As the world continues its descent into chaos over a global health crisis, it provides a unique
opportunity to check on our spiritual health. With houses of worship shut down, Satan would love to use this opportunity to separate believers, sow fear and discord among His children, and stop every opportunity to witness. Unfortunately for him, we have many tools available to continue our witness. I have seen countless missionaries and many churches, including Sharon Baptist Church, using social media to spread the good news of the gospel. I am asked a lot by my coworkers what God's plan through all of this is. I can honestly say to them that whatever is going on in life or in the world, God's plan has never changed. Everything is centered around an opportunity to accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior! That is it. It is what our eternal destination depends on. It is the most important decision we will ever make. This time in our history is a perfect example of how GOD can show us how easily life can change on a moment's notice. Those that have their trust in bank accounts, houses, cars, and other riches now see how fragile life can be. Within a matter of approximately a few weeks, our way of life has changed drastically. I can tell my coworkers I am shocked as much as they are, but the bible gives us assurance. Isaiah 40:31 tells us, “But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.” The bible tells me I have no reason to be afraid. No one wants to contract this virus. With all that being said, you and I need to use common sense during this crisis. Wash our hands regularly, protect our brothers and sisters in Christ, and everyone else we come into contact with. I have the blessed assurance that if I do get sick, I can trust GOD to heal me, or call me home to be with Him, but “not making it” is not the end for me. The bible tells me it is just the beginning. All believers have had that “moment” when GOD showed us that HE was there. I can look back to my own testimony. I was serving in the military in Iceland in the mid 90's, close to the North Pole. Certainly, I thought, GOD isn't here. Shortly after I had that thought, GOD began to work on my heart, and my wife's heart at the same time. We both desperately had a burning desire to hear His word. I knew that the base chapel would not provide what we desired, so we both started to pray about it. Suddenly, I was getting my haircut, and the barber started talking about an Easter Cantata at church. I asked about the details, and he told me about an American missionary that started First Baptist Church Njardvik. Brother Johnny Wright had been serving there approximately 2 years. Once under the preaching of God's word, I found my assurance of Salvation and found myself getting baptized the following week. GOD WAS there! The next thing I knew, I was going door knocking in a foreign nation. What a wonderful time in my life! Jesus took every sinful addiction I had as a young sailor, and used me where I thought was impossible only a few weeks after my prayer to Him. To this day, my wife and I are partial to any missionary family we come into contact with. We thank GOD someone answered His calling, regardless of the circumstances in their lives to carry out the LORD's work. We want every missionary that Sharon Baptist Church supports to know that your name is lifted up in prayer every week. In closing, this is a wonderful opportunity for all of us to point to Jesus Christ as the answer. Just as in Noah's day, the world was busy. Now, we are at a standstill. For all of the fear that is loose in our nation and the world, let us turn people to our wonderful Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. If one person within our personal circle comes into a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ, this crisis will be worth it. I urge all of us to take this opportunity that the LORD has given us. - Dave Kruger, Sunday School Teacher, Sharon Baptist Church
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How could it not be? With the COVID-19 pandemic sweeping across the nation and most states currently under a shelter-in-place order, maintaining our cherished Easter traditions has become all but impossible. Extended families will not gather together this year. Parents will not inflict bow ties on their sons and fancy Easter dresses on their daughters: most churches will observe Easter Sunday in an online-only format this year, so there’s really no need to get all dressed up. I’m sure there will be a marked decline in large-scale Easter egg hunts too (social distancing, you know).
