If you’re interested in reading the Baptist Faith & Message (the basic tenets of our denominational doctrine), visit www.flemingsburgbaptistchurch.org and click ‘Beliefs’ in the top menu bar.  You can also use that website to contact me with questions regarding the study.

I look forward to delving into this important topic with our young people.  So often, we know what we believe, but we can’t defend why we believe it.  In our increasingly hostile world, I pray that our students would be equipped to defend their faith in Jesus Christ and His teachings with truth as they make a difference in our world.

Though Senator Ted Kennedy’s son lost his leg to cancer, the senator never gave up hope that one day his son would walk again.  Senator Kennedy told his son that he could do anything he set his mind to – something his son never believed.  The son spoke at his father’s funeral about a sleighriding trip the two of them had taken years earlier.  When the duo got to the bottom of the steep hill, the son told his father that he could never get back to the top of the hill.   With gentle arms, his father picked him up and said, “We will make it to the top if it takes us all day.”  And that’s just what happened.  With his father’s faith and love, they made it to the top.

It’s the same with our heavenly Father.  No matter how low we are, our God is always there to pick us up and bring us back up to the top of the hill.  It is our choice whether we want to dwell in the valleys or be lifted to the peaks of life.  All we need to do is ask God for his guidance and wisdom to bring us through the trying circumstance that arise in each of our everyday lives.  We must remember that the Father is with us always and He will work everything out for our good (read Romans 8:28).

-Brenda Kirkland

Prayer for Today

Heavenly Father, Thank You for another glorious day to serve You, love You, and learn from You.  Thank You that you have a will for my life and, God, help me to live it each day with gladness and rejoicing in my soul.  Thank You for the promise that you will deliver me from affliction.  Though life is not always easy, Lord, I know that, with You, all things are possible.  Thank You, most of all, for Jesus.  In His Name I pray, Amen.

Great Is Thy Faithfulness
Great is Thy faithfulness, O God my Father;
There is no shadow of turning with Thee;
Thou changest not, Thy compassions, they fail not;
As Thou hast been, Thou forever will be.

Great is Thy faithfulness!
Great is Thy faithfulness!
Morning by morning new mercies I see.
All I have needed Thy hand hath provided;
Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me!

Summer and winter and springtime and harvest,
Sun, moon and stars in their courses above
Join with all nature in manifold witness
To Thy great faithfulness, mercy and love.

Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth
Thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide;
Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow,
Blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside!

(Words by Thomas O. Chisholm.  Copyright 1951 by Hope Publishing Company, Carol Stream, IL 60188.  All rights reserved.  Used by permission.)

I bind to myself today
The strong virtue of the Invocation of the Trinity:
I believe the Trinity in the Unity
The Creator of the Universe.

I bind to myself today
The virtue of the Incarnation of Christ with His Baptism,
The virtue of His crucifixion with His burial,
The virtue of His Resurrection with His Ascension,
The virtue of His coming on the Judgement Day.

I bind to myself today
The virtue of the love of seraphim,
In the obedience of angels,
In the hope of resurrection unto reward,
In prayers of Patriarchs,
In predictions of Prophets,
In preaching of Apostles,
In faith of Confessors,
In purity of holy Virgins,
In deeds of righteous men.

I bind to myself today
The power of Heaven,
The light of the sun,
The brightness of the moon,
The splendour of fire,
The flashing of lightning,
The swiftness of wind,
The depth of sea,
The stability of earth,
The compactness of rocks.

I bind to myself today
God’s Power to guide me,
God’s Might to uphold me,
God’s Wisdom to teach me,
God’s Eye to watch over me,
God’s Ear to hear me,
God’s Word to give me speech,
God’s Hand to guide me,
God’s Way to lie before me,
God’s Shield to shelter me,
God’s Host to secure me,
Against the snares of demons,
Against the seductions of vices,
Against the lusts of nature,
Against everyone who meditates injury to me,
Whether far or near,
Whether few or with many.

I invoke today all these virtues
Against every hostile merciless power
Which may assail my body and my soul,
Against the incantations of false prophets,
Against the black laws of heathenism,
Against the false laws of heresy,
Against the deceits of idolatry,
Against the spells of women, and smiths, and druids,
Against every knowledge that binds the soul of man.

Christ, protect me today
Against every poison, against burning,
Against drowning, against death-wound,
That I may receive abundant reward.

Christ with me, Christ before me,
Christ behind me, Christ within me,
Christ beneath me, Christ above me,
Christ at my right, Christ at my left,
Christ in the fort, [i.e., at home]
Christ in the chariot seat, [i.e., travelling by land]
Christ in the poop. [i.e., travelling by water]

Christ in the heart of everyone who thinks of me,
Christ in the mouth of everyone who speaks to me,
Christ in every eye that sees me,
Christ in every ear that hears me.

I bind to myself today
The strong virtue of an invocation of the Trinity,
I believe the Trinity in the Unity
The Creator of the Universe.

Amen.

Sunday night, as I was trying to fall asleep, this song kept entering into my mind. It fits so closely with what we’ve been learning in Sunday School about missions, God’s call in our lives, and the perseverance we must all pursue in the Christian life.   As I was blaring this song through my car speakers this morning on my way to church, I was reminded of the words of Paul in his letter to the Ephesians:

10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. 14 Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. 16 In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; 17 and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, 18 praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints, 19 and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel, 20 for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak. (Ephesians 6:10-20)

Paul uses vivid imagery here to describe the Christian experience as spiritual warfare in which we must depend on the resources of Almighty God.   We cannot stand on our own powers and might – we must wholly rely on the strength of the Lord.  We are called to put on the “whole armor of God,” being prepared for the spiritual battles in our life.  God has promised to empower us through the Holy Spirit and equip us for battle in these verses.   I encourage you this week to stand firm in your faith.  When trials come or opposition arises, remember these Biblical promises and stand tall.   Put on your armor and know that God is with you.

