Dennis Prager: Why Is There a Hookup Culture?

Dennis Prager: Why Is There a Hookup Culture?.

This dear people is so relevant to day and illustrates the destruction of the family which God first created.

120 – April 30 – This Day in Baptist History Past

 

Who Will Go?

 

The work among the Karens in Burma is a thrilling account of missionary sacrifice and faithfulness. George Dana Boardman and his wife were appointed by the Triennial convention on April 30, 1823, in Washington, D.C., and they pioneered that rapidly expanding ministry.  God’s blessing rested heavily upon their efforts.  By 1910 the work among the Karens had grown to 50,000 members in 774 churches.  The Missionaries often looked to a range of mountains where a notorious savage tribe existed.  The missionaries wandered how they might reach the wild tribes who were known as Brecs, who lived by plunder and known to be fond of uncooked meat and blood, the tribes were greatly feared.  During an annual assembly of the Karen churches, an appeal was made to evangelize the Brecs, one of the national Karen evangelists bowed his head, evidently in prayer. Finally standing he said, “I am sorry for the poor Brecs, who know nothing of God, or his law to men.  I am very unhappy because no one goes to them with the great tidings.  If my church will give me leave, I will go.”   . . . “God delivered me form the mouth of a bear, and also from death when, crossing a swift stream . . . He also saved me from the mouth of a tiger.  He will be with me in this work, no matter how difficult.”   The national evangelist made his way to the range of mountains and to a village where the most wicked of all of the Brecs lived.  Here he was met with spears and knives of the angry Brecs.  He pulled out his Bible and hymnbook, he read scripture and then began to sing, literally for his very life.  Soon his voice in song calmed the angry hearts of those wild men.  The reception was so great among the Brecs that the national evangelist remained some time proclaiming the gospel.  In a few short years a church was established in the village.  Other villages responded, and churches and even schools were formed.

 

Dr. Dale R. Hart adapted from: This Day in Baptist History III (David L. Cummins) p.p. 250   –   251

 

 

119 – April 29 – This Day in Baptist History Past

 

Ritualism to Reality in Christ

 

Dover Mills, Goochland County, VA – 1865

 

From the time of his youth, William Baskett purposed to know God.  William was born in 1741 in Goochland County Virginia.  As a youth, William envisioned the blessings of sincere Christianity, and he regularly attended public worship services, and because of his sincerity, he was allowed to participate in the communion service of the established state church (Anglican).  In time William saw himself as a guilty, undone sinner.  Great conviction gripped his heart and he continually examined God’s word.  Finally one night God brought the Scripture to mind: “He that trusts in the Lord shall never be confounded.” (Douay-Rheims bible) At that moment he trusted Jesus Christ as his Saviour and threw himself on the Lord’s grace.  He found immediate peace with God.  In the mean time  Elijah Craig and David Thompson, faithful Baptist preachers, had entered the area, and the Basketts were immersed upon their profession of faith.  Soon a small congregation was gathered, and the work of God grew, when in 1788 a revival in the area brought significant growth to the local church.  William Baskett was called to assume the pastorate of the Lyle’s Baptist Church.   After twenty -one years of an exemplary ministry, the amazing event of the home going of the Basketts took place.  On April 21, 1815, his life partner fell asleep in Jesus.  One week later on April 29, 1815, he preached his last sermon from the words: “We have no continuing city, but seek one to come.”  On the following day, William’s tranquil spirit took flight to Glory.

 

Dr. Dale R. Hart, adapted from:  This Day in Baptist History III (David L. Cummins) p.p.  248   –   249

 

118 – April 28 – This Day in Baptist History Past

 

Evangelize or Fossilize

 

T. T. Martin was born on April 28, 1862, in smith county, Mississippi. In his youth the lad desired to become a lawyer. While preparing for his chosen career, T. T. Martin experienced a growing burden to preach.  Following intense self-examination, he surrendered to the leading of the Holy Spirit and devoted himself to prepare for the ministry. To support himself, he served as professor of Natural Science from 1886 to 1888 at which time he enrolled in Southern Baptist Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky.  In 1900 a new door was opened to evangelism, and T. T. Martin began a full-time evangelistic ministry.  Protracted Meetings ran from fifteen to twenty-one days, and the man of God preached twice daily and four times each Lord’s Day. His schedule often kept him on the road for six months at a time.  As demands for his services continued to proliferate, T. T. Martin organized a corps of gospel singers and evangelists.  He booked these men throughout the country.  This group was named the Blue Mountain Evangelists, and he chose choice men whose singing and preaching was Christ-centered.  Somehow, midst his strenuous schedule of evangelism, T. T. Martin authored a number of books.  He continued in his active ministry until the last few months of his life, entering the presence of his Lord on May 23, 1939.

