The Pastor's Page
The Yielded Believer
To trust Jesus Christ as personal Savior is to be saved and born again, having your sins forgiven, possessing eternal life, and knowing your destination is heaven. But only the born again believer who is yielded to the Holy Spirit is a genuine ‘Christian’ disciple in the true biblical sense. The yielded believer is a Christian who has a mind through which Christ thinks; a heart through which Christ loves; a voice through which Christ speaks; and a hand through which Christ helps.
“Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.” Romans 6:13
posted by Brother David Saturday, January 12, 2008
Wednesday, November 7
Hello All -
Well, we have finally figured out how to access the Blog again. Last time I tried it was when Blogger was absorbed by Google, and I just didn't get signed up properly. Thanks to our webmaster who knows how this stuff really works for getting me back online.
Please look for more timely posts now.
Bro. David
posted by Brother David Wednesday, November 07, 2007
Saturday, November 19
HAPPY THANKSGIVING!
The Bible says in Psalm 118:28-29, “Thou art my God, and I will praise thee: thou art my God, I will exalt thee. O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good: for his mercy endureth forever.” Psalm 118:28, 29
At this time of the year when we celebrate Thanksgiving, we really do need to count our blessings. When we do, we will be surprised at what the Lord hath done!
He has saved those of us who have put our faith and trust in Christ for salvation; He keeps us by His mercy; He sustains us by His grace; He provides our daily needs; He protects us from danger and delivers us from evil.
Looking back over the past year, you can no doubt see that God has brought you through many dangers, toils, and snares to where you are now. Be sure to thank Him with both lip and life.
The Psalmist said it well: We can praise the Lord because He is our God, and because our God is good, and because our God is good all the time!
When you think about how good the Lord is and how good He has been to you and me, we are truly too blessed to be stressed or depressed.
If we are honest with ourselves we know that we are doing much better than we deserve because God is so good to us.
posted by Brother David Saturday, November 19, 2005
Tuesday, February 8
Brethren,
This past Sunday was SUPER BOWL SUNDAY – the biggest party in the world! And guess what? Our church MISSED the party. HOW? We went to church and actually WORSHIPPED GOD instead of canceling services or having a Super Bowl Party at church.
The way I look at it, the folks who are going to skip church to stay home and watch the game are going to do it anyway, and those who would rather go to church as usual like it was just another Lord’s Day should not suffer because of the carnal element in the church.
And I don’t see MIXING the world’s entertainment with the Church’s worship just to cater to the worldly crowd by having a Super Bowl Party AT CHURCH. Besides if you have church like we do at 6 PM, you’ll make the 2nd half okay, anyway. I did, and I can say that I didn’t miss anything in the first half while I was in church or in the 2nd half that I saw. I am sure that the angels in heaven had their monitors tuned into a good church service where they were worshiping God, and NOT the Super Bowl.
I haven’t heard the reports yet, but I doubt that a lot of unsaved or backsliders showed up at the church sponsored Super Bowl Parties. Many were held at members houses (some actually cancelled church that night and announced in their church bulletins whose house the party would be held for those who wanted to go) – to win the lost, of course, and gain the carnal. I don’t think there are going to be many reports of souls saved or backsliders reclaimed because of this. And besides, the results don’t justify the means, even in soul-winning. I just can’t picture the apostle Paul, or Savanarola, or Chrysostom, or Luther, or Wesley, or Moody, or Spurgeon, or Norris, or Rice, or even the old-time Southern Baptists or Methodists canceling church for a Super Bowl Party. Can you? I mean, really, what would Jesus do? Do you think He would cancel church or have the party at church? How absurd. Yet the church today wrings their hands over this issue every year, and gives in, and does just that. If I ever do that, I expect you to rebuke me, brethren.
Here is a humorous little article, offered as a pun; think about church when you read this to get the point…
NO MORE GOING TO THE GAME FOR ME – WHY?
1. Every time I went they asked me for money.
2. The people with whom I had to sit didn't seem very friendly.
3. The seats were too hard, and not at all comfortable.
4. I went to many games, but the coach never came to call on me.
5. The referee made a decision with which I could not agree.
6. I suspected that I was sitting with some hypocrites...they just came to see their friends and what others were wearing, rather that to see the game.
