Heartland Baptist Fellowship

2010 "Invest" Marriage Conference

noreply@blogger.com (HBF) — Sat, 06 Mar 2010 04:05:00 +0000

I just wanted to send out a reminder that March 10th is the deadline for registration and payment for the 2010 Marriage Conference. There are overnight and daytime rates so the sessions are affordable to all. As always, please do not let money be the reason you don’t participate. As we endeavor to equip the saints of God to accomplish the mission of God, there is nothing as healthier than focusing on our Relationship with God, one another and the world Jesus died to save.

You often hear me say “strong families make strong churches”, this is true, but it takes strong marriages in the Lord to have strong families. Even those who “have it together” should take advantage of this opportunity to do some marital maintenance.

This year’s title for the retreat is simply “Invest”. Pastor Sam Miles of Midtown Baptist Temple will be our speaker this year and I know God will use him in a mighty way as he breaks open the Bread of Life. This year we will also be joined by Sam’s congregation from Midtown. This should be a great time of fellowship and an opportunity to build relationships with our sister church. To top off our retreat this year, David and Deann McKittrick will be renewing their marriage vows after 25 years of marriage! I pray that you do take time out of your busy schedule to invest in your relationship with your spouse March 26-27. You can find more information in the bulletin, resource center.

I look forward to seeing you at the marriage conference!

Matthew 6:21
For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

Revival

noreply@blogger.com (HBF) — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 15:46:00 +0000

I just finished the book of Ezra and was once again struck by the core issue dealt with in the revival of the nation of Israel. It wasn't issues of study, proclamation or military conquest, it boiled down to simple relationship issues. The last verse of Ezra states, "All these had taken strange wives: and some of them had wives by whom they had children."

Wow, sin is sticky! The man of God, "Ezra" took the sin of Israel seriously. He publicly mourned over the sin. He did not exclude himself from the infirmities that touched Israel and he did the most important things, lamented and confessed it all before God. The result was a national repentance. A unified admission and repentance in the area relationships in particular.

A difficult decision was made. Wives and children impacted. God honored. In the New Testament, the scripture gives definition to the very same issues raised in Ezra's day. Fortunately in the age of grace, the gospel or our Lord Jesus Christ is far superior to the law and is able to clearly address the issues of marriage and family relationships. Having said that, it is no surprise that since Genesis 3, the primary place the Adversary chooses to work is in the relationship between a man, his wife, his family and the Lord Jesus Christ.

As our relationship with Christ goes, so goes the family. As our relationship with the family goes, so goes the church. The glorious reality is that the blood of Christ is well able to overcome the damaged caused by carnality and sin and resurrect a spirit of obedience and fidelity to our Lord Jesus Christ. I was once again encouraged by my time in Ezra as I could clearly see confession lead to transformation. The Lord will soon return and reconcile us to Himself physcially. It will be a wonderful day to rejoice in the victory we have in Christ. In the mean time, it is increasingly important that we focus on the Lord and trust God with our families for unfortunatly many are taken captive by the devil at his will.

Finish Strong

noreply@blogger.com (HBF) — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 19:47:00 +0000

King Asa of Judah did run well. He started off with a bang! He tore down the pagan alters and destroyed the false images of worship, he built fortified cities for the people of God, he cried out to the Lord when facing a 1,000,000 man army from Ethiopia. He saw God deliver his people and used the proceeds from the war with Ethiopia to fortify and provide for the kingdom. Asa was running a great race!

Running the race is very, very important, but finishing is equally important. 36 years into Asa’s reign he was faced with another challenge from his brothers to the North. King Baasha of Israel had tried to set up an embargo on Judah and instead of depending upon the Lord; he turned to his prosperity and the prosperity of the nation of Judah. God was not pleased and ultimately Asa became bitter as God rebuked him for his unbelief and ruined what was otherwise a spotless reign.

One of the hardest things to appreciate is success. It is the corrupt nature of the human heart that likes to believe the blessings of God are not enough. The bible says godliness with contentment is great gain. Does what we accumulate really matter if we lose our own soul in the process? We should not be discouraged for it is possible to finish our course! The apostle Paul concluded his ministry proclaiming he had run his race and finished his course. He knew he had a crown or righteousness laid up for him.

No matter what we face, God is enough. How can we trust Jesus to overcome the grave and then freak out when we need to overcome an emotional, financial, physical or spiritual hurdle? Like Caleb said in Numbers 13:30 when facing the giants, “God is well able to overcome”. With God all things are possible. I am encouraged that our success doesn’t depend on our strength but upon Christ Jesus! If you are breathing God wants to use you! Lay aside the weight and sin that so easily besets you and engage once more in the race! Finish your course!

Merry Christmas

noreply@blogger.com (HBF) — Fri, 25 Dec 2009 08:31:00 +0000

Isaiah 1:18
Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.

Wow what a great Christmas snow storm! I always say, if it’s going to be cold, it might as well snow! We spent the afternoon and evening with my family in Independence. It was a great time to spend with family. Samuel and Elisabeth really raked it in tonight and they will do even better tomorrow (or later this morning). Amy is placing the last gifts under the tree right now and we will be tucking in to rise and shine and open up the gift of God’s Word and share the true meaning for Christmas from Luke 2. I pray my children are enthusiastic about the gift of eternal life and the gifts of the Spirit as they are for their Christmas gifts. Children are great teachers and reminders of what our attitude toward the provision of our Heavenly Father should be.

