It is often hard to grasp the eternal characteristics of God. In this message preached by Elder David Wise at our anniversary meeting, Brother David presents God as the Alpha and Omega in a tangible and touchable way.
Preached October 7, 2017 Keep reading →
In the preamble to Jesus’ constitution, He brings out paradoxes in his kingdom. The poor have a kingdom. The sad are happy. The hungry and thirsty shall be filled. In the next paradox, Bro. Tim speaks of the need to understand how the Lord had mercy on us, before we can effectively be merciful to others.
October 1, 2017 Keep reading →
The Lord has gone before us to prepare a place in heaven. This earth is not our home. Even though we have not seen it yet, we should be excited in knowing this. In this message Bro. Luke preaches about the great place that awaits us in heaven one day.
Preached October 1, 2017 Keep reading →
What does it mean to drink the living water of Christ? How do we actually taste this water? In this message, Brother Tim examines a Bible account of when the woman at the well encountered her Savior, and went away rejoicing over the taste of the living water of Christ. In this example, we can all find a true pattern for tasting the living water.
Preached September 24, 2017 Keep reading →
We may often pay lip service to the Lord, but the Lord sees our hearts. Through examining the only recorded accounts of two individuals who kissed Jesus – the woman who was a sinner in Luke 7 and Judas the traitor – Bro. Luke shows how God is able to look past the outward appearance and into the heart of man.
Preached September 24, 2017 Keep reading →
The world says only the aggressive, self-assertive can win – only by dog-eat-dog tactics and trusting in your own abilities. But Jesus congratulated the mild-mannered, self controlled, as the winners. In this message, Brother Tim examines how those who have strength under control (meek) actually inherit the earth.
Preached September 17, 2017 Keep reading →
It is easy to question God, especially when we all face trials, tragedy and sickness. But the reality is that God was, is and shall do things for us. In this message, Brother Neil Honea preaches about the things God is doing for us and the great deliverance that waits for us when the troubles of this life are over.
Preached September 17, 2017 Keep reading →
The disciple’s life is a paradox. His hope rises from fear. His life comes from the resurrection of the dead. And Jesus confirms this paradox in his opening statements of the sermon on the mount. In this message, Bro. Tim examines this happiness found in sadness, making the point that this is quite different from the happiness and sadness of the world. It is a sadness over one’s own sins and the sins they see around them, and the happiness comes in knowing that our forgiveness is in Christ.
Preached September 10, 2017
Our U.S. Constitution has a preamble that makes certain statements that lead into the Constitution. In a much greater way, Christ declared the preamble to the constitution of his kingdom in Matthew chapter 5. Commonly known as the Beatitudes, this introduction to one of the longest recorded sermons of Jesus establishes some astonishing truths. In this message, Bro. Tim preaches about what it means to be poor in spirit.
Preached September 3, 2017 Keep reading →
In the religious world today, most Christians hear about a Christ who is trying to save, but cannot unless we assist him somehow. In this message preached on the March To Zion Broadcast, Brother Tim examines the certainty of our salvation – that our eternal destiny is secure in the work of Christ, and all of his children will be in heaven one sweet day.
Radio broadcast for September 3, 2017 Keep reading →
In this message, Pastor Tim asks the question of which type of citizen are we? A traditionalist, a modernist, an activist, a pacifist – or some other category? Just as there were Pharisees, Sadducees, zealots and others in the melting pot of social and political turmoil when Jesus came to the earth, so today we often find ourselves confused and wondering what to do. But for the citizen of the kingdom of God, there should be no confusion. The sermon on the mount, or the Christian Manifesto, spells out our responsibilities as citizens of His kingdom crystal clear.
Preached August 27, 2017 Keep reading →
From the time Christ arrived on the scene as a baby, all the way down to our day and time, the wicked have tried to eliminate him. First they tried to eliminate his body, and today they try to eliminate his presence by taking him out of school prayers, the pledge of allegiance, etc. But the reality is that Jesus can never be eliminated, for he lives eternally in the hearts of his children. In this message, Brother Luke Hagler shares various ways in which men have tried to eliminate Jesus and failed.
Preached August 27, 2017 Keep reading →
It is a common idea that after children reach a certain age – maybe 18 or 20 – then parents are through with them. But in reality, the Lord intended parents to continue to be advisers, friends and most importantly – brothers and sisters in Christ! In this message, Brother Neil dispels the notion that once parents raise their children, they just cut them loose. On the contrary, the relationship of parent and child should continue to grow and improve throughout the shifts and phases of life.
Preached August 13, 2017 Keep reading →
In this message from John 2, Elder David Crawford preaches about the first miracle that Jesus performed at Cana of Galilee. An interesting character is introduced here – the governor of the feast. Brother Crawford observes how Jesus Himself becomes the true Governor of this wedding feast.
Preached August 20, 2017 Keep reading →
And so were the words of the man who had an infirmity for 38 years in response to the question Jesus posed. He was unable to place himself in the healing waters of the pool on his own. When it comes to eternal salvation, there is no man who could save us, but the Lord sent His own Son to accomplish salvation. Elder Chris Crouse preaches about the Lord’s ability when no man is able to do anything for us.
