Sunday, May 10th is Mother's Day! We always plan to make this a wonderful day for our mothers.
We will have a special gift for all of our moms in the service. We also recognize special mothers. ( usually the oldest and the youngest) This year we may do something different. Join us for this special day!.
Sunday, May 31 is Homecoming Day! We want to encourage all of our members and past members to come and be with us on this special day. We will be having a meal following the morning service, and after the meal, we plan on having a song service in the afternoon. Different ones will be singing some of your favorites, so come and join us for a wonderful day of fellowship.
GETHSEMANE Independent Baptist Church Wilson, NC
Wednesday, May 6, 2015
Saturday, April 11, 2015
Youth Rally 2015 Jesus First!
We had a tremendous service last night! The Lord kept the bad weather from coming our way this year. Last year there were tornado warnings and severe thunderstorms and heavy rain for the first hour of our meeting preventing several churches from coming. We had beautiful weather, and a super-charged night.
Dr. Arthur preached on Choices and Consequences from Heb. 11, how Moses forsook Egypt and choose to suffer affliction with the people of God. He preached with Holy Ghost power to a record breaking crowd! The largest attendance ever at Gethsemane, over 300 were there, close estimates would put it near 320!! And best of all, there were four precious souls saved!
There were about 18 to 20 churches represented, many young people responded to invitation for other decisions, with such a crowd it was hard to move, I don't how we got that crowd in there, next year if the Lord tarries His coming, we may to see about renting a place that will hold the crowd.
I am excited about tomorrow's services, praying for God's blessing and power to be manifest again.
Pastor Taylor
We had a tremendous service last night! The Lord kept the bad weather from coming our way this year. Last year there were tornado warnings and severe thunderstorms and heavy rain for the first hour of our meeting preventing several churches from coming. We had beautiful weather, and a super-charged night.
Dr. Arthur preached on Choices and Consequences from Heb. 11, how Moses forsook Egypt and choose to suffer affliction with the people of God. He preached with Holy Ghost power to a record breaking crowd! The largest attendance ever at Gethsemane, over 300 were there, close estimates would put it near 320!! And best of all, there were four precious souls saved!
Thanks to all the Pastors and youth Pastors who helped to make this year's rally a wonderful success!
Thanks to our good people with all the hard work and effort, especially our young people with the music and skit.
And special thanks to Liberty Baptist in Durham, NC bringing their youth choir, they did a wonderful job singing. Thanks Bro. Randy for coming! Sorry about the seating!!:)
I am excited about tomorrow's services, praying for God's blessing and power to be manifest again.
Pastor Taylor
YOUTH RALLY PHOTOS
.JPG) |
| Pizza done, waiting on Preaching! |
.JPG) |
| Filling up fast, getting chairs out 20 minutes before service!! |
.JPG) |
| Door prize time |
.JPG) |
| Liberty Baptist youth |
.JPG) |
| Awesome skit, convicting! |
 |
| Auditorium full and they are still coming in!!! 300+ |
 |
| GBC Ladies singing |
.JPG) |
| Bro. Joe Arthur getting fired up!! |
Sunday, March 8, 2015
What a great Sunday following revival this week! Preached with great liberty in both of the services today. God answered a couple of prayers for me today, one had to do with someone I had prayed would be in the services today, and they were here for both the morning and evening services. Praise the Lord!
Tonight's message was from I Kings 18: 1-8 where Obadiah was searching for a plug of grass while Elijah the prophet was praying for rain. Which one are we? Are we looking for another gimmick to get our attendance up, are we looking for another idea to keep our Sunday school afloat for another month, preacher, are you looking for another conference to pep you up so you can make it another couple of months in the ministry?
What we need is to pray for rain, pray for the showers of blessing to fall again on our ministries, on our Sunday school class, on our lives so we can see the Lord move in our lives again. Amen? We need the touch of God and revival so He gets the glory! Isaiah 44:3 says, " For I will pour water upon him that is thirsty, and floods upon the dry ground: I will pour my spirit upon thy seed, and my blessing upon thine offspring." Amen, are we thirsty? We are in a famine, not a famine of food, or a drought of water like Samaria was, but we are in a famine of hearing the Word of God, we are in a spiritual drought and we need the floods of His mercy and grace to be poured out!! May we pray, like Elijah, and keep on praying as he did until the servant came back and said, " I see a cloud, and the rains came!!
I'm not looking for a plug of grass, I'm looking for RAIN!!! Send the showers of blessing Lord, we need a flood of power and blessing.
Pastor Taylor
Tonight's message was from I Kings 18: 1-8 where Obadiah was searching for a plug of grass while Elijah the prophet was praying for rain. Which one are we? Are we looking for another gimmick to get our attendance up, are we looking for another idea to keep our Sunday school afloat for another month, preacher, are you looking for another conference to pep you up so you can make it another couple of months in the ministry?
What we need is to pray for rain, pray for the showers of blessing to fall again on our ministries, on our Sunday school class, on our lives so we can see the Lord move in our lives again. Amen? We need the touch of God and revival so He gets the glory! Isaiah 44:3 says, " For I will pour water upon him that is thirsty, and floods upon the dry ground: I will pour my spirit upon thy seed, and my blessing upon thine offspring." Amen, are we thirsty? We are in a famine, not a famine of food, or a drought of water like Samaria was, but we are in a famine of hearing the Word of God, we are in a spiritual drought and we need the floods of His mercy and grace to be poured out!! May we pray, like Elijah, and keep on praying as he did until the servant came back and said, " I see a cloud, and the rains came!!
I'm not looking for a plug of grass, I'm looking for RAIN!!! Send the showers of blessing Lord, we need a flood of power and blessing.
Pastor Taylor
Friday, February 6, 2015
Looking forward to services this Sunday. This is Mission Sunday, our guest preacher is Missionary Leland Johnson. Brother Johnson and his family are going to Brazil to plant churches. Services begin with Sunday School at 10:00 AM.
Our Annual Valentine's Banquet is tonight at 6:30 PM. Pastor Mike Renfrow is our guest preacher. Bro. Mike assumed the pastorate of Trinity Baptist Church last year, and he is doing a great job. He was in full-time evangelism for several years before that, and has been used of the Lord in a wonderful way.
March 2-6, 2015 will be our Pre-Spring revival with Pastor Jon Shook from Asheboro, NC. Brother Shook is the pastor of the Bailey's Grove Baptist Church. We are praying for a week of soul-stirring messages and trusting the Lord to give our people a touch of revival.
Sunday, January 4, 2015
January 4, 2015 was Vision Night at Gethsemane Baptist.
Pastor Taylor shared our new theme for the year. In Col.1:18, Paul wrote: ..."that in all things, He might have the preeminence." It is our goal that the Lord would be preeminent is every thing that we do in our church in 2015. He must have preeminence in our lives, in our homes, and in our church. We had a wonderful service with many kneeling at the altar surrendering to the Lord and seeking His Preeminence in their lives. Amen!
