Fundamental Baptist Christian

October can mean a lot of things to a lot of people. Here are some things October can mean to people: It's just a few months away from Christmas the "most perfect day of the year". It's Halloween. It's celebrating the United Nations' month. For some, October 5 also means Teachers' Day though some celebrate it on September 28 which is the birthday of Confucius. For some Christians, it's also Reformation Month. Reformation Day falls on the same day as Halloween. But do we forget that October is also pastor appreciation month aside from celebrating the Reformation? Although pastors need your encouragement all day long - I think pastors also need that time of the year to be appreciated more than usual. We need to remember that if schools need teachers then churches need pastors. The pastor has the double responsibility as both a preacher and a teacher of God's Word. Ephesians 4:11 lists the offices of the pastors and the teachers. A teacher m...

There is a rumor floating around from the website "Liberty to the Captives" that Charles H. Spurgeon was allegedly a Freemason. The whole charge, somehow, is based on hearsay or taking things out of context. Spurgeon had been seen posing like Napoleon Bonaparte. Back then, I remembered how I seldom did the pose to imitate Napoleon without knowing its associations with the Masonic movement. You can watch this video to see that the pose didn't originate in Freemasonry. It's just like that the Nazi salute was derived from the Roman salute. The Nazi swastika was derived from Hinduism and Buddhism except theirs meant death and not life. Having a swastika doesn't make a Hindu or Buddhist a Nazi or does it make a Nazi a Buddhist or Hindu. Doing the Roman salute didn't make the Nazis members of the Roman army. Posing with your hand in the waistcoat doesn't automatically mean you are a Freemason - although it can't be denied that the Freemasons also adop...

Peter himself can be considered the first ordained pastor of the Church for this reason. Do you remember the confession of faith he had in Matthew 16:18-19? Jesus already gave the assurance of the Rock where the Church will be built and the gates of Hell are not to prevail against it. Peter was now the first person to get the keys for preaching the Gospel. Peter himself was getting geared and ready as the first disciple to become a pastor. But later, something terrible happened. Not only did Peter deny himself as a follower of Jesus but he also temporarily left the ministry. John 21 talks about Peter's restoration. The same chapter starts with the scene where Peter and the disciples went fishing. When the pastor goes fishing - so do the deacons. They had lost faith in the mission. Divine intervention had allowed Peter to be chastised. Did Peter forget that Jesus called him away from his fishing business into becoming a pastor? When God calls a man out of his profession to become ...

Tomorrow is Valentine's Day but do we really know the real meaning and ugly history behind Valentine's Day? If you do some historical study - there was a Christian martyr who is prayed to by the Roman Catholic institution known as Valentine. The very story of Valentine's Day is anything but romantic. It's when a Christian bishop or pastor during the reign of Emperor Claudius II - a monarch outlawed marriage for his soldiers. He was one who opposed the ridiculous rule of Claudius II and was eventually beheaded after several tortures. He refused to recant his Christian faith, preached in prison and performed marriages even when the emperor didn't allow it! The interesting note is that there is the Roman orgy festival known as Lupercalia which is said to be celebrated on February 15. So it was possible that Valentine's martyrdom was arranged in such a day to appease the gods involved with the satanic festival. The term "Your Valentine" was probably be...

It can't be denied that there's really sex, shame and the Roman Catholic Church as a long topic. I could remember how there's that frequently spelled out lie that the scandals of the Vatican are but very minimal in contrast to the Protestant or Baptist circles. All the sins and scandals of the Roman Catholic institution have been swept under the rug. One of the reasons why I lost faith in the Roman Catholic system is the rampant immorality. Baptist churches have had a history where they have been usually serious about disciplining and exposing pastors who fall into sin. Yet, not all Baptist churches do so which is really a sad fact. I really remembered how I used to admire Jack Hyles and once thought that all the assaults against him were just made-up fabrications. It's normal for the children of God to get phony accusations when they are faithful. Yet, it turns out that there are Baptist (and other Evangelical or Protestant churches) who are guilty of covering up sex...

I've heard of how people in authority need a lifestyle check. I've heard of policemen, legislators, governors and mayors should be subjected to lifestyle check. Unfortunately, it's highly possible that many churches have ignored the reality of giving pastors a lifestyle check. Why is it important to know how a pastor lives? It's because the Bible puts qualifications of what makes a good pastor. 1 Timothy 3:1-7  This is a true saying, if a man desire the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work. [2] A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behaviour, given to hospitality, apt to teach; [3] Not given to wine, no striker, not greedy of filthy lucre; but patient, not a brawler, not covetous; [4] One that ruleth well his own house, having his children in subjection with all gravity; [5] (For if a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God?) [6] Not a novice, lest being lifted up with pr...

