BF&M – Evangelism and Missions

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The greatest joy of my life was meeting Jesus as my Lord and Savior. It was due to a faithful father and mother who loved me, took me to a church where I heard of Jesus, the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus, and had faithful pastors who proclaimed it in a Baptist Church.

The second greatest joy of my life is having been used by the Lord to see others trust Him as their personal Lord and Savior.  It is a joy to be a pastor and watch those who have been saved grow and mature more into the image of Jesus our Savior.  One thing every Christian must understand is that we are all missionaries.  It is just that some of us have not been called to go overseas, but we have been called to go next door to our neighbor, our families, and our work associates.

Here is our Statement of Faith on Evangelism and Missions:

XI. Evangelism and Missions

It is the duty and privilege of every follower of Christ and of every church of the Lord Jesus Christ to endeavor to make disciples of all nations. The new birth of man’s spirit by God’s Holy Spirit means the birth of love for others. Missionary effort on the part of all rests thus upon a spiritual necessity of the regenerate life, and is expressly and repeatedly commanded in the teachings of Christ. The Lord Jesus Christ has commanded the preaching of the gospel to all nations. It is the duty of every child of God to seek constantly to win the lost to Christ by verbal witness undergirded by a Christian lifestyle, and by other methods in harmony with the gospel of Christ.

Genesis 12:1-3; Exodus 19:5-6; Isaiah 6:1-8; Matthew 9:37-38; 10:5-15; 13:18-30, 37-43; 16:19; 22:9-10; 24:14; 28:18-20; Luke 10:1-18; 24:46-53; John 14:11-12; 15:7-8,16; 17:15; 20:21; Acts 1:8; 2; 8:26-40; 10:42-48; 13:2-3; Romans 10:13-15; Ephesians 3:1-11; 1 Thessalonians 1:8; 2 Timothy 4:5; Hebrews 2:1-3; 11:39-12:2; 1 Peter 2:4-10; Revelation 22:17.

The one Scripture which is foremost for the calling for going and being missionaries and evangelist for Jesus Christ and the Gospel is Matthew 28:18-20.

And Jesus came ans spoke to them saying, ‘All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.  Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age. Amen.”  (NKJV).

We count it a privilege, an honor, and it is the Great Commission of our Lord as well.  A commandment to go and make disciples for Jesus.  We are not called to use force, or threat, but the love of Jesus for mankind as He took our place on the cross.  We are not called save;  for we cannot; we are called to proclaim, and leave the saving to our Lord.

The Grief of God

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Genesis 6:1-22 continued…

“And it repented the LORD that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart. And the LORD said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it repenteth me that I have made them. But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD” Genesis 6:6-8 (KJV).

There are some professing Christians who have began holding to a false doctrine called “Open Theism”. It is the belief that God does not know the future any better than you or I do, or maybe just a little better, but that He certainly has no control of it. The world would really be in shambles if that were true.

God was grieved by the sin of mankind. It was sorrow, not surprise that caused Him grief. He had a plan in place, and according to Scripture [all of Scripture combined] He was going to save mankind, and bring their [our] salvation to completeness.

From the time of Adam’s fall to our own day God is holy and cannot allow sin to continue. Sin must be put away. The only way to put away sin is judgment and/or death of the wicked. The LORD has no pleasure in the death of the wicked (Ezekiel 18:23, 32), rather He seeks that they turn from their wickedness. However, when He gives atonement for sin and it is rejected there is no more sacrifice for sin, except the death of the wicked, and their eternal torment.

Having mercifully spared; God now prepares to judge. In that God repented only means that He sorrowed because of sin, and His hatred for evil. We know that God is Omniscient, ie., All-Knowing.

Wickedness covers the earth. Even with the restraining of God’s Spirit mankind gets progressively more wicked. When the restraint of the Spirit is removed wickedness progresses at great speed. When we see wickedness progressing very quickly we must acknowledge the fact, that God’s judgment is not far away. It is time to repent, turn to God and be saved.

If you will notice the judgment in Genesis six includes the destruction of all who are living – with the exception of eight people and animals in a certain lot.

God gives one family who is spared from His wrath. It is said that this man “Found grace in the eyes of the LORD”. This one He chose out of chaos, out of a cesspool of sin and iniquity, out of all the wickedness of man. There was obviously nothing great about Noah. He was only chosen by God’s grace. God, the LORD, did not have to choose anyone, but for His promise of a Redeemer.

“Grace” means “Unmerited’ or ‘undeserved favor”. When God chose Noah by grace, Noah “believed God” (Hebrews 11:7) and built the ark and “walked with God” (v. 9). It is important for us to remember that the only ones who are saved are the ones whom God chooses. We have no idea whom He will choose so we must be faithful (those of us who are chosen) to proclaim the Word of God and the gospel of Jesus Christ to all with whom we are brought in contact.

Noah, by the grace of God, was chosen to preserve the human race and, God through Noah would bring a Savior into the world that we might be saved. God’s righteousness, holiness, and grace is really something amazing. That He could hate sin, and be the atonement for sin at the same time boggles our minds. PRAISE THE LORD!!!

BF&M – Last Things

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The study of “Last things” is one of my own favorite lines for ruminating Scriptures.  There are a vast aray of differences of the understanding of “Last thing”, that the BF&M of 2000, covers most of what we as Baptists believe concerning the return of Jesus Christ.

Studying the Revelation, the Major and Minor Prophets of the Old Testament, and their prophecies concerning the first coming of Jesus, and also concerning the second coming of Jesus is a fascinating endeavor.

There is blessing and reward for those who love the appearing of the Lord: “Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing” 2 Timothy 4:8 (NKJV).  This is clearly concerning the appearing of Christ when He comes in all His glory, and becomes King of Jerusalem, and the world.

Our Statement of Faith:

X. Last Things

God, in His own time and in His own way, will bring the world to its appropriate end. According to His promise, Jesus Christ will return personally and visibly in glory to the earth; the dead will be raised; and Christ will judge all men in righteousness. The unrighteous will be consigned to Hell, the place of everlasting punishment. The righteous in their resurrected and glorified bodies will receive their reward and will dwell forever in Heaven with the Lord.

Isaiah 2:4; 11:9; Matthew 16:27; 18:8-9; 19:28; 24:27,30,36,44; 25:31-46; 26:64; Mark 8:38; 9:43-48; Luke 12:40,48; 16:19-26; 17:22-37; 21:27-28; John 14:1-3; Acts 1:11; 17:31; Romans 14:10; 1 Corinthians 4:5; 15:24-28,35-58; 2 Corinthians 5:10; Philippians 3:20-21; Colossians 1:5; 3:4; 1 Thessalonians 4:14-18; 5:1ff.; 2 Thessalonians 1:7ff.; 2; 1 Timothy 6:14; 2 Timothy 4:1,8; Titus 2:13; Hebrews 9:27-28; James 5:8; 2 Peter 3:7ff.; 1 John 2:28; 3:2; Jude 14; Revelation 1:18; 3:11; 20:1-22:13.

There are many things which happen before the appearing of Jesus in His glory.  There are several views concerning these events, and some views which do not believe in some of the events that I do.

Some believe in the “Rapture of the Church” which there are probably three views concerning this as to the timing of the rapture.  There is the “pre-tribulation rapture” view; then, the “mid-tribulation rapture” view, and some who believe in a “post-tribulation” view.  There are some who do not believe in a rapture.

There are some of us who believe in a millennial [one thousand year] reign of Christ on earth when He comes in His glory.  There are some who believe that all prophecy has been fulfilled.  I will not get into that study here.  The study of “Last things” is called – “Eschatology”

For my beliefs on these “Last things” you can go to Fire and Hammer, or click Revelation or Thessalonians in the sidebar called Gleanings (categories).