Merry Christmas, I pray the Lord bless you and your family this Christmas!

Feliz Navidad

noreply@blogger.com (HBF) — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 21:55:00 +0000

Feliz Navidad, Spanish for Merry Christmas. This morning before leaving for church one of our team members sent me some video of the ministry from Juarez, Mexico. It was a blessing to see the members of Igeslia Batista De Valle singing the Hallelujah Choir, you can distinguish Hallelujah in any language! Someday we will all be gathered around the throne, all people redeemed from all kindred and tongues from all nations, praising God for his unspeakable gift. It will be a glorious time.

This morning's service at HBF was a great blessing. I pray that those wrestling with their eternal decisions make one for Christ TODAY. This is the second time our Christmas service fell on out regularly schedule communion and it was a blessing to have Christmas Communion together before going out to proclaim Jesus to the world. I want to give praise to God for the members in particular of HBF. Everything from the greeters, to the praise, to Heartland Harmony (Jamming I might add), to the video leading up to the sermon was excellent! Today was just another kiss from God upon our little ministry in the heart of America. I don't think I would have wanted to be anywhere else in the world. Having said that it is a blessing to know that members of HBF are united in churches around our county, and even the world on any given Sunday working together to tell the world that Jesus is God, Peace on Earth, Good will toward men!

If you get this in time for Sunday evening Prayer Meeting at 6:00 p.m.; I will be showing the video sent up from Juarez. Please don't forget to pray for the team of three as they fly back to Kansas City tonight.

Seizing Our Opportunity To Share Christ - Christmas 2009

noreply@blogger.com (HBF) — Sun, 13 Dec 2009 05:10:00 +0000

This post is particularly targeted to HBF Family and friends. This morning we had our Men's breakfast, it was awesome! Jim Slocumb busted the bread and encouraged our hearts to demonstrate the evidence of our salvation in Love. The breakfast was excellent but the spiritual bread was outstanding.

Tonight Real Life and Instruction's for Life Fellowship Classes went Caroling at Golden Years in Harrisonville. What a great way to minister to folks who need a touch of love and grace.

Tomorrow (Sunday) evening Clearly His will be combining forces with Heartland Harmony to bring home the reality of Christmas to our guests and our congregation. While it's great to be fed and encouraged by the Word of God, please remember that this is an excellent opportunity to invite guest's who may never attend a normal Sunday Service.

Pastor's Pick

noreply@blogger.com (HBF) — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 03:16:00 +0000

I heard Tal and Acacia today on Air One and they immediately caught my ear. Their parents had a ministry to the inner city of Portland, Maine. In 1991, the entire family spent a year in Russia ministering in the city formerly known as Stalingrad with Salvation Army.

They have a groovy sound built upon scripture. You might give them a listen. Yahweh and Garbage In are my favorites thus far. The song Drifting Away has found play on some pop Television program.

Blindness

noreply@blogger.com (HBF) — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 15:27:00 +0000

2 Kings 25:6-7
So they took the king, and brought him up to the king of Babylon to Riblah; and they gave judgment upon him. 7 And they slew the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes, and put out the eyes of Zedekiah, and bound him with fetters of brass, and carried him to Babylon.

The king of Babylon didn’t play with Zedekiah! Can you imagine the last thing you see is your sons being slain in cold blood? As I read this today, it reminded me of how truly wicked and cruel the world is and how incredibly irresponsible Zedekiah was. He was king in Jerusalem under Babylonian reign. While I would applaud him for standing against Babylon, he had no power with God so his efforts were in vain. In fact he terribly offended God in following after the traditions of Manasseh and Jeroboam who turned Israel to idolatry, even defiling the very temple of God.

Zedekiah was certainly no Josiah, his heart was not tender to the words of God and he paid dearly for trying to preserve his kingdom instead of God’s Kingdom. God points out in 2 Kings 24:19 that after 11 years of ruling in Jerusalem that he was as evil as Jehoiakim before him.

Here is the devotional thought God brought to me from the life of Zedekiah. When we who are in a position to follow God , instead turn to idolatry (which is also defined as covetousness in Colossians 3:5) we risk seeing our children destroyed by the world right before our eyes.

This passage serves as a strong admonition to me to follow the Lord with all my heart, mind, soul and strength. While Satan would like to blind me, he will not be so nice to my heritage. The last thing The Father heard his son say before he died was, “Father forgive them for they know not what they do.” Praise God for Jesus tender heart and God's amazing grace!

Josiah's Find

noreply@blogger.com (HBF) — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 16:49:00 +0000

One of my favorite men of the Old Testament is Josiah. His name means “whom Jehovah heals”. In so many ways, King Josiah is a representation of the climate and culture of the church toady. Josiah’s wicked grandfather Manasseh did everything he could to bring the wrath of God upon the people of God. He desecrated the temple, worshipped pagan gods, sacrificed his sons to false gods, etc. His wickedness was so great, that God recorded that Manasseh was more wicked than the pagan that inhabited the promise land before the children of Israel entered the promise land.

