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This poem was written for my pastor and his wife for Christmas.

Jesus In You

Day by day, and throughout all the years,
You both taught us by faith what was right and true;
You modelled our Saviour in word and in deed -
We learned so much about Jesus through you.

Faithfully trusting and serving our Saviour;
We are amazed by all that our God can do
Through those who follow in the footsteps of faith -
We know we can see Jesus living in you.

Through the years, I’m sure you’ve entertained angels;
By your example, we know our hearts grew too;
You showed compassion in your care for us all -
We see Jesus loving others through you.

You showed us this life’s not the end of the story,
You both modelled for us the eternal view,
In this world with all of its fading glory,
In the way you live, we see Jesus in you.

December 10, 2023
Jerry Bouey

(Christmas Project 2023)

Acts 4:13 Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marvelled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus.

Galatians 2:20 I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.

1 Corinthians 11:1 Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ.
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I’m not sure this time around ??
 


 

 

https://thehill.com/opinion/campaign/4025948-evangelicals-should-think-twice-about-supporting-trump-in-2024/amp/
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Over the last few months before Jim had his surgery - in my grief now - I had forgotten. In Jim's prayers, that I heard, he often dwelled on his home in heaven and distinguished it from his home in heaven and his home on earth. To most people that may not mean anything, but for me, it told a lot. He had never really done that before a few months ago.

Now that he is not waking up, the doctors have their reasons why. His brain is severely damaged by the stroke. If he did wake up it is likely that he wouldn’t be able to see, speak, feed himself, or breathe on his own. He has also developed an infection (Pneumonia) in his lungs. But I think there is an added reason - he doesn't want to wake up. He really has nothing to look forward to, he hated what the neuropathy was doing to him and it was getting worse, to the point that at some point he wouldn't have been able to do anything but sit in his chair and wait to die, which he felt he was already doing.

I really think he was ready to go months ago, long before he knew about his heart problem. Even though he did have great hope that he would recover from his surgery and feel better and have more energy. I also feel he was torn between the desire to die and leaving me a widow. But there is also that he felt trapped in his body.

So I have decided that I will let him die peacefully. I think he has a few more days before he has to have the stomach feeding portal installed. I have told them not to. It will also be at that time I will have them remove his ventilator so he can pass peacefully. There really is no hope he will recover, but even if there was - recover to what? To continue his neuropathy deterioration? I really think he doesn't want that, and is one reason he hasn't woke up.

I am sorry, so very sorry. Not just for me, but for him, his family, and his close friends. I don't know the exact date they will do this, but it will happen soon. I will go and see him one last time tomorrow and say my goodbyes. I cannot bear to watch him die. This is the hardest thing I have ever had to do. But he would not want to live like this, and I am abiding by his wishes. Please know, my heart goes out to you.

Linda, his wife
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Brother Jim's surgery is complete. I will post updates here as I get them from his wife. Please be sure to pray for her as well.

First - "I am beyond exhausted, but I know many are waiting to hear how Jim's surgery went. The surgery went very well. They ended up doing a quadruple bypass. The Doctor said his heart was like brand new in how it functions now 🙂 - 



 



However, the last I heard he hasn't woke up. They did a CT scan to see if there was anything wrong that would keep him from waking up.  But they said they didn't know how long it would be before the doctor would read them and get back to me. So, I chose to go home because we have a dog that needs taken care of and the hospital doesn't like people to sleep there.  I will update you all further, but I have to get some sleep. I  will call before I fall asleep to see if the doctor has looked at them. I will update as soon as I know. If I don't update within an hour there is no news to tell."



 



An hour later - "Ok, the doctor called. The ct scan shows he has had some small multiple strokes on both sides of his brain. But it doesn’t show how old they are. But this may be why he isn't waking up. They are treating him like they would if he had just had a stroke. They are also going to do an MRI soon."



 



A few minutes ago - "I just got through talking to the nurse. There are no changes. I will call in every morning to check on him. And if there are any changes the nurse will call me. At this point they said his no waking up would probably be because of the stroke."



 



Hospital Address: 


Asante Rogue Regional Medical Center

2825 E. Barnett RdMedford, OR 97504
 

He is in Room 2011. Jim Foley. If you want to send a card.
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The multi campussed SBC affiliated Elevation Church of Matthews, NC, pastored by Steven Furtick and his wife, Holly Furtick, has decided to break their cooperation with the SBC. Could it be over the issue of female pastors? Mr. Furtick is not very theologically sound and has preached some really "off-the-wall" sermons over the past few years, and his wife, Holly, has preached several times over the past few years. Could it be this was a preemptive separating of the ways before the churches could be booted? Article follows.

https://www.baptistpress.com/resource-library/news/elevation-church-withdraws-from-sbc-cooperation/

 
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This is my first time on here. I’m an Australian IB Pastor’s daughter. There’s smoke everywhere over here, just by the way. My friends house burnt down the other day.