Days of Evil Imagination

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Genesis 6:1-22 continued…

” There were giants in the earth in those days; and also after that, when the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men, and they bare children to them, the same became mighty men which were of old, men of renown. And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.” Genesis 6:4-5 (KJV).

Around the time the sons of Seth began to marry the daughters of Cain – the godly joining with the godless – there were “Giants in the earth”. It is clear that the “Giants” were here previous to the “Sons of God came unto the daughters of men”. These certainly may have been of great physical stature, but the gist of this seems to be their opposition to that which is holy. The MacArthur Study Bible note for verse four states

“giants. The word nephilim is from a root meaning ‘to fall,’ indicating that they were strong men who ‘fell’ on others in the sense of overpowering them (the only other use of this term is in Num. 13:53). They were already in the earth when the ‘mighty men’ and ‘men of renown’ were born. The fallen ones are not the offspring from the union of 6:1,2.”

These “Giants” are not the children of the mixed marriages. Note, “and also after that…” After the giants are “in the earth”. Who are the giants? There is no certain way to know. Greek mythology might give us an answer. The stories of Zeus, Hara, etc., must have began around this time. Stories which would have been started by the ungodly and inspired by the devil to lead people astray. There was such evil in the earth that according to verse three God was withholding the restraint of His Spirit. It is interesting to note, that, God does not reveal to us what kinds of wickedness was in the earth. He will not oblige the enemy by such things. He only says, “The wickedness of man was great..”, and “great” not meaning a wonderful thing, but rather a putrid stinch, and “Every imagination of the thoughts of his heart only evil continually.” Jesus said, “But as the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be” Matthew 24:37-38 (KJV). In the days before He comes Jesus says it will be like the days just before the flood.

Here are at least a couple of reasons I do not see the “Sons of God” as being fallen angels marrying the daughters of men: 1) Previous to this chapter we are given two genealogies, the first of which is that of Cains, and the second that of Seth; one is ungodly the other godly – the Holy Spirit’s way of inspiration to show us that their are two different people groups, not by race, but morally. 2) Angels, the good ones or the fallen ones cannot marry according to Jesus, “in the resurrection they neither marry, nor are given in marriage, but are as the angels of God in heaven” Matthew 22:30 and Mark 12:25 (KJV); with the implication being Angels do not marry. When we look at verse five it begs me to ask, “Do we really need the help of wicked angels to be made more wicked?” Mankind left to himself would eventually destroy himself and the universe with it.

We can look around us today. If we believe these to be the “Last days”, then, we can see many similarities between the time before the flood and now. How sad it is to know that wicked men reject God, His Word, and want only to live their lives their own way; without God and, because of their rejection be eternally condemned to the fires of Hell. Contrary to what the wicked may think God is not the villian; He is our only salvation.

Questions of the Prophet

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Habakkuk 1:1-4

“The burden which Habakkuk the prophet did see. O LORD, how long shall I cry, and thou wilt not hear! even cry out unto thee of violence, and thou wilt not save! Why dost thou shew me iniquity, and cause me to behold grievance? for spoiling and violence are before me: and there are that raise up strife and contention. Therefore the law is slacked, and judgment doth never go forth: for the wicked doth compass about the righteous; therefore wrong judgment proceedeth.” Habakkuk 1:1-4 (KJV)

When we think of a burden we think of a load. When you are driving a automobile it has more get up and go when only you, and nothing else, is in it. If you load it down – a truck or car; it just does not have the same performance.

Now, is that the type of “burden” the prophet is writing of. Some translations call this an “oracle”, but it seems to me that there is something more here than mere words. If it is the mere speaking of words, it is an utterance of doom. So why have a problem with “Burden”. To answer the question – it is similar. It was not a physical load. It caused him to ask questions. It eventually caused him to “see God” as righteous in His dealings, and always just in His judgments.
Habakkuk has been accused of accusing God of three different things –

God is indifferent – like He does not even care;

God is inactive – He sees and does nothing about it;

God is inconsistent – He seems to judge wickedness in some cases, but not in the ones the prophet sees.

Are these things so? Is that what Habakkuk really means? These certainly are not true. When we look at these verses it is quite clear that the prophet is speaking to God/YHWH, has these burdens and questions, and really just wants to know what is going on. He does not understand. Like so many of us today, in 2007, we do not understand why it seems that the wicked prosper, and the righteous suffer. The prophet was not really going to like God’s answer either.

The prophet’s first question – “O LORD, how long shall I cry and Thou will not hear?” NOTE: The KJV has these as exclamations. It seems more reasonable to see them as questions. Remember, punctuation was added by others. It is not the inspired text.
The Baker’s Encyclopedia of The Bible – “The main purpose of Habakkuk’s prophecy is to explain what a godly person’s attitude should be toward the presence of evil in the world. It also addresses God’s justice in punishing moral evil.” (pg. 907).

Baker’s Encyclopedia of The Bible also sees two complaints from the prophet –

In verses 1-11 of chapter one including the questions the prophet asks, and how God could use a wicked and vile people such as the Chaldeans to judge His people;

Chapter 1 verses 12 through chapter 2 verse 5 – wondering how God – since He is of purer eyes than to behold iniquity can use these Chaldeans and why He does not judge these godless people.

The prophet’s second question – “…Even cry out unto Thee of violence, and Thou will not save?” Of course, these seem to be related in dealing with the same complaint of the above mentioned reference.

A third question – “Why dost Thou show me iniquity, and cause me to behold grievance?”

The prophet seems to see no justice or judgment on the sin of God’s people. It seems to the prophet that the wicked trample all over the righteous and nothing is done –

There is no law – it is powerless;
There is no righteous judgment;
The wicked overpower the righteous;
The wrong people suffer.

It just seems to me in reading and studying these words of the prophet that nothing has changed with God’s people. We still fall into sin. There are still some who are burdened about sin, and asking the same questions. Somehow, we in the United States of America think that judgment cannot come from an outside source. Remember 9-11-01?

God’s judgment is still not without precedence in any age; even our own.

BF&M – The Kingdom

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There is a kingdom coming on earth which is unlike any kingdom of earth to ever exist.  It seems that the “Crusades” which were foolish “Christian” attempts to bring the kingdom of heaven to earth has brought legend and myth to the idea of a heavenly kingdom.

When Jesus was with us on earth, He said to His disciples as He sent them to preach, “…As you go, preach saying, the kingdom of heaven is at hand”.  That meaning, of course, that it was very near.  The Gospel of Matthew uses the phrase “Kingdom of Heaven”.  “Kingdom of God” is used mostly by the other Gospel writers.  There are some who believe that means it is speaking of two realms of divine reign; and most believe one encompassing the other.

Here is our Statement of Faith concerning the Kingdom:

IX. The Kingdom

The Kingdom of God includes both His general sovereignty over the universe and His particular kingship over men who willfully acknowledge Him as King. Particularly the Kingdom is the realm of salvation into which men enter by trustful, childlike commitment to Jesus Christ. Christians ought to pray and to labor that the Kingdom may come and God’s will be done on earth. The full consummation of the Kingdom awaits the return of Jesus Christ and the end of this age.

Genesis 1:1; Isaiah 9:6-7; Jeremiah 23:5-6; Matthew 3:2; 4:8-10,23; 12:25-28; 13:1-52; 25:31-46; 26:29; Mark 1:14-15; 9:1; Luke 4:43; 8:1; 9:2; 12:31-32; 17:20-21; 23:42; John 3:3; 18:36; Acts 1:6-7; 17:22-31; Romans 5:17; 8:19; 1 Corinthians 15:24-28; Colossians 1:13; Hebrews 11:10,16; 12:28; 1 Peter 2:4-10; 4:13; Revelation 1:6,9; 5:10; 11:15; 21-22.

