STIRRINGS AT BETHESDA

Weekly Publication of Bethesda Baptist Church

April 14, 2014

Tenebrae Service
Good Friday

Join us this Friday, April 18 at 6:30 p.m for our Good Friday service. Brother Bill Savage, pastor of St. Clair Southern Baptist Church, will bring the message as we reflect on the death of our Lord and His accomplishments on the cross.

LADIES Book Study

The Ladies Book Study resumes tomorrow (Tuesday) evening at 6:30 p.m. Even if you missed the first two meetings you are welcome to join in tomorrow night.

Upcoming Activities

1. Bethesda Academy, Monday, 6:30 p.m.
2. Ladies Book Study, Tuesday, 6:30 p.m.
3. Bible Study & Prayer Meeting, Wednesday, 7 p.m.
4. Good Friday service, Friday, 6:30 p.m.
5. Sunday School, Sunday, 9:15 a.m.
6. Worship Service, Sunday, 10:30 a.m.
7. NO Discipleship Training

The Bethesda Academy

Tonight (Monday) we will meet and resume our study of future events by examining the Gospel of Matthew. Come join us at 6:30 p.m. as we seek to better understand God’s revelation on this subject.

Recent Prayer Requests

* Cynthia Wordlaw and her family in the death of her mother. Also Cynthia’s need for a kidney.
* Elijah Mueller
* Alicia’s mother
* Meghan Bartner
* Zachary Mueller
* Dennis fighting kidney failure
* Marilynn Norvell
* Debbie, recovering from foot surgery
* Prayer for the conversions of the lost, especially those in our community
* Prayer for those involved in North American missions.
* Praise to the Lord for our visitors
* Our church and need for revival

Julie’s Mission Trip

If you wish to contribute to a local mission activity, our own Julie Brandel will leave on a 10 week mission trip to San Diego in less than 2 months. Pray for her and, if possible, contribute financially towards this trip by writing a check made out to the church with a note that it is for “Julie’s Trip”.

North American Missions

At Discipleship training last night, Pam announced we have reached our Annie Armstrong Offering goal of $1200! Praise the Lord and thank you to all those who have given for your generosity.

We will continue collecting for this offering through the last Sunday of April. If the Lord impresses you to give (or give more), please be obedient to Him and His will.
Congratulations to…

* Bruce & Debbie Walker celebrating their 41st wedding anniversary on April 20.

Pastor’s Postscript

Last year we held our first Good Friday service at Bethesda and it was well received. So we are going to hold another one this coming Friday and I urge you to do all you can to be there. The service will naturally focus on our Lord, His crucifixion and His death plus the work that He accomplished on that Good Friday many centuries ago.

Also as we did last year, there will not be an Easter sunrise service this year. In fact our Easter Sunday schedule is slightly reduced. We will have Sunday school at 9:15 a.m. giving our teachers an opportunity to share on the Lord’s death and resurrection. We will also have our morning worship service at 10:30 a.m. which will focus on the resurrection. If the Lord wills I will preach from 1 Peter chapter 1 on the subject “Raised from the Dead”. Our Sunday evening activities are cancelled this week to permit everyone the opportunity to spend the afternoon and evening with family.

A big “thank you” to everyone who helped with yesterday’s fellowship. The food was great and the time together was even better. It appeared all the children had a good time as well (though, perhaps, with too much sugar!).

It was also great seeing visitors once again in our service. The Lord continues to send visitors to worship with us and we are very grateful He does so. May those who are visiting and looking for a church home find the church in which the Lord wants them to serve.

On a personal note, this Sunday not only marks Easter but also Debbie and my 41st wedding anniversary. We were actually married on Good Friday back in 1973. Debbie has been the greatest blessing the Lord has given me next to my salvation. God has used her in many ways towards my sanctification. Any good you see in me is the result of the Lord’s work and much of that has been through my wife! Any bad you see is the real “me” still under construction. I have never regretted saying ‘I Do” 41 years ago. I would love to have at least another 41 years together!

Back to church matters, let me encourage you to attend our Good Friday and Easter worship services this coming weekend. Our country spends a lot of time and money “honoring” our Lord’s birth at Christmas time. Let’s give at least some time to celebrating His resurrection at Easter time.

May our great God and Savior the Lord Jesus Christ richly bless you this week as you reflect on His death (an atonement for sins) and His resurrection (a victory over death).

April 7, 2014

Stirrings at Bethesda

Weekly Newsletter of Bethesda Baptist Church

April 7, 2014

LADIES Book Study

NO meeting this Tuesday of the Ladies Book Study. Our church serves as a polling place and, since Tuesday is Election Day, there will officials and voters occupying our fellowship hall all day.

