A Portrait of Humility

September 23, 2010
Pastor Bob Hammond

In the opening verses of Jesus' famous Sermon on the Mount,
the Lord proclaimed, "Blessed are theFanny Crosby's tombstone at Mountain Grove Cemetery, Bridgeport, CT. meek: for they shall inherit the earth." (Matthew 5:5)

This week, I had an opportunity to visit Fanny Crosby's grave at Mountain Grove Cemetery in Bridgeport.

Of course, we know Fanny Crosby as the famous writer of more than 3,000 hymns and poems.  What you may not know, is that despite her considerable fame, Fanny Crosby remained a portrait of Christ-like meekness and humility.  

I'm told that sister Fanny once had occasion to visit the grave of P.T. Barnum -- which is located just steps from where she is now buried.  As the blind hymnist felt around the very ornate grave of Mr. Barnum, she expressed dismay at the cost that must have been involved in creating such an elaborate memorial.  She proceeded to decree that her own grave should be marked by only the simplest stone.  Today, her original tombstone is among the smallest in the cemetery.  And it reads simply, "Aunt - Fanny.  She hath done what she could.  Fanny J. Crosby."  

Praise God for the humility of that great Sister in Christ!  Lord, produce in us the same humility.

To God be the Glory (Fanny Crosby)

To God be the glory, great things He hath done

So loved He the world that He gave us His Son

Who yielded His life an atonement for sin

And opened the life-gate that all may go in. 

Refrain:
	Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, 
	let the earth hear his voice!  
	Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, 
	let the people rejoice!
	O come to the Father thru Jesus the Son, 
	and give him the glory, great things he hath done!

Listen to this hymn

How Can I Best Share My Faith?

September 9, 2010
Pastor Bob Hammond 

First, Recognize That Christians are Commanded to be Prepared to Share the Gospel.

In 1 Peter 3:15, we're commanded to "be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear."

Understand that God's Words Are the Words That We Should Use to Share the Gospel

Too often, Christians fail to share the gospel because they don't believe they have the right words.  In Hebrews 4:12, we read  "For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart."  We have the right words, because we have God's words!  Let's not neglect to use the words of God when sharing the gospel and leading lost people to Christ!

Understand That When We Share the Gospel, We're Calling Unbelievers to "Repentance" and Faith in Christ Alone

When we share the gospel, our goal is not to coerce an unbeliever to blindly repeat a "sinners prayer." Rather, our goal is to lead an unbeliever to repent of his sins and to genuinely place his faith in Christ. Too often, we've overlooked to role of repentance in salvation.   Indeed, repentance is mentioned 66 times throughout the New Testament.

• 2 Peter 3:9  "The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance." 
   
• Matthew 4:17   "From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand."

• Mark 1:14-15  14 ¶ Now after that John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God,  15 And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.  

Repentance simply involves a conscious decision to turn away from sin and to turn toward Christ.  A true conversion follows repentance and placing one's faith in Christ alone for salvation!

Be Prepared to Explain that We Can't Earn Salvation Through "Good Works"

The Bible is clear that there's nothing that we can do to earn salvation.   Importantly, we aren't saved by the works of Baptism or any church sacraments.   In his letter to the Ephesians, Paul emphasized,  "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast." (Ephesians 2:8-9)

Be Prepared by Learning A Simple Method to Share God's Words

"Romans Road" is a helpful method for using the words of God to share the gospel.   This method focuses on using seven Bible verses to share the gospel message.  Consider sharing these seven verses, in order:  

1. Romans 3:23  

"For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God."

2. Romans 5:8  

"But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us."

3. Romans 5:12

"Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned."

4. Romans 6:23

"For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."

5. Romans 10:9-11

"That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.  For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.  For the scripture saith, whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed."

6. Romans 10:13

"For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved."

How can I remember these verses?

Ask the Lord to help you memorize these verses.  Consider writing each verse on an index card - with the goal of learning one verse each week for seven weeks.  Meanwhile,  make notes in your Bible to mark the "path down the Romans Road."   For example, at Roman 3:23, write the reference for next verse to be read ("Romans 5:8") in the margin of your Bible.  This will help you remember that Romans 5:8 is the next verse to be shared.    Similarly, at Romans 5:8, write "Romans 5:12" in the margin of your Bible -- continuing through all seven verses above.