But then again, the first Easter was a little different too. Dead men do not rise. Our common human experience and intuition are quite decisive on this point. Once a body is laid to rest, that is it. No more gatherings. No more conversations. Not in this life anyway. At least that was the case, until that first glorious Easter Sunday morning when a dead man did rise. And in so doing, He defeated death and Hell forever. Those malign enemies are now but fangless, clawless specters to all who know the Lord. They can scare us. They can trouble us. But they cannot ultimately hurt us, because Christ the Lord is risen from the grave. The coronavirus is like that too. It can trouble us. It can hurt us. It can tank the stock market and inflict loneliness, anxiety, and uncertainty. It can even take our loved ones from us. But that is the worst it can do, because Christ the Lord is risen from the grave. The coronavirus can never separate us from God’s love (Romans 8:31–39). It can never remove our unshakable hope for a far greater country in the life hereafter, where every tear will be wiped away and where sickness, sorrow, sin, and death will be obliterated forever as Jesus makes all things new (Revalation 21:4–5). It cannot even change the fact that God has already blessed us with every spiritual blessing, promised us an unfading inheritance, and positionally seated us in the heavens with Christ (Ephesians 1:3–14; 2:1–6). The coronavirus looks very scary to us right now, but in the grand scheme of things its influence is quite limited. One day God will effortlessly sweep it away along with every other sickness, pain, trial, and atrocity of this life, and He will replace it with all that is good and pure and joyful. And the greatest news imaginable is that you and I will be there to see it, because Christ the Lord is risen from the grave. Easter is going to be a little different this year. But that’s okay, because Easter isn’t really about the traditions. It’s not about the family gatherings or Easter egg hunts or special services. It is about the fact that Christ the Lord is risen from the grave, and on the basis of His death and resurrection, He promises eternal life to all who trust in Him. So, whatever happens over the next few months, you can trust Him. Even if everything in this life comes crumbling down around you, you can cling to Jesus, the wonder-working Savior, who triumphed over death and redeems all that is broken and undone. He is risen! He is risen indeed. (Cited) Pastor David Carroll, Senior Pastor, Sharon Baptist Church P.S. Sharon Baptist Church family, don’t forget to email your pictures of your family Easter gatherings to churchoffice@sharonbaptisthamptonva.com. In these challenging days with many churches having an online presence for their Sunday Service instead of meeting in person, it is important that every member realize this truth:
My church’s on-site worship services may have been cancelled, but my church’s ongoing mission and ministry continues. Church members’ faithful, weekly giving makes possible the continued fulfillment of the ongoing mission of Jesus Christ for their church in their community and throughout the world. How can members remain faithful in their giving responsibility and thus continue to invest in and fund the continued mission and ministry of their church? Here are some ways: 1. Continue giving weekly through your personal banking online bill pay service. I heard someone say recently, “I rarely write a check anymore.” This is because most people pay their bills online these days. Simply fill out the information regarding your church and add them as one of the organizations you “pay” or in this case “give” to. This method does not cost the church or the giver any additional fee. 2. Use your church’s online giving option on your church web site. Some churches make online giving very easy by offering a menu option that has simple instructions on how to give online through the church web site. 3. Send your donation weekly through the U.S. Postal Service. This may be the option of choice for members who are not tech savvy. The “fee” for using this method is simply the Fifty-Five cent stamp required to send it. Members need to take precautions and make sure that when they send a letter that they don’t have symptoms that might lead to the spread of a virus via a letter. 4. Drop the donation off at the church if your church has on site workers to be able to collect it. Obviously with the encouragement to work from home and the need for social distancing, this would be the least optimal of the options mentioned. The same precautions mentioned in number five above need to be practiced if this option is utilized. (Cited) Postal Address: Sharon Baptist Church 2625 N. Armistead Ave. Hampton, VA 23666 Pastor David Carroll, Senior Pastor, Sharon Baptist Church Pastor Carroll's notes from Wednesday Night Prayer and Bible Study
