To the saints and faithful brethren at Long Hill Baptist Church: We give thanks to God for your work of faith and labor of love in our Lord Jesus Christ. That your assembly still contends for the faith once delivered unto the saints, after fifty-five years, is a testimony to the grace and mercy of God. New England is littered with churches that have softened, weakened, and died spiritually. May the living God enrich you in every good work and enable Long Hill Baptist to continue as one of the Lord's candlesticks, faithful until He comes.  - Pastor Ken Brooks and the saints in Christ Jesus at Calvary Independent Baptist Church, West Redding, Connecticut

 Dear Pastor Hammond & Long Hill Baptist Church, We appreciate your long heritage, your pastor, and the flock.  Continue to stand for the LORD, His word, and be used of the LORD as one of His Local Churches. - Your friends at Galilean Baptist Church, Stafford Springs, CT.  

Dear Pastor Hammond, Congratulations on 55 years of serving Christ and faithfully preaching the gospel in Trumbull, CT. I can't imagine how many lives have been gloriously transformed by Christ through your ministry...won't Heaven be spectacular when all of that is revealed. We rejoice with you and pray the Lord will continue to bless you with more fruit for His glory.  Rejoicing With You, Shawn, Leslie, and Anna Beliveau, Your missionaries in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

 Dear Friends at Long Hill Baptist, Congratulations on your 55th anniversary. Through the years of ups and downs, you have had an impact on your community. Our prayer is that many of your best days are ahead.  Our prayers are with you and Pastor Bob as you continue to reach people for Christ and bring glory to our Lord Jesus Christ.  We miss you often, thank God for you and our good years there, and continue to remember you as you serve the Lord in Trumbull.  God bless you all! - Pastor Mark Aheron

Congratulations upon reaching 55 years of serving our Lord through your local church. We feel very privileged to have you as one of our supporting churches. I led two ladies to the Lord this week. This would not be possible if your church and others like you had no interest in missions. I pray your church will have a very long life. Love one another, love your pastor but above all continue a faithful love for our Lord and Savior as He is the reason we serve and survive…  The Shaw family in Mexico

 Pastor Hammond and the congregation of Long Hill Baptist Church, Congratulations on your 55^th Anniversary as a church in Connecticut.  We hope that you are able to spend time today celebrating all the wonderful things that God has accomplished through your church over those 55 years. It is quite an accomplishment. As you count what God has done, please remember to include your missionary efforts over the years.  Since you started to support us ten years ago, we have been able to see five churches started here in Kenya …. all in Muslim areas.  Literally thousands of people have come to know Jesus Christ as their Savior because you enabled us to come here through your mission’s offerings.   May God bless you today and bring much joy into your hearts. We pray that He gives you many more years to serve Him.  Bobby Bechtel, Serving in Kenya.

Dear Long Hill Baptist Church, Congratulations on your 55th anniversary! It is so great to hear of congregations who have been faithfully serving the Lord for such a period of time. In these last days, we know that it is not easy to continue standing, and so many have fallen…. Connecticut needs your light, New England needs your light, and the world needs the light of churches like you. Thank you so much for your continued support of our family... It is our desire that the Lord will bless you richly in this new year of service, and also on this your anniversary celebration.  - Your servants for the sake of our Saviour, Matthew, Carrie, Ransom, Jacob and Melody Patenaude

When I was a kid, the coming of spring heralded a special time.  On Easter, my sister and my grandpa Bud observed a time-honored wager about whether or not it would snow.  That would be odd if we hadn’t lived in the heart of the fabled “lake effect” snow belt that lies to the east of Lake Erie. That’s a place where, from autumn to Easter, the constant presence of snow eventually robbed the snowstorms of their power to surprise and impress. So, when spring finally arrived, even our most snow-hardened friends were ready for a change. 

One of the predictable seasonal changes was my mom’s encouragement to return to Sunday School.   At that point, I was an occasional and reluctant Sunday school-goer.  But Easter usually felt like a good-enough occasion. During one springtime Sunday school class,   I was asked what Easter meant to me.  My mom had told me that, on Easter, we celebrated the resurrection of Christ.  I understood that we celebrated the day that Jesus rose from the dead.  But I honestly didn’t understand why he died – let alone why he rose again.

I’m thankful that, since that time, my understanding has blossomed.  Now, I understand that, according to the Bible, Jesus shed his blood and died on the cross in order to satisfy His Father’s requirement that a penalty be paid for my sin.  And I understand that Jesus rose from the dead, in part, to prove that He is indeed the Son of God.  

In the Bible, the Apostle Paul succinctly describes the message of the cross:  “…Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;  … he was buried, and  … he rose again the third day according to the scriptures…” (1 Cor. 15:1-4).

According to the Bible, without the Cross, our only hope would be a very real hell.  Why?  The Bible explains that “all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God," (Rom. 3:23).  And the Bible describes the consequences of our sin:  “… the wages of sin is death…” (Rom. 6:23). 

I’m thankful that, according to the Bible, the Lord is “not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance," (2 Pet. 3:9).  I understand that my sins may be forgiven only because "God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us," (Rom. 5:8).    

However, that forgiveness remains only a possibility until we personally repent and place our faith in Christ alone.  The Bible says that “if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.”  This Easter, I pray that you are ready for that kind of change!  

If you have never made a decision to both turn away from sin and to receive Jesus Christ as your Savior, I urge you to do so today.  “…behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation,” (2 Cor. 6:2).  “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved," (Rom.10:13).    

