You can also download a PDF of the Volume 56 Number 1 January/February 2010 (1.4mb PDF; PC: Right click / MAC: Control click on the link and choose “Save As”)

The Baptist Testimony
Volume 56 Number 1 January/February 2010

The Word Has It
“Strengthen me according to Your word,” Psalm 119:28
Ken Floyd
MARBC Executive Director

“Pain/Joy”

Alright, I admit that this issue’s column title is actually two words! And two words that seem to be polar opposites. However, I believe that these two words are more closely linked than most people might think.

This was made clear to me during the past year as I listened to my wife and daughter frequently discuss the issues of childbearing. This was a conversation that I conveniently sought to avoid by finding something to do elsewhere, anywhere! But it was a topic that was impossible to avoid while visiting in the hospital room following the birth of our grandson, Connor, on May 28. At one point during our euphoria there were approximately a dozen people in the room, the majority of them female. When the conversation turned towards the trading of “war stories” by the moms in the room, the heroic men began to shuffle for the farthest corner or the nearest exit. [Read more...]

You can also download a PDF of the Volume 55 Number 6 November/December 2009 (1.5mb PDF; PC: Right click / MAC: Control click on the link and choose “Save As”)

The Baptist Testimony
Volume 55 Number 6 November/December 2009
The Word Has It

“Strengthen me according to Your word,” Psalm 119:28
Ken Floyd
MARBC Executive Director

 ”Thanks”

“I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers.”  Ephesians 1:16

Steve Goodier, editor of “The Life Support System” newsletter, shared a story a few years ago regarding the importance of giving thanks. 

“When William Stidger taught at Boston University, he once reflected upon the great number of un-thanked people in his life. Those who had helped nurture him, inspire him or who cared enough about him to leave a lasting impression. One was a schoolteacher he’d not heard of in many years. But he remembered that she had gone out of her way to put a love of verse in him, and Will had loved poetry all his life. He wrote a letter of thanks to her. The reply he received, written in the feeble scrawl of the aged, began, ‘My dear Willie.’ He was delighted. Now over 50, bald and a professor, he didn’t think there was a person left in the world who would call him ‘Willie.’  [Read more...]

You can also download a PDF of the Volume 55 Number 5 September/October 2009 (1.4mb PDF; PC: Right click / MAC: Control click on the link and choose “Save As”)

The Word Has It
“Strengthen me according to Your word,” Psalm 119:28
Ken Floyd
MARBC Executive Director

 “Aroma”

When deep-sea divers were searching the wreckage of the ocean liner Titanic several years ago, among the items recovered was a leather case containing 40 small vials of perfume oil. The little bottles, which probably would have been sold in New York as the ingredients for cologne, belonged to a businessman from Manchester, England. When they pulled the case from the water, the fragrance of the oils filled the air, even after being submerged for almost a century.

“To smell something that smells the same as it did on the Titanic before it went down is simply incredible,” said Graham Jessop, an expert in the retrieval of such artifacts.  That must have been a high quality perfume. Like the old Brylcream commercials of early television claimed, “A little dab will do ya’” The quality of that perfume allowed for an undeniable and unavoidable aroma of wonderful fragrance.  

One time a woman slipped into the dining room after dinner, carrying a small vial. She broke it open and poured it on the head of the honored guest. The room was filled with the smell of very expensive perfume. “What a waste,” some of the guests said.  “We could have sold that and helped the poor.”  (The perfume cost almost a year’s pay.)  But, the man she anointed cut their complaints short. “She’s done a beautiful thing. When she poured this perfume on my body, she did it to prepare me for burial. I tell you the truth, wherever this gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her.”  And indeed it has! 

The woman in the story was Mary of the village of Bethany and her story is shared in John 12:1-8.  Because of her love for Jesus, Mary risked rebuke from the crowd and gave the very best she had.  Her motives were as pure as the oil she offered.  Even now, two thousand years later, her sacrifice is still remembered.  And the aroma of her sacrifice is as sweet now as it was then.

Jesus calls us to give our best – our best love, our best service, our best offering.  2 Corinthians 2:15 shares, “For we are to God the fragrance of Christ among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing.”  Christians are further admonished in Ephesians 5:2 to “walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma.”

