Friday, December 18, 2009

Are you the man for Edgecomb, Maine?







This old church is located on route 1 in Edgecomb, Maine. It has not been a church for quite a few years now. It is for sale as prime real estate on route 1. What a shame to see this church being peddled for business purposes. There is also another church building (the former Edgecomb Baptist Church) on route 27. Edgecomb needs a man of God preaching right out of the good old King James Bible! Are you that man? Just a note, the building behind the church is a kingdom hall of Jehovah's witnesses. (A.K.A False witnesses). Edgecomb needs Baptist knuckles on every door. Are you the man that God will use to make that happen?

Monday, December 14, 2009

Are you the man?




These images break my heart. The town of Pittston, Maine has no gospel witness. Here sits another old church that is now something other than a house of God. Unfortunately we have so many old churches in Maine that are now antique shops. Let's change this!!! We need a man to preach the gospel in Pittston, Maine. Are you that man? Every town needs an independent fundamental Baptist church! Every town!

Friday, December 11, 2009

Are you the man?















This building is located on route 27 in Dresden, Maine. When I see this I wonder what kind of a church this was? Was there thundering preaching coming from this pulpit? Dresden does not have a Bible-preaching Independent Fundamental Baptist Church. Are you the man God is calling to preach the gospel in Dresden? Dresden needs a Man of God that will open up the good old King James Bible and preach "Thus saith the Lord!" Oh that the Word of God will once again echo through this grand old church building.....

Friday, November 20, 2009

Five steps to peace

First of all, thank you for your prayers for my Dad. He is scheduled to have a triple bypass surgery on December 1. Please keep him in your prayers. His heart is strong and it is a very good thing the blockage was found before he had a heart attack. God is so good!!!

These are the notes from my sermon preached Wednesday night 11-18-09 at my home church (Church Hill Baptist Church, Augusta, Maine). My Pastor called me Wednesday morning to ask me if I would be willing to preach that evening since he needed to be home with his ailing wife and children. I jumped at the chance. Here is what the Lord gave me to share....

We all know that as we approach Thanksgiving and then Christmas, well...., things get pretty hectic. How many can identify with this situation: "Oh, No! I burned the pie! The Jones' will be here soon. What am I going to do?" or "I have been looking for this toy for days and everybody's out!" Often times it is easy to forget about that peace that God promises. Maybe you have never been saved, there will be no peace at all. For the child of God, we have peace, but how do we draw upon that peace? How do we experience that peace? As is ALWAYS the case, God's word has the answer for us. In the book of Philippians 4:4-9 the Lord lays out for us 5 steps to peace.
  1. Verse 4, Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice. We need to rejoice in the Lord always. Often times we allow our personal situations dictate how much we praise our Lord. When times are good it is "Hey, Praise the Lord, God is good!". What is on our lips when times are not so good? I know from personal experience that it is easy to praise the Lord when times are good, but when the heat is turned up, it isn't so easy. We need to daily take stock of how good God is to us. Child of God, do you realize that God left the glory of Heaven, put on a robe of skin, walked this dusty earth and then became sin and died on the cross, rising again the third day! He conquered the grave so that we may trust in Him and have everlasting life! If that does not get your shouter working, nothing will! Many remember the song "Count your blessings". That is excellent advice. Take stock of how God has provided in your life. God is so good and we need to rejoice in the Lord alway!
  2. Verse 5, Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand. We need to make sure we are living right in front of all men. When we leave the church, we are on public display for all to see. A child of God ought to be distinct from the world. 1 Peter 2:9 reads But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light. We need to be distinct from the world. We are a "peculiar people". Peculiar here does not mean weird, it means to be set apart. We should not strive to blend in to the world. What are your standards? Everybody has standards, are yours Biblical or worldly? When you are shopping in the grocery store and you bump into someone from church, are you hiding anything in your cart? What is your standard for dress? What is your standard for speech? We need to be distinct from the world (Romans 12:2) and let our moderation be known unto all men.
  3. Verse 6: We need to practice prayer and supplication with thanksgiving. How is your prayer life? Does it consist of "God bless the food, Amen." and nothing else? We all know what prayer is, although there are many, many good sermons on prayer, we all have the basic knowledge. What is supplication? The Greek root means to "petition, beseech, beg". There are times and issues for which we must "shake the gates of heaven". For example, a loved one is lost and on their way to hell. You have been praying for them for quite a long time, but they still don't seem to move at all. Don't give up. Beg God. Beseech the Lord. Pray fervently (James 5:16) and do not give up. In Genesis 32, Jacob did not give up when he was wrestling with the Lord. He held on to God "until the breaking of the day". He so badly desired the blessing that he held on through the night, despite the pain of a dislocated hip. Supplication is a must. Verse 6 also says "with thanksgiving". Don't let your prayers be nothing more than a laundry list of what you need. Thank the Lord for all He has done for you. God does not need our praise and thanksgiving, for even the rocks will cry out if we are silent. God does desire his children to have a spirit of thankfulness. Is that your heart?
  4. Verse 8: have a pure heart. What do you do when nobody else is looking? What are you setting in front of your eyes? What are you thinking about when you think nobody else is around? The Word of God tells us in verse 8 of Philippians 4 that we should think on things that are true, honest, just, pure, lovely, of good report, virtuous, with praise. What does your mind wander to when it is idle? Does that thought meet these qualifications? We need to keep a pure mind and the Lord can help us with that. If we are staying active in our Bible studying (the Word of God does not just tell us to read our Bible, it tells us to study) and our prayer life, you will be able to withstand any temptations that come your way. If you fail to "take heed" you will "fall".
  5. Verse 9: whatever Biblical counsel you have received, do. If you are reading God's Word daily and you are faithful in your church attendance (if you are going to a solid independent, fundamental Baptist church that preaches and teaches right out of the good old King James Bible) and faithful in your prayer life, you will have no problems with the "do".

If you want the God of peace to be with you. If you desire the peace of God which passeth all understanding, follow these steps from God's word and you will have peace. True inner peace.

Thursday, November 12, 2009

Urgent prayer needed

My Dad, Meredith Jones, will be facing either triple or quadruple bypass surgery. Please pray for him and I will post updates as soon as I get them.

Sunday, November 8, 2009

Wow, God is so good!