Monday, September 1, 2014
Summer is almost over!
" The Harvest is past, the summer is ended, and we are not saved. " Jeremiah 8:20
Many have been saved by trusting Jesus Christ as their Saviour. Praise the Lord that they heeded the Spirit's wooing and came to Christ when they did. But for many the harvest is past, summer is over and they are not saved. Is it too late for them? I understand that God is merciful and His love is unending and His grace is abounding but if they say no to Jesus that last time, they could be lost forever.
Our prayer is that if the Lord is dealing with you about this most important decision, don't put it off. Don't let the devil fool you in thinking that you have plenty of time. One of his tactics is, you do have plenty of time, he wants you to just take your time, some other day maybe.
I remind you that the Bible says in II Cor. 6:2, " For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation." So what are you waiting for, right now, why don't you bow your head and heart, and ask the Lord Jesus to come in and save you. Repent and believe on the Lord now.
Will you ask Him to save you? He will if you will only trust Him and call upon Him.
" For whosoever shall call upon the Lord shall be saved." Rom. 10:13 Amen! Pastor Taylor
Many have been saved by trusting Jesus Christ as their Saviour. Praise the Lord that they heeded the Spirit's wooing and came to Christ when they did. But for many the harvest is past, summer is over and they are not saved. Is it too late for them? I understand that God is merciful and His love is unending and His grace is abounding but if they say no to Jesus that last time, they could be lost forever.
Our prayer is that if the Lord is dealing with you about this most important decision, don't put it off. Don't let the devil fool you in thinking that you have plenty of time. One of his tactics is, you do have plenty of time, he wants you to just take your time, some other day maybe.
I remind you that the Bible says in II Cor. 6:2, " For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation." So what are you waiting for, right now, why don't you bow your head and heart, and ask the Lord Jesus to come in and save you. Repent and believe on the Lord now.
Will you ask Him to save you? He will if you will only trust Him and call upon Him.
" For whosoever shall call upon the Lord shall be saved." Rom. 10:13 Amen! Pastor Taylor
Monday, March 31, 2014
Closing out March 2014
We closed out March with a wonderful day yesterday. We had one person saved that walked the aisle in the morning service. I preached from Numbers 21, on The Brazen Serpent. My message was a simple salvation message. Thank God for His power being evident in the services despite the devil trying to take our victory away. We also praise the Lord for a tremendous offering on this day. We have one more Sunday left in our Spring campaign.
We begin our Missions Revival Wed. April 2 going through Friday April 4th. Evangelist Mike Renfrow and Missionary Travis Sharpe will be our guest preachers this week. Service starts Wed. at 7:30 PM and Thurs - Friday at 7:00Pm
April 25th, at 7:00PM
Just a reminder, our 10th Annual Youth Rally will be coming up Pastor Kenny Baldwin is our Special guest preacher and we have the Phillip Moore family coming to sing!! Don't Miss It!!
Brother Taylor
We begin our Missions Revival Wed. April 2 going through Friday April 4th. Evangelist Mike Renfrow and Missionary Travis Sharpe will be our guest preachers this week. Service starts Wed. at 7:30 PM and Thurs - Friday at 7:00Pm
April 25th, at 7:00PM
Just a reminder, our 10th Annual Youth Rally will be coming up Pastor Kenny Baldwin is our Special guest preacher and we have the Phillip Moore family coming to sing!! Don't Miss It!!
Tuesday, February 4, 2014
Sunday, Feb. 2, we had Evangelist/Missionary Tom Wallace from Fortress of Faith ministries. Bro Wallace shared with us the ministry he has to the Muslims and he gave us a lot of information to help us understand Islam better. He is a Missionary Kid who lived in the UK for over 17 years and he saw what Islam has done to Europe and what it is attempting to do to North America.
Check out his website Fortress of Faith.org and find out more about this.
We had a number of people out Sunday because of sickness but we did have a number of visitors and one young man was saved. Amen!!
Pastor Taylor
Check out his website Fortress of Faith.org and find out more about this.
We had a number of people out Sunday because of sickness but we did have a number of visitors and one young man was saved. Amen!!
Pastor Taylor
Tuesday, January 7, 2014
Monday, January 6, 2014
2014
Here we are in another year. January 1st we held our Vision Night service and I shared with our people our vision for our church for 2014. I also covered our church calendar with the church and the theme for the new year. Our theme for this year is: " For the Love of Christ " II Cor. 5:14 We want to be motivated by the Love of Christ in all that we do. It is the Love of Christ that compels us to go, to serve, to give, to witness to lost souls. May we keep this theme before us as we serve the Lord in 2014!
Pastor Taylor
Saturday, June 29, 2013
Pastor's Pulpit
It is so good to be saved! There are so many today who have never heard the Gospel or have not had a clear presentation of the gospel given to them. I was out soul winning a few weeks ago and the very first two doors we knocked on were Muslims. I mean in the same building, two apartments side by side. I gave them a tract and explained that salvation was through Jesus Christ, God Only Son. No man can come to the Father but by Him. ( John 14:6 )
The next two houses we visited we didn't get anyone at home. But the next one we visited was a lady baby sitting, with her hands full! So we didn't go in, but I proceeded to ask did she know she was going to Heaven when she died. She said she didn't know that. So I asked if I could show her how she could know, she said yes. About 5 minutes later she bowed her head and received Jesus as her Personal Saviour!! Praise the Lord.
The next home where we found someone home was another lady, she was very receptive and was a member of a Baptist church. So I told her we were not trying to get anyone out of their church, but I had another question I wanted to ask her.You got it, I asked did she knew if she died today would she go to Heaven. Her answer was no! So I gave her the plan of Salvation and she was gloriously saved. Here were two women who were members of churches in our town, and yet they didn't know they were saved and on the way to Heaven!! Folks, there are people everywhere, lost people, religious people, church people but they are on the way to hell!!
I read a sermon by Dr. Bob Gray in Texas, entitled, "Soul Warning". We need to be soul warners to this religious lost world. God has given us a mandate to go and tell the world about Jesus and His power to save. Will you be a soul warner? Let's stay busy witnessing each and let's trust the Lord to save those that are lost. He will if we will obey His command to " Go! " The first word in Gospel is " Go!"
Amen and Amen!!!
Pastor Taylor
It is so good to be saved! There are so many today who have never heard the Gospel or have not had a clear presentation of the gospel given to them. I was out soul winning a few weeks ago and the very first two doors we knocked on were Muslims. I mean in the same building, two apartments side by side. I gave them a tract and explained that salvation was through Jesus Christ, God Only Son. No man can come to the Father but by Him. ( John 14:6 )
The next two houses we visited we didn't get anyone at home. But the next one we visited was a lady baby sitting, with her hands full! So we didn't go in, but I proceeded to ask did she know she was going to Heaven when she died. She said she didn't know that. So I asked if I could show her how she could know, she said yes. About 5 minutes later she bowed her head and received Jesus as her Personal Saviour!! Praise the Lord.
