The King Is Coming! - Written by Scott Aniol

(This was originally published here by Scott Aniol).

Psalm 110 is one of the most quoted psalms in the New Testament, because it is a very important prophetic psalm about the promised fulfillment of God’s covenant with David. The psalm begins with David prophesying. “Yahweh says”—that word “says” is a Hebrew word “often used to depict an oracle or a revelation.”[1] So the psalm literally begins, “The prophecy of Yahweh to my lord.”

Now pause for a moment. Here is David, God’s Anointed King, prophesying about someone he calls “my lord.” The sovereign king, Yahweh, is speaking to an earthly king even greater than David. David apparently recognized that someone would come after him who would be greater than him. One of his descendants would be God’s Anointed One—his Messiah—in a way even greater than David. Yahweh speaks to this Anointed One, David’s Lord, and says, “Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool” (110:1).

This is a promise of dominion. In the ancient world when a king conquered his enemy, he would rest his foot on the neck of his conquered foe as if he were his footstool, as a representation of his dominion. This is a promise of fulfillment of the dominion blessing that God has promised to Adam (Gen 1:28) and what God had promised to David (1 Chron 17). This is a promise of anticipation and hope when David may have been tempted to despair, or when Israel returns from exile to a city and temple that are destroyed and no Davidic king is sitting on the throne.

In the midst of that darkness and despair, the editors of the Psalter, carried along by the Holy Spirit of God, wanted God’s people to remember that a descendant of David is still coming who would be greater than David; Yahweh himself would say to that Anointed One, “sit at my right hand until I make your enemies your footstool.”

Here is the promise of a King greater than David who will fulfill the promises made to David and be given dominion over all things at Yahweh’s right hand.

And this is why Psalm 110:1 is the most quoted verse from the Psalms in the New Testament. Here is the promise of a King greater than David who will fulfill the promises made to David and be given dominion over all things at Yahweh’s right hand. The apostle Peter makes this very point in his sermon on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2). David isn’t talking about himself here, Peter argues, “For David did not ascend into the heavens” (Acts 2:34). This has to apply to someone else, one of David’s sons who would ascend to Yahweh’s right hand.

Well, but maybe this refers to some kind of heavenly being who is greater than David, seated at Yahweh’s right hand in heaven. No, the author of Hebrews quotes this verse and says, “But to which of the angels has [Yahweh] ever said, ‘Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet’?” (Heb 1:13). No, says Peter at Pentecost, “Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified” (Acts 2:36). Peter would say later to the high priest in Acts 5:

³⁰ The God of our fathers raised Jesus, whom you killed by hanging him on a tree. ³¹ God exalted him at his right hand as Leader and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins.

Jesus of Nazareth is the one David calls Lord in Psalm 110—he is David’s son but David’s Lord. He is the Anointed One, the One who would fulfill God’s promises to David. He lived a perfect life in obedience to God’s law, something David never did, and Solomon never did; he died on the cross—as the author of Hebrews says in chapter 10, he “for all time a single sacrifice,” and then God raised him from the dead and exalted him at his right hand; he “sat down at the right hand of God,” the author of Hebrews says, “waiting from that time until his enemies should be made a footstool for his feet” (Heb 10:12). It is finished.

A Priest Forever

But notice that the author of Hebrews not only used the kingly language of Psalm 110—his enemies will be made his footstool, he also used priestly language. An earthly priest, he says in Hebrews 10:11, “stands daily at his service, offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins.” But when this Anointed One “had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God” (v 12). That phrase from Psalm 110:1, “sat down,” signifies both the rule of a king and the finished, once-for-all sacrifice of a perfect priest. God had promised in 1 Samuel 2, after the sin of Eli’s sons,

³⁵ And I will raise up for myself a faithful priest, who shall do according to what is in my heart and in my mind. And I will build him a sure house, and he shall go in and out before my anointed forever.

This is exactly what David prophesies in Psalm 110:4:

The Lord has sworn
      and will not change his mind,
“You are a priest forever
      after the order of Melchizedek.”

David’s Greater Son, he prophesies, will not only be a conquering king, he will also be a priest forever, after the order of Melchizedek, that mysterious king of Salem (the future location of Jerusalem) whom Abram encounters and whom Moses calls a “priest of God Most High” (Gen 14:18). As the author of Hebrews says in chapter 5, Jesus “became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him, being designated by God a high priest after the order of Melchizedek” (vv 9–10).

David’s Greater Son will not only be a conquering king, he will also be a priest forever, after the order of Melchizedek.

David’s Greater Son will be both king and priest, Psalm 110 prophesies. David was never a priest like this; his son Solomon was never a priest like this. Only David’s Son whom he would call Lord would be both king and priest, and the New Testament tells us that this is Jesus. Jesus the Anointed One offered himself for all time a single sacrifice for sins, God raised him from the dead, he ascended into heaven, and then he sat down at the Father’s right hand, signifying both his right to rule and his finished priestly work.