I am so glad that the Lord saved my soul! He saved my family! He put us in a great church! Whooo weeee!!! Praise the LORD!!!!
Church Hill Baptist has added two great couples over the last three weeks! We welcomed the Mosher family to our church tonight! What a blessing! Praise the Lord we are adding to the church the right way, not by compromise (so prevalent today) but by the preaching of the Word of God!
I had a great blessing attending the New England Baptist Preacher's fellowship this past Monday at Calvary Baptist Church in Sanford. The great folks at CBC spent very considerable time and effort putting on a great event! Pastor Todd Bell was an excellent host, and the preaching from Pastor Jeff Faggart (president of the Baptist Historical Preservation Association) and Preacher Cal Fuller (Saving New England for Eternity ministries) preached the Word of God with POWER!
What a great week, indeed! I wonder what this week will hold! What a joy to serve the Lord of Lords, Jesus Christ!

Friday, October 23, 2009

Where there is no vision, the people perish.

I don't know quite where to begin this post. I am feeling so unbelievably blessed that I really don't know what to say, except PRAISE THE LORD JESUS CHRIST!!!! The Lord is moving in Church Hill Baptist Church! The vision that He has given Pastor Wiley is simply incredible. The Lord has led our church to bring the Glorious Gospel of Jesus Christ not only to the Augusta area, but throughout Maine through church planting and rescuing. In order to plant all of the churches that the Lord has called us to, we must raise up men, both young and old to preach! We believe the Lord has called Church Hill Baptist to create a school where men, young or old, can be trained to be Independent Fundamental Baptist preachers! Maine needs preachers! America needs preachers! For many families the call of the Lord means selling all and going to a Bible School to learn the ministry. There are precious few schools in America that train up King James only, soul winning, sold out, sin stomping, devil hating, Independent, Fundamental Baptists. We believe that Church Hill Baptist can be one of those schools. Please pray for us as we move forward down this path the Lord is blazing for us. As long as there is a man left to preach the Amazing Gospel of Jesus Christ, there is hope. Our hope is the preaching of God's word. We need more preachers!

Saturday, October 3, 2009

Showers of Blessing........


What a treat it was for me to come home on Friday night! After a great meal of baked chicken and all the fixings my kids had a special presentation for me. They have memorized Hebrews 11:1-10. They accomplished this in 24 days of classroom learning! Oh, how the Lord is blessing my family through this first year of home schooling! Praise the LORD!

Thursday, September 24, 2009

Weekly update

What a blessed couple of weeks we have had at Church Hill Baptist. We have had many students leaving for college, some for the very first time. We are in constant prayer for them.
Our Sunday school and AWANA programs are now up and running. What a blessing it is to serve in these ministries! These precious children and young adults are the future preachers, preachers wives, missionaries, deacons and general servants of Christ. This past Sunday and Wednesday we welcomed Evangelist Seth Ferguson to Church Hill Baptist. For his Wednesday sermon, you can click on the bottom of this page. For a young man, he certainly brought an old-fashioned fire with him. He is off to Howland, Maine to preach this coming weekend. We wish him very well.
Since we are talking about preaching, I have to say I have never, ever heard a boring sermon here..... Pastor Wiley has been on fire lately and if you have missed any installments of his "But we preach..." series, please download them and listen. Wheeeewwwiiiieeee, talk about fire from above!
We want to congratulate Pastor Josh Lovelace, as he was officially voted in as the Pastor of Truth Baptist Church in Jefferson. Praise the Lord! Woo Hoo!! (Hankie raised in the air!)

Looking forward we have missions week beginning Saturday October 3 with a "meet the missionary" night at 5 pm. Please sign up to bring casseroles and salads. I am getting hungry already (it does not take much). Be prepared to spend the rest of the week with us as the conference goes straight through Wednesday night. We have missionaries and preachers lined up. Look for a blessing and plan to be there!
As for the Jones family, the Lord is moving! We will be making some major changes soon, please pray for us as we enter the next very exciting part of our life! This time we are stepping out of the way and letting the Lord have the reigns. For 37 years I followed me. Now it is the Lord's turn.
Thank you all and may the Lord richly bless you.

Matthew Jones

Sunday, September 6, 2009

Are you a pig or a chicken?

Sometimes we can look to simple things of this life to learn deep lessons. Consider your breakfast of bacon and eggs. A chicken and a pig both contribute to the meal. There is a very big obvious difference between the two. The chicken has provided a contribution by giving the egg that was laid. The pig lost it's very life so you can enjoy that bacon.
Now, consider your spiritual life. Are you giving the Lord a contribution, or giving yourself a sacrifice? Which is Biblical?
Rom 12:1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.

Hmmm, God's word answers that question, huh?

So again I ask: are you a pig or a chicken?
Are you giving the Lord a contribution, or providing yourself a living sacrifice? The Lord Jesus Christ condescended to us, endured the shame of the cross for us and died and rose again the third day for us. The least we can do is be obedient to God's word and "present your bodies a living sacrifice". You make the call.........

Thursday, September 3, 2009

New Sermons from Church Hill Baptist

I have uploaded many new sermons from the pulpit of Church Hill Baptist Church. Please download, listen, enjoy as often as you like. I will be uploading new sermons weekly. I will also be uploading some special sermons like the revival week with Dr. Scott Caudill. Enjoy and may God bless!

Saturday, August 22, 2009

Church Planting / Assisting update!!!!!



I am very happy to say that God is doing a special work in Maine. Churches are being planted where there were none, Churches that were dying have received new life...... Praise the Lord!

This morning a group from Church Hill Baptist met up with Truth Baptist Church to distribute Gospel of John fliers around the town of Jefferson. With a major help from another Independent Fundamental Baptist Church who sent many members from Connecticut, we distributed over 1100 fliers! That is 1100 families that now have God's Word in their possession.
Speaking of Truth Baptist Church, interim pastor Josh Lovelace has officially announced his candidacy for the full time Pastorship of the Church. Just two months ago it looked as if Truth Baptist Church would be closing their doors for good. Thanks be to Jesus Christ there were a small group of church members that would not give up. This church has had as many as 100 members in the past. They are not talking just about all God used to do among them, they are speaking of what God will do through them. The future is wide open.
Bible Baptist Church of Unity officially moved out of the house of Pastor Pelkey and his family into the community center down town. So far the church that started with just a few family members and a Bible study is now averaging over 30 for each Sunday morning service. They are not growing because they are "giving people what they want" or because they are entertaining the people. They are growing through the preaching of the King James Bible! Praise God for Pastor Pelkey who loves his flock enough to preach to them what they need to hear.
Barter's Island Baptist Church, a church that formerly had a membership of over 100 people has recently seen attendance dwindle to single digits. This church, another Independent Fundamental Baptist Church, attracted the attention of Pastor Todd Bell (Calvary Baptist Church in Sanford, Maine) and his "Next Towns Ministries". Pastor Bell and Pastor James Wiley (Church Hill Baptist Church in Augusta, Maine) paid the church a visit and within a couple of months an Evangelist from North Carolina was on Barters Island ready to preach the Word of God! They recently had a full week of revival services where at least one soul was saved and many people heard the Word of God preached with fire and passion. Pray that this work will continue to grow.
On the island of Islesboro, the Schoppee family continues with their work planting an IFB church on the island. Island Baptist Church represents the only place on the island where people can go and hear the true Gospel preached every week. Please continue to pray for the Schoppee family as they allow the Lord to use them in a very special way.
There is also the work of Pastor Ron Meldrum who is working on planting an IFB church in northern Maine as well as Brother Carl Morrison who is planting another IFB church in Maine.