The next home where we found someone home was another lady, she was very receptive and was a member of a Baptist church. So I told her we were not trying to get anyone out of their church, but I had another question I wanted to ask her.You got it, I asked did she knew if she died today would she go to Heaven. Her answer was no! So I gave her the plan of Salvation and she was gloriously saved. Here were two women who were members of churches in our town, and yet they didn't know they were saved and on the way to Heaven!! Folks, there are people everywhere, lost people, religious people, church people but they are on the way to hell!!
I read a sermon by Dr. Bob Gray in Texas, entitled, "Soul Warning". We need to be soul warners to this religious lost world. God has given us a mandate to go and tell the world about Jesus and His power to save. Will you be a soul warner? Let's stay busy witnessing each and let's trust the Lord to save those that are lost. He will if we will obey His command to " Go! " The first word in Gospel is " Go!"
Amen and Amen!!!
Pastor Taylor
Friday, January 11, 2013
Pastor's Pulpit
Well here we are in 2013!
We are excited about what the Lord has for us this year. We are praying for revival and a return to God in America. We need to pray for our nation as never before.
Our theme for the year is " For Such a time as This " Esther 4:14 We believe the Lord has us here for this time to do something big in us and through us. I don't want to miss the opportunities that He has for me as Pastor of Gethsemane Baptist Church. I want to be found faithful and so I need to stay as close to Him as I can.
I have made some promises to God this year:
1. I will become a better student of His Word. I want my study of the Word of God to be more in depth and I want God to make His Word come alive to me. I want to get everything that I can out of His Word that I can be blessed and in turn be a blessing to others.
2. I want to be a better Christian. I'm not talking about just being a normal, everyday, run of the mill believer. I want to be Christlike in my actions and attitude. I want to follow my Saviour and ask Him to conform me to His blessed Image day by day.
3. I want to have more faith and see great and mighty things done for God.
4. I want to learn to pray and get my prayers answered. I know, you say, " don't you know how to pray? " Yes, but what I am talking about is having a more intimate time with the Lord. I don't want to just pray and ask for things, I want to know Him and be able to go to Him about anything and see His hand working in my life.
5. I want to be a better Husband and Father. I need to be there for them and be more understanding of their needs, and concerns.
6. I want to be a better Pastor. I am asking God to help me lead and teach my people to follow the Saviour and to become all that He wants them to be.
7. I want to be a better soul winner. I must get out and knock on doors more consistently to see souls saved and then work on disciplining them so they will follow the Lord in baptism and become faithful members of the church.
Let's give God our best this year. This is our " For such a time as this " time.
Be faithful, be consumed, be determined to not quit or falter, Press On!! Amen!!
Pastor Taylor
We are excited about what the Lord has for us this year. We are praying for revival and a return to God in America. We need to pray for our nation as never before.
Our theme for the year is " For Such a time as This " Esther 4:14 We believe the Lord has us here for this time to do something big in us and through us. I don't want to miss the opportunities that He has for me as Pastor of Gethsemane Baptist Church. I want to be found faithful and so I need to stay as close to Him as I can.
I have made some promises to God this year:
1. I will become a better student of His Word. I want my study of the Word of God to be more in depth and I want God to make His Word come alive to me. I want to get everything that I can out of His Word that I can be blessed and in turn be a blessing to others.
2. I want to be a better Christian. I'm not talking about just being a normal, everyday, run of the mill believer. I want to be Christlike in my actions and attitude. I want to follow my Saviour and ask Him to conform me to His blessed Image day by day.
3. I want to have more faith and see great and mighty things done for God.
4. I want to learn to pray and get my prayers answered. I know, you say, " don't you know how to pray? " Yes, but what I am talking about is having a more intimate time with the Lord. I don't want to just pray and ask for things, I want to know Him and be able to go to Him about anything and see His hand working in my life.
5. I want to be a better Husband and Father. I need to be there for them and be more understanding of their needs, and concerns.
6. I want to be a better Pastor. I am asking God to help me lead and teach my people to follow the Saviour and to become all that He wants them to be.
7. I want to be a better soul winner. I must get out and knock on doors more consistently to see souls saved and then work on disciplining them so they will follow the Lord in baptism and become faithful members of the church.
Let's give God our best this year. This is our " For such a time as this " time.
Be faithful, be consumed, be determined to not quit or falter, Press On!! Amen!!
Pastor Taylor
Monday, December 24, 2012
Year End Reflections!
We have almost come to the end of 2012, and I have to say it has been a wonderful year!
Next year our Church theme will be " For such a time as this ". We believe God has us here for a purpose, and we must stay busy and do all we can for Him while we have the time. Our nation needs revival, we pray for a Heaven sent one, and we pray for His hand of mercy to be on our churches that we may see a great harvest won to the Saviour. Please pray for us that we will be all that He would have us to be.
God bless you,
Pastor Taylor
We have almost come to the end of 2012, and I have to say it has been a wonderful year!
- We have seen some of our dreams come true, like having Ev. Larry Brown preach at our church this year, we have seen a number of people saved almost every month for a period of 2 yrs. Praise the Lord for His working in our church.
- Our revival with Brandon Morris was a tremendous blessing and another wonderful Youth Rally with souls saved. Then our fall revival with Ev. Lou Rossi, brother Brandon's father in law! Man what a preacher. We saw God work again and still working after revival.
- Our Christmas program this year was from Patch the Pirate, " Christmas Carol " we had a house full, several first time visitors, and the cast did a tremendous job, as well as the children church and teenagers in the youth choir. The little ones were a blessing as they came out in their manger costumes, they were so cute.
- I Love Jesus Sunday was December 23, with Evangelist Mike Renfrow, we 78 in Sunday School and almost 100 in church again, one saved in the children's church, and Sunday night a teenager visiting with us for the first time was saved. Glory to God!! God blessed us with a record offering as well for the year, so my cup is full and running over!
Next year our Church theme will be " For such a time as this ". We believe God has us here for a purpose, and we must stay busy and do all we can for Him while we have the time. Our nation needs revival, we pray for a Heaven sent one, and we pray for His hand of mercy to be on our churches that we may see a great harvest won to the Saviour. Please pray for us that we will be all that He would have us to be.
God bless you,
Pastor Taylor
Saturday, June 2, 2012
Pastor's Pulpit
REVIVAL! REVIVAL! REVIVAL! REVIVAL! REVIVAL!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Just a quick update on what the Lord is doing here at Gethsemane Ind. Baptist Church! Last night we started off with a wonderful service during our 8th Annual Youth Rally. Bro. Brandon Morris preached on the three Hebrew children that would not bow to the image in Daniel 3:1-18. In verse 17, they said,
" If it be so...." first we must be faithful, they were faithful back in Jerusalem so that is why they could continue to be faithful in Babylon. If you are not faithful now while your'e in the house of God, you won't make it when the world puts the pressure on. Then they were favored. God was in the midst of the fire. When that king threw them in 3 at a time; bad choice, because when 2 or 3 are gathered together , God shows up!! He is in the midst. Then they were feared. Hell is fearful of the faithful, favored Christian. We can have the favor of God if we will be faithful, Amen!!