Future Hope

And yet, God’s promise has not yet fully come to pass. Purification for sins is finished. Jesus is now seated at Yahweh’s right hand, and he intercedes for his people as the great High Priest (Heb 6:12), but the victory promised in verses 2–3 of Psalm 110 is still future even for us:

² The Lord sends forth from Zion
      your mighty scepter.
      Rule in the midst of your enemies!
³ Your people will offer themselves freely
      on the day of your power,
      in holy garments;
from the womb of the morning,
      the dew of your youth will be yours.

The author of Hebrews said as much. Jesus is seated at the right hand of God, “waiting from that time until his enemies should be made a footstool for his feet (Heb 10:13)—waiting for when Yahweh would send out of Zion the rod of his strength and give him rule in the midst of his enemies. Waiting for when his people will offer themselves freely on the day of his power in the beauty of holiness.

Verse four and the first phrase of verse 5 are fulfilled, but the rest of the psalm is yet to be fulfilled:

⁵ The Lord is at your right hand;
      he will shatter kings on the day of his wrath.
⁶ He will execute judgment among the nations,
      filling them with corpses;
he will shatter chiefs
      over the wide earth.
⁷ He will drink from the brook by the way;
      therefore he will lift up his head.

For David and for Israel returned from exile, this whole psalm was unfulfilled prophecy, meant to form anticipation and hope in the midst of darkness and uncertainty.

But for us, verse one is already fulfilled, and verse four is already fulfilled; that’s what all of these NT quotations are arguing. Jesus the Anointed One is seated at the right hand of God the Father; God “has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name”—what is that name? The name of Lord, of King, of the Davidic ruler—“so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Phil 2:9–10). And Jesus the Anointed One has offered the once-for-all sacrifice, sitting down like no other priest was every able to do.

Verse one of Psalm 110 is already fulfilled, but verses 2–3 are not yet fulfilled. Verse four is already fulfilled, but verses 5–7 are not yet fulfilled. They are meant to create in us anticipation and hope in the midst of darkness and uncertainty.

And, in fact, we have even more reason to have hope in the complete fulfillment of this psalm, the final fulfillment of God’s covenant with David, because we have confidence that part of this prophecy is already fulfilled. If God has already fulfilled verse one, we can be confident that he will fulfill the rest.

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[1] Ross, A Commentary on the Psalms, 3:873.

[2] Allen P. Ross, Recalling the Hope of Glory: Biblical Worship from the Garden to the New Creation (Grand Rapids: Kregel, 2006), 106.

This essay was adapted from Musing on God’s Music: Forming Hearts of Praise with the Psalms by Scott Aniol.

This Lord's Day (December 29, 2024) at Rainsville First Baptist Church

There is just something unique about new....a new car, a new house, a new relationship, a new coat of paint, new clothes, a new baby.

Bill Gaither wrote, "How sweet to hold a newborn baby, and feel the pride and joy he brings."

But if only our lives could be changed to new like we could buy a car or a new dress.  

This Lord's Day, we will gaze at "The Wonder of Newness" as we complete our series of sermons on "The Wonder of Christmas."  And we will look at the good news of the gospel - Jesus came to make us a new creation!!  Not just a makeover or a moral revolution. But a new person who can forever live in the freshness of newness.

We will sing, pray, fellowship, and take of the reminders of the New Covenant we have in Jesus through the Lord's Supper.  Join us at 10:15 only for our worship service.  Remember, no Sunday School this Sunday.

Charles Spurgeon on Celebrating the Savior’s Birth by Randy Alcorn

(This was originally published here by Randy Alcorn)

Charles Spurgeon closed his 1854 sermon entitled "The Birth of Christ" with the following, in a Christian context that was often critical of Christmas celebration because some people embraced sin and not the Savior. May his words for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day apply to the days ahead of us:

Now a happy Christmas to you all; and it will be a happy Christmas if you have God with you. I shall say nothing today against festivities on this great birthday of Christ. We will tomorrow think of Christ's birthday; we shall be obliged to do it, I am sure, however sturdily we may hold to our rough Puritanism. And so, 'let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.'

Do not feast as if you wished to keep the festival of Bacchus; do not live tomorrow as if you adored some heathen divinity.

Feast, Christians, feast; you have a right to feast. Go to the house of feasting tomorrow, celebrate your Saviour's birth; do not be ashamed to be glad; you have a right to be happy. Solomon says, "Go thy way, eat thy bread with joy, and drink thy wine with a merry heart; for God now accepteth thy works. Let thy garments be always white; and let thy head lack no ointment."

Religion never was designed to make your pleasures less.

I finish by again saying—“A HAPPY CHRISTMAS TO YOU ALL!”

Have a wonderful Christmas with your friends and families! May your hearts overflow with the love of Jesus.

This Lord's Day (September 1, 2024) at Rainsville First Baptist Church

This Sunday we will return to the Gospel of Luke as I have a purpose to preach through this gospel over an eight-to-nine-year period.  In fact, it was 2017 when I first started preaching through Luke and with great expectation I return to where we left off in late 2023.