Getting Started: 

• Mark Romans Road in your Bible;
  
  
• Pray and ask the LORD to open doors to share the gospel;

• Remain sensitive to the leading of the Holy Spirit;

• Be prepared for spiritual opposition!  And remember,  "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me." (Philippians 4:13)

Back to School - For Christ!

September 1, 2010
Pastor Bob Hammond 

Praise God for a busy and productive summer.  It's hard to believe that it's back-to-school time already!   This week, please encourage our young people to understand how they can honor Christ through their school work.  

Let's encourage our young people to embrace learning as preparation to serve Christ more fully.   When schoolwork is approached as training to serve your savior, an entirely different level of motivation is possible.

2 Timothy 2:15 is the verse that we most often use to encourage study:  "Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth."  However, this verse would seem to apply primarily to the study of Scripture. What about English, history, math and the natural sciences?  Is it important for a Christian student to master these subjects, too?  Yes!  Our students need to understand that their academic development is directly linked to their preparation to fully serve Christ. 

A student who fails to master the parts-of-speech in English class will struggle to develop a full understanding of Scripture.  Similarly, a student who fails to develop a strong understanding of world history cannot fully comprehend Bible history - or current events.   And a student who fails to glimpse the beauty present in both mathematics and the design of the natural world misses the opportunity to appreciate the mind of Christ.

Parents - please don't miss the opportunity to encourage your students to embrace their schoolwork as part of their preparation to serve Christ!

How Should Christians View Family Planning & “Emergency Contraceptive” Pills?

Pastor Bob Hammond  |  Expanded version published November 2014

In recent years, Christian married couples have increasingly re-visited the debate regarding the use birth control.  Some have rejected birth control methods altogether--expressing a desire to give themselves more fully to the LORD’s plan for their families (Gen. 1:28; Ps. 127:3-5).  Others have chosen to limit their use of birth control non-hormonal methods -- noting concern about the potential for hormonal methods (e.g. “the pill”) to terminate early pregnancies.   To help guide your own decision, consider these four observations:

1.  Bearing children is one of the LORD’s primary purposes for marriage. 

Genesis 1:28   “And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.”

Also recognize that children are a reward from the LORD and a Godly source of happiness:

 Psalm 127:3-5   “Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD: and the fruit of the womb is his reward.  4 As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are children of the youth.  5 Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them: they shall not be ashamed, but they shall speak with the enemies in the gate.” 

2.  The LORD knows us before we were conceived – and that He has mandated the protection of unborn children (without regard to the stage of development)

The LORD told Jeremiah that He knew Jeremiah “before I formed thee in the belly.” 

Jeremiah 1:5   “Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.”

Moses taught that a man who harms an unborn child should suffer punishment:

Exodus 21:22-23  “If men strive, and hurt a woman with child, so that her fruit depart from her, and yet no mischief follow: he shall be surely punished, according as the woman's husband will lay upon him; and he shall pay as the judges determine.  23 And if any mischief follow, then thou shalt give life for life." 

In Exodus 21, the LORD does not specify the point of development at which an unborn child is afforded this protection.  That wasn’t necessary because a fertilized human egg is simply a human being at the earliest stage of development.  The LORD knows us before conception and He calls for our protection in the womb.  It is clear that the LORD desires that unborn children be protected at all stages of development - from conception forward. 

3.       If Christians choose to use birth control, they must recognize that many methods are abortive, i.e. they have potential to cause an early pregnancy to be terminated.

 One pastor argues that “outside of condoms, most birth control methods are not pre-emptive but rather abortive.   They do not prevent conception, but prevent the fertilized egg from adhering to the uterine wall so the pill and such causes an abortion since it kills the fertilized egg.” 

o   Note that, in addition to condoms, various other so-called “barrier methods” have no known abortive potential (see section #4 below)

o   All hormonal birth control methods have abortive potential.  These methods include all form of birth control pills and hormonal injections

o   An IUD, or intrauterine device, also has abortive potential and should be avoided.

