Message for January 13 – What Can You Do?

Bartimaeus Baptist Temple Posted on by
Hello friends and family.  It is with mixed feelings that i am writing to you this afternoon.  I’m always happy to get the opportunity to share with you, but the reason I am so doing this weekend is that our pastor has come down with the flue.  Please keep him and the rest of the family in your prayers.  Cathy and Ruth went to be with Mary Ellen and we don’t know whether or not they will be back with us.  Keep that situation in your prayers also.

This week I’m just going to speak to you a little from my heart.  I’ve been thinking a lot about the future lately.  I’ve been struggling with chronic headaches and Linda is having a little more trouble getting around.  What does this mean?  We don’t know, but here’s what we do know.  God hasn’t changed.  Our message is the same and we have to live it out.  To put it bluntly, we have to practice what we preach.

I want to encourage you whatever you’re facing.  God isn’t asking you for what you don’t have.  He’s asking you for what you do have.  We’re going to start from the story of the widow in Mark 12:41-44.  We’re not told much about her.  We don’t know what dreams she had.  We don’t know what trials life brought her, except that they brought her to the place of having no one to care for her.  We are told one very important thing about this woman.  She didn’t have much, but she gave everything she had.  I believe that is why her story is here for us.  this isn’t just about giving money, though it is certainly applicable to money.  This attitude can be applied to everything about us.  Come and let us explore together the ways in which we can give all that we have to the Lord.  You will be surprised at what He can do with it.

 

Sunday January 6, 2013 “A promise from God”

Bartimaeus Baptist Temple Posted on by
Well here we are in a new year.  It almost seems uneventful.  I know we have been counting the days to the new year but now that it is here we just seems like we are just going about business as usual.  I want use to see how grateful we should be to have the chance to do things better in 2013.  2012 is behind us and there were some great moments and some great disappointments. We can not live in the past but we can look back to see what we can do in the future.  I am asking you over the next few weeks to stop and write down what went wrong in 2012 and what you will fondly remember about 2012.  I don’t want you to just think about it for a second I want you to really concentrate on what happened in YOUR life in 2012,  write it down and share it with me so I can see what we need to do better in 2013.  I want ask you to share this, unless you want do, but I want to know what we can do better this year to minister at BBT.  I will explain more on Sunday.

Last week it was so good to see Joel and his ministry back in the house.  He allowed Kimmy to sing with them and she was so excited.  I bet she will tell you that is one of the best things she experienced in 2012.  I can’t wait to see Joel again later this month.

This week I want to stay with the story of Mary and Joseph and the baby Jesus as they leave Bethlehem and flee to Egypt.  The scripture verses are found in Matthew the 2ND Chapter vs 13-21.  We are going to talk about what this story means to us today.  I want us to see how the promises of God are true, not just some of time but all the time.  You may not think God is paying attention to you sometimes but know this, God answers on HIS time.  We are going to talk about that this week and see if we can see how important it is to wait on the Lord.  That does not mean we sent back and do nothing but it means God words are as true today as they ever were.

Larry and Linda are out of town this week and won’t be with us but lets pray there trip goes well and they get home safely Sunday evening.  Be sure and pray for those mentioned in the prayer request last week and lets lift each other up in prayer each and every day.  Lets start off the new year right with being in Church and inviting someone to come with you.  We are excited about seeing you and we hope you and your family had a great New Years day!!!!

We love you so much!
Pastor David and Pris

 

Sunday December 30th 2012

Bartimaeus Baptist Temple Posted on by
Who would have thought we would have had a white Christmas this year.  It was 70 degrees just 2 weeks ago.  Well that is our Texas weather for you.  I hope you enjoyed it while it lasted.  The kids were mad because they didn’t get to miss a snow day from school because they were out for the Christmas holiday.  Us poor working folks were back at work the day after Christmas snow and all.

Last week we celebrated the Sunday before Christmas and we had another great day praising God and sharing with each other. I hope you enjoyed your Christmas this year, snow and all.