This Sunday we will pick up in Luke 16.  Let's be reminded of what Dr. Luke is doing in this section of his gospel.

Luke 14 has given us the mandate of a disciple of Jesus...to follow Jesus completely and without reservation.

Luke 15 reveals the type of Father we have...one who receives sinners and rejoices over their salvation.

Luke 16 deals more intimately with following Jesus by speaking about the disciples' relationship with our money and material possessions.  All of the material in Luke 16 is unique to Luke except for verses 13-18.

It is interesting to note one-third of all the parables of Jesus deal with the relationship of his followers with money and their material possessions.

It is in the context of the love of money Jesus addresses the Pharisees in verses 14-18 and at the end of his talk, he mentions divorce. 

This caused me to think about the issue of marriage and divorce and I want to do a short series of messages on "Marriage:  The Gospel Reflected" beginning this Sunday.

This Lord's Day (August 25, 2024) at Rainsville First Baptist Church

I have planned and attempted to preach from Ezekiel 37: 1-14 twice this year (May and August) and both times the Spirit of God moved in the service in a different way.  Well, this week the Lord brought a new look at Ezekiel 37 and I want to share this message on Sunday, "God is Building An Army:  The Church."

Join us in person at 233 Church Avene in Rainsville, AL or online at rfbc.sermon.net.  

"Times of Spiritual Renewal" at Rainsville First Baptist Church August 18-20, 2024

This Sunday we begin "Times of Spiritual Renewal" here at Rainsville First Baptist Church.  Our schedule:

This Sunday, 10:15 AM and 6:30 PM

Monday and Tuesday: 6:30 PM nightly

We welcome Dr. Jeff LaBorg to our pulpit for these days of renewal.  Dr. LaBorg is Pastor of the Fairview Knox Church in Corryton, Tennessee since 2015.  The church has experienced record growth, baptisms, and in 2020 purchased over 80 acres for ministry and future relocation.

Just this year he completed his Ph.D. in Advanced Prophetics/Eschatology.  He has done post-graduate studies through Hebrew University in Jerusalem, Israel and leads teaching tours to Israel.  He has earned four academic degrees from Liberty University, Liberty Theological Seminary, and Louisiana Baptist University.

He and his wife, Kristi, have two children and four granddaughters.

You are invited to join us in person at 223 Church Avenue, Rainsville, AL for these services or watch online at www.rfbc.sermon.net. 

This Lord's Day (August 11, 2024) at Rainsville First Baptist Church

The question of all questions is, can a person really change?  This sobering question is at the heart of Christianity because if the answer is no, then we have no gospel.  But we do have the good news that a person can become a new person and that the same person can continually change becoming more like Jesus.

So how?  Well, there is a pattern in the Word of God how God works to bring about change.  Ezekiel 37 will be our text of when God used the Word of God and the Spirit of God to bring dead bones to become a living strong army.

It is no different today.  God uses His Word and the Spirit coordinating with our obedient response to the Word and Spirit.  We will examine this wonderful truth this Sunday at Rainsville First Baptist Church in the 10:15 worship service.

Also, this Sunday Isaiah Craig will baptize his son, Zakobi.  We will hear another video of Dr. Jeff LaBorg preaching as we introduce him to our congregation in anticipation of his preaching on August 18-20 in four services.  Then at the close of the service, we will pray for all our college students.

This Lord's Day (August 4, 2024) at Rainsville First Baptist Church

I'm back from Sabbatical.  What an unusual experience for a pastor who is accustomed to being deeply involved in the day-to-day operations of the church and people's lives.  But God provided both physical and mental rest.  

I'm not sure how much I will continue to blog.  I have blogged three times a week for several months now.  I will continue to blog on the weekend about the Lord's Day at Rainsville First and I'll see in the coming days whatever I will do.

Tomorrow we gather for worship at Rainsville First Baptist Church.  Roxanne and I look forward to being back with the Rainsville First Family.  

I announced to the church in June I felt compelled to preach this message when I returned and I still do.  So tomorrow I will share "Leading Your Child to Christ."  This is not a new message. In fact, the first time I preached it at RFBC was August 16, 2015, and tomorrow will be the fifth time.  I believe it is that important.

This is the premise the Lord gave me several years ago.  If the parents are followers of Jesus Christ and He did not bypass them to bring their children into the world physically, then He doesn't want to bypass them to bring their children into their spiritual world.

God wants to use the parents to lead their children to Christ.  I look forward to sharing this message again.

Also tomorrow I will begin the "heavy" preparation for our 'Times of Spiritual Renewal" services coming up August 18-20 with Dr. Jeff LaBorg.  We will also pray over all our teachers, staff, bus drivers, coaches, lunchroom personnel and administrators as another school year begins.

On Wednesday, August 7 several of our members who have been on missions this summer will be sharing in the 6:00 service.  All the youth and adults will be meeting together in the Auditorium.