One of the churches that we have had an interface with have suddenly come out as Post-Trib. If anyone knows David Cloud, he was out here just recently and did a full series of meetings with them and then found out AFTERWARDS (from my pastor brother) that they’ve been “studying” the subject of prophecy all year, and hey presto! The church is in for the guillotein. I’ve got friends in that church, and now they’re telling me they’re post-trib. It’s a bit lonely here in Australia. Most of our churches are hundreds of km apart. Apparently the States sometimes has more than one IB church in a big town! I can’t believe it! They must have more friends too then to make up for any losses.

I was just wondering if anyone has any helpful thoughts on a post-trib view (or pre-trib view, depending how you look at it).

As far as I can see, we are not appointed to wrath (and that meaning the whole 7 year tribulation). God will keep us “from the hour of temptation” that will come upon the whole earth”. 

 

 
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If Instagram links aren't allowed, I appologize.

https://www.instagram.com/reel/CtjYWB6gx_H/?fbclid=IwAR0xBfqWwgo9lL5yC93xfSCdzNi_m8PKoWlhqWOQXEvJuI-s7dVs1AGEkDs

You know, Jesus even said you're supposed to "hate" your parents so, obviously, hate means different things in different contexts, no? God also tells us things like,  we're to "love our enemies" so that we will be like Him. Well, if we are to love our enemies, when He hates His, that wouldn't be "like Him" at all would it? If loving the sinner is what WE are told to do, while God doesn't love them Himself....that would kind of make us better than Him in that respect wouldn't it?And I know that's not so.. He also tells us that He "so loved the world.....". I promise you that the word "world, in John 3:16, doesn't mean the sphere of rock that we live on. So, what benefit do these guys hope to accomplish and how are they furthering the Gospel by trying to make it clear to people that "God hates the sinner"?
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This is one of my favorite channels to subscribe to for hymns. This brother does a wonderful job.

Acapeldridge
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I've come across many Baptist pastors and parishoners who listen to the speakers in this clip on a regular basis. They are being filled with the heretical teachings of these people. I pray they'll learn from this clip.

 
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I've come across many Baptist pastors and parishoners who listen to the speakers in this clip on a regular basis. They are being filled with the heretical teachings of these people. I pray they'll learn from this clip.

 
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The point of this topic is NOT to criticize those attending or not attending in person services, but rather to see where our culture is currently at.

How are you currently attending church services?
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He maketh me to lie down
Psalm 23:2He maketh me to lie down in green pastures:.........

From my observations, sheep prefer to lie down in the dirt. Where all they have is grass, they scratch out a bed. When they rise, they immediately defecate and urinate in their bed go about their day and the next night go back to the holes and lie down again. The feces carries the eggs of whatever parasites the sheep may have, which then hatch, climb the blades of grass and are reingested to complete their life cycle. The parasites feed on the sheeps blood and nutrients and make them sick.  The more they eat this, the more their health is compromised. So I can see how a large flock of sheep could foul up an good pasture in a hurry. 

I don't know much about Biblical shepherds but I'm thinking that, in a semi-arid land such as the land of Israel, a "green pasture" would be too precious a commodity for a shepherd to waste by letting the sheep bed down in one. So I'm thinking that Biblical shepherds, wise ones, would lead the flock to a barren area to lie down so as not to ruin the good, clean grass. Even though we are inclined to lie down in the "dirt" as well, God has enough good pasture, that his children don't need to lie in the filth of the World. He leads us to a green pasture. Open for discussion. 🙂
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We started our church 5 years ago and have yet to add any deacons. We will add deacon(s) when/if we see the need to. 

Some visitors to our church do not understand how we operate without having deacon as they come from churches where the deacons control everything in the church. 

If you have deacons in your church what is there role. I know what the Biblical role is, I'm curious as to how much authority your deacons have.
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If you're comfortable telling us, I'm curious as to what the rental cost is for your church if you rent a building. You do not have to give church name or location, I'm curious as to how much churches spend on rental buildings, especially church plants.

I started our church 5 years ago in Connecticut, and we pay $1500/ month for 2,000 square ft. and we got a great price for our area.