7. Some games went into overtime, and I was late getting home.
8. The band played some numbers that I had never heard before.
9. It seems that the games are scheduled when I want to do other things.
10. I was taken to too many games by my parents when I was a child.
11. I recently read a book on sports and now I feel that I know more than the coaches do anyhow.
12. I don't want to take my children to any games, because I want them to choose for themselves what sport they like best.
Bro. Dave
posted by Brother David Tuesday, February 08, 2005
Monday, January 31
Our first JUBILEE of the year went great. The Lord blessed and we had a good crowd. All in all, there were 5 other churches represented besides us, and we heard from 2 of our preachers and 2 preachers from 2 other churches. The messages were all timely and the special singing had the “old time ring.” That’s how we like it. We started about 7 PM and were done at 9:30 PM. We broke for refreshments for about 25 minutes in the middle. There was a good spirit among the brethren. I called it a “Fundamenical” gathering (a little sarcastic take on the combination of "fundamental" and "ecumenical") – where the fundamental, KJV Bible-believing, non-contemporary Christians can get together and have a good time in the Lord without all the junk that many of us are trying to keep out of our churches, if you know what I mean.
As the Pastor, I appreciate everyone that came out and supported the Jubilee. THANKS A LOT!
We plan to have a monthly or every other monthly Jubilee. The next one is scheduled for the last Friday in March (the 25th), which is just before Easter weekend. We are having a revival the first weekend in March, so that is why we are not planning a Jubilee in February. More information will follow. Please pray for us, and come out if you can.
posted by Brother David Monday, January 31, 2005
Tuesday, June 29
Hello everyone!
I wanted to update you on what is going on at the church...
In this month of June we continued our series in the Adult Sunday School called “Science and the Bible.” We have so far taught on Astronomy, Physics, Chemistry, Biology and Anthropology. It has been a blessing to me to teach this, and our church has learned a lot from it. The more you study these things, the more you know how foolish the theory of evolution really is. Our church’s faith has been strengthened in the veracity of the Bible and the reality of our God.
The first Sunday of the month my wife and I were out of town. Our men took up the slack for me, doing the preaching and teaching, and doing a good job. Thanks, men.
We went to Linda’s hometown in Ohio for her niece’s high school graduation. My wife’s mother’s house is still for sale, and we were able to do some “spring cleaning” while there to make it more presentable. Please pray that it would sell soon.
After attending the graduation, Linda and I went down to Amish Country, east of Columbus. We stayed in Walnut Creek and did some sightseeing around the area, visiting places like Berlin, Charm and Sugar Creek. We went to the local Dollar General Store and parked our 2000 Ford Taurus next to the “horses and buggies.” It is like going back in time, and having the modern conveniences as options. There were lots of clothes “on the line” and farmers cultivating their land behind a “hitched up” mule or two. And there is a lot of Christian influence among them – it is part of their culture. Many of their stores and shops have Gospel Tract racks at the front doors. What a blessing to see this in America. We visited one of the big cheese factories while there (Heini’s) and got our supply of cider, trail bologna and various cheeses (chocolate, chocolate-coconut, blueberry cheesecake, etc.). You should visit that part of the country when you get the chance. It is very scenic and serene, a good place to get away from the hustle and bustle of your average tourist places.
We began a church-wide Discipleship Program this month. We are using a publication from the Sword of the Lord called “Basic Bible Principles” by Dr. Marc Elledge. It has twelve lessons, from Salvation to Baptism to Prayer, etc. I am going over it on Sunday nights. Our grading is 50% for getting the correct answers and 50% for attendance. So far we have had good attendance and interest. Some Sunday morning only folks are coming out now, and some who have not been faithful enough are making the effort to come. The idea is to train our people to be able to teach others (2 Timothy 2:2; Matthew 28:19,20).
The first lesson on Salvation went really well. At the end of the service, during the invitation, a young 8-year-old boy whom folks have been praying for and the Lord has been working on raised his hand for salvation. After the service I had the privilege of leading him to Christ. Praise the Lord. It goes to show that if the Bible is faithfully taught and preached, and you expose yourself and your family and friends to it, God can deal with them over time and save them (Romans 10:17).
