How important is it to join and remain faithful to a good local church?

Pastor Hammond

Harold Camping and his Family Radio network wrongly prophesied that “judgment day” would occur on May 21, 2011. He later revised his date to October 2011.   Mr. Camping’s false prophesy proves that he speaks “the thing which the LORD hath not spoken,” (Deut. 18:22).    

Mr. Camping’s departure from the truth is explained, in part, by his decision to resign his church membership in 1988.  How does this explain his error?  According the Bible,  local churches are the “pillar and ground of the truth," (1 Timothy 3:15 ).  Without the benefit of correction from fellow church members, Mr. Camping has strayed progressively further away from Biblical truth. His understanding has become so clouded that he’s proclaiming false prophesies.   Perhaps more egregious, however, is his teaching that other believers "should not be part of a local church.”   He’s perpetuating his error by calling others away from the very place where they might be corrected!  

The Family Radio website states "… we are now compelled to teach the Biblical truth that God has shifted the final task of world evangelism to individual Christians who are outside of a local congregation. In obedience to these Biblical teachings, Family Radio, which is completely outside of any church institution, and which is supported and administered by individual believers, does teach that today, as we are heading for the end of this world’s existence, we should not be a part of a local church,"   (Accessed May 18, 2011).   

Camping is wrongly teaching believers to depart from the very institutions that God has ordained for our instruction and correction!  In the New Testament, all ministries are carried-out in and through local church.  For example, Paul was sent out by a local church (Acts 13) to plant local churches.  Wherever people were saved, Paul both baptized and discipled those believers.  Paul also taught that men should be ordained to fill the two offices of local churches:  elder/bishop/pastor (Titus 1:5) and deacons (1 Timothy 3).

The conversion of the chief ruler of the synagogue at Corinth, Crispus, demonstrates that membership in a local church is God's plan for New Testament believers.   In Acts 13, Luke records that Paul preached the gospel to Crispus and others at Corinth (18:1-7). As a result of Paul's preaching, Crispus and others believed. (18:8).   Paul then baptized Crispus and the other believers (Acts 18:8; 1 Cor. 1:14) into the “one body” at Corinth (1 Corinthians 12:13).  After baptizing the new believers, Paul remained at Corinth to disciple the new church members for “a year and six months, teaching the word of God among them,"(18:11). Later, Paul also wrote two inspired epistles "...unto the church of God which is at Corinth..." In his first letter to the church at Corinth, Paul taught the baptized church members to observe the Lord's supper, i.e. he taught the ordidances of the local church.   In all of these facts, it may be observed that Paul had a deep commitment to the Lord’s plan to establish local churches and to edify believers in those churches.

For Harold Camping to call believers out of local churches is to call them out of God’s plan for His people;  It is to call believers away from the place where we “…fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord:   In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit,”  (Ephesians 2:21-22).  

Pray for Harold Camping.  And pray for other believers who have resisted being baptized into one of our Lord’s local assemblies.  Today, let’s recommit ourselves to serving in and through the local church where God has placed us!  And if you're not already in a good church, please visit Long Hill Baptist Church in Trumbull this Sunday at 11:00.

Are Believers Allowed to Ignore Civil Authorities?

Pastor Hammond

Recently, I crossed paths with a car that was speeding down Main Street in Trumbull.  “Doesn’t that guy care about speed limits?,” I thought.   “How can he drive with so little regard for the safety of others?” Of course, I too am guilty of less than ideal driving at times.   What does the Bible say about obedience to laws?  

In Paul’s letter to the church at Rome, God calls Christians to exercise both lawfulness and love.   In Romans chapter 13, Paul writes, “Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers.”  All believers are called to submit to our civil authorities – and to the laws that they institute. Of course, that includes speed limits.   Obeying the speed limit has a practical value.  But Paul also offers spiritual reasons for submitting to the law.  He write, “For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God.”  The authorities who write our laws are appointed by God; they are part of His plan.   Consequently, when we choose to break the law, we necessarily choose to disobey God.  “Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God,” writes Paul. 

Interestingly, the Bible says that each of our local leaders is a “minister of God,” (Romans 15:4).  God uses them for His purposes. And Christians who willingly submit to their authority are blessed with a clear conscience (v. 5).

Paul continues by encouraging believers to be obedient in several specific areas of civil life, including paying our taxes and rendering “honour” to our leaders.  “For for this cause pay ye tribute also: for they are God's ministers, attending continually upon this very thing,” writes Paul.  ^“Render therefore to all their dues: tribute to whom tribute is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honour to whom honour.” 

In Romans 13, Paul also reminds us that we're  called to exercise love toward our neighbors.  "Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the (Old Testament) law," (13:10).   When I choose to drive lawfully, I'm also choosing to exercise love toward my neighbors!

Given all of the above, I must ask myself if I would ever break the law.  The pray that the only law that I would willfully  break is a law that would be overtly contray to the Bible.  I would break a law that prevented me from carrying out any part of the great commission:  sharing the gospel, baptizing believers and teaching them to obey the entire Bible.

Today, let’s pray that the LORD will help us set a good example by obeying our local, state and federal laws – let’s live lawfully for Christ and for our neighbors.

_______________

On Wednesday nights at 7:00 PM we're studying through Paul's epistle to the Romans.  

Are you choosing to grow in Christ?

Pastor Hammond.  

Believers understand that although all our past, present and future sins are forgiven when we receive Christ as our savior, we continue to sin!  That's because we still possess a sin nature that draws us into sin (James 1:13-14).  Yet, the Bible calls us to grow in holiness.  Praise God that we are eqipped with both the Holy Spirit and the Bible to aid that growth.  It's because we have the Bible that we can know that the LORD calls us to do "our part" in this process by choosing to live an increasingly holy life. Consider the specific instructions that we receive in Paul's letter to the Ephesians:

(Ephesians 4:17-24)  "17 This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind,  18 Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart:  19 Who being past feeling have given themselves over unto lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness.  20 But ye have not so learned Christ;  21 If so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus:  22 That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts;  23 And be renewed in the spirit of your mind;  24 And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness." 

