The Bartimaeus Blog 2021.40 – Happy Homecoming!

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It’s finally here!  After nearly a month of delay, we will finally have our homecoming celebration, complete with dedication of the new kitchen.  Don’t forget, we’ll be starting at 2:00, 30 minutes earlier than usual.  You’re going to love our guest pianist.  I’m going to share some hopes and dreams for our future, working from the book of Nehemiah and specifically 2:17-18 in a message entitled “Rebuilding with Purpose”.

After the service we’ll move back to the fellowship hall, where Pastor Jay Gibson of Harvest Oaks Church will say a few words to dedicate the new kitchen in honor of our beloved Ruth Stephens who was always serving in it and of his father Jerry who donated the funds to make it happen.  Then we can eat!  🙂

It’s been a hard season,  but I still believe that God has great things in store for us.  I hope you can join us to celebrate what He has done and what He will do.  See you Sunday!

Love you all,

Larry

The Bartimaeus Blog 2021.39

Bartimaeus Baptist Temple Posted on by

Blessings to you, loved ones.  Last Sunday may not have been what we planned, but it was still a joy to be together.  It’s so good to have Priscilla back in action, doing what she does best,  She’s an encourager extraordinaire.  We should be on track to finally have our Homecoming service on the 3rd of October.

This Sunday, we’ll be in Matthew 13:10-17.  It’s between the parable of the sower and its explanation.  The disciples want to know why Jesus speaks to the crowd in parables.  I always found His answer puzzling, and a little harsh.  But there are things I know about Jesus.  I know that he loves us so much that He died for us.  I know that His desire would be that everyone repent and follow him.  So why would he obscure his message for some and not for a select few?

It always comes down to this, that He knows the heart of every person.  Will we be among the clueless crowd, following the spectacle or wanting to be part of the next big thing?  Will we be one of the disciples, following Him and taking His teaching to heart?  The crowd will never understand the truth no matter how often they hear it.  The disciple will learn “the mysteries the kingdom” of Heaven!

Remember Cathy and family in your prayers.  Pray for Priscilla as she is experiencing more pain and waiting for word from her doctors as to why.  Stay in touch and encourage each other throughout the week.  I know most of you are better at that than I am.

See you Sunday.

Love y’all!

Larry

The Bartimaeus Blog 2021.38 – Homecoming postponed

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Good day to you all.  This is the day that the Lord has made, and we will rejoice and be glad in it.  Homecoming is postponed once again until October 3.  We thought we would at least have enough completed to go ahead with that and do a dedication service separately, but one of the workers cut his hand, so we just moved the entire thing out.  Pray for quick healing that he can return to work for his own sake and that of any family he may have.

We will continue on with our study of references to God’s kingdom.  This wee we will be in Matthew 12:22-29, but it will be helpful to read through the end of the chapter.  Jesus casts out a demon and the man is healed.  The response by some in the crowd is amazement and at the least a willingness to consider that Jesus may be the promised Messiah.  But another group has become so hardened that they are not even amazed anymore.  Their response is to attribute Jesus’ power to cast out demons to Satan.  Jesus has some strong words for them.

Come and join us.  See you tomorrow.

Love y’all!

Larry

The Bartimaeus Blog 2021.37 – Homegoing and Homecoming

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Blessings to you, loved ones.  “The mind of man plans his way, but the LORD directs his steps.” (Proverbs 16:9)  Due to the likelihood that the work on the kitchen will not be completed in time, we are moving the Homecoming celebration to the 19th.  Our memorial service for Ruth will occur this Sunday.  Please spread the word to anyone who might want to attend as we honor this special lady who has been a vital part of this church for almost as long as it has existed.  We will meet at our usual time, 2:30pm.  If you are planning to use DART, be aware that the service will probably be a little shorter than normal.  As we may not have use of the kitchen, there will be no reception after the service.

Love you all,

Larry

The Bartimaeus Blog 2021.36

Bartimaeus Baptist Temple Posted on by

Hello friends and family.  It is with some sadness that I write to you today.  I delayed making this update out of respect for the family and in hopes that we would have more details, but at present the plans are still in progress.  Ruth went home to Jesus on Tuesday.

It is hard to imagine the church without her.  She has been a part of it almost as long as it has existed.  Up until the past few weeks when she was no longer able to come, she would be the first one there.  She made sure the lights were on, the building was comfortable, and anyone who showed up early due to the unpredictable nature of public and paratransit services would not be waiting alone in the parking lot. She loved the church and loved to come to church.  When she got to the point that she could not drive herself, she often threatened to walk the several miles from her home if someone didn’t bring her.  While she was able, she also managed the food bank.  If you came to church early, you would most likely find her in the kitchen.  She showed her love by cooking and baking, and we all felt the love.  I could go on like this for pages, but suffice it to say that she will be greatly missed.

