Luke 1:39-56. We can trust God to keep His word! How do we know? This passages shows the interaction between two women chosen to fulfill “impossible” promises God made.In the story, fulfillment is yet to come, and these ladies not only expressed joy in God’s work, but believed Him.
Revelation 3:7-13. The Spirit offered no words of condemnation to the church at Philadelphia. It was a weak church in the world’s eyes, but her members were eager to do God’s will. What made this church, though physically weak, spiritually strong?
Hello Everyone!
I finally picked up the book I had intentions of reading since the middle of February. Written by Warren Wiersbe, it is titled: ??Ǩ?God Isn??Ǩ?Ѣt In A Hurry: Learning to slow down and live.??Ǩ Why has it taken two months to begin? I figured, if God isn??Ǩ?Ѣt in a hurry, then I won??Ǩ?Ѣt be in a hurry to read about God not being in a hurry either! But not knowing ??Ǩ?why God doesn??Ǩ?Ѣt work more quickly??Ǩ got the better of me and again led me to read the book, although s l o w l y.
I could tell I was in trouble when, after barely making it off the first page, Wiersbe went from preaching to meddling; saying, ??Ǩ?Part of the problem is that we are prone to walk by sight and not by faith.??Ǩ Now, why did he have to say that?
But It??Ǩ?Ѣs true??Ǩ?and I think God ??Ǩ?coincidentally arranged??Ǩ a trip down a portion of ??Ǩ?Memory Lane??Ǩ I could never walk to reinforce my need to walk by faith right NOW!
The trip started by a visit with the pastor of Bell Baptist Church and a long-time member. The visit was actually prompted by a phone call from a lady named Georgia Adams who attended there from 1940 to 1943. When I told her my name, she said, ??Ǩ?Do you know Olene Covington???Ǩ I answered, then soon discovered that she had called the wrong church, but had good reason for doing so. Her ??Ǩ?Google??Ǩ internet search for ??Ǩ?Bell Baptist Church??Ǩ and ??Ǩ?Paul Brown??Ǩ found the (one and only, so far??Ǩ?I??Ǩ?Ѣm working on it) history page on our website. Why? Because Paul Brown, pastor of ??Ǩ?Cudahy First Baptist Church??Ǩ preached the first sermon in Bell Gardens Baptist Church??Ǩ?Ѣs new building.
As many of you know (much better than I do), the Bell and Bell Gardens Churches were started by a group of men who, as members of the Maywood Baptist Church, pooled their resources and dedicated their time and energy to start churches. Theirs was a big dream! God enabled them to plant at least two churches. If I understand accurately, they only started two. That must have been God??Ǩ?Ѣs will for their ministry.
Meanwhile, back at Bell Baptist Church, I learned that many of the old records were either lost or destroyed in error. However, this long-time member had many old photographs, bulletins, newspaper clippings, directories, and other printed things to be given away as introductions and invitations to the church. As we turned page after I page, I listened to the ??Ǩ?story??Ǩ this brother only knew because the old Bell Baptist Church members had told him. You may not know that Bell Baptist currently conducts all their services in Spanish. The English-speaking congregation ceased meeting several years ago and now most, if not all, of them are in heaven. You also may not know that the current Bell Baptist Church was originally the Spanish department (I don??Ǩ?Ѣt like to use that word because it sounds belittling) of the Church of the Open Door in downtown Los Angeles. Church of the Open Door is where the Bible Institute of Los Angeles (now Biola University) was started. There is a wonderful story of how God moved that Spanish congregation to Bell Baptist Church. The English-speaking congregation at Bell warmly and graciously welcomed these brothers and sisters to share and use all of the facilities there as their own. Eventually, title to the property was passed to the Spanish Bell Baptist Church (and that is a miraculous story, too). By the way, Bell Gardens got the best of the Spanish congregation??Ǩ?Ѣs Church of the Open Door pastoral staff when Harrison Smith asked Tony (he prefers Emilio) N?ɬ??ɬez to consider coming to help ??Ǩ?that little group.??Ǩ What a blessing he has been, and now with the addition of Carlos Castellanos, many other areas of ministry are quickly developing. But, I digress??Ǩ.