That's what he preached and man what a service. God showed up and the altar was full several times and when it was all over, 6 precious teenagers were saved. All were brought to church by our young people, Praise the Lord!! There were many that got some help and I saw teens hugging their parents and many asking the Lord to work in their lives. I regret to say and that some left the church lost!! Please pray they will return to the revival this week and give their hearts to Jesus.
Today we met for prayer breakfast and then went out soul winning on our bus routes and surrounding areas of Wilson. When we finished up, 4 precious adults and 1 young person was saved!!!
Praise His Holy Name!!!!
We meet for prayer tonight at 5:00pm and then it all begins again tomorrow at 10:00 am and 11:00 am, please join us if you can and Monday - Wednesday, we begin at 7:30 pm, so if you are within driving distance of 100 miles it will be worth the drive to hear this man of God preach. We'd love to have you as our guest. Pray for us and the souls of boys and girls and men and women. Pray for Revival in our lives!!!
God is so Good!!
Pastor Taylor
Just a quick update on what the Lord is doing here at Gethsemane Ind. Baptist Church! Last night we started off with a wonderful service during our 8th Annual Youth Rally. Bro. Brandon Morris preached on the three Hebrew children that would not bow to the image in Daniel 3:1-18. In verse 17, they said,
" If it be so...." first we must be faithful, they were faithful back in Jerusalem so that is why they could continue to be faithful in Babylon. If you are not faithful now while your'e in the house of God, you won't make it when the world puts the pressure on. Then they were favored. God was in the midst of the fire. When that king threw them in 3 at a time; bad choice, because when 2 or 3 are gathered together , God shows up!! He is in the midst. Then they were feared. Hell is fearful of the faithful, favored Christian. We can have the favor of God if we will be faithful, Amen!!
That's what he preached and man what a service. God showed up and the altar was full several times and when it was all over, 6 precious teenagers were saved. All were brought to church by our young people, Praise the Lord!! There were many that got some help and I saw teens hugging their parents and many asking the Lord to work in their lives. I regret to say and that some left the church lost!! Please pray they will return to the revival this week and give their hearts to Jesus.
Today we met for prayer breakfast and then went out soul winning on our bus routes and surrounding areas of Wilson. When we finished up, 4 precious adults and 1 young person was saved!!!
Praise His Holy Name!!!!
We meet for prayer tonight at 5:00pm and then it all begins again tomorrow at 10:00 am and 11:00 am, please join us if you can and Monday - Wednesday, we begin at 7:30 pm, so if you are within driving distance of 100 miles it will be worth the drive to hear this man of God preach. We'd love to have you as our guest. Pray for us and the souls of boys and girls and men and women. Pray for Revival in our lives!!!
God is so Good!!
Pastor Taylor
Monday, May 28, 2012
Pastor's Pulpit
Yesterday our church celebrated its 40th Anniversary Homecoming. We had a wonderful day with some visitors with us in the morning service. It was a special time as we recognized some of our members. First the Charter members were honored: Mrs. Julia Pennington, Dorothy Draper ( these were not able to attend ) and Jean and Leonard Bass. A certificate was presented mentioning the number of years they had served the Lord and their church.
Next we honored those who were the longest consecutive attending members: Mrs Fran Walston, Mr. & Mrs. Bill Jones, who have attended for 36 years, and also Mrs. Julia Pennington, and Dorothy Draper who have attended for 40 years. These were all presented a certificate and a Bible to commemorate this day. Then we recognized Mrs. Clara Ricks for being a faithful supporter for 36 years. Kaitlyn Robbins was recognized as the longest attending Bus rider ( 11yrs, ) and Mrs. Ora Lee Bunting was recognized for her faithfulness for the past 32 years.
After the morning service we had dinner in the fellowship building and which again was delicious as usual. It is hard to believe that Gethsemane Baptist Church has been in existence for 40 years. Looking back over the records, I discovered that in 1972 the church began a bond program to purchase the 4.5 acres of land and to construct a church building on the property located on Waterworks rd, ( now London church rd, ).
In 1974, the church purchased 2 buses to start its first bus ministry. From that humble beginning of approximately 50 members, the church has grown and continued to be a soul winning station in Wilson county. I became the pastor in August of 1983, after the church had lost some people and attendance had dropped from over 80 to below 30, total membership was about 62. By 1987, the church membership was 100, by 2002 total membership was 140, today the membership is around 163, we are thankful for the people God has brought to our church family. In 2005 the fellowship building was constructed, and in 2009, the auditorium was remolded for a second time and more parking was added. We are happy to see God continue to bless our church with souls being saved and we believe if we keep preaching the truth and taking the Gospel to the highways and hedges in obedience to the Great Commission we will continue to see God's blessing.
Pray for us. We are excited about what the Lord has for us. Looking forward to our 8th annual youth rally June 1 with Evangelist Brandon Morris. Check out the video we have on the blog. Our revival begins Sunday June 3 - June 5. Come join us for a soul stirring meeting!
For souls,
Pastor Taylor
Next we honored those who were the longest consecutive attending members: Mrs Fran Walston, Mr. & Mrs. Bill Jones, who have attended for 36 years, and also Mrs. Julia Pennington, and Dorothy Draper who have attended for 40 years. These were all presented a certificate and a Bible to commemorate this day. Then we recognized Mrs. Clara Ricks for being a faithful supporter for 36 years. Kaitlyn Robbins was recognized as the longest attending Bus rider ( 11yrs, ) and Mrs. Ora Lee Bunting was recognized for her faithfulness for the past 32 years.
After the morning service we had dinner in the fellowship building and which again was delicious as usual. It is hard to believe that Gethsemane Baptist Church has been in existence for 40 years. Looking back over the records, I discovered that in 1972 the church began a bond program to purchase the 4.5 acres of land and to construct a church building on the property located on Waterworks rd, ( now London church rd, ).
In 1974, the church purchased 2 buses to start its first bus ministry. From that humble beginning of approximately 50 members, the church has grown and continued to be a soul winning station in Wilson county. I became the pastor in August of 1983, after the church had lost some people and attendance had dropped from over 80 to below 30, total membership was about 62. By 1987, the church membership was 100, by 2002 total membership was 140, today the membership is around 163, we are thankful for the people God has brought to our church family. In 2005 the fellowship building was constructed, and in 2009, the auditorium was remolded for a second time and more parking was added. We are happy to see God continue to bless our church with souls being saved and we believe if we keep preaching the truth and taking the Gospel to the highways and hedges in obedience to the Great Commission we will continue to see God's blessing.
Pray for us. We are excited about what the Lord has for us. Looking forward to our 8th annual youth rally June 1 with Evangelist Brandon Morris. Check out the video we have on the blog. Our revival begins Sunday June 3 - June 5. Come join us for a soul stirring meeting!