My Sabbitical July 1-31

The church I pastor has graciously given me a sabbatical for the month of July.  This is only the second sabbatical I have had in my 46 years of being a pastor.  It was with interest I heard Dr. Jeff Iorg's podcast last week on the issue of rest.  I have included the link to the podcast at the bottom if you want to hear it in its fullness.

But Dr. Iorg said there are "Models of Rest" in the Bible.  The first is the Sabbath day found in Genesis 2:2 when God rested on the seventh day.  He did not rest because He was tired, but rather to set an example and put into pattern the normality of resting every seven days.  These days are to be days to worship and reconnect with family.  But let me just suggest, that we don't observe a sabbath very well.  For most people, the "day of rest" is just another day to get done what we did not get done the other six days.

The second model found in the Old Testament was the feast weeks.  There were three feasts extending from one Sabbath to the next.  These eight days were set for the Jews to worship God and recalibrate their lives around who God was and what He had done.

Lastly, there was an entire year of rest granted for the land and for new married couples.

He summarizes with three main purposes of these rest periods God ordained.

1. Remind us God is our creator, provider, and sustainer.

2. Refocus our life on God and His presence in our life.  The focus of our life is not work, but God.

3. Rejunate us for work.  

As I begin this sabbatical on July 1, I will step away from blogging and social media in order to focus on God and rest.  I will admit, as a pastor, this is a bit scary.  As a pastor, there is never a time when my mind and my heart are not engaged with God's people and His work.  To take 31 days of disconnecting will be hard, but I believe it will be healthy and good.

Pray for Roxanne and me as we spend these days with God, each other, and family.

Here is the link to Dr. Iorg's podcast.

Blessings;

David

Young Man, Don’t Even Make that First Sports Bet by Tim Challies

 It’s impossible to avoid the advertising and impossible to miss the claims. Sports are great, they say, but do you know what makes them even better? Adding a little wager. Sports are exciting, they say, but even more exciting when you’ve got a bit of money riding on them. So why not enjoy them all the way? Just download our app and try it out. It’s easy. It’s harmless. And it’s so much fun.

In the past few years, sports betting has exploded into the mainstream. You can’t watch a game without seeing ads for it and, if you’re within their target audience, you can’t surf the web or visit an app store without seeing the banners. If you’re a man, and especially if you’re a young man, they’re after you. They want you. And they know you’re vulnerable.

But young man, I want to encourage you: Don’t consider it. Don’t do it. Don’t even make that first bet. I’m going to give you four reasons that betting is not only unwise but also sinful—four reasons that you should avoid it altogether.

First, betting is an expression of idolatry. We all understand what it is to have a discontented spirit and to want to have more than we do now. Yet God commands us to be content with what he has provided. And, even better, he also promises to provide all that we need. Ultimately, we are to be content in him, no matter what we have or don’t have. Betting is a sure sign of discontentment and proof that you have an idolatrous relationship with money—proof that you are looking to money to provide what God wants you to derive from your relationship with him. “Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you’” (Hebrews 13:5).

Second, betting represents an illicit form of gain, not one that receives God’s blessing. God means for us to work to earn money, not to gamble for it. “He who tills his land will have plenty of food, but he who follows empty pursuits will have poverty in plenty. A faithful man will abound with blessings, but he who makes haste to be rich will not go unpunished” (Proverbs 28:19-20). Betting is the ultimate form of “making haste to be rich” instead of laboring to have enough. God does not sanction gambling as a means of gaining wealth. He will not bless it.

Third, betting is a failure to love others. God calls us to love others and to always seek their good. Yet by definition, betting is a form of taking rather than giving. It is not the exchanging of goods or services for money, but the enriching of one person through the impoverishment of another. You can only win when somebody else loses. Hence, to win at betting may be a greater evil than to lose at it, for in losing at least you are only victimizing yourself. “He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God” (Micah 6:8). Betting is not loving, not just, and not merciful.

Fourth, betting is dangerous. All sin is progressive and all sin aims at the uttermost. The invitation to sin in a small and seemingly harmless way is actually an invitation to sin in the greatest and most substantial ways. Adultery begins with just a peek and murder begins with just an angry thought. In that vein, the invitation to make even a small bet is actually the invitation to theft, to addiction, and to financial catastrophe. “My son, if sinners entice you, do not consent … For in vain is a net spread in the sight of any bird, but these men lie in wait for their own blood; they set an ambush for their own lives. Such are the ways of everyone who is greedy for unjust gain; it takes away the life of its possessors” (Proverbs 1:10, 17-19).

I don’t mean to deny the claims that betting makes sports more exciting. If you’ve ever participated in a really good fantasy league, you’ve probably experienced a kind of “enhancement” to sports that makes them all the more exciting. But what you need to know is that everything in this world is ultimately disappointing. The greatest thrills still fall short of what we long for. Hence, there will always be an element of disappointment or dissatisfaction. That’s true of sex, true of drugs, true of gambling, and true of everything else. You would almost think that God has purposely put dampers on even the greatest pleasures to help us understand that nothing in this world will ultimately satisfy our restless souls—and, of course, to cause us to look beyond this world. And should you win thousands or millions, even that thrill will soon fade and your heart will continue to be restless and discontent.

