires of our flesh. It is a sad reminder of our spiritual condition.

Genesis 19:26
But his wife looked back from behind him, and she became a pillar of salt.

We often resemble Lots's wife when we are taken with temptation. Notice that she did not just "look back," she "looked back from behind him." As the angels lead the family away to safety, she lagged behind her husband. Her heart and life was back in that wicked city that God would destroy. Many of the things that capture our time and attention will be destroyed as well. Sin will not be admitted in the gates of Glory! Take heed and don't look back. Instead, Look up! "For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ." (Philippians 3:20)