Bartimaeus Baptist Temple

It’s Sunday morning as I write this, which means those of you who read it probably won’t see it before we’ve had our services today.  I’m sorry about that, but a busy work schedule has kept me from my usual routines over the past week.  My prayer for us is that we find peace in communion with the Spirit of peace.  Here’s what’s coming up…very quickly!

Last week we were few in number but we had a good time together.  I always appreciate what Priscilla has to say.  Teresa made it back again.  We wrapped up our study of Jesus’s messages to the seven churches in the book of Revelation.

This week I am going to be on the topic of anger.  Sometimes we talk about it like it’s a sin.  It can be depending on the reasons for it, but anger is one of our God-given emotions.  Even God gets angry, so anger itself must not be the problem.  Sometimes we should get angry.  The question for us, whatever the provocation, is, “what will we do about it?”  The primary text for today will be from Ephesians 4:26-27.

I hope you have been praying for each other and encouraging each other this week.  There are many needs, but we know the one who is able to supply and sustain.  See you soon.

Love y’all!

Larry

Blessings to you, chosen and beloved of God.  My prayer for us this week is that we grow strong together, never getting too comfortable with where we are and always seeking to know and do His will.  Here’s what’s hot this week.

The big surprise last Sunday was getting to see Teresa.  It’s a bit of a challenge for her to come but she always brings her smile.  Priscilla was home sick.  Keep her and Kimi in your prayers.  Linda shared an inspiring Sunday school lesson based on the story of Charlotte Elliott, author of the well loved hymn, “Just as I Am.”  It shows us that we never know how God is going to use what we do.  Never think you have too little to offer or that your circumstances prevent you from contributing something big to God’s kingdom.  That was part of my message as well.  Give what you have, and you will not lose your reward.

That brings us to this Sunday’s topic.  Jesus’s message to the church at Laodicea (Revelation 3:14-22) is one of the better known of the seven that we have studied over the past few weeks because of its stark symbolism and its relevance to the culture in which we live.  I wouldn’t say we are particularly comfortable right now at BBT.  It has been a tough season.  However I believe better times are coming, and this passage serves as a warning.  Don’t get too comfortable.  Don’t get too proud.  When things are going well, it’s time to be all the more vigilant.  The temptation will be to relax and take it all in, thinking that somehow we deserve it.  Everything we have had, everything we have, and everything we will have is by His grace.  Let us never forget that.

Then He ends with another promise for the overcomer, and this may be the most amazing yet.  “‘He who overcomes, I will grant to him to sit down with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.” (3:21)  That reads a little like something we’ve seen before, but on a whole new level.  What does He mean?  Let’s find out together!

Love y’all!

Larry

Good day to you, loved ones.  My prayer for us this week is that we grow in love and unity.  Here is your scoop.

I was so glad to see almost everyone back last Sunday.  I’m looking forward to the rest being able to come back and to adding more!  We had some challenges, but I appreciate how Priscilla worked to bring peace and focus us on the Lord we came to worship.  Everyone is facing tough situations right now.  Let’s pray for and encourage each other.

Our next study contains a warning concerning what will happen if we forget what we’re about.  I haven’t looked into the statistics, but i think it is probably how most churches that cease to exist come to that place.  There’s no dramatic event, no catastrophe, no scandal.  They just fade away and die.  There comes a point when it isn’t sustainable anymore and the church closes its doors for the last time.  That is not going to be us!

The church in Sardis apparently had a good reputation.  It was thought to be alive and thriving, but Jesus didn’t agree.  He said, “but you are dead.”  Unlike the messages we’ve studied so far, He doesn’t provide much in the way of specifics.  We only know that he did not find their “deeds completed in the sight of My God,” (Rev. 3:2) and that they had been tainted by some kind of sin (Rev. 3:4).  Yet he holds out hope if they will repent.  It is the hope of all who are His.  There’s much more here, and I hope you’ll join us as we look into it.  We’ll be in Revelation 3:1-6.

Love y’all!

Larry

Greetings overcomers!  My prayer for you this week is that you stand firm against evil and embrace truth.  Here’s the news from BBT.

