The Trumpet. The trumpet shall sound and we shall be changed (I Corinthians 15:52) Pastor s Pen

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1 November 2014 The Trumpet The trumpet shall sound and we shall be changed (I Corinthians 15:52) 1 Volume 8, Issue 11 Pastor s Pen And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. (Mark 16:15) We recognize the above mentioned scripture as words spoken by Jesus before he went back to heaven. The gospel of Matthew records this same message from Jesus and we reference those verses (Matthew 28:19-20) as the Great Commission. On October 15, 2014 a mission team from our church left Boise, Idaho heading for Harrisonburg, Virginia. There they would share their personal testimonies of the difference a relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ has made in their life. There really wasn t much to identify the mission team as a team except their dress. Each member showed up at the airport wearing duplicate tee shirts. They were blue in color with orange writing. On the front of the shirt was a question mark and on the back were the words, ask me along with the scripture reference Mark 16:15. The tee shirts elicited many questions from other people. This included flight crew personnel, airport security personnel, auxiliary personnel, and other travelling customers. Consequently the opportunity to share the gospel began right in the Boise airport. It continued throughout our flights and layovers. When we arrived at Dulles International we found getting our rental cars (which had been pre-paid) a bit of a challenge. The distressing part of that was it delayed our arrival time in Harrisonburg by several hours so we were not able to share our stories with our church, which was the original plan. Plus, we missed out on the ice cream social they had prepared for us! Nonetheless, we were able to get back on track the next day and shared our testimonies with the LifeSong Baptist Church family on Thursday evening. By that time, a pre-scheduled appointment for Brother Wes Sheppard was just wrapping up. He was able to report that the Lord used him to lead two individuals to faith in Christ. The blessings begun with those two salvations continued to flow and grow exponentially. Subsequent meetings resulted in Dan and Jessica Welsh, Inside This Edition Wes Sheppard, and Sarah Kephart leading others to faith in Pastor s Pen page 1 Christ. Some of the folks we met with recommitted their life to Personnel Committee page 2 Christ. Brothers and Sisters in Christ that make up the LifeSong Putting on Full Armor of God page 3 church family saw God work though our Harvest team in Calendar page 5 such a significant way that they committed to continuing the outreach in their community by sharing their personal Music Ministry page 6 stories. Birthdays and Anniversaries page 7

2 2 An After-Glow fellowship and meal resulted in many folks sharing how they were personally blessed by the whole Harvest North America experience I just want to say I am very proud of the way our Mission team represented our church, HNA, and especially the Lord. There is nothing more powerful or persuasive than to hear or share personally about the difference Jesus has made or can make in your. Our Harvest team did an exceptional job conveying that message by sharing their personal testimonies. Out heart-felt thanks and gratitude is extended to our church family for making the mission trip possible through your generous gifts. Your benevolence has not gone unnoticed. Happy in His service, Pastor Jim Gregory What is the Personnel Committee? The mission of the personnel committee is to assist in all matters related to personnel selection, management and administration. In accordance with our Constitution and Bylaws, the committee is comprised of the Pastor and five church members recommended by the Nominating Committee. Members serve for three years on a rotation system. The Committee is responsible for the annual evaluations of all paid employees (non-pastoral) and works with the finance committee in recommending salaries, benefits and other compensations. The Committee is also responsible for formulation of staff policies and job descriptions, search and employment of ministerial staff, and acts as the search committee for ministerial staff other than the pastor. Currently we are working on updating the Personnel Manual to incorporate changes in organization structure and position descriptions which have occurred since the last review. We are also reviewing the Constitution and Bylaws as well as the Mothers' Day Out (MDO) Employee Handbook to ensure policy and procedures are up to date and that all documents are consistent with each other and the FSBC mission. Our hope is that by maintaining clear and updated policy and procedures we can contribute to efficient church operations with a powerful staff of servants. Andrea Ferrulli Operation Christmas Child We need your help to make Operation Christmas Child a success! These boxes travel to poverty-stricken areas around the world, where pastors and churches lovingly distribute them, along with the Gospel message. It is one of the amazing ministries sponsored by Samaritan's Purse. Bring back your shoeboxes by Sunday November 16th when we will have a dedication prayer during the service. It costs $7.00 to ship each box and we have a goal of 75 boxes. Your financial support is appreciated. More information is available at samaritanspurse.org.

