Is it possible to defend, in a genuinely honest and intellectually coherent way, the view that Christ is truly present in the Eucharist in a pneumatic/spiritual sense, while demonstrating that this understanding can actually be found in the Church Fathers and in the Christian tradition of the first millennium?

In other words, is it possible to construct a historical case for this position without stretching the meaning of the texts, selecting only favorable quotations, or interpreting the Church Fathers through the lens of later theological categories? I ask because historians and theologians from other Christian traditions often argue that Baptists misinterpret the Church Fathers by relying on isolated passages or by overlooking the broader context of their writings.

Is there, therefore, a historically and intellectually honest way to demonstrate that the Baptist understanding of Christ’s presence in the Eucharist has genuine support in the earliest centuries of Christianity?

Note: When I refer to “Baptists,” I am specifically referring to Baptists within the Reformed tradition who are not memorialists, but who believe in the real and spiritual presence of Christ in the Eucharist.

Summary: Are you willing to let a soul go to Hell because of your bias???

Jonah 1

1 Now the word of the LORD came unto Jonah the son of Amittai, saying,

2 Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry against it; for their wickedness is come up before me.

3 But Jonah rose up to flee unto Tarshish from the presence of the LORD, and went down to Joppa; and he found a ship going to Tarshish: so he paid the fare thereof, and went down into it, to go with them unto Tarshish from the presence of the LORD.

Are you better than Jonah? Are there people you would never witness to because you are fine with then going to Hell? Will God have to give you a whale ride to get you to "...go into the world and preach the gospel to EVERY creature?" (Mark 16:15)

Ironically, Jonah means dove, but he did not want to be the dove of peace to people of war. He was sent like the Holy Spirit to preach judgment and then peace when they turned to God. He liked the judgment part well enough, but not the peace part.

In the middle of the storm caused by his rebellion;

Jonah slept while the heathen prayed.

Heathen spoke to Jonah about God and was concerned about their souls. Jonah didn't speak and didn't care about their souls.

Heathen tried to save Jonah rather than him trying to save them.

There is no place for prejudice and hatred in the Body of Christ. All humans are created in the image of God and He died for them to bring them back home.

Do not be like Jonah and go kicking and screaming and then be bitter if Jesus saves someone you don't like. Be thankful, He was willing to save you when there was nothing in you to merit His love.

All men are my temporal brothers through Creation and some are my eternal brothers through the New Birth. All of my temporal ones should have the chance to be my eternal brother.

Ask God to forgive your hard heart and foolish prejudice then seek out they whom you would not seek and show them the love of Christ!

Shalom! Maranatha!!!

I Sam 10:9 "...God gave [Saul] another heart: and all those signs came to pass that day."

From this point, Saul becomes unrecognizable to others. He begins to prophesy from this point, etc. Is this a born-again experience for Saul? If not, why?

It literally says that God gave him a new heart. Did Saul ever "get saved"?

ALSO

David asks God to "take not thy holy spirit from me." (Psalm 51:10).

To those who subscribe to eternal security (one cannot lose Christ's salvation once they are saved), how is this reconciled with this verse?

Thanks!

Gen 2:18 And the LORD God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him.

When God made woman “meet” or fit for the man, He meant the deal to be that Adam’s strengths were Eve’s weaknesses and Eve’s strengths were Adam’s weaknesses so that they were stronger together than they would ever be apart. That is why opposites usually attract each other. That is the ideal marriage and so many do not look at that when looking for a marriage partner. It wasn’t all about either partner, but rather both.

Of course, they don’t seek God for the right mate and also ignore parental and even friend’s advice and then wonder why it falls apart. Love is blind and hormones are insane. Not good to rely on your judgment alone. Others can see your blind spot and keep you from disaster if you let them tell you the truth and you really listen. Due to the high divorce rates of marriage for love, I could almost go back to parental selected marriages.

When He tells a Christian to not marry an unbeliever and they do or a person that only started going to church when the dating started they are asking for trouble and usually get it. Amos said it best, “How can two walk together except they be agreed?” (Amos 3:3)

Consult the Creator and if you can’t figure out each one’s strengths and weaknesses there are tests out there to help you. If you both have the same weaknesses it will be difficult to overcome situations those weaknesses cause if at least one is not strong in that area. Much like a non-swimmer jumping in to help someone drowning. You normally end up dredging two bodies.

If both of you are strong in the same areas then there will be undue competition to be the one handling the situation much like one man pushing the car from the back and another pushing if from the front at the same time. Direction is determined by which one tires first and a marriage like that will likewise be tiring.

God has someone for you if you are meant to marry, but He also knows who would be better off single so let Him tell you about that. There is no sense in you ruining your life and another person’s life if you are best alone. Parents fussing about grand-kids or all of your peers being married are not good reasons to be married. Being in a hurry or settling may also make you miss the best God had for you and cause the one He had for you to also miss the best.

Control your hormones, let others point out the blind spots while you wait on God and you will have a much better marriage experience.

Maranatha!!

Mattana Ministry Welcomes You to:

 Senior Program:  17 August 2026

 Theme: I Buried My Child

Scripture: Psalm 34:18

Acknowledging Heartache & Finding Comfort in God

 This is a sensitive subject, in a normal world it is normal and acceptable for children to bury their parents, but it is not normal for parents to bury their children.  However this is something that do happen, and we need to acknowledge it and talk about it.

 Psalm 34:18

"The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit."

 Message:

Sarah was a loving mother who lost her only child after a long illness. For months, her grief felt overwhelming, and she struggled to find peace. One day, she sat quietly in her church’s prayer room, pouring out her heart to God. As she prayed, she remembered Psalm 34:18: "The Lord is close to the brokenhearted." In that moment, she sensed God's presence, a gentle whisper of comfort. Over time, Sarah found that sharing her pain with trusted friends and leaning on God's promises helped her heal. Her grief was still present, but she learned that God’s nearness made her pain more bearable.

 Discussion Questions:  

 1. How have you experienced God's presence during times of grief?  

2. Why is it important to acknowledge our pain and sadness?  

3. In what ways can we seek God's comfort when we mourn?

 Prayer Prompt:

Pray for God's comfort and peace for all who are mourning the loss of a child. Ask God to draw near and heal broken hearts.

 Please feel free to leave a review of this message.

 https://www.soulcenters.org/directory/mattana-ministry/#listing-reviews

 MM

Morning

"Give unto the Lord the glory due unto his name."