If any readers know of another IFB church planting effort currently going on please email me at mainefundamentalbaptist@roadrunner.com and let me know.
Please continue to pray for all of these efforts as the Lord moves in Maine in a special way. Please do your part and invite people to your IFB church so they may hear the preaching of God's Word and have their lives changed for eternity.

Wednesday, August 19, 2009

Righteousness Exalteth a Nation

Proverbs 14:34 "Righteousness exalteth a nation: but sin is a reproach to any people."

The Lord loves righteousness. We learn this from many passages in scripture including Psalm 11:7. The America of today is far from a righteous nation. I don't need to go deep to make this point. From abortion to sexual immorality our country is way off the "old paths". In times like this America has always been able to look to the Church of the Living God to be righted. Unfortunately the American churches of today are far from righteous themselves. What has happened to churches? Oh, how liberalism has entered and destroyed the fabric of righteousness. There is no emphasis on holy living anymore. Why? In 1 Peter 2:9 we read "But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:". How is a church being "peculiar" if they are attempting to do all of the same things the world is doing? You are very likely to walk into most churches now and see worldly dress and worldly music. Why is that? Does it not say in Romans 12 :2 "And be ye not conformed to this world; but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God." Is that so hard to understand? We do not need to do the "Christian" version of what the world is doing (conformed), we need to do what is peculiar (transformed). People ought to be able to look at a Christian and see something very different (peculiar) about them. "Oh, you are such a legalist!" Well, if being a legalist means I love what God loves, then I guess that is what I am. We need to love what God loves, and one of those is righteous living.

Saturday, August 1, 2009

Another reason we all need to be soul winners.....

Mrs. Angel Hayward went home to be with the Lord today. What a great witness she was throughout her life. Her final days gave stirring testimony of how powerful the peace of God's salvation through Jesus Christ truly is. Her concern was for everyone else, not herself. The feeling in the room was not absolute horror, as is the case most of the time when an unsaved person is ready to slip into eternity. Sure, her family will sorely miss her and we all need to pray for the Haywards and be ready to physically help in every way they need help, but her entire family knows she is in her new body and they will all see her again.
The passing of Mrs. Angel is just another reason we all need to be soul winners. Without trusting in Jesus Christ unto salvation, the lost person would never be able to experience the peace that Mrs. Angel experienced in her last days. This lost and dying world needs to know there is a hope for them through the shed blood of Jesus Christ. A family member dying is always sad, but it does not need to be hopeless. There is hope! Jesus Christ has conquered the grave! We praise His name! We all need to spread the gospel, it truly is the word of life.

Saturday, July 25, 2009

Its time to preach again!

I am so glad the Lord has called me into the ministry! He is soooo good! I need to preach the Word of God! It has been a while since I had the opportunity (over 2 months). I am hungry to preach again! I just can't wait!
It has been a great Saturday as we had the mens prayer breakfast this morning. After that my family and I visited my in-laws to look at a new property in Nobleboro. We then went to Warren to visit my Pastor and his family. What a blessed day! We are so excited to be in his service!

Tuesday, July 14, 2009

Urgent prayer needed

I know that I may not have a lot of regular visitors to this site but there is an urgent prayer need right now. Church Hill Baptist member Angel Hayward is in the hospital in very serious condition. She is completely in the Lord's hands at this point. She is the mother of six great kids and wife to a great Man of God. The entire family needs your prayer right now. Please pray for the Hayward family.
Thank you and God Bless.......

Saturday, July 11, 2009

One week later.......

What a great time we had getting ready for the 4th of July and our water distribution project. Church Hill Baptist came together in a great way and got over 8,000 bottles oCheck Spellingf water with attached Bible tracts ready to distribute. On July 4 we had a great time serving the Lord passing out these waters. It was amazing to see the clouds peeled back just as our float began moving. How good God is!!! It got really hot very quickly and ooohhhh my, didn't the people want that water! They did not realize they were also getting the Water of Life with that plain water. We are praying still for these tracts and Vacation Bible School invitations to bring forth fruit for our Lord. We are looking at the water project as the first step in reaching Augusta for Christ. Ohhhhh, pray the Lord brings forth laborers for the harvest!
We are looking forward to our day on Sunday! We will be in the house of the Lord singing the old hymns of the faith and "amening" some great preaching. I am looking forward to teaching Sunday School for the combined 5-12 grade group. I am looking forward to the next time I get to preach. I don't know when that will be, but I pray it will be soon. I am backing up on my "preach" and I gotta get some outta me! Praise the Lord for putting that "preach" in my soul of souls!

Monday, June 29, 2009

July 4th is coming......

We had a great day on the Lords day this week! What a blessing it is to serve at Church Hill Baptist! We had a great Sunday school lesson from I Kings 17. God will provide for you if you are answering his call! Amen. Praise HIS name! During the am service it was an old fashion "turn or burn" salvation sermon. If you are unsaved today, your time is running out. Trust Christ as your savior. There is no guarantee that we will have tomorrow. Today is the day of thy salvation!
The lunchtime hour was great fellowship. It was followed by a very moving event. Church Hill Baptist Church prepared 8,000 bottles of Poland Spring water for distribution at the 4th of July parade in Augusta. The bottles have gospel tracts in baggies rubber banded to them. We also included invitations to our Vacation Bible School. What a moving afternoon indeed. Our prayer is that Augusta will partake in the water and read the tract so they can receive the water of life!

What a blessing it is to serve with such a great group of Godly families! We all came together and the Lord blessed our efforts. Please pray for people to be saved as a result of this outreach. If one person trusts Christ as their savior as a result of this, it will all be worth it! Actually, being obedient to the Lord makes it all worth it. We may not know until we reach Glory whether or not the tracts made a difference. We cling to God's promise that His word will not return void. Amen!
Praise the Lord for my church family!!!!

Thursday, June 11, 2009

What a great God we serve!