So, my friend, don’t listen to their lies. Don’t let them persuade you. Don’t make that first bet.

But if you are unpersuaded and choose to disregard me—if you go ahead and make that first bet—I have a hope for you. I hope that you’ll lose badly. Losing badly would be God’s grace in your life and his means of warning you away from much more dire consequences. As De Witt Talmage said a very long time ago, “The only man who gambles successfully is the man who loses so fearfully at the start that he is disgusted and quits. Let him win at the start, and win again, and it means farewell to home and heaven.”

The God Revealed to Job is Our God Today

In 2019 I did a year-long study leading our church through the Book of Job.  I called it "The Pain of Suffering Alone."  I was recently reading again some of the highlights of the book of Job when I once again climbed the peak of God's sovereignty as revealed to Job in chapter 42.

It is in the backdrop of chapters 38-41 when God reveals through a series of unanswerable questions of who He is over opposed to who Job thought, as a mere man.  Then the great response of Job in 42:2 "I know that You can do everything, and that no purpose of YOurs can be withheld from You."

Job finally grasps that God is so great that He can and does control supernatural evil in his good government of the world.  Evil is not without control and is not independent of the all-powerful God.  There is no eternal struggle between God and Satan.  That was settled before the foundation of the world and Satan knows his limited abilities.  

As one said, "Satan is on God's leash."

Luther described Satan as "God's Satan."

Romans 8: 28 is true even in Job 42 - God is able to work everything (evil and good) for HIs purposes.  And no purpose will be withheld from Him.

Do you "know" this?  (42:2) If so, it will change the way you look at EVERYTHING in your life personally, family, church, community, nation, world.  EVERYTHING....God is bigger and better than it all.

Blessings;

David

Mature in Purity from Sin HOW HIGH ARE GOD'S STANDARDS FOR PURITY? by Andy Davis

 

"When Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. Everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself, just as he is pure." 1 John 3:2-3  

"Since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God." 2 Corinthians 7:1

 Maturing Christians develop a lifestyle pure from sin in sex, speech, relationships, and pleasures. Essential to holiness is purity… freedom from the defilements of sin. If we are to be conformed to Christ, we must purify ourselves, body, soul, and spirit, from anything that contaminates us. There are four key areas of purification that scripture focuses its attention on, and though these four do not exhaust every possible realm of purification, yet they are the most significant. They are: sex, speech, relationships, and pleasures.

Sexual purity is vital to holiness. From the moment that Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit their eyes were opened and they realized they were naked. That moment began the battle for sexual purity that has continued to this present day. Any discerning Christian can see how vital this issue is by seeing the overwhelming attack Satan makes on this weak spot. If we were charged with defending a walled fortress during the Middle Ages, and from the top of our defenses we perceived the enemy constantly assaulting one specific spot in the walls, we must conclude that that place is vulnerable and obviously weak. Satan has been attacking souls throughout all of history and he knows very well what he is doing. Consider the internet: about 12% of all websites are pornographic, and 20% of all mobile searches are for such material.

Beyond the internet, we see devastating statistics on fornication, adultery, homosexuality, and all other manners of sexual sin. Satan is relentlessly attacking our souls sexually. God calls Christians to absolute sexual purity, and Jesus says our commitment to sexual purity should be to the level of cutting off our right hands and gouging out our right eyes if they lead us to sin in this area. He clearly warns us about hell in direct connection with sexual sin (Matthew 5:30). God’s standards are sexual abstinence except within the context of monogamous heterosexual marriage. And Jesus extends it to our thought life, for all sin originates in the mind.

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"If we are to be conformed to Christ, we must purify ourselves, body, soul, and spirit, from anything that contaminates us."

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Next, we must purify our speech. James says, “If anyone is never at fault in what he says, he is a perfect man” (James 3:2). He says the tongue is a “restless evil, full of deadly poison” (James 3:8). The ways we can sin with our speech are many: lies, gossip, slander, complaining, arguing, blasphemy, false doctrine, boasting, etc. God calls on us to reign in the tongue. Helpless, we should pray, “Set a guard over the door of my mouth, O Lord” (Psalm 141:3)! Since “out of the overflow of the heart, the mouth speaks” (Matthew 12:34), we must begin by purifying our thoughts (as we just said concerning sexual purity). If we tend to complain, we must kill that sin in the mind with a heart of trust and thankfulness to God.

Third, we must seek holiness in our relationships by purifying them of bitterness, rage, anger, pride, and unforgiveness. These defiling sins destroy marriages, end friendships, ruin families and churches alike. The call to forgive those who have sinned against us is consistent and clear. So also is the command to get rid of all bitterness… deep-seated malice against others. To have a heart free from these pollutions is to walk light and free in this world, and humble too, because it is based on how much God has forgiven us.