How sad and unfortunate that there are people who will not avail themselves and their families of the opportunities to hear the word of God. One self-righteous professing Christian woman who had visited a few times decided not to come to the Discipleship Lessons after looking at the book we are using. She told one of our members that it looked “monotonous” and besides, she and her children knew all that stuff anyway. Later that week, that member and his family were having devotions with one of this lady’s children present. Using the “monotonous” booklet, the man asked the girl a few simple questions about salvation. She did not know the simplest answers. He then asked if she wanted to look up the verses herself, and her face lit up. She got more in 30 minutes than she had gotten from her mother and their church her whole life. Needless to say she wasn’t saved, and Mama wasn’t about to help. When Mama showed up, the Bible study was “over.” Mama decided to go somewhere where the church “has something for the kids.”
On Father’s Day, I promised the ladies I would be just as hard on the men as I was the women on Mother’s Day. I hear that I “came through.” My message was from Proverbs 20:6, and the title of my sermon was “Where Are The Men?” – who would be faithful leaders, faithful husbands, faithful fathers, faithful providers and faithful Christians. The men came back that Sunday night (some of the wives said they “made” them come back!).
Brethren, please pray for us!
Brother David Martin, Pastor
posted by Brother David Tuesday, June 29, 2004
Friday, June 11
Dear Brethren,
As the nation mourns the death of our 40th president, Ronald Wilson Reagan, I thought it appropriate to reflect on how God used this great world leader to further the cause of Jesus Christ. I have heard that Pres. Reagan was a saved man, and that he wasn’t. I like to think that he was a born-again believer, and that he is in heaven. His salvation and his Christianity can be debated, but his contributions to our world cannot. He was not perfect, and we did not agree with every thing he did. Even so, as some of the pagan kings of old were called the “servants” of God (such as Nebuchadnezzar & Ezra), I believe that God used Ronald Reagan to serve His purposes.
Under the presidency of Ronald Reagan we saw the collapse of the Soviet Union and the dismantling of our greatest military threat. The world was made safer and freer. The very geographic boundaries of the earth changed due to the policies and courage of President Reagan. Although the liberal news media liked to scorn him as a 2nd rate actor who could only read a script well, and tried to portray him as a "guntotin’ cowboy" who was going to destabilize the world with his foolish bravado, the enemies of America and freedom took him seriously. The Cubans took him seriously after he invaded the tiny island of Granada early one morning and liberated U.S. medical students from a Communist take-over. The nation of Libya and its terrorist bad boy, Muammar Khaddafi, took him seriously after he had F-14 Tomcats to literally drop a bomb on the front porch of his house. The Russians took him seriously when he had a summit meeting with the Soviet president at Reykjavik, Iceland, and upon not being taken seriously, walked out of the meeting, got on Air Force One and headed back to the White House. Even the liberal press took him seriously when he joked before a weekly radio address, not knowing the microphone was open, by saying: “I have signed legislation that will outlaw Russia for ever. The bombing begins in five minutes.” They had conniption fits over that one.
The oppressed people who were enslaved by Communism in the Soviet Union and its satellites took him seriously when he said he was going to bring down the Communist regimes of the U.S.S.R. – and they cheered him. At the Brandenburg Gate in Free Berlin, he raised his voice above the din of the communists’ PA system that was trying to drown out his speech, and demanded of the Soviet president by name, “Mr. Gorbachav, tear down this wall!” Within two years, all of Berlin was free and both East and West Berlin were united in freedom. President Reagan ended the Cold War without firing a shot!
Think of the significance of what happened. It was the answer to the prayers of millions of Christians around the globe and in the U.S.S.R. who had hoped for the liberation of that part of the world for decades. Read the books by Richard Wurmbrand (Tortured For Christ), Harlan Popov (Tortured For His Faith), Brother Andrew (God’s Smuggler) and Alexander Solzhenitsen (The Gulag Archipelago) and you will see how Satan used Atheistic Communism to persecute, torture and kill millions, many of them Christians. There were Christians imprisoned for their faith who every day waited for the Americans to come and liberate them.
Today, the doors of opportunity are open to the Gospel in what was formerly sealed off to all behind the infamous “Iron Curtain.” There are now American, independent Baptist missionaries in Russia and most every one of the former satellite nations of the Soviet Union – the Ukraine, the Czech Republic, Romania, Hungary, Poland and what was once East Germany.
God used a man to do this – it wasn’t FDR, or Truman, or “Ike,” or JFK, or LBJ, or “Tricky” Dick, or Gerald Ford, or Jimmy Carter – it was Ronald Reagan. And I thank God for him.