We grieve her loss, but we rejoice with her, knowing that she is with her Lord, whole and happy!  The church will hold a memorial service in her honor.  It will probably be on the 19th, but stay tuned for confirmation.

It appears that Sunday will be a regular service.  As we progress through Jesus’ references to God’s kingdom, we have come to one that always puzzled me.  Now that I’ve studied it, I still think there’s more to understand than what I’ve learned, but I will share with you what I’ve gathered so far.

The passage is Matthew 11:11-15.  the Disciples of John the Baptists have just come to Jesus on John’s behalf to ask if he’s really the one or if they should be looking for someone else.  John is now in prison.  He knew who Jesus was.  Some of his disciples were following Jesus after John pointed Him out.  John saw the Holy Spirit descend upon Him after he baptized Him.

So, what happened?  Scripture doesn’t really tell us what John was feeling. It might be best not to speculate, but it would be understandable for John to be a bit discouraged at this point.  He’s done everything he was supposed to do, and he’s in prison.  He heralded Jesus as the messiah, but Jesus isn’t conducting himself the way a revolutionary leader would be expected to act.

Jesus’ answer to John, found a few verses earlier was this, “”Go and report to John what you hear and see: the BLIND RECEIVE SIGHT and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the POOR HAVE THE GOSPEL PREACHED TO THEM. And blessed is he who does not take offense at Me.” (11:4-6)  One day Israel’s supremacy will be established, but Jesus is building a very different kind of kingdom.  His kingdom isn’t about political domination.  It is about people.  Lives are being changed, and everyone, even the often neglected and shunned poor, is hearing the good news.

This is the foundation for what Jesus says next.  John himself now becomes an illustration of God’s kingdom, yet he will not see it’s fulfillment during his earthly lifetime.  He would be beheaded by Herod not long after this exchange took place.  Jesus says of him, “Truly I say to you, among those born of women there has not arisen anyone greater than John the Baptist! Yet the one who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.” (11)

It’s the next statement in verse 12 that seemed really strange to me.  “And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven has been treated violently, and violent men take it by force.”  How is that even possible?  What did He mean by it?

We will focus on these two verses above, and also explore the implications of the larger story on Sunday.  I hope you’ll be encouraged.  Your circumstances may make you wonder if what you think you know is true, but hold onto it.  Look for the evidence of God’s kingdom.  Know who you are and what you have.  Push back the enemy!  Join us!

I really enjoyed last Sunday.  Kimi’s testimony made my day.  Sometimes I too can get a little discouraged as we seen to encounter trial after trial, but then something like that happens and it’s all worth it.  That is not the kind of thing I would publish for the world, but I am sure she will be happy to fill you in if you ask her.

Pray especially for Cathy and her family over the next few weeks.  Anita also called and asked that we pray for a cousin, Lamont, who had a stroke, fell down some stares, and is now in ICU with swelling on the brain.

love you all,

Larry

The Bartimaeus Blog 2021.35

Bartimaeus Baptist Temple Posted on by

Blessings to you, loves ones.  I’ve been thinking about you a lot this week.  Last Sunday before everyone came in I was there by myself for a while, and I just walked around the sanctuary, praying for a move of the Spirit among us.  I walked up to the pulpit and asked the lord that only the truth be allowed to come from that place.

We believe in prayer at BBT.  We believe that He hears us and that He answers our prayers, even if sometimes the answer is “No.”  That’s why we make time in every service for reports of what the Lord has done and requests for prayer, and that’s why we publish them so that we can refer to it throughout the week.

I know that even though we meet in the afternoon, the logistics of getting everyone there can be a challenge.  I would love to see a group of people committed to praying over the service before it begins, even if this happens earlier in the day before the rush begins.  It does not have to be in the building at least until we have enough people who are able to do that.  I know there aren’t many of us.  We only need two for a start.  Even if you do not normally attend our services, I ask you to consider committing to pray for us for a time.  I will happily provide some direction.

This Sunday, we will be in Matthew 9:35-38.  Over the past few weeks, we have been traveling through the Gospels, examining references to the kingdom of Heaven and the kingdom of God.  Now we come to a new phrase that we have not examined before.  It does occur in Matthew 4:23, but at the time I did not see the significance of it.  4:23 and 9:35 are almost identical.  Verse 35 reads, “Jesus was going through all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every kind of disease and every kind of sickness.” (emphasis added)

Church goers should all be familiar with the term, gospel.  We apply it to the four accounts of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus and also to the message they convey.  That message in brief is that He is God’s son, born of a virgin.  He lived a sinless life and was crucified to atone for our sins.  He has given us the gift of eternal life that we could not earn for ourselves.  All we need to do is turn from our sins and choose Him as lord.

