The Just Shall Live By Faith

It is very exciting and encouraging reading through Hebrews 10 and 11 about the saints of God living by faith. God works miracles in the lives of His saints as they live in obedience to His will. We read that by faith Noah built an ark and saved his house, that Abraham sojourned and God multiplied his seed as the sand of the sea, that Moses forsook the pleasures of Egypt and lead the Nation of Israel into Canaan land, and that the walls of Jericho fell down because Joshua trusted God and obeyed His command. But all the stories of people living by faith do not end this way. There are those who believed in the promises of God just as much as Abraham did but their story turned out different. There are saints of God who forsook the pleasures of this world, not to lead a nation to victory, but to live a life of poverty and obscurity. These are the real heroes of faith, those who followed God no matter how bad the outcome. They were willing to follow Christ straight into the valley of death. The Bible says in Hebrews 11:36, “And others had trial of cruel mockings and scourging, yea, moreover of bonds and imprisonment: They were stoned they were sawn asunder, were tempted were slain with the sword: they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins; being destitute, afflicted, tormented”. In the eyes of the world and sadly many Christians, these people missed the will of God and were definitely not living by faith. Although it is hard for us to comprehend, the saints in Hebrews 11:36-37 had just as much faith in the Word of God as the men and women mentioned the verses 1-34.

I don’t claim to know why God would deliver Peter from prison and then allow others to be sawn asunder. I can’t explain why God would allow some women to receive their dead raised to life while some women had to receive their dead. To say that the group delivered from death and prison had a greater faith in God than those who perished would be in direct contradiction to the Scriptures. There is no way that we with our finite understanding can comprehend God’s infinite wisdom. We simply have to trust Him. We must trust Him because “without faith it is impossible to please him”. It takes faith to say “God knows best” at the same time that the fire that will consume your body is being kindled at your feet. It takes a measureless amount of faith to say “I will still go with God” while burying a loved one who died for the cause of Christ. No, we may not be able to explain all that God may put us through but we are not expected to understand or give an explanation. We are called to live by faith however, and often times the darker the trial and the deeper the valley, the more real our faith becomes, and the sweeter our God becomes.

No one likes trials. No one especially wants to end up like the “and others” mentioned in the ending part of Hebrews 11 with the trials of cruel mockings and being sawn asunder. But we read in Hebrews 11:38 that the world was not worthy of these great saints. These people’s faith was so great that no matter how dark things looked and no matter how bad things got, they were going to remain faithful to God and to His Word. They knew that God’s faithfulness was not dependent on the outcome of His will.

Key Components to a Successful Ministry

Often times people want large churches with many facets of ministry without any dedication or involvement in the work. There is no secret formula for preachers to adopt that will turn their ministry into a success. There are no magical steps that, if followed, will turn an outreach into a global program; but there are two major components that must be applied to any ministry if it is to be effective in reaching souls.

First of all, it is vital that a ministry be operated by a person who has a vision. The only way the work of God can go anywhere is if there is a Christian who has a vision of where it is going. A person would be crazy if he or she sat behind the wheel of a car and just started driving hoping to arrive at a particular destination without any foresight or planning on how to get there. The same works for the ministry. God has given us a job to do. Jesus told his disciples in Matthew 28:19-20, “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: (20) 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.” This is the vision that God’s people are to have. Although there may be some specific visions that God gives to some people, such as in the area of teaching young children in Sunday School and having the vision of seeing those kids grow up learning about God, or it could be something in the area of printing and a person in that ministry having the vision of printing tracts to see people get saved. The example could even be given of a missionary going out on the field with the vision of establishing churches. Regardless of the ministry, if it is a Biblical ministry, it must be guided by a vision. The Bible says in Proverbs 29:18, “Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he.” If a ministry is to be successful, those involved in serving must have a vision.

Secondly, it is vital that a ministry be operated by a person who has a burden. This burden can be applied in two areas. First of all those laboring in the work of God need to have a burden for the specific area that they are serving in. It would be destructive to the work of God to enlist in the work those who have no burden or concern about the success of the ministry. When a Pastor needs someone to fill a particular position at the church he does not look for someone who is indifferent towards the ministry of the church. The pastor does not look for a person to teach Sunday school that has no burden over training people from the Word of God. A ministry cannot be successful if the people involved in the work are not burdened over the work. Additionally, those laboring in the work of God need to have a burden over souls. This whole thing is about souls. The “Great Commission” is about the evangelization and discipleship of souls. Paul said that he had become a debtor to the Greeks, Barbarians, and to the wise and unwise. Paul believed that he owed it to a particular group of people to preach to them Jesus. Until those involved in God’s work see that they are debtor to those that God has placed them over, then they will not be successful in their ministry.

God’s people have a work to do. God has empowered us to do it. If God’s people are unsuccessful in accomplishing God’s work, it is not God’s fault. If a ministry is not operated by people who have a vision for the facet of the ministry that they are laboring in or if a ministry is operated by people with no vision and no burden for souls, then the work of God will be crippled from the very foundation.