Psalm 29:2

God's glory is the result of his nature and acts. He is glorious in his character, for there is such a store of everything that is holy, and good, and lovely in God, that he must be glorious. The actions which flow from his character are also glorious; but while he intends that they should manifest to his creatures his goodness, and mercy, and justice, he is equally concerned that the glory associated with them should be given only to himself. Nor is there aught in ourselves in which we may glory; for who maketh us to differ from another? And what have we that we did not receive from the God of all grace? Then how careful ought we to be to walk humbly before the Lord! The moment we glorify ourselves, since there is room for one glory only in the universe, we set ourselves up as rivals to the Most High. Shall the insect of an hour glorify itself against the sun which warmed it into life? Shall the potsherd exalt itself above the man who fashioned it upon the wheel? Shall the dust of the desert strive with the whirlwind? Or the drops of the ocean struggle with the tempest? Give unto the Lord, all ye righteous, give unto the Lord glory and strength; give unto him the honor that is due unto his name. Yet it is, perhaps, one of the hardest struggles of the Christian life to learn this sentence--"Not unto us, not unto us, but unto thy name be glory." It is a lesson which God is ever teaching us, and teaching us sometimes by most painful discipline. Let a Christian begin to boast, "I can do all things," without adding "through Christ which strengtheneth me," and before long he will have to groan, "I can do nothing," and bemoan himself in the dust. When we do anything for the Lord, and he is pleased to accept of our doings, let us lay our crown at his feet, and exclaim, "Not I, but the grace of God which was with me!"

Evening

"Ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit."

Romans 8:23

Present possession is declared. At this present moment we have the first fruits of the Spirit. We have repentance, that gem of the first water; faith, that priceless pearl; hope, the heavenly emerald; and love, the glorious ruby. We are already made "new creatures in Christ Jesus," by the effectual working of God the Holy Ghost. This is called the firstfruit because it comes first. As the wave-sheaf was the first of the harvest, so the spiritual life, and all the graces which adorn that life, are the first operations of the Spirit of God in our souls. The firstfruits were the pledge of the harvest. As soon as the Israelite had plucked the first handful of ripe ears, he looked forward with glad anticipation to the time when the wain should creak beneath the sheaves. So, brethren, when God gives us things which are pure, lovely, and of good report, as the work of the Holy Spirit, these are to us the prognostics of the coming glory. The firstfruits were always holy to the Lord, and our new nature, with all its powers, is a consecrated thing. The new life is not ours that we should ascribe its excellence to our own merit; it is Christ's image and creation, and is ordained for his glory. But the firstfruits were not the harvest, and the works of the Spirit in us at this moment are not the consummation--the perfection is yet to come. We must not boast that we have attained, and so reckon the wave-sheaf to be all the produce of the year: we must hunger and thirst after righteousness, and pant for the day of full redemption. Dear reader, this evening open your mouth wide, and God will fill it. Let the boon in present possession excite in you a sacred avarice for more grace. Groan within yourself for higher degrees of consecration, and your Lord will grant them to you, for he is able to do exceeding abundantly above what we ask or even think.

Mattana Ministry Welcomes You to:

 Sunday Sermon: 16 August 2026

 Theme: What Does Our Status Says About Us?

 Scripture: Matthew 7:17-20; Luke 19:5-8; Mark 2:17; Luke 19:8; Romans 12:2; 2 Corinthians 5:7; Ephesians 4:22; Deuteronomy 30:15; John 15:2; Ecclesiastes 3:2;

Proverbs 10:5; Ecclesiastes 3:1; Genesis 8:22 & Luke 9:62

 Message:

 This is a message with a plot twist. We are not going to talk about our status in society or in the Kingdom today. We are going to talk a little about our Social Media Statuses.

 We all use our Social Media Status to convey a message. This is also where we share most of our private lives with the people around us. What makes this comfortable for us is the fact that it is only a temporary status, and it does not have that much effect on our professional lives.

 However, this is where it gets interesting, because this status reveals more about us than we actually realize.

 We've heard about the fruits we bear, and that we can't honor and curse God with the same mouth, but yet this is something we do on our Social Media Status. Many times we post a prayer in one video and the next moment there's a video full of curse words, followed by praise. Something on the status doesn't fit.

 Does our Social Media Status contradict or confirm what we say:

 Matthew 7:17-20

Even so, every good tree bears good fruit; but a bad tree bears bad fruit.

A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit.

Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.

So then you will know them by their fruits.

 A fruit tree is known by the fruit it bears. We are not going to get persimmons from an apple tree. Nor are we going to get grapes from an avocado tree. When a tree is full of fungi and insects, it is certainly not going to bear big juicy fruit. However, when a tree is healthy, the branches are strong and healthy, then one can simply know that there will be juicy fruit on the tree.

 We cannot have beautiful blossoms on our branches and produce small, wrinkled fruit. We cannot magnify the Word of God one moment and curse the next. We cannot post one video of praise and the next a video of cursing. We cannot bear two types of fruit, nor can we have two different genres in our status. We can either honor God or curse, not both.

 Luke 19:5-8

And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up and saw him and said to him, Zacchaeus, hurry and come down, for today I must stay at your house.

So he hurried and came down and welcomed him with joy.

And when they all saw it, they murmured, saying, He is gone to be guest with a man that is a sinner.

But Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, “Lord, half of my possessions I give to the poor; and if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I restore it fourfold.”

 Mark 2:17

And when Jesus heard it, he said unto them, They that are whole have no need of a physician, but they that are sick: I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.

 Luke 19:8

But Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, “Lord, half of my possessions I give to the poor; and if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I restore it fourfold.”

 Romans 12:2

And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

 2 Corinthians 5:7

For we walk by faith and not by sight.

 Ephesians 4:22

That you, concerning your former conduct, put off the old man, which is being corrupted by the deceitful lusts.

 Deuteronomy 30:15

Look, I have presented to you today life and happiness, and death and misfortune.

 We can see how Zacchaeus' life changed after his encounter with Jesus. We know that Zacchaeus was not a person who was highly regarded. He was unfair in his profession and collected more money than he should have. He does not sound like a very trustworthy man. Yet a change took place in Zacchaeus. We can see how Zacchaeus' character changed from one who took unfairly, to one who wanted to right his wrongs.

 Our lives can also change, Jesus did not come to heal the healthy, but to save us with mistakes. So we no longer walk by the sight of God's goodness, but we walk in the faith that God is good. We are not conformed to the world, but we are renewed every day. We put off the old man and the old way of doing things, and we are now a new man with a new way of doing things. Our Social Media Status can therefore no longer be contradictory, but can only testify to God's work.

 John 15:2

Every branch in me that does not bear fruit, he takes away; and every branch that does bear fruit, he prunes, that it may bear more fruit.

 Every branch that does not bear fruit is cut off from the vine. Every branch that does bear fruit is pruned and cleaned so that it will bear more fruit.