Preached August 20, 2017 Keep reading →
“Can any good thing come out of Nazareth?” was the question that Nathaneal asked when he was told the Messiah came from that location. In this message, Elder David Crawford of Florida observes that we all have places like Nazareth –locations where we skeptically speculate there is nothing redeeming or good about such places. But in a spiritual sense, we all are from Nazareth. And it took Jesus coming from such a grimy and disreputable place to redeem us from our sins.
Preached August 16, 2017 Keep reading →
Elder Chris Crouse of Florida presents the beautiful picture of the Father and Son conversing in heaven following the Son’s triumphal re-entry into heaven itself after vanquishing our sin debt on the cross. The Father presents the proper position for the Son as a result of His finished work – to sit on his right hand.
Preached August 16, 2017 Keep reading →
In this Wednesday night service, Elder Philip Conley of Georgia preaches on the ways in which the Apostle Paul laid down his life to share the truth of salvation with children of God. It is important to note that Paul was not trying to do this to gain God’s children an eternal home, but to help them enjoy the blessings of fellowship now. The Lord Jesus had already taken care of eternal salvation, and Paul endured to help them receive and enjoy their timely deliverance.
Preached August 16, 2017 Keep reading →
The church of the Lord has gifts. These gifts are found in the people. Different children of God have varying gifts. In this message, Brother Luke examines how those gifts function in the body of the church, just as the various parts of a physical body functions together.
Preached August 13, 2017 Keep reading →
In this message, Brother Tim brings forth several firsts in the ministry of Jesus: The 1st public appearance, the 1st public miracle and the 1st recorded public message. All of these point to the purpose of God in saving His elect people – the work of the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost – a sovereign work of which a multitude of chosen children are the blessed beneficiaries!
Preached August 6, 2017 Keep reading →
The traditional view of Revelation 3:20 goes something like this: Jesus is knocking on the door of your heart to save you, and you must answer to let him in. But the true context of this verse has nothing to do with eternal salvation. In this message, Brother Tim goes beyond describing that this is NOT the Lord knocking on the door of the heart, but into the details of who this born-again person actually is. There is no doubt that this was a specific type of person at the Laodicean Church. Who was this born-again person or persons who Jesus was knocking on their door?
Preached July 30, 2017 Keep reading →
Very often there are children of God looking for “the one” to marry. Is it true that God has ordained that only one specific person is to be married to a specific other person who he has also ordained? Is this “Cinderella” mentality biblical? In this Wednesday night message, Bro. Luke Hagler examines the Biblical pattern for finding a spouse.
Preached June 28, 2017 Keep reading →
Appropriately situated in the “city of brotherly love”, the Lord commends this church for their focus on Him. In the ongoing series on the churches in Revelation, Pastor Tim preaches regarding the one church the Lord praised the most – Philadelphia.
Preached June 28, 2017
The church at Smyrna had a major problem – it was dead. The Spirit was missing from its congregation. Just like a married couple could keep their name and in private have no association, no conversation and no interaction, so the church at Smyrna had a name on the outside, but within the church there was no life. In this message, Pastor Tim McCool examines the path of overcoming for this church. Keep reading →
Many times, the Apostle refers to faithful sayings. In this message Brother Luke Hagler examines instances where Paul refers to faithful sayings. Perhaps the greatest of all of these is found when Paul declares the faithful saying that Christ came into the world to save sinners. It doesn’t say that he came to make sinners save-able, but that he actually did save them. This faithful saying displays the mercy and glory of Jesus.
Preached July 9, 2017 Keep reading →
Using examples from the Word of God, Brother Neil Honea demonstrates the various times in our lives when the Lord may instruct us to stay where we are, or to go out from where we are, or to go back to where we came from.
Preached July 2, 2017 Keep reading →
The Lord’s people have great advantages today – through His church, His word, His kingdom. Elder Luke Hagler preaches about these advantages, showing how the Israelites of the Old Testament had great advantages that others did not, and we in turn today have even greater advantages than they.
Preached June 18, 2017 Keep reading →
The Church at Thyatira was infected with a Jezebel – whether she was a person or a general evil presence. The church had a lot of things going for it, but in reviewing the evil character of Jezebel in the Old Testament, it is easy to see just how destructive this presence is to any church. In this message, Pastor Tim continues the series on the 7 churches in Revelation.
Preached June 18, 2017 Keep reading →
The 3rd church that Jesus speaks to in Rev.2 had its own set of troubles. Persecution and false teaching seems to have afflicted the church there. But Jesus was faithful to instruct them on how to overcome it. Pastor Tim continues the series on what it means to overcome as he examines the 3rd church – Pergamos.
Preached June 4, 2017, by Pastor Tim McCool Keep reading →
We all experience trials in this life. Each persons trial is different. But they are all difficult to deal with in their own unique way. In this message, Brother Neil brings out the beautiful truth that no matter what trials we face, our Lord and Master has gone through much worse, and is therefore able to identify with each of us.
Preached June 4, 2017 by Elder Neil Honea Keep reading →
In an ongoing series on overcoming, Pastor Tim examines the issues that the members of the Smyrnan Church faced and how they overcame them. The Church at Smyrna was greatly persecuted. To be a member there almost guaranteed a loss of livelihood, if not loss of life.
Preached May 28, 2017 by Elder Tim McCool Keep reading →
What is the way the child of God can gain the greatest comfort? Is it by traveling the world and climbing a mountain, or by examining the beauty of nature, or by many different things that can be thought up? In this message, Brother Neil preaches that the greatest way the child of God can be comforted is through something that is placed inside them by God’s grace – their faith.