For souls,
Pastor Taylor
Tuesday, March 20, 2012
Pastor's Pulpit
I am simply amazed at the wonderful power and grace of our Great God!! We are seeing a number of people saved each month as we go soul winning. Recently a young couple was saved, as I followed up on these precious souls last week I encouraged them to attend church. I was given a promise that they would attend this Sunday. I was some what discouraged when I did not see them attend. But I must pray harder and keep at winning others that may come. We can never give up on new converts, since they have not had the benefit of being a part of a Bible believing church, so we must continue to invite them to come and get into church so they can grow in the Lord.
We have begun our Spring Sunday school campaign with a special emphasis on the Bus ministry, for the last two Sundays we have 4 - 5 new riders. This coming Sunday is Someday Sunday with Breakfast on the bus. If you have been planning to go to Sunday School " Someday " then this is the Sunday to join us! I hope to see you there at 10:00 with my Bible in my hand, and a message in my Heart!
God bless you,
Pastor Taylor
We have begun our Spring Sunday school campaign with a special emphasis on the Bus ministry, for the last two Sundays we have 4 - 5 new riders. This coming Sunday is Someday Sunday with Breakfast on the bus. If you have been planning to go to Sunday School " Someday " then this is the Sunday to join us! I hope to see you there at 10:00 with my Bible in my hand, and a message in my Heart!
God bless you,
Pastor Taylor
Saturday, March 3, 2012
Pastor's Pulpit
March is here, can you believe it? I believe what the old timers use to say now. The older you get the faster time flys! But Praise the Lord for each day He gives us. The scripture says, " This is the day that the Lord hath made, I will rejoice and be glad in it!" Amen! Let's just rejoice in the Lord and give God the praise that we could see another day.
Well this year has started with God's blessings and I just want to praise Him for all that He is doing in our lives and in our church. So far we have seen a total of 9 saved, 3 have been baptized and we have 3 new members. I am excited about what the Lord has for us in this year. Our theme is: " With God, all things are possible" Our prayer is for God to do something so miraculous that it could only be explained that God did it! Amen? Please pray with us that we will continue to see God's hand on the ministries of our church and upon every service. We continue to have visitors with us almost every week. I believe the Lord is soon to return, but until then, we must be everlastingly at it, witnessing and telling people about a loving Saviour.
On Saturday March 10th, we are having a prayer meeting for the area youth at our church. We have invited several churches to come together with hopes of seeing the Lord work among our youth in these last days. Our prayer is for genuine revival and a move of God in their lives. Bro. Ben Webb from Mt. Airy, NC will be hosting this meeting with a desire to see the Lord stir our churches to hold an area youth rally in the fall to reach the lost. Please pray for this important meeting. Join us if you can, it begins at 5:00pm and directions to our church can be found on the " contact us " tab of our blog. For more information just email us or call the church.
God bless you, friends.
Pastor Taylor
Well this year has started with God's blessings and I just want to praise Him for all that He is doing in our lives and in our church. So far we have seen a total of 9 saved, 3 have been baptized and we have 3 new members. I am excited about what the Lord has for us in this year. Our theme is: " With God, all things are possible" Our prayer is for God to do something so miraculous that it could only be explained that God did it! Amen? Please pray with us that we will continue to see God's hand on the ministries of our church and upon every service. We continue to have visitors with us almost every week. I believe the Lord is soon to return, but until then, we must be everlastingly at it, witnessing and telling people about a loving Saviour.
On Saturday March 10th, we are having a prayer meeting for the area youth at our church. We have invited several churches to come together with hopes of seeing the Lord work among our youth in these last days. Our prayer is for genuine revival and a move of God in their lives. Bro. Ben Webb from Mt. Airy, NC will be hosting this meeting with a desire to see the Lord stir our churches to hold an area youth rally in the fall to reach the lost. Please pray for this important meeting. Join us if you can, it begins at 5:00pm and directions to our church can be found on the " contact us " tab of our blog. For more information just email us or call the church.
God bless you, friends.
Pastor Taylor
Monday, February 6, 2012
Pastor's Pulpit
" All things are possible with God! "
Mark 10:23-27 Text: Vs. 27 " And Jesus looking upon them saith, With men it is impossible, but not with God: for with God all things are possible. "
The disciples thought that if this young man who had kept the commandments from his youth up couldn't be saved, who could? So Jesus said, " With man this is impossible, but not with God: for with God all things are possible. " In this very time in which we are living we, as the Church, are challenged as well as confronted with opportunities that we've never known before. We see a world that is in such bad shape, evil all around, but if we look at these circumstances as God wants us to, we'll see them as opportunities. The darker the world gets, the greater the opportunities. The devil tries to convince us that we can't do anything - that people can't be saved, that we can't see any miracles. Jesus said, " With God all things are possible! "
I want us to see that the things that may be impossible for men, pose no problem for God because Jesus said all thing are possible. No matter what we may face in 2012, I want to remind you, to meet it head on with this verse: " With God all things are possible. " There is nothing too difficult for him, NOTHING!! Obstacles that are insurmountable to man are always possible with God. Because I believe God's promise, I want to challenge you to believe God and His word. Because I believe with God all things are possible,
I. Our Families and Friends can be reached. ( Matt. 28:19-20 )
When the Lord gave the Great Commission to His disciples - it was a command. A command that He expected His Church to obey. When He gave the disciples the command to go into all the world, I'm sure they thought it was a task beyond human capabilities. But Jesus gathered them together and told them that after the Holy Spirit came upon them, they'd receive power to be witnesses. He told them to tarry until they were endued with power. And when the Holy Spirit descended upon them, the task that seemed so impossible all at once became possible, and within a few short years, the Gospel had reached all of Asia Minor.
You and I have the same Holy Spirit , hence we have the same power available to witness to those around us. Amen? We must pray that God will stir our hearts in this year, so that we can give the Gospel to our friends, co-workers, family and neighbors. There is a work to be done, and we can have help to do it. Jesus promised that without His power, we can do nothing. Let's realize that we have His power to turn the world right side up. The Bible hasn't changed, and God is the same today as He was then. All things are possible, and with God we can reach our families and friends with the Gospel.
II. Our Church can have revival. ( II Chron. 7:14 )
Revival is a work of God in the heart of His people. Just as person cannot save himself, our text already teaches that, neither can men bring revival to a church or a nation. Revival comes from Heaven!
Israel had been in Egyptian bondage for 400 years. Israel cried out to God for deliverance. In Ex. 14 when they were set free, Egypt didn't let go so easily, but pursued them, and again they cried out to the Lord, in vs. 15 God said, " Why are you calling out to me? Go forward! " In other words, don't just stand there paralyzed with fear, move on, go forward. So they did.