Lamentations 3: 20-25 Many people woke up this week to a world they never imagined. It happened because of the coronavirus outbreak. Along the way we learned a new word: pandemic. We know the word epidemic, which refers to widespread disease, but what is a pandemic? It means "a disease has spread to many parts of the world." What started in China spread quickly to South Korea and Japan. Travelers took it to Iran, Italy, Spain, Ukraine, the United States, Canada, and soon it spread across the entire globe. As of this service Italy and Spain are in lockdown, borders are closed including the United States. Almost every country in the world has issued travel restrictions to keep out anyone infected with the coronavirus. We live in strange times. Schools are closed, restaurants are closing, sporting events have been canceled, large assemblies are forbidden, and we’ve all learned about "social distancing," which means you stay away from me, and I’ll stay away from you. Some counties, and the City of San Francisco are under a "shelter in place" order, which means you stay home round the clock, with only a few specific exceptions. All because of a tiny microbe that is incredibly contagious and extremely dangerous, especially to those over 60 and those with compromised immune systems. This is life for all of us right now. No one knows when things will get better. This may last a few weeks, or it may last a few months. It could last longer. We are living with a level of anxiety we haven’t seen since 9/11. People worry about their health and the health of their loved ones. We’re worried about losing our jobs and our income. Our 401K's have become 20.5K's. Most of us feel trapped by events that we can’t control. No wonder people are hoarding toilet paper. No wonder we can’t sleep. No wonder we feel shaky. How should Christians respond to all that the Coronavirus has brought on? A. Be Calm Christians ought to be the calmest people on earth because we know the Lord, and he holds the future in his hands. There is no panic in heaven over this pandemic. If you spend all your time perusing the latest news, you will doubtless lose your perspective. Focus on the Lord, remember his promises, and everything will be well with your soul. B. Be Prepared Since no one can say what tomorrow will bring. It would be good to stock up on the essentials we will need. Some of those items might include: food, medicine, other essentials (toilet paper), and perhaps a little cash. Who knows, we might be asked to "shelter in place" or "self-quarantine" ourselves to one degree or another. At the very least, we’ll all spend more time at home than usual. So be prepared, but have an optimistic outlook. Take wise precautions. Wash your hands! (with soap as we tell the Day School kids). Practice "social distancing" (6 feet apart), but most of all don’t despair and don’t give in to fear. God has equipped us for times like these. Notice the following passage in the book of Proverbs: Proverbs 6: 6-11 "Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise: [7] Which having no guide, overseer, or ruler, [8] Provideth her meat in the summer, and gathereth her food in the harvest. [9] How long wilt thou sleep, O sluggard? when wilt thou arise out of thy sleep? [10] Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep: [11] So shall thy poverty come as one that travelleth, and thy want as an armed man." C. Be Ready To Share Keep your eyes open for those in need. This includes senior citizens, the sick, and those who are otherwise overlooked by society. We will all find plenty of opportunities to minister in the days ahead. We don't need to give in to fear. 1 John 3:17 "But whoso hath this world's good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him?" D. Pray Fervently
1 Timothy 2:1-2 "I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; [2] For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty." E. Be An Encourager Even though many business establishments have temporarily closed and social contact is limited. There are still opportunities to reach out and love others. How can we accomplish this? - Through phone calls, text messages, emails, video calls, and social media. - You can check in to see how loved ones are doing and encourage others with prayer, a kind word, or sharing a passage of God’s Word. 1 Thessalonians 5:11 "Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do." F. Stay Informed In times like these, it’s easy for misinformation to spread. Check with your local health services, or your family Doctor to stay up to date about what’s happening in your community. The website Hampton.gov has a great deal about the virus on its website. Another resource is the (CDC) or the Center for Disease Control Website. Proverbs 1:5 "A wise man will hear, and will increase learning; and a man of understanding shall attain unto wise counsels:" G. Be A Witness (to a needy world) Pray and ask God to give you opportunities to witness in these unperilled times. Seek or look for the opportunities you have prayed for. Follow through and wittiness to them. 1 Peter 3:15 "But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:" CONCLUSION: While there is a number of things we should do and a number of things we could do. The most important things is for us to overcome our fear with faith in Christ. Pastor David Carroll, Senior Pastor, Sharon Baptist Church In the book of Acts we have recorded for us several messages that Paul the Apostle preached. All of these messages, as with the other Apostles, pointed people to Jesus Christ. In Acts 14 Paul and Barnabas are new on the mission field. They arrive in a town called Lystra and during Paul’s conveying of the Gospel a man who was “impotent in his feet, being a cripple from his mother’s womb…” was healed miraculously by God through Paul’s actions. In verse 10, faith is seen both in Paul and the impotent man. Unfortunately, those who witnessed the preaching and the miracle that had taken place wrongly understood what it meant.
