The EncouragerVolume 11 Issue 1

Salvation God’s Way

Our salvation is not based u p o n o u r i d e a s o r p o l i t i c a l l y c o r r e c t guidelines. It is solely based upon our acceptance of God’s chosen way, which is through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ - Gal. 2:16. It involves our repentance of trusting everything else, and only trusting the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ for payment for our sins - I Cor. 15:1-4. You cannot add Jesus Christ to your collection of saviors, He is the only Savior, and it is by His blood that our sin debt is paid - Col. 1:14. Jesus Christ is still the only way of Salvation - John 14:6

Eastern Shore Bible Baptist Churchof Galena, Maryland

“ F i n a l l y , b r e t h r e n , whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, if there be any praise, think on these things.” Philippians 4:8

In this week of new year’s resolutions, here is one I think we all need to make, “to think positive”. I don’t mean the kind that doesn’t face reality, that is called “denial”. I don’t mean the “name it and claim it” kind, that is called fantasy. I am talking about the God given command to think on these things. Because of the abuse of “positive thinking” it has become a nasty phrase amongst Bible believers, but I don’t let the hereticks or

blasphemers dictate how I believe God’s words. God said to think on these positive things, and that is exactly what we need to do.

In a society that thrives on contradictions [the more they speak of tolerance, the less tolerant they become, and the more they speak of freedom, the less l iberty we are allowed], we need to have some positive thinking in our lives.

God gives us some guide line to help us in our thinking.

I. The Light - Matt. 6:22The Bible says the light of the body is the eye, and we tend to gravitate towards whatever direction we are looking. I have often heard it said that there is no harm in just looking, but actually there is and the harm can be quite damning. It has been the subject of several clinical studies that men who commit violent crimes have spent

Sunday Service Schedule

9:30am Sunday School

10:30am Morning Worship

6:00pm Evening Worship

Wednesday Service

7:00pm Prayer Meeting and Bible Study

A New Year’s Thought

byPastor Steve Hays, D.Min

January - February 2014

quite a bit of time just “looking” at things that would fuel the concept in their minds.

That is the whole reason behind God warning us to guard what we see:Adultery begins with a look - Matt. 5:28.Lot’s pagan life began with a look - Gen. 13:10.Your destiny begins with a look and a thought - Pro. 23:7.

“As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he” is the reason God judges the heart, not just the actions - I Sam. 16:7.

Many of the saints of God are going to make New Year’s resolutions to quit a certain sin. But the problem is that they will spend all their time thinking about that sin and how to quit, and yet they don’t understand that they are still thinking about the sin.

This brings us to God’s positive thinking program. It is not that we think everything is lovely and wonderful in this life, it is that we think Jesus C h r i s t i s l o v e l y a n d wonderful. The things that are listed in Phil. 4:8 are all about the Lord.

I believe this world is a mess, but I am positive about my hope that Jesus Christ is coming again. I know the world constantly changes their

fads, opinions, and laws, but I am positive that the Word of God never changes and I can always depend upon it. I realize my body will fail, my personal holiness will fail, and my thoughts can get messed up, but I am positive that one day I will have a body “like unto His glorious body” and everything will be perfect.

Neither Washington nor Wall Street change my peace and contentment and I am happy in spite of the raging of the heathen [Psalm 2:1].

I can’t straighten out the mess of the world or even my own flesh, and I certainly can’t win the battle against every sin I have. So God gave us a plan. We don’t fight the sin other than just not yielding to it. Rather, we spend our time thinking of ways of trying to stay close to the Shepherd.

I don’t need to think of sin and how it works, that comes pretty natural to the human race. I do need to think on the pos i t ive th ings o f God because that is what I want to be. I know the whole world “lieth in wickedness” [I John 5:19], but heaven is still real and Jesus Christ still saves sinners, and I can enjoy the numerous blessings of this life of which God loads us up on daily.

Each of us makes a choice of what we want to be and do with our life. How you think and what you think about will determine that future.