The Lord is so good to us, amen! What a busy week and a half it has been. Church Hill Baptist Church had the opportunity to assist another church of like faith and what a blessing it was and is. Truth Baptist Church is an independent fundamental Baptist church in the town of Jefferson. This church had been two weeks with no services after the resignation of the pastor. The attendance at the church had dwindled from highs of over 100 to seven faithful church members. One of the deacons of the church approached Pastor Wiley asking what to do. It was at that time that the Lord used Church Hill Baptist in a very special way. The first thing the Pastor did is organize a group of volunteers to help get the church ready for a service this past Sunday night. The Pastor then committed to ensure there would be a preacher there on Sunday night and Wednesday night. The direction from there would be up to Truth Baptist (who will follow the direction of the Lord). The Sunday night service was absolutely amazing. Truth Baptist Church was so packed they had to line up folding chairs in the back to seat everybody. The Spirit of God moved in a very special way during that service. Brother Josh Lovelace preached there on Wednesday night and we are awaiting direction for next Sunday morning / evening. This all happened in the midst of the revival services of Bible Baptist Church in Unity (a recent church plant of ours). Pastor Pelkey preached the Word of God in Unity on Friday, Saturday and Sunday and the attendance was as high as 95 on Sunday morning. Praise the Lord. Pastor Wiley preached Sunday school and the Sunday morning services at Church Hill Baptist, travelled to Unity to preach on Sunday afternoon and then travelled to Jefferson to preach at Truth Baptist Church. God is using him and his congregation in a very special way. Many churches would have put Truth Baptist Church on their prayer list, which is great, but would not have rolled up their sleeves to help them keep the light going. I praise the Lord for Truth Baptist Church.
I personally just finished our annual inventory at the store. This had me working 116 hours in a one week period. I praise the Lord for my wife's helping hands throughout the week and I also praise the Lord for Pastor Wiley who, despite the busy week, made time to call me periodically to make sure I was ok. Oh how the Lord blessed me in my time of need. He is so good to me.

Please keep both Truth Baptist Church in Jefferson and Bible Baptist Church in Unity in your prayers.

Monday, June 1, 2009

Awana closing ceremonies

On Sunday night we had our closing ceremonies for Awana. What a blessing it is to see these children growing in the Lord. I can personally speak of my two daughters growth. It should be very convicting to us adults as we see our kids memorize and learn the Word of God. Psalm 119:105 "Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path." We need that lamp to light up our paths every day. I am so thankful for all of the hard work all of the Awana volunteers pour into this on a weekly basis. I pray the Lord blesses them for their faithfulness.

On the right hand side of this blog you can see a slideshow of the closing ceremonies. Enjoy.

"Tiller the killer" shot and killed while acting as usher at church on Sunday morning.

Late term abortionist George Tiller was shot and killed on Sunday morning while acting as usher at the Reformation Lutheran church in Wichita, Kansas. Tiller, known as "Tiller the Killer" was infamous for providing late term murders, ooops, I was trying so hard to not let my personal convictions show through. Ok, it's my blog and I will say what I want. George Tiller was a very evil man and is now burning in a devil's hell as I write this. He is a good example of someone who "has religion" but is unsaved. "How can you say that he is unsaved, who made you judge?" Anyone who will kill an unborn baby cannot possibly be saved. In the 3rd verse of the 127th Psalm, God tells us "Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD: and the fruit of the womb is his reward."
I don't feel bad for Tiller, I do feel bad for the thousands of babies that he killed. The shooter, however, should have let God have his vengeance. In Hebrews 10:30-31 God tells us "For we know him that hath said, Vengeance belongeth unto me, I will recompense, saith the Lord. And again, The Lord shall judge his people. It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God." He was an evil man, but it is not our job to take the law into our own hands. That being said, the unborn babies of Kansas are safer today. Tiller the Killer is gone.

Monday, May 18, 2009

God is so good to me!

Sometimes we need to rest for a moment and take stock of how the Lord has blessed us. We often get so busy that we fail to look back at our day or week and really dwell on how good God is to us. This week was quite a week. I am happy to say that our Pastor is back home with his family after a week at Heartland Baptist Bible College (and Southwest Baptist Church) in Oklahoma City. In his absence I had the opportunity to be the "Pastor for the day" this past Lord's day. I prepared a Sunday school lesson and preached the morning and evening service. What a blessing! I praise the Lord for the opportunity to "get off the bench" and get into the game. I missed my Pastor this week, but what a great time of preparation I had for the messages. On Thursday I spent hours in God's Word, praying and looking for direction. The Lord gave me Ecclesiastes 2:1-11 and a message titled "the God shaped hole". The evening service I preached on Acts chapter 9 and the conversion of Saul of Tarsus. We answered a simple question: can God use your life? Of course we know the answer is absolutely "YES" on this question. God can use your life. What are you doing for the Lord today? Are you doing it because you want God to see you doing that?

Thursday, May 7, 2009

The burden for Maine ......

Amos 8:11 "Behold, the days come, saith the Lord GOD, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the LORD"

With one stroke of the pen our Governor John Baldacci signed "Same Sex Marriage" into law. I have felt many emotions on this. Anger, disappointment, sadness ....... all valid emotions. The Lord, however, led me to believe we must put these feelings aside. After all, we can not get mad at a lost person for supporting sin. Isn't that what you do when you are lost? We must get angry at sin, but to be angry at a sinner that sins is like getting angry at a skunk for stinking. The real anger, disappointment, sadness all needs to be pointed at the churches of the state. It is the lack of Bible preaching that is missing in all corners of the state that is leaving the doors open for all kinds of immorality and sins. We are currently living in a famine like the one in Amos 8:11. The Word of God is not being brought forth enough! Oh, that more Men of God would step forward to boldly proclaim the truths of the Word of God! We need to get Mainers saved and into good, solid Independent Fundamental Baptist Churches.
There is much work to be done but we can not let ourselves get into a "spiritual rock kicking session". I can say that between Church Hill Baptist Church of Augusta and Calvary Baptist Church of Sanford, there are several families going forth to bring the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the state of Maine. We have the Pelkey family in the Benton / Unity area, the Schoppee family on the island of Ilesboro, and the Morrison family in Rumford. In addition the Lovelace family and the Colburn family will be planting churches in Lewiston and Rockland, respectively. The Lord is moving in Maine right now! Things may look bleak, but God's word will not return void!
I have a deep burden for Maine. We are in a spiritual famine right now but God is moving here! We MUST bring the Word of God back to preeminence in Maine! Who's with me?