As this situation progressed, it became understood by Paul and Barnabas that these idolaters believed Paul and Barnabas were gods. In verse 13 the Bible declares that the “priest of Jupiter” began to commence leading worship of the two missionaries. Of course, once the apostles “heard of” it, Paul began to convey the truth. One phrase in particular I would like to draw your attention to is in verse 15. Paul in speaking to these states, “We also are men of like passions with you, and preach unto you that ye should turn from these vanities unto the living God, which made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all things that are therein:…” The direct phrase here really sums up the choice that every man must make. We must turn from these vanities unto the living God. In Psalm 31:6 the Bible uses a similar phrase and speaks of “lying vanities…” Jonah in his prayer from the fishes belly cries out using the exact same expression stating, “They that observe lying vanities forsake their own mercy.” (Jonah 2:8) What exactly are these vanities that are spoken of? In this passage the vanities are lies concerning false ‘gods’ that the people had believed and held onto. In fact, the very stone and wooden idols that these lost people worshipped were themselves vain (false or worthless). This word employed by Paul is an adjective describing what the people had chosen. As we go back to Acts 14 let us make note of a few items declared in this passage. First of all, we can be admonished that: All People Are Of Like Passions Paul started his correction of these people’s behavior explaining that “We also are men of like passions with you…” (In our text the miraculous healing of the impotent man influenced their thoughts toward Paul and Barnabas.) Sometimes those that are without get the idea that Christians are ‘holier than thou.’ In this case, Paul was exhibiting great faith in God and was used in the miraculous healing of this man. Paul wanted to set the story straight that they were men of like passions. These idolaters looked at Paul and Barnabas because of their superstition as being ‘gods.’ If we are not careful, we will allow people to think we are something other than sinners to whom Christ has saved and transformed. The truth is that Christians are different. They are children of Light rather than children of darkness (John 8:44; Ephesians 5:8; Colossians 1:13; I Thessalonians 5:5). However, the difference is Jesus Christ! Paul was careful to explain, we are “…men of like passions...” In other words, we are not “gods” we are Christians. We are sinners that have trusted in Jesus Christ as our Saviour! Secondly, we can glean that all men: Should Turn From Vanities Paul is expressing a matter of principle here, that all people have a God-given ability to choose (individual Soul liberty). He signifies this by stating these people “should” turn from these vanities. He does not state that the people would turn from them. All around us, there are people that are choosing the empty and the worthless over the all-sufficient God. Christians are not immune from this sad state either. Oftentimes, we choose the empty and worthless over fellowship with God. Learning from the passage in the book of Psalms and Jonah above, we find that these vanities lie to us with promises of fulfillment but have no ability to provide what God can only give us. Not only should all people turn from these vanities, but they: Should Turn To The Living God These people needed to turn to Jesus Christ. The great need of the day is for all men to turn from lying vanities to the Living God. The lost person needs to turn from lying vanities to the Living God. The Christian needs to turn from lying vanities to the Living God. As we survey the Bible we see God’s message of Salvation. It is the story of God reconciling man unto Himself. But God has given you and I the choice to turn from vanities to Him. May we pray fervently in this new year that God would help us to always look to our wonderful Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ and forsake the lying vanities of this world. - James Grandinetti, Community Outreach Pastor, Sharon Baptist Church “Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer” Psalms 19:14
The Psalmist David speaks of three things in this Psalm; one, the Power and beauty of the Heavens, or what is the natural world; two, the Power and beauty of the law of God; and thirdly, David closes the psalm with two verses that speak on the subject of himself, his standing before God and his sin; either known or unknown. After he wonderfully declares the glory and honor of God, David concludes by looking upon himself in contrast to God’s magnificence. This is wisdom. The majesty and glory of God ought to act as a mirror; causing us to look at ourselves in the light of it. In the final verses of the psalm, he asks the Lord to keep him from sin; both those that are evident, and those that come with subtly. He reminds the Lord that God alone is the keeper of His soul and that the Lord will deliver him from the ‘great transgression’. How we need to remindourselves the Lord of His goodness towards us in the giving of His Son; how that Jesus saves us from the wrath of God and delivers us from the great transgression. David desires that the words of his mouth, and the meditation of his heart be acceptable in the sight of God. David understands that the two, the heart and our words, go hand in hand. He understands, as we ought to understand, that the meditation of our heart is often reflected in our words. The things we say testify to the greater part of what we think and believe; or what is the meditation of our