This week Joel and his group will be in our house ready to praise and worship.  He asked Kim to pick out the songs for this week and she will get to sing with them on Sunday.  She is so excited!!!  I hope you will get be in church Sunday and say goodbye to 2012 and hello to 2013.  Can you believe that a new year is just around the corner?  I want you to think about the best thing that happened to you in 2012 and the worst thing and let me know so in January we can look back and reflect on the year past.  I hope we have grown closer to each other and closer to God.  But I want to see what you will remember about 2012.  After I have compiled the list we will spend some time talking about the year 2012.

I hope you and your families are doing well and have made your new year’s resolutions.
You know there are many people out there that have no hope, no dreams, nothing to look forward to in the future.  I hope that is not you.  If it is, I want to share with you what God has for you in the future, however long that may be. I want us to share our faith with more people in 2013 and I want us to live our lives as if people are watching us.  I want us to be a witness by not  just what we say but what we do, lets take our faith seriously in 2013.  Please keep praying for us and we will be praying for you.  We hope to see you on Sunday in Gods house at 6929 Day St.

Have a Blessed New Year
Pastor David & Pris

 

Sunday December 23,2012

Bartimaeus Baptist Temple Posted on by
Well I guess the world did not end on the 21st so I guess we will just have to believe That God was right when he said “no one knows when he will come again.”  Why don’t we just accept that and make use of whatever time we have to make this a better place.

I know it is a better place because of what the Heights church did last week for us at BBT.  What a great Christmas party and what a group we had.  I want to think not only The Heights church but Jerry Gibson who bought the hams to give out to our family’s and Diana who made us the bags and stockings filled with so much good stuff.  I know everyone had a great time and appreciated the generosity of so many.  Thanks again for everyone who was part of the celebration.

This week Joel and his group were to come out and lead us in praise and worship but they are moving it back to the following Sunday, the 30Th, so I will bring the message this week and Pris will have Sunday School.  As I was thinking about what a week this has been.  So much to be grateful for and so much to be sad about as well.  We need the Christmas story and we need it hear it again and again.  At Christmas time when our whole family is together we read this story before we open presents.  I think it is important for us all to stop and think about what happened that morning over 2,000 years ago.  It fulfilled the promises of the past and changed our future.  I am going to read in Luke the 2ND chapter vs 1 through 14. I hope you will read this again before Sunday and be prepared to come and worship with us on Sunday.  I hope you will be there with the Christmas spirit in your heart because I am going to ask you to do something on Sunday I have never asked you to do before.  Come Sunday and invite someone to come celebrate the Christmas story with us.

I hope you are in the Christmas mood this week and I hope you and your family are doing well.  There are many people who need us this season and we need to be needed.  God has a purpose for us and we must be prepared when we are called.  Please continue to pray for those we mentioned in our prayer requests last week and if you need or hear of someone that has a need call me and let’s see what we can do to help.  I love this season and it just seems to fly bye but I hope the feeling of Christmas last through the whole year of 2013.  Pray for this ministry and pray they we will always be willing to meet people where they needs are and be willing to share the love of Christ to everyone we meet.  I hope you have Christ on your Christmas list this year but what can we possible give to the person that has everything?  He does not want our money or our gifts he wants us, every part of us.  He wants our praise and he wants our devotion.  I hope you will be willing to give to God what he wants this year.  You will not believe what he has for you.
We love you and can’t wait to see you on Sunday!!!

Merry Christmas,
Pastor David & Pris

 

December 16, 2012 ” What does repentance mean?”

Bartimaeus Baptist Temple Posted on by
Isn’t God good!  I hope you are in the spirit of Christmas.  We are so blessed in so many ways.  I am so grateful for the many friends that we get to share God’s blessings each week.  Last week Larry talked about how God left heaven to come live among us.  I cannot imagine that kind of Love.  It is not the kind of Love we have for each other, it is the kind of love God has for us.   Linda showed us that sometimes what we see as a problem might be a blessing.  We looked back at our life and remembered if we had not gone through something in our past we may not be where we are today.  It was a great lesson learned.