II. The LearningThe reason many don’t think of God’s positives is that they don’t really know what to think.

We n e e d t o l e a r n t h e principles of God:He loves me too much to ever be mean - Eph. 5:25He knows too much to ever be wrong - Gen. 18:25He cares too much to ever forget me - Heb. 13:5-6

If we can get these positive principles in our hearts, then we can get through any of the negatives that the world throws at us.

Mankind has some basic h u m a n n e e d s t h a t a r e programmed into us from our creation. We need to be loved. That is why God said that it is not good that a man should be alone. We can be loved by family, friends, church family, etc., but we need to be loved. If a man can really get it in his heart that the God of the universe, the God of creation, loves him, then he can get through anything [Rom. 8:31 “if God be for us, who can be against us?”]

page 2

continued on page 7

page 3

The apostles and elders came together in Acts chapter 15 to discuss their d o c t r i n a l p o s i t i o n o n salvation. They did so because there was some confusion as to what would be the significance of the law in salvation - Acts 15:6. After they consulted with each other they understood clearly what God required and they resolved the conflict.

(As an aside, the confusion that arose concerning the salvation issue was caused by those who were not a c t u a l l y w i n n i n g t h e Gentiles to Christ. They were religious leaders in Jerusalem who believed the Gospel but may have grown accustomed to the influence gained by being religious. Perhaps they were not particularly interested in relinquishing that. Acts 15:5)

The apostles, elders, and church brethren then wrote letters to the new Gentile Christians in Antioch, Syria, and Cilicia. They wrote to

encourage them in their new faith, to give practical help, and to solidify the d o c t r i n e r e q u i r e d f o r s a l v a t i o n . T h e y g a v e assurances that i f the Gentiles would conduct themselves in a godly manner they would do well. The letter concluded with the hope, “Fare ye well.” - Acts 15:24-29.

I like that phrase “Fare ye well.” We associate it with the phrase, “Good bye” because they are both g e n e r a l l y u s e d w h e n someone departs. With that phrase comes a desire that the person has no trouble, that you wish for him a pleasant road or journey, and that circumstances will work out in a posit ive manner for him. In the context of the chapter, the apostles, elders, and the whole church wanted these new converts to take root as a church and grow. They had begun to invest in them and were truly excited about the i r sa lva t ion as the Gospel was being spread throughout the regions surrounding Antioch. The

church gave them a heart-felt “fare well”.

As with them, it is important t h a t w e f a r e w e l l . Unfortunately the counter is that we do not do well. There is much at stake in this life and it is critical how we do.

Obviously, God wants us to d o w e l l . H e h a s demonstrated His interest in His creation by caring for and sustaining what He created. He has provided much needed information, instruction, and insight through His word. And the Lord constantly guides us on our way and consistently hears and answers our prayers.

Our heavenly Father wants us to fare well physically. We are to be adept at controlling our carnal man and be able to readily present our bodies a living s a c r i f i c e . F a r i n g w e l l physically does not mean that our health will always be one hundred percent.

by Pastor Rob

Fare Ye Well.

page 4

God also wants us to fare well practically. There are too many details that come our way to be able to hand le them a l l . The Biblical principle is that if you apply what you know to be true from God’s word many of those details take care of themselves. Psalm 37:23 “The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD: and he delighteth in his way.” The converse is also true. Proverb 13:15 “...the way of transgressors is hard.”

God wants us to fare well spiritually. It goes without saying that God desires our fellowship. A father craves a good relationship with his son. His children are an extension of himself and he enjoys interaction with them. Our spiritual well being correlates directly with the bond we have with our Father.

Not only does God want us to fare well, but like the church elders in Acts chapter 15, our pastor wants us to fare well. A good shepherd cares for the sheep. They are not thought of as a possession but as a responsibility. His attention is spent on them for the purpose of their well being. It is difficult to put the kind of attention and

effort needed to produce a healthy flock and then watch a sheep become wayward . The pas to r s tudies the word and meditates on the messages the Lord gives him for the c h u r c h . T h e r e i s tremendous satisfaction to a pastor when the church fares well because they follow his Biblical lead. Our pastor’s job is a personal one and one that looks out for your benefit.

