Blog - Forest City Baptist Church

2025-01-202025-01-20

Why I won’t be running in the next election

An excerpt from MacDonaldPost.com (January 12, 2025)

The following is the low-down on why I won’t be running in the next election (or any other election for that matter).

The politics

Christians get into politics when they lose sight of the value of Christ’s church. They get into politics because they want to get someone elected to government. They want to get into government so they can pass laws for their society. And, they want these laws so that their society will be obedient to a more biblical way of life.

The problem

God has already given our societies laws. They are commonly known as the Ten Commandments! If people will not obey the Ten Commandments, what makes us think they will obey our laws? If the Ten Commandments do not save a soul, what makes us think that heaping more of our own commandments will save a society?

The proof

Don’t believe me, read Revelation 20:

v. 4) And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.

v. 7) And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison,

v. 8) And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea.

For 1,000 years, Christ will rule the entire earth with perfect laws and perfect magistrates to enforce them. At the end of the 1,000 years, most of the people born during His perfect reign and under His perfect laws will rebel against Him by following Satan.

What makes us Christians think that we are better than our Master?

The power

So now you know why I won’t be running in the next election. Government is important. God instituted government in Genesis and as we have just read, will in the future set up His own government upon the earth. But laws do not save, they only control. Much of the time laws only serve to point out our flaws and force us into hiding behind the legalism of lawyers and religions.

Christian, instead of forcing more laws upon people, share your faith and testimony with others. Warn them of the literal eternal Hell for those dying in their own sin. Tell them of the saving grace that is only to be found in Jesus Christ. Then watch the Holy Spirit transform individuals one-by-one from lost sinners into eternal saints.

No, I won’t be running in the next election. Our time is so limited. Do not waste it on dirty politics and failing results. The church must rise up by falling on its knees before God and begging for the power of witness!

2024-06-062024-06-06

THR3E Times

3 times in Matthew Jesus is proclaimed “Son of God”

“Then they that were in the ship came and worshipped him, saying, Of a truth thou art the Son of God.” (Mat. 14:33)

“And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.” (Mat 1 6:16)

“Now when the centurion, and they that were with him, watching Jesus, saw the earthquake, and those things that were done, they feared greatly, saying, Truly this was the Son of God” (Mat. 27:54)

Jesus is very interested in what you think of Him …

“He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am?” (Mat. 16:15)

What will your answer be?

2021-12-292021-12-29

Church attendance (3): The sinners’ Bible

The Sinners’ Bible is a classic example of how important modifiers are to the meaning of a sentence. The Sinners’ Bible is an edition of the Bible published in 1631 by the royal printers in London. It was meant to be a reprint of the King James Bible.

The name “Sinners’ Bible” is derived from a mistake made by the compositors of the new publishing. In the Ten Commandments in Exodus 20:14, the word “not” in the sentence “Thou shalt not commit adultery” was omitted. This changed the sentence into “Thou shalt commit adultery”!

2021-12-292021-12-29

Church attendance (2): The day is approaching

How does a trip to Paris and Rome verify an old Bible prophecy? And how does that ancient prophecy warn us of an important future prophecy? It all has to do with the fact that “the day is approaching!”

“Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.”
(Hebrews 10:25)

Both an external look and an internal look of Hebrews verify that the target of v. 25 was a group of Jews who had converted over to Christianity. These Christian Jews were encouraged to keep up with their diligence to Christ’s church as they saw a particular day approaching in their lives. But what day could that be? It could not be the day of the Rapture as that is coming as a thief in the night and no one but the Heavenly Father knows that day (Acts 1:7).

Then what day could it be? Remember, this book is addressed to a church that was predominately Jewish. It is estimated that the book was written between 64 – 69 A.D. What day of great significance was about to happen to the Jews in Jerusalem near the time of the writing of this letter? What horrific event took place in 70 A.D.? It was the destruction of Jerusalem and the Jewish Temple.

2021-11-142021-12-29

Church attendance (1): The subject’s bull’s-eye

I love a mystery, don’t you? In this blog post, we will examine a verse that is commonly quoted by churchgoers regarding church attendance but seldom understood. It’s a mystery solved at the end of an arrow’s head as it searches for the subject’s bull’s-eye. It is time to call in the archer.

Archery is a very old sport that reportedly started in ancient Babylon. The bow and arrow were originally used for hunting and later became adapted to warfare. As time went on the skill of the bow spread to every civilization and became a major source of defence. During the 1500s in England, golf was banned as it took man’s time away from developing his archery skills. King Henry VIII even ordered men to practice such skills every Sunday after church.

As time marched forward, archery went from hunting to warfare and finally to sports competitions using a circular target. At the centre of the target, made up of concentric circles, is the gold section more commonly called the bull’s-eye.

The term “hit the bull’s-eye” actually meant to hit the golden centre of the target. Perhaps the most interesting and gross part of this traditional bull’s-eye, is that it comes from folklore which may in fact be historically accurate that early sports participants actually used to target the eyes of bulls. They would literally aim for the eye socket in a bull’s skull. The one who hit the most eyeballs won the competition. A rather grizzly thought isn’t it.

2021-11-072021-11-07

Lest we forget!

November 11^th is Canada’s Remembrance Day. It is an opportunity for each of us to remember the many who have sacrificed their time, their health, and even their lives to ensure freedom for our country. For those of you who have been in military service for our Country, we sincerely thank you.

Freedom is to be enjoyed, but it must constantly be guarded. It comes at a price. I encourage each of us to purchase a poppy and support the care of our veterans. As is our tradition, I encourage each of us to take time out of our busy schedules on Thursday at the 11^th hour of the 11^th day, of the 11^th month to remember those who gave their all for us. Lest we forget!

2021-08-292021-08-17

The dead church member (part 3)

This blog post marks the 3^rd of a 3-part miniseries regarding 3 commands for the dead church member. The first command we looked at is to “seek those things”. The second command we examined is to “set your affections”. The final command we will outline in this post is to “mortify your members”. It is also from the Bible text Colossians 3:1-4 with some added verses as follows …

v. 1 If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.
v. 2 Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.
v. 3 For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.
v. 4 When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.
v. 5 Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry:
v.6 For which things’ sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience:
v.7 In the which ye also walked some time, when ye lived in them.

According to v. 3, born-again Christians are “dead”. This is because, in the mind of God the Father, He has positioned us in His mind as being forever associated with His Son Jesus. Because Jesus died and rose from the dead, in God’s mind so have we! Therefore, in one sense we are dead church members! We have died to our old way of life that was under the judgment of our holy God.

Because this is true, God wants us to do 3 things as “dead” church members. The third is in this post and it is …

2021-08-222021-08-17

The dead church member (part 2)

This blog post marks the 2^nd of a 3-part miniseries regarding 3 commands for the dead church member. The first command we looked at is to “seek those things”. The second command we will be examining in this post (“set your affections”) is also from the Bible text Colossians 3:1-4 as follows …

v. 1 If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.
v. 2 Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.
v. 3 For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.
v. 4 When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.

Because this is true, God wants us to do 3 things as “dead” church members. The second is in this post and it is …

2021-08-172021-08-17

The dead church member (part 1)

This blog post marks the 1^st of a 3-part miniseries regarding 3 commands for the dead church member. The first command is to “seek those things”. It is from the Bible text Colossians 3:1-4 as follows …

Because this is true, God wants us to do 3 things as “dead” church members. The first is in this post and it is …

2021-08-112021-08-17

Keeping the vision alive

On August 8, 2021, I presented my philosophy of ministry to the members of Forest City Baptist Church during the Sunday morning worship service. Below is a summary of what I said.