Beautiful Medway, Maine in the spring!

Memorial Day, One Baptists' Sacrifice

Happy Memorial day everybody! Today is a day which is set apart for the purpose of remembering all those who died in the service of our country. Countless multitudes of soldiers have given the ultimate sacrifice for the freedom we enjoy today. As a Blood-bought Baptist believer in the Lord Jesus Christ, I think of those Baptists who paid the maximum price for us. One example that comes to mind is that of Benjamin Merrill. Mr. Merrill was a prominent Baptist in the North Carolina area under the royal governorship of William Tryon. Governor Tryon hated Baptists. Tryon was an Episcopal (the North Carolina state church in 1771). History tells us of the Battle of the Regulators, or the Battle of Alamance, but it is not widely reported that the battle was much more about stifling the revival taking place through Sandy Creek Baptist Church and Pastor Shubal Stearns. The proponents of the church - state relationship were very upset with the rise of this new group of Baptists preaching a separation of church and state and religious freedom. Benjamin Merrill was one of the Baptists who defended religious freedom and fought taxation without representation. Let's read the historical account of the noble death of Mr. Merrill. Praise the Lord for Benjamin Merrill and all other patriots who gave their life for us.

At the Battle of Alamance on 16 May 1771, the militia under the command
of Royal Governor William Tryon defeated approximately 2,000 Regulators.
It may never be possible to identify all of the Regulators. Many have
been lost to history. Of the six who were hanged at Hillsborough after
the battle, the names of two are no longer known.

Capt. Benjamin Merrell, one of the North Carolina "Regulators"(colonial
patriots opposing British tyranny) was hanged by colonial North Carolina
Governor Tyron, June 19, 1771, helping plant seeds for the Revolutionary
War of 1776. He was thus ahead of Patrick Henry, Thomas Jefferson and
others in striking a blow for freedom. He went to the gallows with a
song of liberty on his lips. He said he had been converted 15 years
earlier, but had backslidden, yet now felt he had been truly forgiven
and would not change places with anyone on the grounds. He then faced
Governor Tyron's sentence:
"You are to be hanged by the Neck; that you be cut down while yet alive,
that your Bowels be taken out and burnt before your Face, that your head
be cut off, your Body divided into Four Quarters, and this be at his
Majesty's Disposal; and the Lord have Mercy on your Soul." His wife and
eight children were forced to watch, including his youngest, Jonathan,
6, our continuing direct ancestor.
"In a few minutes," he said on the gallows, "I shall leave a widow and
eight children. I entreat that no reflection be past on them on my
account and, if possible, I shall deem it a bounty, should you gentlemen
petition the Governor and Council that some part of my estate be spared
to the widow and fatherless."
One of Governor Tyron's militiamen, deeply moved by his speech, was
heard to say, "If all men went to the gallows with a character such as
Captain Merrell's, hanging would be an honorable death."
Today at Alamance National Battlefield Park near Alamance, NC, off
Interstate 85, a granite monument marks his contribution to freedom,
near the spot he yielded up his life for it.

When I Survey the Wondrous Cross

What a beautiful song written by Isaac Watts. Isn't it true that all of our worldly cares / pursuits should melt at the cross. This song brings a tear to my eye. I can not understand the love behind the wondrous Cross. When we deserve it least, Christ is reaching down for us to pull us up to Him. Amazing!


1. When I survey the wondrous cross
on which the Prince of Glory died;
my richest gain I count but loss,
and pour contempt on all my pride.

2. Forbid it, Lord, that I should boast,
save in the death of Christ, my God;
all the vain things that charm me most,
I sacrifice them to his blood.

3. See, from his head, his hands, his feet,
sorrow and love flow mingled down.
Did e'er such love and sorrow meet,
or thorns compose so rich a crown.

4. Were the whole realm of nature mine,
that were an offering far too small;
love so amazing, so divine,
demands my soul, my life, my all.

One face of compromise.....

"Dear God. Thank you for making me, for creating me, and for loving me. I want to fulfill the purposes that you made me for. Starting today I want get to know you and love you and trust you. And I want my life to bring you pleasure. Thank you for sending Jesus Christ. Help me to understand it more. As much as I know how I want to open up my life to your love and your purpose. In your name I pray. Amen."

What you have just read was the standard Rick Warren salvation prayer. Preceding this prayer (spoken at a prayer breakfast) was a "salvation plea" which never once mentioned sin or being a sinner, never once mentioned redemption or repentance. The speech never once mentioned our need for the Saviour. No, those words are too "negative".