-Daniel Wesley

Father,
Thank you for the blessing of another day to serve You and be loved by You.   Help me this week to lean on you and better understand what it means to put on the “whole armor” of You.  Guide my steps and empower me to stand firm in my faith, even when its difficult or unpopular.  God, help me to be a missionary where I am.   Most of all, God, thank you for Your Son, Jesus.  In His Name, Amen.

So how do we combat the mind weeds that will destroy our yearly harvest of joy (as well as peace, love, and other fruit of the Christian life—see Galatians 5:22)?  I am going to recommend a new year’s resolution that I guarantee will produce more joy in your life.  Spend a few minutes each day with God’s Word.  Then spend a few minutes talking to God about your life.  Don’t “pray,” as most Christians pray, just talk to God—honestly and openly, telling Him about the secret fears, pains, and heart aches.  That’s what you would do with a real friend that you trust, right?  Then comes the hardest part: spend a few minutes listening for God’s answers.  The whole Bible suggests that we wait on God for His message, but it takes a while to develop the patience to do it.  My guarantee?  Try it for six weeks to see if you don’t have more joy and peace in your life.  If it doesn’t work, just think.  God might be willing to refund to you that stress and pain you would have had during those times of the day spent reading, praying, and quiet time with God!

-David Lindberg

For most of us, the last thing we want to do on our day off from school is read a book, but the Bible is completely different than your algebra or chemistry book!  Hebrews 4:12 says “For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” (ESV)  Did you catch that?  The Bible is alive!  No, it doesn’t have eyebrows and fingernails like you and I, but it is the living Word of God.  God designed it to teach His people and build up His Church.  Each time we read it, God reveals new things to us.  The words may be the same, but God uses them to speak to us differently as we pass through different stages in our lives. 

Just this morning in my morning “quiet time,” I was reading one of my favorite passages in all the Bible – John 3 and 4.  The foundational truths in these two chapters have made a profound impact on my life as a Christian and as a teacher.  But, today as I read, God showed me things about these verses that I had never seen before.  He spoke to me about my duty as a Christian to minister to those unlike myself and the importance of teaching with the message “Ye must be born again” at the forefront of my thoughts. 

I encourage you today to pick up your Bible (or surf over to www.esv.org ) and read a portion of God’s “living word.”  Perhaps you could read John 3 and 4 like I did this morning or pick one of your favorite passages and open your mind to receive the new message God will place there. 

I leave you today with the words of the hymn, “The Word of God Is Alive.” (copyright 1991 Van Ness Press, Inc.)

The Word of God is alive, It lives in the world today;
Correcting, consoling, connecting making, the Word of God is alive.

The Word of God is a lamp, It shines through the darkest night;
Perceiving, perfecting, protecting our walk, the Word of God is a lamp.

The Word of God is inspired, It speaks to our deepest needs;
Dividing, directing, declaring His truth, the Word of God is inspired.

text by L.W. Terley

Have a great snow day! 

-Daniel Wesley

The apostle Paul wrote in his letter to the Philippians “forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus (3:13b-14).”  At this time of year especially, we can heed Paul’s advice as we make resolutions for the rest of the year.   Paul, though faced with tremendous opposition and obstacles in his ministry pushed on.  We, too, can push on.  We will certainly face hardships as we strive to improve ourselves in Christ, but we must remember the prize set before us.   God will help us as we strive to draw closer to Him.

One of my favorite verses in all the Bible comes from Matthew, chapter 19.  “But Jesus looked at them and said, ‘With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.‘” (19:26)   Here, Jesus reminds us that in our own power, we can accomplish little.  But, with God, all things are possible.  Make your resolutions to read your Bible daily, pray regularly, and grow in your walk with God in 2010.  And, when the going gets tough, remember this promise from God’s Word. 

In closing, here are my personal new year’s resolutions.  Have a great year!!!

• Read my Bible at least three times a day.
• Spend more time in prayer this year.
• Be more intentional in personal evangelism.
• Improve my relationship with my brothers.
• Be a better husband.
• Be nicer to Kasey Beckham.

Are your friends doing something that, way down deep, you know is not acceptable to God? Rebel. Be the first one to tell them you are not going along! Have you seen some behavior on TV, movies, or in adults around you that you know is wrong? Rebel! Refuse to do it! Do your friends or others you know tease, torment, or harass weaker kids at school? Rebel! Tell them it’s not right! Do you hear people repeating gossip or cruel things you know would hurt? Rebel. Say something loving instead! We all have days we feel down or irritable, ready to snap and cut somebody down. Rebel! Stay quiet or say something uplifting! Every school has strong minded kids who lead others into breaking the rules, disrespecting teachers, stealing, lying, or other immoral acts. Rebel. Tell them or show them you will not follow their lead!

So the answer to the question is YES, there is a place in God’s world for rebellion! The main problem with ordinary rebels is that they rebel automatically, without thought. That kind of rebellion can get you in trouble or put in jail. Christian rebellion takes thinking and work, because it goes against the grain of human nature. But, if you are naturally a little rebellious, as I am, it can be fun. It may not make you popular, but it will be good for your soul. In Romans 2:2, the apostle Paul tells us not to be conformed to this world. That’s the kind of rebellion I am talking about.

-David Lindberg