There is the statement that the pastor is a teacher but the teacher is not a pastor. So how is the pastor also a teacher? The pastor simultaneously preaches and teaches the Word of God to people. There is a difference between teaching and preaching. His job as a preacher is to proclaim the Word of God to the world. His job as a teacher is to teach others more details on the Word of God, how to win souls and how to grow in grace in the Christian faith. Matthew 28:18-20 has Jesus telling His disciples to teach all things that He has commanded them. The eleven disciples were told that their mission was not only to preach but also teach all nations. That cements the very truth that the pastor is indeed called not only to preach but also to teach. We have to remember that in John 21:15-17 where Jesus told Peter to feed His sheep. So what is Peter told to feed the sheep with? As the first ordained pastor of the Christian church - Peter certainly had a huge task. Jeremiah 3:15 says that G...

September is indeed what some may call as Teacher's Month. Some celebrate teacher's day on September 28 because it's the birthday of the Chinese philosopher known as Confucius. Although Confucius was definitely no believer (and Confucianism is a false religion) but I don't see any reason why Christians should not celebrate teacher's day or practice some of Confucius' practical teachings such as respect for parents and authority. Now it's time to consider the very important role of the pastor as a teacher. Teachers should not just be limited to academic situations such as schoolmasters and tutors. Pastors too are called to preach and teach the very Word of God. There was a statement that teachers should be mentors and not tormentors. What does God have the purpose of a shepherd? Jeremiah 3:15 says that the pastors will be raised by God to replace the corrupt ones to feed the people with understanding. God was angry with the priests of Jeremiah's time ...

The call for the Bible is to give the pastor double honor. Here's what the Bible says concerning elders in the Church: 1 Timothy 5:17  Let the elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honour, especially they who labour in the word and doctrine. Laboring in the word (Scripture) and doctrine isn't easy. The Bible is not a book that's based on private but of the Holy Ghost (1 Peter 1:20). Reading the Bible and taking it out of context is easy. Reading the Bible and carefully taking it into context and interpreting Scripture with Scripture is not an easy task. A good pastor would focus on the taking Scriptures into context and not out of context. It's easy to preach but preaching a good sermon that's God glorifying is not a walk in the park. The job of the man of God is never easy at all. Anybody can be a pastor by name or by claim but not every pastor is truly a pastor sent of God. Do you know what makes a real pastor? Here's what the Bible says ab...

Here's how a pastor's wife should operate. Here's something that Pastor Paul David Washer shares about his loving wife Charo. Unlike Mrs. Job, Charo decides to lovingly rebuke her husband who was getting frustrated. I'm happy to know that there's a great woman behind a great man like Pastor Washer. 1 Timothy 4:1-7  This is a true saying, if a man desire the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work. 2 A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behaviour, given to hospitality, apt to teach; 3 Not given to wine, no striker, not greedy of filthy lucre; but patient, not a brawler, not covetous; 4 One that ruleth well his own house, having his children in subjection with all gravity; 5 (For if a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God?) 6 Not a novice, lest being lifted up with pride he fall into the condemnation of the Devil. 7 Moreover he must have a good report of them which ar...

I was reading the Spurgeon evening devotional dated April 16 and the key verse was Exodus 17:12. Exodus 17 records two events. One of them was where Moses fetched water from a rock in Horeb. The place was later called Massah and Meribah. From Exodus 7:8-16, we can read of the situation where the children of Israel were struggling against the wicked Amalekites. One thing worth noting in this situation is that as long as Moses had his arms raised that Israel prevailed. But when he was tired, Israel started to lose. This is where both Aaron and Hur came into the picture. Moses' arms were tired and weary. He was 80 years old. Aaron was 83 years old. It's not easy to be an old man leading a flock of rebellious people. Moses was getting weaker. Amalek prevailed over the children of Israel when Moses' arms started to weaken. Both Aaron and Hur started helping Moses put his arms up. It was a struggle. Joshua soon won the battle but only when Moses had two more to assist in the ...

I remembered browsing a few of the self-proclaimed Catholic apologist posts and found an interesting note that they are requesting people to pray for their priests. This has struck me that if unsaved people can pray for their religious leaders not to fail then why are there times Christians fail to pray for their pastor? God promised in Jeremiah 3:15 that He will provide pastors (or shepherds) that will feed the people with understanding. In the New Testament, the office of the Old Testament priesthood is over and the office of pastoring is open. Ephesians 4:11-12 says, "And He gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:" What a tremendous responsibility it is to be a pastor! This brings me back to the time when Jesus and Peter had a rather close relationship. Matthew 16:16-18 mentions the incident where Peter is told...