There is one thing we can know for sure and that is that Jesus Christ is the King of the kingdom of heaven, and His kingdom which will come on the earth.

In His kingdom on earth, there will be no more wars, but peace will abound.  There will be no more sickness, health will abound.  There will be only beauty, joy, and love.  His kingdom will be an everlasting kingdom.

Those who refuse Jesus as their King will be cast alive into everlasting fire.  The blessed kingdom reign of Jesus is coming when Jesus comes again.

BF&M – The Lord’s Day

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In the Old Testament the people of Israel were to worship God, and rest on the seventh day of the week.  It is called the sabbath day.  It was on the seventh day that God ceased in His work of creating.

As Baptists we do not see the First day of the week as the sabbath, but as the day of remembering the resurrection of our Lord.  It is the beginning of a new week.  It represents a New Life, and particularly New Life in Jesus Christ.  We are living resurrected lives, no longer condemned under the law lives.

The following is our Statement of Faith:

VIII. The Lord’s Day

The first day of the week is the Lord’s Day. It is a Christian institution for regular observance. It commemorates the resurrection of Christ from the dead and should include exercises of worship and spiritual devotion, both public and private. Activities on the Lord’s Day should be commensurate with the Christian’s conscience under the Lordship of Jesus Christ.

Exodus 20:8-11; Matthew 12:1-12; 28:1ff.; Mark 2:27-28; 16:1-7; Luke 24:1-3,33-36; John 4:21-24; 20:1,19-28; Acts 20:7; Romans 14:5-10; I Corinthians 16:1-2; Colossians 2:16; 3:16; Revelation 1:10.

Though this day is not the sabbath day of the Old Testament, nor one of the other sabbath days the Israelites were required to honor, we must still respect a day of rest.

The Lord’s Day has always been a day of rest in my family.  We have attended worship services on Sunday morning and evening.  It is a wonderful day for remembering the wonder of our Lord Jesus Christ.

It is surely a sign of our departure from the Lord, that everything in the business world is doing business on this day.  One day there will be Day of the Lord where there will be judgment and that day will not be pleasant.

A Response of Courage

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Matthew 5:21-48 continued…

“Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth: But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloke also. And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain. Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away. Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same? And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so?” Matthew 5:38-47 (KJV).

Could you get from these verses this thought? “Absence of giving equals no love”. The correct and always right attitude for the follower of Jesus Christ is the attitude which Jesus had. We are quick to strike back. We are slow to love when we are struck. In our society this would seem like the attitude of naivety, or cowardice. It is actually the response of courage.

The Old Testament Law does tell us, “An eye for an eye…” (Exodus 21:24; Leviticus 24:20; Deuteronomy 19:21), and Jesus is not denying these laws but showing a better way of respecting one another. “I am no one’s doormat”. Have you ever heard anyone say that. Would you be a “Doormat” if it meant that person coming to faith in Jesus? Does that put another spin on it? Another view? It should. I am not trying to say I can do that, but that ought to be the heart of the Christian. Be willing to lose an eye without retaliation. Go the second mile without payment. Give to any who asks of us. Love those who may despise us.

What reward is there in loving someone who loves me? It is much more rewarding for ourselves and the other person who may despise us when we show them an unconditional love – the love that Jesus has shown us.

This SERMON ON THE MOUNT is really tough. Again, anyone who tells me that they are living by the SERMON ON THE MOUNT better have a very impressive testimony for Christ, and living by these words of Jesus very faithfully, or I will be sure to call him/her a liar; or they are at the least very deceived. Let’s endeavor by our faith in Jesus and the power of His Spirit within live by His words. We have already failed. Let’s trust Him and His grace.

BF&M – Baptism and the Lord’s Supper

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As Baptists we do not consider Baptism or the Lord’s Supper as sacraments – or as being necessary for one’s salvation – that would be an addition to grace.  Baptism is a command of Scripture, but if it is not obeyed from a heart of love for Christ, then it would be without meaning and purpose.  The following is the Statement of Faith concerning these ordinances:

VII. Baptism and the Lord’s Supper

Christian baptism is the immersion of a believer in water in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. It is an act of obedience symbolizing the believer’s faith in a crucified, buried, and risen Saviour, the believer’s death to sin, the burial of the old life, and the resurrection to walk in newness of life in Christ Jesus. It is a testimony to his faith in the final resurrection of the dead. Being a church ordinance, it is prerequisite to the privileges of church membership and to the Lord’s Supper.

The Lord’s Supper is a symbolic act of obedience whereby members of the church, through partaking of the bread and the fruit of the vine, memorialize the death of the Redeemer and anticipate His second coming.Matthew 3:13-17; 26:26-30; 28:19-20; Mark 1:9-11; 14:22-26; Luke 3:21-22; 22:19-20; John 3:23; Acts 2:41-42; 8:35-39; 16:30-33; 20:7; Romans 6:3-5; 1 Corinthians 10:16,21; 11:23-29; Colossians 2:12.

Baptism is also the confession of our faith in Christ, His death, burial and resurrection.  It is symbolized by the putting under the water – the death and burial, and the resurrection by coming up from the water.  The celebration of Baptism should be just that a Celebration of one’s faith in Christ.  When you are baptised invite your saved and lost friends to declare unto them your faith in Jesus Christ, and proclaim it by the baptism into Christ Jesus and the local church.

The Lord’s Supper can only legitimately be received by those who have followed the Lord faithfully into the baptismal waters.  Jesus Himself, commanded us to partake of the Lord’s Supper in remembranc of Him until He comes again.  Every time we take the bread which reminds us of his body, bruised from the beatings, broken, and bleeding we are to do it with the expectation of His soon return.  We take the cup of the ‘fruit of the vine’, we are reminded of that precious blood that was shed for our salvation.  “The life of the flesh is in the blood”, and “it is the blood that maketh atonement for the soul” (Leviticul 17:11).

The blood of Jesus Christ sufficient to save the whole world, but only efficient enough to save those who will believe.

BF&M -The Church

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I heard of a man who walked into the pastor’s office and began telling the pastor that he was a missionary for the “Invisible church”.  He was asking for support in his “Mission work”, to which the pastor of the local church responded, by giving him an invisible check.

Most Baptist believe in the authority of the local church.  The local church is visible congregation.  It has a visible congregation, with officers pastors and deacons, and members who serve the other duties of that congregation.

When you look at the epistles [letters] which Paul the apostle wrote, they were written to local churches.  The letters of Jesus Christ in the Revelation chapters two and three, is addressed to local congregations.  There is much more emphasis put on the local church than on the idea of an “Universal or invisible church”.  The Body of Christ functions in local churches.

The following is our Statement of Faith concerning the church:

VI. The Church

A New Testament church of the Lord Jesus Christ is an autonomous local congregation of baptized believers, associated by covenant in the faith and fellowship of the gospel; observing the two ordinances of Christ, governed by His laws, exercising the gifts, rights, and privileges invested in them by His Word, and seeking to extend the gospel to the ends of the earth. Each congregation operates under the Lordship of Christ through democratic processes. In such a congregation each member is responsible and accountable to Christ as Lord. Its scriptural officers are pastors and deacons. While both men and women are gifted for service in the church, the office of pastor is limited to men as qualified by Scripture.

The New Testament speaks also of the church as the Body of Christ which includes all of the redeemed of all the ages, believers from every tribe, and tongue, and people, and nation.

Matthew 16:15-19; 18:15-20; Acts 2:41-42,47; 5:11-14; 6:3-6; 13:1-3; 14:23,27; 15:1-30; 16:5; 20:28; Romans 1:7; 1 Corinthians 1:2; 3:16; 5:4-5; 7:17; 9:13-14; 12; Ephesians 1:22-23; 2:19-22; 3:8-11,21; 5:22-32; Philippians 1:1; Colossians 1:18; 1 Timothy 2:9-14; 3:1-15; 4:14; Hebrews 11:39-40; 1 Peter 5:1-4; Revelation 2-3; 21:2-3.