heart. Peter, the night that the Lord was arrested, sitting outside the palace of the High Priest, denied he knew the Lord three times; Peter, that great apostle! This was certainly a Peter far different from the one we heard say earlier, “though I should die with thee, yet will I not deny thee.” You would think, by the way that he portrayed himself before Jesus’ arrest, that he would rather have choked to death on those words than to ever let them out of his mouth. Yet his words revealed a truth; a condition of the heart. We also know what became of Peter, how through the power of the Holy Spirit of God his heart would become equal to his boldness in the Lord.Jesus makes the same connection of the heart and our words in Luke 6:45, saying, "A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh”. Brother Paul, in his letter to the Romans, in that life changing passage we know as ‘Roman’s road’ (vss 10:8-10), he again reinforces the importance of that relationship between the heart and our words. That even in the process and act of how we might believe upon Christ and be saved, they are again found together. There is power in both the heart and our words when referred to separately, but O’ how powerful they are when referenced together. David finishes his song reminding us of how important this is concerning our heart and our words; reminding us that it is the power God and His strength alone that keeps them both. So Like David, let me ask of God that my heart and my words be acceptable to Him first. Let me ask of the Lord as David did in Psalms 141:3, “Set a watch, O LORD, before my mouth; keep the door of my lips." Notice, at the end of Verse 14, David declares the answers to his desires that he lays out in the verse’s beginning; He answers the How and the Why. Desire: “Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight..” Answer: “…O LORD, My Strength and my redeemer." Let us meditate day and night on the Word of God, storing up in our hearts His truths, which cleanse and purify and are able to keep us from falling; presenting us faultless through Jesus our Savior. Let us confess our sins daily, calling upon Christ, resisting the devil that he may flee from us. To God’s glory Let our words reveal in us a clean heart, a pure heart; words that are seasoned with salt, edifying to the hearer and so being acceptable to the Lord. How? Because He is my Strength Why? Because He is my Redeemer - Spencer Close, Bus Ministry Director, Sharon Baptist Church I'm not sure if you’re aware of it or not, but God's Word has something to say about the "beginning of months" and "years." Take for instance the passage in Exodus 12:2 were the Word says, "This month shall be unto you the beginning of months: it shall be the first month of the year to you."
When the children of Israel came out of Egypt, not only was their way of life changed, but even the way they kept track of time. A new calendar was started by the Lord beginning around the time of the Exodus. Each new year would automatically make them remember their beginning when God led them out of bondage from Egypt. Perhaps it would do us good as God's children to see the start of the new year as a time of personal reflection and a time of remembering of what God has done for us during the past year and leading us out of the bondage of sin at the moment of our salvation. Then in Deuteronomy 11:12 we find these words, "A land which the LORD thy God careth for: the eyes of the LORD thy God are always upon it, from the beginning of the year even unto the end of the year." We know that in the context of this verse God is speaking to Moses and is referring to the promise land that He prepared for the nation of Israel. But I believe that these two verses can have meaning for Christians today as we prepare to launch into a new year and a new decade. Often times there is an inward and outward transformation that takes place at the end of the old year and the beginning of the new year. It is as if I can hear Paul audibly speak as he pens down the words of scripture in Philippians 3:13 "Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before." To be quite honest, some of us need to leave some things behind in the old year. I’m referring to those things that have been hindering our walk with Christ, those things that weaken our testimony, and those things that are in clear disobedience to the will and way of Christ. Leave them behind in 2019 and stretch forth to those things that are before us in 2020. Stretch forth to things such as prayer, faithful church attendance, serving and ministering within the local church. We also must include meditating on God's Word, regular support of our local New Testament church by our tithes and offerings, and our obligation to reach others with the Gospel of Christ through Grace Giving Missions and personal Soul-Winning. Paul writes in Hebrews 12:1b "Let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us." Would you be willing to do that as we enter into the new year? Do you have the desire to experience the joy of a cleansed heart by confession and repentance? If we are willing to do that, only then will we be able to say, "Thou crownest the year with thy goodness; and thy paths drop fatness." (Psalm 65:11) While contemplating those questions, remember that "The eyes of the LORD thy God are always upon it, from the beginning of the year even unto the end of the year.” (Deuteronomy 11:12) - Pastor Carroll, Senior Pastor, Sharon Baptist Church I call the Christmas Season “The Seasons of Love” because "God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son," and "The Word was made flesh and dwelt among us" (John 3:16; 1:14).