3 Putting on the Full Armor of God Apologetics - From Bob Neubauer The Council of Nicea Some of the common attacks that are made against the Christian faith involve distorting history. Sadly, most Christians do not know enough about Church history to parry the assaults. Recently I watched part of a TV program which made the claim that the emperor Constantine and the Council of Nicea changed the Bible. The claim is spurious, but to refute it we need to look at what really happened at Nicea. It is true that the council was called by the emperor and it began June 19, 325 A.D.. It was the first ecumenical council. Today, ecumenical means people who believe very different things getting together and saying the differences don't matter. But in 325 it meant a council of the whole church rather than a regional or local council. The council was called to resolve a dispute over the deity of Jesus Christ. The bishop of Alexandria whose name was Alexander taught that Jesus, the Son of God, had existed eternally, being eternally generated by the Father. In opposition a well-liked presbyter by the name of Arius insisted that "there was a time when the son was not." Christ, for Arius, was a highly exalted created being. Alexander defended his position and in 321 Arius was declared to be a heretic by a local council. Arius then moved to Palestine to promote his ideas. Alexander wrote letters to churches in the area denouncing Arius's claim that the Son of God was created "out of nothing." But Arius was able to create sufficient support that the controversy came to the attention of Constantine. Wishing to maintain unity in the empire Constantine called the council. By the way, the Roman Catholic church in line with their claim that ecumenical councils are always called by the Pope has claimed that Nicea was called by Sylvester, the aged bishop of Rome, but this claim is false. 318 bishops are supposed to have attended, though this number may be too high. All but a dozen of the bishops were from the eastern part of the empire. There were three groups present at the council. Arius (by order of the emperor) and a few supporters who took the position that Jesus was of a different substance from the Father (heteroousios), that is He was a created being. The second group led by Hosius, Alexander and his deacon Athanasius took the position that Jesus was of the same substance as the Father (homoousios), that is He has eternally shared in the one substance that is God and is therefore fully divine. But there was a third group led by Eusebius of Caesarea who said Jesus was of a similar substance to the Father (homoiousios). This group did hold that the son was fully God; their concern stemmed from the claims of the Sabellian heresy of the previous century 3

4 which made the Father and Son one person (modalism). Eusebius was both a participant at the council and the historian of the event and tended to be overly flattering to the Emperor. Jehovah's Witnesses and others claim that Constantine forced his views on the council. However, the Emperor was no theologian and did not have any particular interest in any of the positions, but simply sought for unity to promote peace in the empire. The word homoousios was chosen because the Arians were always able to read a statement that contained only biblical terms in a way amenable to their position. The orthodox were able to convince Eusebius and his supporters that they in no way supported a modalistic position but completely affirmed the three persons of the trinity and their deity (especially that of the Son). The creed that resulted is clear, was signed by all but Arius and two bishops and is still used in churches around the world today. We believe in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, begotten from the Father, only begotten, that is, from the substance of the Father, God from God, begotten, not made, of one substance (homoousios) with the Father, through whom all things were made The creed also contained the anathema (condemnation) of those who rejected the truths of the creed and did result in the banishment of Arius for a while. It is important to know that the creed was not something new. The deity of Christ is found throughout the New Testament; it is also found in the earliest of post Biblical Christian literature. Ignatius (died 108) the great martyr bishop of Antioch speaks more than once of Jesus as "our God." In writing to Polycarp (a disciple of the apostle John) he exhorts him to await Him who is above every season, the Eternal, the Invisible, (who for our sake became visible!), the Impalpable, the Impassable, (who for our sake suffered), who always endured for our sake. Ignatius wrote to the Ephesians: There is only one physician, of flesh and of spirit, generate and ingenerate, God in man, true Life in death, Son of Mary and Son of God, first passable and then impassible, Jesus Christ our Lord. Here is an expression of the deity of Christ from Melito of Sardis (a man we mentioned last month) from around A.D. And so He was lifted up upon a tree and an inscription was provided too, to indicate who was being killed. Who was it? It is a heavy thing to say, and a most fearful thing to refrain from saying. But listen, as you tremble in the face of Him on whose account the earth trembled. He who hung the earth in place is hanged. He who fixed the heavens in place is fixed in place. He who made all things fast is made fast on the tree. The Master is insulted. God is murdered. The King of Israel is destroyed by an Israelite band. (Continued on page 5) 4

