Our mission: The Baptist Mid-Missions family exists to strategically advance the building of Christ's church, with His passion and for His glory, in vital partnership with Baptist churches worldwide.

Notasulga Alabama (AL)

Sharing Christ's Love with International Students

At Maranatha Baptist Church, our vision is to share the good news of Christ's death and resurrection with people in Saint Roberts and around the world.

What The Bible Says - Good Samaritan's Penny Pulpit by Pastor Ed Rice

What The Bible Says Good Samaritan's Penny Pulpit by Pastor Ed Rice

What The Bible Says Good Samaritan's Penny Pulpit by Pastor Ed Rice

What The Bible Says Good Samaritan's Penny Pulpit by Pastor Ed Rice

What the Bible Says, Good Samaritan's Penny Pulpit by Pastor Ed Rice

February 25, 2024 Sunday School Service Live Stream "The Coming of Christ's Forerunner, John the Baptist" Mark 1:2-8 Speaker: ...

Christ's Example part 2 - Psalm 16 Pastor Henry Funkhouser http://firstbaptisteaston.com/ CCLI License # 11635982 Streaming ...

Title : Behold, The glory of Christ's love for His church Scripture : Ephesians 5 Speaker : Bro. John Antalika Date : 20 Aug 2023.

The details of Christ's second advent are gruesome. Revelation 19:16-21 Sunday 1-8-23 p.m..

Editor's Note: This article was originally published in 2017, but is being found by readers in advance of the April 8, 2024 solar eclipse, such that it has made it into our Most Popular articles on CrosswalkHeadlines.On August 21, a total solar eclipse will be visible across the U.S. Hundreds of viewing parties for this amazing and rare astronomical phenomenon have been scheduled from coast to coast, but many Christian leaders believe this event is more than an incredible scientific occurrence. Many believe it is a prophetic sign that we are living in the end times and that Christ's return is imminent. Many of these leaders point to Scripture passages, particularly in Revelation, which talk about the end of the age and the signs to look out for. Here is what 10 Christian leaders had to say about this total solar eclipse. What do you think? Is this event truly a sign of the end times? Are you planning on viewing it?Photo courtesy: ©Jongsun Lee/Unsplash

Editor's Note: This article was originally published in 2017, but is being found by readers in advance of the April 8, 2024 solar eclipse, such that it has made it into our Most Popular articles on CrosswalkHeadlines.On August 21, a total solar eclipse will be visible across the U.S. Hundreds of viewing parties for this amazing and rare astronomical phenomenon have been scheduled from coast to coast, but many Christian leaders believe this event is more than an incredible scientific occurrence. Many believe it is a prophetic sign that we are living in the end times and that Christ's return is imminent. Many of these leaders point to Scripture passages, particularly in Revelation, which talk about the end of the age and the signs to look out for. Here is what 10 Christian leaders had to say about this total solar eclipse. What do you think? Is this event truly a sign of the end times? Are you planning on viewing it?Photo courtesy: ©Jongsun Lee/Unsplash

Today is Good Friday, when we remember Christ's death. But we look forward to Sunday because that's when we celebrate that he is alive!