We all love this time of year, but perhaps for different reasons. Some love to buy gifts and presents for family and friends. Still others, like my brother in Christ John, love the cold and crispness in the air anticipating and even praying for the first snow fall during the holiday season. Many people love the spirit of Christmas that abounds in the air beginning the day after Thanksgiving lasting all the way till January 2nd. Multitudes enjoy the feasting, fellowship, worship, and the wonderful Christmas music that this time of year brings. Do you fit in among those reasons I listed above? Or maybe you have another reason why you love this time of the year. As for me, during this "season of love," lately I have felt myself becoming more conscious of others, their needs, their hurts, fears, and joys. Two overriding questions are, "do they have the love of Christ dwelling in them" and "do I show the love of Christ to others?" These thoughts should drive us to our knees in prayer and we meditate on the answers. We don't have to buy expensive gifts to make others love us. We don't have to go out of our way to have an expensive Christmas, trying to outshine the 'Jones's.' We only need to show love among our fellow men, the same way our God showed us love so many years ago sending His Son into the world that we might be saved. This Christmas season in which we celebrate the birth of Jesus, let us keep our minds stayed on the “reason for the season” and the love that shines forth from God's dear Son. Let us be more like Him to be able to love without attachments, requirements, and let our light so shine that people will see the love of God shining in our lives every day. Remember to thank God for sending His Son to earth to rescue the lost, to love the worst of us, never condemning, but showing us the way through love and you will experience a Merry Christmas. May God bless you all with His amazing love! The chorus of a hymn called "And Can It Be" speaks about this amazing love. "Amazing love! How can it be that Thou, my God, should die for me! Amazing love! How can it be that Thou, my God, should die for me!" Because of His amazing love, - Diana Carroll, Senior Pastor's Wife, Sharon Baptist Church I dare say that if we would examine our lives and the things we allow in, each and every one of us have something we have allowed into our eye gate, or ear gate that we should not have allowed. Whether it is on accident or on purpose does not matter.
The question then would be are you continuing to allow these things? What do you watch on TV or look at on the computer or even allow yourself to be a part of in a conversation? This is a subject that I believe is very important in our day and age for Christians; however I understand that this will rub some folks the wrong way. As believers the Apostle Paul instructs us to "warn" the brethren. I Corinthians 4:14 "I write not these things to shame you, but as my beloved sons I warn you." We MUST be seeking to please our Heavenly Father and bring Honor and Glory to Him in everything we do. We are in a battle (Ephesians 6:12) and we must be warning others (I Thes 5:14) of the sin and dangers they have fallen into. Take the time to think about the things in your life. Does what you allow in your life line up with the Bible? TV shows and movies have either an emphasis or blatant immoral relationships outside of marriage or infidelity in a marriage, cursing, homosexuality....you name it. Yet, because it's not the "main" focus of the show and its' only one small portion you continue to watch it. Even secular music like rock and country contain messages that are sinful. What are the messages in these songs? What God calls an abomination is today's entertainment! The more you allow these things into your life, the more you WILL become desensitized (having been made less likely to feel shock or distress at scenes of cruelty or suffering by overexposure to such images) towards them. Pride right now tells you, "No it doesn't," but it does. What we watch and listen to affects our heart, it's impossible to separate the two. Think about the things Christians will find humor in and joke about or laugh at. It's not funny to joke about your spouse having a boyfriend or girlfriend. It's not funny to joke about someone being gay. It's not funny to laugh at the sins of others, and it's not funny to joke about going to Hell. How does this separate us from the world? How does this help edify and uplift our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ? It doesn't, it brings them down. The warnings are in the Bible Psalm 101:3 "I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes: I hate the work of them that turn aside; it shall not cleave to me." It's all in this one verse. Don't put evil before your eyes! Don't hang around with those that do! I will not allow it to be a part of my life! Have you ever gotten in a swimming pool and when you first stepped in it was cold and honestly you wanted to get out, but because your family and friends were around you didn't want to look weak, so you continued in. You go a little farther to your knees, then your waist, each time cold but now you are getting use to it! Are you seeing the point here? It is the same with sin and being desensitized to sin. The longer you let it in the less it affects you. My plea to Christians is to examine everything you allow in. Is it in line with God's standard of purity and holiness? If not, get it out of your life now before it grows anymore! If you see it but don't know how to get rid of it, seek counsel from your Pastor. Don't be afraid or ashamed of what he might think. He will be happy to help you and see you thrive in your fellowship with the Lord! - Shannon Grandinetti, Women's Missionary Fellowship Director, Sharon Baptist Church =In the months of June and July of 2018, an incredible rescue took place in the Chiang Rai Province of Thailand. 