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 months issue of The Trumpet.
Pastor Tim Goodman
January 2013
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Keep Close Watch
by Dr. Paul Chappell
“Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.” (1 Peter 5:8-9)
A Christian is only as strong as their weakest defense.
The Battle of Thermopylae is perhaps one of the most well-known battles in ancient history. At Thermopylae, a small handful of free Greek men battled a massive army of slaves under the rule of the Persian king Xerxes. What’s most interesting though is that these 4,000 Greeks led by King Leonidas of Sparta were able to hold off the Persian army of roughly 100,000 men for a week. Positioning themselves in a narrow valley, the Greeks lured the Persians to them and used the small space to their advantage, defeating the small portion of Xerxes’ army that could fit in the valley. Many historians believe that the battle could have well continued until the two armies were evenly matched, yet on the seventh day a traitor Greek soldier named Ephialtes told Xerxes’ generals of a small passageway behind the Spartans, unwatched by Leonidas’ men, that would enable the Persians to surround the small group of soldiers. Hearing that they were now surrounded, Leonidas and his men made one final stand against the Persians yet were defeated that day.
What defeated the Greeks wasn’t a lack of planning or strategizing. Leonidas and his men knew of the passageway, yet they chose to not guard it. They failed to keep close watch of this weak point in their strategy. As a result, their heroic stand and improbable victory was halted short as the Persians surrounded them.
Generals and military leaders throughout history could tell you that an army is only as strong as its weakest point. When planning, most military men look for possible weak points and seek to fortify them through supplying extra troops, building barriers, or cutting off the enemy from that point.
As Christians, we are only as strong as our weakest point of defense. Our Christian lives are a battle, and as such, we must be vigilant in protecting ourselves against our enemy. As God says, “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.”
God warns us to keep a close watch for the devil’s tricks. Often, attacks don’t come in the form of blatant temptations to sin or obvious battles, but in small piercings in our defense. A relaxed attitude here, a careless defense there, and the devil can get a foothold in our lives.
The devil is intent on bringing you down as a Christian. He knows he cannot have your soul if you are saved, so his goal is to weaken your defenses and take you to the point that your service for God ceases. Satan has had years to practice his techniques against Christians, which is why God stresses the importance of being vigilant against his attacks.
Christian, don’t let down your guard. Don’t enter a time of relaxation or lax defense. As we get back into the routine of life after the holidays, be ever vigilant against the devil. Keep your guard up by staying faithful in your Bible reading, prayer, and church attendance. Don’t compromise your standards or relax your personal convictions. Stay vigilant by remaining faithful in your walk with God this New Year.
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Parson to Person
It seems as if there is a lot going wrong in the world today. Every time you turn on the news, it appears that all the news is bad news! There seems to be no end to the constant tragedies in our world, and it can be difficult to fight the fear of what the future may hold for us as Christians. How can we dispel this fear of what will happen next?
We have read the story of when Gabriel told Mary that she was to be the mother of Jesus. When the angel told her this news, Mary was afraid. I’m sure if we were in her position, we would be troubled as well. She was living a normal life, preparing for a wedding, faithfully serving God, and now an angel tells her that she is pregnant with baby Jesus! What an exciting yet overwhelming thought!
Beloved, when you are living for the Lord and He is pleased with what you are doing, there is no need to fear. Christ will protect us as we remain faithful to Him. As we remain faithful to Him, He keeps His hand of mercy upon our lives. With all the wickedness in the world today, we need God’s protection at all times! We can’t spare a moment of weakness without Christ! That is why we must seek Him daily to confess our sins and remain in sweet fellowship with the Lord.
I read that Black Bart was a professional thief whose very name struck fear as he terrorized the Wells Fargo stage line. From San Francisco to New York, his name became synonymous with the danger of the frontier. Between 1875 and 1883, he robbed twenty-nine different stagecoach crews. Amazingly, Bart did it all without firing a shot. Because a hood hid his face, no victim ever saw it. He never took a hostage and was never trailed by a sheriff. Black Bart used fear to paralyze his victims. His sinister presence was enough to overwhelm the toughest stagecoach guard.
What do you fear? Are you afraid of what could happen next? There is no need to fear when God is on your side! He is the Creator of the world and He offers His protection in time of trouble! Let Him take away your fear!
As I said last month we have challenges ahead of us but we also have opportunities ahead of us as well. We had planned on having our Winter Revival with Dr. Ron Osteen this month but as you now know Dr. Ostten had to cancel because of Sister Ostten’s health. We need to pray much for them. As you may surmise if Dr. Ostten is off the road then he has no income except for the churches that have taken him on as a missionary. I don’t know how many that may be so we need to pray much for them.