I understand that each location will have different rental costs.
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Prior to Christs death, Rome had a holiday called Easter - what was this holiday about for the Romans 
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I am posting this with permission from the family. One of our members @Alan has gone on to be with the Lord last week. Alan was a great contributor here, and was a blessing and encouragement to many on Online Baptist. Alan will truly be missed on this earth, but he is now with our creator. Please keep the family in your prayers during this time as there are details that need to be worked out. 

Please feel free to comment below on how Alan was an encouragement and/or blessing to you. 

 
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This is the official Online Baptist voting poll. If you need another option added to the poll, just let me know. Then media loves pols (when it favors them), but I think they will ignore our poll. 😂
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Being part of a small church we always seem to have some sort of distraction. While in a larger church some distractions may not be all that noticeable, smaller churches they become a bigger distraction. 

Our service yesterday started off like it normally does  and everything was going along as planned. My daughter was scheduled to sing the special right before the preaching. We had a guest speaker Jonathan Lyons the VP for Missions for Forgotten Peoples with us. 

In the middle of my daughters special, I noticed a gentlemen coughing a little, then it keep getting louder and more frequent. Then the gentlemen next to him started doing the same thing. I didnt think too much of it as he was offered a cough drop. Then it slowly started overcoming more and more people in our auditorium. I saw my staff frantically moving around trying to figure out what is going on. Next thing I know nearly everyone is in tears coughing and choking. I then suddenly stopped the special and instructed everyone to leave the auditorium to figure out what was going on.

Apparently one of out bus kids was playing with my daughters keys in which there is a pepper spray attached to the chain. Well, he opened it and accidentally sprayed some in the air.  

We're thankful everyone is okay and now the joke is that the pastor (me) is tried to poison the church.  

Those watching out live stream were so confused as to what was going on. Definitely never a dull moment at Highpoint. 

I think I missed the class in Bible College on how to handle this situation. 
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A 4 page letter was taped to the door of North Valley Baptist Church in Santa Clara, ordering the California mega-church to shut its doors. The reason? They were in violation of the law for holding indoor worship service, and they will be fined $5,000 for each day they are open. 

The church was accused of holding indoor services, failing to ensure that speakers wore face masks and singing. 

This no longer is about health, but power in the government. The link bellow Pastor Trieber talks about the letters nailed to the door. He starts around the 4:50 mark.

 

https://www.facebook.com/NorthValley/videos/1248618538812764/

 
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I have recently heard from many people that "People were saved by looking forward to the cross before and looking back at it after". I have also noticed that the majority of people who have said this were Calvinists. Since the Death, Burial, and Resurrection of Christ was obviously not the focus of Abraham's Faith in Romans 4, how do you construct a view of the Bible without considering the dispensation of the scripture you are reading? In other words, what scripture do people use to defend this view of looking forward to the cross? I understand that the Bible starts speaking of a Messiah to come in Genesis, but I do not think Jesus' disciples understood fully what was going on, and they were with Him. In Luke 24

13 And, behold, two of them went that same day to a village called Emmaus, which was from Jerusalem about threescore furlongs.

14 And they talked together of all these things which had happened.

15 And it came to pass, that, while they communed together and reasoned, Jesus himself drew near, and went with them.

16 But their eyes were holden that they should not know him.

17 And he said unto them, What manner of communications are these that ye have one to another, as ye walk, and are sad?

18 And the one of them, whose name was Cleopas, answering said unto him, Art thou only a stranger in Jerusalem, and hast not known the things which are come to pass there in these days?

19 And he said unto them, What things? And they said unto him, Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, which was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people:

20 And how the chief priests and our rulers delivered him to be condemned to death, and have crucified him.

21 But we trusted that it had been he which should have redeemed Israel: and beside all this, to day is the third day since these things were done.

22 Yea, and certain women also of our company made us astonished, which were early at the sepulchre;

23 And when they found not his body, they came, saying, that they had also seen a vision of angels, which said that he was alive.

24 And certain of them which were with us went to the sepulchre, and found it even so as the women had said: but him they saw not.

25 Then he said unto them, O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken:

26 Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into his glory?

27 And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself.

So how were Abraham, Noah, David or others to know this? 

Does anyone believe that people before Christ were saved by Faith in Christ alone?

Would love some help and clarification here, Thank You! 
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Dr. Rebekah "Beka" Horton died Saturday, June 27. Here is the link to her obituary.