Because of Manasseh’s wickedness, God promised certain wrath to the children of Israel. God told Manasseh that the evil that would come to Jerusalem and Judah was so great that it would cause both the ears of them that heard it to tingle. It was the worst of times. Despite God’s justified wrath, he allowed Manasseh and his son Amon to reign in Jerusalem. This reminds me of the climate today. Just as in the days of Noah many really don’t believe judgment is nigh. The bible even predicts this kind of apathy as the Day of the Lord approaches. While 1 Thessalonians 5:9 is clear that we are not appointed to wrath, it doesn’t mean that God’s judgment and subsequent redemption of Israel is not once again at the door.

Luke 17:26-30
And as it was in the days of Noe[Noah], so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man. 27 They did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, and the flood came, and destroyed them all. 28 Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded; 29 But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all. 30 Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed.

In the midst of God’s justified wrath is a glimmer of grace. Just as we find space for repentance in 2 Peter 3. In a chapter dedicated to informing us of the pending wrath and reconciliation, God places a wonderful admonition to repent while there is still opportunity.

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.

We see the character of God in his restraint. Just as He forgave the thief on the cross, so to, he forgives those who turn to him with a broken heart. It is our receptiveness to God’s promises that really dictates relationship with him. Josiah began his reign as a youth of only eight years old. He didn’t really have a life outside of being king of Jerusalem and Judah. His mother or whoever brought him up must have done a good job, for when Hilkiah was cleaning out the temple and found a copy of the book of the law, he delivered it to Shaphan to read before the king and to King Josiah’s credit, he received the word as it is in truth the very words of God (1 Thessalonians 2:13). It was Josiah’s attitude toward the Word of God that ensured his success and the salvation of God’s people, if only for a short 31 year reign of this king.

2 Kings 22:19-20
Because thine heart was tender, and thou hast humbled thyself before the LORD, when thou heardest what I spake against this place, and against the inhabitants thereof, that they should become a desolation and a curse, and hast rent thy clothes, and wept before me; I also have heard thee, saith the LORD. 20 Behold therefore, I will gather thee unto thy fathers, and thou shalt be gathered into thy grave in peace; and thine eyes shall not see all the evil which I will bring upon this place. And they brought the king word again.

Because Josiah’s heart was tender, the Lord paused his disciplinary action upon the nation of Israel, to afford Josiah and the people of Israel a revival. Once again we see the mighty character of Christ who would rather suffer God’s wrath himself, than allow us to go head long into damnation.

Today we live in a time much like Josiah’s. According to Revelation 3:17-20, it is a time of misplaced priorities. We say one thing (we are rich and increased with goods), while the spiritual reality is another. We think we are covered, clothed, yet before God we are stitchless and ashamed. It is a time when the religion Goes on unencumbered because we have discovered the systems that work to draw people to our churches, yet all too often Jesus is not in the service. A time when personal worship is crowded by a myriad of other gods and the Word of God is scarcely found in the conscience of those who claim to be the very temple of God. A time where Christ is present, yet few have consulted his mind to consider what he says about our place in history.

Oh that we would once again discover the power of our relationship with God in His Word. That alone is the source of revival. That today is the call of Christ, as he stands at the door and knocks asking us to once again open the rusty hinge of the Word of God and lay our eyes afresh upon his promises. He desires that we are truly filled with His riches and clothed with his righteousness.

It was a wonderful day when Hilkiah and Shaphan found the book of the law. It was even more wonderful when it was read before the Lord and received. Because these men found the Word, Josiah, Jerusalem and Judah found grace and mercy in the sight of the Lord.

Christmas season is upon us. In the midst of our religious and traditional holiday, I pray everyone discovers the Word of God fresh and new as the greatest gift we have every received is found in the coming of Christ to this earth to die for our sins. It is the gift of the Word of God that seals the promise of eternal life to all that call upon his name.

Thankful For Thanksgiving

noreply@blogger.com (HBF) — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 14:27:00 +0000

My son came home with a paper listing all the things he and his classmates were thankful for this Thanksgiving season. The responses were excellent because all but one of them had something to do with Jesus’ death, burial and resurrection. A couple of responses were very specific concerning the way in which people find redemption through a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. For a group of kindergartener’s I was very impressed.

There was one that really caught my eye, of course that was my son’s. It said nothing about Jesus, and it was the briefest of all the comments. His response was simply, “I am thankful for Thanksgiving”. Of course being a preacher I thought, that sure is a vague answer, though it really didn’t surprise me. So I had to ask my son, “Why are you thankful for Thanksgiving?” He answered, “Because it’s a day to give back to God”. I was relieved that he didn’t tell me that it was because he liked sweet potatoes or something like that.

Thanksgiving is actually my favorite holiday. I am thankful for Thanksgiving for the very same reasons my son is. It is a great time to give God praise for all that He is and the many blessings he has bestowed upon us. This season serves as a great reminder to give thanks and praise to the creator of all things. It is always good to have an attitude of gratitude, especially when it is directed toward God.