Finally, God calls us to be pure in lawful pleasures…to not allow anything that he permits to gain idolatrous mastery over us. This includes food, drink, entertainments, hobbies, possessions, music, sports, movies, games, etc. We are surrounded by a myriad of blessings in this prosperous and comfortable age. It’s easy to become addicted to those blessings without even knowing it. A simple test is to fast from them occasionally. Paul said, “All things are lawful for me, but I will not be mastered by anything” (1 Corinthians 6:12). To be mastered by a lawful pleasure is idolatry. God calls us to a self-controlled life which we live for the kingdom of God and not for temporal pleasures.

You can view the original blog here. 

This Lord's Day (June 16, 2024) at Rainsville First Baptist Church

It is important for each church to have a mission statement.  Rainsville First Baptist Church has set as its mission "Glorifying God by Transforming Lives Through the Gospel and Discipleship."

We are spending five Sundays to walk through this mission statement and this Sunday is week number 3.  

Here is the million-dollar question:  "Can a person really change?"  

We will explore the statement "transforming lives" this Sunday and seek to answer the question of how effective is change in a person's life and how do a person change.  

Also this Sunday we will witness the baptism of Andi Andrews and Walker Jackson plus celebrate all of our men on Father's Day.

Blessings;

David

Don’t Speak Up: On the Spiritual Discipline of Silence by Mark Dever

One of the main things I do as a pastor is to encourage church members to speak. I want them to speak about the gospel to non-Christians. I want them to speak words of encouragement and correction to their fellow church members. Evangelism, discipling, and preaching—three of the nine marks—are all about speaking.

Yet it’s worth spending a moment on the flip side of the coin. There is a time for Christians not to speak.

Listen to Jesus: “Do not give dogs what is holy, and do not throw your pearls before pigs, lest they trample them underfoot and turn to attack you” (Matt. 7:6).

Here and elsewhere, Scripture teaches that sometimes we should be quiet (see also Prov. 11:22; 23:9; Ecc. 3:7). Obedience does not always mean speaking up.

WE MUST EXERCISE DISCERNMENT

Jesus means for us to exercise discernment when we speak. He wants us to ask ourselves, “Is this person going to respond like a dog or a pig?”

So Solomon teaches in Proverbs 9:8: “Do not reprove a scoffer or he will hate you; reprove a wise man, and he will love you.” The same action, but two different reactions. The same words, but a wise person responds one way and a scoffer another.

Sometimes, we love others by correcting their sin, as in Matthew 18:15. Other times, however, we should leave them alone, as in Matthew 7:6.

David was a wise man. He accepted Nathan’s rebuke. But we could also list many scoffers in Scripture who didn’t.

SPEAKING CAN MAKE THINGS WORSE

As evangelicals, we often feel guilty for not evangelizing more, or not speaking a word of correction to a friend in sin. And sometimes that sense of guilt is correct! But here, Jesus identifies another way we can err: speaking up wrongly, at the wrong times, and to the wrong person.

If you watch a young person who’s very excited about a particular idea, you will often observe a trail of people in their wake who now oppose that idea. Why? Because they haven’t yet learned how to read their audience. So they argue and argue, and people respond by taking the opposite side. In fact, the knot of their opposition grows tighter the more a person argues.

We once had one brother around our church who believed in infant baptism. My keen and passionate Baptist staff all had the instinct to argue with him, yet I quickly forbade them from doing so. I explained that arguing with him would harden him in his position, and he would only get better at making his arguments. “Instead,” I said, “ignore the topic, love him, encourage him in the fruits of the Spirit, and let him find on his own what Scripture says in that contested territory.”

I’m happy to say that that man, by God’s grace, is now a Baptist minister.

DON’T SPEAK TO THOSE WHO WON’T LISTEN

Jesus had hearers who did not believe; he knew what it was like to be attacked. So he is certainly not telling us in Matthew 7:6 to avoid talking to unbelievers about the gospel. Instead, he’s referring to a category of persons who actively reject the message, whether through their indifference or hostility. You have shared the gospel or offered a correction, and they have proven unteachable.

His words about dogs and pigs in chapter 7 is similar to what he says in Matthew 10: “And if anyone will not receive you or listen to your words, shake off the dust from your feet when you leave that house or town” (Matt. 10:14).

Three times in the book of Acts we see Paul make this decision—in Pisidian Antioch (13:44–51), Corinth (18:5–6), and Rome (28:17–28).

It’s not that Paul didn’t bring the message to people. He brings the gospel to everyone. But after a certain amount of time, he knows it’s time to move on. He knows he cannot force people to believe.

GETTING PRACTICAL

What does this mean for us practically?

Suppose you share the gospel. The person proves unresponsive or even oppositional. Sometimes you do well to bring up the gospel again. But sometimes it’s best to be quiet and to pray.

We need boldness, but we also need wisdom.

We need humility about ourselves, but we also need discernment about others.