The potential for hormonal birth control methods to cause abortions is described by numerous physicians, including Dr. William Collitron, a clinical professor of obstetrics and gynecology at George Washington University Medical Center:   

o   “The fact that the hormonal contraceptives have an abortive potential is discussed in (a) paper circulated at (the) 1998 midwinter meeting (of the 2,500 member American Association of Pro Life Obstetricians and Gynecologists).  “… virtually all literature dealing with hormonal contraception ascribes a three-fold action to these agents:   inhibition of ovulation, inhibition of sperm transport and production of a ‘hostile endometrium’, which presumably prevents or disrupts implantation of the developing baby if the first two mechanisms fail.”

EMERGENCY CONTRACEPTION.  Christians should also be aware that the so-called “morning after pill” is also intended to cause the rejection of a fertilized egg rather than to prevent conception:

o  Ella® is a newer so-called “morning after” pill. According to Jeanne Monahan, Director of the Center for Human Dignity at the Family Research Council, "The FDA opted against including the critical fact that Ella can cause an abortion of a baby already implanted in its mother's womb in the drug labeling information.”  Other forms of “morning after pills” include Mifeprex (RU-486)  and Plan B.

4.     Various forms of contraception have no known abortive potential.
Two groups of methods have no known abortive potential:  barrier methods and behavioral methods.  Christian married couples who choose to use birth control should consider these methods

• Barrier Methods

o   Male condoms

o   Female condoms

o   Cervical cap (including Lea's Shield)

o   Diaphram

• Behavioral Methods

“Behavioral methods involve regulating the timing or methods of intercourse to prevent the introduction of sperm into the female reproductive tract, either altogether or when an egg may be present.”

o   Fertility awareness methods

§  Symptoms-based methods of fertility awareness involve a woman's observation and charting of her body's fertility signs, to determine the fertile and infertile phases of her cycle. Charting may be done by hand or with the assistance of fertility monitors. Most methods track one or more of the three primary fertility signs: changes in basal body temperature, in cervical mucus, and in cervical position. If a woman tracks both basal body temperature and another primary sign, the method is referred to as symptothermal. Other bodily cues include abdominal pain that occurs around the time of ovulation.

§  Calendar-based methods such as the rhythm method and Standard Days Method estimate the likelihood of fertility based on the length of past menstrual cycles. To avoid pregnancy with fertility awareness, unprotected sex is restricted to the least fertile period of time.

o   Lactational method

§  There’s significant evidence that the likelihood of a new pregnancy is dramatically reduced while a woman is breastfeeding.  The lactational amenorrhea method, or LAM, gives guidelines for determining the length of a woman's period of breastfeeding infertility.  

 Further Reading:

A Baptist pastor’s perspective on birth control, Dr. Ronald E. Shultz,  Pastor of Bible Baptist Church in La Grange, TX , Available at: http://en.allexperts.com/q/Baptists-954/birth-control.htm. 
Accessed January 18, 2011.

Birth Control Pill: Abortifacient and Contraceptive By William F. Colliton, Jr., M.D., FACOG, The author is Clinical Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at George Washington University Medical Center Available at:  http://www.epm.org/resources/2010/Mar/2/birth-control-pill-abortifacient-and-contraceptive/ Accessed January 18, 2011.

What They Don't Tell You About Birth Control:  Does the Pill Cause Abortions?, Joshua Krohse, Available at: http://krohse.com/birthcontrol/whattheydonttell.html.
Accessed January 18, 2011.

Birth Control by Breastfeeding:  (The Lactational Amenorrhea Method), Available at:  http://www.breastfeeding.com/reading_room/lam_page2.html.  Accessed January 19, 2011.

Is it Biblical For Christians to Speak in Tongues Today?

Pastor Bob Hammond

At Long Hill Baptist Church, we believe that Christians must learn to yield to the Holy Spirit as we seek to conform our lives to the words of God.  Indeed,  in Ephesians 3:16,  Paul reminds us that the Christian walk is dependent upon our being "strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man." 

We humbly acknowledge that we are fully dependent upon the LORD and the spiritual gifts that he imparts to us "For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ."

However, as careful Bible students, we must reject the teaching that the LORD is commonly using the sign gift of tongues today.   When tongues are experienced, we should be reminded to test our experience against the clear teaching of Scripture.

1 Corinthians 12 lists tongues among the so-called sign gifts:

1 Corinthians 12:8-11   "⁸ For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit;  ⁹ To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit;  ¹⁰ To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues:  ¹¹ But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will."