But, the years moves on. Next month, we have the Men’s Meeting at Racine Baptist Temple on the 1st and 2nd of February. This is the 15th Annual Men’s Meeting and I believe the 13th or 14th meeting we have participated in. I am looking forward to this year’s Men’s Meeting.
We are joining the Grace Bible Baptist Church in this year’s Valentine’s Banquet held on the 8th at the Ocean Garden Buffet. I believe this is going to be a great night out for those who can attend.
There are, two other important dates coming up for us in 2013. A Missions Conference in September and the meeting, I personally am looking forward to is, the Debt-Free Conference with Bro Thom Kimmel, February 17th-19th. I know I have told you about this meeting but I wanted to take the opportunity to remind you of it here. This could possibly be a life, Church, changing meeting. You need to plan now to be here every night of the meeting.
I will close this article with another reminder that Linda and I love you and pray for you often. May the Lord Bless our efforts together in this New Year!
Pastor Tim Goodman
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What Motivates You?
“And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart.” (Deuteronomy 6:5-6)
On December 16, 1944, eighteen members of a scouting platoon held off a battalion of German storm troopers in the Belgian hamlet of Lanzerath. Few history books note that their gallant stand gave Allied forces time to begin mounting the defense that eventually won the famous Battle of the Bulge.
One of the platoon members was Will James, who after the war slipped into oblivion for nearly four decades. During that time he underwent numerous painful surgeries as a result of his war wounds. Not until 1981, through the efforts of U.S. House Speaker Thomas P. O’Neill and columnist Jack Anderson, was he awarded, posthumously, the Distinguished Service Cross for extraordinary heroism. Even though he never knew he would be honored, Mr. James risked his life because he loved his country.
These soldiers never stopped to figure out what they would be rewarded if they obeyed their leaders. They didn’t wait for someone to offer them a reward before they did their job. They simply obeyed and served out of a love for their country.
Have you ever asked someone to do something but they wanted to know what they were going to get out of it before they helped you? A lot of people want to know the reward before they will agree to do something. The men that stood off the German soldiers did not know they were going to be rewarded for their efforts. They did not foresee honor and recognition for such acts. All they knew was that they were to do what their commanding officer told them and that was to fight. They needed no other motivation. They needed no other incentive for fighting on. They only wanted to serve their country.
Why do you serve God? Why do you teach, sing, clean, or witness? What is your motivating factor behind serving God? God has been good to us and will reward us for trusting in Him and serving Him. But these rewards should not be our motivation for serving Christ!
Maybe the rewards are not your motivation. Maybe you serve Christ because others will notice. Maybe you serve because if you do not, someone will be upset with you. Beloved, why you serve God is just as important, if not more important as whether you serve Him or not! God is looking at your heart as well as your service!
Our motivation to serve Christ should be because we love Him. Second Corinthians 5:4 says, “For the love of Christ constraineth us.” The love of Christ should cause us to want to serve Him more. When our hearts are pure and we serve Him because we love Him, our service will mean more to Christ.
Maybe you haven’t been serving at all, and it’s time for you to step out and serve God out of a heart of love. As you serve Christ, take a moment to consider why you do it. Is your service an expression of your love for Him, or are you looking for some reward or recognition? Do you serve merely for social praise? What is motivating you today? Evaluate why you are serving God, and determine today to serve Him from a heart of love.
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Baptist We Should Know
The Hindu Widow
By Thomas Ray
The following is a true story of a Hindu widow’s suffering from the consequences of false religion and evil superstition, and the value of missionaries and their message of love and forgiveness.
“My father was one of India’s elite and a man of great wealth. I was his eldest daughter, but sadly my birth brought him no joy. In fact, he was extremely angry and refused to see me because my mother had given him a daughter instead of a son. However, when I was two my mother gave birth to a son, and my father’s attitude completely changed towards me.
When I was six, according to custom, I was married. The wedding was elaborate and expensive. My husband was a wealthy friend of my father and 26 years my senior. During the next six years, my mother taught me to cook and how to serve and care for my husband. In my 12th year, my husband arrived on a brightly decorated elephant to take me to my new home, where I was placed under the authority of my mother-in-law whose cruelty knew no bounds. However, all of that changed just before my 13th birthday when I gave birth to a baby boy.