We should pray that God will lead us by his Spirit to know when it’s best to be quiet, to pray, and to live a life that commends the gospel, and when it’s best to add more of our own words.

I’m reminded of what Peter wrote to the wives of unbelieving husbands: “Likewise, wives, be subject to your own husbands, so that even if some do not obey the word, they may be won without a word by the conduct of their wives when they see your respectful and pure conduct” (1 Peter 3:1-2).

In other words, ask God for the wisdom to know when continuing to evangelize someone or correct someone might only harden them—when it’s better to simply turn around and talk to others. If you need help, ask your church’s elders. They will have sincere, if not inerrant, guidance. Ask them and other Christians to pray with you.

Jesus teaches in Matthew 7:6 that loving others involves exercising discernment. And sometimes discernment results in prayerful silence.

You can view this article online here in its original format.

The Southern Baptist Convention meeting this week in Indianapolis

The Southern Baptist Convention (of which Rainsville First Baptist Church voluntarily cooperates to enhance its mission) is meeting this week in Indianapolis.  Actually (against what most believe), the Southern Baptist Convention is only in operation two days a week when it meets for its annual meeting.  

You may watch the proceedings of the convention here.  

The Pastor's Conference beings on Sunday night and is all day Monday.  Charles Billingsley is leading the music for the Conference.  You may watch it here.

This Lord's Day (June 9, 2024) at Rainsville First Baptist Church

This Lord's Day at Rainsville First will be led by the preaching of Isaac Mays.  Isaac is one of our members whose deep love for the Lord and the Scriptures is
quite evident as you talk with him and certainly have you hear him preach or teach.  

Eli Reynolds will be leading the music.

On Wednesday night, June 12, Isaiah Craig will be preaching in the 6:00 service.  Please, notice the time change for the Wednesday night service. This is the first night of beginning at 6:00.

Thou Art My All - by Charles Spurgeon

 Thou Art My All (by C. H. Spurgeon)

Dear Lord, in thee I view my all,
And lovely is thy name.
For though on earth I slip or fall,
Thy love remains the same.

Each day reminds me I am weak
To stand against my foes;
And, but that I thy help may seek,
I’d fall beneath my woes.

But thou hast said my strength shall be
According to my day.
Thy promise has been kept to me,
And still will be I pray.

For what are we if left to roam
In life’s deceitful way?
Yet farther off, not nearer home,
Our feet are prone to stray.

Then never have us Lord to tread
This world without a guide.
And never let the tempter lead
Thine erring sheep aside.

“I will not leave, nor yet forsake
My people here below;
Until in glory they shall wake
And purer regions know.”

For further reflection: Deuteronomy 33:25–27

This Lord's Day (June 2, 2024) at Rainsville First Baptist Church

The church's number one mission is to glorify God.  A believer's number one purpose is to glorify God.

"Everyone who is called by My name whom I have created for My glory..." Isaiah 43:7

"Therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit,..." I Corinthians 6:20

"To Him be glory in the church..." Ephesians 3:21

Rainsville First Baptist Church has set as its mission "Glorifying God by Transforming Lives Through the Gospel and Discipleship."

We are taking five Sundays to explore this mission and renew our commitment to it.  Last Sunday I preached about "The God of Glory."

This Sunday I will look at the first statement in our purpose as a church - "Glorifying God."

As a church, everything we do is to glorify God.  The way we worship, why we worship, the priority of evangelism, the way we do evangelism, what we preach and teach, how we handle finances, who we care for one another and our community, ....there is NO PART of a church that is not to glorify God.  

I have often said, "What goes on in the back room is just as important as what happens on the platform."

Join us this Sunday (6-2-24) either in person or online (rfbc.sermon.net) at 10:15 at Rainsville First Baptist Church.  Sunday School begins at 9:00. 

Chuck Lawless on a Bible reading formula

Chuck Lawless is a Professor at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary and one who blogs regularly.  He recently shared this excerpt from a book he co-wrote with Dr. Bill Cook "Victory over the Enemy" in which he shares this description of his Bible reading formula:

Be okay with starting small, and grow in your reading. One reason we wrestle with this spiritual discipline is that we think we must be reading extensively every day or reading not at all; we do not allow ourselves much room for growth in this task. I fear we have been taught that more reading is always better than less reading—that is, more chapters are always better than fewer chapters. If reading one chapter a day is more than you have been reading, however, start there. You will never get to two chapters a day until you get to one.

Indeed, quantity of reading is not always best. This formula now reflects my thinking, in fact: “Consistency + quality + accountability > quantity of material.” Consistency means we read the Word regularly, even if we read only a few verses at a time. Quality indicates we read the Word with some intentional depth, and we consider deeply what the biblical text teaches. Accountability means we inform others about what we’re reading and what the Lord seems to be saying to us through his Word. When these three components of Bible study are present, I do not worry much about how much I read at first. What I have learned is that consistent, quality, and accountable Bible reading will ultimately lead to increased quantity in reading.