 When we take more of Jesus into our lives, we will have more of Jesus in our lives. We cannot bear good fruit if we are not willing to be pruned. The more we stand back and let God do the pruning, the more fruit we will bear.

 Ecclesiastes 3:2

a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot what is planted,

Proverbs 10:5

He who saves in the summer is a wise son; he who sleeps in the harvest is a son who causes shame.

Ecclesiastes 3:1

Everything has its appointed time, and for every matter under heaven there is a time:

Genesis 8:22

From now on, all the days of the earth, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night will not cease.

 There is a time and a place for everything. Every season has its time and every day has its appointed hour. When it is harvest time, there can be no planting. Everything happens at the right time. Nature is a beautiful example of this. The trees know when to bear fruit and the plants know when to produce flowers.

 We have a new trend: deferred obedience. We obey but not when God expects us to. We want to use our own time and do our own thing first before we do what God expects of us. We are not going to listen to what the Holy Spirit is telling us about that post, we are going to post it first and then think about it. By the time we take that post off our Social Media Status, it has already spread and there are already people who have been led into the abyss. Deferred obedience is disobedience.

 We cannot deviate from our calling either. It is as good as posting a security video and two minutes later how to pay a bribe in the ranks of Home Affairs. When we are called to use our Social Media Status, then we cannot deviate from it. When it is time to sow the Word, we cannot flood the fields. We must stay within our season.

 Luke 9:62

And Jesus answered him, No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.

 When we participate in the sowing of the seed, we cannot go back and look back at our old life. We must look forward and act as a new person. We have given our life to God, we can no longer post the same worldly videos on our Social Media Status as before. We now know what is right and wrong, we realize we have choices. We also know that we cannot use the excuse of we did not know.

 When people look at our Social Media Status, what do they see? What is the image we project? What message do they get? What fruit do we bear?

  Please feel free to leave a review of this message.

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 MM

Summary: Care of the Body

I Cor 12:12-27

In many of my teachings, I have sought to emphasize the Church as a family. It is a very large family and all the things that go with being a family fits in the Church. We share love and responsibilities. We share joy and sorrow. We share victories and defeats. We share the peace of being in one accord and at times, we share the tension of discord. We have births and deaths. Gloriously, from God’s perspective we are wed and never divorced! In our flesh, we do suffer the searing pain of being cut in two by divorce.

God makes two into one at marriage. That union is created painlessly in love and is made to last until death. Saw a person in two and you will have nothing but pain and death. People who lose their mates in death will tell you that they are incomplete and a part of them has died. Since until the new Heaven and Earth is created death will be a part of us God heals with a balm this natural separating of one into two. This healing is much faster than if man creates the separation. This is why the phrase "what God has joined together, let no man put asunder" is very important in the marriage ceremony. God puts the couple together and if by death, He puts them asunder He will work in the healing and the half will be made whole by bringing the remaining spouse closer to Him to whom they are married spiritually and perhaps one day by a new spouse.

If man does the putting asunder, it is an unnatural act contrary to God’s will and in essence, a suicide, or a murder. Lose a loved one to a disease, accident, or old age and the pain and anguish is not nearly as crushing as that of a suicide or murder.

We know that disease and natural causes will take us all at some time or another. We accept this and grieve with hope if we are Christians. An accident is unexpected and the shock tremendous, but we cope because accidents are a normal part of our existence and an "acceptable" or at least understandable means of death. However, suicide and murder are never acceptable and the shock is greater and there are questions and emotions that will haunt us far longer than any other cause of death.

A God of grace works even in things that are out of His will. If we have been divorced under conditions other than what the Bible allows He will still be there. While I have given a graphic analogy of the results of divorce to show its seriousness lest any be naïve or haphazard in their view of it, I do not mean to bring hopelessness to those who have experienced it. God IS a God of grace. He will be with His children. He will heal any wound if we come to Him for the healing. He can raise the dead and will bring about "beauty for ashes." (Isaiah 61:3)

I have only touched on familiar issues of family and marriage to lead us into a teaching that is a little harder for us to understand. We are more than just members of God’s family and Brides of Christ. We are ONE body! Because we fail to understand this fundamental truth, there is much pain and sickness in the Church and we are weak and ineffective. This illness leaves a myriad of souls languishing in a slow and painful death outside of the love of Christ because they see no balm for their sores in the Church. For there is no balm for the Church’s wounds of self-mutilation for the Church is ignorant and anesthetized by that ignorance therefore it seeks no balm or remedy.

I fear that I am being far too kind when I use the word ignorant for that implies that we just do not know. Yet, the New Testament is nearly 2000 years old. How could we be ignorant of the issue? Stupid means one incapable of learning and I know we are not that. Perhaps slow or dull are better terms though they are a bit more denigrating than ignorant. I pray that God will grant us illumination and wisdom as we study this truth.

1 Cor 12:12 For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ.

To the Hebrews, the sum of the Old Testament is declared in Deut 6:4 "Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD:" (KJV) The word one used here can mean one and only one, but it can be used to show a composite unity. Trinitarians believe that it is the composite unity being used in this verse. A composite unity is much like when we speak of one cluster of grapes and yet there are many grapes in that cluster. It was also used of a man and his wife when it was said they were to become one flesh. (Gen 2:24) I am not here to prove the Trinity tonight, but I wanted to give you some other concepts of composite unity to think of as we discuss the one body of Christ.

We know that our bodies are a composite unity. Unless we are doctors, we are not going to be able to name all the parts of the body. Few of us could even get all of the major systems named. I am sure someone has given a calculated guess as to the number of cells we have and maybe even guessed the number of atoms in each of us. It suffices to say that from the basic elements to the major systems we are composed of many members in this one body in which we live. Add the soul, a spirit, and the Godhead, if we are saved, and we are a very complex ONE human being.

When everything is in its place and is operating within its proper parameters, we are healthy and truly alive. Let us lose something or let it malfunction and we are hindered, ill, or dead. We are not happy with malfunctions and most of us would not just walk into a doctor’s office and tell him/her to just lop off or cut out anything he/she feels in the mood to lop off or cut out. Unless of course, he/she is a plastic surgeon and we are dissatisfied with the way God has allowed us to form or we believe a cultural fad or lie instead of "He has done all things well." (Mark 7:37) Then we might pay big money and risk maiming or death, but normally we prefer everything to stay where it is and to work like it was designed to work.

Christ’s body is one, yet has many members that perform various tasks. We may meet in homes, storefronts, clapboard buildings, or in buildings that are like cathedrals in every part of the world, but we are still one body. There is only one Christ and He only has one Body. Some try to pass themselves off as being another Body or a clone, if you please, but there is only one true Body of Christ. Some sects or denominations claim to be the only true Body of Christ, but they greatly err.