Psalms 136:1-3
O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever. 2 O give thanks unto the God of gods: for his mercy endureth for ever. 3 O give thanks to the Lord of lords: for his mercy endureth for ever.

Even if you find your circumstances deplorable this Thanksgiving season, there is someone you can turn to and there is something you can be thankful for. God sent forth his Son, Jesus Christ, as our sacrifice for sin so that we might experience eternal life. Today Jesus, the Son of God, is alive and well and He calls all to receive him as Savior and follow him as disciples. It is because of Christ’s victory over sin and the grave that those who place their faith in Him and believe on Him are more than conquerors and able to give thanks in everything no matter our circumstances. It’s a blessing to be thankful for Thanksgiving.

1 Thessalonians 5:18
In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.

Speak Truth To Power

noreply@blogger.com (HBF) — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 01:33:00 +0000

If you haven’t heard the term “Speak truth to power” you have not been watching the mainstream news sources or the human rights groups very closely. People of all political persuasions and special interests are now using this phrase. From the Obama administration to Lou Dobbs, all claim to be “speaking truth to power”. The term is quickly becoming a mantra for anyone who feels as though need a voice tell “the man” they have had enough. I have not taken the time to research the origin of this statement, but I do know that the Robert F. Kennedy memorial division entitled SPEAK TRUTH TO POWER, has certainly put some resources behind the phrase.

Ecclesiastes 1:9
The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun.

As Solomon said, there is no new thing under the sun. People have been speaking truth to power for generations. Several weeks ago as I was reading 2 Kings chapter one the phrase “speak truth to power” resonated through my mind as I read of the exploits of the prophet Elijah. Elijah was told by God to send intercept the messengers of the king of Samaria as they travelled toward Ekron to worship Beelzebub. God used the prophet to send a clear message to the king that he could not miss. After that the king sent soldiers three different times, only to find that they could not stand against the prophet’s words.

The bible is full of examples of men of various means “speaking truth to power”. We could speak of Moses, David, most of the prophets, Jesus, Paul, Peter; the list really is quite lengthy. When God moves through men to speak to principalities and powers, it often becomes a great object lesson for the annals of history.

In a pluralistic society and in a pluralistic world, the question that Pilate asked Jesus must be asked, “What is truth?” (John 18:38) Often times in our society when we speak of “speaking truth to power” what we really mean is our version of the truth, our world view. The philosophy professor at your local university or community college isn’t going to allow you to take the position that you actually have “the” truth, the world, flesh and the devil, want us to believe that we have a corner on “a” truth.

What I love about Jesus is that he is unambiguous about his position on this issue. When it comes to the issue of “speaking truth to power” Jesus was not gray or pluralistic. Jesus holds the position that he is truth!

John 14:6
Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

Jesus said to the powers that be, that he came to bear witness of the truth. He doesn’t bear the burden of proving that he is true, because everything in creation and conscience points to that. Jesus’ fulfillment of every Old Testament prophecy concerning his first coming is a testament, not only that Jesus is True, but his words are truth. We cannot separate the perfect character of Christ from his words. It is the very life Jesus lived that bore witness to the reality that he indeed, is the King of kings and Lord of lords.

Today, just as in the time of Christ and the time of the prophets, all who are in authority or claim to right the wrongs of the authorities they perceive they are under, must bring up the five letter word truth. While mankind can spend a fortune and a life time debating who is on the side of truth, or whose particular pluralistic, humanistic version of the truth is correct, the fact is that Jesus Christ is no less The Truth today than he was 2000 years ago when Pilate looked Truth in the face and posed the question.

For all the folks out there that are excited to speak truth to power, I would recommend a sure fire way to get through. Open up the bible (the truth) and speak it back to God, the ultimate power.

Romans 13:1-2
Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God. 2 Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation.

Believers in the Lord Jesus need not debate the truth, we must simple speak truth to power and there is not higher power than the Creator of the Universe. We can waste precious time appealing to lesser powers, or simply bow our knee and humble our hearts and approach the One True God. In reality, the best resistance to any power is submission to the ultimate power, The Lord Jesus Christ. If you are in bondage to sin, I encourage you to be honest with God, invite The Truth into your life and He will make you free.

If you want to learn how to speak truth to power, join us Sunday nights at HBF as we make it a point to come together to approach the throne of God and speak truth to power. I hope to see you Sunday at 6:00 P.M.

Worship

noreply@blogger.com (HBF) — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 22:08:00 +0000

We are having a great time at MCBC. The Team from HBF is doing a fantastic job of ministering to the children of Monmouth, Illinois. My journey started Sunday night travelling in my old beater Ford with Jay Grimwood to Monmouth. It was funny when I arrived to pick up Jay, he saw my truck and asked if he needed to drive. The funny thing is that my truck looks old but many of the parts under the hood are new. My radiator is a week old, my starter is three weeks old, the alternator, motor, have all been replaced fairly recently. The motor has well under 100,000 miles and the tires have a couple thousand miles on them.