But is there more to the gospel message?  This is certainly enough, but if we stop there, we will not experience the full impact of what Jesus did and taught.  Think about all that He had to say about the kingdom of God.  That is why I think that the phrase, “the gospel of the kingdom,” conveys an important truth that we should not miss.  We readily embrace the salvation message, but Jesus taught us so much more, and it is all “good news!”  We are called to preach the gospel; ALL OF IT!

I hope you’ll come and join us.  It has been so good to see more of our folks back with us lately.  Hopefully Kimi will be able to rejoin us soon.  Ruth is having more trouble this week.  Keep her and Cathy in prayer and let them know they are missed.

Love y’all!

Larry

The Bartimaeus Blog 2021.34

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Hello friends.  I hope you’re enjoying your week.  I for one am thankful for the rain and unseasonably moderate temperatures we’ve been having.  I enjoyed the service last week, even with our musical missteps.  Work on the church is in progress.  We remain hopeful that everything will be done in time.

We missed those who couldn’t be with us.  Pris was tied up getting Kimi back home from the ER and Cathy was not able to come with Ruth as she was still hurting.  Kimi is improving but still feeling weak.  I talked to Ruth yesterday but each day brings new challenges.  Keep them in prayer.

This Sunday we will be in Matthew 8:5-13.  This is a story of “amazing Faith”.  Even Jesus was amazed!  We don’t have record of many things getting this kind of response from Jesus.  That it happened at all is a testament to his humanity.  He was and is God, but while he was here he functioned just like we do and had the capacity for surprise.  So what could surprise Jesus?  Faith!  What made this faith amazing?  It came from a very unlikely source.  The man who displayed this faith may never have met Jesus in person.  We know he didn’t in this situation.  Yet he was so convinced of our Lord’s identity that he made an audacious request.

He was a Roman centurion, a commander of the occupying force ruling over Israel at this time.  He asked Jesus, a Jewish rabbi, if he would heal is servant, who was about to die.  Jesus agreed and began to make his way to the man’s home, but when he was almost there, the centurion sent other messengers to him saying that he was not worthy that Jesus should come under his roof, but that Jesus only needed to say the word and it would be so.

Jesus remarked that nowhere in Israel had he seen such faith.  Israel had all the promises.  It’s people knew the scriptures where those promises would be found.  He walked among them, yet most would not believe in him.  Yet here this foreigner believed so completely and with such understanding as to know that Jesus needed only to speak the word and it would be done.

I don’t know that it’s possible to amaze the risen and glorified Lord, but we know from this story the kind of faith that amazed Him when he was here.  This is the definition of amazing faith: simply to believe that Jesus is who he says that He is, to believe His word, and to live by that faith.

This study continues our examination of the Kingdom of Heaven as explained by Jesus when he made reference to it.  what we learn here is that entrance is gained by faith.  We do not earn our place in it.  We do not inherit it from our parents.  We do not gain inclusion by being present in a church building.  It is not obtained by reciting a few words.  It is by faith in the One who paid the price so that we could enter.

I have left much unsaid.  Come hear the rest on Sunday.  🙂

Love y’all!

Larry

The Bartimaeus Blog 2021.33

Bartimaeus Baptist Temple Posted on by

Blessings to you, loved ones.  Each day I pray for you, for peace, comfort, and healing from the inside out.  I trust that our Lord is always at work, even when we cannot see it.

Last Sunday we attempted a virtual service since there were so many who would not be able to make it.  It did not go as well as it has in the past, in part because the free service we use for the telephone conference changed its number.  Apparently some carriers do not recognize the new area code as being covered under free long-distance and several received warnings that there would be a charge for the call.  I know of two other groups using this conferencing service and have not heard of anyone else running into this, but we will explore alternative means of holding the worship service if we need to do so again virtually.  Zoom is a possibility, but it may be a bit more challenging for some of us to use.

This week we should be back together unless there is a problem around the construction work that is being done.  We’ll get the word out in that case and make the best of it.

Lord willing, I will be teaching from Matthew 7:21-23.  I think this is the most frightening passage of scripture in the whole Bible to a Christian.  The suggestion at first reading is that you could be a superstar in the ministry and still be denied entry to the kingdom.  Most of us don’t go around prophesying, casting out demons, and performing miracles, though depending on our understanding of scripture we might think that we should be.  If these so-called super Christians can’t get in, where does that leave the rest of us?  The most devastating words a true lover of Jesus could hear are, “I never knew you.”

Here’s the good news.  A true lover of Jesus never will.  These words are not written to the sincere believer, but to the pretender.  They belong in the context of the previous verses, where we are instructed that we will know the difference between the false prophets and the true by the fruit that they produce.

