"What Is Prayer?"

1 Thess. 5:17) "pray without ceasing"

The direct command of the Apostle Paul unto the church at Thessolonica. He commanded them to pray always, continually, and without stopping. I am amazed at the number of times I have been apart of a mid week service in a local church, which is traditionally called a "prayer meeting" and there is no time of prayer. For the last few weeks God has truly convicted this young pastor to lead God's church to fall down before Him and to pour our hearts out to Him. If the church is to ever see a true "revival" it will begin with God's people humbling themselves on their knees before the Sovereign God of the universe.
I believe when God's elect assemble together it ought to be for (at least in part) a time of prayer. Last night at PHBC we begin having a true "prayer meeting." After a time of studying God's word together, the woman assembled together to pray, as did the men. I believe not only is this scriptual but it will also unify the body and grow the saints at PHBC in severally ways.
First, it will cause us to be a church that will be intentional when it comes to praying together. Second, when we pray together it will cause barriers to fall down between church members that might have been up for several years (it is hard to pray for someone or with someone and keep hard feelings against them). Third, when we pray together it will allow others to share burdens on their hearts they might not share in a mixed assembly. Forth, when we pray together it will give others opportunities to pray that might not feel comfortable in praying in an assembly as well. Fifth, when we pray together it will allow our children and youth to be apart of a true prayer meeting and to see godly men and woman on their face before God.
What is prayer? I believer I will quote the old Puritan John Bunyan.

"Prayer is a sincere, sensible, affectionate pouring out of the heart or soul to God, through Christ, in the strength and assistance of the Holy Spirit, for such things as God has promised, or according to His Word, for the good of the church, with submission in faith to the will of God."

It is my prayer God would be pleased to bless His saints at PHBC, as we endeavor to become a biblical N.T. church. for His glory!

The Book of Jeremiah

Jeremiah 2:13 for my people have committed two evils: they have forsaken me, the fountain of living waters, and hewed out cisterns for themselves, broken cisterns that can hold no water.

For the last couple of weeks I have had my head buried in the O.T. scriptures trying to finish my reading assignment for O.T.2 at seminary. It has been some kind of undertaken, seeing how I put everything off until the last possible minute. I love the O.T. It is such a great picture of the coming of Christ and His death, burial, and resurrection. Tonight, I have finished the O.T. book of Jeremiah. I wanted to share some interesting facts about the book you might find useful as a student of God's Word.

1. The Book of Jeremiah is the second longest book in the Bible next to Psalms.
2. The copy of the Book of Jeremiah we have in our bibles, church historians say it is the second copy. According to Jere.36:1-26, Baruch had written a copy prior to the second copy.
3. The book of Jeremiah is not arranged in chronological order.
4. The Book of Jeremiah is made up of several different types of confessions made by Jeremiah.
5. Jeremiah stimulates the search for the will of god in moments when all the institutions and religious people normally in charge has been discredited.

Jeremiah is a great picture for the time and day we live in. We need modern day Jeremiah's who would thunder the word of God from the pulpits and God's people to be zealous to preach the gospel of repentance and faith to a dying world.

"The Lord's Church"

Matt.16:18) And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

Last night God's people at PHBC began a study on the doctrine of the church. The age old question for many years is, "one church as good as another?" Is one denomination as good as another? Are we not all on the same mountain trying to get to the same God? Don't all roads lead to Rome anyway?

Well the answer is, no! God has one church and it His church. The church of the Lord Jesus Christ, whom He died for, according to Eph.5:26. Today we as Baptist has lost the importance of teaching on the local church of the New Testament. We have Baptist who call themselves "protestants" although Baptist never protested against the Catholic harlot (Rev.17:1-8).

One of the greatest Baptist preachers of all times was Charles Spurgeon. Spurgeon even knew this grand truth about the Lord's church:

"We believe that the Baptists are the original Christians. We did not commence our existence at the reformation, we were reformers before Luther and Calvin were born; we never came from the Church of Rome, for we were never in it, but we have an unbroken line up to the apostles themselves. We have always existed from the days of Christ, and our principles, sometimes veiled and forgotten, like a river which may travel under ground for a little season, have always had honest and holy adherents. Persecuted alike by Romanists and Protestants of almost every sect, yet there has never existed a Government holding Baptist principles which persecuted others; nor, I believe, any body of Baptists ever held it to be right to put the consciences of others under the control of man..."—Charles H. Spurgeon

By God's grace may the Lord help us to be faithful to teach on the doctrines set forth of scriptures. Even if they are offensive to others. May God be true and all men liars.

