I am the light of the world; he who follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.
John 8:12
The Lamplighter
July/August 2009
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A word from Dr. Hokuf
Dear church family,
Greetings
in the precious and powerful name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
A little while ago I challenged you with the statement—What Would
Jesus Do (WWJD)? We agreed that for the next several months we would
try, with God’s help, to do whatever Jesus would do.
Have you done anything out of the ordinary?
Has this decision caused you to rethink or redo some bad habit or
sin? Perhaps you have gone
out of your comfort zone to help someone.
Peter tells us to “prepare our minds for action” (1
Peter 1:13), to be holy as God Himself is holy (1:15), to fervently love
one another from the heart (1:22).
He adds that when we do these things they are “spiritual
sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ” (2:5).
The Christians to whom he was writing were facing increasing
persecution for their faith under the fanatical rule of Nero, emperor of
Peter immediately exhorts wives and husbands to
work on their marriage relationship.
Perhaps that should be the number one area of priority for some
of us to work on. It may
also be the hardest area to make real and lasting changes.
However, it also holds promises of being the arena of greatest
rewards.
Peter goes on to speak to our relationships with
Christian brothers and then with the world.
He says we should always be “ready to make a defense to everyone
who asks” (3:15). In all
these things he says “keep fervent in your love for one another, because
love covers a multitude of sins” (4:8).
As Peter closed his first epistle he does so with a
warning concerning the spiritual warfare all Christians are engaged in.
“Be of sober spirit, be on the alert.
Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion,
seeking someone to devour. But
resist him, firm in your faith . . .” (5:8-9).
My prayer is that as you follow in His steps this
year and do whatever is required to fulfill that which you believe Jesus
would do, that God’s kingdom would be built up and Satan’s kingdom would
crumble. Let’s change our
world, one step at a time, His steps.
Your fellow servant,
Pastor Stephen D. Hokuf
Note: Scriptures noted are
from the NASB.
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DVD Showing Sun., July 26, 6pm
What is the “Best” Evidence That God Created?
Featuring Carl Kerby
This is the most popular talk by one of Answers in
Genesis’s most popular speakers!
Audiences nationwide have been thrilled with this energetic,
eye-catching presentation on some of the most astounding evidences of
God’s handiwork. Carl Kerby
builds to an unforgettable conclusion:
the life-changing truth that the best evidence is God’s Word
itself!
Carl Kerby has an amazing story.
The son of a professional wrestler, raised in a liberal church, he was
steeped in the ways of the world.
But the Lord used a “chance” encounter with two creationist
pilots to change his life forever.
A former air traffic controller by trade, Carl’s gift for
interweaving spellbinding real-life stories with the truth of the Bible
has made him one of the most dynamic creation speakers in
Team KID rapped up its 3rd season with a
celebration at the
See ya in the fall!
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Sunday, July 5
CALL2FALL
Join believers
across our nation
seeking for God’s healing
for our land.
Henry Blackaby, author
We cry out to God in remorse and He hears us. When we are
brokenhearted and genuinely humbled, He will have compassion on us.
Then we will experience His bountiful blessing rather than His judgment.
The prayer that sparks revival begins long before the countryside seems
to awaken from its slumber in sin. It starts when men fall on their
knees and cry out to God. That's where true intimacy with God takes
place and we begin the journey of being transformed into the image of
Christ. And as men are transformed, the course of a nation can be
changed.
Chuck Colson, public speaker, author
We need to confess our moral failures and our national sins—repent of
the lies that have justified killing innocent babies and the elderly.
Renewal begins on our knees. It is there that we hear soul searching
questions from God Himself, asking, "How long will you defend the unjust
and show partiality to the wicked? . . . Rescue the weak and needy;
deliver them from the hand of the wicked" (Psalm 82).
Billy Graham, evangelist
When ancient
Adrian Rogers, 3 term SBC president
Prayer is our greatest resource and God is our only true
hope. Only prayer can hold back the floodtide of sin and God's judgment
and release the cleansing, healing hand of God. Will you pray?
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WHEELS FOR THE WORLD!
We know Jesus often helped the blind, the lame, the
deaf, the troubled . . . Our
Missions Committee voted at their last meeting to do the same by
supporting a new outreach called Wheels for the World.
Here’s some particulars:
WHO:
Joni Eareckson Tada started this ministry.
Jane BRANDENBURG recently became an area representative.
Phil MEEKINS and our YOUTH are Jane’s primary assistants.
WHAT:
It’s a tangible way to “bear one another’s burdens”.