• Ask the LORD to help you grow in your walk with Christ this year.  Ask Him to show you specific sins that should be forsaken this year;
  
  
• Ask the LORD to help you read through the King James Bible in 2012.  The entire Bible may be read in one year by reading as few as 85 verses daily (or just 40-50 verses twice a day).  How many pages is that?  Divide the number of pages in your Bible by 366 to determine how many pages need to be read daily in order to read through your Bible this year.
  
  
• Ask the LORD to help you spend significant time in prayer at least twice each day.  On average,  Americans spend several hours daily on leisure activities - including more than 2 hours of daily television watching.  We have time for prayer!  Please consider praying for church members and lost friends and family members every day this year.
  
  
• Ask the LORD to help you commit to attending all of our church services every week - including the Sunday morning, Sunday evening and Wednesday evening meetings.  What's more important than worship? "Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching," (Hebrews 10:25).
  
  
• Ask the LORD to show you how He would like you to serve Him through your church this year. And ask Him to help you be faithful to that area;
  
  
• Ask the LORD to help you be faithful to give a true tithe to your church this year.  Also pray about your giving to both our Deacons and missionary funds.  Learn more about tithing;
  
  
• Ask the LORD to help you be faithful to regularly share the gospel.  Make it a priority to learn to share the gospel.  "...and be ready always to give ananswer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear," (1 Peter 3:15).

Why not take a moment to pray through the above list right now?  Remember:  "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me!" (Phil. 4:13).

Do you realize that the Bible teaches believers to fear just one thing?  That one thing is the LORD himself!  In Proverbs 9:10, the LORD inspired Solomon to write, “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom…”   The simple truth is that a believer who has developed a Biblical fear of the LORD has nothing else to fear. 

More than 50 times throughout His Word, God has told his people to “fear not.” Why?  Our sin nature tends lead us to worry – to suffer anxiety.  In Timothy 1:6-7, Paul reminds us that   “… God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.”  Praise God that the Bible gives us God’s own plan for overcoming fear and anxiety.

So, what can we do to overcome anxiety?

1. Be sure that you genuinely know Christ as your Savior.  In Matthew 6, Jesus promised to meet the needs of those who have first sought his righteousness, i.e. people who know Christ as their Savior.     The Bible teaches that, in order to receive forgiveness of sins, we must repent and receive Christ as our Savior.  To repent is simply to make a conscious decision to turn away from sin and to turn toward Christ.  The Bible say, "...there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth,"  (Luke 15:10).  The Bible promises that "...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 Bible also teaches that, when we are genuinely saved, the Holy Spirit testifies in our spirit that we are saved.  In 1 John 4:13, the Bible says, “Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit.”

2. Understand that anxiety is often like a dashboard warning light - alerting us to a problem that needs to be addressed.

In Psalm 32, David described a bout with emotional turmoil.  He attributed his experience to his failure to confess sin.  David reports that his gladness and joy were restored only when he confessed his sin to God!

In the Bible, we that Asaph experience emotional turmoil due to a sinful focus on self instead of God. In Psalm 77, Asaph described his emotional state using language that sounds strikingly similar to our modern notionof anxiety and depression.  Asaph’s turmoil resolved only when he shifted his focus from himself to the LORD. If your emotional health is suffering due to a prideful focus on yourself, ask the LORD forgive this sin.  Receive his forgiveness, instruction and joy.  Psalm 32:11 commands, “Be glad in the LORD, and rejoice, ye righteous: and shout for joy, all ye that are upright in heart.”

3. Ask the LORD to help you “fear not” -- because you belong to Him!  In Isaiah 43:1, the Bible says,  “But now thus saith the LORD that created thee, O Jacob, and he that formed thee, O Israel, Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine.”

4. Ask the LORD help you give all your worries to Him daily in prayer.  In 1 Peter 5:6-7, the Bible says,  “Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time:  7Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.”

In Philippians 4:6-7, Paul writes, “Be careful (anxious) for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.  7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” 

5. Ask the LORD to help you focus your mind on Godly things.  In Philippians 4:8, Paul writes,  “Finally, brethren, 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, and if there be any praise, think on these things.”
 

6. Ask the LORD to help you focus on His promises to meet the needs of believers rather than focusing on worries about your needs.  In Matthew 6:25-33, Jesus said,  “Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?  26 Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?  27 Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature?  28 And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin… 31 Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?  32 (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.  33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.”

7. Ask the LORD to help you see Him as a refuge from difficulties that might bring fear.  In Psalm 46:1-2, the psalmist writes,  “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.  2 Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea.”

8. Ask the LORD to give you peace in your heart.  In John 16:33 (Jesus said,  “These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.”

9.  Ask the LORD to help you “let not your heart be troubled.”  Ask Christ to grow your faith in his promises to meet your needs.  In John 14:1, Jesus said, “Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.”

10. Ask the LORD to help you focus on the fact that He is in perfect control of all things.  In Job 42:2, Job says,   “I know that thou canst do every thing, and that no thought can be withholden from thee.”  In Psalm 33:11, the psalmist writes,  “The counsel of the LORD standeth for ever, the thoughts of his heart to all generations.” And in Psalm 145:13, the Bible says,  “Thy kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and thy dominion endureth throughout all generations…”  Understand that God even controls the weather.  In Jonah 1:4, we observe that  “the LORD sent out a great wind into the sea, and there was a mighty tempest in the sea, so that the ship was like to be broken.”

11.  Understand that our God is a God of great comfort.  In 2 Corinthians 1:3, Paul writes, "Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort;" (2 Cor 1:3). And in John 14:18, Jesus says,  "I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you." In John 14:26, Jesus said, “But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.”

If you would like to further discuss Biblical answers to personal struggles, contact Pastor Hammond at Long Hill Baptist Church, 203-268-5104 or hammond.robert@gmail.com.

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.

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.  

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!

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’s 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 KJV 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 note 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 that underlies our KJV 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