In our consumer oriented world, we may sometimes wonder if it’s really worth it.  Does anyone really know or care about our sacrifices to God’s service?  God does.  Our service is a sweet-smelling sacrifice to Him. And because it is offered to Him, it will always be remembered.  “Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.”  (1 Corinthians 15:58)  Now, doesn’t that make you want to give a lot more than you are right now?  He deserves it.  And He will notice!

You have His Word on it! (KEF)

You can also download a PDF of the Volume 55 Number 4 July/August 2009 Baptist Testimony (1.2mb PDF; PC: Right click / MAC: Control click on the link and choose “Save As”)

The Word Has It
“Strengthen me according to Your word,” Psalm 119:28
Ken Floyd
MARBC Executive Director

“Fire”

Those familiar with southern California know that the region frequently experiences wildfires.  The paths of the fires are unpredictable.  Dry conditions make even a small fire a giant problem.  Wind currents can shift quickly and unpredictably as they move from valley to valley, making containment of the fires difficult. 

One fire in that area a few years ago destroyed over 2,500 homes. As the home owners returned and sifted through the blackened debris, they found that all their possessions had been reduced to soot. However, as one family searched through the rubble where their home once stood, they discovered a familiar sight.  There in the middle of the charred remains was a tiny porcelain rabbit that had sat on a coffee table in the family room. They marveled that so fragile an object had survived intact. Others whose homes were lost in the fire also found pottery and porcelain items that had endured the intense inferno.

The Sunday after the disaster a local pastor brought to the pulpit an unbroken vase.  It was the only thing that he had been able to recover from his home. Holding the vase before his congregation he asked, “Do you know why this item is still here but my house is gone?” He answered his own question by replying, “Because this had passed through the fire once before.”

In his first New Testament letter, the Apostle Peter compares the imagery of fire to the trials that Christians will face during their earthly pilgrimage.  Peter reminds his persecuted readers of the joy that is theirs because they possess an “inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for [them]” (1 Peter 1:4-5).  He then shares this important principle regarding trials – “In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, that the genuineness of your faith, being much more than gold that perishes, though it be tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ.” (1 Peter 1:6-7)

C. S. Lewis once observed that “Trials are not an elective in the Christian life, they are a required course.  Patience is accepting a difficult situation without giving God a deadline.” 

The imagery of fiery trials in Scripture relates to the intensity of the suffering like a smelter’s furnace used to heat metal in order to purify it.  As the heat intensifies, various impurities rise to the surface.  The smelter can then skim the surface of the molten metal with a filter to remove those impurities.  Similarly, the heat of spiritual trials brings the impurities of the believer’s sinful nature to the surface where they can be removed through the filtering process of God’s Word as enabled by the Holy Spirit.  All of this is directed by a caring God in order to “forge” His children into His likeness and to strengthen them to face the extreme tests that life presents daily.

A ministry friend of ours, Deb (Jackson) Searles, wrote a poem several years ago that deals with the spiritual subject of fiery trials.  Deb penned “The Fire” after experiencing her own personal trial.  She then put these words to music.  It was recorded by Deb and her sister, Dee, as well as by Christine Wyrtzen.

“The Fire”

I’ve been through a fire
That has deepened my desire
To know the living God more and more;
It hasn’t been much fun,
But the work that it has done
In my life has made it worth the hurt.

You see, sometimes we need the hard times
To bring us to our knees –
Otherwise we do as we please
And never heed Him;
But He always knows what’s best,
And it’s when we are distressed
That we really come to know God as He is.

(“The Fire,” Words and Music by Deb Jackson, arranged by Christine Wyrtzen, copyright 1981 by Singspiration Music / ASCAP)

In the songbook, “LifeSong,” Deb shares this testimony as a preface to her song, “The Fire”: 

“In 1977 I went through several months of frustration and confusion that comes with physically caused depression.  I never thought I’d make it through or ever be happy again.  I hated it and I wanted to die.  But I grew so much and God truly deepened my understanding of Himself and His plan.  I can say now that it was worth the hurt!”  The words paint a picture of trust in a God Who never allows things to enter the life of His children haphazardly.