Friday, May 1, 2009

When Morning Gilds the Skies

When morning gilds the skies my heart awaking cries:May Jesus Christ be praised!Alike at work and prayer, to Jesus I repair:May Jesus Christ be praised!
When you begin the day, O never fail to say,May Jesus Christ be praised!And at your work rejoice, to sing with heart and voice,May Jesus Christ be praised!
Whene’er the sweet church bell peals over hill and dell,May Jesus Christ be praised!O hark to what it sings, as joyously it rings,May Jesus Christ be praised!
My tongue shall never tire of chanting with the choir,May Jesus Christ be praised!This song of sacred joy, it never seems to cloy,May Jesus Christ be praised!
Does sadness fill my mind? A solace here I find,May Jesus Christ be praised!Or fades my earthly bliss? My comfort still is this,May Jesus Christ be praised!
To God, the Word, on high, the host of angels cry,May Jesus Christ be praised!Let mortals, too, upraise their voice in hymns of praise,May Jesus Christ be praised!
Be this at meals your grace, in every time and place;May Jesus Christ be praised!Be this, when day is past, of all your thoughts the lastMay Jesus Christ be praised!
When mirth for music longs, this is my song of songs:May Jesus Christ be praised!When evening shadows fall, this rings my curfew call,May Jesus Christ be praised!
When sleep her balm denies, my silent spirit sighs,May Jesus Christ be praised!When evil thoughts molest, with this I shield my breast,May Jesus Christ be praised!
The night becomes as day when from the heart we say:May Jesus Christ be praised!The powers of darkness fear when this sweet chant they hear:May Jesus Christ be praised!
No lovelier antiphon in all high Heav’n is knownThan, Jesus Christ be praised!There to the eternal Word the eternal psalm is heard:May Jesus Christ be praised!
Let all the earth around ring joyous with the sound:May Jesus Christ be praised!In Heaven’s eternal bliss the loveliest strain is this:May Jesus Christ be praised!
Sing, suns and stars of space, sing, ye that see His face,Sing, Jesus Christ be praised!God’s whole creation o’er, for aye and evermoreShall Jesus Christ be praised!
In Heav’n’s eternal bliss the loveliest strain is this,May Jesus Christ be praised!Let earth, and sea and sky from depth to height reply,May Jesus Christ be praised!
Be this, while life is mine, my canticle divine:May Jesus Christ be praised!Sing this eternal song through all the ages long:May Jesus Christ be praised!

Thursday, April 30, 2009

Oh that men would praise the Lord

Wow! What a great week it has been at Church Hill Baptist Church! Dr. Scott Caudill has been with us all week singing the songs of Zion and preaching the Word of God. Monday night he preached from 1 Kings 18 and the "showdown" between the god (note little "g") Baal and the one true God, the God of the King James Bible. His sermon was titled "What's it going to take for the fire to fall." Woooooeeeee. What a challenge from the Word of God. Tuesday night it was Ruth chapter 1 with "Leaving full but returning empty". The key verse was Ruth 1:21. It was a great night as our friends from Calvary Baptist Church in Sanford joined us, along with Pastor Barnard from Quebec. What a great night. Wednesday night, the final night of preaching, was a challenge out of Psalm 107:8,15,21,31. "Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!" We are commanded to praise the Lord. Not just on the mountaintop but in the valleys as well. What a great week it has been. Thursday night is going to be a night of singing. Dr Caudill has a golden voice and what God honoring music this is. Praise the Lord!

Thursday, April 16, 2009

We Need Revival

Winter in New England can be a very long and cold experience. Because of the lessened amount of fellowship that takes place in January, February, and March we all run the risk of getting spiritually cold. It can happen very quickly, skip praying one morning, don't read your Bible one day and ........ you can find yourself drifting away from the things of the Lord. I have experienced this in my life. Often you don't know that you have drifted. I Corinthians 11:28 says "But let a man examine himself ......" and when you follow that command from Gods word, you will see that you may need personal revival. Revival starts with me. Revival starts with the individual. We cannot have corporate revival without personal revival. In 2 Chronicles 6 we read King Solomons prayer of dedication for the temple. That prayer is a model for us. Your assignment is to read that prayer and in chapter 7 the result of that prayer. Glory be to God! We need that kind of revival.

Thursday, April 9, 2009

Purpo$e Driven $ham "pastor" sells out support for California's Proposition 8

I have long been wary of Rick Warren and his whole "purpo$e driven" "mini$try". It has long been evident that his top priority is the loads of money that he is making selling books and all those sorts of things. He has now come out and apologised for supporting California's proposition 8. My guess is that $ale$ of his merchandi$e were going down because he came close to taking a stand for something. Notice I said "came close" to standing for something. I doubt he would take a stand on anything that would lose him "market share" of the prosperity gospel book market.

In a related story $addleback church is officially changing it's name to "Ichabod Laodecian church" and it's new motto is "out his mouth us God will spew, this is surely the church for you". (Ichabod = "the glory has departed, Laodecian church Revelation 3)

How many "churches" across the world have bought into the whole "40 days of purpose" nonsense. We need preachers equipping believers to live lifetimes of purpose. The purpose is to serve the Lord. Is that what Rick Warren's purpose is? We really are forced to question that. It appears that Rick Warren is concerned most about ............ Rick Warren. If he truly loved those around him he would be screaming the truth of God's word from every possible corner. He would be preaching on hell and sin and letting people know there is a heaven, there is a hell, those that trust Christ as Saviour will go to heaven when they die, those who reject Christ as their saviour will go to hell when they die. His popularity on the world stage is no different than the popularity of "America's preacher" Joel Osteen. These "men of God" and all others of their kind are doing so much damage to America. They are propagating the lukewarm Christian life. They are not telling the truth. They are telling people "you are ok just where you are. No change is needed. Where is the true Jeremiah 1:10 preaching? "See, I have this day set thee over the nations and over the kingdoms, to root out, and to pull down, and to destroy, and to throw down, to build, and to plant." What has Rick Warren ever rooted out? Maybe the last piece of KFC in the bucket? How about Joel Osteen, has he ever "destroyed" anything? Well, they have both destroyed lives. Because of each of their "preaching" many people think they are ok, only to find otherwise on the last day they are burning in hell for eternity. America needs Men of God all over the country that will open up their Authorized King James Bible and say "Thus saith the word of God" We need to have a missions mind for America to undo the damage these $h$ter$ are causing.

Monday, April 6, 2009

Riding the Bus.....

We had a wonderful Lord's Day yesterday. The Lord is so good! My entire family had the opportunity to serve on the Church Hill Baptist Church Bus yesterday. Brother Woody Hayward and his family have faithfully served for over 20 years driving that bus, visiting the families, and bringing the gospel of Jesus Christ to those who, otherwise, may never have the opportunity to hear. It was such a blessing to see the fruit of his labor of love in one young man named Jeff. Jeff has been riding the bus since he was "still in diapers". He is now 18 years old and what a fine young man he is, despite his surroundings. The bus was pretty full, making for a spirited trip back and forth. Getting to know these young people is a real blessing. Your heart breaks as you hear some of the stories they tell. Our sincere prayer is that these kids will get saved and then bring the great gospel of Jesus Christ home and help show their parents the way.
Praise the Lord for the faithfulness of the Hayward family. What a sacrifice they have made over the years. The Lord will reward them for their work.