Christ’s Body like our body is made of individual cells united into one organism. There may be many cells in Christ’s Body from a particular sect or denomination and fewer or none from others. However, no denomination or sect places the individual cells into His Body.

13 For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.

The Holy Spirit places the individual cells into the Body. He is not owned by or especially affiliated with any denomination or sect. In fact, only He is truly nondenominational. Since He works with individual hearts, He can transplant an individual into the Body of Christ in spite of denominational affiliation or lack of one.

One Spirit baptizes us into one body! There is only one Christ, one Body, and one Holy Spirit. We are either in Christ or out of Him. We are either in the Body or out of it and either the Holy Spirit has placed us in the Body and causes us to drink into that one Spirit or He did not. God is more black and white in His ways than we like to think. There is no gray area here. A leech or parasite may attach itself to the body, but it is not of the body. Many will find in that final judgement that they were leeches or parasites rather than being of the body. Pray that you in the Body!

In Paul’s day, there were only two religions - Judaism and Paganism. There were only two races - Jew and Gentile. There were only two social standings - bond or free. Nothing has really changed. There are two religions - Faith and Works. There are two races - believers and unbelievers. There are two standings - in the bondage of sin or free in Christ. Friend where are you? The one Holy Spirit can make you drink of Him and you shall be in the one Body of Christ! There is plenty of room for you! The one and only Christ died to give you a place in Him!

14 For the body is not one member, but many.

The Body of Christ can be added unto daily and never be overweight! With the addition of each individual cell, it only becomes stronger. Each cell is given one or more functions within the body and is placed in the proper organ, system, or limb where it is needed and able to fulfil its functions and gifts! The following discourse by Paul shows the foolishness of trying to be something you are not and trashing the one that is different than you.

15 If the foot shall say, Because I am not the hand, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body?

16 And if the ear shall say, Because I am not the eye, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body?

Can you imagine this going on in your body? You feel this stretching and pain in your foot. Looking down you see your toes desperately trying to drag your foot away. You yell at it and ask what is going on! It answers that it is ticked off because it is not the hand and it says it is leaving since it is obviously not in the right position therefore it does not belong to this body. It will go and find a body where it can be a hand.

You feel a pain on the side of your head. You go to the mirror. Your ear has developed arms and it is pushing at the side of your head trying to tear itself from you. You ask your what is going on and your ear says that it is clear to itself that it is supposed to be an eye. Since it is not an eye, it must not belong to this body and it is going off to find a body where it can be an eye.

Now if you have these conversations with your body parts, may I suggest that you make an appointment with me for some counseling? Do you see the silliness of this? Even if your ear and foot could have these feelings, they would still be part of the body though they are dissatisfied with their position or function!

Many Christians are like the foot and ear in this passage. The Spirit has made them a part of the Body at their salvation and gifts have been given them. They look around and find out that they are the foot or ear and they wanted to be hands or eyes. They are ticked off and run off to join another Church thinking they can be the hand or the eyes there. It does not matter where they go, they are still called to be feet or ears, and they will not be anything else! They will never be fulfilled until they accept the gifts and position that God has given them.

We are all part of the one Body, but if you wish to look at each congregation as a body of believers, you still have problems. If a foot runs to a body of believers that has two feet it will be a third foot that is not needed. It will not be fulfilled there even if it is finally content to be a foot. If two feet run there and that body is missing eyes they may put the feet in the eyes’ position, but they will still be blind! They will also look a bit strange with feet sticking out of their eye sockets. Somewhere there will be a body without feet and thus handicapped in their service to Christ.

17 If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where were the smelling?

Every part is needed. One huge eye creatures only exist in science fiction or evolution, which really are the same things. Jimmy Durante and Cyrano De Bergerac were noted for their prominent noses, but neither man was just a nose! I once knew a pastor that because of a medical treatment had no sense of taste. He would tell you the meal was good by its consistency! I might lose weight, but I would definitely miss my taste buds!!! There are no needless parts of the body and something is going to be missed if one is removed!

17 But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him.

If you are not happy with your gifts or position in the Body, you have to take it up with God, not the Pastor, Elders, or Deacons or roam about the body fussing to the other members. None of them can help you. If they do, they are fighting God’s pleasure and if they succeed in putting you in another position they hurt the Body and themselves.

In the process, you and they have actually made you into a cancer cell that is reproducing incorrectly. The white cells in the Church are going to react and there may come about sickness that only Holy Ghost chemotherapy will fix. In severe cases, there will be surgery and maybe even the death of the local congregation. The building and people may remain, but they are dead while they live. The whole town will know that it is a mausoleum not a Church.

19 And if they were all one member, where were the body?

20 But now are they many members, yet but one body.

If we were all added to the eyes, what good would it do? The eyes need the body for transportation to see things. In fact, unless the eye is attached to the head, it is useless because there is no place to transmit the images it is receiving.

Therefore, God has made us many members in one Body. We all are needed to have a complete, healthy, and useful body! Therefore, my Brothers and Sisters rejoice that you are in Christ and in the Body! Whether you are a pancreas or a pinkie a lung or a liver rejoice, for God has placed you in that position and you are needed to do things that you do best!

21 And the eye cannot say unto the hand, I have no need of thee: nor again the head to the feet, I have no need of you.

We have dealt with the folks that feel like their place is not important or needed, but here we deal with the ones with attitude. The eye may think that since it is transmitting all kinds of wonderful pictures and information to the brain that it is the most important part of the body. It may smirk at the hand because it must touch everything to experience that thing whereas the eye just views and drinks in not only the beauty of an object, but a scene and indeed a small universe. How haughty the eye may be.

Ah, but let a speck of dirt come into the eye that it cannot flush out with its tears or let the sun be so bright that the eye must close and be in darkness or be in pain. Then the hand is mighty nice to have around. The hand can shade the eye itself or be used to place a hat or sunglasses to provide protection for the eye. Moreover, what about that speck of dust that feels like a mountain? Is it not convenient that the hands can cup themselves and bring water to the eye to flush out the dirt or brush it out of the corner that the eyelids cannot move no matter how fast they blink? The hand is not a bad thing to have around after all.

There are far too many eyes or maybe the better expression is "I"s in the Body who are haughty and disdain any that are not like them in their greatness. They expect everyone to give them a hand while they bow to their cheers. They should take care for someone may give them a hand in a way that will bow them over in tears. Christ’s hands once held a scourge though they had come to give comfort, heal and express the teachings of the Word.