The book study resumes on Tuesday, April 15.

Recent Prayer Requests

* Elijah Mueller – recovering at home
* Alicia’s mother
* Meghan Bartner
* Zachary Mueller
* Cynthia Wordlaw, need for a kidney
* Dennis fighting kidney failure
* Marilynn Norvell
* Debbie, recovering from foot surgery
* Prayer for the conversions of the lost, especially those in our community
* Prayer for those involved in North American missions.
* Praise to the Lord for our visitors
* Our church and need for revival

North American Missions

As of Sunday morning, our gifts towards the Annie Armstrong Easter Offering stood at $975. That is only $225 short of our church goal! Thanks to everyone who has given and may the Lord richly bless you for having done so.

We will continue to accept gifts towards this offering through the month of April.

Julie’s Mission Trip

Time is growing shorter before Julie leaves for a 10 week mission trip. Continue to prayer for her and consider giving to support her financially.

Upcoming Activities

1. Bethesda Academy, Monday, 6:30 p.m.
2. NO Ladies Book Study, Tuesday
3. BUSINESS Meeting, Wednesday, 7 p.m.
4. Sunday School, Sunday, 9:15 a.m.
5. Worship Service, Sunday, 10:30 a.m.
6. Soup, Salad, and Sandwich Fellowship, Sunday, 12:15 p.m.
7. Discipleship Training (Ruth), Sunday, 5 p.m.

The Bethesda Academy

Each Monday evening beginning at 6:30 p.m. we are searching the Scripture to better understand future events as revealed by God. Come out and join us tonight!

Soup, Salad, and Sandwich Fellowship

THIS Sunday, April 13 at 12:15 p.m. – Soup, Salad, and Sandwich Fellowship after the morning service. Bring at least two of the above to share and some plastic Easter eggs (with candy inside!) for our children to hunt.

Tenebrae Service
Good Friday

Friday, April 18 at 6:30 p.m. – Join us for our Good Friday service. Brother Bill Savage, pastor of St. Clair Southern Baptist Church, will bring the message.

Pastor’s Postscript

I was quite lengthy in last week’s newsletter so I will be much briefer this week.

Thanks to everyone who helped with yesterday’s worship service. I am delighted to report that Dennis and Pam have safely returned. It will be good having them in worship next week!

The Lord continues to bless our church in many ways, most of them not visible to the physical eye. Let us give Him all the thanks and praise for His continual watch care over our congregation.

This Tuesday is an election day and our church serves as a polling place. I recommend to each of you that, if you are not voting at our building, that you simply stay away on Tuesday (did you ever think a pastor would tell you to stay away from the church?!). While I doubt the turnout for this election will be very great, I still suggest leaving the use of the facilities to the election officials and the voters on that date and just staying out of the way.

Wednesday is our monthly business meeting and there is some business to discuss. I encourage our members to come out and participate in the decision making process.

I will take a brief break from 2 Thessalonians. I have two additional sermons from chapter 3 before we complete this book. But Easter Sunday is two weeks away and I intend to preach from 1 Peter that morning. Next Sunday is Palm Sunday. Last year we were snowed out on Palm Sunday though I don’t anticipate that happening again this year. So, unless the Lord convinces me otherwise, I will return to the Gospel of John and preach the message next week that I intended to preach last year. This message covers the only verses in John that I never covered during our journey through the book.

In the meantime, I do pray for each of you and ask the Lord to give you a great week!

May our great God and Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, protect you and richly bless you!

March 31, 2014

LADIES Book Study

LADIES: your book study resumes this Tuesday evening at 6:30 p.m. Even if you missed last week’s meeting, you are more than welcome to join the group tomorrow evening.

Recent Prayer Requests

* Michael Mason, Sali’s brother, in Barnes St. Peters
* Joe & Jessey’s newborn son – in NICU
* Elijah Mueller – recovering at home
* Alicia’s mother
* Meghan Bartner
* Zachary Mueller
* Cynthia Wordlaw, need for a kidney
* Dennis fighting kidney failure
* Marilynn Norvell
* Debbie, recovering from foot surgery
* Prayer for the conversions of the lost, especially those in our community
* Prayer for those involved in North American missions.
* Praise to the Lord for our visitors
* Our church and need for revival

The Bethesda Academy

We meet again this evening to discuss future events. Tonight we will begin our closer examination of some of the Scripture which addresses the future. Even if you have missed our first two meetings, you will have no difficulty joining in. Our meeting begins at 6:30 p.m. and everyone is welcome.