However, the Bible clearly teaches that tongues were intended as a sign to unbelieving Jewish people:

1. Isaiah prophesied tongues as a sign to the Jewish people (and their rejection of tongues)
    
   Isaiah 28:11-12   "¹¹ For with stammering lips and another tongue will he speak to this people.  ¹² To whom he said, This is the rest wherewith ye may cause the weary to rest; and this is the refreshing: yet they would not hear."
   
   
2.  The Bible specifically indicates that tongues are not for believers:

1 Corinthians 14:20-22   "²⁰ ¶ Brethren, be not children in understanding: howbeit in malice be ye children, but in understanding be men.  ²¹ In the law it is written, With men of other tongues and other lips will I speak unto this people; and yet for all that will they not hear me, saith the Lord.  ²² Wherefore tongues are for a sign, not to them that believe, but to them that believe not: but prophesying serveth not for them that believe not, but for them which believe."

Just as the Bible predicted the beginning of tongues, the Bible predicted the cessation of  tongues

1. Paul indicated that the sign gifts would cease when their purpose was completed.
   
   1 Corinthians 13:8-10   "⁸ ¶ Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away.  ⁹ For we know in part, and we prophesy in part.  ¹⁰ But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away."
    
2. Tongues are not mentioned in Scripture after Acts 19

How are the tongues spoken in the contemporary Pentecostal-Charistmatic movements different than Biblical tongues?

1. Biblical tongues were heard as an actually earthly language (not as unintelligible language)

Acts 2:6-11  (Pentecost)  "⁶ Now when this was noised abroad, the multitude came together, and were confounded, because that every man heard them speak in his own language.  ⁷ And they were all amazed and marvelled, saying one to another, Behold, are not all these which speak Galilaeans?  ⁸ And how hear we every man in our own tongue, wherein we were born?  ⁹ Parthians, and Medes, and Elamites, and the dwellers in Mesopotamia, and in Judaea, and Cappadocia, in Pontus, and Asia,  ¹⁰ Phrygia, and Pamphylia, in Egypt, and in the parts of Libya about Cyrene, and strangers of Rome, Jews and proselytes,  ¹¹ Cretes and Arabians, we do hear them speak in our tongues the wonderful works of God."

The same Greek word used for tongues in Acts 2 (glossa) is the word that’s used for tongues in 1 Corinthians 12-14.  There’s no reason to think that the tongues that we hear at Pentecost are any different that the tongues that Paul addressed in 1 Corinthians. (D. Cloud). 
 

2.  The Biblical use of tongues was accompanied by an interpreter 

1 Corinthians 12:10   "¹⁰ To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues:"

1 Corinthians 14:27-28  "If any man speak in an unknown tongue, let it be by two, or at the most by three, and that by course; and let one interpret.  ²⁸ But if there be no interpreter, let him keep silence in the church; and let him speak to himself, and to God."

"Lord...with all boldness they may speak thy word."

Pastor Robert Hammond

Acts 4:29:  "And now, Lord, behold their threatenings: and grant unto thy servants, that with all boldness they may speak thy word."

On March 8, 2010, I was privileged to accompany eight of our church members to the New England Historic Rally at First Baptist Church in America, Providence, Rhode Island.  Bro. David C. Gibbs, III of the Christian Law Association preached a message that challenged us to stand firm in our Christian convictions - despite increasingly more difficult challenges from our secular culture.

As we gathered in the meeting place of the church that Roger Williams founded in 1638, Bro. Gibbs reviewed the current threats to religious liberty in the United States -- ranging from the homosexual movement to activist courts to openly anti-Christian legislators at every level of government.  In 17th-century colonial America, Roger Williams was unlikely to have anticipated many of the specific threats that we face today.  Yet, he was keenly aware of the need to secure religious liberties.  For Williams, that began with planting a New Testament church that would boldly teach people the truth of God's word.

Today, our world is clearly more complex than that of the 17th century.  But the answers to the people and philosophies that threaten our liberties remain the same.  That's because neither our God nor his words have changed one jot or tittle.  Our God remains in control. He remains sovereign over even the most grievous anti-Christian legislators and judges throughout this land.  His words remain the same and His requirements of His people remain the same:  We're called to be people of prayer who boldly speak the truth of Christ.  And we're called to be people who serve our Savior through our local church.

