Good morning on this last Saturday of October. Some very interesting things are happening on the geopolitical and economic scene. World leaders are meeting to attempt to cooperatively resolve the world financial crisis through joint efforts to stabilize their respective banking systems. Some governments (the U.S. especially) are becoming more and more involved in the financial structures of their nation's banks. The crisis has precipitated increasing discussion about how the economies of the world are interrelated and interdependent. This has prompted Nicolas Sarkozy of France to state that he hoped a new world order would emerge because of these factors. We should all be keeping a close eye on these developments because they could produce, not only far-reaching developments, but a set up for prophetic fulfillment of many Bible predictions.
Tomorrow's message is entitled, The Romans Reckoning, and is the third in the Steps To Spiritual Maturity series. This message is particularly important and the videos used to illustrate its theme are powerful illustrations. I hope I'll have the pleasure of seeing you in your place in church tomorrow.
Mel Brown

Good morning on this 18th day of October. This morning I conducted a funeral and afterwards had an interesting discussion with the funeral director. He mentioned that he is often shocked at many people's attitude about the death of a loved one, stating that many don't care about funerals or services or even the cremains if the loved one is cremated. Some seem to think that they are gone so who cares about any thing related to their death or body. How different that is from the many Biblical passages which discuss the resurrection of the body. I well understand that a body after death is merely the empty house they lived in while here and that it will return to the dust from which it came, but God compares that body to a seed which when planted produces a plant. Many verses in 1 Corinthians 15 address the relationship of the body sown to the glorified resurrection body. One funeral director told of a pastor who during a funeral service referred to the body before him as "just a body" as if it had no meaning or significance at all. Afterwards the funeral director told me that a member of the family approached the pastor and said, "What do you mean , just a body. It was that body which conceived me, carried me, and gave me life. This body of my mother has special significance to me and therefore is 'not just a body.'" I never forgot that fact and have never viewed the body of a loved one or friend the same again. Admittedly, when the soul leaves the body, the body is disposable, but to treat it with contempt or disdain is not the answer. When Jesus was buried they wrapped his body with cloth and anointed it with spices. The women who found the empty tomb were returning to the tomb to again anoint the body. It was that body which was changed into Christ's resurrection body; hence, the tomb was empty. It is wrong to place too much emphasis on a decedent's body, but it is also possible to go too far the other way.
Tomorrow's sermon is Steps to Spiritual Maturity - Part 2. I hope to see you there.
Mel Brown

Good morning! It is Saturday, October the 11th. In today's blog I am focusing on the tragedy of persecuted Christians now going on in various corners of the world. In India many are being attacked, tortured and martyred because of their faith in Jesus Christ. Others are having their homes and villages destroyed even as they flee for their lives. In Africa Christians are being kidnapped and enslaved; others are starving or slain. In communist countries Christians are being arrested, jailed and sometimes killed for their faith. More Christians are being martyred today than at any time in history. The situation is both tragic and desperate. Christians often have amazing testimonies about being forced to deny Christ or die and have resolutely refused to deny their Savior in spite of the penalty. We should take determination and boldness from their example and take a resolute stand for Christ. In America where we enjoy such personal freedom, we should be determined to live for Christ as a living sacrifice yielding our whole self, all that we are and have to Him. Paul beseeches us to present our very bodies as a living sacrifice wholly acceptable unto Him (Romans 12:1). To do less is to require apology to those who are becoming literal sacrifices for Christ. Tomorrow's sermon is entitled, Steps To Spiritual Maturity. I'll look forward to seeing you then.
Mel Brown

Good morning on this Saturday, October 4th. Last week's blog focused upon the steps of the downward spiral which produced the financial mess our economy is in that led to the 700 billion dollar bailout package signed into law this week. The Bible is filled with financial principles which if followed would have prevented much of the pain we are currently enduring.
Romans 12:11 commands that we not be slothful in business and there are literally hundreds of verses in Scripture about money and its management which direct us about how to practice the principles involved in fulfilling that verse. There are warnings against greed, covetousness, theft, usury, extortion, fraudulent practices, and financial injustice (Ex. 20:15; Lev. 19:13; Ex. 22:5; Proverbs 10:2; 11:1; 13:11; 20:10; 15:27; 19:26; Luke 3:13; James 5:4 to name a few). The Bible admonishes us to diligently care for our own finances (Proverbs 27:23-24) and to be especially diligent as opposed to carelessness or recklessness in handling other people's money (2 Kings 22:7; Matthew 25:14-27; Luke 16:10-12; 1 Corinthians 4:2). Money is to be wisely invested (Matthew 25:27; Luke 19:23). The Bible also has much to say about borrowing, buying and selling, credit, debt, interest, lending, security, and taxation. Financial principles clearly taught in Scripture were not practiced by many from the bottom to the top of the money chain in the creation of this financial crisis and now we are reaping that which was sown. Once again it is the taxpayer who will reap what others have sown and make straight that which is crooked. I'm reminded of a quote from the late senator, Everett Dirksen of Illinois, "You take a billion here and a billion there and soon you are talking about a lot of money."
Tomorrow Jon Konnerup, Mission's Director of the Baptist Bible Fellowship International will speak in both of our morning services. It is a great privilege to have him with us. Please join us for these services.
Mel Brown