Saturday, April 4, 2009

Origin of Baptists

I found this at www.baptistpillar.com . Enjoy!

Origin of the Baptists
Taken from the book entitled, “Why I am a Baptist” by C. Larkin
Almost all the Anti-papist denominations date, either directly or indirectly, from the Reformation of the sixteenth century. The Protestant Episcopal, Lutheran, and Presbyterian Churches, came from the Roman Catholic Church, and the Methodist Episcopal Church came from the Protestant Episcopal Church.
The Baptists, however, do not date from the Reformation. Though Anti-papists, they are not, in the technical and historical sense of the word, "Protestants," though they have ever protested, and do now protest, against the heresies and abominations of the Romish Church.
Just before his ascension, Jesus said to his disciples:
All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Ghost. Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you; and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen. Matt 28: 18-20; and Mark adds, He that believeth and is baptized, shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned. Mark 16: 16.
The requirements of this Divine Commission, are:
1. To preach the gospel to all nations.
2. To baptize those who believe.
3. To teach those who believe to observe all things whatsoever Christ commanded.
This the apostles did. That the churches they founded were believed to be composed of regenerated persons, is evident from the fact that they addressed or referred to them as "believers," "saints," "quickened," "the faithful," "the redeemed," "the sanctified," "the saved," etc. The apostolic churches were also independent bodies; that is, separate from the State and from each other, and self governed. They are spoken of individually as, "the church at Jerusalem," "the church at Antioch," "the church at Smyrna." They are spoken of collectively as, "the churches," "the churches of Macedonia," "the churches of Asia," "all the churches."
They are represented as electing their own officers, admitting, expelling, and restoring members, and acting as distinct, independent bodies.
There is a remarkable similarity between the apostolic churches and the Baptist churches of today, in their modes and forms of worship.
The apostolic churches were distinguished for the plainness and simplicity of their worship. "They had no magnificent cathedrals, gorgeously arrayed priesthood, no prescribed ritual, no splendid religious shows, no pomp of music, no parade of images and paintings."
Quietly, and unostentatiously, they met in some "upper room," or other humble sanctuary, to sing, to pray, to read and expound the Scriptures, and to exhort one another to faithfulness in the Christian life.
History of the Baptists
The Baptists claim to have descended from the apostles.
It is true that the line of descent cannot always be traced. Like a river, that now and then in its course is lost under the surface of the ground, and then makes its appearance again, the Baptists claim that, from the days of the apostles until the present time, there have not been wanting those persons, either separately or collected into churches, and known under different names, who, if now living, would be universally recognized as Baptists.
Since the origin of the Baptists, long and eventful ages have elapsed. Some of them were ages of ignorance and darkness. Men were afraid to speak or to write, almost to think. The principles for which the Baptists contended were fiercely denounced as heresy and treason. To speak, was to be hushed in death. Had they not been immortal, all vestiges of them, save in the records of courts and councils, would have perished. Their existence and continuity can be traced down the ages by "the stains of their martyr's blood, and the light of their martyr's fires."
Since the days of the apostles, they have come to the surface in the Novatians, the Donatists, the Paulicians, the Paterines, the various communities of Waldenses, the so-called Anabaptists of Germany, Dutch Baptists, the Baptists of England; and are seen today in the Baptists distributed all over the world.
Dr. Cramp says: "When Luther blew the trumpet of religious freedom, the Baptists came out of their hiding-places to share in the general gladness, and to take part in the conflict."
The Baptists have suffered, in common with other Christian denominations, at the hands of wicked rulers, and of the Roman hierarchy. They have also suffered by themselves for their peculiar views as Baptists, at the hands of Lutherans, Episcopalians, Presbyterians, and Congregationalists; and for no one thing more than their rejection of infant baptism. In Germany they were plundered, thrust into dungeons, banished, and numbers of them beheaded or burned alive. Torture was frequently employed to wring from the sufferers the names and abodes of their associates, or to force them to renounce the faith. In Switzerland, in 1526, it was ordered that if any baptized others, or submitted to baptism (re-baptism, they called it), they should be drowned without mercy. Many Baptist ministers were drowned; and they held their meetings in secret, in the woods, and under cover of the night. Finally, they left the country in large numbers, going to Moravia, where, for a season, they were tolerated; but at length a law was passed expelling them, and they left, some going to Hungary, some to Transylvania, some to Wallachia, and others to Poland.
In the Netherlands, the hand of oppression was heavy on the Baptists. In 1532, three were burned at the Hague. By edicts, published in the following year, all persons were forbidden to harbor Baptist preachers in Holland; and Baptists refusing to recant were to be slain. The torture was constantly resorted to. The victims were stretched on the rack, or thumb-screws were employed, or a similar instrument applied to the ankles. No regard was paid to sex, station, or age. Under Bloody Mary, a good proportion of the martyr blood that flowed was from the veins of Baptists; and many passed to heaven through the fire.
In the early settlements of America, Church and State were united by law, and the Church sustained by taxation and State appropriations in Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Virginia; and persecutions against Dissenters were violent and severe.
In 1620 (December 20), the Pilgrims landed on Plymouth Rock, and founded the first colony in New England. They were Independents, or Congregationalists; and on board the "Mayflower," they had made a provision for the support of the church and ministry by taxation. The Pilgrims, or Puritans, did not come to this country to establish religious liberty; they came to establish their own faith, and to exclude all others from their colonies; and they were more intolerant in their colonial enactments against Dissenters than either England or Holland, whence they had fled from persecution.
Roger Williams landed at Boston, February 5, 1631. He had been a minister of the Church of England; but becoming disgusted with its corruptions, he sought a home in the Puritan colony of Massachusetts. But when he found the Puritan Church at Boston still holding communion with the Church of England, he refused to unite with it, and went to Salem. But his sentiments were quite in advance of the Puritans. He boldly preached religious liberty, liberty of conscience, liberty of worship, and declared that the civil magistrate had no right to coerce the consciences of men, nor inflict civil penalties upon men for their forms of religious faith and worship. In January, 1636, he was banished; but his persecutors, fearing that he would establish another colony, determined to send ham back to England; but when the officers went to his home to arrest him, he was gone. He had fled into the wilderness among the savages, who furnished him with a home. "For fourteen weeks," he says, "I knew not what bed or bread did mean." He had made the acquaintance, and secured the friendship of Massasoit, and the Narraganset chiefs, Canonicus and Miantonomoh. By the last two he was welcomed to Narraganset Bay, where he founded the city of Providence. In March, 1639, he became a Baptist.
Though persecuted by others, the Baptists have never persecuted. They have always opposed the union of Church and State. In Virginia, in 1784, when they had almost conquered in their struggle for religious freedom, a compromise was proposed in the form of the famous "Assessment Bill." Every one was to be taxed to support religion; but to have the liberty of saying to which denomination his tax was to be applied. The Baptists saw that this was an alliance of Church and State, and opposing it, secured its defeat.
In Georgia, in 1785, a law for the establishment and support of religion was actually passed, through the influence of the Episcopalians. It embraced all denominations, and gave all equal privileges; but the same year, the Baptists remonstrated against it, sent two messengers to the Legislature, and it was promptly repealed. The first modern treatise ever written upon "Religious Liberty," was by Leonard Busher, a Baptist, in 1614.
The Baptists have not only been the firm friends of "Religious Liberty," but of "Civil Liberty" as well.
Thomas Jefferson had much to do in shaping the government of Virginia, and of the United States. He was not a Baptist, but he was brought up in close relations to them; and about ten years before the Revolution, he attended, for several months, the meetings of a small Baptist church near Monticello, his country seat, and became much interested in their church government; and declared that it was the only true democracy existing in the world; and that he believed it would be the best plan of government for the American Colonies.
A National Constitution for the United States was adopted in 1787. Its provisions were satisfactory so far as they went; but many felt that "Religious Liberty" was not sufficiently guarded. The Baptist General Committee of Virginia, in 1788, expressed their disapproval of this important omission, and, after consultation with James Madison, they wrote to President Washington, saying, that they feared that liberty of conscience, dearer to them than property or life, was not sufficiently guarded in the Constitution. Washington sent a kind and encouraging reply, and in the very next month, Virginia proposed that immortal "First Amendment" to the Constitution of the United States:
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof, or abridging the freedom of speech or of the press, or the right of the people peaceably to assemble and petition the government for a redress of grievances.