At the close of the service, Brother Gibbs asked two questions.   First, he asked, during the past year, how many people had spent a full hour in prayer on any given day.  He then proceeded to inquire how many people had led at least one person to Christ during the past year.  His are convicting questions. Until more of us can offer God-honoring answers to these questions, our churches will remain weak -- and our country will remain on this same wayward course.  

If we desire to move in another direction, we must become people of prayer who will boldly and regularly share our faith in Christ.   Anything less is certain to bring increasingly greater threats to the liberties that we most cherish.   With that reality in mind, I challenge each of us -- including myself -- to spend significantly more time in prayer today.  I challenge each of us to boldly share the gospel with at least one person today.  And I challenge each of us to be in church this week.  These were the building blocks that formed the foundation of our great nation.  And these are the things that still hold power to correct the course of our families, our churches and our country.

Praise God for His faithfulness to His people!

View photos from the New England Historic Rally here.

Why Do I Need to Believe in Jesus Since I Already Believe in God?

Pastor Robert Hammond, Long Hill Baptist Church, Trumbull, CT 06611

That is an excellent question, indeed!  The simplest answer I can offer is that Jesus taught that we cannot have a relationship with God the Father unless we have a relationship with God the Son. Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me" (John 14:6). Earlier, Jesus also said, "If God were your Father, ye would love me: for I proceeded forth and came from God; neither came I of myself, but he sent me." I'm sure you'll agree that this raises an important question: Why did the Father send Jesus? 

The Bible teaches that we've all sinned against God. The Bible says, "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;" (Romans 3:23). The Bible also teaches that our sin separates us from God and makes it impossible for us to have a relationship with Him. "For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord" (Romans 6:23). Therefore, we have a problem that requires a resolution. 

We understand from Scripture that God requires a blood sacrifice to cover our sins.  Hence the bloody animal sacrifices carried out by the Jewish people throughout the Bible in the Tabernacle and the Temple. We see that God's plan was for the Jewish animal sacrifices to foreshadow the coming of Christ, the Son of God -- the ultimate sacrifice. In fact, the Bible teaches that God had worked out this plan even before he created the world. "Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold...But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you" (1 Peter 1:18-20). 

Consider how the Biblical Jewish Temple and Tabernacle picture Christ:   They both had one door leading into the outer court (symbolizing the idea that they is just one way to God).  And they both had an alter (where bloody animal sacrifices were performed) between the door and the place of God's special presence -- picturing the idea that God can only be approached as the result of a blood sacrifice. We understand that this design was God's way of preparing hearts for the idea that Christ would come as the "one way" -- the perfect blood sacrifice through which we may have access to God the Father-- and a real relationship with Him. 

The good news of the New Testament is that Christ did come to die on the cross as the final payment for all our sins -- fulfilling all the prophecies of the Messiah in the Jewish scriptures. Jesus Christ came as the perfect sacrifice that satisfied God’s demand for justice against our sins. Because Jesus came as God in the flesh and allowed his blood to be shed for us, eternal life is offered to us as a free gift. God paid the price for our sin Himself! And Christ rose again from the dead, too! 

Our responsibility in all of this is to choose to place our faith in Christ for forgiveness of our sins. "For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved." (Romans 10:13) "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." (John 3:16). The word "believe" in John 3:16 means to place your trust in Christ. God promises eternal life to anyone who places their trust in Jesus Christ alone. 

Jesus taught that "...except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish." In calling us to repent, he calls us to make a conscious decision to leave behind our old sinful ways and to turn to him. Importantly, the Bible teaches that there's nothing that we can do to earn forgiveness of our sins. Christ has already done all the work. We simply need to receive him. The Bible says, "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast (Ephesian 2:8-9). 

When you're ready to repent, you may receive Christ as your personal savior by praying a simple prayer like this: 

Dear Lord Jesus Christ, I acknowledge I have sinned against a Holy God and my sins have separated me from you. I believe that you Jesus, are the Son of God, and I believe you died and paid for my sins on the cross some 2000 years ago, and that you rose from the dead. The best I know how right now, I place my full dependence and trust in You for my eternal salvation. Please forgive me and come into my life. Also, please help me to live for you because you have loved me so very much.