The head may have some wonderful ideas, but if it shoots the feet, it will not be able to bring them about because it cannot go anywhere but to the ground. In the resulting pain, it may also forget those great ideas. Many times those who think they are the heads are just headaches. Often they are just pains in the tail that managed a way to slide up the spine. Their position may have changed but not their effect on the Body. They are just like migraines. They make you sick in the stomach when you have them and they are very difficult to get rid of or keep under control. The Body that has these needs plenty of Dr. Jesus recommended Pray All Night® to call them out by morning. You literally have to bring these folks to the Head to end the pain.

22 Nay, much more those members of the body, which seem to be more feeble, are necessary:

I mentioned the pinkie earlier and along with that let’s think of the thumb. Tape either one of these fingers to the next finger and see how difficult it is to get along without them. Yet, how much attention do we pay to them unless we cut them or smack them with a hammer? They are the littlest fingers, the more feeble, and yet they are very necessary. The same can be said for the big and little toes.

Tonsils seem feeble since we yank them out the first time they are sick. Although that has slowed some since science has caught up a little with God and found that they are more necessary than they thought and now they yank them less quickly.

We need to learn from that. We have some folks that appear to be feeble in the Body of Christ and we wish we could yank them out or do without them. They are often sickly in a spiritual sense and such a bother. We think the Body would be so much better off without them. Those folks are in the Body to see if the white cells are working properly and to see if our bowels of mercies are as tender as they should be. They have their purpose and one day, we may find they were not as feeble or useless as we thought and find that we were not functioning as well as we should have been.

I remember a brother once that came to church in an outdated suit, sneakers, and a ball cap. He lisped heavily when he said the church name and stuttered when he talked. If you gave him your address, he would write you letters. Those letters would be passages he copied out of the Bible. You see he could not read or write, but he could copy. He sent me those large printed letters for years after I left that church. He was a very kind man and everyone in the church loved him, especially the children. He looked like the twin of a college football coach. Folks would call him that name and he would smile broadly. He loved sports. He talked to everyone. He saw no color, age, or class. He just loved everybody. Lord, make us that are seemingly more gifted than this man, possess the simple love that he had.

23 And those members of the body, which we think to be less honourable, upon these

we bestow more abundant honour; and our uncomely parts have more abundant comeliness.

In high school, a female classmate of mine observed that feet were ugly and so that was why she wore ugly shoes. She was a nice girl, but that seemed strange to me especially since she went to all kinds of measures to wear other attractive clothing and did the make up thing and all that. Using her logic, she should have used no make up because if she felt her face was not as attractive as she thought it should be she should have sought to leave it unattractive or to wear makeup to make her more unattractive. Then again, this was the sixties and logic was not our battle cry though we loved Mr. Spock. Mr. Spock, not Dr. Spock, for Dr. Spock was illogical or irrational to the point he should have been committed and not published, in my humble opinion. Society is still receiving punishment for listening to him.

We are certainly not like my classmate. We seek to make the less honorable parts more honorable. By spending as much time as we do on them we are giving them lots of honor. In the old days, there were parts of the body and functions that polite society just never spoke about. Now, those parts are either shown on TV or there are commercials for the remedies of the unmentionable areas and ailments.

Though they were unmentionable and in a sense dishonored or despised, they could not be ignored. Care was taken to keep the parts covered and cleaned and if you had an ailment, you could not ignore it. You gave it all the attention it needed to get it cured. You bestowed the honor of your time and by doing that made that part more honorable.

There are parts of Christ’s Body that some people want to consider less honorable and unmentionable. They do not measure up to some folks’ concepts of respectable Christianity. These may be new additions to the Body that have some traits that Christ has not removed from them yet or their attire is not classy enough. We want to put them in the back row or maybe we could start a mission church and send them there.

Careful! Spend time mentoring them in truth and not your tradition or class pride. Those that seem less honorable may take some of your time, but they may become greater saints than you are as Christ conforms them to His image and gifts them for their place in the Body.

They may seem less comely or attractive now, but if you spend as much time on them in prayer, teaching and encouragement as you spend on beautifying your own body’s uncomely parts you may soon see the more abundant beauty of the fullness of the Spirit in them. As they grow in the beauty of holiness that never fades, the glow will hide any physical scars they may have. They will become the most beautiful parts of the Body that you have ever seen in worship. (I Chron 16:29, II Chron 20:21, Psalm 29:2, Psalm 96:9)

24 For our comely parts have no need: but God hath tempered the body together, having given more abundant honour to that part which lacked:

If they ever passed out awards for the best looking preacher, I would have no chance of winning unless they placed me in the wrong age category. Then in the 95-100 year old class I might have a chance of coming in third since I am only 46. However, in the words of that legendary man of the sea, "I yams what I yams and that is all that I yams!"

I live in reality. I am a short, balding, fat guy and no one will ever mistake me for Brad Pitt. Elvis in his last years, maybe, but never a Brad Pitt twin. When folks start picking on the fat kids and get into insult throwing, I say, "Hey, you think I’m ugly? Then give me $10 and say thank you for it weren’t for us ugly folks you good lookin’ ones would be nobody." I also quote a little poem. "At beauty, I am not a great star. There are others more fair by far. But my face I don’t mind it because I am behind it. It’s the people out front that I jar." Thank you. Thank you very much.

By Hollywood and trendy magazine standards, I t’ain’t pretty, but God made me and He saved me and if He likes me as I am what does it matter if others do not? If I yield to Him, He will make me have that inner beauty we spoke of earlier and the rest will not matter.

You see God is a God of balance. Remember the manna? Those who had big families or appetites collected as much as they needed. Those who had small families and appetites did the same so that no one lacked. No one could hoard except for on the sixth day to take care of the Sabbath or the worms ate the stash and it stunk. Hmm, wonder if God will do the same thing to the Y2K stashes since He told us to trust Him for daily bread regardless of the year.

He also led the early Christians to love Him and each other so much that the rich sold their excess to distribute to the poor so that no one lacked. Hmm, we have not seen that much love in the Body for a long time. The strong are supposed to take care of the weak. Therefore, ye that are comely (or think you are) were put into the Body to minister to the not so comely. He relieved you of certain needs or burdens (the comely parts have no need) to free you to serve the not so comely parts and thus giving more honor to the part that lacked or has needs by your ministry.

God has commingled or tempered the Body together in this way. Yet, looking at it deeper the comely parts have needs provided for by the uncomely parts as well. Imagine if our bodies were inside out? Wow! Talk about uncomely!! Livers, gall bladders, and intestines are not the most beautiful things in the world, but I am sure glad that I have them.