I want to continue with that idea this week when we look at one thing and realize it is a whole different thing.  I am going to talk about the message John the Baptist shares with us in Luke 3: 7-17.  When you read this message it looks like John is almost angry with the people he seems fed up with them, but the truth of the matter is John loved them and wanted them to repent because repentance is a blessing.  We may not think of it that way but I hope to show you this week what a blessing it is.  God created it for us and repentance is the only way we will ever be able to please God.  God does not care what you do for a living, he does not care how much money you have, God cares about what kind of person you are on the inside not the outside.  We need to understand that repentance is more than being sorry for what we have done.  It means we are taking action to not do this again.  God understands we are not perfect but he does expect us to repent when he shows us our sin.

This week the Heights church is going to be with us and they are going to provide a Christmas party for everyone at BBT.  This is another example of God using his people to do his work.  And we are the recipients of this blessing.  I hope the people of Heights church know how much this means to us. Maybe we should tell them Sunday, better yet maybe we can show them by our attitude of gratitude.  I hope you will be with us Sunday for the worship service and the Christmas party afterwards.

Keep praying for those we mention in our prayer requests last week and if you need special prayer during the week call us and let us pray with you.  Expect a miracle and give God the glory for everything he has done!  We Love you and we will see you on Sunday

Pastor David & Pris

 

Message for December 9 – When God Was Born

Bartimaeus Baptist Temple Posted on by
Hello friends and family. I hope this finds you well, rejoicing in the many gifts that God has lavished upon all of us.  Our church is well and truly blessed this season.  Last week Jay Gibson and Harvest Oaks Church came out and did the worship and message, then served a spaghetti dinner.  On the 16th The Heights will be here to bless us again this year.  I pray that we’ll all respond by doing the same for those around us.

Linda and I have the honor of speaking to you this week.  I’ve been contemplating the wonder of Jesus.  This time of year we sing the songs about the sweet little baby and create idyllic scenes depicting the story, often with questionable fidelity to the actual account.  We know that He was born to save us.  We acknowledge the miracle of the virgin birth and retell the amazing story of the night that God came down to us.  I wonder though if we really grasp the awesomeness of what happened.

It’s a difficult thing for us to understand, how that God the Father could remain in Heaven while God the Son came to live among us, yet did not cease to be God.  Jesus Himself said, “I and the Father are one.” (John 10:30) For us to fully understand what Jesus did, we need to remember this; He lived his life among us as the perfect man, yet he was and is God.

Several false religions begin by attacking this critical issue, so I would like to take some time to point out the scripture that shows that Jesus was and is God.  If He isn’t, our whole belief system unravels.  To paraphrase the late C.S. Lewis, by His own claims, Jesus must be either a liar, a lunatic, or Lord.  We of course know that He is Lord, but I will share with you a few key verses so that you can be ready the next time someone challenges the deity of Jesus.  In deference to the season, we’ll start with Matthew 1:23, which is a quote from Isaiah 7:14.  I hope you’ll join us as we discover anew the wonder of “God with us.”

 

Sunday December 2, 2012

Bartimaeus Baptist Temple Posted on by
What a great time we had last week at BBT. Joel and his group came and led us in praise and worship.  They have not been with us in a few months and it was great to see them again.  Joel challenged us not to go by what makes us feel good, but by what is right . It really doesn’t matter what we do if we don’t have love.  He challenged us to not just sit back and do nothing but to step up and do the right thing, that thing God wants you to do, regardless of what the world is telling you!  It was a great message and it really hit home to me.  I hope you will listen to it on the pod cast if you were not there to hear it live.

This week Jay Gibson will be back with us and he is bringing several members from his congregation to worship with us, then serve us dinner afterwards. I cant imagine why they are wanting to do this other than God has led them to do so.  God is using them to bless us and God is going to pour out his blessing on them as well.  I love it when God uses his people to bless others.  I love it when God uses us to do his work.

I hope you will be with us on Sunday to celebrate the first Sunday in December.  We have so many excited things coming up this month and you don’t want to miss a thing!!

