Daily Devotional 9/13/16

13 September 2016

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“For yourselves, brethren, know our entrance in unto you, that it was not in vain: but even after that we had suffered before, and were shamefully entreated, as ye know, at Philippi, we were bold in our God to speak unto you the gospel of God with much contention. ” 1st Thessalonians 2:1-2

If I may be blunt, American Christians are soft.

The typical Christian in America today cannot even begin to fathom the depth of persecution that happened in the first century to the young churches and disciples. I do not deny that there are times when bodily harm, personal property, or livelihood are threatened. But these incidents are isolated rather than epidemic.

Persecution in America is typically nothing more than schoolyard teasing. Christians get their feelings hurt and cry foul, hide or deny their faith, and run crying to social or mass media. This pattern of behavior is foreign to Scripture.

When, Paul was persecuted, he kept on preaching. He was beaten, jailed, stoned, and ridiculed yet he just kept finding more opportunities and places to preach the gospel. Not only did he not stop, Paul became more bold in his efforts to talk about Jesus.

There are Christians in other countries who have died for their faith, and they stood strong. We should pray for their deliverance and realize how blessed we are to have so great a freedom of religion and expression in our land.

We should be thankful for our freedom in America, and should do everything possible to protect it. At the same time, we should not fool ourselves into thinking that we will always have the luxury of religious freedom we so greatly enjoy, and take for granted, now.

Every day we should grow in faith and knowledge of Jesus through deeper devotion to God through our church and fellowship with believers. These bonds will strengthen us when true persecution comes.

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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.

Living in Liberty

Elder Bryce Lowrance

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