“The word of the Lord is glorified when it is accepted by true faith, so that it begins to adorn the lives of believers.”
William Hendriksen

North American Missions

Thank you to everyone who has given to date. We will continue to collect towards the Annie Armstrong Easter Offering through the month of April. If you have yet to give, please seek the Lord to see what, if anything, He would have you give to support our missionaries and their work.

Julie’s Mission Trip

About 2 months remain before Julie begins her 10 week mission trip in San Diego. Keep praying for her and give financially as the Lord leads to help her make this trip.

Upcoming Activities

1. Bethesda Academy, Monday, 6:30 p.m.
2. Ladies Book Study, Tuesday, 6:30 p.m.
3. Prayer Meeting, Wednesday, 7 p.m.
4. Deacons’ Meeting, Wednesday, 7:45 p.m.
5. Men’s Breakfast & Book Study, Saturday, 8 a.m.
6. Sunday School, Sunday, 9:15 a.m.
7. Worship Service, Sunday, 10:30 a.m.
8. Discipleship Training (Ruth), Sunday,
5 p.m.

“If Baptists truly believed in the necessity of prayer, our prayer meetings would see a packed house.”
Coming in April…

Sunday, April 13 at 12:15 p.m. – Soup, Salad, and Sandwich Fellowship after the morning service. Bring one or more of the above to share and some plastic Easter eggs for our children to hunt.

Friday, April 18 at 6:30 p.m. – Tenebrae Service (Good Friday service). Pastor Bill Savage of St. Clair will bring the message.

Sunday, April 20 at 10:30 a.m. – Our Easter morning service as we celebrate our Lord’s resurrection.

Sermon Extras

Paul writes in verse 3, “And we have confidence in the Lord about you”. It is important to note that Paul’s confidence resides in Christ, not in men. He is confident that the Thessalonians will continue to obey the Word of God but that confidence is routed in the fact that God has done a work in them and will continue working in them.

In the text, “have confidence” appears first in the verse meaning Paul is emphasizing it. The word means “to be convinced, to be persuaded”. Paul constructs the word in such a way as to imply his confidence in Christ is something he reached a long time ago and that it is now a settled fact. Paul knows the Lord is faithful and he is fully persuaded Christ will accomplish all He has planned for the Thessalonians.

May you and I always be convinced that Christ will complete the work He has for each of us in this life. Even when we stumble and falter, the Lord is faithful. He has promised to be with us to the end and He will fulfill that promise.
Pastor’s Postscript

Those who missed our “Q & A” fellowship last night missed a good discussion. The question asked of me was, “When does a person become chosen/elected or condemned? (Before conception, at conception, at physical birth or some time later?)”

Any question on the subject of election results in lively discussion since most of us have our own understanding of this doctrine. Essentially I answered this question by saying election is an eternal decree, a choice made by God in eternity. In that sense it was made before those chosen existed.

What I say is unimportant unless supported by the Word. One reference I mentioned is Ephesians chapter 1:

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him.”

Clearly it is God, not us, doing the choosing. The object of His choice is “us”, those who believe on the Lord. Election is grounded “in Christ”, in other words, in the person and work of Christ without whom there would be no need for election. This election took place before creation (“the foundation of the world”). And this election had a purpose, namely, “that we should be holy and blameless before him”.

Election has been debated by very good men for centuries. It is still debated today. If God had not intended for the doctrine to be discussed He would have either omitted it from the revealed Word or more specifically declared it. Yet, the doctrine is in the Scripture and I doubt any of our puny minds can ever comprehend all that is involved in the matter.

Since it is in God’s Word, we, as believers, have a responsibility to do our best to understand what God has said about it. Our lives and our ministries should be lived in accordance with that understanding. In other words, as your pastor I must preach and teach the doctrine in accordance to my understanding of it.

I fully recognize other views on election. That’s ok. I formerly held other positions as well. While I believe each of us is responsible to understand election as best we can, what is important to me are your answers to the following questions:

1. Do you agree that man is, by nature, a sinner and will commit acts of sin?

2. Do you agree that the punishment for sin is death, ultimately eternal death in a place called Hell?

3. Do you agree that God sent His Son to earth to live a perfect life and provide an atoning sacrifice for sin?

4. Do you agree that to receive this God-provided salvation, a person must repent of their sins and trust Christ alone for their salvation?

5. Do you agree that salvation is by grace through faith and not of works?

6. Do you agree that once redeemed by Christ and converted by the Spirit you are forever a believer, never losing your salvation?

7. Do you agree it is the responsibility of Christians to take the Gospel message to everyone so they may hear the Good News of Jesus?

If you agree with me on these 7 statements, then let us make certain any differences we have in our understanding of election do not interfere with either our fellowship or our mission!

May our Lord and Savior give you a blessed week!

March 24, 2014

LADIES Book Study

The Ladies Book Study begins tomorrow evening, Tuesday, March 25, at 6:30 p.m. in the church’s Fellowship Hall. If you did not sign up but would like to attend, contact Pam DePriest and let her know.

Recent Prayer Requests

The Bethesda Academy

The Academy continues its look at future events this evening (Monday) at 6:30 p.m. Come and join us for some study as well as fellowship.

“As it is the business of tailors to make clothes and of cobblers to mend shoes, so it is the business of Christians to pray.”
Martin Luther

Julie’s Mission Trip

Another reminder that Julie is preparing for a 10 week mission trip this summer. Your prayers for her trip are appreciated as is any financial help you may be able to provide. You may give with a check by making the check out to Bethesda Baptist and noting it is for “Julie’s Trip”.

Upcoming Activities

1. Bethesda Academy, Monday, 6:30 p.m.
2. Ladies Book Study, Tuesday, 6:30 p.m.
3. Prayer Meeting, Wednesday, 7 p.m.
4. Sunday School, Sunday, 9:15 a.m.
5. Worship Service, Sunday, 10:30 a.m.
6. Discipleship Training (Ruth), Sunday, 5 p.m.
7. 5th Sunday Q & A Fellowship, Sunday, 6 p.m.

“I believe the doctrine of election, because I am quite certain that, if God had not chosen me, I should never have chosen Him; and I am sure He chose me before I was born, or else He never would have chosen me afterwards; and He must have elected me for reasons unknown to me, for I never could find any reason in myself why He should have looked upon me with special love.”
Charles Spurgeon

Bethesda Congratulations for the Week

Happy Birthday wishes this week to:

* Luke Bounds – Tuesday

“You must understand that your faith and salvation rest entirely on God’s election (cf. Acts 13:48). And yet the day you came to Jesus Christ, you did so because of an internal desire — you did nothing against your will. But even that desire is God-given — He supplies the necessary faith so we can believe (Eph. 2:8).”
John MacArthur

Sermon Extras

Part of my preparation for yesterday’s sermon took me to a message preached by the former pastor of First Baptist Church of Dallas, W. A. Criswell. I did not quote from this passage yesterday but I do want to share it with you this morning. Dr. Criswell was an excellent preacher as you will see in how he closes the message.

“To that little flock in Thessalonica—just a little band of feeble Christians in a Roman world of brutality and godlessness and darkness and heathenism—Paul saying to them, “God hath elected you, little flock. It is His good pleasure to give you the kingdom, little flock. Weak lambs, God hath chosen you. Be of good courage. Comfort your heart. Lift up your faces. God hath chosen you.” Oh, what it is to be in the elective will and purpose of the Lord. However the day, whatever the fortune, we are in Him and He is in God and the whole world shall turn for His elect into victory and triumph and glory, both now and for ever. No good thing will He withhold from them that walk uprightly, that love and trust Him. The world is yours. And in the fortunes of life, if He takes it from the earth before He comes—to face that future in glory and in triumph, to live like a Christian, and to die like a child of Jesus—unafraid, in the glory of the hope and the presence of the Lord.”

North American Missions

We are getting closer to our goal of $1200 for the Annie Armstrong Easter Offering. is $1200. All the monies received towards this offering goes to support North American missions. We will continue collecting to support North American missions through the month of April. Please contribute as the Lord leads you to do..

Pastor’s Postscript

Easter is only a month away. I want you to be aware that we will hold another Good Friday service this year on Friday, April 18. Pastor Bill Savage of St. Clair Southern Baptist Church in St. Clair, MO will deliver the message. I encourage you to add the date to your calendar.

Thanks to all who prayed for me over this past weekend and yesterday morning. I spent most of Friday, Saturday, and Sunday in bed feeling miserable. But the Lord was gracious and enabled me to attend worship and preach the Gospel. I am feeling somewhat better this morning but extremely exhausted. I do appreciate your prayers.

I am also very grateful for the visitors the Lord continues to send our way. Furthermore, yesterday was probably the first Sunday in 2014 where most of our members were able to join together for worship at the same time! Praise the Lord!

May He richly bless your week!