Rediscovering the Power of Prayer for Local Church MinistryClark GrahamThu, 01/18/2024 - 09:00 Throughout the New Testament, we see that crisis prayers are often ineffectual without being preceded by communion prayers. Ministry is filled with unexpected moments of crisis. In these times, we find ourselves praying for God's miraculous intervention. Throughout the New Testament, however, we see that crisis prayers are often ineffectual without being preceded by communion prayers.? For instance, in the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus engaged in a season of unimaginable, agonizing prayer (Matthew 26:36–44). However, John 17 records that Jesus had prayed in the upper room just before Gethsemane. These two prayers—Gethsemane and the upper room—are profoundly different. While the garden prayer was about imminent crisis, the upper room prayer was about intimate communion.? In June of 2017, twenty-one-year old Alex Honnold climbed the world's most famous climbing rock: El Capitan in Yosemite National Park. He ascended the three thousand-foot face in just three hours and fifty-six minutes. But his real achievement was not just in what he did, but in how he did it. Honnold specializes in a climbing technique known as free solo climbing, meaning he does not use any ropes or equipment. His climb was celebrated as one of the greatest athletic feats of any kind because it would either be a perfect climb or death.But Alex Honnold didn't just wake up one day and decide to scale El Capitan without a rope. He went through a two-year preparation process. On the day of his climb, every hand hold, foot placement, and body movement had been carefully choreographed in precise detail. Alex's preparation had determined his performance.? In Mark 9, while Peter, James, and John are on the mountain with Jesus witnessing His transfiguration, the remaining disciples find themselves in a situation for which they are wholly unprepared (Mark? 9:14–29). A man whose son has been suffering day and night because of demon possession approaches the disciples begging for help. Despite all their efforts, they are powerless to cast out the evil spirit. Jesus arrives on the scene and miraculously heals the boy, ministering to the once-hopeless father in the process. After the ordeal is over, the disciples ask Jesus privately why they were not able to cast out the demon. Jesus' answer is simple but soul-shaking: “This kind can come forth by nothing, but by prayer and fasting” (Mark 9:29).? The disciples were certainly praying men, but they lost, or perhaps had not yet discovered, power in their praying.? When we find ourselves in such a place—serving and yet unequipped and powerless in ministry—how do we rediscover the power of prayer? Here are three ways:Regain the Focus of Our Imperative MissionThe church's mission was defined by Jesus in Matthew 28:18–20. At the very core of this mission, two actions are essential: to represent the Savior and recover sinners.? In Mark 9, the father of the demon possessed boy came to the disciples because he had heard of Jesus. In Jesus' absence, the man naturally looked to His disciples who were ministering in His name. Sadly, the disciples did not represent the Savior well nor were they able to recover sinners from the grip of Satan. “And wheresoever he taketh him, he teareth him: and he foameth, and gnasheth with his teeth, and pineth away: and I spake to thy disciples that they should cast him out; and they could not” (Mark? 9:18).? Paul explained that God has given all believers the “ministry of reconciliation.” We are able to carry out this mission as we remember that we represent the Savior. We “are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God” (2? Corinthians? 5:18, 20).Remember the Futility of Impotent MinistryBefore this father begged the disciples for help, the disciples had already been sent out to preach the gospel and were given authority to cast out devils and heal the sick (Luke 9:1–2). Why then were they not able to minister to this family when they had been given the authority to do so? Jesus had given authority to His disciples, but that authority was only effective when exercised by faith. Christ has given His church the authority to minister for Him, but our authority will be ineffective and lack power when we operate faithlessly: “He answereth him, and saith, O faithless generation, how long shall I be with you? how long shall I suffer you? bring him unto me” (Mark 9:19).? Jesus warned against trying to produce results on our own: “I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing” (John? 15:5).Renew Our Faith in an Impeccable Master? Faith unlocks the invisible and completes the impossible. “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1). Jesus affirmed this to the desperate father in Mark 9: “Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth” (Mark 9:23). When we put our faith in Jesus Christ, we can ascribe limitless possibility to God by completely trusting Him.If we are to truly live by faith day by day, we will need to, like the desperate father, acknowledge that we are a limited people: “And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief” (Mark 9:24).? Some of the greatest prayers in the Bible were motivated by an acknowledgment of one's human limitations. Moses prayed for mercy (Numbers 14:11–20). David prayed for cleansing (Psalm? 51:2–12). Solomon prayed for wisdom (1? Kings? 3:5–12). The apostles prayed for courage (Acts 4:23–31). These men, and countless others, could have full assurance and confidence in their crisis prayers because they regularly had communion prayers.? That power is for us, too. When we regain focus, remember the futility of ministering in our own power, and daily renew our faith in our impeccable Master while we commune with the Lord in prayer, we will discover or rediscover the free-flowing power of God upon our lives, ministries, and churches.? ? Category Christian Living Tags Prayer Local Church