This is what is called compromise. We have no time for compromisers. We have a world to warn of the coming judgement. Like Jonah's "Yet forty days and Ninevah shall be overthrown!"

Separate from compromisers.

This includes Rick Warren.

April update

What a few weeks we have had at Church Hill Baptist Church! The LORD has blessed on so many fronts. He is so good! Weekly soul-winning has been so powerful! I praise the LORD for all He is doing in the city of Augusta. We are seeing souls saved almost every week. Every time we hit the streets, I get more of a burden. Amazing how that works!
We had a tremendous Resurrection Sunday this past week. The choir performed the contada "the Miracle I've Seen" on both Saturday night and Sunday morning followed by amazing preaching from Pastor Wiley. There is true power in the Word of God when preached! Each service at least four people (different ones each service) raised their hand for salvation. That is what it is all about! Amen! Amen!
Brother Michael and his new bride Amber arrived on Saturday fresh off the honeymoon. What a pleasure it is to have them back. He will be preaching at Truth Baptist Church for the next three weeks. What a good opportunity for him.
CHBC is hosting the McFarland's from Oklahoma this week. We are praying God will call this precious young family up this way. Maine desperately needs laborers.

The annual ladies tea is tomorrow. Much hard work has gone into the tea. It is going to be a great time for the ladies (the men helpers get to eat leftovers...mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm!)

We are almost finished with the remodel of the choir loft at church. Many hands contributed to this effort. It looks awesome.

Revival time is here! Two weeks ago Pastor Nathan Pelkey of Bible Baptist in Unity preached revival at Truth Baptist Church. This coming week Pastor Todd Bell of Calvary Baptist Church in Sanford is preaching revival at Bible Baptist in Unity. Looking forward to hearing Brother Bell "Fling'er down!"
We are now just three weeks away from Brother Sam Davison arriving in Maine to preach revival at Church Hill Baptist Church. I am looking forward to hearing this Man of God preach the Word of God!

May 2, 2011 marks the 400 year anniversary of the King James Bible. Have you spent time in your King James Bible today? If not, click the red "X" in the upper right hand corner of the screen and go and read your Bible!
Amen!

No turning back...

Luke 9:62 "And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God."

We all go through times and seasons where we get frustrated. Perhaps finances are real tight. Perhaps time for leisure and relaxation is getting less and less. Perhaps personal struggles wax great in our heart, causing doubt to creep in. I don't know how your heart is right at this moment, but sometimes we just get .... well .... "fed up".
Our walk with the Lord can sometimes get that way. Read Jeremiah 20 and you will see a Prophet of the Living God getting frustrated.
Jeremiah 20:7 O LORD, thou hast deceived me, and I was deceived: thou art stronger than I, and hast prevailed: I am in derision daily, every one mocketh me.

If even the prophet Jeremiah can get to this point, certainly we can in our walk with the Lord.

I have had a very interesting week. I have had two ministry "firsts" that are .... well .... not the "firsts" that you deisre to experience. To be honest, they were painful experiences. Couple that with true financial pressure, pressures of business, pressures of home life. To be honest, the temptation to look back gets strong at times. It is so easy to say "remember when we could just buy what we wanted. Remember when we had "X" amount of money in the bank. Remember when these events didn't strike so close to home...." You get the picture. You get tempted to look back.

Well, God has a word for this concept of looking back: sin. It is sin to look back at our old lives when God has put us on a new path. When our hands have been placed "on the plough", there is NO looking back. Remember what happened to Lot's wife when she looked back? She became the worlds biggest salt-lick.

Let's be like Daniel and purpose in our heart not to look back. There are lessons to be learned from these painful experiences in life. There are lessons to be learned from the pressures that we face. Perhaps we place too much emphasis on what our hands can "earn" instead of trusting the Lord to provide? I don't know what your struggle is, but we must learn from them. Don't look back.

The thought reminds me of that old song "I have decided to follow Jesus"

I have decided to follow Jesus.
I have decided to follow Jesus.
I have decided to follow Jesus.
No turning back, no turning back.

The world behind me, the cross before me.
The world behind me, the cross before me.
Thw world behind me, the cross before me.
No turning back, no turning back.

Friend, if you are serving the Lord, don't look back. Press forward. Keep on plowing for Jesus.
If you are not serving the Lord, why not?

Serve the Lord. Put your hands to the plough and don't look back.

What a blessing! Had the opportunity to lead an 89 year old catholic lady to Christ today! There's a new name written down in glory! Amen!