Preached May 28, 2017 by Elder Neil Honea Keep reading →
In this message, Pastor Tim examines the problem that the famed church at Ephesus faced. Over a 30-40 year period, this church went from a hotbed of zealous revival, to a church that Jesus said had left its first love. What happened initially at Ephesus? And why after such a short time would they leave their first love? And how could they overcome this issue? Listen to the sermon to find out.
Preached May 28, 2017 Keep reading →
Graduating high school can be exciting and scary at the same time. In this message directly to the graduating high school seniors of Bethlehem (but with a broad application to us all), Pastor Tim gives words of encouragement and Biblical guidance to the graduates.
Preached May 14, 2017 Keep reading →
The Apostle Paul had everything – riches, fame and health. Yet he gave up his riches, lost his reputation and sacrificed his own health for a single reason – Jesus Christ. In this message, Brother Luke Hagler examines how we can take blessings from God and misuse them to a degree they become curses to us. By following the example of the Apostle, we can count them all as loss when following Jesus.
Preached May 14, 2017 Keep reading →
Mothers are certainly special, and the Lord thinks so too. In this message Pastor Tim looks at the value and importance of Mothers, not only from our own personal experience, but from a Biblical view.
Preached May 14, 2017 Keep reading →
In the Sunday morning message prior to communion, Elder Daniel Wood preaches about the effectiveness of the blood of Jesus in paying for our sins, as well as the necessity of His sacrifice.
Preached May 7, 2017
In this message, Elder Jonathan Blakeley points out the usefulness of angels in God’s ministry to His Son and also to His saints. Although they may not be seen around us, we can believe they are there during our lives.
Preached May 6, 2017
In the afternoon service during our May meeting, Brother Daniel Wood explains the difference between preservation and perseverance. Using agricultural examples, Brother Daniel proves how it is impossible for garden vegetables to preserve themselves, just as it is impossible for us to preserve ourselves. It took the Lord’s work alone to preserve us.
Preached May 6, 2017
In this message preached by Elder Daniel Wood at the May meeting, Brother Daniel expounds upon the events that led up to the soldiers taking money to cover their true account of what actually happened at the tomb of Jesus when we was resurrected. In our lives we will also be tempted to sell out the truth at times, but by God’s grace we can resist.
Preached May 6, 2017 Keep reading →
BETHLEHEM PRIMITIVE BAPTIST CHURCH
NEWSLETTER – MAY 2017
Suicide, by Elder Tim McCool
(from an article in the Pickens County Herald recently)
It would be hard to find a family not affected by suicide. Any way you look at it, suicide is a tragedy. Personally, I have lost friends and people I knew to this tragedy. I have spoken at funerals for those who died from suicide, and also written and preached extensively on this subject. Recently, a young man I knew passed from this life by suicide. When I learned of it, my heart was broken to hear of it.
Death is awful in any form, whether by suicide, car wreck, fire, drowning – or even natural causes. Whatever ugly form death takes, it is wonderful to know the truth about death, no matter how it occurs. A “spiritual” urban legend about suicide goes like this – “If a person commits suicide, it means they automatically go to hell…” or something along that line. This is not true at all. If you have suffered from thinking this, then be of good cheer. The good news is this: No matter how we leave this world, it makes NO difference where we go.
Our destination at death is not determined by the way we die– whether by natural causes, suicide, drowning, execution, etc. To dispel the spiritual urban legend about suicide, we need only look at the scripture. There are several examples of suicide in the Bible. The first that comes to mind is the great hero Samson (Judg.14-16). After Samson ran around with too many wild women and was finally caught, he did something as a prisoner that literally “brought the house down.” Judg16:30 details Samson’s suicide. He brought the house down on himself and the Philistines. He died by his own hand. But Samson is in the “hall of faith” in Heb.11. Read it. The way he left this world did not change where he went.
Another example is Saul, the 1st king of Israel. When surrounded by the enemy, Saul committed suicide (I Sam.31:4). Some object and say there is no way a guy who lived his life like Saul could go to heaven. Thankfully, salvation is not by what we do or don’t do, but by the mercy of God. And without question Saul is in heaven. His suicide did not change where he went. We need only read Samuel’s words in I Sam.28:19 where he says that Saul and his sons (including Jonathan by the way!) will be with Samuel the next day. Where was Samuel? You guessed it – Samuel was in heaven. These are only two of several examples in the Bible.
The idea that suicide is an automatic hell sentence is not from God. His mercy is greater than suicide. That is comfort for us, dear child of God. Lastly, consider this. If the spiritual urban legend that suicide will send you to hell is nothing more than a myth – what else that is commonly accepted in religious circles today, might also be a myth? Hmmm…what about “accept Christ as your personal Savior” (hint–it is not in the Bible!), or “Jesus is knocking on the door of your heart to get in…” (hint–also not found in the Bible!), or the “secret rapture” (hint-the word is not in the Bible!). What else do we take for “gospel” that is not in the word!?
If this encourages us to read the word of God, then I have done my job!
SCHEDULE FOR ANNUAL MEETING THIS WEEKEND:
Sat., May 6 – 10:00 am – Service; lunch; afternoon svc; 4p – fellowship at Old Farm House
Sun., May 7 – 10:00 a.m. (NOTE THE EARLIER TIME), communion, lunch
To Listen Live to the Sunday morning broadcast: Go to “bethlehempbc.org” and scroll down to “Click here to LISTEN LIVE, Sundays at 9a.m.!”