Please remember those we are praying for.  Lets keep praying for Jay’s son Jake.  It is hard to see your child so sick and you feel so helpless, but we aren’t helpless.  We serve a God that wants to do a great thing and we will continue to pray for Jake no matter how long it takes.  Ruth had a great time visiting relatives over the last week, we missed her Sunday and we pray she will get home safely Friday.  Pastor Larry is still suffering from his headaches, our prayer is for God to intervine and stop these headaches in the name of Jesus. There are many people who need to hear a word of encouragement during this season.  Don’t think you can let someone else be the witness you should be.  God called YOU and has plans for YOU, surrender yourself to the call of God and be a blessing in someones life.  Remember if  you are a disciple people will see it by your love.  Not just by what you say but by who you are and what you do.  I am so proud of the people that show up at BBT on Sunday, they are there to hear from God.  I hope this will be a place God shows up every time we open the doors.  He wants to be there all he needs is an invitation.  Heavenly Father we want you to know that you are needed, wanted and worshipped at this place till you call your church home.  Amen.

We love you and cant wait till we worship togeather again!!!!

Pastor David & Pris

 

Sunday November 25th, 2012

Bartimaeus Baptist Temple Posted on by
What a great Sunday we had last week! We had a great time worshiping and a great time fellowshipping (is this a word) afterwards.  I want to thank everyone that helped prepare the Thanksgiving dinner.  It really was terrific!!!!  Larry brought the message on the armor of God. I hope you listen to it on the webcast if you were unable to be there last week.

This week Joel will be with us after missing the last few months and I am so excited about the chance to worship with them again.  I am not sure if Dana will be able to be there as she may have to work but I know this service will be a blessing Sunday.

The week of December 2 Pastor Jay and his church will be with us to have the service that week and provide dinner afterwards.  Jay is a great friend of Bartimaeus as well as his father Jerry and we so appreciate what they are doing for us.

The week of December 16Th we will have our Christmas party with the help of The Heights church that Sunday.  They will provide a meal before the gifts and we are so lucky to have so many people that love and care about us.  It is like the grace of God, it is not something we deserve it is given because they love us.

I hope you have a great Thanksgiving this week.  I hope you are able to be with family and friends.  We don’t know what tomorrow holds much less next year but if the Lord allows us to be around in 2013, I expect we will be doing great things in the name of Jesus.

Please pray for those that are serving our Country this Thanksgiving season and remember that prayer requests we mentioned on Sunday.  Invite someone to come with you on Sunday and Leta’s worship on Sunday like we have something to be thankful for.  We love you and can’t wait to see you Sunday and we are so proud to be part of this ministry.

Pastor David & Pris

 

Message for November 18 – The Armor of God, Take II

Bartimaeus Baptist Temple Posted on by
I missed you all last week.  It was not a comfortable feeling having Linda head out to church without me.  We teach that it’s good to share, but there are some things one should keep to himself, so I stayed home to get over whatever it is that I came down with on Friday.  Thank you, Pastor David, for giving me an opportunity to speak again this week.

This Sunday we’ll be having our Thanksgiving celebration.  Traditionally a Thanksgiving sermon would be in order, but I feel that the message I had in mind still needs to be delivered.  I don’t intend to let Satan stop that from happening.  I hope you’ll join us as we explore Ephesians 6:10-17 together, then share a meal after the service.

 

Message for November 11 – The Armor of God

Bartimaeus Baptist Temple Posted on by
Hello friends and family.  I am so excited about what God is doing in our church.  Every week seems to bring us closer and I can see God doing those new things that Pastor David spoke of throughout our body.  I hope we will stay focused on Him and follow wherever He leads us.  Maybe that’s another reason why He’s having me speak to you this week on the armor of God from Ephesians 6:10-17.  I just thought it was a fitting topic since we will be celebrating Veterans’ Day this Sunday, but it’s also something we need to take note of as our church begins to move toward God’s “new thing,.”

Just over a week ago was Halloween.  You probably saw people all over the place dressed up in silly costumes representing everything from cartoon characters to the devil himself.  He too was probably a bit cartoonish.  That’s how we’ve been taught to think of him.  Now I’m not going to spend much time talking about him.  We’re going to glorify the Lord Jesus instead, who has already defeated Satan.  However, you do need to know that he is real and he wants to destroy you.

That’s what Paul is telling us in this passage, and he uses the metaphor of a Roman soldier’s armor to describe for us how we should be prepared for battle.  That’s something that his audience would be very familiar with, since Rome ruled the civilized world at the time in which he lived.  I hope you’ll join me this Sunday as we learn how to “stand firm” against the attack of the enemy.