What Did You Bring To Church Today?

We have all read in the Scriptures where Jesus fed the five thousand as well as the account when Jesus fed the four thousand. Many applications have been drawn from this passage and applied to our lives, but I would like to draw one small application out of these passages that God has shown me.

In John’s account of the five thousand, he mentions a little lad who brought five barley loaves and two small fishes, and although his little offering was criticized by the disciples, it was accepted and blessed by the Saviour. This lad’s offering, when given to Jesus, was a blessing to the whole multitude. Even in the case where the four thousand were fed, someone had to bring the food; it did not just appear out of nowhere. Often times as Christian we come to the house of God expecting someone else to bring our lunch. Many Christians come to church expecting the preacher to feed them, the song leader to lift them up, or maybe a Sunday school teacher to encourage them. This is all well and good from time to time; however, God does not want our lives to be characterized by living in spiritual ICU. God saved us so that we would be a blessing to others and help them get what they need from the Lord.

As a song leader, I see people who drag into church looking half dead and expecting me to sing their favorite songs in order to put them in an attitude of worship. I have yet to succeed. Often times, people come to the house of God with the attitude that the purpose of the service is to prop them up or give them an energy boost so that they will be able to make it to the next service rather that seeing the service as an opportunity to help someone or offer a word of testimony to encourage a disheartened brother or sister. When Christians come to the service with a heart and attitude to serve God and worship Him, not only does it please the Lord, but it is a blessing to the whole church.

As much of a blessing as these accounts of our Lord feeding the multitudes have been to our hearts, they would have never happened had not some unnamed person sacrificed their food for the wellbeing of others. It took someone with enough foresight to sacrifice on the behalf of those who lacked forethought, and, as a result, God was pleased and everyone was benefited. God forbid that there are those in our churches that never prepare for the service. God has saved us and blessed us with the Holy Scriptures There in no reason why anyone who is born again should live on spiritual welfare.

If we were to be honest with ourselves, there are only a handful of people in our churches that bear the spiritual load. The others are living on spiritual welfare. Regardless of how this passage may be preached, if it was not for the generosity of the little lad, there would have been no meal that day. This is the case in both accounts when Jesus feed the multitude. If there had not been a sacrifice, there would have been no supply.

The moral of the story is quite simple. What did you bring when you went to see Jesus? When you go to church what do you bring to lay at the Masters feet? If many Christians would be honest they would have to admit that they are living on spiritual welfare.

As I began to pray and get ready for the service this past Sunday morning, this though hit home in my heart. Every time I go to church, I want to bring something that the Master can use to help people.

-By Adam Shirley

Preaching at Another Gay Pride Event

Friday, six men from The Jefferson Lighthouse Baptist Church left out and traveled to St. Petersburg, Florida to preach the Gospel at their Gay Pride event which was being held on Saturday. As the parade went by, men of God preached and laymen held signs to expose sin and exalt the Saviour. Men and Women heard the Gospel. Many mocked, and some said, “We will hear the again of this matter," Acts 17:32.

Pastor Whitman, Bro. Harold Cowart Jr, and Bro. Darrell Smith were able to preach as the parade went by, and then every one followed the parade down to the center of town holding signs and confronting the sick sin of sodomy head on!

God STILL Answers Prayer!

Oh, how thankful I am that we serve a God who hears and answers prayer! For about two years, the members of the Jefferson Lighthouse Baptist Church have been praying for the Lord to provide the finances to begin a tent ministry. Then in May, during the annual Missions Meeting, through a series of Divinely ordered messages, the Lord gave the command for His people to make sacrifices and get the tent ministry going. So, on June 6th a 40x60 blue and white pole tent was ordered. Then on June 13th at about 11:45 am, the tent arrived and was loaded in our trailer. Praise God!!! We are looking forward to seeing what God has in store for us as we follow His leadership.

The Doctrine of the Trinity Proven In The Old and New Testament

The Bible is the book that teaches mankind about God and the fact that He exists as a Godhead which is made up of three co-equal persons. This Godhead is termed the Trinity. The Trinity is made up of three persons: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. These three are not one of three gods, they are God! One man once said that if one tries to explain the Trinity (Godhead) he will lose his mind, and if one tries to explain it away he will lose his soul. C.C. Ryrie said, “There is only one God, but in the unity of the Godhead there are three eternal and coequal Persons, the same in substance, but distinct in subsistence.” While the term Trinity is never mentioned in the Bible, the concept is found all throughout the Holy Scriptures.