Looks can be deceiving. That is the case with my truck and that is the case with many believers. One of the finest communicators I know pastors Maple City Baptist Church in Monmouth Illinois. Pastor Mike Blake, and Beau Green are a powerful team. I am refreshed when I visit MCBC because they always have new life under the hood! Their building is well over 100 years old and their community is far from cutting edge, yet their ministry is certainly as dynamic as any you will find. There is no doubt God has placed this thriving church in this location to reach the ever expanding Monmouth Scott's. I believe in time the results of MCBC's ministry will have a great impact on the campus of Monmouth College. Some of the best and brightest attend that church and Mike and the team up here really know how to connect with them.

Pastor Shane Crawford of Rocky Mountain Baptist Church is preaching on worship. Last night's sermon was excellent! He spoke of how we always worship, it is just a matter of what we choose to worship. It was simple yet profound and caused me to evaluate the things I sacrifice for and what I really worship. I know tonight will be excellent as well as we talk about the alter.

Tomorrow night I give an update on the ministry of HBF to the Bhutanese. I'm looking forward to glorifying what God is doing for displaced Nepali's of Bhutan. I spent all those years working at a homeless shelter never realizing that some day God would introduce me to a homeless people group. It is a problem of biblical proportion which requires a biblical sized solution. It is comforting to know that the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ is powerful enough to address even this monumental spiritual, political and humanitarian problem.

It has been a great joy to visit with Blake Anderson, Mark Shaffer and the folks of MCBC. I especially have enjoyed meeting Artemio (I hope that is how his name is spelled). He is a pioneering pastor with a heart for God and a heart for people.

I praise God that as our bodies grow old, he continually renews the heart so we can run our race and finish our courses. I pray that we all finish strong as we follow Him to the finish line of glory!

Good News From A Far Country

noreply@blogger.com (HBF) — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 05:53:00 +0000

Today I received a text from a Bhutanese friend of mine in KCK named Madhap. He had found out that our man on the ground in Nepal (Dave Pierce) had been in six refugee camps in the past few days. Madhap was excited because his family had communicated back to him about Dave's visit with his family members in Nepal. My friend was very grateful for the connection God established through his servant.

The past couple of days I have received great news on Dave's travels and contacts. I'm sure he will have a great report when he returns to home. Dave's communication and Madhap's appreciation remind me of Proverbs 25:25.

Proverbs 25:25
As cold waters to a thirsty soul, so is good news from a far country.

It is always refreshing to hear of what God is doing to open doors of utterance to places all over the globe. I can just imagine the joy it brings to the Father when we report back to him on the blessings of our sojourning in this life. Enjoy the journey and keep the prayer lines open.

Got my sleep on the front side!

noreply@blogger.com (HBF) — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 09:05:00 +0000

I'm at it early this morning! God is so good to give me a chance to redeem the time. Because of the opportunities to serve the Lord I went to bed early, which is something I never have opportunity to do. Several years ago I heard a pastor from Hawaii speak on getting rest on the front side of the night. That seems so difficult when you have children to bathe and put to bed, but praise God it all came together for me last night, so here I am refreshed and ready to go!

One of the highlights of today will be an opportunity to spend time with my friends at Harvest Baptist in Iola! Dave Shelby invited us down to enjoy the fellowship of a field party they are having this evening. I'm going to be sharing a brief message about the call of God to "Follow me". Here are the Highlights.

Jesus is calling you right now. But what is he calling you to do?

I. Follow Him Immediately, Matthew 4:18-22
II. Follow Him Publicly, Matthew 9:9-13
III. Follow Him Faithfully, John 21:18-22

God wants us to follow him immediately, publicly and faithfully and that is what I plan to do today. I'm pumped about the our study in Judges too! We are embarking on our Samson Series which really hits me between the eyes. God's Word is our most precious resource, just because His supply is endless is no need to overlook His value today. That is what Samson did. Praise God for our access to the unsearchable riches of Christ!

Hey if your reading this and have not heard the call of God, open your bible and start reading in Romans 3-6 and listen to what God is saying. When you get to Romans 10:9-12 pause and consider if you have ever picked up the phone and answered the call. Turn from whatever it is that you think is important, lay it down, cast it aside, give it up and call upon the Christ today! Empty yourself of everything but Christ. If you do that, shoot me an email on my church website and I will give you further instruction from there.

The Last Adam

noreply@blogger.com (HBF) — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 01:20:00 +0000

This is a good word from Steve Fleshman of the Lightwalkers BIBLE fellowship.

“For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive… And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit… The first man is of the earth, earthy: the second man is the Lord from heaven.” 1 Cor. 15:22, 45, 47

