Revival Services

With

Bro. Troy Kelley

Bro. Billy Cloud

Bro. Ray Bowyer

March 6th -11^th

 6:00 PM Sunday 

7:00 PM Monday-Friday

At

First Baptist Church

New Washington

334 

North Highway

62

New Washington In, 47162

(812) 293-3617

Pastor: Kenneth B. Jones Jr

&

Congregation invites the public

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

Opinions are what we hold. Convictions are what hold us. — Author Unknown

REVIVAL

 

I am greatly anticipating our  Revival meetings that will be held this next week. Thes men have preached in our pulpit  for over forty  years, and the messages God has laid on there hearts have helped our church family tremendously. As we head into this week, I ask that you would pray for God to do a great work in our lives.

There has never been a revival that did not begin with prayer. The Rochester Revival of 1829 was no different. It was during the evangelistic ministry of Charles Finney that over 500,000 people publicly responded to receive Christ. Businessmen, doctors, lawyers, and others in many different walks of life were converted. It has been said that during the Rochester Revival, “the place was shaken to its foundation.” The far-reaching impact of this revival was felt throughout the state and eventually across the oceans.

Later in life, Charles Finney was interviewed regarding the great revival meetings that took place. Mr. Finney attributed what had taken place to the spirit of prayer. James 5:16 says, “The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.” Mr. Finney then went on to say, “Prevailing or effectual prayer is that prayer which attains the blessing that it seeks. It is that prayer which effectually moves God. The very idea of effectual prayer is that it effects its objects.”

May we seek to have this kind of effectual prayer throughout this year and throughout this week, especially as we open our hearts to the message of God’s Word.

IN DUE SEASON

"And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not."

Galatians 6:9

Your future depends on the choices you make today.

George Muller is a well-known Christian in stories of faith and prayer. Muller ran an orphanage in Bristol, England, where he cared for over ten thousand orphans throughout his life. Most noted are his prayers of provision. Many times Muller would wake up to an empty kitchen and barren cabinets. He would gather the children to the table and direct them in a prayer of thanks for the food God would provide. Numerous stories are told of the different ways God blessed their faith with food to eat.

While many stories are told of the immediate answers to Muller's prayers, rarely mentioned is the one prayer he prayed for nearly his entire life. As a young man, Muller had five friends who were unsaved. After his conversion, Muller felt a burden for the salvation of his friends, so he began praying for his friends to accept Christ. After a few months, one of his friends accepted Christ's salvation. Rejoicing in his friend's decision, Muller felt an even greater burden to pray for the remaining four lost friends. Although he prayed each day for them, ten years elapsed before two more of his friends were saved. The next friend was not saved until twenty-five years later. Although four of his five friends were now saved, Muller never gave up on his last friend, praying for him for fifty-two years. Muller's persistence was rewarded as the last friend finally accepted Christ at Muller's funeral.

Muller never gave up on his friends. He pressed on daily. Even though he didn't see an immediate answer and actually never saw the complete answer to his prayer, he continued to faithfully pray every day.
Muller exemplified Galatians 6:9 by never giving up hope that his prayers would be answered. Even so, if we desire to see prayers answered and right living blessed, we must press on.

Daily we are given the opportunity to sow righteousness through making right choices and living godly lives. We are also given opportunities to sow unrighteousness through living for self. God promises that if we daily choose to live for Him, "In due season we shall reap, if we faint not."

Have you ever noticed that sometimes unrighteous living or wrong choices don't seem to have immediate consequences? Sometimes people who follow the world seem to have an easier path, yet notice what God says in Psalm 37:1-3, "Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity. For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb. Trust in the LORD, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed." Rather than becoming discouraged when others' wrong actions seem to go unpunished, press on in daily sowing righteousness.