Meanwhile, back at Bell Baptist Church, listening to the oral history and seeing the photos, I couldn??Ǩ?Ѣt help but recognize how God used the same men to raise up two similar churches that developed two distinct personalities. This, in turn, has affected the manner in which the respective ministries have been and are carried out. As you may know, Bell grew to be a numerically larger church than Bell Gardens (that is not meant to diminish the quality of Bell??Ǩ?Ѣs work, God blessed them with nearly double the number of people). By contrast, at Bell Gardens, God did more raising up, calling, and sending forth from among the ??Ǩ?ranks,??Ǩ than He did at Bell (that is not meant to diminish the outreach of Bell Gardens??Ǩ?Ѣ work locally). I think you understand my point??Ǩ?each church is unique because they are still being fashioned by God??Ǩ?Ѣs hands in His likeness, formed His way and in His time.
There is another chapter to God??Ǩ?Ѣs work this week, but it will have to wait (see, I am learning). What God does with churches, He does with individuals??Ǩ?His beloved creation. When I wonder why God doesn??Ǩ?Ѣt hurry up??Ǩ?that??Ǩ?Ѣs when I am trying to walk by sight. Think you??Ǩ?Ѣve got the ??Ǩ?hurry up and wait??Ǩ syndrome? God??Ǩ?Ѣs got a cure??Ǩ?and it takes a lifetime!
Luke 1:26-38. Having been promised from long ago, the Jews were always looking for the incarnation—when God would become man. But, who could really understand the incarnation? It is a mystery. It is a miracle of the Holy Spirit. Today, we consider it a marvelous act of God.
Revelation 3:1-6. What designates a church to be “alive”? What does a “dead” church need from Jesus Christ? Discerning believers take heed!
Hello Everyone!
When that great comic strip hero and cartoon icon reached his breaking point, he often quipped as he opened his can of spinach, ??Ǩ?That??Ǩ?Ѣs all I can stand, I can??Ǩ?Ѣt stands no more!??Ǩ I??Ǩ?Ѣm speaking, of course, of Popeye, the Sailorman.
You know I am scraping barnacles when I start by quoting imaginary characters. So let me raise the bar, and quote the Bible. Three verses stand out that I need to pay more attention to.
And Saul sent to Jesse, saying, Let David, I pray thee, stand before me; for he hath found favour in my sight. I Samuel 16:22.
Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. Hebrews 12:2.
Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth. Psalm 46:10.
The first verse, out of the context in which it was explained makes no sense. It is the phrase ??Ǩ?stand before??Ǩ that Pastor Rigsby carefully put in plain words Wednesday night. While it is often interpreted in military fashion, there are times when the ??Ǩ?standing??Ǩ also includes ??Ǩ?all that one does in serving before [God or others]??Ǩ (such as in Number 16:9).
The second verse comes to mind often these days, especially the opening phrase, ??Ǩ?looking unto Jesus.??Ǩ I think partly because we are working our way through the seven churches of Revelation. The Spirit seems to emphasize different aspects of His Word at different times. As I mentioned in the bulletin, this time our Teacher??Ǩ?Ѣs focus has led me to analyze what misunderstandings I may have about Jesus Christ??Ǩ?Ѣs deity, person, and work that results in the various troubles I face. Each incorrect understanding and misapplication simply comes back to this verse and the Gospel??Ǩ?Ѣs account where Peter looked at the waves instead of the Wave-maker.
The third verse was a reminder from a friend just this morning. He has often quoted it, lived it, and found refuge in it. I thought it was time to finally discover what ??Ǩ?be still??Ǩ really means. I wish I could tell you, but I can??Ǩ?Ѣt. Every resource I checked always followed a more negative use of the Hebrew word (slacken, be slothful, cease, be faint, be idle, fail, be weak) and then concluded that ??Ǩ?while this was a significant word, each occurrence must be carefully compared with other similar contexts??Ǩ (in other words, they don??Ǩ?Ѣt know either). Maybe I should just be content not to know. Still, there has to be a reason for the use of this word. You know I am going to learn more about this tomorrow.
When I started to write, I was simply going to quote that distinguished landlubber-philosopher, appealing to the goodness of your heart, as I begged off writing this week. But, as you can see that isn??Ǩ?Ѣt what happened. As the verses scrolled through my mind, first one book came off the shelf, then another Bible, and more reference tools. Before I knew it, the hall was a mess. To make matters worse, I had to stow everything because tomorrow is inspection and I can??Ǩ?Ѣt abandon an unnavigable ship??Ǩ?aargh!
Like the old sailor anxious to snag a catch at the end of his tale, says he, ??Ǩ?Aye, matey, like Popeye, maybe ye jus??Ǩ?Ѣ open??Ǩ?Ѣd yer magic talisman??Ǩ, too (t toot)!
Luke 1:5-25. After a silence of 400 years, God prophecies, not about the Messiah, but about the Forerunner to the Messiah, John the Baptist. Why was it important that John’s birth be announced? What was the result of the prophecy?