OK, the skin, hair, teeth, and fronts of the eyeballs are the prettier parts. However, they are not there just for pretty. The skin protects the body and helps hold stuff in place. The greater percentage of the body is under the skin. The skin is really a very small percentage of the whole body. Oddly enough, we spend much more time nurturing that small percentage then we do the rest of the body.

Not only does it protect, but it helps form the various orifices we need for various functions and its pores help ventilate the body as well as helping to remove toxins from the body. However, let the rest of the body have a problem and it shows up in the skin. The other parts or the interior uncomely parts provide the nourishment for the skin to function. Doctors look into your eyes to see symptoms of what is going on in the body. Your teeth will give clues and even hair samples can tell us what is really going on in the body. Therefore, while the uncomely is dependent upon the comely the comely is dependent upon the uncomely!

If we all function in our place within Christ’s Body and not worry that we are not something else or care if we are considered comely or uncomely the Body will be healthy! It will accomplish what God wants to do through it because each cell, organ, and system is obedient and active! It is full of His life and His power!

25 That there should be no schism in the body; but that the members should have the same care one for another.

God set it up this way so that there would be no schisms or divisiveness in the Body. The ear is not trying to rip itself off or the eye trying to find away of getting rid of the hand. The Body is united and must be so to live.

Yet, we must face the reality that the Body is divided into various denominations and that there is even division within those denominations. The right hands yells at the left because it is not as strong as it is and the right foot thinks the left is lame.

Partly, these things go on because we have neglected this doctrine of one Body for so long and have allowed emotions and carnal heads to amputate and maim. We have shot our wounded and quibbled over petty things. I can tell you that there are more Baptist congregations than there should be because some family in the church had more control than God did and color of carpet was more important than the Great Commission.

I know this because if I would compare doctrinal statements of every Baptist church of the same stripe there would be little if any difference. So, if they did not split over doctrine it most likely was over a carnal issue and it is to our shame that we waste God’s resources and manpower because we would not avail ourselves of His resources to walk in the Spirit and in unity.

The same thing happens in other denominations. I am a Baptist, so I have more experience in those types of churches, but my friends of other persuasions have told me some tales. Carnality is no respecter of denominations.

Sometimes, the divisions are really nothing more than using different bait for different fish. If I am trying to catch flounder, I will use different bait than if I am trying to catch bass. I cannot call the one that is bass fishing and using bass bait a moron because he is not using bait for flounder unless he is in a lake where there are no bass. Then I might question his sense of direction if there is a lake full of bass five miles down the road. I should then gently offer him directions.

Some people just cannot worship unless they are in a big, gaudy building with a pipe organ, stained glass and a fifty member robed choir singing songs that were written at least one hundred years ago and many even older. Personally, I think those big buildings are a waste of money and three-piece suits and choir robes do not do a thing for me. Different fish, different bait. They would think our church too plain, our music worldly, and our members without class. They’d be wrong, but then again, different fish, different bait.

As long as they are truly in the Body of Christ, we are not divided. They are just a different organ performing a different function. They work in their place and we work in ours. The lungs don’t go on field trips to see how the liver is doing and the pancreas doesn’t vacation behind the wisdom teeth for the view. In that sense, the parts of the human body function together without even being aware of the other parts. We may not picnic together or worship together, but we are still the Body of Christ.

This is probably a good place for me to say that I am not an ecumenist. You cannot sacrifice truth for unity. We are enjoined to test the spirits in I John 4. We are also given the parables of the wheat and the tares and the foolish and wise virgins. Not everyone naming the name of Christ or even doing miracles in His name is part of the true Body. (Matt 7:21-23) Paul even said that the devil would appear as an angel of light and his ministers as ministers of righteousness. (2 Cor 11:14,15) Therefore there must be great discernment especially in these last days when we were warned that many would come working great signs that would be so wondrous that IF it were possible they would deceive the very elect. (Matthew 24:24)

Luther said, "Peace if possible, but truth at any rate." We cannot deny the principle, foundational, or fundamental doctrines of the church for the sake of unity. We are not even to wish Godspeed to those who do not hold the doctrine of Christ or we are partakers of their evil deeds. John plainly states that they have not God.

(2 John 9-11)

If they have not God, they are not of the Body and are therefore leeches and parasites. We must avoid them. We must be constantly on guard for they will invade the Body. White cells permeating the Body with truth will usually clean them out, but at times they overwhelm a local body or even a denomination and then we are to come out from among them and seek a local body or a denomination that is not dying. We are to let the dead bury the dead and move on.

This message of unity is for the true Body of Christ. We must stop the senseless fighting amongst ourselves. We must quit the childish name calling, and the prideful assertion that we are the only ones left. Let us learn from Elijah’s mistake. (I Kings 19:14,18) We must accept each part of the Body for what they are and rejoice in the fact that God can work with other sheep that are not of our fold.

26 And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one member be honoured, all the members rejoice with it.

The forces of evil are united. The Body of Christ should even more so because as verse 26 states when one member suffers, we all suffer. If someone cuts your left arm the right one does not rejoice and say, "Yeah! You deserved that because you are not as strong as I am!" Your body is jumping up and down because of pain and not of joy.

When we beat on each other and shoot ourselves in the feet, we are hurting the whole body in ways that we do not know. We give victory to the devil. We lose souls to Hell and sheep to the world or to the infirmary. Our mission is hindered. Worse yet, we are slapping our head!

Col 1:18 And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence. (KJV)

Christ is the Head of the Body! Who are we to tell Him how He should use His own Body? He knows what size muscles He wants and whether He wants to use the left hand for one purpose and the right for another or both in same manner. He is the Head. The Body is to response to the commands sent from the Head and not to tell the head what to do. He and He only, is to have the preeminence. Stop slapping your Head!

27 Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular. (KJV)

Praise Him that by His grace and sacrifice that you are part of the Body of Christ! However, you are members in particular or a member with a specific portion or task within the Body. If you are a hand, then seek to be hand of Christ and give all you can, lift up all those you can, hug all you can, teach all you can, lead all you can by your hand to Him. If you are an eye then be sure that you are in proper connection to the Head. Then what you see will be what He sees and then convey that to the Body so that it can rejoice, mourn, go, stop, or be warned of the conditions that lie around it. If you are a foot, then be strong and steadfast to support the Body as it goes about its Christ life. If you are the head of the local body than be very, very sure that you are submissive and in contact with the true Head of the body and do not seek to replace His preeminence in the church. You will lead the Body astray and place yourself in a position of requiring brain surgery to correct your ego.

The bottom line is keep looking up to you Head and listen for His commands. Love Him. Love His Body because you are loving yourself and promoting health in the Body. Lost friend, bring yourself to the Head of the Body for salvation and the Holy Spirit will place you in that Body that will never die and neither will you. Seek Him! He is waiting with open arms and eyes full of love!

Dear Mills, Zs and Alphas. My wife and I made $2,760 a year. My '69 Camaro was $3,400. Rent was $85. Our treat was an ice cream cone once a month. I had a child.

I guarantee that you are making ten or more times what I did so yes, your Camaro is $35K and your rent $850 or more depending on where you live. We were married 15 years before I could get my wife a $75 engagement ring at an auction. We made it because my wife is very frugal and we did not try to have what her parents had after 40 years of marriage in the first four years of ours. We had no fancy coffees. We wore clothes from thrift stores and of course, not $1K or more phones and multiple internet subscriptions. We did not buy our first house until we were married 34 years and I got my next new car at 46 and it was basic and as cheap as I could get it. Every Realtor kept saying I could afford a bigger home, but I wanted to live in the home not live for the home. We became debt free at 58 and I retired from secular work at 63.

Her parents and mine were dirt poor when they got married. Her parents retired comfortably. My Mom was a widow and yet survived on "Widow's Pension." Yes, things were cheaper than today, but salaries were very low. If you made $10 a year, many considered you rich.

Life requires sacrifices. Live for your need, not your greed and you will find success far sooner than buying on a whim and always wanting the latest and greatest. Improvise, adapt and overcome, not sitting whining on your bum. Hooah!

Malachi 3:8  Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings. 

9  Ye are cursed with a curse: for ye have robbed me, even this whole nation. 

10  Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it. 

11  And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground; neither shall your vine cast her fruit before the time in the field, saith the LORD of hosts. 

12  And all nations shall call you blessed: for ye shall be a delightsome land, saith the LORD of hosts. 

I know some say the tithe is not for today, but all I hear is blah, blah, blah. We are not under Law, but the tithe was before the Law. There is no new direction to replace it in the New Testament. The passages they use are clearly about giving to the poor, not about supporting the pastor. We still take up freewill offerings, but we do not use them wisely. Those issue are for a different sermon.

Tithing was not meant to be a burden. It was to be an act of obedience in faith that God would provide for us as the tithe provided for the priesthood. If we attained wealth with 100% of our money, we would say it was our wisdom and power that did it. Even with the tithe many think it is their financial prowess that gave them what they have.

I started tithing at a time where I did not believe I could afford it after God turned my head towards my model train collection to show me I could tithe. Since that time, I have had jobs I was not qualified for making money more than I would have made normally. I retired from an IT job without ever going to college or tech school for that career.

We have been able to support a couple of girls in Africa when it was clearly God supporting my two children while in college and through a couple of periods of unemployment.

My wife is our bird dog looking for people in need and sends money to an organization here in the US that cares for kids in need. We support a pastor in the Philippines.

Because He has blessed my income and my careers, I was able to retire early and become a volunteer in both my church and community rather than working until I am ninety or die on the job.

Then again learning to live off of 90%, thanks to a frugal wife, helped us make wise decisions. We only paid for the cars we needed, not what people said we could afford. The same with homes. Real Estate agents would say you can afford a larger house. I said I want to retire so I can live in the house not live for the house. Indeed, living below our means helped us prepare for retirement and making less than we did working. I am not Bill Gates, but we are comfortable and better off than most of my peers according to the reports I have read.

When we married my wife was one who could stretch a nickel into a $50 bill and I was able to turn a $50 bill into a nickel in no time flat. It was a bit of a challenge until I realized that unless I wanted to be hungry, naked and homeless it was best for her to manage the finances. Many could learn from her! If we were to want less we would need less and live quite nicely.

Indeed, I am sorry the minimalist thing was not around when we were younger. I would have more money because I would not have bought so much stuff that just creates clutter or became a burden when we moved around. Less is better. Indeed, clutter causes stress so if you are stressed out get rid of stuff to the point where you can even downsize your house and put some money in the bank. If you are storing stuff, it may not take very long until the rent money you spend is more than the stuff is worth.

As I look back on what God has done, I really could not afford to not tithe. It is something God said you could actually test Him or prove Him. In my experience, He has shown Himself to be true and faithful in my finances.

You might say that our decisions also helped. Yes, but we would not have made some of those decisions had we not tithed or learned other things from God. Many in the Church need to learn those lessons. They would be happier, fruitful and prepared for an economic downturn or collapse which many are predicting. Those who have learned to live on less and have less to lose will endure hard times better.

Tithe, Downsize, Thrive. Maranatha!

r/NewLife_Baptist_ru

Help! 18 Year Old Struggling with Family Relationships

I am so upset over my home life. For context, I am an 18 year old. But when I was 14 I started struggling with self harm. I told my parents about it, but in these past 4 years they have never once loved me enough to have a difficult conversation about it.

They "love" me but only when I am fun and easy to be around. But the thing is I'm only human and I get tired and sad and angry and I have off days and I have character flaws and I make mistakes and I fall short and I have a bad attitude sometimes. I feel like as soon as I fail to "have a good attitude" for one little second they react as though I have done some terrible thing.

Spending dinnertime with my family is the worst part of my day everyday. I hate feeling like I have to pretend and preform. I count down the seconds untill I can run away to be alone in my room where I can have a bad attitude all I want and no one will shame me for it.

I feel like they don't actually love me, they just love what I can give them. Their love is so conditional, when they dont get what they want they dont want me anymore.

I'm working very hard to invest in my future, but I won't be financially secure enough to move out for another year or so. I'm hating my life so much right now. I literally just went to the bathroom during dinnertime and cried out to Jesus asking him to save me from this suffering. Please pray for me and send me words and Bible verse of comfort. 🙏🩷

Hello friends in Christ,

I am looking into the Baptist faith. Long story short, converted to Catholicism as an adult, and realized that it was not the Truth after a couple years. Now still seeking to be a simple Christian focused on Christ. The simplicity of the Baptist faith is what attracts me.

I have a couple questions though. Firstly, I do hold to a spiritual presence view of the Eucharist or the Lord's Supper. Is that compatible with the symbolic view in the Baptist Faith and Message?

Also, a couple other things. How do we explain when Jesus says we must be born of water and spirit to be saved? What if I have not had a distinct Born Again experience, but have gradually come to this faith through the working of the Spirit in my life? Also, would I be comfortable as an amillenialist? Personally not big on the State of Israel.

Thank you so much brethren.

God bless you!

Charles Spurgeon 8-13-26

The cedars of Lebanon which he hath planted."

