Living in Liberty

A Ministry of Bryce Lowance

Elder Bryce Lowrance

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Old Time Religion

23 January 2014

And thou shalt have joy and gladness; and many shall rejoice at his birth.For he shall be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink; and he shall be filled with the Holy Ghost, even from his mother's womb. And many of the children of Israel shall he turn to the Lord their God. And he shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elias, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to make ready a people prepared for the Lord. - Luke 1:14-17

Zacharias and Elisabeth are about to have a prayer answered that will bring them personal joy beyond compare! Moreover, they and all of the people of God will rejoice at the news that Elisabeth is going to have a son. The cause of rejoicing is not just the miraculous birth of their son, nor in the coming ministry of John the Baptist, it is the fact that John’s ministry will announce the coming of the Redeemer!

John’s parents are told to bring him up in the way of the Nazarites. Numbers 6 records the details of how this vow works. Most notably, the vow is typically made voluntarily as an adult and is temporary. John, like Samson, will be a Nazarite his whole life.

John’s message will also be a life changing one. When we look closely at the prophecy found in Malachi chapter four, we learn that John’s message is not going to fit in with the popular doctrines of the day. To put it in simple terms, John is going to turn folks back to "old time religion." He will go back to the Scriptures, not men’s teachings, and identify Jesus as the Lamb of God!

Perhaps this is exactly what we need today. Do we need new doctrines or practices to bring in the people of the world? Or, do we need to get back to the good old fashioned doctrines of grace that give God all the glory and cause the people of God to rejoice?

I don't know about you, but I kinda like the idea of rejoicing!

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Tags: gospel_of_luke, harmony_of_the_gospels, john_the_baptist

Welcome

Brentwood Hills Primitive Baptist Church is a community of believers working together to transform our lives to the image of Jesus Christ. We believe it is our duty and privilege to live the gospel of the doctrines of grace in such a way as to edify the families within our church and other children of God in our community. Through regular worship based on strong Biblical principles, fellowship, admonishment, and outreach, we glory in the grace of the sovereign God working in our lives thereby showing the Spirit of God in the world.

Brentwood Hills was organized in 1906 in Fort Worth, Texas as Laodicea Primitive Baptist Church. You can find much of the history of the church, as well as other churches here: Primitive Baptist History Database

We identify ourselves as an old-line Primitive Baptist church. If you read our Articles of Faith, you’ll see that we hold to such doctrines as the inspiration and inerrancy of the Bible. We recognize the King James Version (KJV) as the only English translation worthy of being called the Bible. We believe in salvation solely by the grace of a sovereign God. We believe that Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God, came to the earth to do the will of His Father, which was to deliver from the sentence of death all those the Father gave Him before the world began. We believe that Jesus fully satisfied the Father by atoning for all the sins of all His people. In time, we believe the Holy Spirit comes to each person that belongs to Jesus and regenerates them. Then (and only then) can anyone have faith, which is a fruit of the Spirit, by which you are able to believe the glorious gospel of Jesus Christ. Whether or not you ever hear the gospel, or believe it if you did hear it, or obey it if you did believe it, rest assured that Jesus will remain forever faithful to you because, if He died for you, He will never deny that you belong to Him.

We believe that everyone for whom Christ died will without fail be raised again from the dead to a glorified life. Even if we are alive when He returns to raise the dead, we shall be changed to a glorified life. All the Redeemed will meet the Lord in the air. Then He will take us to Heaven and there we shall forever be with the Lord. The wicked will be raised at the same time as the righteous, but the wicked shall go away into everlasting punishment along with Satan and his angels. Until that glorious day when Christ returns to raise the dead, He has provided a place for His people to find rest for their souls. This place is the Church. Jesus Christ set-up His church on this earth before His death on the Cross. The church is there for those of His people who have come to believe that God saved them by His Son, Jesus Christ. To believe that Christ “paid it all” gives believers the strongest motivation to serve Him. Once enlightened to this glorious truth, then the child of God should feel an obligation to become and remain an active member of the His church. To serve the Lord in His church makes for one of the great blessings to experience this side of Heaven. It fulfills you to serve in His church and it gives your life purpose and meaning.