First Baptist Church Cedar Vale

  One of the things that I cannot help but just get excited about is when I see in the scriptures the fact that God has done so much to set my feet on the right path I cannot help but rejoice.   I have been reading through Psalm 116 and these verses compel me to want to flip the script in our culture.  We need to change the game because of the facts of what God has done on our behalf.   Psalm 116:1-2  I love the Lord, because he has heard     my voice and my pleas for mercy. 2 Because he inclined his ear to me,     therefore I will call on him as long as I live. The fact that the GOD of the universe, JESUS CHRIST hears me, hears my pleas for mercy is just absolutely stunning.  Think about what all the Lord is in the middle of doing.  Every molecule in the universe is in its place and doing what its supposed to be doing and nothing has gone rouge.  The sun is at the perfect distance in order to keep us just at the right temperature.  All of the planets in our solar system travel at just

  I woke up with this verse on my heart. ‘Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you fail to meet the test!’ -2 Cor. 13:5 I grew up in the church. My dad is a pastor. I have been around the church world my entire life. I went to camp; I went to youth retreats; I walked to the front of a church; I prayed prayers…I did all that stuff. It was not until the summer of 1998 that it truly connected, and made sense.  The pastor  was preaching out of this text: ‘Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you fail to meet the test!’ -2 Cor. 13:5 ‘TEST YOURSELF.’ Then he went to the following text…. “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead people’s bones a

  “By faith Moses, when he grew up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, choosing rather to be mistreated with the people of God than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. He considered the reproach of Christ greater than the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking to the reward”   ( Hebrews 11:24-26, ESV ). Many people view churches as an unnecessary, or even manipulative, institution not particularly valuable for spiritual growth or personal well-being. This mindset has only increased in our post-modern and post-Christian culture. Because of this, joining a church is one of the most counter-cultural things a person can do. Becoming a church member means leaving behind the comfort of individualism and voluntarily allowing yourself to be bound to others. It is a beautiful picture of the Gospel. And we do this because Jesus joyfully left behind his comfort and bound himself to us. Many find church membership a complicated topic. They aren’t sure why membership is necessa

Philippians 4:6 6 do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. I know the world is a place of worry, fear, and dread.  This is something that should never shock us because Jesus told us in John 16:33 that in this world we'd have tribulation.  Because of sin's destructive nature, we have worry and anxiousness.  But we have to also remember that Jesus followed up in that verse and said 'I have overcome this world.'  Jesus won the war on the cross. When he shed his blood on Calvery He destroyed death, sin, and hell.  So because of that fact we who belong to Jesus don't have to be anxious about what MIGHT happen, rather in all circumstances we have the access to enter into the throne room of God and bring our concerns to the Sovereign King of the universe.  We can come into His courts with a thankful heart and know that we, as a child of the King have an audience with our Father

    The Bible says, "No!" One who is saved "has everlasting life, and ... is passed from death unto life" ( John 5:24 ). Eternal life by definition cannot be temporary. It is the present possession of all those who have truly trusted Christ. Romans 8:28-39  reveals clearly that there is nothing in the universe that can separate the elect from the love of God. The One who chose to save you "is able to keep you from stumbling, and to make you stand in the presence of His glory blameless with great joy" ( Jude 24 ). Those who fall away have never been thoroughly imbued with the knowledge of Christ but only had a slight and passing taste of it. - John Calvin  According to Scripture, people who profess to know Christ at one time but later deny Him were never really saved, to begin with.  First John 2:19  says, "They went out from us, but they were not really of us; for if they had been of us, they would have remained with us; but they went out, in order th

We need each other more than ever.  This is not hyperbolic terminology, it's fact.  We as Christians need each other.  The community of faith, (actual BIBLICAL faith) is in need of each other.   I am watching as proper biblical doctrine is being flushed down the toilet in favor of this breed of me-centered feel-good theology, it's a weak theology that cannot stand up against the onslaught of tyranny and deception in the world today.  Weak theology and doctrine create weak churches that cannot stand in the day of trial.  When we have weak men standing in the pulpit and teaching weak theology the foundations crumble.   The Lord Jesus Christ gave us an admonition to stand in these days.   13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. Eph 6:13  We are called by God himself to stand up against evil in our own lives and in the community in which we live.    We are living in a day when persecution is