The EncouragerVolume 10 Issue 6

Salvation God’s Way

Our salvation is not based u p o n o u r i d e a s o r p o l i t i c a l l y c o r r e c t guidelines. It is solely based upon our acceptance of God’s chosen way, which is through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ - Gal. 2:16. It involves our repentance of trusting everything else, and only trusting the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ for payment for our sins - I Cor. 15:1-4. You cannot add Jesus Christ to your collection of saviors, He is the only Savior, and it is by His blood that our sin debt is paid - Col. 1:14. Jesus Christ is still the only way of Salvation - John 14:6

Eastern Shore Bible Baptist Churchof Galena, Maryland

“And the priest shall see the raw flesh, and pronounce him to be unclean: for the raw flesh is unclean: it is a leprosy.” Leviticus 13:15

The holiday seasons are coming, and it is a time of joy for the Christians. These are our holidays. Thanksgiving is a day to be thankful to our God for the blessings of a Christian principled beginning of our nation. Christmas is the celebration of the birth of our Savior and none other.

So it might seem strange to begin this missive with a verse on leprosy. I do have a reason to this odd way to begin the holidays:Not too long ago, I believe I upset a Christian brother when that was the farthest thing from my mind. He was complaining about some

things that had gone wrong in his life. He did not elaborate on what the difficulties were, and since it was a public setting, I was not in a position to ask for intimate details. So in trying to cheer him up, to encourage him to keep going, I replied to him, “whatever your difficulties are, they still beat going to hell”.

I don’t think it was what he wanted to hear. In fact, he hasn’t acknowledged my existence since then. I was not trying to be a smart aleck, nor was I trying to be condescending. I was really trying to be encouraging, and I honestly thought about my own physical troubles and what I needed to hear at times. Although my body doesn’t want to respond the way I want it to, it still beats going to hell.

Hence, the reason for the reference to the leprosy. Many think leprosy is just an ancient Biblical disease.

Sunday Service Schedule

9:30am Sunday School

10:30am Morning Worship

6:00pm Evening Worship

Wednesday Service

7:00pm Prayer Meeting and Bible Study

Something to be Thankful for

b yPastor Steve Hays, D.Min

November - December 2013

Today, we have a missionary in Thailand that runs several leprosy camps, and it can still be found even in the United States. More importantly, leprosy is a type of sin, and we we are all infected with that.

I. The Dread - Lev. 13:15To be pronounced as having l e p r o s y w a s t h e w o r s t imaginable thing in their lives. Not only is it the deadening of the nerves and feeling of the body so that the body begins to rot, but there were several laws regarding the lepers: - They were cast out of the city or village - Lev. 13:46. - They were marked as being defiled - Lev. 13:45. - They had a “fretting” disease, and it did just that - Lev. 13:47. - A n d i t w a s h i g h l y contagious - Lev. 13:57.

To be a leper meant that you lost everything. The perfect picture of the life of a leper is seen in II Kings 7:3-4.

T h o s e l e p e r s h a d l o s t everything anyway, so it didn’t really matter how they died, they were already the walking dead.

It is the picture of a man who is dead in sin. He is dead in trespasses and sin according to Ephesians 2:1, and what shall it profit a man if he gain the whole world and lose his

own soul? - Mark 8:36. This is the reason that the preacher of Ecclesiastes said that all life was “vanity of vanities, all is vanity” - Ecclesiastes 1:2.

Can you imagine the dread you would feel if you were told that you had leprosy? You would lose all you had in life, knowing you had a future of degradation of health, life, and even social interaction with the ones you love and care about. The dread of b e i n g a n o u t c a s t f r o m everyone and everything you ever loved and cared about.

This is the same feeling that a lost person would have if they realized that spiritually they are lepers. They are eat up with the disease of sin, and there is no human cure for it. To know their future is the damnation of hell, and they will lose everything they hold dear to their hearts. There will be no hope, no help, and no mercy for all of eternity.

II. The Delight - Lev. 13:17Now imagine that same person who was pronounced one of the walking dead, is now cleansed of that disease.

Leprosy is spoken of not so much as being healed but of being cleansed. This person who was once eat up with a vi le , disgust ing, rot t ing disease is now clean and new.