A person’s reputation may be defined by how they dress, how much money they make, or even by abilities they possess. But how we view our reputation should be defined by the way Jesus viewed his own reputation. In this message from Philippians 2, Brother Neil examines the way a child of God should view their own reputation.
Preached April 23, 2017, by Elder Neil Honea Keep reading →
How are You Coming with Overcoming? We all have issues and trouble in our lives. It is often difficult to overcome those problems. Thankfully, God has a very simple plan for overcoming. In this message, Bro. Tim presents a Biblical view of overcoming and also examines some examples of those who overcame.
Preached April 23, 2017, by Pastor Tim McCool. Keep reading →
At the end of our hope in ourselves is where we find the door to hope in Christ. When we see the rigorous requirements of the law and we know we cannot keep it, then we see how it required a Perfect One to keep it for us. Taking a text from Isaiah chapter 40, our guest speaker Elder Dickie Halbgewachs preaches about the true comfort that is there for God’s conflicted and warfare-weary people.
Preached April 19, 2017 Keep reading →
A fundamental belief of all Christians is the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. In this message, Pastor Tim McCool expounds upon the meaning of the resurrection to us today – how it should impact our outlook and daily lives.
Preached April 16, 2017 Keep reading →
In this message, Pastor Tim preaches about devils and what they are – how they can affect us, where we can find them. Devils can vex us in many forms and we need to be aware of them. When we recognize our temptations and the messes we can get ourselves into, we can never blame God for that. But we can look to God to help us resist temptation and overcome these devils by His grace.
Message preached April 2, 2017 Keep reading →
To Know or Believe? Which is Better? Often today someone says, “I know the Lord” rather than “I believe in the Lord.” In this message, Pastor Tim examines the meaning of the word believe as of the time of the KJV translation.
Message preached April 9, 2017 Keep reading →
An all-star cast assembled for a meal in Bethany in Mark 14. There was Simon the former leper, Lazarus raised from the dead, Simon Peter the spokesman of the Apostles, the Sons of Thunder, Matthew the Publican, Simon the Zealot. Even Martha the famous domestic was there serving the meal. And don’t forget the Son of God. This meal was just a few days before Jesus went to the cross. But of all the “well knowns” assembled there, it was Mary who stole the show. In this message, Pastor Tim McCool examines the difference between doing all we could, versus doing all we would.
Preached Sunday, March 26, 2017 Keep reading →
One of the most dysfunctional relationships that exists today is that of a child – especially teens or young adults – with their parents. In this message, Pastor Tim presents the God-honoring attitude that children should have towards their parents.
Preached on March 12, 2017 Keep reading →
In this message preached by Brother Luke Hagler, he examines the important role of the watchman on the wall as it was in ancient times and compares this to how we are all watchmen to protect our families and our churches.
Preached on March 12, 2017 Keep reading →
For the last 2000 years, God’s grace has been on display in the work of Jesus Christ and the proclamation of full salvation through the sacrifice of His Son. In this message, Pastor Tim preaches about God’s display case, or trophy case. God has now set forth his Son through the gospel and the church – to display the victorious work of salvation. In looking further into this trophy case, Brother Tim points out some aspects of God’s mercy that may be startling and also affect us personally in who we minister to in our daily lives.
Preached on 3/5/17 Keep reading →
In the religious world, there are two basic categories of belief about salvation. There are those who follow the teachings of Jacobus Arminius, who taught that one must gain salvation by doing something. The religious worlds views the second category as Calvinists – those who follow the teaching of John Calvin & his followers who taught that salvation is by grace alone. But in reality, Baptists are neither – not having descended in belief from either of these men, and not having been part of the Protestant Reformation. In this message, Brother Neil Honea examines the history of these two groups and also a third group – known as Baptists at one point in history, and today known as Primitive Baptists.
Preached on 3/5/17 Keep reading →
The Lord has quickened us together, raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places – all by the work of Christ. When it comes to being together, we can all be in the same room at one time but still not be “together.” In this message, Pastor Tim brings out the togetherness that we have as a result of Christ’s work, and how that should impact us now in the truth and the church – by truly being together and not just present in same room.
Preached on 2/26/17 Keep reading →
There are different reasons why we can’t see. Some may be born blind. Others may have a medical condition. Still others may have their view obstructed by something. In this message, Bro. Luke examines how we can be spiritual blind and also where our ability to see comes from.
