Snow and Ice

I have been in the house since Tuesday, and I am getting a little tired of just being home. I am hoping to get out today--Saturday, and I certainly hope we can have church tomorrow. I hate to miss church. Most of the people in our church also hate to miss church. Many are older people, and they really enjoy coming together for fellowship and worship. Even our young people enjoy coming to church. I am happy that young people today enjoy going to church. The Bible tells us not to forsake the assembling of ourselves together, because some people are accustomed to missing church either on Sunday morning, Sunday night, or Wednesday night. All of these services are important to every Christian. Some of the happiest and most encouraging services we have are on Wednesday evening when many people stay home--that is sad!

At this present time I am babysitting for my two grandchildren--two little girls. They are playing children's games on their computers, so they are pretty good right now. Actually, they have been good all morning. I have been singing some Christian songs and some older "silly" songs with them from the internet. They have been enjoying that, and so have I. My son and his wife should be back in a little while, so then I will go out to see how the weather is.

A young man of 19 years old was baptized last Sunday. To see young people dedicate themselves to the service of the Lord is exciting and is a great blessing. We will pray for this young man that he will surrender his entire life to God's service and will remain faithful to our Lord Jesus Christ for the rest of his life.

Ron Crisp

Today, January 24, 2009, First Baptist Church of Independence, Kentucky, is honoring Bro. Ron Crisp for his many years of faithful service for the Lord. He has been a stalwart of study, writing, and other ministries for many years. I am thankful to God for men like Bro. Crisp. He has been such a blessing to many, many people around the world.

First Baptist Church has benefited much from Bro. Crisp's pastorate there. The mission giving of this church is well known to people around the world. This church has given regular and special offerings to many, many missionaries and to others who have fallen on hard times. The Lord is pleased in this and will bless the church and its pastor because of this work that continues to proceed from the church.

Bro. Crisp has meant much to me as a friend. He is a mild-mannered man, but he is a man who stands by his convictions and is not afraid to acknowledge to the world those wonderful doctrines of the word of God.

Bro. Ron Crisp is suffering from Parkinson's disease, and thus it is difficult for him to maintain the regular routine of a pastor. Pray for Bro. Crisp that he will have improved health and that God will give him grace and fortitude in these days when he is going through so much.

Ephesians 2:1-10

I challenge everyone reading this blog to memorize Ephesians 2:1-10. My, what a wonderful passage of scripture this is! Say it often after you memorize it. Teach it to your children and grandchildren. This scripture tells us what God has done for us by his grace--and only by his grace.

Without grace we would have no life. It is God who gives us life and liberty. We have eternal life by grace (John 3:16, 36; 5:24; Matt. 25:46; John 17:3; Gal. 6:8).

We are saved by grace through faith (Eph. 2:8-10). We are the workmanship of God; he has made us his children; he has given us eternal life; he has promised us an inheritance incorruptible (1 Peter 1:3-5).

Christ is the object of our faith. We have faith in no other. Since he is God, we have our faith in God (Mark 11:22). Since the Holy Spirit is God, we have our faith in the Holy Spirit, and the three (the Trinity) work together in a perfect way to bring about everything that each believer needs to be saved, be secure, and be faithful.

Good Conference

I just returned on Wednesday from a Bible Conference at Bible Baptist Church in Harrisburg, Illinois, where Bro. Art Donley is pastor. We had a great attendance, and many preachers were there. We heard some great preaching. I wish I could have stayed for the Wednesday night service, but I came back for our good services here at First Baptist Church in Harrison, Ohio. Bro. Bob Jones and Bro. Bobby Green were preaching in the Wednesday services in Harrisburg.

We had a good service at First Baptist Church. Our attendance was not too good, but God blessed. I am preaching through the book of Jeremiah, and I was in Chapter 4. I did not finish the outline, so I will need to continue in this chapter next week.

On Sunday mornings I have just finished a series on "Why We Do Not Need To Be Baptized To Be Saved." There were six messages altogether. Sunday I will begin on a new series, or I will preach a sermon or two before starting on another series or a book of the Bible.

On Sunday evenings I am preaching on 2 Samuel.

Bed Bugs

We have bedbugs! That is not funny, so quit laughing. There is an epidemic of these little rascals in Cincinnati this year. They were brought into our house by a "friend" who came to do his laundry. To rid our house of these pesky little things, we must go through a regiment of vacuuming, removing drawers from dressers, washing all clothes (clean and dirty) and putting them into garbage bags, removing all items from drawers and putting these items into garbage bags, putting everything in one room in the center of the room away from the wall--what a mess!

But, then, sin is just that hard to get rid of. Many people clean out their dirty words, their bad attitudes, and their bad habits and try to get rid of their sin; but they find that the sin is still there. Many try to stop taking drugs, stop smoking, stop cursing, etc., and they find that they go right back to it. How can we get rid of our sin? What steps do we take for that?

I have a sheet sitting right here in front of me telling me what I must do before the pest control people come to the house and do their work. But I am here to tell you that you do not have to do any preparatory work before Jesus Christ forgives you of all of your sins. He died on the cross to pay for sins; and if you can repent of your sins and place your complete trust in Jesus, his death, burial and resurrection, then your sins will be gone forever.

I am so afraid that, after the pest control people come to do their exterminating, we may still have some bed bugs; but when Jesus takes your sins away, there is not one sin left. He cleanses us from all of our sins. Psalm 103:12 As far as the east is from the west, [so] far hath he removed our transgressions from us. They can never be remembered any more.

We will have to wait a few weeks to know whether all of the bedbugs are gone, but we do not have to wait to know that our sins are forgiven. They are forgiven instantly and without work and without charge. Thank the Lord for his unspeakable gift!

Science & Global Warming

To see what scientists say about Global Warming, just click on the following link:
http://www.dailytech.com/A+Melting+Arctic+Happy+News+for+Mankind/article12882.htm. Copy and paste this link into your web browser.

In Mansions Bright

In Mansions Bright
By Ronnie Wolfe – Sept. 19, 2008

In mansions bright my soul will go
In joy of soul be swept away.
My heart rejoiced, my mind at peace,
All sorrows gone, no debt to pay.

In mansions bright there’ll be no sun
For Jesus is the only Light.
Fellowship and praise divine
Make these mansions brilliant bright.

Home of soul and home of Christ
There I’ll be with Him for e’er
There His love I’ll understand,
For on the cross my sins did bear.

Come, dear friend, and go with me
To this my home of eternal rest,
And bid this world a last good-bye
Knowing Christ has done his best.

For funeral of Ruth Moore