God Promises to Keep His Words So that We May Keep His Words

Pastor Bob Hammond

Recently, our church has spent several months studying through the longest chapter of Scripture -- Psalm 119.  This great passage teaches about the nature of Gods words and their correct place in our lives. 

Importantly, the Psalms help us to understand two great truths regarding the Bible:  (1) It truly is the word of God and (2) God has preserved his words so that we may obey them today. These ideas are brought together in a single verse of Psalm 119:

“Concerning thy testimonies, I have known of old that thou hast founded them for ever.”  (Psalm 119:152)

Here, the psalmist is fondly recalling that he has long-known that God has both inspired the Bible and preserved it “for ever.”  In his simple statement “thou has founded them,” the Psalmist credits God for supplying the words of Scripture.  And, Indeed, the New Testament also credits the LORD with providing all the words of the Bible:

“For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.” (2 Pet 1:21)   

But what good would it be if the LORD had supernaturally provided the Bible without also supernaturally preserving his words for all generations?  Fortunately, we may also observe in Psalm 119:152 that God has founded his words “for ever.”  The LORD reiterates this promise in another Psalm:

“The words of the LORD are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times.  Thou shalt keep them, O LORD, thou shalt preserve them from this generation for ever.”  (Psalm 12:6-7)

It is because the LORD promises to keep (preserve) the words of the Bible, that the psalmist is able to proclaim “I shall keep thy testimonies” (Ps. 119:146).  And for the same reason, today, we too may know and obey all of God's words.  Praise God!

Sadly, the idea that God promises to preserve his words is lacking from the teaching of many otherwise sound churches. Consequently, instead of accepting the traditional "Received" Greek and Hebrew texts that underly our King James Bible,  they have allowed scholars to define which words are likely part of the original Bible text.   And those same scholars have encouraged the production of modern Bible translations that lack many of the words that God's people have traditionally received as Scripture -- including entire verses of Scripture! (e.g. 1 John 5:7-8).  At Long Hill Baptist Church, we desire to hold firmly to all of God’s words.  That's why we hold to the King James Bible as God's preserved words for English-speaking people.

Praise God that He keeps his words so that we may keep his words!

Keywords:  preservation, preserved

To Whom Should I Pray?

Pastor Hammond

The Compendium of the Catechism of the Catholic Church (2006) teaches Roman Catholics to pray to both Mary and "the Saints."  In fact, the Compendium states that Catholics should "ask them to intercede before the Holy Trinity for us and for the whole world."  However, genuine believers should take care to note that the Bible simply does not teach us to pray to Mary or "the Saints."  In fact, the Bible never even hints that God either desires or permits this practice.  So, to whom should the Christian pray?

The best Biblical model that believers have for prayer is the Lord's prayer in Matthew chapter 4.  There, Christ teaches that our prayers should be directed to God the Father in the name of the Son.  I certainly don't think that this model prohibits directing prayer specifically to Christ.  However, we may observe that, in His model prayer, Christ clearly taught us to pray to the Father:

Matthew 6:9  After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven...

Other passages that teach the model of directing prayer to the Father (in the name of the Son) include John 15:16 and John 16:23:

John 15:16  "Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you."

John 16:23 "And in that day ye shall ask me nothing. Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you"
 

That said, it must be noted that we also have a clear New Testament example of prayer being directed specifically to Jesus, i.e.  In Acts 7, when Stephen was stoned, he prayed to Jesus:

 55 But he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up stedfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God,  56 And said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God.  57 Then they cried out with a loud voice, and stopped their ears, and ran upon him with one accord,  58 And cast him out of the city, and stoned him: and the witnesses laid down their clothes at a young man’s feet, whose name was Saul.  59 And they stoned Stephen, calling upon God, and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.  60 And he kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. And when he had said this, he fell asleep.

In conclusion, the Bible never teaches Christians to pray to Mary or "the Saints."  Rather, Jesus taught  believers to pray to the Father in the name of the Son.  We are also mindful of Stephen's example of praying to Christ. 

Let us never forget that we have access to God the Father only because of Christ's perfect sacrifice upon the cross.   "Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me" (John 14:6). It is only because of Christ that the believer may go   "boldly unto the throne of grace" to "obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need" (Hebrews 4:16).  Praise God!