As Baptists we do believe that the office of pastor is reserved for men.  There is plenty of Scriptural evidence for this belief.  In First Timothy 3:1-7 the qualifications of the elder/bishop/pastor is related directly to the male gender.  For instance; “A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife…”.  I have a friend who pointed out, “When a woman can be the husband of one wife, then I can accept her as a pastor”.   I believe he would have meant as long as she met the other qualifications.

The local church was established by the Lord Jesus.  Each local church is made up of born again, baptized believers in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.  Every member is regenerated by the Spirit of God, reborn in Christ Jesus, and baptized in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit and into the local church.

This will be addressed later: Baptism is by immersion, ie., putting under the water.

The Ignored Spirit of God

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Genesis 6:1-22 continued…

“And the LORD said, My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh: yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years.” Genesis 6:3 (KJV).

The LORD looking down upon the human race of that day was not pleased with what He saw. It did not surprise Him. He was not shocked by it. He has “foreknowledge”, and so this all really was fitting well with His plan.

The word “Strive” means to contend; to minister judgment; to judge; to rule, etc.. The ministry and work of God’s Spirit is to not only draw people to God, but also to restrain evil.

If the Holy Spirit ceases to work with man the end is judgment. When the Spirit withdraws from an individual or a group they are left to themselves to work havoc and ruin. There are many who think that man is basically good; that is a grave and evil error; a tragic mistake that has eternal consequences. If it were not for God’s Spirit the “Total depravity” of man would be so clearly seen, by any who are holy, our society today would look like utopia. Mankind is ‘totally depraved’. Without God we would be completely without hope. The only reason man is not as evil as he could be is because of the Holy Spirit’s restraining power –

“For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way” 2 Thessalonians 2:7 (KJV).

There are many who do not even realize the Spirit of God is working today. I am sure that many of them did not realize during this day we are viewing in Scripture. The time we perceive the withdrawing of the Spirit it could be too late for renewal – not on God’s part but man’s.  At the time of Noah we see God allowing/giving 120 years for people to repent, and return to the worship and fellowship of God. One hundred twenty years to repent.

When God’s Spirit withdraws mankind becomes more and more wicked, and gets further and further away from God. Man begins to deny God, deny His existence, and begins to believe man can solve his own problems without God. Those who reach this point will say something along the line, “We don’t need God. What has he ever done for us?” They will find a day when they will be crying against Him, and crying for the rocks, the mountains to fall on them, to hide them from the Son of God. That is what happens after the Spirit has striven with man and they pay Him no mind or heart.

Baptists and Baptism

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Below, you will find some quotes taken from one who is now the First Vice President of the Southern Baptist Convention, and another from  a quote of a Regular Baptist who lived from 1788 – 1866.  These are and were devout Baptist preachers.

I received these from the Landmark Southern Baptist discussion group.  The parenthesis at the end of each quote is of the moderator of that group – Ben Stratton.

“I believe you have to have certain things in order to be a New Testament Church.    First of all you must preach, believe, adhere to as a congregation that salvation is by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone including security of the believer.  I had a mega-church pastor chide me because I said that this was a qualifier for a New Testament church.  He said you’re ruling out a whole bunch of people when you add that security of believer.  I said that’s ok.  They may be fine Christian people and they may be going to heaven and may have a great time when they get together but they’re not a New Testament church because a New Testament church teaches salvation by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone including security of the believer.  (This) makes it a New Testament Church.   Doesn’t have to have Baptist over the door but it does have to have Bible in its doctrine.  So that means also baptism by immersion of believers only.  You can’t sprinkle or pour and be a New Testament Church.   I’m not talking about getting to heaven, I’m talking about being faithful to the Word of God.”  Jim Richards

(The above quote is from a sermon Jim Richards preached in the chapel at the Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas on November 01, 2006.  Richards is the executive director of the Southern Baptists of Texas state Convention {SBTC}.  Notice that Richards contends that eternal security and believer’s immersion are two of the requirements for a group to be a true New Testament Church.  This is one of the reasons that Baptists reject the immersions of these groups.)  

“A considerable congregation had gathered, and I delivered as plain and pointed a discourse, and as definite as I could.  I then explained the circumstances which had led to that appointment, and that I was authorized by the Bethel Church, of which I was a member, and which was located in the district of Cape Girardeau, to give an invitation to any persons wishing to be baptized and become members of the Bethel Regular Baptist Church.  I added that if they could give full and satisfactory evidence of the hope that was in them, I was ready and willing to baptize.  But I would wish all to understand, that the Baptists alone were by us considered a gospel church, and therefore they received none into their fellowship or communion, except on public profession of their faith in Christ, according to the doctrine of His grace. . . No probationers of six months, no infants who were sprinkled on the profession of their parents, nor any others but believers in Jesus Christ were received.  Therefore, all who joined this church must renounce alliance with all other denominations.  They should treat all men friendly as men, but have no communion or fellowship with any but the Baptist Church of Christ; for they should look upon all others as the daughters of mystic Babylon.  ‘I have been thus particular, as I wish to deceive no one,’ said I.  ‘We wish to be understood to say, as did the Lord in reference to this “Mystery, Babylon” (if any of God’s people be ensnared by her), Come out of her my people, and be ye separated from her.”  Wilson Thompson

(Wilson Thompson (1788-1866) was a Regular Baptist preacher in Illinois.    The above quote is from pages 152-154 of “The Autobiography of Elder Wilson Thompson” published in 1867.  The time period for the quote is during the War of 1812.   Thompson like the majority of Baptists during that time believed that the Baptists alone were the only true church and that Baptists should not have any alliances with other denominations.   Because Thompson identified with the Primitive Baptists after the missions controversy (circa 1830) most Southern and Missionary Baptist historians have missed this source.  A special thanks to my good friend R. L. Vaughn of Texas for pointing it out to me.  He has an excellent website – Ministry and Music – Seeking the Old Paths http://baptistsearch.blogspot. com/ )

BF&M – God’s Purpose of Grace

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There is quite a bit of talk about grace.  It may be more among Christians than others, but it is a good topic.  How can grace be defined?  My definition is this;  It is a gift from God which we do not deserve, and cannot earn.  It is something for which those who have received it should be forever grateful.  It is an eternal gift which God chooses to give by His own will.

Here is our SBC Statement of Faith on “God’s purpose of Grace”:

V. God’s Purpose of Grace

Election is the gracious purpose of God, according to which He regenerates, justifies, sanctifies, and glorifies sinners. It is consistent with the free agency of man, and comprehends all the means in connection with the end. It is the glorious display of God’s sovereign goodness, and is infinitely wise, holy, and unchangeable. It excludes boasting and promotes humility.

All true believers endure to the end. Those whom God has accepted in Christ, and sanctified by His Spirit, will never fall away from the state of grace, but shall persevere to the end. Believers may fall into sin through neglect and temptation, whereby they grieve the Spirit, impair their graces and comforts, and bring reproach on the cause of Christ and temporal judgments on themselves; yet they shall be kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation.

Genesis 12:1-3; Exodus 19:5-8; 1 Samuel 8:4-7,19-22; Isaiah 5:1-7; Jeremiah 31:31ff.; Matthew 16:18-19; 21:28-45; 24:22,31; 25:34; Luke 1:68-79; 2:29-32; 19:41-44; 24:44-48; John 1:12-14; 3:16; 5:24; 6:44-45,65; 10:27-29; 15:16; 17:6,12,17-18; Acts 20:32; Romans 5:9-10; 8:28-39; 10:12-15; 11:5-7,26-36; 1 Corinthians 1:1-2; 15:24-28; Ephesians 1:4-23; 2:1-10; 3:1-11; Colossians 1:12-14; 2 Thessalonians 2:13-14; 2 Timothy 1:12; 2:10,19; Hebrews 11:39–12:2; James 1:12; 1 Peter 1:2-5,13; 2:4-10; 1 John 1:7-9; 2:19; 3:2.