Preached 2/19/17 Keep reading →
We all love the comeback kings. Whether it is a great comeback in a football game, or the great literature that balances the tension between the threat of evil overcoming all that is good, those heroes who step in and “change the game” are our favorites. In this message, Bro. Tim points to God as the original and Great Game Changer. The greatest changes have occurred based on two words, “But God…” Using Eph.2:4 as a text, Bro. Tim expounds upon our Lord as the Great Game Changer. Keep reading →
Zombies are a popular subject of entertainment today. What if there really were zombies – the living dead? In reality, there are. In this message, Pastor Tim examines the characteristics of those who are alive physically, but without Christ spiritually. Sadly, we may too often find ourselves bearing such characteristics. Keep reading →
Elder Neil Honea delivers a timely message of warning about our enemy in this life – Satan. Originally a beautiful created being, Satan chose to fall from his position that God had granted him, and as an outcast in this world, he seeks to dominate and destroy while he has time. We should be wary of this powerful enemy, and trust in the strength of One who has overcome him forever. Keep reading →
In this message preached by Elder Josh Winslett, the suffering of the saints in this life is examined in light of our ultimate victory through the triumphant Lord Jesus Christ. Keep reading →
In this sermon preached by Elder Luke Hagler, the distinction between time and eternal salvation is examined. In order to correctly understand the Bible, a working knowledge of the difference between timely deliverances and our ultimate eternal deliverance in Christ is paramount. Keep reading →
Practical Christianity
Tim McCool
Pastor Bethlehem Primitive Baptist Church
When I was in high school I spent a lot of time camping. On one occasion, a few of my friends were camping out with me. It was a cold time of year, so we planned on building a fire to keep warm. As we walked out the door, Mom called to us with her usual goodbyes and warnings to be safe. But this time she added, “Don’t build a fire in the tent!” We were almost out of ear shot but we paused and looked at each other. What she said was worth a trip back inside. I walked in and looked at her and asked, “Are you serious?” Keep reading →
In order to appreciate what we are as children of God, we must have a fundamental understanding of what God has done for us. In an ongoing series from Ephesians, Pastor Tim preaches about being dead in trespasses and in sins. The Apostle Paul makes it clear that we have all been in a condition of being dead in sins. But many say that the way we overcome being dead is by making a decision for Christ or letting him in our hearts. The problem with that is this – dead means dead, and nothing dead can bring itself to life. It takes an act of the Spirit upon a spiritually dead heart to cause it to live. Keep reading →
There is very little understanding today about the role and purpose of the church. Some view it as an activity, others as a place to be entertained. But the church as God designed it is a place to experience the fullness of Christ, not an activity or house of entertainment. In this message, Pastor Tim presents the church as God intended it – a place to experience Christ in this life. Keep reading →
Elder Neil Honea delivers a message about the broken fellowship between Christ, the Father, and the Spirit, while Christ was on the cross. And the whole purpose of this broken fellowship, was so that all of God’s elect will have fellowship forever with the Lord. Keep reading →
In a message preached on the first Sunday of 2017, Brother John Morgan Owens looks at the scriptural characteristics of Godly men. Keep reading →
The Apostle Paul was very specific about his prayer life. Pastor Tim relates that one of the ways he prayed was to “make mention” of church members in his daily prayers. He relates this at least 3 times. We should follow that example – to name each other in prayer. We don’t have to recite a book about each other, but it is important that we call each others’ names out to the Lord in prayer. Keep reading →
In Ephesians, Paul prays that they would experience the greatness of God’s power to “usward who believe.” So what is the greatness of His power? By examining Biblical examples of different ones who came seeking Jesus, Pastor Tim speaks about the power of belief within us. Keep reading →
Have you ever wondered at the meaning of Jesus calling Himself the “Living Bread?” In this message, Pastor Tim covers the natural making of bread – from planting the seed to the bread winding up on the table – to help understand better what Jesus meant when He said He was the Living Bread. Although natural bread has a beginning and an end, the Eternal Bread (Jesus) had no beginning and no end. Keep reading →
In this Christmas Day message, Brother Neil Honea preaches about the search the wise men went on for the new King – Jesus Christ. In our pursuit of the true Jesus, it is often the case that we find him in the places we least expect. The wise men thought to find him in the epicenter of religion: Jerusalem. But, he was actually located in a small village among shepherds and farmers, the city of Bethlehem! Keep reading →
Have you ever had an “Aha!” moment when you were studying or meditating about God? In this message from the book of Ephesians, Pastor Tim deals with the meaning of trust, and how the Lord seals us with His Holy Spirit when we trust and believe His truth about salvation. We find that a part of being “sealed” by the Holy Spirit comes in those “Aha” moments, when we see clearly from the Word what God has done for us.
12/11/16
In this message preached by Elder Neil Honea, Brother Neil examines the comparison between the Old Testament mountain that quaked and burned with fire when Moses and the children of Israel approached it, and the New Testament mountain – the church – that we can now freely approach because of the shed blood of Christ.
12/11/16
The Apostle Paul preached all the counsel of God to the Ephesians. He didn’t leave anything out. This is recorded in the book of Acts 19-20. Then, Paul wrote back to them in the letter to the Ephesians and stated plainly what he had previously taught them. Beginning a series from the book of Ephesians, Pastor Tim preaches about the blessings that God has given us as described by the Apostle Paul. Keep reading →
In a portion of a message preached at Bethlehem, Pastor Tim concludes his remarks about Biblical instruction in choosing a spouse. Using as an example the wonderful account of Boaz and Ruth, he examines the good and bad characteristics to look for when choosing a spouse.
NOTE: This message and Bro. Luke’s was only partially recorded due to tech malfunction.
In this message preached at Bethlehem, Elder Luke Hagler examines the benefits of choosing to follow the wisdom of the Lord rather than the so-called wisdom of the world. Keep reading →
It is important to know what the Bible says about who not to choose for a spouse. In this message, Pastor Tim preaches Bible instruction about the dangers of considering the wrong type of person as a spouse, followed by principles to follow in making a Godly choice of a spouse. Keep reading →
In this message, Pastor Tim continues examining the Biblical principles for choosing a career that pleases God, followed by what the Bible tells us about choosing a spouse. Keep reading →
In this message, Brother Neil Honea examines the substance of faith: What is it? Where does it come from? How do I use it? Keep reading →
There are so many choices for young people in careers today. In this message, Pastor Tim preaches what God tells us in His Word about how to choose a career and honor God in the process.