Fear can make you give up. We must not be afraid of Satan, or his limited power. We must pray, we must pray for the impossible. With God all things are possible. We need to believe that those things that are impossible with men are possible with God. With men it is impossible to live holy lives, or live free from sin, but not with God. With men it is impossible to withstand temptation and live for God. In your own strength you will fail. Everyone of us has sinned, thank God Christ died for us, thank God for salvation and forgiveness. Through God's strength, we can withstand the temptations and we can live our lives for the Lord. Without God it is impossible to be a witness for Christ. Each one of us can be used of the Lord in a greater way. We can serve God faithfully, we can be all that He wants us to be, because with God all things are possible. Claim Philippians 4:13. I can pray, I can witness, I can preach, I can give, I can go and do all things He asks me to do, through His strength and power. Revival is possible in our church and in our land.
III. Our young people can turn out right.
So many young people today have so many things pulling them in different directions. Peer pressure, school and the world. Our culture desires to steal their virtue and purity. That is why the church must do everything it can to help fortify the home. Reinforce the teachings of mom and dad, we must supplement, not replace what you are teaching them.
We must provide a positive environment to encourage young people to stay in church and even serve in their local church. Young people have so much potential. We want to help each of them reach their God given potential.
Many are not saved, and if they are, they are not filled with the Spirit, they are not committed to the Lord. God wants them to find His will and do it. God want each of us to live victorious christian lives. The only way we can do that is to allow the Holy Spirit to fill us and have His way in our lives.
Young people, don't give up, Don't quit! Don't get discouraged and get out of church. You need the church and the church needs you. We need to pray for a hedge of protection around our youth. God protected Israel and He will protect us. Satan is after our young people, we must pray for them. They can grow up to be Godly young men and women. They can turn out right for God. Don't give up on them.
2012 has so many challenges that it can be over whelming. But these challenges can become golden opportunities to bring Glory to God, if we'll believe His promise in Mark 10:27. Let it be your motto - With God all things are possible!
God bless,
Pastor Taylor
Mark 10:23-27 Text: Vs. 27 " And Jesus looking upon them saith, With men it is impossible, but not with God: for with God all things are possible. "
The disciples thought that if this young man who had kept the commandments from his youth up couldn't be saved, who could? So Jesus said, " With man this is impossible, but not with God: for with God all things are possible. " In this very time in which we are living we, as the Church, are challenged as well as confronted with opportunities that we've never known before. We see a world that is in such bad shape, evil all around, but if we look at these circumstances as God wants us to, we'll see them as opportunities. The darker the world gets, the greater the opportunities. The devil tries to convince us that we can't do anything - that people can't be saved, that we can't see any miracles. Jesus said, " With God all things are possible! "
I want us to see that the things that may be impossible for men, pose no problem for God because Jesus said all thing are possible. No matter what we may face in 2012, I want to remind you, to meet it head on with this verse: " With God all things are possible. " There is nothing too difficult for him, NOTHING!! Obstacles that are insurmountable to man are always possible with God. Because I believe God's promise, I want to challenge you to believe God and His word. Because I believe with God all things are possible,
I. Our Families and Friends can be reached. ( Matt. 28:19-20 )
When the Lord gave the Great Commission to His disciples - it was a command. A command that He expected His Church to obey. When He gave the disciples the command to go into all the world, I'm sure they thought it was a task beyond human capabilities. But Jesus gathered them together and told them that after the Holy Spirit came upon them, they'd receive power to be witnesses. He told them to tarry until they were endued with power. And when the Holy Spirit descended upon them, the task that seemed so impossible all at once became possible, and within a few short years, the Gospel had reached all of Asia Minor.
You and I have the same Holy Spirit , hence we have the same power available to witness to those around us. Amen? We must pray that God will stir our hearts in this year, so that we can give the Gospel to our friends, co-workers, family and neighbors. There is a work to be done, and we can have help to do it. Jesus promised that without His power, we can do nothing. Let's realize that we have His power to turn the world right side up. The Bible hasn't changed, and God is the same today as He was then. All things are possible, and with God we can reach our families and friends with the Gospel.
II. Our Church can have revival. ( II Chron. 7:14 )
Revival is a work of God in the heart of His people. Just as person cannot save himself, our text already teaches that, neither can men bring revival to a church or a nation. Revival comes from Heaven!
Israel had been in Egyptian bondage for 400 years. Israel cried out to God for deliverance. In Ex. 14 when they were set free, Egypt didn't let go so easily, but pursued them, and again they cried out to the Lord, in vs. 15 God said, " Why are you calling out to me? Go forward! " In other words, don't just stand there paralyzed with fear, move on, go forward. So they did.
Fear can make you give up. We must not be afraid of Satan, or his limited power. We must pray, we must pray for the impossible. With God all things are possible. We need to believe that those things that are impossible with men are possible with God. With men it is impossible to live holy lives, or live free from sin, but not with God. With men it is impossible to withstand temptation and live for God. In your own strength you will fail. Everyone of us has sinned, thank God Christ died for us, thank God for salvation and forgiveness. Through God's strength, we can withstand the temptations and we can live our lives for the Lord. Without God it is impossible to be a witness for Christ. Each one of us can be used of the Lord in a greater way. We can serve God faithfully, we can be all that He wants us to be, because with God all things are possible. Claim Philippians 4:13. I can pray, I can witness, I can preach, I can give, I can go and do all things He asks me to do, through His strength and power. Revival is possible in our church and in our land.
III. Our young people can turn out right.
So many young people today have so many things pulling them in different directions. Peer pressure, school and the world. Our culture desires to steal their virtue and purity. That is why the church must do everything it can to help fortify the home. Reinforce the teachings of mom and dad, we must supplement, not replace what you are teaching them.
We must provide a positive environment to encourage young people to stay in church and even serve in their local church. Young people have so much potential. We want to help each of them reach their God given potential.
Many are not saved, and if they are, they are not filled with the Spirit, they are not committed to the Lord. God wants them to find His will and do it. God want each of us to live victorious christian lives. The only way we can do that is to allow the Holy Spirit to fill us and have His way in our lives.
Young people, don't give up, Don't quit! Don't get discouraged and get out of church. You need the church and the church needs you. We need to pray for a hedge of protection around our youth. God protected Israel and He will protect us. Satan is after our young people, we must pray for them. They can grow up to be Godly young men and women. They can turn out right for God. Don't give up on them.
2012 has so many challenges that it can be over whelming. But these challenges can become golden opportunities to bring Glory to God, if we'll believe His promise in Mark 10:27. Let it be your motto - With God all things are possible!
God bless,
Pastor Taylor
Friday, January 20, 2012
Pastor's Pulpit
We are already full swing into the new year! God has blessed with a tremendous January 1st service with a wonderful attendance. A number of first time visitors have been coming each week. Praise the Lord for souls saved this past week. The Lord gave us a verse for the new year. It is taken from Mark 10:27,
And Jesus looking upon them saith, With men it is impossible, but not with God: for with God all things are possible.
This is our theme for 2012, With God all things are possible! We are believing God for the impossible. I want to see something so big, so miraculous that the only way to explain it is that God had to do it! We need to believe God for the miraculous again. God is a God of miracles. Let's believe God, and trust Him for great things in 2012. Amen?