My husband moved me into an elaborate apartment and provided me with servants who catered to my every need, but this life of luxury came to an abrupt end about a year later. My husband contracted cholera and was dead within hours. The women of the compound stormed into my apartment and began to beat and curse me, stating that I was responsible for my husband’s death and claiming his death was the result of some horrible sin I had committed in a previous life. The women stripped me of my fine clothes, shaved my head, and dressed me in mourning clothes. They told me if I wanted to escape an eternity of suffering and honor my husband, I would die in the flames of my dead husband’s funeral pyre. This I would not do, I could never abandon my little boy.
My husband’s family sent me and my son back to my father. He refused to see me and told his servant I had brought shame upon him, and he would have preferred that I had died in the flames of my husband’s funeral pyre than return a cursed widow. My father sent me to live in a bamboo hut along with my old Ayah (nanny), who was also a widow, to help me. My life was one of loneliness and isolation, and even my mother would not visit me fearing she would suffer the wrath of the gods for associating with a cursed widow. One day my Ayah informed me a white man and a white woman had visited our village. This was the first white woman our villagers had ever seen. My Ayah said her clothing was totally different, and she did not cover her face and most surprising, she did not walk behind her husband but by his side. Later she spoke to the women and explained she had come to tell us about the one true God who loved us and sent His son Jesus to die for our sins.
I wanted immediately to go and talk to the white woman, but I had been warned that if I left my hut, my son would be taken from me. I sent my Ayah to find the white woman and tell her about my situation and ask her to visit me. The next day the white woman came to my hut and read words out of a book she called ‘God’s Word.’ She told me God loved me and sent his son Jesus to die for my sins. She also described the joys of heaven which is free from all pain and sorrow.
Many years have passed since the white women first visited me. My life has been difficult, death has taken my beloved Ayah, and my son has left me and despises me because I am a cursed widow. Although my eyes have grown dim and my hearing dull, the white woman’s words are still alive in my heart. I dream of the day when Jesus will come and take me to heaven and I will no longer be a cursed widow. I will pray each day until I die the prayer the white woman taught me: ‘God, our creator, all love, all powerful, ever present, all willing to save! In the name of Jesus Christ his Son who died to redeem, forgive, pity, and save me.’”
(Pastor’s Comment: The article in December issue of the Baptist Tribune ended right here, but I felt it needed a comment or two. This story is indeed a sad and disturbing one. I think it interesting that we aren’t even told who the missionary or his wife, were. This unnamed missionary did their work without any thought of reward or recognition. What an inspiration and a challenge to us as we serve the same Lord.)
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The Value of One
Revival Readings for the New Year
“Through God we shall do valiantly: for he it is that shall tread down our enemies.” (Psalm 60:12)
A Boston shoe clerk by the name of D. L. Moody once heard a preacher say, “The world has yet to see what God will do with a man who is fully and wholly consecrated to the Holy Spirit.” In response, Moody said, “By the grace of God, I’ll be that man.”
Through God, there is no limit to what one person can do. Born in Northfield, Massachusetts, D.L. Moody was raised on a farm until the age of 16 when he worked in a store in Boston. After a move to Chicago, Moody gained skill and rose to the top as a clerk and as the company’s best salesman. Amidst his success, Moody had a love for children that moved him to start a Sunday school in an abandoned freight car. The Sunday school grew and eventually met in a hall given to him rent-free by the mayor of Chicago. This Sunday school ended up reaching 1,500 boys and girls each week. After much prayer, Moody left his secular field, at age twenty three, and committed himself totally to the Lord’s work. The young D.L. Moody believed that through his God, he could do valiantly. His faith allowed his walk with God to be the dominant factor of his life.
Luke 1:37 says, “For with God nothing shall be impossible.” Even though some may say revival is impossible in America today, God says that nothing is impossible. Take time right now to pray for revival.
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How to Become a
Member of
Faith Bible Baptist Church
By Profession of Faith and Baptism
If you will receive Jesus Christ as your personal Saviour and follow Him in baptism by immersion, we welcome you into our fellowship.
By Letter
As a Baptist whose church membership is elsewhere, if God directs you here we will be pleased to welcome you into our church family. We will happily take care of appropriate details for transferring your membership.
By Baptism
If you know in your heart that you have been saved and want to become a member of Faith Bible Baptist Church, we invite you to join us by baptism. This gives testimony of your salvation and your obedience to His direction.
By Statement of Faith
In the event church membership records are not available for a transfer of membership, or if you were once a Baptist church member, we will accept you upon your statement of faith.
You may express your desire to fulfill any of the above by presenting yourself during the invitation at the close of each worship service. Of course, any decision assumes your commitment to being faithful in prayer, church attendance, tithing and participation in our Lord’s work at Faith Bible Baptist Church.
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