Written by Elder Tim McCool and Elder Bryce Lowrance. The chorus of this hymn is derived from Romans 11:33-36:
O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out! For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counsellor? Or who hath first given to him, and it shall be recompensed unto him again? For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen. – Rom 11:33-36 KJV
The riches of God’s grace are truly unsearchable. The account of the thief on the cross and Saul of Tarsus (who became the Apostle Paul) are two of the greatest testimonies to the depths of grace which we can never truly fathom. But, we can certainly rejoice in such grace that is also given to us! May God receive all the glory for his unsearchable riches of grace.
The disciples asked for an increase of faith to forgive. Jesus explained clearly to them that you don’t need more faith to forgive, rather, we should view it as our duty, our obligation, in light of the forgiveness that Christ Himself has given to us. Taking a text from Lk. 17, Pastor Tim presents a message about our attitude towards forgiving others.
In this sermon, Pastor Tim uses examples like Jacob and Joseph to show how we can be blessed because of others. We should all examine our lives to recognize the blessings that have come to us because of others. The most significant of the blessings we have received because of others came through the Savior blessing us on the cross by putting away our sins.
Elder Luke Hagler presents two very different attitudes we can have towards the sovereignty of God. On one hand we can demand of the Lord, “Don’t you know who I am!?”, or respond in the scriptural way – “Lord, Who am I?”
There are several instances in the scripture where we are told Jesus was moved with compassion. In this message, Pastor Tim exhorts to make progress in with our own compassion by examining the compassionate responses in the life of our Savior. Keep reading →
On Sunday morning, Brother Lawrence preaches about the difference between things we are doing and things that God has done. Keep reading →
In this message at the 2016 Anniversary meeting, Elder David Montgomery delivers a convincing presentation of the fact of the resurrection and just how important it is to us as believers. Keep reading →
In this message from our 2016 Anniversary meeting, Elder Ronald Lawrence addresses five questions asked in the account of the Good Samaritan. Keep reading →
We are all accustom to hearing about the faith of Abraham. In this message preached at our 2016 Anniversary meeting, Elder David Montgomery examines the faith of Sarah. Keep reading →
We are told over and over to cast our cares on Jesus. But what does that mean and specifically, what does it look like? In this message, Brother Neil Honea paints the picture of the posture in which we are to approach our Lord in casting our cares upon him. Keep reading →
In John 21, there is an interesting group of apostles gathered at the Sea of Galilee, following Jesus’ instructions to go and wait there for him to appear to them. There is Denying Peter, Doubting Thomas and Negative Nathanael, not to mention the two sons of thunder, James and John. While waiting there for Jesus, Peter hatches the idea to go back to his career of professional fisherman. Bro. Tim brings a message of how we can all relate to Peter’s attitude. Keep reading →
A faith based on an expectation of Jesus to perform for us is not the faith taught in the scripture. Biblical faith rests in the performance that Christ has already accomplished through his death, burial and resurrection. True faith anchors us in the accomplished work of Christ, so no matter the mountains we face in our lives, we can face them knowing our risen Savior is with us. Keep reading →
Many are gripped by fear – fear of politics, fear of loss, fear of the future – or fear in general. In this message, Elder Luke Hagler presents two very different pictures of the same man. The first picture of a man wholly trusting in God and the second, the same man gripped by fear. Keep reading →
In this message, Pastor Tim McCool brings out the sharp rebuke that Jesus gave to his disciples regarding who they were spending their time with. It is easy to love those that love you, but the true experience of Christ goes beyond that: loving those who are different than you. Keep reading →
Elder Neil Honea presents a thorough and informative exposition of what the publicans were in first century Judea. He examines one in particular named Zaccheus, and from his experience points out the lengths to which we should all be willing to go in our personal lives to experience the kingdom of God. Keep reading →
Oftentimes, we are disappointed when we try to make peace with others and they don’t respond. In this message, Pastor Tim presents the unique Biblical perspective of seeking peace. Using an Old Testament passage that is repeated in the New Testament, the joy of seeking peace is examined, regardless of the response of an individual’s reaction. Keep reading →
So often we hear people say things like, “I know God has a plan” or “All things work together for good,” in reference to some tragedy, sickness or storm of life we are facing. But the true cheer and comfort we have is not in the tragedy or the storm, but in the abiding presence of the Lord. Our sins are forgiven. The Lord will never leave us. Sometimes we can make no sense out of this world, but we can always make sense of our Lord. Keep reading →
Elder Neil Honea expounds upon the reality that everything we do – from eating, breathing and even sleeping – requires labor. But there are some things – like our eternal salvation – that we do not labor for, but Jesus did. Keep reading →
The Lord referred to Job as a righteous and upright man, one who did things in his life that pleased God. In this message, Elder Adam Kinsaul presents a vivid picture of the activity in Job’s life that was pleasing to the Lord. Keep reading →
The Lord has set up a simple way to worship Him. The two ordinances of the church are the Lord’s Supper and baptism. In this message, Pastor McCool examines the simplicity of these two ordinances. Keep reading →
In this message, Pastor Tim brings out the keys to God’s church. The starting point is a Biblical understanding of who Jesus is and what He did for us. Keep reading →
Brother Neil Honea examines the Old Testament Passover feast to bring to light the holy significance and importance of New Testament Communion as commanded by our Savior. Keep reading →
Practical Christianity
Tim McCool
Pastor Bethlehem Primitive Baptist Church
If I tell you I am going to dress a chicken, if you are from this area, you know what I mean. I am going to prepare a chicken for cooking. Several years ago, when my good friend from Africa was living here, I took him to the farm and talked to him about poultry farming. At some point I mentioned to him that sometimes we would “dress a chicken” and then eat it.