Keep Priscilla and Kimi in your prayers.  Priscilla was already planning to be away last week to attend a memorial for a family member, but I don’t know that she made it because of her knee pain and Kimi’s needs.  As of this writing I don’t know if we will see them tomorrow or not because she didn’t, but she was going to try to resume some activity last time we talked.  Kelvin misses everyone and keeps checking in to see if he will be able to come.  I just spoke with Lupe and she seems to be doing well.  She is hoping to be able to come to church on Sunday.

We got a treat last week when Luigi Mathilda gave his testimony during the Sunday school session.  He is our latest assistant from DTS’s Agape program.  There were many good life lessons to be learned from what he said.  You can see it on Facebook but the podcast audio is much better.

This Sunday, we’ll continue with our study of Jesus’s messages to the seven churches in the book of Revelation.  The third message is found in Rev 2:12-17 to the church at Pergamum.  Jesus acknowledges the church’s faithfulness in the midst of intense persecution, but then he delivers a warning.  Put another way, it might read, “Remove the heretics from your church, or I will!”  Then he says, “To him who overcomes, to him I will give some of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, and a new name written on the stone which no one knows but he who receives it.” (v.17)  What does that mean?  Is it literal?  Come find out!

This is also a 5th Sunday and you know what that means.  We’ll be sharing a meal after the service.  I hope you’ll be joining us and bringing a friend.

Love y’all!

Blessings to you, loved ones.  My prayer for you this week is that you find new strength in your first love, holding on to that which is good and restoring the things which have been broken.  Read on to find out what’s coming up.

We had a wonderful time last week with our homecoming celebration.  We saw some old friends and made some new ones.  Special thanks to everyone who pitched in to make it a success.  Because of Cindy’s efforts and those who brought additional desserts and sides we had plenty of food with some to spare for the 5th Sunday fellowship.  We are also grateful to Still Blessed for providing the music.

My dad, Larry Thacker Sr., brought the message.  That was a special moment for both of us.  I asked him to speak on the Biblical foundations and purpose for the form of corporate worship often seen in nondenominational churches.  Having grown up listening to him, sometimes more than others, I had some idea what he was going to say, but I really appreciated the way he did it this time.  He not only described the purpose and symbolism, but the reason why we are able to experience the presence of the holy Spirit in this special way.  The next time we have a service like that, we’ll all understand what we’re doing and why.  We have the entire service on Facebook and in the podcast.

Can you imagine getting a letter straight from God?  Yes, we do have lots of them in the form of our Bible, but what if he wrote a letter directly to you? What do you think it would say?  What about our church?  What would a letter from Jesus look like if it were written to us?  That’s exactly what happened to the seven churches named in the book of Revelation.

This Sunday I plan to begin a short series of messages from Revelation, Chapters 2-3.  Here John writes down messages to seven churches, delivered from the mouth of Jesus Himself!  Most contain both praise and warnings.  Others contain only praise.  Each ends with a promise “to him who overcomes.”  In order to understand these promises, we must understand the context provided by each message.  They will guide us as a church and as individuals.

We begin with the church at Ephesus (Rev. 2:1-7.)  Jesus has many good things to say of this church, but one big problem.  He says, But I have this against you, that you have left your first love.”  The people are given a choice, “Therefore remember from where you have fallen, and repent and do the deeds you did at first; or else I am coming to you and will remove your lampstand out of its place—unless you repent.”  In other words, if they did not repent, they would no longer be allowed to exist as a church.  The Lord would personally see to it.  These other things are good, but good things are not enough.  If they returned to doing the works they did at first, but without love or repentance, it would still not be enough.  It is relationship that He seeks, and the works come out of that relationship.

Then we have the promise.  For those who overcome, for those who stay true, there is the promise of eternal life.  You might remember the tree of life from the book of Genesis.  It was in the garden of Eden and was denied to man once he fell (Gen 3:22-23).  Jesus promises here restoration, back to the way it was supposed to be from the beginning.  He is the one who made it possible.

I hope you’ll join us as we learn and grow together.  Keep praying for each other.  See you Sunday.

Love y’all!

Larry