God encourages you to keep making right decisions and choosing to follow Him. Choosing right over wrong won't always be easy. Sometimes following God will take great strength and courage, but God promises, "And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not."
Do you ever feel discouraged by the choices of others? Remember God's encouragement to keep making right decisions despite the decisions of others. Even when doing right is tough, press on. Even when following God is unpopular, press on. Even when choosing righteousness doesn't yield immediate blessings, press on. God promises that as you press on in choosing to follow Him daily, you will reap more blessings than those who follow their own path. As you are faced with decisions today, remember that your future depends on the choices you make today. Choose God's path.

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

Never doubt in the night what God gave you in the light. — Author Unknown

MY WAY, BUT HIS SCALES

Proverbs 16:2 All the ways of a man are clean in his own eyes; but the Lord weigheth the spirits.

“The ways of a man are clean (pure) in his own eyes;” Have you ever notice that we can always prove that what we are doing is right,  People can rationalize anything if they have no standards for judging right and wrong. Even in our Christian walk we try to use scriptures out of context or ever so slightly twist it to fit our desire or our actions. Before we put any plan in action, maybe we should  ask some questions  : (1) Is my attitude pleasing to God?  (2) What will be the  real-life ramifications of this plan? (3) Is this plan in accord with the Bible? (4) Do I have true peace with His Spirit?

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

Faith is not a pill you take but a muscle you use.

THE WAITING IS THE HARDEST PART

"Now there was long war between the house of Saul and the house of David: but David waxed stronger and stronger, an the house of Saul waxed weaker and weaker. And unto David were sons born in Hebron: and his firstborn was Amnon, of Ahinoam the Jezreelitess; And his second, Chileab, of Abigail the wife of Nabal the Carmelite; and the third, Asaolm the son of Maacah the daughter of Talmai king of Geshur; And the fourth, Adonijah the son of Haggith; and the fifth, Shephatiah the son of Abital; And the sixth, Ithream, by Eglah David's wife. These were born to David in Hebron."
2 Samuel 3:1-5


We hate waiting, yet God tells us that waiting only strengthens our dependence upon Him.
How many people truly love to wait? I doubt anybody loves standing in the checkout line for much more than two minutes. We complain when we are forced to wait in rush hour traffic. We even dislike waiting for appointments or other professional meetings. We've become accustomed to the instant results age in which we live. Search results are instant, text messages are sent quickly, and even dinner can be made in less than five minutes in the microwave. Grocery stores have self-checkout lines that customers can breeze through; banks have drive-thru banking for hurried patrons; and I've even seen a drive-thru wedding chapel! Our society seems driven to find faster, more efficient ways of doing nearly everything.
We've become accustomed to getting things immediately, but what happens when we are forced to wait? How do we react when results aren't immediate? Many people complain, murmur, or even lash out at others connected to the situation. Many times Christians take that same "immediate result" mentality into their Christian life. They have a problem, seek God for help, and expect an answer right away. But God's timetable for results isn't the same as ours.
One of the biggest challenges in the life of a Christian is learning to wait on God. We hate waiting, yet God tells us that waiting only strengthens our dependence upon Him. He tells us time and again in His word that His answers often take a period of waiting:

Psalm 27:14- "Wait on the LORD; be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD."

Psalm 37:7- "Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prosporeth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass."

Isaiah 40:31-"But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint."

David learned the importance of waiting throughout his life-he waited in his father's fields for his chance to make a difference, he waited in the hills of Israel for the day he would be crowned king, and he waited in Hebron for God's perfect timing. Second Samuel 3 shows David waiting in Hebron for seven and a half years after Saul's death. David was going to be king over Israel, but God had him wait on His perfect timing.
God has great things in store for your life, but you must endure a period of waiting before God's plan is revealed. What would have happened had David tired of waiting in his father's shepherd fields? Had David given up, he would've missed the blessing of leading Israel to follow God.
If you give up during times of waiting, you are giving up God's eternal blessings on your life. God has so much good waiting for you. He wants to richly bless you, yet you must patiently wait on His timing. Don't carry over the immediate result mentality into your Christian life, but strengthen your dependence on God by patiently waiting on Him.