 

Dr. Dale R. Hart adapted from:  This Day in Baptist History III (David L. Cummins) p.p.  246   –   247

 

 

117 – April 27 – This Day in Baptist History Past

 

A Vital Mission Field

 

 Several historic dates of interest to Baptists in America are essential to understanding the ongoing of the Baptist witness. John Mason Peck and Dr. Jonathan Going championed the desire for participation of all Baptists in America in the cause of reaching into the West.  These men envisioned the planting of Bible-believing Baptist churches from coast to coast.  Thus, the American Baptist Home Mission Society was formed on April 27, 1832.  “The object of the society was, ‘The preaching of the gospel to every creature in our country,’ which object was so well expressed in its grand motto: ‘North America for Christ.’”   “During the first 50 years missionaries were employed for longer or shorter periods – 6 in New York, 12 in Ohio, 5 in Indiana, 3 in Michigan, 9 in Illinois, 7 in Missouri, 2 in New Jersey, and 1 each in Pennsylvania, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Mississippi, and Lower Canada.  In the Second year 80 missionaries were engaged and Upper Canada and Louisiana were added to the fields.  The third year shows an increase of missionaries to 96.”  “. . . By the end of the decade, the society’s efforts had reaped nearly 11,000 converts on the frontier and established 400 churches pastored by 142 ministers.

 

Dr. Dale R. Hart, adapted from:  This Day in Baptist History III (David L. Cummins) p.p.  244   –   245

 

 

116 – April 26 – This Day in Baptist History Past

 

The General’s Right Hand Man

 

Prior to the Civil War there were few black Baptist preachers in the North or the South.  But it is a thrill to read of the exploits of those few that existed.  “Uncle” Harry Cowan was a slave to Thomas L. Cowan.  On one occasion Mr. Cowan was present for a funeral where his servant was to preach, and he was shocked at Uncle Harry’s grasp of the Scripture.  This resulted in the master granting “privilege papers” allowing Uncle Harry to preach, marry, and baptize any one who makes a profession of Faith.”  In time Uncle Harry’s success caused his master to extend this privilege of preaching wherever his slave had “protection.”  The blessing of God was attendant upon this choice servant of the Lord, and literally thousands of both races heard him gladly.  His ministry extended from before the Civil War, during that awful conflict, and following it as well.  In fact, during the Civil War, Uncle Harry served as Confederate General Joseph Johnston’s body servant.  He preached every night during the war, with the exception of May 2, 1863, when General Stonewall Jackson fell in battle.  He served General Johnston faithfully until the General’s surrender on April 26, 1865

 

 

114 – April 24 – This Day in Baptist History Past

 

Shipwrecked!

 

Sometimes we despair at the difficulties we face in our efforts to serve God. We wonder why the highest and noblest of all work by mankind would be impeded by wrecks, trouble, and near disaster. But providentially our pilgrimage is cluttered with pain, setbacks, and frightening walks ‘through the Valley of the Shadow of Death.’  Such was the case of James Voller who set sail from England with his family to become the pastor of the Bathurst Street Baptist church in Sydney, Australia.  The earliest known Baptist worship service in Australia had been conducted on April 24, 1831, but now the James Voller family were on their way to minister in the Bathurst Baptist Church.  Their ship was highly anticipated by the congregation who had bright hopes for their new pastor, but a dark shadow was cast over them when word came that their pastor’s ship was lost at sea.  The Voller’s ship, the Meridian, had been run aground on the uninhabited island of Amsterdam in the Indian Sea.  They were forced to abandon ship and clung to the rocks at the bottom of cliffs that seemed impossible to scale.  They were cold, wet, hungry, and almost naked.  But God caused some of the Meridian’s shipment to break open in front of them and the group was thus providentially supplied with warm clothing and food.  One sailor courageously climbed the cliff and threw down ropes by which they were able to hoist everyone up to dry land, an effort that took almost two days to accomplish because of the difficulty of the terrain.  After several days when the crew and passengers thought all was lost, God heard the cries of His ambassadors and caused an American whaling ship to see their smoke signals and launched a daring rescue.  On April 24, 1854, James Voller preached his first message at his new church.  Such was the excitement of the shipwreck and rescue that national papers carried the story and many came to hear the new Baptist preacher speak. Voller arrived in Australia at the age of forty; Forty-eight years later, when he entered his reward, he left behind him many Baptist churches.