Here, Paul instructs us to "walk not ... in vanity... " (17), put off... the old man" (22), "be renewed" (23) and "put on the new man."   We understand that all of this is possible because of the cross and the regeneration that occurs when we place our faith in Christ.  With that said, you can't help but see that, in this passage, the LORD is instructing us to be very intentional about choosing not to sin.  We should, of course, pray that the LORD will help us not to sin.  But, importantly, we need to do "our part" by choosing to "put off... the old man" (22), "be renewed" (23) and "put on the new man." 

We are responsible to choose to receive Christ (to be sanctified positionally before God).  And we are equally responsible to choose to live a holy life (to be sanctified practically before God).  Both are possible because of the Holy Spirit.  But we are still responsible to choose.   

Let's choose to follow the Lord's instructions of Ephesian 4:17-24; Let's choose to grow in Christ!

Mind Your T’s & Y’s: Understanding King James Pronouns

Pastor Hammond

Matthew 4:4 "... It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God."

Living according to “every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God” (Matt. 4:4) requires that we learn to understand every word of scripture as best as possible.   Yet, any honest pastor will admit that the Elizabethan-era English of our King James Bible, while excellent, can be challenging to modern readers.  One of the first challenges that we face is the so-called Elizabethan pronouns  -- thou, thee, thy, thine, ye, and you.

It is fair to ask if these so-called “old fashioned” pronouns matter – especially given that most modern Bible versions have replaced them with simplified pronouns.  For example, they typically replace “ye” with “you.”  While that change may seem reasonable,  readers must understand that dropping the use of the Elizabethan pronouns necessarily obscures the meaning of the Greek and Hebrew words that underly our English King James Bible.  In fact, when translators change “ye” to “you,” they are necessarily changing God’s words!

Let’s take a closer look at the issue.    Biblical Greek differentiates between singular pronouns that refer to one person (thou, thee, thine) and plural pronouns that refer to multiple people (you, ye). It also differentiates between pronouns that serve as subjects and objects in a sentence.

Here’s a simple rule:  In our King James bible, pronouns that begin with “T” are always singular (refer to one person); Pronouns that begin with “Y” are always plural (refer to multiple people).   One man noted that a helpful way to remember this rule is that “T” looks like one stick whereas “Y” pictures more than one stick.

As noted above, Biblical Greek also uses different forms of pronouns to identify subjects and objects in a sentence.  Recall that, in a sentence, a subject is the person who is performing an action.  The object is a person or thing that is receiving action. 

Consider this sentence:   “Mary is feeding the baby.”   “Mary” is the subject, i.e. the one performing the action.   “Baby” is the object, i.e. the one upon whom the action is being performed.  

Now consider John 3:7, where Jesus said,  "Marvel not that I said unto thee (singular, object form), ye (plural, subject form) must be born again."  The use of precise pronouns in our  King James Bible make it clear that while Jesus was speaking to one man,  His message was that all people must be born again.  However, the New International Version (NIV) obscures that fact that all must be born again;  It translates the John 3:7:  “You should not be surprised at my saying, You must be born again” (NIV).

Similar distinctions are made in the Biblical Hebrew underlying our King  James Old Testament. Consider Exodus 4:15:  "And thou (2^nd person singular,  subject form) shalt speak unto him, and put words in his mouth: and I will be with thy (2^nd-person singular,  possessive form) mouth, and with his mouth, and will teach you (plural, object form) what ye (plural, subject form) shall do" (KJV).

E. L. Bynum notes that, in the above verse, we see the pronouns "thou," "thy," "you," and "ye," all fulfilling a specific function.  Modern translations are more likely to read:  "You shall speak to him ...and I will be with your mouth,... and will teach you what you shall do." In choosing to simplify the translation, they obscure the precision and clarity of the underlying Hebrew words.  However, our KJV makes it clear that the LORD told Moses that he (Moses) was to speak to Aaron, and that He (the LORD) would then teach both of them (not just Moses) what they were to do.

Praise God for our Authorized King James Bible – an accurate translation of the God’s preserved words.

A Helpful Chart of King James Bible Pronouns: 

1.  “T” pronouns  are singular (and always 2^nd person)
   1. Thou = subject form
   2. Thee = object form
   3.  “Thy” & “Thine” show possession
2. “Y” pronouns are plural (and always 2^nd-person)
   1. Ye = Subject form
   2. You = object form
   3. “Your(s)” shows possession

Why the trials & tribulations?

Pastor Bob Hammond
(Originally published October 2010) 

Recently, we've seen a number of people in our church face great trials.   Many times, people ask why the LORD allows us to experience serious illnesses and other trials.  

Often, we see that that the LORD allows great trials into our lives  in order to get our attention. In Psalm 119:67, the psalmist wrote, “Before I was afflicted I went astray: but now have I kept thy word.”  How true it is that the LORD can use serious afflictions to bring us to Him!      

Other times, the LORD simply wants us to experience His comfort so that we can be better-equipped to comfort others. Consider this verse that Paul wrote to the church members at Corinth: 

2 Corinthians 1:3-5   ³  Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort;  ⁴ Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort  them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.  ⁵ For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ.

Of course, in the case of Job, we also see that, sometimes, the trial has nothing at all to do with us!  But the LORD can still use our response to the trial as a testimony to others -- as He did when Paul, Silas and Timothy were imprisoned at Philippi (Acts 16).

In any event, we can know that Christ is in control of all things – and that “all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.” (Romans 8:28)