In these verses, we see a comparison of the only two original men; all mankind have descended / been born from Adam, but only those who have been born again are kindred to “the last Adam”. If we’re related to the first Adam only we’re already dead spiritually and we’ll die physically one day too; but if we’re reborn into a relationship with Christ by faith, we’ll “be made alive” now and forever! Since Rom. 5:14 says that Adam “…is the figure of him that was to come”; Adam was a type or pattern of Christ. Consider that both are called “the son / Son of God” (Lk. 3:38; Jn. 1:34); both were tempted in a garden (Gen. 3:6; Mt. 26:39), and both were offered forbidden fruit. Adam yielded to the temptation but Jesus rejected “wine” (Mk. 15:23); the implication is that the tree of the knowledge of good and evil was a vine tree and the forbidden fruit was grapes. Adam was commissioned to be “fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth” (Gen. 1:28) with sons of God; Jesus gave a similar commission to his disciples (Mt. 28:18-20). Adam was also called to “subdue” the earth (Gen. 1:28) but failed; Christ will one day “subdue all things unto himself” (Php. 3:21). Both were given a “help meet / bride” to accomplish their mission; Eve for Adam and the church for Christ (Gen. 2:18; Eph. 1:22-23; 5:21-33; Rev. 21:9). Both got a hole in their side, out of Adam came a rib from which woman was formed (Gen. 2:21-23) and out of Christ came blood and water from which the church was formed (Jn. 19:34). In Gen. 5:2, God “called their Adam” (Eve’s identity was in Adam), which is why women take men’s last name in marriage today. This is also why, when a person gets saved, they are called “Christian”, i.e. they take on the name of Christ and their identity is now in him! After sinning, Adam was driven out of paradise, taking Eve with him (Gen. 3:23), Jesus entered into “paradise” after overcoming sin, taking the first member of his bride with him (Lk. 23:43). Adam had dominion over everything and lost it because of sin; Jesus remained sinless and won back dominion over everything (Col. 1:20). Because of his sin, Adam realized he was “naked” and went and “hid” (Gen. 3:6, 7), because Jesus was sinless, they stripped him and crucified him naked for all to see (Mt. 27:35). God planted the tree by which man sinned; man planted the tree / cross of Calvary. The tree by which man sinned was “pleasant” (Gen. 3:6) to the sight; the tree on which Jesus died was “cursed” (Gal. 3:13) and horrible to look upon. The tree by which man sinned was in the “midst” of the garden (Gen. 2:9), the tree of Calvary was in the “midst” of transgressors (Jn. 19:18). The fruit of the tree by which man sinned was forbidden to be eaten because it would bring forth death; the tree of Calvary is meant to be freely eaten of because it brings forth life! The serpent was “subtil” with Adam and Eve (Gen.3:1 – first mention in Old Testament), just as the chief priests, scribes, and elders tried to take Jesus by “subtilty” (Mt. 26:4 – first mention in New Testament). Satan enticed man to partake of the forbidden tree; Satan uses “any means” (2 Cor. 11:3) to keep man from partaking of the tree of Calvary. The name Adam means “red earth”, no doubt in reference to the dust he was made from, but the same Hebrew word is translated “dyed red” in context of the ram’s skins that covered the tabernacle (Ex. 26:14), which housed the ark of the covenant, i.e. the presence of God. So, skins dyed red / Adam; were used to house the presence of God / Christ! Friend, is Christ dwelling in your skin from Adam? If not, be instructed from another word translated from the same Hebrew word for Adam “red”, and be made “white” in Christ today...

“Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.” Isaiah 1:18

Author Steve Fleshman, copyright © 2009, all rights reserved. You may copy this material or use it as long as it is not changed and this copyright, and author’s information is left intact. All scripture references are from the King James Version (KJV) of the Bible.

Back From Bhutan

noreply@blogger.com (HBF) — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 04:46:00 +0000

Oh What a Night! The outreach at Bethel Community Center was incredible. A special thanks to Mang Sonna for inviting HBF to serve dinner to our friends in KCK. A large team headed up by Gwaine and Betty Arney did a great job of taking a dinner for 50 and dishing up food for 75 or more.

Praise God for the gift of tongues! We addressed a large Bhutanese community along with Burmese and hispanic speaking peoples. If it were not for Reuben my sermon would have sounded like a tinkling symbol and a sounding brass! Reuben did a great job of translating my sermon from John 1:1-14 on "Meeting Your Maker".

A relative of Kumar gave a great speech to their hosts. David Stetler, A great friend of the Bhutanese community, was also honored by the Bhutanese was honored as well. We were blessed with a wonderful conclusion to the presentation with an ethnic Nepali dance from the Bhutanes refugees.

My only regret is that we didn't really have a whole lot to offer to the Burmese who were in attendance. I pray the Lord provides a strong gospel witness that connects with the Burmese immigrants. While I don't know the plan for Burmese refugee's it is clear that God is bringing these persecuted people to our country to hear the gospel too. Fortunately Burma has a strong gospel witness dating back to the famous missionary Adoniram Judson (1788-1850).

The evening was capped off with a school supply give away! You would have thought it was Christmas in September! All the children were glad to receive their school supplies. I pray every soul that heard the gospel preached tonight receive the greatest gift of the Lord Jesus Christ!

Ephesians 3:19-21
And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God. 20 Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, 21 Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.

The changing landscape

noreply@blogger.com (HBF) — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 21:34:00 +0000

If you ever exit I-70 off of the Lewis and Clark viaduct into Kansas City Kansas, you will see an archway with symbols representing the different ethnic groups of their city. The welcome sign to KCK is an introduction to the face of the metro. It amazes me how much the neighborhoods have changed that in the short time I have been away from KCK. I used to frequent the entire metropolitan area when I worked for Fagan just seven years ago, and I never saw the diversity that I now see across Kansas City, Kansas and the entire metropolitan area.