 

Dr. Dale R. Hart adapted from:  This Day in Baptist History III (David L. Cummins) p.p.  237   –   239

 

 

113 – April 23 – This Day in Baptist History Past

 

Did the Baptists Begin in 1641?

 

The premise of the authors of this devotional, historical volumes has been that history vindicates the succession of Baptist principles from the days of the New Testament.  In other words, Baptists did not spring from the Reformation.  They preceded it, and the New Testament principles that we call distinctive have long endured.  “In the report of the Council of the Archbishop of Cologne about the ‘Anabaptist movement, ‘ to the Emperor Charles V,  it is said that the Anabaptists call themselves ‘true Christians,‘  that they desire community of goods, ‘which has been the way of Anabaptists for more than a thousand years, as the old histories and imperial laws testify.‘  At the dissolution of the Parliament at Speyer it was stated [of] the ‘new sect of the Anabaptists‘ . . . ‘It is a fact that for more than twelve centuries baptism in the way taught and described in the New Testament had been made an offense against the law, punishable by death.’”   The full report of the Council was presented to Emperor Charles V, and on April 23, 1529, the Decree of the Emperor against the Anabaptists was issued.  In the decree one reads language such as the following: “.  .  . yet do we find daily that, contrary to the promulgated common law and also to our mandate issued, such ancient sect of the Anabaptists condemned and forbidden many hundred of years ago more and more advances and spreads.”  The decree called for the following penalty:  “ .  .  .that all and every Anabaptist and re-baptized man or woman of intelligent age shall be sentenced and executed by fire, sword, of the like .  .  .”  When reading this decree, it is apparent that the so-called “anabaptists” did not spring from the Reformation.  They long preceded it.

 

 

 

Dr. Dale R. Hart, adapted from:  This Day in Baptist History  III (David L. Cummins) p.p.  235   –   236

 

 

112– April 22 – This Day in Baptist History Past

 

Prayer and a Biblical Educator

 

 

James Petigru Boyce was a fine scholar and very popular in his ways. He received his college education when it was not unusual for students and faculty to meet for prayer every evening. The spiritual welfare of Boyce became of great concern to some of his fellow students, and he became the object of special prayer that his gifts and graces might all be consecrated to Christ.

 

Shortly after one of these times of special prayer and fasting, Boyce took a ship from New York to Charleston, South Carolina. During this long journey, it was observed that he spent a great deal of time in his stateroom. A friend discovered that he was reading his Bible, and after much discourse together, Boyce came under deep conviction. Upon reaching the city, he found that his sister was also concerned with her spiritual welfare and that a close friend had just made his profession of faith.                                    Dr. Richard Fuller was preaching in the city with great effect, and a spiritual awakening was under way. Boyce’s conviction of sin increased, and he felt himself a ruined sinner and looked to the merits of Jesus Christ alone for his salvation. On April 22, 1846, he was baptized on that profession of faith. Boyce graduated from Brown University in 1847 and studied theology at Princeton from 1848 to 1851.

 

Dr. Dale R. Hart from:  This Day in Baptist History Vol. I: Cummins Thompson /, p. 1623

 

 

111– April 21 – This Day in Baptist History

 

Ordination of “Colored” Billy Harriss

 

The history of the First Baptist Church of Richmond, Virginia, records the fact that “colored deacons were elected, whose duty it was to watch over slave and free Negro members.  According to custom, the church licensed certain colored men who, by consecration and aptitude, seemed best fitted to ‘exercise their spiritual gifts in public.’ “ At least fifteen years prior to William Carey’s sailing for India, George Lisle, the “first ordained Baptist Negro in America,” went to Jamaica as a missionary. Lott Carey, member of the First Baptist Church of Richmond, purchased his and his children’s freedom for eight hundred and fifty dollars in 1813. Carey, along with Collin Teague, sailed in 1821 for Liberia and established the First Baptist Church in Monrovia. Prior to the Civil War, Abraham Marshall, pastor at Kiokee, ordained Andrew Bryan in Savannah.  It was prior to the Civil War that John Jasper was saved and sent by his “master” to preach the gospel.  However, the church minutes prior to the Civil war always alluded to blacks as “belonging to . . . “ and the name of the “master” followed. After the Civil War, the minutes named the black and then stated, “formerly the property of . . . .”   Following the Civil War, as before, blacks were still ordained into the gospel ministry. On April 21, 1867, we read from the Kiokee minutes:  “The Baptist Church of Christ at Kiokee met and proceeded to the ordination of Brother Billy Hariss, colored, to preach the Gospel.

 

Dr. Dale R. Hart Adapted from:  This Day in Baptist History Vol. I: Cummins Thompson /, p. 162