Later in his first letter to suffering Christians, Peter shares that suffering and trials should not take Christians by surprise.  “Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you” (1 Peter 4:12).  In fact, suffering and trials give Christians the opportunity to be identified with Christ.  Verse 13 encourages Christ’s followers to “rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ’s sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy.”  Notice that the word “joy” is used three times in these two verses.  Trials enable Christians to enter into a closer, joyful relationship with Christ.  The Apostle Paul reminded the Philippian Christians of that possibility – “For to you it has been granted on behalf of Christ, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake”  (Philippians 1:29). 

Fiery trials allow God to refine us as Christ’s followers, encourage others as they observe our faith while going through difficulties, and bring glory to God.  It may be God’s intention to use you and your fiery experience to impact the lives of others in order to bring God glory.

In the second century A. D., Polycarp, the Bishop of Smyrna, was arrested for heresy by the Roman government.  He was arrested because he had refused to burn incense in tribute to the supposed lordship and deity of Caesar.  Polycarp instead publicly declared his faith in Christ alone.  He was threatened with execution unless he recanted his faith in Christ and declared his total allegiance to Caesar.  Polycarp responded – “Eighty and six years have I served Him and He never did me any injury.  How can I blaspheme my King and my Savior?  Bring forth what thou will.” 

Having heard Polycarp’s statement, the Roman officer in charge of his execution stated, “I have respect for your age.  Simply say, ‘Away with the atheists!’ and you will be set free.”  By “the atheists” the officer was referring to the Christians who would not acknowledge that Caesar was “lord.”  The old man pointed to the crowd of Roman pagans surrounding him and cried, “Away with the atheists!”  Polycarp was burned at the stake and then stabbed to death when the burning did not kill him.  His testimony and martyrdom brought glory to the name of Jesus Christ.

Fiery trials may be very painful, but by God’s grace we endure them.  As a result, our trust in God can emerge from the blazing furnace purer and stronger than it was before.  In fact, it is our faith in Jesus Christ that helps shape our values. In God’s plan, the Christian’s life is not focused upon temporal possessions and ambitions, rather upon that which has long-term, spiritual value.  That is the perspective God’s Word frames for us. 
These principles serve as timely truths for Christians and churches in the State of Michigan as we deal with the current difficulties encompassing us.  Instead of questioning why God would want us to go through an extreme time of testing, it may be better for us to look for the opportunities that He is developing for us in order to bring Him glory through the trials.

If you are currently going through a “fiery trial,” seek God’s insight through a careful study of His Word.  There are precious things that He desires you to discover in the midst of the ashes. 

You have His Word on it! (KEF)

Connor Wesley Helmick

Sharon and I pulled our first “all-nighter” since our youth ministry days on Thursday, May 28!  We were summoned by a call from our son-in-law, Taylor, at 6 p.m. on Wednesday evening.  Our daughter, Allison, had gone into labor!  We made the trek from Grand Rapids to Canton, Ohio, and arrived at the hospital at 12:30 a.m. 

We were blessed to hear the initial cries of our first grandchild, Connor Wesley Helmick, at 7:06 a.m. on Thursday, May 28.  Connor checked in at 7 pounds, 1 ounce and 19 inches long.  He has brownish auburn hair (he already has more hair than gramps – but who doesn’t!) and has a set of lungs that qualify him as preacher material.  We praise God for His wonderful blessing!

You can also download a PDF of the May/June 2009 Baptist Testimony (1.2mb PDF; PC: Right click / MAC: Control click on the link and choose “Save As”)

The Word Has It
“Strengthen me according to Your word,” Psalm 119:28
Ken Floyd
MARBC Executive Director

Impressions

The past several weeks has brought a heightened sense of hygienic caution and etiquette as a result of several waves of serious health issues. The worldwide attention given to the Novel Influenza A (H1N1), also known as “Swine Flu,” has caused each of us to exercise greater caution. It’s thought that the H1N1 virus spreads in the same way that regular seasonal influenza viruses spread; mainly through the coughs and sneezes of people who are sick with the virus.