There are some who want to tell us that people who were saved in the Old Testament were saved by their works.  That is not so.  They were all saved by faith looking forward to the cross of Jesus Christ.  People today are saved looking back to the cross of Jesus.

It is said of Noah, “But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD.” Genesis 6:8 (KJV).  The word ‘Grace’ is found more often in the book of Genesis than in all four New Testament Gospels combined.  Now, would someone tell me that the Old Testament people were saved by their works.  Go figure.

The one New Testament Scripture that stands out as a favorite for all Christians is Ephesians 2:8-10.  That is right I include verse ten.  It is one we too often leave out.  “For by grace are ye ssaved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.  For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.”  Trust the God of grace.

I am Tim A. Blankenship

Problem With Mixed Marriages

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Genesis 6:1-22 continuing…

In chapter four we had the story of the genealogy of Cain, and that was following his murdering his brother Abel. Cain’s record is a record of the ungodly. “Cain went out from the presence of the LORD…” (4:16). The New Testament speaks of Cain as being one who hated God; Jude 11 mentions “the way of Cain” that would be not to seek the Lord, and attempt his own way of worship. First John chapter three and verse twelve tells us, “Not as Cain, who was of that wicked one, and slew his brother. And wherefore slew he him? Because his own works were evil, and his brother’s righteous.”

In chapter five we have the story of the genealogy of Seth, “The Appointed”, and within it the story of redemption and the glory of God. Its story runs from Seth through Noah, and includes his three sons; Shem, Ham and Japheth.

It is my conclusion that since we have the genealogies of Cain and Seth here – back to back so to speak – that chapter six is referring to the Cainites as producing the “Daughters of men”, and the “Sons of God” are reference to the lineage of Seth. That does not give us a real bright picture of Seth’s sons, but that is how I will be presenting this.

“And it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born unto them, That the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose.” Genesis 6:1-2 (KJV).

In looking at this we have to take it back to even before the lineage of Cain is given. It was then that people were beginning to populate the earth. We must remember that Adam and Eve had other children other than what is written in the pages in the early chapters of Genesis. With Cain and Seth we are given the truth of God that there are generally two types of people on the earth. Those who love God, because they have themselves received God’s love for them; and then, there are those like Cain who had no heart for God. This is the story that must be seen if we are to believe that men/women are accounted for their actions.

The women or “daughters of men” must have been very alluring, attractive, and seductive. Sometimes even the best of men will fall for something of beauty. These daughters of men, being from the lineage of Cain would, most likely, had no problem deceiving, luring, and lying to the sons of God, in order to achieve what they desired, thus luring many of them away from God. Those men who are named in the godly line of Seth were probably the ones who maintained somewhat of a fellowship with God, the LORD. It this is all there were, then, wickedness would surely have had a strangle hold on their society.

There are some who believe that the “sons of God” are fallen angels, as those mentioned in Jude 6, “And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day”, and also they refer to Job 1:6 and 2:1 where it says, “Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan came also among them.”, and 2:1 stating, “Again there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan came also among them to present himself before the LORD.” My question concerning this idea is, What would an angel, even a fallen angel, see in the “daughters of men”? There is no problem with seeing these “sons of God” as being from the lineage of Seth. As a matter of fact it solves a whole passel of problems. I am not going to deal with the matter of the angels here, because I do not see them as being involved in this text.

You could call the joining of the godly line with the ungodly line a case of “Mixed Marriages”. That is forbidden by God in the Scriptures today, though, there would have been no law concerning the matter in the early parts of the Beginning. Surely some sense of decency and thoughts of right and wrong would have been there, but maybe not. God now definitely forbids the Christian from marrying a non Christian. There are far too many “Mixed Marriages” in our society and it could be a death knell to the family. We are told in the New Testament,

“Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.” 2 Corinthians 6:14-16 (KJV).

Now there are many people who have heard this taught and preached again and again. Young ladies who know better, professing to be Christian; marry a man who is the dream of her life, but he is not a Christian, and she finds out later that life with this man is a nightmare, they cannot agree on much, if anything, and he gets more and more rebellious toward the things of God as life goes along. In some rare cases the man comes to faith in Christ, and things can get better. God does not approve of Mixed Marriages concerning faith.

God Builds His Case

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Jeremiah, the weeping prophet. Known for that because of his mourning for the sins of the people of Judah, and Jerusalem. He sees the failings of the priesthood, of which he was part. The weaknesses, the hypocrisies, and often blatant lies and deceptions; not only among the priests but among those who called themselves prophets of God.

God could speak with Jeremiah. Jeremiah heard, and many times responded to what God said. Hear what God says to Jeremiah near the beginning of his ministry;

“Moreover the word of the LORD came to me, saying, ‘God and cry in the hearing of Jerusalem, saying’, ‘Thus says the LORD: ‘I remember you, the kindness of your youth, the love of your betrothal, when you went after Me in the wilderness, in a land not sown. Israel was holiness to the LORD, the firstfruits of His increase. All that devour him will offend; disaster will come upon them,’ says the LORD.” Jeremiah 2:1-3 (NKJV).

God begins in the first message by confirming them in their first belief. They had followed, at least through Abraham, had been obedient in the wilderness, and had grown in love with the LORD. There was kindness, fondness, love in their hearts for the LORD, realizing that He alone was responsible for their having a land, a promise. They had been chosen from the place of God’s amazing grace and mercy. They were undeserving. They were unworthy. They were sinners among the other sinners of the earth. There was nothing special about them, thus in there early days they loved the LORD.

Despite the fact of their departure the LORD reminds them of His promise, “All that devour him will offend; disaster will come upon them,’ says the LORD”. No one can expect God’s blessing who lifts their hand against people, the nation, whom God ordained to give us the Scriptures, ordinances, and laws. Yet there is room for His judgment. Pray for Jerusalem – Israel.

As Christians we must remember our “First love”. That love we had for Jesus when we first believed. The things of the world around us have a power which can lure us away from loving Him. God commended five of the early churches of the Revelation, but could only condemn two of them because they had departed from Him.

If you truly know Jesus as your Lord and Savior, then, there was a time when you walked with Him, you loved Him, cherished Him, and it did not bother you that there were times He seemed distant, but you trusted His Word when He said, “I will never leave you, nor forsake you.”

Something has happened in the past few days, weeks, months, or years that have caused you to get away from Him, His Word, from praying, and cherishing His abiding presence. You have become more consumed with sports, entertainment, comforts, leisure, conveniences, and even family activities, than with your walk with Him. It is time to return to Him, before the judgment of your sin comes on you.

He puts His protecting hand on all who have trusted Him. You can believe He will keep you, protect you, and anyone who raises an evil hand against you will suffer by His hand. Be assured God loves you with an everlasting love. Enjoy it, revel in it, rejoice in it, and He will be glorified.

BF&M – Salvation

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Living in this world we do often hear people ask the question, “What do we need salvation from?”  As mentioned in yesterday’s post concerning our Statement of Faith on “Man” we do believe that man is a fallen being; meaning that we have fallen out of fellowship with our Creator, and therefore, we are a condemned race.  We need the salvation which only our Creator can provide us.

Here is our Statement of Faith concerning Salvation:

IV. Salvation

Salvation involves the redemption of the whole man, and is offered freely to all who accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour, who by His own blood obtained eternal redemption for the believer. In its broadest sense salvation includes regeneration, justification, sanctification, and glorification. There is no salvation apart from personal faith in Jesus Christ as Lord.