Why I MUST believe life begins at conception

As I wrote last Wednesday (5-22-24), the issue of abortion is a HOT potato politically to the degree you will find very few national politicians who will stand against abortion at any stage of pregnancy because they know they can't elected.  So, they talk about permitting abortions at six weeks, fifteen weeks, up to birth, or simply "letting the states decide."

But as a follower of Jesus Christ, whether a politician or a pastor, the issue of abortion is not a political issue.  It is a theological issue.  That's right...theological.

When does life begin?  At conception?  When a heartbeat is detectable?  Or when it is politically comfortable for you not to lose so many votes causing you to be unelectable.

The answer is easy for followers of Jesus.  When did Jesus become a human and who was His father?  The miracle of the incarnation is the Divine Son of God became a man through the virgin womb of Mary as she was impregnated by the Holy Spirit.  So the question is, when did the life of God and man intersect?

The answer is immediately when the Holy Spirit impregnated the seed of the woman (as prophesied in Genesis 3:15).  There was no waiting; for the Holy Spirit is life and where life is, life begins.

Now, can there be serious considerations for why an abortion might need to take place, sure.  And I believe we serve a God of compassion and my heart breaks when under certain conditions that decision has to be made.  Seek God for wisdom and He will give it. And always remember, abortion is not an unpardonable sin.  God is a God who forgives.  

One last word, as a follower of Jesus Christ, no one (male or female) owns their own body.  I Corinthians 6: 19-20 "Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own?  For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's." 

This Lord's Day (May 26, 2024) at Rainsville First Baptist Church

Every church has a mission and purpose set by our Head and Founder, Jesus Christ.  He has the right to dictate to us what should be our priority and purpose.

But most churches then develop a mission statement seeking to reflect the command of Christ as closely as possible.

Rainsville First Baptist Church has set as its mission "Glorifying God by Transforming Lives Through the Gospel and Discipleship."

That statement is a product of many hours of studying Scripture, prayer, Godly men and women speaking truth to each other and sensing the Holy Spirit's leadership.

As a church, we need to be reminded of our purpose and as Pastor, I will seek to do that over the next few weeks as we preach a series of messages "Church on Mission."

This Sunday we will begin where the statement begins by examining the Glory of God.  This is an enormous task and one that will take an eternity for us to comprehend, so I will only look at it briefly.  

Here is the schedule for these sermons:

This Sunday - The God of Glory

June 2 - Glorifying God

June 16 - Transforming Lives

June 23 - The Gospel

June 30 - Discipleship

Join us this Lord's Day as we come for Sunday School at 9:00 and worship at 10:15.  We will also hear this Sunday from Jamie Hutchison who will share his testimony and we will pray over several of our students who are serving this summer at Ponderosa Bible Camp:  Ian Martin, Blake Clevland, Katie Hall, Cayson Hall, Collin Hall, and Jasper Ferguson.

I know it's Memorial Day weekend, but if you are in town, come and worship.  

Signs of the Times in America

Two things have recently happened in America culture causing one to stop and say, "Where are we as a culture?"

One is the issue of abortion.  And the face of this recent issue is Larry Hogan.  Mr. Hogan is the former Republican governor of Maryland who is now running for the seat in the United States Senate.  He has always been a more moderator Republican, but just this week he came out reversing everything he has ever said about abortion to fully embrace "choice."  In fact, he said he would "codify Roe vs Wade."

When asked by the Washington Post about his recent position, he said, "The times have changed.  Look, things have changed over the last couple of decades and over the last year or two."

I would ask, "Have they?  Has the baby in the womb of a mother changed in the last year or two?  Has life beginning at conception changed in the last year or two?  Has taking a life granted by God alone changed and it is no longer murder?"

No, what has changed is someone using the issue of abortion to get what they want - elected to the Senate.  And now the debate among others is whether to permit abortion at six weeks, fifteen weeks, or until birth.  God help us.

Here is my take - abortion is not a political issue.  The truth of abortion does not change no matter what one is running for or from.  I understand politics, but if you have to change your version of the truth in order to appease voters, then it would be better to sit at home alone than to be in Congress.  Truth does not change and it cannot be comprised for political or monetary gain.

Second issue...Harrison Becker, kicker for the Kansas City Chiefs.  Just a brief word here.  He gave a Commencement address on May 11, 2024 at Benedictine College in Atchison, Kansas.  In this speech, this 28-year-old husband, father, and sports icon spoke boldly of his faith (though he is a Catholic, most everything he said is believed by other Christians who not Catholic), the importance of the family, and the dignity of life.  I remind you he was speaking at a Catholic school.  But he has been torn to shreds by the elite of this country for trying to take us back "to the 50's." 

You can read the full text of his speech here. 

Oh God, save this country.  But what I'm afraid is all of this is a continuing sign of God's judgment on us permitting us to go further into our own murk and mire.  No election, no national crisis (remember 911 and COVID), and no program is going to save us.  Only a true return to God beginning as a true revival in the church and moving out to a spiritual awakening in the culture.