12 members of a youth soccer team and their 25-year-old coach became trapped in a commonly visited cave called Tham Luang. After an extensive search and rescue operation was put into action, they would all be rescued and brought to safety on July 10th, a full 18 days later. On June 23rd, just after soccer practice, the team decided to visit the cave just as they had done many times before. But this excursion would quickly become a death trap, as heavy rains from hours before, would begin to fill the low areas and cut off their exit. As the water continued to inundate the cavern, they were forced to retreat deeper and deeper into the cave until they finally came upon higher ground. They were now almost 2.5 miles from the cave entrance. Their trip was supposed to last an hour or so, but those few hours quickly turned into several days, not knowing how or when they would be rescued, or even if they would survive at all. They had no provisions, no heavy clothing and only a couple flashlights. Most were in gym shorts and t-shirts. They even left their shoes at the entrance with their bicycles. In view of their circumstances, it seems that their fate was surely sealed, along with any hope of ever being found alive, or found at all. It would be hard to render their situation anymore desperate. With no light, no food, no clothing and no tools and no exit, the chance of them being delivered under their own power was at absolute zero: they were 100% helpless. Once they were listed as missing, it would take another 18 days before they were all rescued. It took 10,000 workers, including over 100 divers, 900 police, 2,000 soldiers and tons of equipment, pumps, helicopters and ambulances. Ten days would elapse until a British BCRC Diver (British Cave Rescue Council) would find the group. It would take another 8 days to extract all twelve of them. In the process, a former Thai Navy Seal lost his life while he was transferring three oxygen tanks to a base area called Chamber 3. He lost consciousness underwater and could not be revived. As sad as it is, that one involved in the rescue of those young men had perished, we can still thank God that the operation was a success. They were all rescued and delivered from what could have been the loss of twelve more souls.
In the spiritual sense, this event is one that can easily be applied to the saving and rescuing of the lost in this world. The rescue mission is to deliver a sinful and doomed race that has no means of delivering itself. A Rescuer was sent to save the lost from the impending judgment of the just and righteous Creator. It draws a distinct parallel, that those young men who were trapped had no way of producing a remedy of their own. They could in no way save or deliver themselves. All they could do was hope upon hope that a rescuer would eventually come. As for a lost and dying world we have a Rescuer the Lord Jesus Christ, our Savior. He came into this world to seek and to save that which was lost. God sent His Son to rescue the perishing, whereas God laid upon His son the wages of our sin; paying in full the debt of our sin with His own sinless life. Thanks be to God that He sent a Savior, a Rescuer to deliver us from certain death and eternal separation from God himself, translating us from death unto life eternal. Let's take a few moments and think about: The Rescue and the Rescuer Because Jesus has given every believer the ministry of sharing the gospel with the world, we are in the same sense likened to that of a “rescuer” to those that are lost. And because we have that ministry, the Lord has made sure to supply every need to His people to see the mission out. We have the Holy Spirit, we have the discernment and wisdom of God; we have all of Heaven at our disposal. But there is one vital element that the Lord has left solely in the hands of His people to supply, and that is the willingness to carry it out: this He has left to us. So what constitutes a Rescue? a. Something must be lost or trapped b. Something must be in danger, or cut off from safety c. Something must be unable to deliver itself from its peril A rescue implicitly requires also a rescuer. We should understand that in order for the rescue to be successful there must be a rescuer, but what are the requirements of that rescuer? First, they must be qualified to do so. The rescuer must have the proper “credentials”. The Lord has provided His Church with every possible avenue needed to witness and share the Gospel of Christ to the world. I Corinthians chapter 12 provides us with a detailed list of those diverse gifts needed to accomplish the mission. Although the gifts may differ in this list, they are all provided and given to believers according to His divine will. Every believer has at least one spiritual gift. And all of these operations are “…given to every man to profit withal" (vs 12:7b). We are all, in some way or another, the recipients of those blessed administrations and the Lord expects them to be exercised. In John 20:21 we find these words concerning this very fact, “Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you.” Then in II Corinthians 3: 5,6 we find these words, “Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think anything as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God; Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life” So we discover this truth that Jesus has qualified every believer to be a rescuer. Surely there is more to this than being qualified. And there is, the rescuer must