It was reported that Dr. Robert Charles Sproul Sr. or R.C. Sproul Sr. for short had joined his Creator last December 14, 2017. Yup, it's time to say congratulations to him for fighting the good fight. Here's some verses to give him my congratulations: Psalm 116:15 Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of His saints. 2 Corinthians 5:6-8  Therefore we are always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord: (For we walk by faith, not by sight:) We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord. 2 Timothy 4:6-8 For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing. It has b...

With Holy Week in mind, it's probably time to move from the daily pattern of reading the Bible from Genesis to Revelation in their proper order to moving forward (or backward) to the four Gospel accounts that talk about Jesus' arrest and crucifixion. You can read Peter's denial in Matthew 26:33-35, Mark 14:29-31, Luke 22:33-34 and the John 13:36-38. It's very easy to say, "Lord I will never fail you." But Jesus' reply was that before the crow will crow twice, Peter will deny Him thrice. Mark gives the account of the first crowing and the second crowing while the other three accounts talk of only the final crowing. The crowing of the rooster happens twice was during 12:00 A.M. to 3:00 A.M. and the morning watch was around 3:00 A.M. to 6:00 A.M. There is no contradiction to that. It's easy to be arrogant in the flesh and to think highly of one's self. Peter thought that he was self-sufficient. I even wonder did Peter even think that he was capable...

It can't be denied that Pastor John F. MacArthur is not getting any younger but he's still laboring in diligent exposition of the Scriptures. Here's what he has to say about the current situation in the Laodicean church: You know when you look at the present-day church, I would say to start with the problems that exist in the church, and there are many, start with an inadequate understanding of God. We have a superficial, shallow, truncated, popularized, sort of personalized understanding of God. This is a massive problem. Because we don’t know the truth about God, we really don’t know the truth about anything else in its fullness and its richness.  The infantility, I guess you could say, of the church, the immaturity of the church, the superficiality of the church, the cheesiness of the church, the cheapness of the church, the shallowness of preaching is related to an inadequate understanding of the greatness and the glory of God. He's right in addressing these ...

The word pastor means "shepherd". Jeremiah 3:15 says that God promises pastors after His own heart - pastors that will feed His flock with the right doctrine. The pastor is given the task to gather the sheep. 1 Timothy 3:1-7 says: This is a true saying, if a man desire the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work. A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behaviour , given to hospitality, apt to teach; not given to wine, no striker , not greedy of filthy lucre; but patient, not a brawler , not covetous; one that ruleth well his own house, having his children in subjection with all gravity; (For if a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God?), not a novice, lest being lifted up with pride he fall into the condemnation of the devil . Moreover he must have a good report of them which are without; lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil. It's not enough that a pastor shou...

There are two creations to which we can marvel. The first one was that man was created in the image of God. Genesis 1:26-27 says, "And God said, Let Us make man in our image, after Our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. So God created man in His own image, in the image of God created He him; male and female created He them." When God was talking, it wasn't to angels but to the Son and the Holy Spirit. John 1:1-10 shows that the Word was with God and the Word was God and is God. It couldn't be angels because they couldn't create but only God can create. 1 John 5:7 which is missing in many modern translations says that there are three that bear witness: the Father, the Word and the Holy Ghost. The other conformation is for the Christian. Romans 8:29 says, "For whom he did foreknow, He also did pre...

Here's a powerful reading from Arthur W. Pink from David's Flight: Do not expect a smooth and easy path! Ah, my reader, if you are one of God's elect—do not expect a smooth and easy path through this earthly wilderness—but be prepared for varying circumstances and drastic changes. The Christian's resting place is not in this world, for "here have we no continuing city" (Hebrews 13:14). The Christian is a "pilgrim," on a journey; he is a "soldier," called on to fight the good fight of faith. The more this is re ... alized, the less keen will be the disappointment, when our ease is disturbed, and our outward peace harshly broken in upon. "Many are the afflictions of the righteous," and if 'troubles' do not come to us in one form—they most certainly will in another! If we really appropriate this promise—then we shall not be so staggered when afflictions come upon us. It is written that, "it is necessary to pass ...

There is one thing we can be certain that anxiety doesn't empty tomorrow of sorrows but only makes people more and more weak. The more anxious people get, the more it drains them. When a person is anxious, they're bound to have faster heartbeat rate, lack of concentration, stress, headaches, dizziness, sleeplessness, compulsive behaviors, lack of appetite, procrastination, negligence and paranoia are but a few of what can happen during the anxiety cycle. The Lord Jesus stated in Matthew 6:25-34,"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? 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? Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature? And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider ...