Happy Is Fine, But Blessed Is Better

“Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.” Romans 8:35,37

In this self-centered, pleasure hungry society, the mindset is for instant gratification rather than the pursuit for that which endures. This drives substance abuse, alcoholism, etc., the wasting of life for present exhilaration, while ignoring the consequences. And sometimes Christians allow time and opportunity with frivolity to supplant sowing to the Spirit to reap lasting benefits.

We all fall short of grasping the need to invest our lives to the extent we should in that which has eternal value. Human nature is earth bound, not heaven oriented, resulting in our thoughts and feelings being occupied with present satisfactions. We must pray and seek spiritual insight and vision to overcome.

For the most part, we think in terms of a happy day, rather than a blessed life. This can lead to discouragement and dissatisfaction when our quest is for happiness, rather than blessedness, because when our circumstances are not good, the “happy” is gone. In contrast, a blessed life isn’t dependent upon the circumstances that make happiness, but is underwritten by the unfailing person, power, and promises of God.

Consider Joseph. He was hated and sold into slavery by his brothers. He was falsely accused and imprisoned. After 13 years of oppression and loneliness, he was brought forth from prison and charged with the responsibility to save the world from the coming famine. It was a heart-rending matter to work for the conversion of his hard-hearted brothers. It certainly was not happiness that sustained Joseph, but rather the assurance that God had a plan and purpose for his life.

Consider Job, the Hebrew captives in the book of Daniel, and the honor roll of the faithful in Hebrews 11, they “….were tortured, not accepting deliverance; that they might obtain a better resurrection” Hebrews 11:35. Truly it has not been happiness that has sustained God’s people, but rather their faith in that which is far greater: “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.” Romans 8:18 Happy is fine, but you don’t have to have happiness to have a blessed life!

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55th Anniversary Of Faith Baptist Church – Jan 1 1968-2023

The Vision

The first part of November 1967, Bro. James Gardner, pastor of Moore’s Fork Baptist Church, in Clermont County, was making a hospital visit in Hillsboro. Feeling the Lord’s leadership on the way back home, he sought to find if there was an interest in the Lynchburg area for a sound New Testament Baptist Church. Upon inquiry, interest was found.

God Opened The Door

An empty church building was found on Freiburg & High Streets in Lynchburg, which was leased for two years, with the option of buying at the end of the lease. The work opened with a two-week meeting, January 2-14, 1968, with Bro. Gardner preaching each night, except Thursdays, with Bro. James Head of Wilmington filling in. In spite of the cold, snowy weather, the attendance averaged about 70 each night. On Sunday, January 7, 1968, Bro. Robert Miller of Dayton, KY, preached, at which time there were 5 requests for membership, plus 2 confessions of faith. On January 14 & 28, Bro. Terry Parnell of Dayton, KY, preached. January 21, Bro. Alwin Pflueger of Moore’s Fork preached.

A Pastor Called

On Thursday night, February 1, 1968, in the regular business meeting, Moore’s Fork Baptist Church extended the call to Bro. Robert Miller to pastor the Lynchburg mission. He is to give full time to the work. He is to lead the people there in complete accord with the position of the sponsoring church in all matters of doctrine and practice. At such time that the mission and sponsoring church agree, the mission will be organized into a local Independent Baptist Church. Bro. Robert Miller formally accepted the pastorate of the mission, and with his wife, Cinda, and son, Robby, moved to the rented parsonage in Lynchburg, on February 24, 1968.

An Independent Baptist Church

January 9, 1971, the mission was organized into the Faith Baptist Church, with 32 charter members.

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Christian Obligations

From our church covenant: “We engage to walk circumspectly in the world….exemplary in our deportment”
Philippians 2:15 “blameless….without rebuke”
2 Peter 3:14 “be diligent that ye may be found….blameless”
1 Timothy 4:12 “be the example of the believer”
1 Thessalonians 5:21 “Prove all things; hold fast that which is good”
1 Thessalonians 5:22 “abstain from all appearance of evil”
Titus 2:7 “In all things showing thyself a pattern of good works”

A general rule of thumb is, “If it looks like a duck, walks like a duck, quacks like a duck, it probably is a duck.”

When it comes to health, people know the folly of ignoring the symptoms of disease. When it comes to evaluation what things are, or are not, appearance is the number one consideration. Something that looks bad is not assumed to be good.