Again, it is a picture of us spiritually. When the sinner is born again, he is made clean through the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ - I Peter 1:23, I John 1:7b. We are purged from our sin and made whiter than snow - Psalm 51:7. Our red raw sin is made clean and white - Isaiah 1:18.

What would it be like to go from utter hopelessness to absolute joy? To go from losing everything to feeling like you are the richest man on earth? To know the thrill of just being able to hug a child, or sit down to dinner with a friend?

This is why I would say, whatever you are going through is still better than going to hell.

We were once children of hell, and now we are the children of God. We were once damned to an eternity of torment and pain, and now we are promised an eternity of love, peace, and joy.

Where once we had no real purpose in life, we now have one. It is a blessing and a confidence to know where we came from, what we are doing here, and where we are going. To have a solid foundation of the Scripture that does not change with the tide of

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Can you imagine a sign on the door of Heaven which reads, “Sorry, due to a Government shut down there will be no blessings issued until further notice.” Knowing there would be none of God’s intervention in my life would certainly change my comfort level. Wouldn’t it yours?

As a result of recent events w i t h i n o u r n a t i o n ’ s government, I could not help but appreciate the leadership of our God. We should be very thankful that our God does not operate like any government of this world.

For example:-To keep things running, it is not necessary for God to consult with anyone else.-He does not have to negotiate any terms or satisfy another political party’s agenda.-There is no other entity to which He must answer.-Thankfully, since our God is honest, He can not be bribed.

-No one can “twist His arm” to get what they want?-He faces no threats.-There is no foreign power that His government is in debt to.-In God’s economy, assets a r e p r o t e c t e d a n d investments are secure.- A c c o r d i n g l y , H e i s extremely benevolent.-Since God is a righteous God, there is no opportunity for unrighteous laws.-The re i s no po l i t i ca l corruption.-His court is the ultimate Supreme court, therefore, His judgments are always just and right.-Our Ruler does not fear g l o b a l w a r m i n g o r a depleted ozone layer.-He is not affected by famine or natural disasters.-He is not swayed by political unrest.

The list can go on and on but those were a few obvious comparisons.

Our God is truly above the workings and especially the corruption of this world’s governments. We serve a great God and can have

every confidence in Him. I like the verse in Psalm 84:12 which simply states, “O LORD of hosts, blessed is the man that trusteth in thee.” Those words may be simply stated but they contain a powerful truth. The essence of life on this planet, living under ANY government, takes on fresh meaning when your trust is placed in the God who is outside of it all.

I enjoy living in the United States of America but my trust is not in Washington. We are commanded of God to pray for our leaders, so I do, but some of my prayers are that as Christians, we can continue to do what we are called to do without i n t e r f e rence f r om ou r government. It has been a blessing to be born and raised in this country. We have liberties and benefits that much of the world can o n l y d r e a m a b o u t . Undoubtedly, we take much for granted. It is no wonder t h a t f o r m a n y y e a r s emigration to the United States has been a dream for races of people across

by Pastor Rob

Sorry, No Blessings Today.

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the globe. To our nation’s credit, it has opened its d o o r s t o m i l l i o n s o f struggling and oppressed p e o p l e , i n c l u d i n g i t s enemies.

A true testimony of that fact is displayed on a plaque mounted in the pedestal of the Statue of Liberty. It is a sonnet written in 1883 by Amer ican poet Emma Lazarus entitled “The New C o l o s s u s . ” Yo u m a y recognize these famous lines from it:

“Give me your tired, your poor, Your hudd led masses yearning to breath free, The wretched refuse of your teeming shore, Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,I lift my lamp beside the golden door!”

The benefits sought by peoples of the world are available largely because our nation’s motto has been, “In God We Trust”. Allowing others to come under our flag and not adopt our values has, with time, helped to change our values. Our national motto now is , o r may soon become, “In God We Used To Trust.” We are losing our national identity and will in turn lose our national

benefits given to us by Almighty God. The glory of our nation is not in our politics but rather in the light the Lord has given us to shine. We have the blessing of the Gospel freely preached within our borders and generously distributed outside our b o r d e r s . A m e r i c a ’ s Christians have widely spread the Good News of our Saviour throughout the world. Their invitation of salvation is not found at the Statue of Liberty but within the pages of the Word of God.