Reflections on 250 Years of “Amazing Grace”Tyler JohnsonMon, 11/20/2023 - 01:22 On New Year's Day 1773, John Newton preached from 1 Chronicles 17:16–17. It was during this message that Newton introduced to his congregation a special song—arguably the most well-known hymn of all time—“Amazing Grace.”In 2023, some two-hundred fifty years since “Amazing Grace” was first sung, the message of God's grace is still powerfully ministering through this hymn to people all over the world. But why? Why has “Amazing Grace“ resonated within the hearts of so many since its writing?Deliverance from Spiritual DarknessYou may know that the lyrics to “Amazing Grace” were birthed out of personal testimony. When Newton was just six years old, he lost his mother to tuberculosis, and at only eleven years of age, he joined his father at sea. In years to come, Newton's life took a sharp downward trajectory as he participated in the slave trade, transporting people from the African continent.It was during a particularly stormy journey from Africa to Europe in 1748 that Newton, fearing for his life, began reading the Scriptures and contemplating his faith in God in an attempt to find some comfort for his soul. Although his mother had died early in his life, she had instilled in his heart a scriptural foundation that John remembered then, even within the darkness of the slave trade. God did rescue Newton and the entire crew in that storm. But more significantly, it was through this experience that Newton placed his faith in Christ as his Savior.Newton eventually rejected the ills of the slave trade and became a respected voice in his day against the evils of slavery. Ultimately, he pursued a ministry life in the small English town of Olney.It was in Olney that Newton worked together with his friend William Cowper to produce the well-known collection Olney Hymns. It was in this book that “Amazing Grace” was first published.? The song “Amazing Grace” was birthed against the backdrop of the personal testimony of John Newton and God's great salvation from sin. Light is more readily appreciated in contrast with darkness. Goodness is seen more vibrantly in the face of evil. The beauty of God's grace is demonstrated more dramatically against the ugliness of sin. Shortly before Newton's death, he said, “My memory is nearly gone, but I remember two things: that I am a great sinner, and that Christ is a great Savior.”? On Newton's tombstone is the following inscription: “John Newton, clerk, once an infidel and libertine, a servant of slaves in Africa, was by the rich mercy of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, preserved, restored, pardoned, and appointed to preach the faith he had long labored to destroy.”Delivery of Scriptural DoctrineScriptural worship always begins with properly understood truth. Truth ought to be the driver of our affections and should generate a response within the heart and life of the believer. These responses—whether of praise, surrender, giving, or serving—are the sacrifices of worship we offer to God.? The essential nature of truth in our worship is seen in Jesus' words in John 4:24, “God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.”It is the beautiful communication of truth in “Amazing Grace” that has made it resonate so deeply in the hearts of Christians over the centuries. We sing in this hymn the wonderful realities we as Christians hold dear: the depth of our sin; the richness of Christ's grace and love; the comfort of God's presence, goodness, and care in our lives; and the ultimate hope for the believer in Heaven with God for all of eternity.? The truths expressed in “Amazing Grace” are ultimately a reminder of the unlimited reach of God's grace in our salvation. This is reminiscent of the apostle Paul's encouragement in 1 Corinthians 6:11: “And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.”Intergenerational Timelessness of TruthGreat songs are not relegated to a specific time period. In fact, wonderful and doctrinally rich songs communicating truth from God's Word can and are being written today.? Even so, I am appreciative of the heritage that we as believers have in many great songs of the faith. One of the enduring values of a hymn like “Amazing Grace” is that it appropriately and excellently expresses truth about Who our God is, what He has done and desires to do, and what He has given us in Scripture. When we as believers understand these truths and the immeasurable value of our personal relationship with God, our hearts overflow with a desire to sing praise to God.There is great beauty in multiple generations participating in singing corporately to the Lord. “Amazing Grace” contains timeless truth through which both the old and the young, the time-tested Christian and the new believer, and those of any and all cultural and ethnic backgrounds can participate in worshiping the Lord.Isn't that the heart of God's grace? God loved the world (John 3:16, Ephesians 2:4–5, 1 John 4:10), He gave His Son for the world (Luke 19:10, John? 1:17, John 3:16), He extends His grace to the world (Luke? 19:10, 2 Corinthians 8:9, Ephesians 2:4–9), and He desires “that the world through Him might be saved” (John 3:17, Romans 5:8–11, 2 Peter 3:9).May our hearts rest in and be refreshed by His amazing grace, and may we be encouraged to share the story of God's grace with the world!Editor's note: To hear a special 250-year anniversary arrangement of "Amazing Grace," performed by the West Coast Baptist College Choir and directed by Tyler Johnson, click here. Category Music Ministry Tags Music Music Ministry Grace