"Moving In the Right Direction For the Glory of God"

Phil.3:13) "Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead..."

The Apostle Paul reminds the church here at Philippi, no matter what he or they might encounter they must "strain" forward. These instructions are easier said than done. As a pastor of a local church, you see people who do things out of habit instead out of "What saith the Lord." We must strain to move forward as God's elect, no matter the pain and suffering. The thought of "straining" is something which is not easy. Today we want relaxation and the easiest route to take.
The church at PHBC is "straining" in the right direction by God's grace. We are getting a website for the church to get the word out that there is still churches in this area who preach and teach God's grace. I know there will be alot of persecution ahead has God's Word goes forth. But as Paul said, "we are straining forward to what lies ahead."

"A Healthy Church'

Acts 2:42-47) And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. 43 And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. 44 And all who believed were together and had all things in common. 45 And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. 46 And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, 47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.

In these six verses of scriptures, portrays a beautiful picture for believers today of how the early church functioned. Peter had just finished preaching his sermon at Pentecost, calling for everyone to repent and believe the gospel. At the end of verse 41 there were about 3000 converted on that day.
The Bible however, does not end their. But this group of believers began functioning as a local assembly of Christ believers. In the text mentioned above there are several items mentioned that describes how the church functioned. To my regret, there are few attributes found in the early church that you can find in a church today. For the last few weeks I have been searching the scriptures looking how the early church functioned, operated, and carried out their mission.
In our text, we see about 12 attributes of the early church:
1.They held to the Apostle's teachings
2. They prayed together
3. They fellowshipped together
4. They broke bread together
5. They had a holy fear (reverence) of the Lord
6. The Apostles done wonder and signs
7. They had all things in common
8. They worshiped daily together
9. They had glad and generous hearts
10.They praised God
11. They knew about the grace of God
12. The Lord was adding to their number

May the Lord help us today to function as a N.T. church, to the glory of God.

"The Gift of Suffering for Christ Sake"

Phil.1:29) "For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake,..." (ESV)

The Apostle Paul reminds the believers in Philippi, there God giving duty as believers in Him, was"to suffer." Paul's message to the church at Philippi is in opposition to the culture we live in today. Most evangelicial churches today do not view "suffering for Christ" as a gift. Most Christians think if you suffer something must be wrong. We have replaced suffering for "Christ's sake" for the health and wealth gospel. In America today we want to be healthy, wealthy, and retire with a large amount of money so we can be happy. By the way do not forget to tag Jesus on the end, we do not want to go to HELL! (Blasphemy)!
How sad to see people fall for the lies of satan. We need to understand persecution is what fuels the spread of the gospel of Jesus Christ. What happened when the early church was persecuted? The gospel started to spread throughout the world. In order for the church in America today to see true revival it will take soldiers coming in burning down our "pretty church buildings" and "cutting our tongues out" (quote from Paul Washer) so we might depned on the True God to bring life to His people.
As I read Paul's letter to the church at Philippi, I am reminded how weak I am. I get offended when someone rejects me or the gospel. May the Lord grant all of us repentance for being afraid to suffer for "His sake."Friends it should not be a surprise to us that if God has granted us the gift of believing in Him, He might grant us the gift of suffering as well. To God Be the Glory!

John 3:7 "Do not marvel that I said to you, You must be born again(born from above). The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit." (ESV)

Yesterday we feasted at the buffet of God's Word on the doctrine of salvation. Our text was from the gospel of John (2:23-3:16) on Biblical salvation. So many in our day boast they made a decision for Christ. People boast they helped their "poor little god" out by deciding to believe in Him. My friends the true and living "God is in heaven and He does whatever He pleases (Psalm 115:3)." We seem to forget the God who has created us and sustains us day to day, is a Sovereign God. Because He is Sovereign He can do whatever He wants to, whenever He wants to and He needs not to ask permission. Even in salvation! (Romans 9:18-20) "So then He has mercy on whomever he wills, and he hardens whomever he wills. You will say to me then, "Why does he still find fault? For who can resist his will?" But who are you, O man, to answer back to God? Will what is molded say to its molder, Why have you made me like this?"
Paul's theology was correct. He knew it was all of God and none of man.
Lenoard Ravenhill said it like this, "Nobody else can give you a clean heart but God."

To God Alone Be The Glory!