Tuesday evening I entered a friend's home in KCK and said, "It smells like Nepal". He had quite a laugh over my comment, but it really did! The smell of food cooking was distinctly Asian and reminded me of our trip last October to Nepal. If you would have told me this time last year that God would have connected HBF with a ministry to the Bhutanese refugee's in our own metro, I would have not believed it, but God is so good!

I often tell our congregation that we must be ready to reach the world because the world is coming to us. It is such an exciting time to preach the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ! While we do travel abroad to reach the people of the world, some of the greatest contacts are right here withing our own Jerusalem. Tomorrow night a team from HBF will be serving the Bethel Community Center in KCK. It will be a great cross cultural exchange. Saturday a group will be serving at Worlds of Fun to help raise money for our sister church “Igreja Batista da Vida Nova” (New Life Baptist Church) in Nova Santa Rita, Brazil.

The sad thing is that so many people miss the work that God is doing right where they live. No matter how dramatic our cultural and ethnic landscape changes there are only two types of people on this planet and within our sphere of influence; the lost and the saved. The love of Christ is universal! It is not limited and neither are we!

Crumb Catchers

noreply@blogger.com (HBF) — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 05:24:00 +0000

Proverbs 8:34
Blessed is the man that heareth me, watching daily at my gates, waiting at the posts of my doors.

Everyday the rich man saw Lazarus sitting at his gate begging for a crumb from his table (see Luke 16:21). A crumb from the rich man's table was fit for a dog. The beggar was content to eat crumbs, and ultimately the rich man would be content to taste a drop of water from the tip of the beggars finger tip. While it may have been easy for the rich man to overlook the beggar, God will never overlook those who watch daily at his gates! What a contrast between the rich man of Luke 16 and my Lord Jesus Christ! While our flesh is just as rotten as Lazarus's' we are rich because the Lord Jesus Christ blesses those who hear him and wait daily at his gates and the posts of his doors.

Get up and eat up! God is meeting those who take the time to meet with him! It is no wonder he stands at the door and knocks He wants in to sup with us. More than crumbs he wants to deliver a full blown meal! Revelation 3:20

What can God do in 24 hours?

noreply@blogger.com (HBF) — Sun, 30 Aug 2009 03:12:00 +0000

What can God do in 24 hours? He can speak the universe into existence, separate Light from darkness, deliver a nation from it's enemies, babies are born, souls pass into eternity, souls are saved from eternal death! Considering God's limitless power, it's amazing to think that we can limit the Holy One of Israel from working in our lives.

Our 2009 Men's retreat connected in a big way! I am confident God brought what we needed to give God all the glory He desires from our lives. I praise God for all the speakers and workers who helped pull off such a special meeting for our men. To God be the Glory!

Vacation is Over and School Begins!

noreply@blogger.com (HBF) — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 08:46:00 +0000

We had a whirlwind July and August looks to be moving right along! I returned from Juarez and left again for a great family vacation in Branson. Samuel, our son, started Kindergarten this week. He is growing up so fast! Elisabeth is coming right along behind him. It was fun to be able to take them both to White Water this year and make some memories. It won't be long and this life will be over! Lets run our race and finish our course.

James 4:14
Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.

Congratulations Iglesia Bautista De Valle

noreply@blogger.com (HBF) — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 21:04:00 +0000

We made it home! What a great trip to Juarez City in Mexico. The team from HBF did a great job of pouring concrete and assisting in outreach to the neighborhood near the church. Pastor Manuel and Martha were gracious hosts as always. By God's grace there were no killings during our stay in Juarez.

It was my great pleasure to preach to 15th anniversary celebration and teach the men of Iglesia Bauptista De Valle in a special evening service at a restaurant near our hotel. IBV is our sister church that twice as old as we are. I enjoyed the music, the food and the consecration of this key church in a key city. It is a new dawn in the heart of Juarez. The brothers and sisters in Manuel's church are trusting God to provide an oasis in the midst of a desert of hope. By God's grace He will continue to give them the fortitude to stand during the evil day that is facing Juarez and Mexico.

One of the themes you see all over Juarez is Amor por Juarez, meaning, Love For Juarez. It really made me think about about how much God loves that city and the people in it. On the mountainside on the south west part of the city is a message to everyone with sight to read the bible and find truth. I am convinced that the one of the best places on the planet right now to preach Jesus is Juarez Mexico. The hope and peace the citizens of Juarez are looking for is found in the scripture and reflected in the city's center at Iglesia Bautista De Valle.

My prayers and thanks go out to my Lord, our crew and the warm loving church family in Juarez. If the Lord tarries I am looking forward to what the Lord will do in the next 15 years.

The Deadly 'C' Word

noreply@blogger.com (HBF) — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 18:57:00 +0000

Randy Foster sent me this article written by Sarah Pollak of CBN. As we study the persecution of the first of the church on Wednesday evenings all we have to do is look on the fields and we will see the same persecution in the last century before Christ returns for his bride.