5 5 Ministry Opportunities at FSBC 2 No Pot Luck Church Council Meeting (6:30 p.m.) 4 Ladies Leadership Team Meeting (6:30 p.m.) 9 Handout of Proposed 2015 Budget 11 Veteran s Day - Offices Closed 13 Winter Jam Concert (4:00 p.m.) 15 Ladies Quilting Brunch (10:00 a.m.) 16 Operation Christmas Child Shoebox Dedication (11:00 a.m.) 17 Deacons Family Ministry Meeting (7:00 p.m.) 22 Thanksgiving Feast (6:00 p.m.) 23 Celebration of The Lord s Supper (11:00 a.m. 26 MDO Pre-Thanksgiving Feast (11:30 a.m.) No Wednesday Evening Prayer Meeting 27 Thanksgiving Day - Offices Closed 29 Festival of Trees (3:00 p.m.) 30 Fifth Sunday Sing (continued from page 4) It is a mistake to think the decision of Nicea ended the controversy. In fact the battle continued over the next six decades. The Arians won many battles over the years and at times it looked as if the whole world would become Arian. Alone in leading the defense of Nicea was Athanasius who had become bishop of Alexandria. Five times he was removed from his see. Yet he continued to argue from scripture, sometimes writing from the desert or along the Nile, sometimes from Alexandria. He argued even when banished by the emperor, disfellowshiped by the established church, or condemned by local councils and bishops, which gave rise to the phrase Athanasius contra mundum: Athanasius against the world. But by 381 and the Council of Constantinople Nicea had won and the bishops could affirm Nicea without hesitation. Today, we too affirm Nicea, not because it was a great church council, but because its creed accurately reflects the truth of scripture.

6 6 Deference Versus Preference In Worship by John Ring Recently I read an article that addressed some of the things that divide the generations in congregations. It criticized both the attempt to appeal to all age groups with a watered down worship in music and the alternative of separating worshipers either by age or preference of music style. Instead, it suggested deferring to others rather than insisting on our own preferences as the right path - deference versus preference. Our concern should lie with meeting the needs of others rather than demanding that our needs be met. Dr. David Manner, the author of the article, suggests four things involved with giving deference. 1. Deference is a learned and practiced submission based on conviction. Preference is based on feeling and traditionalism. 2. Deference encourages worshippers to respond in spite of the traditionalism and embedded theology that previously influenced their thinking and actions. Deference offers common ground that preference for musical style cannot. 3. Deference is the agreement that although we may not always love the music of our children and grandchildren we are willing to sacrifice because we love our children and grandchildren. 4. Deferring is setting aside our preferences for the good or and future of our children and grandchildren. I have added two more statements 5. For the children, deference is setting aside our preferences to embrace some of the music that inspired our parents and grandparents. 6. Deference is the decision to come prepared to corporate worship with the overflow from our private worship to worship wholeheartedly in unity with those assembled, regardless of the music genre involved. For scriptural support consider Romans 14:19, Let us follow things which make for peace, and things wherewith one may edify another. And I Peter 5:5, Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility. For God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble. Dr. Manner concludes that, "It is actually possible for grandparents and grandchildren to worship together as long as the battle lines are drawn over who can offer or give the most instead of who deserves or demands the most." Praise God, I see this happening Sunday after Sunday at First Southern Baptist Church of Mountain Home as multiple generations worship together. Keep deferring and embracing!

7 Joke of the Month (Comedy) Corner A Teenager is: 1. A connoisseur of two kinds of fine music: Loud and very loud. 2. A young woman who loves the cat and tolerates her brother. 3. A boy who can sleep until noon on any Saturday when he suspects the lawn needs moving. 4. An original thinker who is positive that her mother was never a teenager. 7 November Birthdays and Anniversaries 1 Rachel Barnes 16 Bill Pursell 4 Gail Hancock 17 Destiney Gibson 9 Cookie Lyerla 23 Jessica Welsh 15 Pete Berry 25 Layne Robert 16 Pam Culp 26 Gordon Carpenter Jr. 6 Ben & Stephanie Hoffman 29 Perry & Deanene Jewett 9 Daniel & Mistee Kelly If you do not see your name here and would like to: please contact the church office at and let us know your birthday and/or anniversary.