As a couple that travels regularly for ministry, Sharon and I have been well aware of this virus, regardless of what you call it. One Sunday night a few weeks ago the late TV news report shared that the first identified case of the H1N1 virus was in the town were we had ministered that day! Our particular county, Kent, has consistently led the state in known cases of the virus. We will forgive you if you want to refrain from shaking our hands.

Living in a self-conscious society has indoctrinated all of us to the need of making the right impression. Billions are spent yearly on fashion statements and accessorizing for success. The recent media frenzy regarding the H1N1 virus prompted me to recall an article published in USA Weekend, January 23-25, 2004. The article, written by Vyvyan Lynn, takes the need for a right impression to a new high. Or is it a new low? Or blow? Lynn reveals “breakthrough” research about the important topic of “sneezing.” For those of us who are obsessed with flu bugs, viruses, allergies, and sinus infections, this is must reading.

Lynn writes: “After studying the ways people sneeze, Atlanta-based behavior expert Patti Wood and Steven Lamm, clinical assistant professor of medicine at New York University, drew a conclusion – sneezers come in four main personality types. Which sneezer type are you? Grab a tissue and take the test!

• The Sensitive Sneezer: One small sneeze and it’s over. You’re polite, always turning your head away. You’re the warm, friendly type who enjoys a relaxed pace. Relationships with others are your top priority. You avoid conflict even if it means making personal sacrifices.
• The “Be Right” Sneezer: When the big achoo comes, you cover your mouth. You are careful, accurate and a deep thinker. Before speaking, you consider the right words. Detailed and precise, you catch mistakes others miss. You have great insights and opinions, if others would just listen.
• The Get-It-Done Sneezer: When possible, you hold in your sneeze. But when a sneeze finally escapes, it’s a 4.0 on the Richter scale. You are fast, efficient, uncomplicated and self-sufficient.
• The Enthusiastic Sneezer: When you sneeze, it’s in multiples and blow-the-house-down loud. You are a charismatic leader and influencer who is imaginative and intuitive. You seek and cherish relationships with others.

Which sneeze is best? “The healthiest way to sneeze,” Lamm says, “is in one of the more ‘contained’ styles, such as the turn-away sneeze.” Wood explains why: “A sneeze expels air from the nose at 100 miles per hour, sprays 100,000 bacteria and travels as far as any wind current.”

Maybe this is more information than we need! No doubt, the thought of an atmosphere full of sneeze particles will cause some who read this column to consider wearing particle masks in public. Twice during the month of May I had the opportunity to travel by airplane to ministry meetings. I observed both in airport terminals and on airplanes that some travelers went to the extreme of wearing masks to protect themselves from airborne particles. Going through airport security, most people at the very least had “ziplock” bags containing small bottles of anti-bacterial hand sanitizer. After someone sneezed on one flight it appeared that the entire passenger compartment went into a synchronized convulsion in response. Being one who is susceptible to seasonal allergies, I have been met with suspicious glances if I dare to audibly sniff a time or two. This has made me extra sensitive to how my actions will cause others to react.

The main reason for this column is not to talk about sneezing or even common manners. These matters may be important during these days of heightened sensitivity to diseases and germs. But more important than this to God is your awareness of the impression and example you are making as a Christian.

What impression do people around you have about being a Christian, solely by observing you? In his Sermon on the Mount, Jesus reminds his followers, “You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.” (Matthew 5:14-16)

It has been stated regarding the Christian’s testimony, “You’re the only Jesus that some will ever see.” Are people getting an accurate example of Christ based upon your personal testimony? Someone once observed: “The greatest evidence for Christianity is Christians – consecrated, dedicated, faithful servants. But the worst evidence against Christianity is also Christians – those who are carnal, self-centered, slothful, and disobedient.”

One of the reasons that Jesus has redeemed Christians is so that they might follow Him and reflect to others what Christlikeness is. He shared with His disciples, “I have given you an example that you should do as I have done for you” (John 13:15). The Apostle Paul understood the importance of a godly impression when he encouraged those under his care to “Imitate me, just as I also imitate Christ” (1 Corinthians 11:1). Paul later told his protégé, Timothy, to “be an example to the believers in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity” (1 Timothy 4:12). Peter reminds all Christians, “To this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow his steps” (1 Peter 2:21).