In his mind he pictured me taking a chicken and dressing it with clothes. For many days he was confused as to why I would put clothes on a chicken and then eat him. Finally he asked me why I would put clothes on a chicken and then eat it. I almost doubled over laughing. When I explained it all to him, the light came one.
We can get in hot water if we don’t define our terms. If I walked up to a person on the street and said, “Do you know about election?” Nine out of ten (or maybe 10 out of 10) people would say, “Sure, it’s coming up in November.” Now bear in mind, in 1776, if you had asked that question, 3 out of 4 church goers would have known the answer from the Bible.
So let’s define the term. Election in the Bible is the sovereign act of God in choosing an innumerable host of people to be his children, and this occurred before the foundation of the world (Rom. 9:29-30). I Pet. 3:2 defines how God’s children are elected. It says they are elected by God’s foreknowledge, by the Spiritual new birth (being born again) and by the obedience of Jesus. What does this mean? It means that all glory only goes to God for our salvation.
Election is also part of the gospel. I Thes. 1:4 says that the people Paul preached to understood election. Do you? If not, I am so happy to be able to share this with you! A great majority of church goers once had a common working knowledge of this truth. Sadly today, it has fallen by the wayside. Did you know that Jesus is the primary Elect One of God? He was chosen by God (and He is God) to be the Choice sacrifice to pay for our sins.
And oh, by the way, election guarantees that more people will be in heaven than we could ever comprehend. The modern concept of the choice for heaven is up to you will leave so many out because they didn’t choose the right way! Thank goodness our salvation is not our choosing, but God’s! The number of God’s chosen is as the stars of the sky and the sands of the sea. It is a people out of every kindred (family), tribe (ethnicity), nation and people (Rev. 5).
Election is nothing to be afraid of. It is the root of our salvation. It is what God describes in the word as our first blessing (Eph. 1:4). May we glorify God for the good news of our salvation through His electing love.
Elder Tim McCool is pastor of Bethlehem Primitive Baptist Church located on the Boyd Road near Echola. For inquiries email Pastor McCool at tim@timmccoollaw.com. Please join us each Sunday morning on the March to Zion Broadcast at 8 am on 100.1 FM in the Tuscaloosa area or 9am on 106.5 in the Fayette / Lamar county area.
In this sermon brother Luke Hagler contrasts the misery of thinking that this life is all we have, with the blissful joy that the resurrection of our Savior should bring to our lives. Keep reading →
If you have ever experienced a wonderful worship service or spiritual high point, only to find yourself down at the bottom of the barrel in a short time, in this message Pastor Tim looks at the example of Jesus for encouragement during such times.
The Psalmist Asaph had a problem. He was falling away from fellowship with God because of his personal viewpoint. In this message, Bro. Luke describes the signs to look for when we suffer the same problem. And also how to find the way back to a spiritual viewpoint through the grace of God. Keep reading →
From entertainment to sports, we are told across the board to follow our heart and pursue whatever dream our heart may desire. But there is a tremendous problem with this, because God tells us our heart is deceitful and desperately wicked. Pastor Tim preaches a sermon about trusting in God and not our deceiving hearts. Keep reading →
In this sermon, Bro. Neil preaches about the fact that the universe, the creation and even we ourselves are created for the glory of God, not for our own glory. Keep reading →
Depending on who you talk with, there are varying opinions on what is a basic presentation of the gospel. Some will say you must accept Christ. Others will say you must pray the sinner’s prayer. Still others affirm that Jesus is knocking on the door of your heart, and you need to let him in. But what do the scriptures reveal as a basic presentation of the gospel. In this message, Pastor Tim relates what the scripture tells us is a basic presentation of the gospel. Keep reading →
In a beautiful analogy taken from Jesus’ instructions to his disciples on the night before the cross, Elder Luke Hagler deals with the spiritual food and riches available to the child of God as we travel through this world.