You see our blog site has been updated with this theme in mind. My daughter, Rebekah revised it for me and did a wonderful job. Check back with us in just a few days for a New year's message preached from this verse of scripture.
Remember, With God, all things are possible!
Pastor Taylor
And Jesus looking upon them saith, With men it is impossible, but not with God: for with God all things are possible.
This is our theme for 2012, With God all things are possible! We are believing God for the impossible. I want to see something so big, so miraculous that the only way to explain it is that God had to do it! We need to believe God for the miraculous again. God is a God of miracles. Let's believe God, and trust Him for great things in 2012. Amen?
You see our blog site has been updated with this theme in mind. My daughter, Rebekah revised it for me and did a wonderful job. Check back with us in just a few days for a New year's message preached from this verse of scripture.
Remember, With God, all things are possible!
Pastor Taylor
Monday, December 12, 2011
Pastor's Pulpit
Time has really flown by this year. It is hard to believe that Christmas is 2 weeks away! I love this time of year, because of the meaning of Christmas, and because this is the time of year that I got saved 37 years ago. I praise the Lord for giving me so many wonderful years of blessing. Not only did the Lord save me, but He called me to preach and He has given me a wonderful church to serve Him as a pastor. I have failed Him so many times, but Praise His name, He has never failed me.
Just wanted to give testimony of His grace in my life and His continued goodness.
You preachers who check out this blog from time to time may have read some of the messages I have posted here. Most of the ones on this blog are messages the Lord has given me and yes some of them are messages I have used from other men of God. I try to recognize the messages of the men I used if I knew where the message came from. I use material from the Sword of the Lord, Dr. Jack Hyles, Dr. Lee Roberson and others. I have been blessed by Dr. Clarence Sexton's messages and enjoy especially his recent studies on the Psalms. Dr. Paul Chappell from California has some wonderful alliterated messages.
One website that has good messages and outlines is The Bible believing Fundamentalist, by Bro. Mike O'Neal. Brother O'Neal has given me permission to use his messages whenever I can, and I have found them very helpful to get started and even have preached the entire message on occasion. This past Sunday I preached a Christmas message that I had in my files from several years ago. Here is that message as preached at GIBC.
What is Christmas all About?
Matthew 2:1-11
Christmas is just around the corner. Decorations are everywhere - bows, tensile, lights, stars, manger scenes, yes even reindeer and Santa Clauses!! We hear the admonition every year: " Don't forget the real meaning of Christmas! " So many get caught up in the hustle and bustle of shopping, and spending- buying bigger and more expensive presents, so often we do lose sight of what Christmas is about. What is Christmas about?
Christmas is a national holiday, even though in recent times it is a subject of controversy - as liberals and God-haters do everything that they can to remove the name of Christ from the public places in America.
It's shocking that many public school age children don't know anything about the birth of Christ or any spiritual Christmas songs. Secular traditions take precedence over the true meaning of Christmas.
What should be the Christians attitude toward Christmas? What is the Biblical view of Christmas? What is Christmas really about?
I. Christmas is about a mixture.
( Matt. 2:2 ) They came to worship Him. Christmas has become a mixture of truth and error. You won't find the word Christmas in the Bible. The definition of Christmas is: The celebration of the birth of Christ, usually Dec. 25. No one knows the exact date of Christ's birth. Unger's Bible handbook says:
" Our traditional date of Dec. 25 was set in the 4th century. It was the day settled upon by the Western church. The Eastern church celebrates Jan. 6 ( old Christmas ). " Actually the day is unknown, yet I believe it is good to recognize Christ's birth into the world.
The Catholic church has mixed tradition and error in the mass, the story of St. Nicholas, from where Santa Claus evolved. It amazing that the wise men came to worship the new born King, and brought their gifts to Him. Today we give gifts to one another rather than to Him.
II. Christmas is about Money. ( I Tim. 6:10 )
1. Christmas is about greed. Department stores make lots of money during this time of year. Have you ever notice that Christmas is celebrated earlier every year. It isn't even Thanksgiving and they are advertising sales and black Friday specials.
2. Christmas is about generosity. There are many needy people this time of year: homeless, orphans, and the poor. The Salvation army is positioned outside of stores and people donate to help others.
Food drives and clothing for the those in need. Toys for tots, everyone gets into the spirit of giving and are more generous because of Christmas. That's good, but let's not forget about the greatest Giver of all - God!! The greatest Gift - The gift of His Son. ( John 3:16 )
" Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift." ( II Cor. 9:15 )
III. Christmas is about a Miracle.
( I Tim. 3:16 ) ( Matt. 1:23 )
Even with all the pagan traditions - the main theme of Christmas is the Birth of the Lord Jesus Christ into the world. It was truly a miracle.
1. The Birth of Christ was a physical miracle. ( Luke 1:26-37 )
The power of the Highest overshadowed her. Through the power of the Holy Spirit that body was formed within her - a body that partook of the sin of neither man nor woman. There are some who object to the virgin birth on the grounds that it is not scientific. To the one who complains that this birth is out of the ordinary, we must say that the first Adam did not come through natural generation, and neither did the second Adam. It was a supernatural birth. All births are supernatural, but Christ was pre-existent, and He became flesh. We have the incarnation, Christ came into this world through the virgin birth. Mary asked, " How shall this be? " Luke 1:37 explains it very clearly: " For with God nothing shall be impossible. "
2. The Birth of Christ was a prophetic miracle.
( Isa. 9:6 , 7:14 ) We have a child that is born, a Son is given. God's Son, given to the world.
In Micah 5:2 we have the birth place predicted, so all this was given to Isaiah 700 years before Christ was born. Notice in the geneology of Christ, the " begats " in Matthew 1, then in verse 16; Joseph didn't begat Jesus - Mary was the esposed wife of Joseph. Jesus was the begotten of the Father. Thank God for the virgin birth, because of that Jesus was sinless and He alone was worthy to die for our sins.
IV. Christmas is about a Man.
Notice Matt. 2:11, They worshipped Him. This is not a fable. This really happened. The events that took place over 2,000 years ago really occurred. These wise men came from the East to worship the new born King of Israel. Though He had no palace, or earthly throne, though His birth was a lowly one:
1. Jesus was a real man. He was the God-man. Christ was born and His life is recorded for us in the Gospels. ( Gal. 4:4-5 )
2. Jesus was a rejected man. ( John1:11-12 ) ( Isa. 53:3 ) He would seek the lost and yet many rejected Him. Today still many reject the Lord and fail to realize who He is really is.
3. Jesus is the Redeeming man. ( Isa. 53:4-5 ) He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities. He shed His blood to redeem us from Hell. ( Gal. 1:4, 3:13, 4:5 ) He has redeemed us from the curse of sin. The law demanded death. " The soul that sinneth shall die. " Romans 6:23, Redemption means, " to deliver by paying a price. " Jesus delivered us by paying for that price on Calvary. ( I Tim. 2:5-6 ) Christmas is about Christ.