A. Regeneration, or the new birth, is a work of God’s grace whereby believers become new creatures in Christ Jesus. It is a change of heart wrought by the Holy Spirit through conviction of sin, to which the sinner responds in repentance toward God and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Repentance and faith are inseparable experiences of grace.

Repentance is a genuine turning from sin toward God. Faith is the acceptance of Jesus Christ and commitment of the entire personality to Him as Lord and Saviour.

B. Justification is God’s gracious and full acquittal upon principles of His righteousness of all sinners who repent and believe in Christ. Justification brings the believer unto a relationship of peace and favor with God.

C. Sanctification is the experience, beginning in regeneration, by which the believer is set apart to God’s purposes, and is enabled to progress toward moral and spiritual maturity through the presence and power of the Holy Spirit dwelling in him. Growth in grace should continue throughout the regenerate person’s life.

D. Glorification is the culmination of salvation and is the final blessed and abiding state of the redeemed.

Genesis 3:15; Exodus 3:14-17; 6:2-8; Matthew 1:21; 4:17; 16:21-26; 27:22-28:6; Luke 1:68-69; 2:28-32; John 1:11-14,29; 3:3-21,36; 5:24; 10:9,28-29; 15:1-16; 17:17; Acts 2:21; 4:12; 15:11; 16:30-31; 17:30-31; 20:32; Romans 1:16-18; 2:4; 3:23-25; 4:3ff.; 5:8-10; 6:1-23; 8:1-18,29-39; 10:9-10,13; 13:11-14; 1 Corinthians 1:18,30; 6:19-20; 15:10; 2 Corinthians 5:17-20; Galatians 2:20; 3:13; 5:22-25; 6:15; Ephesians 1:7; 2:8-22; 4:11-16; Philippians 2:12-13; Colossians 1:9-22; 3:1ff.; 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24; 2 Timothy 1:12; Titus 2:11-14; Hebrews 2:1-3; 5:8-9; 9:24-28; 11:1-12:8,14; James 2:14-26; 1 Peter 1:2-23; 1 John 1:6-2:11; Revelation 3:20; 21:1-22:5

Let me try and clarify the meaning of “Justification”.  It is the act of God declaring righteousness on the believer.  It is the same as God’s declaring us as “Saints”.  It is certainly undeserved on our part.  It is God’s declaration and the placing of the righteousness of Jesus Christ on us.  Jesus Himself taking our unrighteousness while on the cross and putting it to death at His death.

It is truly a marvelous salvation.

BF&M – Man

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The estate of man is often questioned and discussed.  When it comes to knowing the truth of the matter concerning humankind, there is only one reliable source of information and that is God’s Word – the Bible.  Below you will see the Baptist Faith and Message statement concerning Man:

III. Man

Man is the special creation of God, made in His own image. He created them male and female as the crowning work of His creation. The gift of gender is thus part of the goodness of God’s creation. In the beginning man was innocent of sin and was endowed by his Creator with freedom of choice. By his free choice man sinned against God and brought sin into the human race. Through the temptation of Satan man transgressed the command of God, and fell from his original innocence whereby his posterity inherit a nature and an environment inclined toward sin. Therefore, as soon as they are capable of moral action, they become transgressors and are under condemnation. Only the grace of God can bring man into His holy fellowship and enable man to fulfill the creative purpose of God. The sacredness of human personality is evident in that God created man in His own image, and in that Christ died for man; therefore, every person of every race possesses full dignity and is worthy of respect and Christian love.

Genesis 1:26-30; 2:5,7,18-22; 3; 9:6; Psalms 1; 8:3-6; 32:1-5; 51:5; Isaiah 6:5; Jeremiah 17:5; Matthew 16:26; Acts 17:26-31; Romans 1:19-32; 3:10-18,23; 5:6,12,19; 6:6; 7:14-25; 8:14-18,29; 1 Corinthians 1:21-31; 15:19,21-22; Ephesians 2:1-22; Colossians 1:21-22; 3:9-11.

Originally, man was created in the state of innocence, with no sin.  God breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and made him a living soul.

In our Statement of Faith (BF& M) we say, “endowed by his Creator with freedom of choice”.  Adam, the first man, used that freedom, sinned against God, thus condemning the whole human race – his children, grandchildren; all who would come from his seed.

Man is a totally depraved race.  Without God’s grace we are a condemned race.

Speak the Truth

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Matthew 5:21-48 continued…

“Again, ye have heard that it hath been said by them of old time, Thou shalt not forswear thyself, but shalt perform unto the Lord thine oaths: But I say unto you, Swear not at all; neither by heaven; for it is God’s throne: Nor by the earth; for it is his footstool: neither by Jerusalem; for it is the city of the great King. Neither shalt thou swear by thy head, because thou canst not make one hair white or black. But let your communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay: for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil” Matthew 5:33-37 (KJV).

As we look at these words of Jesus it seems like everything concerning morality and righteousness is essential, yet Jesus had great grace and mercy toward all. Jesus intended that when we spoke a word; in private, before a group of people, or in a courtroom that we speak with the highest degree of integrity, honesty and valor which is possible. It starts with keeping our word; our oaths; with the LORD. It grieves His heart when we do not do so. It is better not to give your word at all than to give it, and then you swallow and devour everything which you said.

Is it wrong to “Swear on a Bible in a court room”? I personally do not believe it is. You are giving your word that you are going to tell the truth. If you won’t tell the truth without using the Bible you probably won’t using it. The whole issue of this matter has to do with a man’s or woman’s honesty, integrity, and character. If you are in the habit of lying then, you will probably lie no matter what.

Even if it hurts be honest. Tell the truth concerning things you testify of. Jesus says, “Let your communication be, ‘Yea, yea; Nay, nay: for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil.

BF&M – God: The Holy Spirit

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There seems to be many professing Christians who are not seeing the Trinity of God in Scriptures.  The teaching is clearly revealed throughout the Word of God.  The Holy Spirit is the one that many want to leave out of the picture.  They only see Him as a power, an influence, but not a person of the Godhead, or the final person of the Trinity.

We Baptists believe in the Trinity, because it is a doctrine of Scripture.  Many will say, “That word ‘trinity’ is nowhere used and the Bible”, and they would be correct, yet the idea is clearly presented as I declared in an earlier post.  The Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit are all at work “In the beginning” (Genesis 1:1-3); the Father, Son and Holy Spirit are again clearly seen at the baptism of Jesus (Matthew 3).

The following is from our Statement of Faith concerning the Holy Spirit:

C. God the Holy Spirit

The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of God, fully divine. He inspired holy men of old to write the Scriptures. Through illumination He enables men to understand truth. He exalts Christ. He convicts men of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment. He calls men to the Saviour, and effects regeneration. At the moment of regeneration He baptizes every believer into the Body of Christ. He cultivates Christian character, comforts believers, and bestows the spiritual gifts by which they serve God through His church. He seals the believer unto the day of final redemption. His presence in the Christian is the guarantee that God will bring the believer into the fullness of the stature of Christ. He enlightens and empowers the believer and the church in worship, evangelism, and service.

Genesis 1:2; Judges 14:6; Job 26:13; Psalms 51:11; 139:7ff.; Isaiah 61:1-3; Joel 2:28-32; Matthew 1:18; 3:16; 4:1; 12:28-32; 28:19; Mark 1:10,12; Luke 1:35; 4:1,18-19; 11:13; 12:12; 24:49; John 4:24; 14:16-17,26; 15:26; 16:7-14; Acts 1:8; 2:1-4,38; 4:31; 5:3; 6:3; 7:55; 8:17,39; 10:44; 13:2; 15:28; 16:6; 19:1-6; Romans 8:9-11,14-16,26-27; 1 Corinthians 2:10-14; 3:16; 12:3-11,13; Galatians 4:6; Ephesians 1:13-14; 4:30; 5:18; 1 Thessalonians 5:19; 1 Timothy 3:16; 4:1; 2 Timothy 1:14; 3:16; Hebrews 9:8,14; 2 Peter 1:21; 1 John 4:13; 5:6-7; Revelation 1:10; 22:17.