Have you ever given much thought to what the Bible says about worship? In today’s time what churches across the country consider worship can vary tremendously. Some churches have very simple, family-integrated worship. Others have elaborate worship services that are certainly impressive. The purpose of this article is to look at what the Bible says about worship and to answer questions like ‘Is all worship pleasing to God as long as it’s sincere’? Keep reading →
Practical Christianity
Tim McCool
Pastor Bethlehem Primitive Baptist Church
Last week I wrote about Mr. Renzo Abrams. (Thanks to all of you who pointed out how I misspelled his name!). There are probably a 100 stories to tell about Mr. Renzo. As I mentioned, he always referred to himself as “such a worm as I” when he prayed. Keep reading →
By showing the complete victory that we have in Jesus, Elder Branan Hooven presents a message of encouragement to God’s children when facing giants in this life. Keep reading →
In this sermon by Pastor McCool, he draws comparisons about how we should be craving the church body of Christ from the example of the rich man who sought to obtain Jesus’ body after his death on the cross. Keep reading →
Practical Christianity
Tim McCool
Pastor Bethlehem Primitive Baptist Church
Some of you in west Alabama may remember Mr. Rinso Abrams. He was a stalwart in the Zion community and a great sawmiller and timber man his whole life. He was blessed to build a life from the natural creation of God. Mr. Rinso loved the truth of salvation by grace alone. As a child attending church, I will never forget every time he was called on to pray. He had a high-pitched, unique voice that once you heard it – you would never forget it. Keep reading →
Will Jesus be Satisfied with the Number of People in Heaven?
Ever thought about that? Will Jesus look down from Heaven when it is all said and done and say I am satisfied with the amount of people that are here, or will he walk the streets of Heaven gazing into Hell, heartbroken over the ‘near misses’ and ‘could of beens’? Keep reading →
Practical Christianity
Tim McCool
An Old Log House
Recently my family was blessed to visit the old log house where my granddad was born. The house was built in the 1830s and Granddad was born there 100 years ago. The old house was built of heart pine and the axe marks on the hewn logs are still visible. It has a middle breezeway and 12 foot ceilings- still a spectacle of history and workmanship. Keep reading →
We have a lot of stuff: Cars, houses, lands, clothes – the list of stuff the average American accumulates is endless. But we also have emotional “stuff” that we carry around. In this timely message, Elder David Crawford, from MacClenney Florida, speaks about the Biblical way to deal with all the stuff we have. Keep reading →
Though I will never gain a full understanding of it until I see Him in glory someday, my appreciation for how great and mighty the Lord really is has grown immensely over the last year, so I’ve written this post to talk about the things that led me to this understanding. I know it’s long-winded, but I hashed out the details of it all because I know that many people in my social circle have never heard the things that I believe, and I figured that it would make more sense if I told the whole story. The last few years have easily been the hardest of my life, but I would not trade the trials in them for anything now.
In this message, Pastor McCool examines the spaces, or gaps, in our lives that are caused by thorns in the flesh. There are many things we can try to fill those spaces with, but God instructed Paul that grace was sufficient to fill those spaces. Keep reading →
In this message, Elder Luke Hagler preaches about the Biblical ingredients for revival, which includes ministers with the courage to preach the truth of God’s word and an embracing of that word by God’s people.
The glorious truth of being chosen is often misunderstood. When understood properly, the electing grace of God’s love is the starting point for the child of God to properly glorify their Savior. In this message, Pastor McCool observes the positive effects of being chosen in Christ. Keep reading →
In the average contemporary, religious worship service, there is much activity. However, in reality, Jesus instructed that only two things are necessary to worship Him: Spirit and truth (John 4). In this message, Pastor McCool engages in little connect the dots, using the Spirit to represent one “dot” and the truth to represent another “dot”, showing how these dots “connect” to produce worship that is both satisfying to the disciple and pleasing to God. Keep reading →
In this sermon, Elder Neil Honea displays the astonishing truth that our Savior revealed when He made His appearance here on earth. Keep reading →
In this message, preached at the annual meeting of Zion Primitive Baptist Church near Gordo Alabama, Elder Neil Honea preaches about the blessings that we have today in God’s church. Keep reading →
Pastor Tim takes Matthew 18 as a text to demonstrate who God views as the greatest in His church and what it takes to present ourselves as humble servants.
Elder Josh Winslett, of Birmingham, delivers a message about the advantages to the Christian who waits upon the Lord. Keep reading →
There are many opinions today about what God expects us to do in our Christian service today. In this message, Pastor Tim examines the first non-Jewish member of the New Testament Church – Cornelius – and what he was doing in Christian service that is a model for us all today.
Everyone has burdens. And we are often told to “cast our burdens on the Lord.” Using the example of Jesus telling Peter to “Launch out into the Deep”, in this message, Pastor Tim brings out what it means to truly cast our cares upon the Lord and what to expect when we do.
A sermon in which Elder Luke Hagler examines the various types of reactions we can expect when we share the gospel, and how that should encourage us with zeal to continue to sow seed everywhere we go.
There are great misconceptions about the sovereignty and providence of God in the religious world. In this sermon, Elder Luke Hagler examines the Biblical truth of how God is not to be blamed with the results when He removes a hedge of His protection.
A sermon preached by Pastor McCool in which he presents the full expression and context of John 3:16, which is probably the most widely known Bible verse of the ages. Keep reading →
A sermon preached by Elder Neil Honea, in which he observes the various clothing of Christ while he was here on this earth. Keep reading →
Pastor Tim McCool presents a Biblical summary of what pleases the Spirit of God and what doesn’t. Keep reading →
A sermon preached by Elder Luke Hagler about Who deserves the ultimate glory for our salvation. Keep reading →
A sermon preached by Pastor Tim McCool on the true meaning of the Rainbow. Keep reading →
A sermon preached by Elder Luke Hagler about the security we have in our Great Shepherd, Jesus Christ. Keep reading →
The first message of a series of sermons preached by Pastor Tim McCool on the model prayer found in Matthew chapter 6. Keep reading →