Pastor Martin
posted by Brother David Friday, June 11, 2004
Friday, May 21
Hello, brethren. Long time since I have written a post. This is a test to see if we are still up and on our website.
Bro. Martin
posted by Brother David Friday, May 21, 2004
Saturday, July 26
Hello Cyberspace Friends,
This week Memphis had the "Super Storm" - if you live in our area, I hope you are all doing well, considering the weather we jsut had. My family lost power for a day and a half. There are still about 100,000 without power they say. I tell you, all it took was one night without lights, and one morning in a cold shower to make me count my blessings and thank God for the conveniences that we enjoy in America. One thing’s for sure, most of us are not ready for a disaster. I’ve got my list of supplies to buy for an emergency kit for “next time.”
I have driven through Bartlett and mid-town Memphis, and we really got hit by this storm. Our immediate neighborhood fared pretty good, but other parts of town were devastated. Those winds reached hurricane force 2 velocity at 100 mph. If you have lived on the coast and been through hurricanes like we have, Memphis looks like the aftermath of hurricane for sure.
The church lost power for several days. We got our lights back on yesterday, Friday morning. Due to lack of power, we did not have church Wednesday night, but we will be able to meet as usual this Sunday. (Thanks to the Lord and the good crews of MLGW.)
Speaking of power, we need the “power of God.” In our personal lives, in our homes, on the job, and in our church services. Paul spoke of this, that he wanted to know the “power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings” (Philippians 3:10). Of course, the devil, who is the “prince of the power of the air” (Ephesians 2:2), and who may have been behind the storms that Jesus rebuked when the disciples were fearing for their lives, is doing his level best to “knock out” our power so that we will not be effective for God. He wants to make us powerless Christians.
How can we experience the power of God in our lives. First we must be saved by that power – the Gospel of Christ (Romans 1:16). Then we must “be filled with the Spirit” (Ephesians 5:18), from Whom we receive the power to live for Jesus Christ and be His witnesses (Acts 1:8). And to have this power in our lives, we must PAY THE BILL. Paul said that knowing the power of His resurrected life was connected to “fellowship of His (Christ’s) sufferings.” That speaks of His death and crucifixion – so we must be willing to count ourselves dead to this world and our own fleshly lusts, and DAILY take up our cross and follow Jesus Christ, stay on our knees in prayer, stay in the Book and read the Bible, stay in fellowship with good Christians in church and out of church, and continue to be a witness for the Lord. If you don’t pay the power bill, you will have your lights turned off. That is the problem with many a Christian and many a church these days. Let’s keep the lights burning bright for the Lord – to do this we must be prepared to “pay the bill” with our daily living and devotions.
God Bless you all till next time…
Brother Martin
Still “Standing on the Solid Rock”
posted by Brother David Saturday, July 26, 2003
Monday, July 14
Greetings in the Name above all Names, that of Jesus Christ our Lord!
Just a note about our first annual Spirit of 1611 Bible Conference. We had Dr. Harold Tabb in to teach and preach on the theme of the King James Bible. We had good turnouts for each service. Our folks were faithful to the house of God to support the conference. We learned many things and were strengthened in our faith in the Bible. We had our convictions confirmed that the King James Bible is the very word of God for the English-speaking world.
I was disappointed that of all the fundamental, so-called "Bible-believing" Baptist preachers in our area, that only one expressed any interest in our meeting. He let me know that he had planned to come, but was unable. It appears that the Bible issue is not really an issue with most preachers, even fundamentalists. They are compromising in their Sunday School literature, their gospel tracts, their public preaching, their overall stand on the KJV Bible. That is why most of them, although they claim to be "Bible-believers," would not come near a Bible conference with the connotations that our name implies: "Spirit of 1611." It cuts the issue too close for their comfort, and what their friends would think of them. It might affect their ministry. And they don't want their personal convictions about the Bible to be challenged, or "exposed," in front of their people. I think that there are many "closet NON-bible believers" in our fundamental pulpits who merely pay lip service to the word of God, and don't really believe the Book that they preach and teach from.
At Solid Rock Baptist, we don't have that problem. What about your church? If you have to question, or even "wonder," if your church is truly a Bible-believing church, then IT'S NOT.
God Bless until next time...
Standing on the Solid Rock,
Pastor Martin
posted by Brother David Monday, July 14, 2003