Wednesday, April 1, 2009

Having a Mission Mind for Maine

Glory! God is so good! We had a great Lord's day and mid week service at Church Hill Baptist Church. Sunday morning we had brother Josh Lovelace preach a Sunday School message on the four types of soldiers found in I Samuel, the Coward, the Chameleon, the Comfortable and the Courageous. Brother Josh really brought it home. What a blessing it is to hear a man of God preach right from the King James Bible!
After Sunday school I had the pleasure to preach to an official crowd of 101 people. This is the highest amount of people I have ever preached to! Glory! I listed five reasons we need to have a missions mind for Maine.
  1. Most towns don't have an Independent Fundamental Baptist Church.
  2. Apathy rules most existing Churches.
  3. Influx of immigrants.
  4. Non-Biblical and extra-Biblical teaching is on the rise.
  5. Ethical crisis in Maine.

You will notice the "acrostic" with the first letters spelling out "Maine". I am a simple man so I really need to create mechanisms for me to remember my points.

I had a great time preaching this message that God has laid upon my heart. I was a little nervous at first and I skipped around a little bit more than I planned to, but I think it went well. The feedback was very good. I certainly hope I will get another chance soon!

Sunday night Pastor Wiley delivered a message about the door. Be the watchman at the door of your house. Only let the Lord in. Watch for the Devil trying to get in through the cable, the mailbox, the Internet, the cel-phone.........guard your home.

What a great day in the Lord's house!

Thursday, March 26, 2009

Preparing for Sunday morning (I get to preach again!)

The Lord had given me a message that I am burning to share with my Church family. On Sunday morning I will have the opportunity to preach the Word of God again! I am so thrilled that the Lord has called me to preach and I am praying for his power on my preaching. With an average attendance of over 100 for the "main" service this will be, by far, my largest audience yet. I can't wait to open up the King James Bible and say "Thus sayeth the Word of God!". Please pray for me as I continue my preperations for the message. I "practice preached" and timed my message at 1:04:00. Wow! I wonder if I will actually go over an hour? My introduction was over 20 minutes long. I will be preaching on something very close to my heart, Church Planting. Please pray for me as I will be working 10 hours on Friday and 12 on Saturday. Today is my last day for actual preperation time. I can't wait! God is good!

Sunday, March 22, 2009

A great Lord's day so far

We had a great morning in the Lord's house today with a great Sunday school lesson on David's charge to Solomon before he "slept with his fathers" (died). We are to keep God's precepts just as David told Solomon. David learned the hard way that we need never depart from the wisdom of the Lord's precepts. Pastor Wiley preached from Jonah 1:1 in the main service. We learned from God's word that there are three types of reactions when God is speaking to you: 1. refuse to listen, 2. listen but do nothing, 3. listen and do. We need to listen and do. We need to sensitive to what the Lord is trying to get through to us.
We had some very special guests in the morning service this morning: the Morrison family (church planters in the town of Rumford) and Pastor and Mrs. Cal Fuller (from "Saving New England for Eternity" ministries). It was a special blessing to have these great families in attendance.
Before church this morning, the Lord woke me up very early and I had some great special time with him. How wonderful it is to be able to have a "prayer closet". It is during these times that the Lord speaks to me the most. I am so thankful for all that he is doing in my life right now. Yesterday my wife had a great opportunity to go to a ladies conference at Victory Baptist Church in Londonderry, NH. It was a great blessing for me to see her have such a great time. I praise the Lord for all of the great churches around us right now.
I am looking forward to the upcoming week as we have a great service tonight, men's institute Tuesday night and the mid-week service Wednesday night.

Sunday, March 15, 2009

The Next Towns

Here it is Sunday night and I have had a great Lord's day in his house. I had the pleasure of being off this weekend as my wife and I attended the Maine Homeschoolers convention on Friday and Saturday. Three day weekends in retail are as common as 6 legged dogs. We enjoyed every second we spent together. The Lord has certainly blessed me with a great wife! The Lord has been working on my heart very heavily over the last two weeks. I am feeling such a burden for the state of Maine. In our extensive travels this weekend we had the opportunity to personally view Church after Church that was boarded up, for sale, used for some other purpose.... town after town, Church after Church. In addition, we have many Independent Fundamental Baptist Churches that are dying right in front of our eyes. Some of these Churches are barely clinging to life, others are so apathetic that they don't recognize their own town is dying and going to hell right around them. We need revival in Maine. We need men to stand up and heed the call of the Lord to preach the gospel! Jesus said in Mark 1:38 "Let us go into the next towns that I may preach there also, for therefore came I forth" Jesus felt a burden to go from town to town and preach the gospel. What worked in Jesus' day will work now. We need men, armed with the Word of God (the King James Bible) preaching "Jesus Saves" from every corner of every town. Maine is our most immediate mission field. Maine needs preachers. Maine needs the Lord.