It was by the Spirit of God, also known as the Holy Spirit, that we have Holy Scripture and by these we can know God, His Son Jesus, and the power of the Spirit.  It is because of the Spirit that we are “Sealed until the day of redemption”,

In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory.  Ephesians 1:13-14 (NKJV).

Without the Holy Spirit of God moving there is no one who would ever be saved and delivered from sin and its temptations.  Jesus was dependent upon the Holy Spirit.  It was the Spirit who led Him into the wilderness and strengthened Him for those 40 days and nights.  It is by the presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives that we know we are the children of God.

Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His.  Romans 8:9b (NKJV).

The Spirit of Christ is, of course, the Holy Spirit.  It is also the Holy Spirit who equips Christians to serve the Lord Jesus.  He points all to Christ, glorifying Him and Him alone.  He does not call attention to Himself, but to Christ.  We can know that anytime anyone is magnifying the gifts of the Holy Spirit in their lives they are completely out of line with Scripture, and out of fellowship with God.

We as Baptists have often been accused of neglecting the work of the Holy Spirit, but that is not really the case.  We see Him as being quietly, peaceably, behind the scenes glorifying our Savior, giving us power to live for the honor and glory of Jesus, and calling no attention to ourselves, but Jesus alone.

I am Tim A. Blankenship

Good Blogs to Read

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It has been some time since I have put any recommendations for blogs to read. I still commend those who I have read from the beginning, such as Heavenly Heartburn, Hungry for Holiness, Byway Blessings. Those are still wonderful reading, but there are some new ones I enjoy.

I am only placing these in a somewhat random order so I am placing no order of preference. I recommend these by also saying that I do not always agree with what they write, but appreciate many things that they do. The first one I want to tell you of is Trinitarian Don a blog by Don McConnell, dean of Trinity University’s Law School in California. Then, there is Devine Theology by Dr. Mark Devine currently Associate Professor of Christian Theology at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary near Kansas City, MO.. Another one along the line of Theology is The Baptist, and you will enjoy his perspective on Baptists and Southern Baptists in particular. I also discovered this one and I am not sure of this man’s full name, but I do enjoy his articles. It is called, The Shepherd’s Staff. I will end these recommendations with one by a fellow Missouri Baptist Blogger; and that is Shepherd’s Walk by David Krueger.

My prayer is that these will all be a blessing to you in your reading.

BF&M – God: The Son

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One of the very basic doctrines of Baptists is the belief and Biblical teaching of the deity of Jesus Christ.  The Bible is quite clear on this teaching, and it is clear from much of Jesus’s own words.

Here is our Statement of Faith concerning Jesus Christ:

B. God the Son

Christ is the eternal Son of God. In His incarnation as Jesus Christ He was conceived of the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary. Jesus perfectly revealed and did the will of God, taking upon Himself human nature with its demands and necessities and identifying Himself completely with mankind yet without sin. He honored the divine law by His personal obedience, and in His substitutionary death on the cross He made provision for the redemption of men from sin. He was raised from the dead with a glorified body and appeared to His disciples as the person who was with them before His crucifixion. He ascended into heaven and is now exalted at the right hand of God where He is the One Mediator, fully God, fully man, in whose Person is effected the reconciliation between God and man. He will return in power and glory to judge the world and to consummate His redemptive mission. He now dwells in all believers as the living and ever present Lord.

Genesis 18:1ff.; Psalms 2:7ff.; 110:1ff.; Isaiah 7:14; 53; Matthew 1:18-23; 3:17; 8:29; 11:27; 14:33; 16:16,27; 17:5; 27; 28:1-6,19; Mark 1:1; 3:11; Luke 1:35; 4:41; 22:70; 24:46; John 1:1-18,29; 10:30,38; 11:25-27; 12:44-50; 14:7-11; 16:15-16,28; 17:1-5, 21-22; 20:1-20,28; Acts 1:9; 2:22-24; 7:55-56; 9:4-5,20; Romans 1:3-4; 3:23-26; 5:6-21; 8:1-3,34; 10:4; 1 Corinthians 1:30; 2:2; 8:6; 15:1-8,24-28; 2 Corinthians 5:19-21; 8:9; Galatians 4:4-5; Ephesians 1:20; 3:11; 4:7-10; Philippians 2:5-11; Colossians 1:13-22; 2:9; 1 Thessalonians 4:14-18; 1 Timothy 2:5-6; 3:16; Titus 2:13-14; Hebrews 1:1-3; 4:14-15; 7:14-28; 9:12-15,24-28; 12:2; 13:8; 1 Peter 2:21-25; 3:22; 1 John 1:7-9; 3:2; 4:14-15; 5:9; 2 John 7-9; Revelation 1:13-16; 5:9-14; 12:10-11; 13:8; 19:16.

Jesus was with the Father in the creation of all that is.  It is even said of Jesus, “All things were made by Him; and without Him was not anything made that was made” John 1:3 (KJV).  Then, again in Colossians the apostle Paul wrote by inspiration of the Holy Spirit, “For by Him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by Him and for Him: and He is before all things, and by Him all things consist.”  Colossians 1:16-17 (KJV).

When you follow the ministry of Jesus through the Gospels you see much more than a man.  You see God who became flesh; “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.” John 1:14 (NKJV).  We see Him changing water to wine (John 2); we find Him walking on the water (John 6:15-21);  we see Him feeding five thousand people with only “five barley loaves  and two small fish” (John 6:1-14);  we also, see Him stilling a storm on the sea of Galilee (Matthew 8:23-27).  That is only a small number of the mighty things which Jesus did as the Son of God, God become flesh as He walked among men.  Only God can do these mighty things.

Jesus, also claimed deity for Himself. “My Father has been working until now, and I have been working.  Therefore the Jews sought all the more to kill Him, because He not only broke the Sabbat, but also said that God was His Father, making Himself equal with God.”  John 5:17-18 (NKJV).  There are many who will admit that Jesus is the Son of God, but will not confess that He is indeed God incarnate.  If indeed He is the Son of God, that in itself declares He is God.

It is in Jesus Christ alone by which we are saved.

I am Tim A. Blankenship

Noah, “Rest”

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Genesis 5:1-32 Conclusion.

“And all the days of Lamech were seven hundred seventy and seven years: and he died. And Noah was five hundred years old: and Noah begat Shem, Ham, and Japheth.” Genesis 5:31-32 (KJV).

Now we have come to the final link in this genealogy. That is Noah. Noah’s name means “Rest”. There is an intended message to be given to the then world, which was about to perish; yes!!! Though it were over five hundred years from the time of Noah’s birth to the time of the flood; I say they were about to perish.

Allow me to give you the ages of these men once again. Adam is now dead, having died when Lamech was 56 years of age. At the birth of Noah Seth would also have been dead for 14 years having died at the age of 912. Enos is 821 years of age; Cainan is 731; Mahalaleel 661; Jared 596; Enoch was translated at the age of 365, or 69 years before Noah was born; Methuselah 369; Lamech being 182 years old when his son Noah is born. Remember, this is the godly line of Seth through which God offered the then sinful people much grace. For holy God to be so full of mercy and endure such wickedness on the earth show to us His much patience.