also be equipped and trained (Spirit filled and Bible literate). The rescuer must have the proper equipment to operate as such and be successful. The believer must have a relationship with the Word of God and an understanding of its contents. The Holy Spirit of God is our infallible, inerrant and inexhaustible resource; He enables us, He protects us, He guides and empowers us to reach the lost with the gospel. Acts 1:8 tells us, "But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth." The Holy Ghost gives us wisdom and understanding to rightly share the Word with others. In John 14:26 speaking of this Jesus Christ stated, "But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you." What possible good would a “rescuer” have been if he arrives on the scene lacking the equipment to swim thru 2.5 miles of a pitch black, flooded cave? Of course, the answer is he would be no good at all. Not only myself they be equipped and trained but thirdly, they must also be familiar with the condition of those they are rescuing. Just as the rescuers understood the conditions of their peril, the born again are also familiar with the hazards of sin and its deception. We were once the enemies of God, but now His ministers. Colossians 1:21 tell us, “And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled”. The Lord, who was touched with the feelings of our infirmities, (Romans 8:26) has also given to us the ministry of reconciliation; “And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation” II Corinthians 5:18 Fourthly, A rescuer must be prepared by having a plan. The “entry” plan and “exit” plan to save those boys was understood by all involved. They didn’t just rush headlong into the darkness without knowing the dangers. So, how are we to prepare and ready ourselves as the Lord’s rescuers? We must be solely dependent upon the empowerment and direction of the Holy Spirit of God…it is GOD’s Will, not mine; John 15:5b, “…for without me ye can do NOTHING”. Here are just a few ways we can be prepared: • We Prepare through the Preaching/Teaching of the Word of God : “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” Romans 10:17 • We Prepare through Prayer: Matthew 6:33 "But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you." Luke 9:11-13 (vs9), "And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you” • We Prepare through Fellowship: Hebrews 2:11 "For both he that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one: for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren," Hebrews 10:25 "Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves, together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching." Fifth, we also should understand that the rescuer must be willing. No matter the amount of preparation, equipment, training, review and re-review of the plan, nothing moves until a willingness emerges from it; the rescuer has got to go to the work of getting them out. Without a willing vessel, those boys would remain trapped and lost in that darkness even now. Without a willingness of God’s servants to fulfill the Lord’s Commission, the preparation and making ready would all come to nothing. Notice the following verses concerning this very thing: "Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing" Matthew 24:46 "For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ." Galatians 1:10 "Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord." I Corinthians 15:58 "For if there be first a willing mind, it is accepted according to that a man hath, and not according to that he hath not." II Corinthians 8:12 Lastly, the rescuer must know the goal. Nothing solidifies and motivates a worker more than knowing the goal. For those in the cave rescue, it was to save lives, even at the cost of their own if needed. They were determined to get those boys out alive. They prepared and exhausted every available resource to realize the goal. In Christ, we have been graciously given great insight into some very extraordinary matters; we have been made privy to the spiritual warfare that rages about us. We even know, by the Word of God, that the victory is ours, Amen! Yet there are those that still remain in darkness, locked in caves of sin and despair. And it is the work and the commission of His Church to bring them out into the wonderful light of His dear Son, Jesus Christ. Ask yourself these questions: Why are we doing what we are doing? Is our motivation right with God? What is an allowable loss? How many are we willing to pass by without giving the gospel? Jesus says that He is not willing that any should perish…what do we say? What are the consequences if I fail? We know the end of the wicked, and Praise God somebody told me! And lastly: What is the reward of success? What a moment it must have been when all those involved in the cave rescue saw all twelve of those souls emerge from that horrible darkness. If we could have been there to see their faces, the faces of their family members and loved ones. What a moment that must have been. Well dear Brother, Sister, we in Christ will also have our day of rejoicing when we come to see our Savior face to face, knowing in full what Jesus as accomplished for you and I. And to add to that rejoicing we will see the faces of those that we had a part in rescuing; the multitudes of those that were saved by our faithfulness in sharing the Word of God with them. As the song goes, “What a day, glorious day that will be!” “He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him” Psalms 126:6 - Spencer Close, Bus Director, Sharon Baptist Church |
Sharon Baptist church is an independent, fundamental Baptist church located in Hampton, VA.
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