Along with God wanting you to fare well, your pastor wanting to you to fare well, YOU should want to fare well. You might say, “Of course I want to fare well.” That is good but too often our existence consists of doing our own thing, living the way we want to, and generally making decisions simply to please ourselves. That type of Christian life produces little for eternity. How you fare depends upon how much you put in. If you follow the Christians through the book of Acts and follow Paul through the New Testament you see that doing well requires love for the Lord. It requires standing against your carnal nature and building up your spiritual. It involves regular exposure to truth and a lso sur round ing y o u r s e l f w i t h o t h e r

likeminded Christians. If we do not maintain an eternal perspective, we can lose sight of what God would consider doing well and instead focus on what we would consider doing well.

Lastly, not only should we want to fare well, we should want others to fare well. Part of being a Christian is looking out for the welfare of others. The primary focus is on their eternal destiny but often the best way to help them discern that is to walk with them through this life. I truly believe that a Christian who is faring well is salt and light to this world. They are doing better than this world. They are handling the variations of l ife more gracefu l ly. They have answers. They have hope. They can comfort. I have s e e n C h r i s t i a n s d o wonderful things and be a tremendous blessing to others. Christians that fare well are the best this world can find.

So let us consider the days that are laid out before us and in them be a blessing t o o u r F a t h e r , a n encouragement to our p a s t o r , d i l i g e n t w i t h ourselves, and a lighthouse to others.

FARE YE WELL!

page 5

ESBBC HappeningsBy Cindy Hays

Games

Offering

Great Group of Students

Saturday Saints

Christmas Caroling

Ladies Christmas Fellowship

Nursing Home Ministry

New Years EveFellowship

Snaps shots of

page 6

Ta k i n g G o d ’s W o r d a r o u n d t h e w o r l d .Miss ions

By Cindy Hays

It is hard to pick just one hymn to write about; I think that’s because any time you sing praise to the Lord, it is a good song. So given it is the holiday season, I thought I would select Count Your Blessings. I am blessed each day and probably like you, I don’t always recognize because I am too side tracked with my daily routine. Some of my blessings include being an American and yeah I know we have our issues in this country but I still wouldn’t want to live anywhere else. When I get burdened with work or finances, I have to count my blessings for having a job and working with wonderful people and to remember that my riches are stored in heaven. There are tough things that happen in life but God gives you strength and you can focus on even the littlest blessing in life to help lighten the load, like the beauty of the

sunshine early in the morning or the sound of geese as they fly over head. One of my favorite blessings is hearing my daughter laugh, such a small thing that brings such joy. My family is a continual blessing to me as is our church; every call, card and prayer is so uplifting. Having God’s word in my hands to read is an amazing blessing. God provides blessings to us all the time if we just open our eyes and our hearts to see them. Of course, the biggest blessing of all is Jesus! So when you really take time to count your blessing, you will truly be surprised by all that the Lord has done.

Written by Beverly Churchill a member of ESBBC. Beverly recently told her husband “goodnight” as he passed away from a battle with cancer. Her faith in God is evident in her testimony through this time in her life. (If you would like to write for this column, please submit it to Cindy by February 28th.)

In the last issue we told about our Birthday Gift for Jesus. We were able to donate 168 Operation Christmas Child shoeboxes! Thanks to all who participated. OCC can be an all year project for families, Sunday School classes and individuals. Be thinking and collecting items to put in shoe boxes for this year!

Here at ESBBC we have such a great group of missionaries we support. Please take time throughout the year to read their prayer letters. They are posted on the missionary board at church and also scanned and emailed to the church email list as soon as we receive them. Also most important is praying for them and giving financially so they can continue the work the Lord has called them to do.