WHERE:
It’ll be an outreach from our church and our neighborhoods
to distant lands i.e.
WHY:
It’ll bring more people in more places to Christ.
WHEN:
NOW!
HOW: WE’LL BE COLLECTING
USED BUT RESTORABLE WHEELCHAIRS
as well as other items i.e. aluminum crutches, aluminum walkers,
exercise mats, etc. (A
complete list will be available @ church).
Volunteer inmates at designated prisons refurbish them.
Then they’ll be distributed to needy people overseas via short
term missionaries.
FYI:
Through Wheels for the World over 34,000 wheelchairs have
been collected nationwide, refurbished by inmates, shipped and donated
to developing nations.
MORE INFO:
Visit
www.wheelsfortheworld.org
OR
call Jane BRANDENBURG
@ 410 287-9226.
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Missions
$30 million shortfall
Not enough funds . . .
The Baptist Press reports:
Despite financial hardships caused by the economic downturn,
Southern Baptists gave $141 million to support the work of missionaries
through the 2008 Lottie Moon Christmas Offering for International
Missions. But the total,
which fell nearly $30 million short of the $170 million goal, is not
enough to fund many of those who are ready to go.
The $30 million
shortfall is equivalent to what it costs to support the work of
approximately 667 international missionaries for a year.
The 2008 offering was $9 million below the record 2007 offering
of $150.4 million.
“We are grateful that in
these difficult economic times Southern Baptists displayed amazing
generosity in giving $141 million to the 2008 Lottie Moon Christmas
Offering,” said Jerry Rankin, International Mission Board (IMB)
president . . . IMB trustees
approved the suspension of new appointments to the International Service
Corps and Masters programs.
They also approved reducing the number of new appointments in other
programs. . . By the end of
2010, the IMB’s missionary force of 5,656 is expected to fall to a level
“compatible with financial resources,” Rankin said.
The reduction will occur through retirements and completion of
service.
Rankin said the stakes
have never been higher for Southern Baptists to take the Gospel to a
lost world.
“Never before have we
seen such unprecedented response to the Gospel and opportunity to
disciple the nations,” he said.
“God is moving through global events to open opportunities to
share the Gospel as never before.”
Furthermore, Rankin
commented: “It breaks my
heart that God-called people want to go—and millions need to hear the
Gospel message from them—yet we don’t have the funds to send them.”
To learn more visit
imb.org/main/give.
Editor’s note:
Even though the Lottie Moon Offering’s national
goal fell short, First Baptist of North East surpassed its $3,000 goal
with over $3,750 given to International Missions.
Praise the Lord!
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NEW!
Ladies Bible Study~Prayer Group
Thursdays,
10am-12pm
beginning July 9—Meet
in Rm. 3
Fresh Wind, Fresh Fire
By Jim Cymbala
Books will be available.
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DVD Showing
Sun., Aug. 16, 6pm
Genesis: The KEY to Reclaiming
The Culture
Challenging The Secular Worldview
Featuring Ken Ham
To many, the Bible is mostly just a book of religion, morality and mere
“stories” that don’t really relate to our scientifically advanced
culture. The fact that the
Bible is real history—touching on biology, geology, astronomy,
anthropology, etc.—has been lost to most.
Generations, even in the church, have been indoctrinated to believe the
world’s evolutionary/humanistic interpretation of science and
history—which has resulted in the undermining of biblical authority,
even in the lives of Christians.
This well-illustrated DVD presentation will uniquely equip you with the
answers to defend your faith . . . And proclaim the gospel of Jesus
Christ in today’s culture.
Ken Ham, in his dynamic and captivating style, exposes the
foundational reasons for this collapse and challenges the church with a
powerful solution to rebuild its foundation.
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Southern
BaptistTheological Seminary
Hokuf served as trustee for 10 years
Dr. Stephen D. Hokuf has completed his tenure as trustee of Southern
Seminary. Hokuf served for a
decade (1998-2009).
Dr. Hokuf served along with R. Albert Mohler Jr., the school’s ninth
president.
According to Gregory A. Wills, author of
Southern Seminary’s 150th history (1859-2009), Mohler, who is
conservative, “shares the vision” of the founder, James Petigry Boyce.
The seminary strayed from the founder’s vision to being more
liberal. However, Southern
Baptists ultimately changed the denomination’s direction and elected
Mohler in 1993.
So let us labor with all our might,
in utter dependence on the grace
and mercy of God,
and in utter devotion to Christ,
to maintain the truth
of the Gospel and holiness of life
in our churches, lest we again stumble
from the paths of truth.
Gregory A. Wills
Credit:
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