What then of the supernatural qualities implied by these words?  How can a false believer do anything inn His name?  There are two things to note here.  The first is that the assertion is being made by the people that they did these things in His name.  They may indeed have used His name, but they did not have His authority to do it.  The second is that Satan also has supernatural power.  It is limited, but it is real.  The fact that miracles are performed, does not mean that God performed them, to speak simply.  We are told in the book of Revelation that the world will be deceived by such signs at the coming of the antichrist and the false prophet.

We should heed the warning and examine our hearts, but when we know that He is our Lord, we need not fear.  It is by His grace that we are saved.  Let us engage in the work that He has created us to do.  Then we can look forward to hearing these famous words, “Well done, good and faithful servant.”

I will be delighted to see you on Sunday!

Love y’all,

Larry

The Bartimaeus Blog 2021.32

Bartimaeus Baptist Temple Posted on by

Good day all!  This is the day that the Lord has made.  Let us rejoice and be glad in it!  It looks like work may resume on the church this Saturday, which is good timing.  This week’s service will be virtual.  Don and Brenda will be at her brother’s memorial.  Debra will be at a conference, and I will be speaking at that conference on Sunday morning.  Since things could be in disarray at the church and it could be a challenge for someone to get there early enough to get it cooled off, we’ll just stay in our nice cool homes and dial in.  I will send out the number to our regulars and anyone else who would like to attend.  Send us a message if you do not normally come and would like to have the number.

This week we will cover Matthew 5:17-20.  Here Jesus tells the crowd not to presume that he came to abolish the law given to them by Moses, but to fulfill it.  He said, “until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass from the Law until all is accomplished.” (v. 18)  Anyone found to be ignoring the least part of it would be considered “least in the kingdom of Heaven.”  The greatest are those who do and teach it all.

How does this fit with the understanding most Christians have about not being under the law anymore?  Calling someone a legalist is right up there with cussing them out in many churches.  Let’s look more closely at what Jesus is saying here and see what we can learn.

Do remember to pray for each other and stay in touch throughout the week.  I talked to Cindy and she’s doing well, just busy getting moved into her new apartment.  Ruth has been having a tough week.  Remember her and Cathy in your prayers.

Talk to you Sunday,

Love y’all!

Larry

The Bartimaeus Blog 2021.31

Bartimaeus Baptist Temple Posted on by

Hello friends.  It’s a hot one out there.  I hope everyone is able to stay cool.  Thank the Lord we live in a time where air conditioning is common.  Things are heating up at BBT too.  Read on to find out what’s happening.

We do have some sad news.  Most of you probably know by now that we lost a long time friend of the church in Jerry Gibson last week.  If you would like to attend the memorial service, it is on Saturday at 1:00pm in the chapel at the Heights Church in Richardson, 201 W Renner Rd.

Most recently, Jerry donated the money which is being used to renovate the church’s kitchen.  There was a slight delay in the progress of the work because the crew has been exposed to someone with Covid and must be tested before they can resume.  There should not be a problem with us meeting.

At our Homecoming service this year, we’ll officially dedicate the new kitchen, named for our own beloved Ruth Stephens, who was always there serving when she could, and in memory of Jerry.  We will do it at 2:00 again so that those attending their own churches can come.  That will be September 12.

This week we will continue our study of references to the Kingdom of Heaven with Matthew 5:10-12.  Verse 10 reads, “Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”  Jesus elaborates on this statement in the next two verses, telling us to “rejoice and be glad” because our reward in Heaven will be great.

I have often made the point that we don’t really know persecution here compare to what is going on elsewhere in the world, though it does exist and is increasing.  This week I realized as I read these words that I should not dismiss what we might call lighter forms of persecution as unworthy of recognition.  Jesus didn’t.  He said in verse 11, “Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me.”

Whatever it is that you endure for the cause of Christ, you have a reward awaiting you in Heaven.  Jesus said the kingdom of Heaven belongs to you!  He told us to expect persecution.  If we never meet any opposition, it is reasonable to ask if we are truly living a life dedicated to Him.

We are extremely blessed living here in the United States.  We should be thankful, and also vigilant, doing our part to preserve the freedom we have.  Yet in so doing we should not forget that Jesus also told us to love our enemies and pray for our persecutors.  Remember that we are not fighting against flesh and blood but against the powers of darkness.  Our enemies are people who need Jesus just as we do.  They have believed the lies of Satan, and it is our highest mission to see them redeemed.

I hope you can join us as we worship and continue our study this Sunday.  It was so good to have almost everyone back together last time.  Priscilla and Kimi are finally back in action and Ruth was able to make most of the service as well.  She has good days and bad.  Remember her in your prayers and Cathy as well.

See you Sunday!

Love y’all,

Larry