While not known as a Baptist, there are few Americans who have influenced the Baptist movement as much as Dr. Beka Horton. She was part of the duo that helped to put Christian schools on the map in America with the A Beka Book Christian School curriculum, and later, Home school curriculum. She, with her husband, started Pensacola Christian School, eventually becoming Pensacola Chrisitian Academy, Pensacola Christian College, Pensacola Theological Seminary, Rejoice radio, and several other ministries, besides the largest Christian textbook ministry in America (A Beka Book).

Her funeral will be held on the campus of Pensacola Christian College Wednesday, July 1, at 10:30 Central Time. If you are interested in viewing the livestream, you can visit this link for more information.
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This is a question I get asked ALL the time when knocking on doors...... My current answer is I'm a Biblicist in which they usually say that was not one of the answers, and I say they did not give me enough choices. Then we get into the Bible.

My question is how do you answer this question?
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These next few weeks are going to hold changes for all of us as our communities work through the challenges posed by COVID-19. 
In the midst of these uncharted times, we who know Christ, can still proactively practice faith. And even when our world is turned upside down, we can trust that God is in control and that He is working. 
With that in mind, here are seven activities that can help you make the most of this God-ordained time:
1. Pray—Take time to cast your every burden on the Lord every morning and throughout the day. Parents, take time to pray with your children and to spend time with them around the Word of God each day. Pray for your pastor. Pray for your boss or co-workers. We can worry, or we can pray. 
2. Help—Help a senior or a widow. Perhaps this means just dropping something at their doorstep, perhaps writing a note or a card. I’m thankful for the deacons of Lancaster Baptist who are checking in on nearly one hundred widows throughout these upcoming weeks. All of us should jump in to help those who have special underlying needs at this time. 
3. Read—If you’re quarantined or otherwise spending more time at home, this is an excellent opportunity to enrich your life through reading. 
4. Love—Love your family. Be kind to your neighbors. Encourage your coworkers. Reach out to your friends.
5. Worship—Most churches are finding creative ways to assemble through live stream venues or smaller gatherings. (Lancaster Baptist will be doing services via live broadcast at lbclive.tv. A schedule of the services is available here.) Although your church’s normal schedule or meeting location may be disrupted, make worship with your church family a priority. 
6. Continue—The local church is so much more than just an assembly (although it does include assembling). But even when assembly times are unusual, you can still participate as part of Christ’s local church body as you pray, serve, give, and reach out to others. 
7. Plant—A time like this is an opportunity to plant seeds. Just as many of us will plant seeds in a garden in the upcoming weeks, fully expecting a harvest later, so we can use this unusual season to plant seeds of prayer and kindness. Be sure you’re using this time to sow, because God will bless faithful labor for Him. 
View the full article
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Scientific Facts in the Bible.
The Ordinances of Heaven
Job 38:33, “Knowest thou the ordinances of heaven? canst thou set the dominion thereof in the earth? An ordinance is an established law or rule.
Astronomer and mathematician, Johannes Kepler 1571-1630, verified that the sun and the planets are governed by scientific laws, or ordinances. Johannes Kepler was a devout Christian. Kepler believed that God created the universe as the Bible says He did.
Psalm 119: 90 & 91, “Thy faithfulness is unto all generations: thou hast established the earth, and it abideth. They continue this day according to thine ordinances: for all are thy servants.”  All of the ordinances of the physical universe were established by God. The ordinances of heaven include: the revolution of the earth the planets, the solar system, the revolution of the galaxy, and gravity. These ordinances were not understood throughout the centuries until scientists verified the ordinances of the solar system.
Johannes Kepler, and other scientists, has verified that the universe and all biological life is based on scientific fact. Evolution is based on randomness not verifiable scientific fact.
Jeremiah 31: 35-37, “Thus saith the LORD, which giveth the sun for a light by day, and the ordinances of the moon and of the stars for a light by night, which divideth the sea when the waves roar; The LORD of hosts is his name: If those ordinances depart from before me, saith the LORD, then the seed of Israel also shall cease from being a nation before me for ever. Thus saith the LORD; If heaven above can be measured, and the foundations of the earth searched out beneath, I will also cast off the seed of Israel for all that they have done, saith the LORD.”
God established the ordinances of heaven, the physical universe, in Genesis chapter 1. These ordinances will continue until He creates the new heaven and the new earth: Isaiah 66: 22; 2 Peter 3:10-13 and Revelation 21:1
 
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With this disease spreading fast the Christian Law Association posted the following a week ago.

https://christianlaw.org/pray-for-healing-keep-fervently-sharing-the-gospel/

Mega churches are cancelling services to help stop the spread of the Coroana virus. Has anyone's church here done anything, and is there a panic in your church/community about all of this?

Me being outside NYC, everyone is in a panic. 
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