The Trinity can be seen in the Old Testament many times. The first place the Bible ever alludes to God being one of three persons in the Godhead is in Genesis 1:1 where the Bible says, “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.” The Hebrew word for God in this verse is Elohim which is a plural noun referring to more than one person. Also in Genesis 1:26 the Bible says, “And God said, let us make man in our image, after our likeness,” Who is the “our” in this verse referring to? It is referring to the Trinity. It is referring to God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. Also in Isaiah 48:16 the Bible says, “Come ye near unto me, hear ye this; I have not spoken in secret from the beginning; from the time that it was, there am I: and now the Lord GOD, and his Spirit, hath sent me.” Here God the Son is speaking and saying that God the Father and His Spirit, referring to the Holy Spirit, sent Him and gave Him the authority to do the things that He did.

The Trinity is also plainly seen in the New Testament. The first picture if the Godhead is seen in Matthew 28:19 where the Bible says, “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Ghost. The three mentioned in verse 19 are the same three that make up the Trinity. These three are the Trinity. Also in II Corinthians 13:14 the Bible says, “The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you all. Amen.” Here, once more, the Bible refers to God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit as all being separate yet the same. The Most clear passage of Scriptures defining the Trinity is I John 5:7 where the Bible says, “For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one.” Here, the Bible tells it’s readers that God the Father, the Son and the Holy Sprit are one and yet they are distinct and each have a distinct purpose.

The Bible teaches that there are three Persons that make up one Godhead. These three are: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. This concept can be proven throughout the Bible, beginning in the Old Testament and ending in the New Testament. While these three Persons are separate and distinct, they are one, and can not be separated.

So Much to Thank Him for!!!

Psalm 92:1
"It is a good thing to give thanks unto the LORD, and to sing praises unto thy name, O most High:"

In the day and hour that we live in, thanking God for what He has done is the last thing most people think to do. The average American doesn’t give one thought to thankfulness except on every third Thursday in November.

As we read the Bible we find out that being unthankful is the signature sign of the last days. The Bible says in 2 Timothy 3:1-2, “This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful , unholy…” Here we see that being unthankful is at the top of the list of what men will be like in the last days. Also, in Romans 1:21, there is another example of unthankful people. The Bible says that when wicked man knew God and did not glorify Him as God and was not thankful, his foolish heart was darkened.

Wherever there is an unthankful heart and wherever there are unthankful people, there will be wickedness. Whether it’s in Romans 1 or 2 Timothy 3, an unthankful heart is a wicked heart.

Yet despite the lack of thankfulness in today’s society, the Bible still remains true. Yes, we may be living in the last days, where men are unthankful, but that does not alleviate us of our duty as Christians to be thankful.

The Bible says in Colossians 3:15, “And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful.” As a Christian, there is no excuse for an unthankful heart. God has blessed us. He has given us far more than we deserve, and to complain and whine about what we don’t have is a slap in the face of God. Every man, woman, boy, and girl deserves to be in hell. We all deserve to spend eternity without God, yet God who is rich in mercy sent His Son into a sinful world to be slain by sinful man, so that He could redeem and wash mankind from his sin. So, no, the Christian does not have any reason in any way to be unthankful!

The Bible says in Psalms 107:8,15,21 and 31, “Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!” Why should men praise the Lord? A better question would be, why shouldn’t men praise the Lord? What has He done that would deserve our disdain? God has been far too gracious and far too merciful to mankind not to receive praise.

So, as you go about your day, start looking for reasons to praise God. Spend a day trying to highlight all the ways God has blessed you. The Bible says in Psalms 68:19, “Blessed be the Lord, who daily loadeth us with benefits, even the God of our salvation. Selah.” What the psalmist is telling us is that everyday God literally burdens us with blessings. If a person spends their day counting their blessings and thanking God for His goodness in their lives then that individual will be thankful and the joy of the Lord will fill their soul as they go about their day.

His Compassions Fail Not

The Bible says in Lamentations 3:22-23, “It is of the LORD's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.” Hallelujah for such words of comfort!!! Truly we serve a faithful God. So many times I have been unfaithful. Oh, how I have repaid Him for His great love that He has shown me. He has given me everything, and what have I given Him? He remains faithful. No matter how unfaithful I am to Him, no matter how many times I so cruelly neglect to spend time with Him, through all this, He still continues to supply my every need. Praise God for an unchanging God!

Jeremiah had it right when he said “It is of the LORD’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not.” Where would we be if it was not for His unfailing compassion? Where would we be if it was not for His unfailing love? Praise God, we serve a compassionate God! Romans 5:8 says, “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” Why did He die for us? Why did He die for me? Why did He die for me knowing how often I was going to fail Him? All I can say is that He did because He did. There was nothing that I could offer Him. There was no way I could ever repay Him, yet He died for me. He gave His life, His precious life, for mine. Hallelujah!

Street Preaching in Greenville, S.C.

Praise God for a wonderful night in Greenville last night. Many tracts were passed out, and many people read the signs. It is amazing how calm everyone seemed till the preaching started. Jesus was correct when he said, "And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil," John 3:19. The only way anyone can be saved is to first be told about their sins. If it was not for sin, they would not need a Saviour, yet in their pride and arrogancy they refuse to repent and therby damn their souls to an eternity without God. Praise God for preaching!!!