MARK YOUR CALENDARS

CELEBRATING OUR 20TH YEAR

REVIVALAPRIL 4, 5, AND 6

GUESTS:PASTOR JOHN KEHOE

PASTOR JEREMY BLAIR

Encouragement........... from the hymnsBy Cindy Hays Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs,,, Eph. 5:19

We n e e d t o l e a r n t h e prophecies of God:I know the direction this world is going to take, and it will be a global economy, g l o b a l r e l i g i o n , a n d intolerance of anyone who disagrees with their tolerance and liberty - Revelation 13.I know the direction that I personally am heading in and how I am going to end - Rom. 8:29.

There is a judgment to come and all the secrets of men will be revealed at that judgment - Romans 2:16. It is wonderful t o h a v e t h e p o s i t i v e knowledge and feeling that my sins are washed in the blood of Jesus [I John 1:7], that all of my secrets are cast away as far as the east is from the west [Psalm 103:12].

We see the negative slide of the world but there is no negative to our relationship with Jesus Christ. Our testimony is our hope and joy in the midst of a negative world. That is why God told us to be ready to always give an answer to them for the hope that lies within our hearts [I Peter 3:15]

The more you learn about Jesus Christ, the Scripture, the precepts and prophecies, the more we have to be positive about .

III. The LessonThe devil would love for you to trade what you know, for what you can only guess at.

I know the things God said. I know that God said there is a heaven [John 14:1-3], that we will have a new body [I Cor. 15:51-58], that the sins and problems of this life are going to be wiped from our minds [Isa. 65:17], and that Jesus Christ will return one day [Titus 2:13].

God said for us to occupy until He returns [Luke 19:13]. That means to keep going and make plans to keep living for God.

We, as Christians, do not make plans to give up and q u i t . W h a t e v e r t h e circumstances, God still said He would give us what we need to do the will of God [Phil. 4:19], and He would work things out if we are trying to do His will [Rom. 8:28].

I heard a man say one time that “God said to ‘Go’ and I have never read where He said ‘Stop’, so I’ve just kept going!”

That is a great way to live. When I have been sick, I can either focus on the promises of God and look forward to God providing for me one way or another, or I can trade

t h o s e t h o u g h t s f o r t h e negatives of the devil and sit around worrying about what I don’t know and really can’t fix. God is not the author of confusion [I Cor. 14:33] but the devil certainly is. He thrives on creating doubt, despair, and uncertainty. I am n o t s a y i n g t h a t I c a n u n d e r s t a n d e v e r y circumstance and happening, but I do understand that I have a God that does. It is simply my job to trust Him, and it is His job to take care of the circumstances.

You can spend all your time fretting and lose sight of even the blessing you have in your life right in front of your eyes, or you can think positive in the manner of God and Scripture.

To try to always think positive about the work of man and this world is not realistic. It is actually downright delusional and trying to live in a fantasy world. We need to understand the negative in this aspect, but we don’t dwell there. I realize the septic tank stinks, but I don’t park my recliner there.

Think positive, it can change your life as well as the lives of those around you.

page 7continued from page 2

13984 Gregg Neck Road Pastor Steve Hays, M.Min,D.Min.Galena, MD 21635! Assistant Pastor Rob Manaraze410.648.6744

Reaching the World, Beginning with the Homew w w . e s b b c . o r g

S a n c t i f y t h e m t h r o u g h t h y t r u t h , t h y w o r d i s t r u t h . J o h n 1 7 : 1 7

Fellowship of the Saints“My name is Steve, and I am an introvert”. I feel like I’m at a support group to say that. I love people, but I can be totally happy just being alone or in a small group. The point is, I have to guard myself or I can become withdrawn.

Now is a great time for each of us to examine ourselves and make sure we don’t just “go with the flow” of our nature. We need to make sure we are a blessing to others. You never know when someone just really needs a word of kindness, a smile, or just the attention of another Christian.

The EncouragerA ministry of

Ea s t e r n S h o r eBIBLE BAPTIST CHURCH

Standing for theIncorruptible Word of God

AV 1611

page 8