There are some who proudly call themselves “Bible Scholars” who deny the historicity of these first eleven chapters of Genesis, and even all of the book of Genesis. We must realize that these men named, having sons, and naming them, along with their ages at the birth of the son, and their ages at the time of death; surely confirm the reality and history of these people. Was there a real Adam and Eve? The Bible confirms their reality; first in Genesis 2 and 3, then by Luke in the genealogy of Jesus and His birth (Luke 3:38). Paul mentions Adam as being the “First man” (Romans 5:12-21; 1 Corinthians 15:45, 47). If Adam was only an allegory, analogy, myth, then Jesus and Paul; as well as other reputable historians of that day would have debunked that from the beginning.

Jesus Himself quoted the scripture which God gave to Adam and Eve concerning marriage (Genesis 2:24; Matthew 19:5-6). Jesus also gave reference to Noah (Matthew 24:37); of whom if he had not been a actual historical being Jesus would have exposed it for the falsehood that it was. However, Adam was an actual man, created by God in God’s image. Noah, too, was a historical being, and we will address him further in a later writing. Jesus would not have supported or encouraged the teaching of myth.

If there was a Noah, then there was also a Lamech, whose father was Methuselah; whose father was Enoch, and was translated; whose father was Jared; whose father was Mahalaleel; whose father was Cainan; whose father was Enos; whose father was Seth; whose father was Adam, whose Maker and Father is God.

Lamech died at the age of 777. This was only about 5 years before the great flood. Not one man named in this holy lineage of Seth lived to see the flood. All died – look at the scriptures – the birth of each one ends with, “and he died”. So do we all unto this day. All died with the exception of Enoch who was “translated”, and Noah, who did not die in the flood, but was lifted above it (7:17); but even Noah died.

Noah means “Rest”. At the age of five hundred Noah is called by God to build and ark. Somewhere, in and around his fifth century of life God gives him three sons.

God uses Noah to deliver hmankind from destruction. It is quite possible that during the hundred years Noah was building the ark that his father, Lamech, Methuselah, and his sons, Shem, Ham and Japheth helped in its building. Lemech and Methuselah were the only remaining two named in this lineage.

Noah was also a preacher (1 Peter 3:18-20), warning his neighbors, relatives and family of the impending judgment from God coming on the whole earth. Some today tell us that the disease of AIDS could not be, and is not, judgment from God, because of all the innocent children who are afflicted by it, and the supposed “innocent” who are afflicted by it through blood supplies and other means. What about the flood? Was it or was it not judgment from God? Maybe it was just due to a previous affliction of “Global warming”, or “Global cooling”. Not at all. Were there young and “innocent” children who died in the flood? You and I both know that there were. All diseases and sickness are a direct result of Adam’s and Eve’s sin of rebellion in the garden of Eden. Let us never forget that. There is judgment for our sins and those of our children.

There are none who are sinless in God’s eyes (Romans 3:10, 23). There is only one sinless person who ever lived; and we couldn’t stand Him, and we nailed Him to a tree, and there He died. We deserve the wrath of God. In and by His mercy and grace He has chosen to save some. In that we can find rest for our souls.

God has provided an ark of salvation. That ark is none other than Jesus Christ and His shed blood; shed to make atonement for our souls (Hebrews 4:9).

Here is the meaning of their names all in one line – “Appointed”, “Mortal”, “Sorrow”, “Blessed God”, “Descended”, “Experienced”, “Judgment – Death which would bring”, “Strength”, “Rest”. Is the Gospel message in those words?

BF&M – God: The Father

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There are many beliefs about “God”, and some could and would say, ‘gods’, but there is only one God.  The one God is the LORD.  He is the Creator of all that exists.  There is nothing that exists which He did not create.  He created all things, even that which He made in His own image, and after His likeness; for His own glory.

The Baptist Faith & Message statement:

II. God

There is one and only one living and true God. He is an intelligent, spiritual, and personal Being, the Creator, Redeemer, Preserver, and Ruler of the universe. God is infinite in holiness and all other perfections. God is all powerful and all knowing; and His perfect knowledge extends to all things, past, present, and future, including the future decisions of His free creatures. To Him we owe the highest love, reverence, and obedience. The eternal triune God reveals Himself to us as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, with distinct personal attributes, but without division of nature, essence, or being.

A. God the Father

God as Father reigns with providential care over His universe, His creatures, and the flow of the stream of human history according to the purposes of His grace. He is all powerful, all knowing, all loving, and all wise. God is Father in truth to those who become children of God through faith in Jesus Christ. He is fatherly in His attitude toward all men.

Genesis 1:1; 2:7; Exodus 3:14; 6:2-3; 15:11ff.; 20:1ff.; Leviticus 22:2; Deuteronomy 6:4; 32:6; 1 Chronicles 29:10; Psalm 19:1-3; Isaiah 43:3,15; 64:8; Jeremiah 10:10; 17:13; Matthew 6:9ff.; 7:11; 23:9; 28:19; Mark 1:9-11; John 4:24; 5:26; 14:6-13; 17:1-8; Acts 1:7; Romans 8:14-15; 1 Corinthians 8:6; Galatians 4:6; Ephesians 4:6; Colossians 1:15; 1 Timothy 1:17; Hebrews 11:6; 12:9; 1 Peter 1:17; 1 John 5:7.

This statement of faith is just that, and it gives we Baptists a means of cooperating together.  Most Christians can agree with the statement given above, no matter what their denomination is.

In Genesis 1:1 we read, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” (NKJV).  The name “God” given here is in Hebrew ‘Elohim’ a plural name for our Creator, and tells us that He is One yet has a plural personality.  Most Christians believe that is made up of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.  That is where we stand as Baptists.  He is God.  We can actually see the Persons at work in the creation.  “God said”, that is His Word going forth to create, ie., the Living Word; “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” John 1:1.  Then, we see the Spirit, “Hovering over the face of the waters” Genesis 1:2.

In the New Testament there are at least two instances we see the trinity manifested, one of which is at the baptism of Jesus.

“When He had been baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon Him.  And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, ‘This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”  Matthew 3:16-17 (NKJV).

This clearly shows the presence of the Father, the One who spoke from heaven; we see the Spirit who descended in the form of the dove; and the Son is the One who was just baptized.  This is not only a Baptist teaching, but clearly a Biblical teaching.  We are a Biblical people.  Let’s continue to stand on the Biblical principles and teachings.

I am Tim A. Blankenship. 

What ‘All Things Baptist’ is About

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There has been much discussion among Baptists  concerning the Bible, the direction of the Southern Baptist Convention since the Renewal which began in 1979, and even more recently discussion concerning policies of our International Missions Board, and the Trustees policies on the appointment of new Missionaries.

These things are grievous to me.  I have no problem with discussing these matters, however, much of the discussion is leading toward the taking of the SBC into ecumenicalism, and away from the doctrines of Baptists and Southern Baptists in particular.

When I find the time I will be writing articles concerning Baptists distinctives.  It has long been held by Baptists that the Bible is our only creed, and I whole heartedly agree.  We have adopted articles to which we cooperate for the purpose of missions and ministry to our fellow churches, and members through local Associations, State Convention and the National Convention.  The local church is the place where ministry is conducted.  The Association, the State Convention and the National Convention answers to each atonomous local church, through messengers who are sent to the meetings of each entity.

Let me let it be known up front.  I am not an authority of Baptists History, nor polity, but as I write the coming articles I can and will be dependent upon those who have gone before me.  There are many things which we Baptists had better open our eyes to.  One of them being; WE ARE NOT CALLED TO BE POPULAR, BUT WE ARE CALLED TO BE FAITHFUL.

The Bible is our creed.  There are things we must learn from our Baptist forefathers, but not worship them. 

I am Tim A. Blankenship, Pastor of Carr Lane Baptist Church in Southwest Missouri.