God extends the greatest invitation to the oppressed and needy of the world. His desire is for them to be a part of His family and to live in His country. Heaven is an offer only He can make and He does so once again at the close of His Book in Revelation 22:17, “And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.”

Accepting God’s invitation, receiving His Son as his personal Saviour, provides the spiritual immigrant an ETERNAL country and home. People are often dissatisfied with the country

t h e y l i v e i n a n d t h e government they live under. They may even desire another. That is not so with God’s country. Heaven is a place where God does not change. His values will not change. He is always stable and worthy of our trust. Therefore its citizens have no des i re for a change.

“But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city.”Hebrews 11:16

“For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ:”Philippians 3:20

So as governments of this world make their attempts to create societies in which t h e i r c i t i z e n s l i v e , remember that the greatest government is God’s. The greatest governor is God. The greatest King is the Lord Jesus Christ. His Kingdom will never be in jeopardy. It will never shut down. And it will certainly never collapse.

“Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.” Hebrews 13:8

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ESBBC HappeningsBy Cindy Hays

Games

Offering

Great Group of StudentsNovember 24 - Last day for Operation Christmas Boxes to be dropped offDecember 12 - Saturday Saints Christmas Fellowship ! ! ! & White Elephant Gift ExchangeDecember 14 - Ladies Christmas Tea and Cookie Exchange FellowshipDecember 21 - Christmas Caroling in GalenaDecember 24 - Candlelight Christmas Eve Communion ServiceDecember 25 - Christmas Day

Encouragement........... from the hymnsBy Cindy Hays Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs,,, Eph. 5:19

Calendar of Events

Christmas Card Mail Box (Available during December)If you wish to “mail” cards to the church family, please put them in the “Outgoing Mail Box” and we will divide them according to family’s last initial. Please check your mail often. Any cards that are left after December 31will

I am looking forward to the Christmas season and singing the loved carols of the season. Thou Didst Leave Thy Throne is one that seems little known. This song is full of the life of Christ and what He gave up to come to earth from Heaven, it speaks of the life that He lived here and the end of His earthly life. It also tells of His return to earth to take His children Home. As we enter into the holiday season may we each take time to go over the words of this song and think about all that Jesus Christ has sacrificed for us. The refrain of this song is “Oh come to my heart Lord Jesus, there is room in my heart for Thee”. We can look at these words in the light of salvation, but also in light of our love for the Lord. We can each make room in our hearts and lives for the One who gave all to come to earth for us.

Thou didst leave thy throne and thy kingly crown, when thou camest to earth for me; but in Bethlehem's home there was found no room for thy holy nativity.

Heaven's arches rang when the angels sang, proclaiming thy royal degree; but in lowly birth didst thou come to earth, and in greatest humility. !The foxes found rest, and the birds their nest in the shade of the forest tree; but thy couch was the sod, O thou Son of God, in the deserts of Galilee. Thou camest, O Lord, with the living Word that should set thy people free; but with mocking scorn, and with crown of thorn, they bore thee to Calvary. !When heav'ns arches shall ring and its choir shall sing at thy coming to victory, let thy voice call me home, saying "Yet there is room, there is room at my side for thee!" And my heart shall rejoice, Lord Jesus, when thou comest and callest for me.!O come to my heart, Lord Jesus, there is room in my heart for thee.

Let’s remember each of our missionary families over the

h o l i d a y season. Many of them do not get to spend t i m e w i t h fami l y and

friends. If you would like to send a greeting card or letter to them I’m sure it would be appreciated. Most of them have a contact address on their prayer letter.

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Ta k i n g G o d ’s W o r d a r o u n d t h e w o r l d .Miss ions

By Cindy Hays

Our Christmas Gift for Jesus! Each year at Christmas our church takes up a special offering for missions. This year we are taking part in Operation Christmas Child. We are filling up shoeboxes with children’s items which will be distributed to foreign countries. You can take part in this by filling a shoebox or giving a cash donation. The deadline is Nov. 24th. If you would like addition information about this program you can look at the website www.samaritanspurse.org. We have shoeboxes available at the church.