Let me suggest a good exercise for all Christians during these days of abundant allergy symptoms, sinus infections, and viruses of various kinds. Each time we sneeze or hear someone else sneeze, do not try to determine what type of personality is on display. Instead, use it as a prompter to remember that God is concerned about the impression you are making on others through your godly walk. Jesus encourages all His ambassadors to “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.” This way, you can take it to heart the next time someone says to you after your sneeze, “God bless you!”

You have His Word on it! (KEF)

You can also download a PDF of the March/April 2009 Baptist Testimony (1.5mb PDF; PC: Right click / MAC: Control click on the link and choose “Save As”)

The Word Has It
“Strengthen me according to Your word,” Psalm 119:28
Ken Floyd
MARBC Executive Director

“Bridge”
Often our road trips in Michigan afford us a luxury that people up to a half century ago could not take advantage of – a journey into Michigan’s Upper Peninsula and back via the Mackinac Bridge.  No matter how many times you cross its magnificent five mile span, you are amazed by this amazing structure and its impact upon the region. 

According to the Mackinac Bridge Authority website, the Mackinac Bridge is currently the longest suspension bridge in the western hemisphere and the third longest suspension bridge in the world. The bridge, which opened to traffic on November 1, 1957, is five miles long and contains 42,000 miles of wire in its main cables. The height of the roadway at mid-span is approximately 200 feet above water level.    [Read more...]

You can also download a PDF of the January/February 2009 Baptist Testimony (1.3mb PDF; PC: Right click / MAC: Control click on the link and choose “Save As”)

The Word Has It
“Strengthen me according to Your word,” Psalm 119:28
Ken Floyd
MARBC Executive Director

This Issue’s Word: “Weakness”

I have to admit that as I anticipated writing regular columns for the “Baptist Testimony” under the byline, “The Word Has It,” I never imagined using the word “weakness” as a topic. Based upon the current climate that engulfs us it now seems like an appropriate word to use.

As we begin a new year we are facing several significant challenges in our state. It has not been easy to hear our state and its people being referred to by the media and even by our Congress as being “out of touch” and “behind the times.” Such broad generalizations ignore the committed and hard working people who have been and continue to be a significant part of the backbone of our nation. Now it seems that the rest of the country has now caught up with Michigan in terms of difficulties and hardships. [Read more...]

A Special Note Regarding the Baptist Testimony

“Effective Biblical Leadership” was the theme of the 66^th MARBC Annual Conference, which was held on October 27-28 and hosted in the wonderful facilities of the First Baptist Church in Rochester. Tom Townsend (Senior Pastor), Scott Kigar (Associate Pastor), Rob Laing (Associate Pastor), and the entire First Baptist staff are to be highly commended for their wonderful ministry in preparing for and hosting this special event. [Read more...]

The Word Has It
“Strengthen me according to Your word,” Psalm 119:28
Ken Floyd
MARBC State Representative

October’s Word:  “Serve”

One of the great joys that result from a personal relationship with Jesus Christ is the fact that a person is no longer a “slave of sin” and instead becomes a “servant of Christ.”  The Apostle Paul spends a great deal of time developing this concept in his detailed doctrinal discussion of salvation in Romans 6.  For example, in Romans 6:6, Christians are reminded that “our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin.”  By contrast, he further states to Christians, “And having been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness” (Romans 6:18).  What is one of the primary goals of this new found freedom?  “But now having been set free from sin, and having become slaves of God, you have your fruit to holiness, and the end, everlasting life.” (Romans 6:22) [Read more...]

The Baptist Testimony
Volume 54 Number 8 September 2008

The Word Has It
“Strengthen me according to Your word,” Psalm 119:28
Ken Floyd
MARBC State Representative

September’s Word:  “Eyes”

One of the most marvelous organs of the human body is the eye.  The eye serves as a window that opens up the world to us.  Here are some amazing facts about this God-created window into the world: [Read more...]