April 2023
The Trumpet
The Trumpet is a monthly paper offered to the good folks of Faith Bible Baptist, Toledo Ohio, and is the work of the pastor. He assembles the articles and edits them as a ministry to his church. We offer it to those who read our Web Site but in a different format than is presented to the Church. The purpose is simple, to generate spiritual thought, and to encourage spiritual discussion within the body. Where credit can be given, it is, but there is no claim of originality. Further, the Trumpet is an avenue of current and future events scheduled for The Faith Bible Baptist Church of Toledo.
May the Lord bless you as you read this month’s issue of The Trumpet.
Pastor Tim Goodman
April 2023
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Questions and Answers About Church Rights
Answers to Common Questions Churches Have
By Dr. David Gibbs Jr.
Founder, Christian Law Association
The Christian Law Association exists to preserve Christian liberty in America. They provide free legal assistance to Bible-believing churches and Christians who are experiencing difficulty practicing their religious faith because of governmental regulation, intrusion, or prohibition in one form or another. Below are just a few of the legal questions that have been raised through their cases.
What Should the Church Do After Police Stop Them from Going Door to Door with the Gospel?
For nearly a century, the United States Supreme Court has upheld the right of Christians to go door to door along public streets presenting the Gospel to homeowners and leaving religious literature at their doors. Unfortunately, local police are not always aware of their responsibility to protect that constitutional right.
One church called CLA when police threatened to arrest their members for going door to door. CLA was able to provide that city’s attorney with a letter outlining the law guaranteeing the constitutional rights of those soulwinners. They were able to resume their soulwinning activities with no further threats from the police. It is your right in America to share the Gospel from door to door.
Is Talking About God in The Public Schools Really Unconstitutional?
Eric takes his Bible with him to all of his sixth-grade classes. If his friends notice the Bible and ask him about it, he shares his faith with them. When Eric’s teacher learned what he was doing, school officials removed him from class, telling him it was illegal to bring his Bible to school and talk about God there. But it was the teacher, not Eric, who was wrong.
Students in America have First Amendment free speech rights to carry their Bibles and share their faith with friends at the public school. Teachers who interfere with these rights could provoke a lawsuit against the school. It is legal in America to take your Bible to school.
Can the Government Determine Christian School Staffing Policies?
The United States Supreme Court has done a great service for Christian education by agreeing unanimously that Christian schools have the same right to hire and fire teachers as churches have to hire and fire pastors. This is found under what the law calls the “general ministerial exception.” This decision came after the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission filed a wrongful termination lawsuit against Hosanna-Tabor Church on behalf of a former teacher.
Chief Justice Roberts wrote the Court’s opinion saying that churches are not required to either hire or retain teachers they do not want whether for religious or nonreligious reasons.
How Can Your Church Avoid Falling Victim to Another Telephone Scam?
A company claiming to be the Yellow Pages was calling churches nationwide, offering to list the church in an undefined business section for $500. The telephone scammer then posed a series of fast-paced, confusing questions to the person who took the call. Usually, it was an unsuspecting church secretary. The caller’s goal was to record the call and trick the person into unknowingly accepting the offer without a written contract. An invoice for $500 quickly follows. Aggressive collection agency tactics are then used for a service the church never wanted or agreed to. Don’t be victimized by this scam. Train your ministry workers to hang up and notify the FCC (Federal Communication Commission)immediately and never pay for a bogus invoice.
Why is it so Important for Churches to Have Bylaws?
As the old saying goes, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Far too many churches operate with little or no written rules to guide them and when difficulties and legal issues arrive, it is always a problem. If your church bylaws do not specifically state what you do and how you do it, your state’s nonprofit laws will become the rule that you have to follow—whether or not you operate by them, agree with them, or even know about them. It is important for every church and every ministry in America to have legally sound bylaws for their ministries.
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Parson to Person
For the month of April, we are challenging ourselves as a church to read thru the New Testament in the month. The 30 Days of Light. In the article after Parson to Person I have an article dedicated to the 30 Days of Light – Bible Reading Challenge. Take time to read this article and recommit yourself to this worthy challenge.
We will be celebrating Easter this month as well. I’m sure you know the Easter story is not about jellybeans, colored boiled eggs, candy or bunnies. We will be spending some time on the real Easter story, the Gospel story. The Gospel can be summed up in three thoughts. It is the death, burial and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. Many people saw Him die. Several buried Him. He was seen of the disciples and many others. If He had not been seen of the over five hundred people, then people could say He was a fraud. But He arose. He arose victorious over death, hell and the grave. It should make be more appreciative of what Christ did for us. This Easter we will of course have our annual Sunrise Service at 6:30 in the am with our regular schedule for AM Service – No Evening Service – Enjoy your family.
If I asked you a question about your own devotional life, would you be uncomfortable? Some Christians spend little—if any—time with the Lord on a daily basis. There are those who think if they read The Daily Bread or a verse or two out of the Bible and perhaps whisper a short prayer, they are being extremely spiritual. In their mind, that is enough to help them develop spiritually. Yet, many times that same Christian will spend forty-five minutes to an hour looking at social media sites or perusing news or sports sites. Perhaps they spend several hours watching television, listening to sports or talk radio, or reading some secular literature.
In John 15, we find some of Jesus’ final words before His death on the cross. I think we realize that if a person knows he has a short time to live, he might speak some of his most important thoughts to those he loves. Jesus did that in the Upper Room and on the way to the Garden of Gethsemane. In this great chapter of John, Jesus speaks about the importance of abiding in Him. He likens it to a branch being attached to a vine. If the branch is removed from the vine, it withers and dies. It can only bear fruit as it is attached or abides in the vine.
