Bartimaeus Baptist Temple

This Sunday will also be the anniversary of a sad day for America, when terrorists flew airplanes into the World Trade Center
towers and over three-thousand people were killed.  For a while we stood together and across the land was herd, “God bless America.”  But that time was all too brief, and we have forgotten the reasons why God has blessed America.  In 2 Chronicles 7:13-14, after Solomon dedicated the newly built temple in Jerusalem, God gave him both a warning and a promise.

13 “If I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or if I command the locust to devour the land, or if I send pestilence among My people, 14 and My people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin and will heal their land.

The warning was of judgment which He will bring upon the nation when it acts wickedly.  The promise was that if His people will repent, He will restore them.  I believe that just as Israel is called as a nation by His name, we as the church are called.  God will act faithfully according to His promise.  I believe that America is in danger of judgment from God if it has not already begun.  How can it be otherwise for a nation that has slaughtered fifty-three million innocent unborn children?  Hitler only killed six million people.  We as god’s people cannot absolve ourselves of this guilt simply because we have not personally participated in it.  If we have not prayed; if we have not warned; if we have not done all that we can to spread the truth of the Gospel, we must bear responsibility for the resulting downward spiral that our country has taken.
Across our land this Sunday there will be memorials for those we lost on 9/11.  It is my prayer that as Christians we will do all that we can to prevent calamity far worse than what happened in New York City that day.  God will not tolerate evil forever.  Pray for your nation, your friends, your neighbors, your coworkers, even your enemies.  Don’t miss any opportunity to share with them the good news of what Jesus has done for them.

This is a topic I am becoming increasingly passionate about and I am thankful for the opportunity to speak to you about it on this special day.  I hope you will come and be motivated to pray for our nation and to do your part to bring it back to Jesus.  Let us also celebrate the good things God has done in our little congregation as we remember all that He has brought us through.  Though Linda and I are still newcomers compared to most of you, we are amazed and encouraged by what we have found at Bartimaeus Baptist Temple and we are excited to be a part of whatever God is going to do next.  Come and celebrate with us this Sunday.

Homecoming is just a couple of weeks away and I hope you will be with us on Sunday September 11, 2011. This will be the 10Th anniversary of the event that changed most of our lives.  We will began services at 10.00 am on this Sunday and we will be having dinner afterwards.  Everyone is invited and I hope you will invite someone to come along with you.

I have seen Kay this week at Baylor and she is doing much better.  It appears she did have a stroke but she has regained most of her memory and she is in good spirits but she needs our prayers, as she will have to have a time of rehab and rest.
Arvella is doing well in the rehab center and may be going home soon.  Keep praying for those that need our prayers and trusting God.  You will not be disappointed!  We love you and can’t wait to see you on Sunday, till then, do good things because God expects that of you.

Pastor David & Pris

This week sermon is going to be found in Matthew the 15Th chapter vs 21-28. I am reading Matthew again this month and I love all the lessons in this Gospel. This  story appears be out of character for Jesus. He never seemed to treat people this way before, but I think if we look closer we will see what Jesus was trying to show us in these verses.  I think it is important to realize how much faith matters to God.  The kind of Christian we become is not based upon how much scripture we can quote are how many good things we do for other people because I can promise you there are many people out in this world right now that may know a lot of scripture and may try to do good things in this life but they do not have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.  Our faith in Jesus Christ will determine where we spend eternity and nothing else. There is no other way to heaven but through him and our faith in him is what he is looking for.  I hope Jesus can say to us what he said to this woman at the end of these scriptures.

Invite someone to come with you to church on Sunday and lets have another good crowd worshiping and praising God at Bartimaeus Baptist Temple .  Pray for those that need our help and keeping practicing your faith in the things we say and what we do.  We love you so much and can’t wait to see on Sunday.

Pastor David & Pris

My question for you this week is, “what is important to you?”  As churchgoing Christians, we’ve been pretty well trained to give the right answer to a question like that, but what is the real answer that is reflected by how we live our lives?  Our launch passage this week is Matthew 21:28-31.  Jesus tells a story in response to the Pharisee’s questioning of his authority.  Earlier in the chapter we read that they saw all the great things He was doing, but instead of glorifying God, they were indignant about the children who were praising Him.  They had a problem with priorities.  This parable is the first of several that Jesus tells to illustrate the position that the Pharisees were in.  It should make us think about our own lives.  is what we say we Will do what we actually do?  What’s really important to us?

We’re looking forward to seeing you all tomorrow.

This week we are going start our new Evangelism class led by Linda. She will have the workbooks with her. You want to be here from the beginning.  I heard a song this week that inspired my sermon this week. It was by Matthew West it was called “Motions”.  You may have heard it.  It is a song about God  of Passion a song where he was tired of settling for a stale faith.  The scripture for this week is Matthew 13: 1-9, 18-23.  It is the story of the Sower and the Seed.  I hope you will be in Church this week and celebrate all the blessings God has for us.

I hope you read the prayer request and praise reports from last week. We are concerned about each other and want to be there for each other.  The Family of God means just that!  We are all brothers and sisters to each other, through good times and bad.  Treat each other  like we want to be treated.  Thank God my Wife is back and she is anxious to see you as well she has great stories and memories she made with her kids and grandkids.  Se will see you on Sunday!!!!

Pastor David & Pris