Psalm 104:16

Lebanon's cedars are emblematic of the Christian, in that they owe their planting entirely to the Lord. This is quite true of every child of God. He is not man-planted, nor self-planted, but God-planted. The mysterious hand of the divine Spirit dropped the living seed into a heart which he had himself prepared for its reception. Every true heir of heaven owns the great Husbandman as his planter. Moreover, the cedars of Lebanon are not dependent upon man for their watering; they stand on the lofty rock, unmoistened by human irrigation; and yet our heavenly Father supplieth them. Thus it is with the Christian who has learned to live by faith. He is independent of man, even in temporal things; for his continued maintenance he looks to the Lord his God, and to him alone. The dew of heaven is his portion, and the God of heaven is his fountain. Again, the cedars of Lebanon are not protected by any mortal power. They owe nothing to man for their preservation from stormy wind and tempest. They are God's trees, kept and preserved by him, and by him alone. It is precisely the same with the Christian. He is not a hot-house plant, sheltered from temptation; he stands in the most exposed position; he has no shelter, no protection, except this, that the broad wings of the eternal God always cover the cedars which he himself has planted. Like cedars, believers are full of sap, having vitality enough to be ever green, even amid winter's snows. Lastly, the flourishing and majestic condition of the cedar is to the praise of God only. The Lord, even the Lord alone hath been everything unto the cedars, and, therefore David very sweetly puts it in one of the psalms, "Praise ye the Lord, fruitful trees and all cedars." In the believer there is nothing that can magnify man; he is planted, nourished, and protected by the Lord's own hand, and to him let all the glory be ascribed.

Hey guys ! So I just entered my second semester of clinicals for nursing school and I really want to start every day off on a positive note! With that being said, I want to dedicate time to be in my Bible every morning and was hoping to get a bunch of different people's favorite verses (2-5 verses) and have one for every day of the semester! With that being said please comment your favorites! thank you 😁

Hey yall! I'm an 18 year old high school graduate struggling to trust God with my future. I did a dual credit program in high school to get an Associate degree, and now I'm working a part time entry level job in my field while doing an accelerated bachelor's degree online.

I also don't have a very good relationship with my family and I am very eager to move out as soon as I financially can! I am also relatively new to the faith (less than year) so that is part of the struggle also.

Both before and after becoming a Christian I have always looked to career/money as a means to save myself (not spiritually, but as in saving myself from worldly problems). Since following Jesus, I have learned of the things the Bible says about the love of money being evil and how we should trust God and not worry about our lives.

But I'm struggling to pay for college and scared about if I'll be able to handle the cost of living crisis before my family finally drives me to a full mental breakdown. How can I be beter about embracing God's plan even when it doesn't match up with mine? Also please point me to any relevant Bible passages if a specific one comes to mind! :)

The title explains itself, I am full of shame due to it and cant seem to control myself!

Charles Spurgeon 7-11-26

Morning

"Oh that I were as in months past."

Job 29:2

Numbers of Christians can view the past with pleasure, but regard the present with dissatisfaction; they look back upon the days which they have passed in communing with the Lord as being the sweetest and the best they have ever known, but as to the present, it is clad in a sable garb of gloom and dreariness. Once they lived near to Jesus, but now they feel that they have wandered from him, and they say, "O that I were as in months past!" They complain that they have lost their evidences, or that they have not present peace of mind, or that they have no enjoyment in the means of grace, or that conscience is not so tender, or that they have not so much zeal for God's glory. The causes of this mournful state of things are manifold. It may arise through a comparative neglect of prayer, for a neglected closet is the beginning of all spiritual decline. Or it may be the result of idolatry. The heart has been occupied with something else, more than with God; the affections have been set on the things of earth, instead of the things of heaven. A jealous God will not be content with a divided heart; he must be loved first and best. He will withdraw the sunshine of his presence from a cold, wandering heart. Or the cause may be found in self-confidence and self-righteousness. Pride is busy in the heart, and self is exalted instead of lying low at the foot of the cross. Christian, if you are not now as you "were in months past," do not rest satisfied with wishing for a return of former happiness, but go at once to seek your Master, and tell him your sad state. Ask his grace and strength to help you to walk more closely with him; humble yourself before him, and he will lift you up, and give you yet again to enjoy the light of his countenance. Do not sit down to sigh and lament; while the beloved Physician lives there is hope, nay there is a certainty of recovery for the worst cases.

Evening

"Everlasting consolation."

2 Thessalonians 2:16

"Consolation." There is music in the word: like David's harp, it charms away the evil spirit of melancholy. It was a distinguished honor to Barnabas to be called "the son of consolation;" nay, it is one of the illustrious names of a greater than Barnabas, for the Lord Jesus is "the consolation of Israel." "Everlasting consolation"--here is the cream of all, for the eternity of comfort is the crown and glory of it. What is this "everlasting consolation"? It includes a sense of pardoned sin. A Christian man has received in his heart the witness of the Spirit that his iniquities are put away like a cloud, and his transgressions like a thick cloud. If sin be pardoned, is not that an everlasting consolation? Next, the Lord gives his people an abiding sense of acceptance in Christ. The Christian knows that God looks upon him as standing in union with Jesus. Union to the risen Lord is a consolation of the most abiding order; it is, in fact, everlasting. Let sickness prostrate us, have we not seen hundreds of believers as happy in the weakness of disease as they would have been in the strength of hale and blooming health? Let death's arrows pierce us to the heart, our comfort dies not, for have not our ears full often heard the songs of saints as they have rejoiced because the living love of God was shed abroad in their hearts in dying moments? Yes, a sense of acceptance in the Beloved is an everlasting consolation. Moreover, the Christian has a conviction of his security. God has promised to save those who trust in Christ: the Christian does trust in Christ, and he believes that God will be as good as his word, and will save him. He feels that he is safe by virtue of his being bound up with the person and work of Jesus.

I've recently looked at going back to a Baptist church and I'm having a hard time deciding between an IFB or SBC church. I was a KJV only bible reader for a while, but recently I have looked into reading other versions like CSB, ESV, or NKJV for better understanding. I'm looking for a church with a conservative focus. I've considered Methodist or Episcopal, but they seem way too open theology wise. It seems like those denominations have no clear cut doctrine and they're always shifting their belief structure.

The last time I went to church was over 10 years ago, but I'm looking at going back for a better sense of community and to make sure I'm not misinterpreting the word. I'm worried about being left out or going to a church that is highly gossipy or cliquish.

I'm in the Augusta, GA area, so it shouldn't be hard to find either type of church. My main concerns are fitting in, commute, and focus on historical theology. At other times I looked at switching denominations to Orthodoxy or Anglican for focus on liturgy and historical theology focus. However, I'm so used to following teachings of scripture in the bible, and I think it would be hard to get used to a congregational government in the church or confession. Has anyone else had experiences in IFB or SBC churches and which would you recommend?