At the beginning of October we had a send-off fellowship for Denise Troyer. Denise will be living in China for a year teaching English As A Second Language. She will also be doing some work with local missionaries in the area. We encourage each of you to pray for her as she is there. We know she will be a blessing to those around her as she has been to our church family.

Missionary Minute - I am enjoying the updates we get from those who take part in the Missionary Minute. There are still several missionaries available if you would like to give an update. Please see Betsy Skinner for details.

political correctness or fashion of the day.

Do you see the reasoning b e h i n d m y b e g i n n i n g reference? We are entering the holiday season, but how can you really enjoy them if you lose sight of being thankful for what God has done for us?

I fear that we often sing the songs of the saints while not paying attention. “I once was lost, but now I’m found. Was blind but now I see”. These are not just the words to sing on Sunday, but they are the words that we ought to live by each and every day.

How do you get someone to see that? I have often tried, and several t imes made someone mad in doing so. I even upset a preacher in the hospital. He was laying in the hospital bed and I was hold his hand trying to comfort him. I told him, “you have often been the comforter to many in hospitals, and now you a re the one to be comforted. So now it is time to practice what we preached to others all those times, and we need to trust God.”

W h e n I s a i d t h a t , h e immediately dropped my hand, and turned away from me. He let me know I was not wanted there anymore, and when he eventually died, the

family made sure to schedule the funeral when I could not attend.

I honestly thought I was encouraging him to have faith in God and the promises of Scripture. In fact, having been in the hospital for extended stays twice this year, I would take it as a challenge and an encouragement for someone to tell me now was the time to practice what I preach.

Think about this leper. He was once hopeless and now has the hope of eternity before him. After dealing with leprosy, the cares of this life probably don’t seem as problematic anymore. After watching his flesh fall off, seeing parts of his car or refrigerator fall off won’t seem as devastating anymore.

When this leper would think of the One who cleansed him, there is probably nothing that would be too big of an inconvenience in serving Him. This is why I do not brow beat people into church attendance or tithing. If you understood what you were and what Jesus Christ did for you, why would I have to beg Christians to come to church service? Why would it seem a problem to support the church that is trying to tell other spiritual lepers how they can also be cleansed? This brings us to the last point:

III. The DilemmaThe dilemma is basically this, How do you get people to remember they were once lepers and are now cleansed?

Right off the top of our heads, we would all say that nobody can really forget something like that, and we certainly never would. But the lesson the Lord gives us in Luke 17:15-17 is about ten lepers that were cleansed and only one returned to give praise to Jesus for his cleansing.

If we truly were thankful for our cleansing, we would not be fretting over every worldly issue that comes up - Psalm 37:1. I am not saying there are not things to be concerned about, but being concerned is no t t he s ame a s be ing obsessed, depressed, or made totally ineffective for the kingdom of God’s sake.

Whatever our situation this holiday season, it still beats going to hell. Regardless of our health issues, our wealth issues, or even the insanity of our society, it still beats going to hell. Whatever I receive for Christmas or don’t receive, I am still cleansed of my leprosy. I will trade this body in on a new one someday, and will trade my house for a mansion, all because I was cleansed by Jesus’s blood.Hope you enjoy the holidays!

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13984 Gregg Neck Road Pastor Steve Hays, M.Min,D.Min.Galena, MD 21635! Assistant Pastor Rob Manaraze410.648.6744

Reaching the World, Beginning with the Homew w w . e s b b c . o r g

S a n c t i f y t h e m t h r o u g h t h y t r u t h , t h y w o r d i s t r u t h . J o h n 1 7 : 1 7

Fellowship of the SaintsPsychologists say that if you do something for 30 days it will become a habit to you. If that is the case, let’s put it to good use:We have the next 60 days of holiday season. Put on a smile and greet people with kindness. Act like you enjoy the blessings of God, and we have something to live for. Remember, these are our holidays, not the world’s.

And just maybe, it will become a habit that lasts beyond the new year.

The EncouragerA ministry of

Ea s t e r n S h o r eBIBLE BAPTIST CHURCH

Standing for theIncorruptible Word of God

AV 1611

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