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.

Browns to Montana