Thursday, February 12, 2009

The Modernist Preacher

The Modernist Preacher
He was an ordained minister, But modern in his views, He preached his fancy doctrine To people in the pews.
He would not hurt their feelings, What'er the cost would be, But their smiles and friendship And compliments sought he.
His church was filled with wicked souls That should be saved from sin, But never once he showed the way, Or tried a soul to win.
He preached about the lovely birds That twitter in the trees The babbling of the running brooks, The murm'ring of the seas.
He quoted fancy poetry That tickled list'ning ears; When sorrow came to some, He tried to laugh away their tears.
His smooth and slippery sermons Made the people slide to hell The harm he did by preaching Goes beyond what we can tell.
He took our Holy Bible, And preached it full of holes, The Virgin Birth, said he, Can't be believed by honest souls.
The miracles of Jesus And the resurrection tale For educated one like us, Today cannot avail.
We're living in an age, said he, When wisdom rules and reigns, When man's intelligence is great And superstition wanes.
He said, we're all God's children Who live upon this earth, No message of salvation, No need of second birth.
His coat was bought with money That he had wrongly gained, For through his lying sermons His wealth he had obtained.
He was just like the soldiers That watched at Jesus' grave, For money in abundance, To them, the people gave.
It was all theirs, by telling What was a sinful lie --- A resurrected Savior, They too, were to deny.
The day at last had come For the minister to die, When to his congregation, He had to say good-bye.
His form lay cold and lifeless, His ministry was past, His tongue with all its poison Was hushed and stilled at last.
His funeral was grand, He was lauded to the skies They preached him into heaven Where there are no good-byes.
Upon the lonely hill, Underneath the shady trees, His form was laid to rest In the wisp'ring of the breeze.
A tombstone was erected With the words; "He is at rest, He's gone to heaven's glories To live among the blest."
His body now is lifeless, But Ah! His soul lives on, He failed to enter in Where they thought that he had gone.
The letters on the tombstone Or that sermon some had heard, Could not decide his destiny, 'Twas not the final word.
He still had God to deal with, The One who knows the heart; While others entered heaven, He heard the word, "Depart".
He pauses for a moment Upon the brink of hell; He stares into a depth Where he evermore will dwell.
He hears the cries and groanings Of souls he had misled, He recognizes faces Among the screaming dead.
He sees departed deacons Which he once highly praised, Their fingers pointing at him As they their voices raised:
"You stood behind the pulpit, And lived in awful sin, We took you for a saint, But a serpent you have been."
Accusing cries -- he hears them. "Ah! you have been to blame, You led us into darkness When you were seeking fame.
"You preached your deadly poison, We thought you knew the way; We fed and clothed you, We even raised your pay.
"You've robbed us of a home Where no tear-drops ever flow, Where days are always fair And the heavenly breezes blow,
"Where living streams are flowing, And saints and angels sing, Where every one is happy, And Hallelujahs ring.
"We're in this place of torment, From which no soul returns; We hear the cry of lost ones, We feel the searing burns;
"Give us a drop of water, We're tortured in this flame, You failed to preach salvation To us through Jesus' name."
The preacher turns in horror, He tries to leave the scene, He knows the awful future For every soul unclean.
But there he meets the devil, Whom he had served so well, He feels the demon powers, They drag him into hell.
Throughout eternal ages His groans, too, must be heard -- He, too, must suffer torment He failed to heed God's Word.
He feels God's wrath upon him, He hears the hot flames roar, His doctrine now is different, He ridicules no more."
The Baptist Challenge - May 1998

Thursday, February 5, 2009

My Journey

"And there they preached the gospel." Acts 14:7 In this passage we read of the first missionary journey. In Acts 13:2 Paul and Barnabas answered the call of the Holy Ghost and went forth preaching in every town. They were following the example set forth by Jesus Christ himself in Mark 1:38 "And he said unto them, Let us go into the next towns, that I may preach there also: for therefore came I forth." Paul and Barnabas went forth preaching "Jesus saves" unto every town. They led many souls to the Lord, also making many enemies in the process. In the town of Iconium they preached in the synagogue and many of the Jews and Greeks believed. (Acts 14:1) There were many, however, who wanted this "Jesus problem" to go away. The unbelievers formed an angry mob and prepared to find Paul and Barnabas to stone them. Paul and Barnabas were "made ware" of the mob (Acts 14:6) and fled. What they did next really stirred me. They did not "lay low", they did not hide out and just try to "blend in". They preached the gospel despite the obvious danger they faced. This kind of boldness is sadly lacking today. There are areas of the country where people still revere the things of the Lord. Sadly, the northeast is not one of those areas.

For years I put more trust in my "own" abilities (given to me by the Lord, something I have finally given the Lord credit for) in business to lead me where I should go. I am blessed to have a very good job that pays me well and treats me great. Well, the Lord has other plans for me. On October 18, 2008 I finally surrendered to the call of the Lord to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ. I realize that I have a lot to learn before I can go off and plant an independent fundamental Baptist Church, but I have been placed in a great church where I have grown exponentially in my faith and Bible knowledge. Pastor James Wiley has taken me under his wing to mentor me and through Church Hill Baptist Institute I am learning at an even faster pace. I wish to preach with the boldness of the early church in the book of Acts. America and especially Maine need this kind of bold preaching. What we don't need is more churches that offer a "back rub" or a "feel good about where you are" message. What we do need is the boldness to proclaim the gospel to all corners, converting unbelievers and teaching believers to live a holy, separated life devoted to our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
This blog will chronicle my journey from businessman to preacher, from living for myself to living for the glory of God, from faith in me to faith in the Lord for all things.
"But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you." Matthew 6:33

The Loss of a Great Man

We recently had the "homegoing" service for Mr. Robert Gowell (a.k.a. Mr. Bob). Bob was the kind of man that always greeted you with a smile. He was the type of unselfish man that would recognize a need and act on it. Despite the fact that he was not a monetarily rich man he would seek ways to bless others. I was told that on Thursday, just two days before his passing, he showed up unannounced at someone's house with a snowblower. He had fixed the snowblower up, made sure it ran perfect and gave it to the family as a gift. That was Bob being Bob. The Lord has used Bob in so many ways. As you walk around Church Hill Baptist Church you will see Bob's fingerprints on almost every square inch of the building. Many families at church also report that Bob's fingerprints are in their houses. Bob was a great example of using your talents for the Lord. We will miss Mr. Bob, but don't feel bad for him. He has gone home!

Browns to Montana