The Deadly "C" Word by Sarah Pollak

Earlier this week, we carried a report about seven Somalis beheaded by Islamists with links to Al-Qaeda in Baidoa, Somalia. The murderers accused the seven of everything from being "spies" to leaving Islam to become "Christians." I do not know whether these victims were indeed Christians or not. It's very hard to confirm. The families are probably not volunteering that information for fear they, too, may be killed. What we do know is that, according to Open Doors, there are only 4,000 Christians in the predominantly Muslim country of more than 10 million. And Somalia is ranked fifth in the world by the organization for persecution against believers.

"Christian" = Criminal

Unfortunately, calling someone a Christian has become the "accusation du juor" that leads to persecution and death in many Muslim countries-whether or not the accused is indeed a Christian. It seems the term has become an easy way to make sure someone is convicted. It's kind of like a reverse of the American "Salem Witch Trials" in the late 1600s. When many good and honest people were accused of being witches and killed by hanging. The mere accusation often led to death.

"They even called me a 'Christian!"
When I was in the Dadaab refugee camp on the border between Somalia and Kenya, I interviewed a young Somali girl regarding the awful practice of female genital mutilation (FGM). Her father, a devout Muslim holy man (imam), stood up in his mosque to denounce the practice. He refused to let his daughters be mutilated.
As I talked with the beautiful young refugee, she said she had been beaten and called vicious names, because of her father's unpopular stand against FGM.

"They even called me a Christian," the Muslim girl said with eyes downcast.Even though this girl's family is obviously Muslim, the easiest way to persecute them without just cause is to call them Christians.

Radical Islam
To be fair, those that beheaded the seven in Somalia do not represent the majority of Muslims. Most of the Muslims living in the neighboring countries of Kenya, Ethiopia and Sudan are followers of Sufi Islam, a more contemplative "denomination," if you will. The brand of radicals that killed these Somalis come straight from Saudi Arabia. Hard-liners that believe those who disagree with their point of view are worthy of death.

"To live is Christ, to die is gain."
Early believers were ripped to shreds by lions and persecuted beyond imagining simply because they were called "Christians." And Acts 11:26 says the term "Christian" was first used by believers in Antioch. For more than two thousand years, people have lived and died for being associated with the label.Murdering people, Christian or Muslim, is against everything Scripture dictates. Persecution of any kind is wrong. We are told to treat others the way we want to be treated, regardless of their race, gender or creed.However, if someone must die for being a "Christian," at least let it be one who believes in Christ. One who has promise of a better life; for whom death is considered "gain."

Philippians 1:27-30
Only let your conversation be as it becometh the gospel of Christ: that whether I come and see you, or else be absent, I may hear of your affairs, that ye stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel; 28 And in nothing terrified by your adversaries: which is to them an evident token of perdition, but to you of salvation, and that of God. 29 For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake; 30 Having the same conflict which ye saw in me, and now hear to be in me.

God is Powerful

noreply@blogger.com (HBF) — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 20:02:00 +0000

Romans 1:16
For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.

We had another great night at VBS! We talked about how powerful God is! He is powerful enough to save us from the world, flesh and the devil! He is powerful enough to keep us for eternity! Like Doug Pearson says, "If we are saved, we don't have problems".

Doug Pearson concluded our time by teaching us about God's favorite number, seven. He revealed this truth from both scripture and creation! It was a great time! I'm looking forward to tonight!

Fear Not! VBS 2009

noreply@blogger.com (HBF) — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 03:18:00 +0000

Luke 12:7
But even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not therefore: ye are of more value than many sparrows.

Tonight was a great night at HBF! We kicked off our 2009 VBS with plenty of guests and a lot of fun. I want to throw a shout out to all the folks who decorated, set up, prepped food, filled in, signed up, cleaned up, whew! I'm getting tired thinking about it. The thing I love about this ministry is the unity and common purpose it brings to our body! It is biblical and electric because God loves it when we feed the lambs.

The week is young, but it will fly by and be a memory soon enough. Pray with me for both the children, the parents and the workers. This is serious ministry and God is already at work in the lives of both young and old. I look forward to tomorrow night!

2 Timothy 1:7
For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.

Scientific Proof

noreply@blogger.com (HBF) — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 15:55:00 +0000

Today I received this very enlightening email from our Gene Purtle, our minister to the jails and prisons of Missouri. Gene must have come across this information while researching for a sermon. This is very heady stuff but I think you can digest it.

Archaeology:

After having dug to a depth of 10 feet last year, New York scientists found traces of copper wire dating back 100 years and came to the conclusion, that their ancestors already had a telephone network more than 100 years ago.

Not to be outdone by the New Yorkers, in the weeks that followed, a California archaeologist dug to a depth of 20 feet, and shortly after, a story in the LA Times read: 'California archaeologists, finding traces of 200 year old copper wire, have concluded that their ancestors already had an advanced high-tech communications network a hundred years earlier than the New Yorkers.'

One week later, The Kansas City Star, a local newspaper in K.C.,Mo, reported the following: After digging as deep as 30 feet in his pasture near Harrisonville, Mo, Bubba Brown, a self-taught archaeologist, reported that he found absolutely nothing. Bubba has therefore concluded that 300 years ago, Mo. had already gone wireless.

I don't care who you are, that's funny. Have a great day, Jesus is coming soon!