In Christianity, especially members of the Body of Christ (the local church), it is each member’s responsibility “to walk circumspectly in the world” and to be “exemplary in their deportment”. Thus, the way we live our lives is to set forth what it is to believe in, and walk in the light of God’s Word.

It is each member’s responsibility to avoid doing things that obviously give the appearance of wrongdoing. We are to be blameless, without rebuke.

Thus, the Christian is charged by God to bear the responsibility of giving evidence that what we are doing is right with God and proper according to God’s laws before men.

It is not someone else’s duty to prove we are doing wrong, but it is our duty to set forth evidence that will keep ourselves in the clear, so that there will be no reasonable cause for blame to come our way.

To not strive for blamelessness, is to compromise our testimony, as well as open the door for reproach upon the cause of Christ, which could very well be a stumblingblock to others.

What do others see–Christianity, or carnality?

Be very sure! The devil will not let indiscretions on the part of those who name the name of Christ to go unnoticed. They will be amplified and magnified! We will be held accountable for the fruit of our doings, thus the effect of what we do on others.

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The Battle Rages On

“Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.”
“For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world against spiritual wickedness in high places.”
“Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.”
Ephesians 6:11-13

“These are the times that try men’s souls.”These words echo down for over two centuries from our founding forefathers. Our forefathers knew that while people are virtuous, they will not be subdued. But they repeatedly sounded the alarm that when people abandon their virtue, they will have surrendered the strength necessary to maintain their institutions and ward off the wiles of the enemy.

Due to putting passion ahead of principle, people often find themselves in positions they don’t necessarily agree with, maybe don’t even believe in! This accounts for people being caught up in taking courses of action that even they know are not God’s will and way.

To reflect on the insurmountable task of uniting the colonists who were themselves diverse from each other, into a united people to pledge their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor to fight for independence, one may ask, “How could this be done?” It certainly could notbe done by debating issues or personal feelings. This would only bring out the endless flow of doubts, fears, and misgivings, which would just be overwhelming. So rather than debate the issues, which would magnify objections, they wisely chose to debate principles, which would challenge each individual to work through their own issues in order to come to the support of the right objective, to unite in fighting the tyranny that was the common enemy of all.

As Christians, let us awaken to this wisdom unto virtue. We must not bog down in our individual issues. We must first see the necessity to sidestep individual issues and give ourselves over to earnestly contending for Biblical principles. This will allow the fires of fleshly passion to die out, so we can become whole again, with the grace of God and the strength of the Holy Spirit setting us upright again. This devotion of one’s inner man to embrace God’s principles, will produce inward carefulness, inward cleansing, inward desire and resolve, that will enable one to work through their issues unto clearing themselves of those things that are not right. Once this clearing has occurred, the love and zeal for what is right can once again prevail for fruitful and constructive living.

GOD CONTINUES HIS CALL TO RETURN TO HIS PRINCIPLES!

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Christians, Awake!

“Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?” Luke 18:8b

This was not a man uttering words from a dark, gloomy, discouraging moment. This was the Divine, omniscient Son of God looking into our time, these last days, and raising a question for us to answer.

WILL WE LET OUR SAVIOUR DOWN?

Will be become so distracted by carnality that we lose sight of the supreme reason Christ saved us and left us on this earth to live for?

A good place to start is to look at where and what we are right now. If Jesus were to come today, would He find us faithful in our standing and service in His body, the local New Testament Church?

Should we not wisely consider how such a thing could happen, that the Lord spoke of, that the redeemed of the Lord have dwindled and lost their way?

In addressing “last days, perilous times” (2 Timothy 3:1-7), it is not that all religion has passed from the scene, but rather it has become non-effective, due to having shifted to just having a form of godliness, that is denying the power of true godliness, which is the authority of God’s Word.

2 Timothy 4:3-4 goes on to tell us there will be an appetite for religion that caters to and gratifies the fleshly interests of man. This same religious zeal and expression is adverse towards sound doctrine, which is the heartbeat of the work of the Holy Spirit.

To only eat dessert foods all of the time, while refusing wholesome and nourishing food, will eventually lead to the deterioration of health and body. Likewise, just to pick out stories, characteristics, and promises from the Bible that are complementary to our hopes and well wishes, while ignoring sound doctrine, will lead to spiritual deterioration and a dead faith, lacking the authority of godliness.

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