STIRRINGS AT BETHESDA
A Weekly Publication of
Bethesda Baptist Church
September 8, 2014
Upcoming Activities
1. Bethesda Academy, Monday, 6:30 p.m.
2. Ladies Book Study, Tuesday, 6:30 p.m.
3. Business Meeting, Wednesday, 7:00 p.m.
4. Men/Boys Camp Out, Friday, 7:00 p.m.
5. Sunday School, Sunday, 9:15 a.m.
6. Worship Service, Sunday, 10:30 a.m.
7. Discipleship Training, Sunday, 5 p.m.
Missouri Missions
Yesterday marked the beginning of the week of prayer for Missouri Missions. If you have not done so already, please consider making a contribution to help the various ministries our convention leads in the state of Missouri. Our church’s goal is $500 and the church will match up to that amount.
Ask the Lord what He would have you give!
Men/Boys Camp Out
The camp out is this Friday at the church and begins at 7 p.m. If you are planning on being a part of this event but forgot to sign up, please contact Karla and let her know as soon as possible.
Spurgeon Speaks
There are many now among us, as there were then, who walk in such a manner that we recognize them at once as the enemies of the Cross of Christ. I fear that the evil, instead of having decreased, has multiplied and grown in danger! We have more profession, now, than there was in the age of Paul and, consequently, we have more hypocrisy. It is a crying sin with our Churches that there are many in their midst who never ought to be there who would be fit members of an ale-house or any favorite resort of the merry and frivolous, but who never ought to sip the sacramental wine or eat the holy bread, the emblems of the sufferings of our Lord! We have, O Paul, how would you have said it, tonight, and how would you have wept while saying it! we have many in our midst who are the enemies of the Cross of Christ, because their god is their belly, they mind earthly things, and their life is not consistent with the great things of God!
Bethesda Baptist Church Library
Some more messages on CDs have been added to our church library. You are more than welcome to listen to these great preachers of God’s Word!
“God So Loved” by D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones
“Rethinking Privacy in the Christian Life” by John MacArthur
Business Meeting
Our monthly business meeting is this Wednesday, at 7 p.m. As always, I encourage each member to come out and be a part of the decision making process when it comes to the business of the church.
Wisdom from Others
Here is some wisdom from Albert N. Martin, former pastor for over 45 years in New Jersey. He presents four strands of the Bible’s answer to the question, ‘What is a biblical Christian?’
1. According to the Bible, a Christian is a person who has faced realistically the problem of his own personal sin.
2. A biblical Christian is one who has seriously considered the one divine remedy for sin.
3. A biblical Christian is one who has wholeheartedly complied with the terms for obtaining God’s provision for sin.
4. A biblical Christian is a person who manifests in his life that his claims to repentance and faith are real.
Pastor’s Postscripts
How shall we describe those who say they follow Jesus but have lives which do not match their words? Many expressions and slogans have been used over the years and I thought I would share a few of them with you.
* They profess Christ but they don’t possess Christ.
* They know the facts of God but not the face of God.
* They know a lot about the Word of God but do not know the God of the Word.
* Jesus is on their lips but not in their life.
No matter how you may describe a person who claims to know Jesus but has never been truly born by the Spirit of God, such people are in serious jeopardy. They are deceiving themselves and stand on the precipice of eternal condemnation and punishment. The Matthew 7 text I read yesterday (Depart from me) should give each of us pause. Do we know Christ? Has God’s Spirit worked a work of regeneration in my soul? Does my life give testimony of my conversion?
I encourage you to take a moment for self-evaluation. No one, not even those who have been truly saved, will live a perfect life on this present planet. But the signs of the indwelling presence of God’s Spirit should be evident. If not, seek the Lord and ask Him for wisdom.
May the Lord grant you peace and assurance!