V. Christmas is about Mercy and Grace.
( John 1:14-17 )
Titus 2:11 Jesus brought grace. God loved us and was merciful to redeem us when we didn't deserve it.
He gives eternal life and a home in Heaven simply by faith. You accept Christ like accepting a gift at Christmas. Just open the one that has your name on it. Christmas gives us the opportunity to share Christ with the world around us. May we share the message of Christ with others this Christmas.
Have you accepted Christ? If you have, then you know the true meaning of Christmas. You understand what it is all about. If you haven't received Christ as your personal Saviour, trust Him today. Ask Him to come into your heart by faith.
God bless you and Merry Christmas!
Pastor Taylor
Just wanted to give testimony of His grace in my life and His continued goodness.
You preachers who check out this blog from time to time may have read some of the messages I have posted here. Most of the ones on this blog are messages the Lord has given me and yes some of them are messages I have used from other men of God. I try to recognize the messages of the men I used if I knew where the message came from. I use material from the Sword of the Lord, Dr. Jack Hyles, Dr. Lee Roberson and others. I have been blessed by Dr. Clarence Sexton's messages and enjoy especially his recent studies on the Psalms. Dr. Paul Chappell from California has some wonderful alliterated messages.
One website that has good messages and outlines is The Bible believing Fundamentalist, by Bro. Mike O'Neal. Brother O'Neal has given me permission to use his messages whenever I can, and I have found them very helpful to get started and even have preached the entire message on occasion. This past Sunday I preached a Christmas message that I had in my files from several years ago. Here is that message as preached at GIBC.
What is Christmas all About?
Matthew 2:1-11
Christmas is just around the corner. Decorations are everywhere - bows, tensile, lights, stars, manger scenes, yes even reindeer and Santa Clauses!! We hear the admonition every year: " Don't forget the real meaning of Christmas! " So many get caught up in the hustle and bustle of shopping, and spending- buying bigger and more expensive presents, so often we do lose sight of what Christmas is about. What is Christmas about?
Christmas is a national holiday, even though in recent times it is a subject of controversy - as liberals and God-haters do everything that they can to remove the name of Christ from the public places in America.
It's shocking that many public school age children don't know anything about the birth of Christ or any spiritual Christmas songs. Secular traditions take precedence over the true meaning of Christmas.
What should be the Christians attitude toward Christmas? What is the Biblical view of Christmas? What is Christmas really about?
I. Christmas is about a mixture.
( Matt. 2:2 ) They came to worship Him. Christmas has become a mixture of truth and error. You won't find the word Christmas in the Bible. The definition of Christmas is: The celebration of the birth of Christ, usually Dec. 25. No one knows the exact date of Christ's birth. Unger's Bible handbook says:
" Our traditional date of Dec. 25 was set in the 4th century. It was the day settled upon by the Western church. The Eastern church celebrates Jan. 6 ( old Christmas ). " Actually the day is unknown, yet I believe it is good to recognize Christ's birth into the world.
The Catholic church has mixed tradition and error in the mass, the story of St. Nicholas, from where Santa Claus evolved. It amazing that the wise men came to worship the new born King, and brought their gifts to Him. Today we give gifts to one another rather than to Him.
II. Christmas is about Money. ( I Tim. 6:10 )
1. Christmas is about greed. Department stores make lots of money during this time of year. Have you ever notice that Christmas is celebrated earlier every year. It isn't even Thanksgiving and they are advertising sales and black Friday specials.
2. Christmas is about generosity. There are many needy people this time of year: homeless, orphans, and the poor. The Salvation army is positioned outside of stores and people donate to help others.
Food drives and clothing for the those in need. Toys for tots, everyone gets into the spirit of giving and are more generous because of Christmas. That's good, but let's not forget about the greatest Giver of all - God!! The greatest Gift - The gift of His Son. ( John 3:16 )
" Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift." ( II Cor. 9:15 )
III. Christmas is about a Miracle.
( I Tim. 3:16 ) ( Matt. 1:23 )
Even with all the pagan traditions - the main theme of Christmas is the Birth of the Lord Jesus Christ into the world. It was truly a miracle.
1. The Birth of Christ was a physical miracle. ( Luke 1:26-37 )
The power of the Highest overshadowed her. Through the power of the Holy Spirit that body was formed within her - a body that partook of the sin of neither man nor woman. There are some who object to the virgin birth on the grounds that it is not scientific. To the one who complains that this birth is out of the ordinary, we must say that the first Adam did not come through natural generation, and neither did the second Adam. It was a supernatural birth. All births are supernatural, but Christ was pre-existent, and He became flesh. We have the incarnation, Christ came into this world through the virgin birth. Mary asked, " How shall this be? " Luke 1:37 explains it very clearly: " For with God nothing shall be impossible. "
2. The Birth of Christ was a prophetic miracle.
( Isa. 9:6 , 7:14 ) We have a child that is born, a Son is given. God's Son, given to the world.
In Micah 5:2 we have the birth place predicted, so all this was given to Isaiah 700 years before Christ was born. Notice in the geneology of Christ, the " begats " in Matthew 1, then in verse 16; Joseph didn't begat Jesus - Mary was the esposed wife of Joseph. Jesus was the begotten of the Father. Thank God for the virgin birth, because of that Jesus was sinless and He alone was worthy to die for our sins.
IV. Christmas is about a Man.
Notice Matt. 2:11, They worshipped Him. This is not a fable. This really happened. The events that took place over 2,000 years ago really occurred. These wise men came from the East to worship the new born King of Israel. Though He had no palace, or earthly throne, though His birth was a lowly one:
1. Jesus was a real man. He was the God-man. Christ was born and His life is recorded for us in the Gospels. ( Gal. 4:4-5 )
2. Jesus was a rejected man. ( John1:11-12 ) ( Isa. 53:3 ) He would seek the lost and yet many rejected Him. Today still many reject the Lord and fail to realize who He is really is.
3. Jesus is the Redeeming man. ( Isa. 53:4-5 ) He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities. He shed His blood to redeem us from Hell. ( Gal. 1:4, 3:13, 4:5 ) He has redeemed us from the curse of sin. The law demanded death. " The soul that sinneth shall die. " Romans 6:23, Redemption means, " to deliver by paying a price. " Jesus delivered us by paying for that price on Calvary. ( I Tim. 2:5-6 ) Christmas is about Christ.
V. Christmas is about Mercy and Grace.
( John 1:14-17 )
Titus 2:11 Jesus brought grace. God loved us and was merciful to redeem us when we didn't deserve it.
He gives eternal life and a home in Heaven simply by faith. You accept Christ like accepting a gift at Christmas. Just open the one that has your name on it. Christmas gives us the opportunity to share Christ with the world around us. May we share the message of Christ with others this Christmas.
Have you accepted Christ? If you have, then you know the true meaning of Christmas. You understand what it is all about. If you haven't received Christ as your personal Saviour, trust Him today. Ask Him to come into your heart by faith.
God bless you and Merry Christmas!
Pastor Taylor
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)