Jesus is saying that it should be the same way for believers. If we want to be truly spiritual and have fruit in the Christian life, then we must abide in Christ. We must do what Psalms 1:1-3 states—we must delight in the Law of the Lord and meditate on it day and night! When we do, we will be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, bringing forth fruit, and we will truly prosper in the Christian life.
Living a Christian life requires much more than church attendance during weekly services. Being known as a Christian is literally to be known as a follower of Christ, one who strives to live life as Christ lived. Being a Christian isn’t merely identification with certain deeds or actions, although they will be evident in our lives, it is genuinely a life we live; it is who we are.
Joh)n provides basic admonitions for the Christian life. The truths he speaks of are not new to us, nor or they beyond our ability to comprehend (1 John 3:18-24). They are really simple thoughts that reach profound depths. If we are to be all Christ desires us to be, then we must live our lives as He lived His. We ought to be more like Jesus than at our conversion. Let’s take a moment to consider the admonitions of the text as we think on: Abiding in Christ.
Here are a few things every Christian needs to do:
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Spend some quality time with Christ every day and throughout the day (Matthew 4:4).
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Memorize Scripture verses and let their truths rest in your heart (Psalm 119:11, Colossians 3:16).
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Let those truths permeate your mind and think on them throughout the day (Psalm 1:2).
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Put away, or quit, things that aren’t pleasing to the Lord. Let the Holy Spirit search your life and point out the things that God wants you to face and deal with (Psalm 139:23, Ephesians 4:22, Colossians 3:9).
If you will make this a practice with a heart that longs for and loves the Lord, you will truly be walking in the Spirit and growing in grace!
I will close for now but please always remember I are thankful the Lord brought us to Faith Bible Baptist Church. Linda and I love you very much and we thank the Lord for you always. As we approach spring let’s start thinking about planting seeds of the Gospel and bring a great harvest this summer.
Pastor Tim Goodman
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30 Days of Light – Bible Reading Challenge
Read thru the New Testament in 30 Days
We have each been planted with seeds of the Gospel, but how can we help those seeds grow? One of the best ways to help that seed grow is with a Bible reading plan! Start a Bible reading plan this April and find new and fun ways to read God’s Word!
The Bible is packed with historical accounts and instructions on how to live in a way that is pleasing and honoring to God. That should be our goal every day. Reading the Bible is an incredible way to grow and deepen our faith. But with so much to read, do you sometimes wonder where to start reading the Bible? There is no best way to read the Bible, and different people find that a different reading plans, are better for their schedules and learning styles. Thankfully, there are several great Bible reading plans to choose from. For the month of April, we are challenging ourselves to read thru the New Testament in the month.
Why Read the Bible?
When you accepted Jesus Christ into your life, you stepped into the most amazing relationship you will ever have — a relationship with God. All relationships require work for them to strengthen and grow. But how can you cultivate a relationship with the Creator of the Universe?
The key to any relationship – including one with God – is communication. First, you can talk to God through prayer. Remember that communication isn’t a one-way street; God wants to speak to you too! Make sure to take the time to listen for His voice. He will choose many ways to talk to you. However, one of the best ways to hear God’s voice is to read His love letter to you: The Bible. Reading God’s Word helps us to grow in Christ. It teaches us how to live a life that is holy and pleasing to Him and that will demonstrate His power and love to those around us. The Bible shows us God’s character and gives us guidance on handling situations in life. We can test everything against His Word and know it is true — yesterday, today, and tomorrow.
How Can We Trust What the Bible Says?
The Bible is God’s voice in written form. It is a collection of 66 books, inspired by the Holy Spirit, and written by more than 40 authors over 1,500 years. Later writings and archeology have confirmed that Bible people, places, and events were real. Biblical authors include: national leaders (Moses & Joshua); prophets (Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel); disciples (Peter, James, John); and Gospel writers and (Paul) to name a few.
There are a lot of hot debates on whether or not the Bible is true historically, if it is the Word of God, or if it depicts Jesus accurately. A lot of people demand proof. So how can we know that the Bible is true? Can we trust that it’s accurate? Or do we just take it on faith that it is?
There are a number of reasons why we can answer the question “is the Bible true” with a resounding “yes.” Here are five reasons why…
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Documentation
There is significantly more documentation for the books of the Bible than there are for other historically recognized authors and literature, including Plato and others.
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Archeological findings
Excavation sites and artifacts also provide evidence that many of the events, people, and places mentioned in the Bible really existed, including the Hittite people and the city of Jericho.
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Eyewitness accounts
The Gospels give multiple points of view and, in many cases, were written within the lifetimes of the people who witnessed the events recorded in the Bible. Writers focused on different aspects, but they had the same message: Jesus taught, healed, performed miracles, died on the cross, and rose from the dead.
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The life of Jesus
The fact that Jesus was a real, historical person is clearly documented by Jewish manuscripts, even before the Apostle Paul and the writers of the Gospels provided their eyewitness accounts. Other ancient cultural documents also reference his existence. For example, the Roman leader and historian, Tacitus, wrote:
“Nero fastened the guilt and inflicted the most exquisite tortures on a class hated for their abominations, called Christians by the populace. Christus, from whom the name had its origin, suffered the extreme penalty during the reign of Tiberius at the hands of one of our procurators, Pontius Pilatus…”
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Redeemed lives.