IndependentBaptist.com

Articles, News, Encouragement

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I Love America

"There beats within my breast a dream That that small faint and flickering gleam Will soon become a mighty flame To spread to all His matchless name:"

  a poem written by Dr. Jack Hyles

I love Thanksgiving when we pray, And July 4th and Labor Day With picnics, ants, and hungry flies, And barbecue and hot French fries, With Cokes and chips and apple pies Beneath some hazy, lazy skies. I love Miami’s royal palm That oozes forth a healing balm Beside the ocean’s quiet calm.

And Betsy Ross, and Orville Wright, And dear Ben Franklin’s flying kite; An…

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Importance of the Testimony

"Let us hear more testimonies in our churches of what God has done with us! Great things He hath done!"

  by Keith Phemister

Acts 15:1-4 – And certain men which came down from Judaea taught the brethren, and said, Except ye be circumcised after the manner of Moses, ye cannot be saved. When therefore Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and disputation with them, they determined that Paul and Barnabas, and certain other of them, should go up to Jerusalem unto the apostles and elders about this…

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Beware of the Riptide!

"In the Christian life,...we can easily become complacent about our vulnerability to the devil’s riptide."

  by Tracie S. Burns

Just days ago in Panama City Beach, Florida, as the summer tourist season was beginning, an unremarkable summer evening was shattered by tragedy.

A retired lifeguard was walking along the beach with his wife and children when his wife noticed a boy struggling in the surf. She pointed out the child to her husband, then also saw the mother fighting to stay above water. Although…

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I Want a Big Mouth!

"God does not need all of the right conditions; He just needs me to want to be used. He wants me to have a vision and to dream big. I am convinced that many churches could grow extremely well if we would BELIEVE that God would grow us."

  by Jason Watford

Psalm 81:10 says, I am the LORD thy God, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt: open thy mouth wide, and I will fill it.

When I was thirty-three years old and about to begin my first pastorate, I was in my car driving around the town of Seven Springs, NC. As I looked around, I saw several farms, many animals, turkey houses, hog farms, but not a great number of people. In…

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How to Increase Your Greatness

"God will use suffering to increase our greatness...Our griefs and tough times became someone else’s encouragement."

  by Bruce Goddard

Psalm 71:20-21 says, Thou, which hast shewed me great and sore troubles, shalt quicken me again, and shalt bring me up again from the depths of the earth. Thou shalt increase my greatness, and comfort me on every side.

Somehow the …sore troubles… from verse 20 are tied to Thou shalt increase my greatness,…in verse 21. Here again, we see a truth just beyond human imagination.…

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Wisdom in a Crisis

"When our crises come, will we be prepared?"

  by Sandy Domelle

There will be times in life when each of us will face a crisis.

Our children need to see that we have the wisdom to know how to handle a crisis when it comes. Whether it is a life struggle, a home emergency, or a sickness or death, how we handle the crisis will give stability and comfort to our children. This will prepare them for their futures and will show them how to manage…

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America’s Christian Heritage

"Shunning the true and God-filled history of our past is exactly why we are having so much trouble with the present-day America!"

  by Dr. Gerald B. Collingsworth

Atheists and secular humanists would have us to believe that our founding fathers were non-Christian, anti-God people who believed Christianity should not be part of our government or even in our way of thinking. However, do their writings and statements reveal what our nation’s founders actually believed?

The Words They Spoke

For by thy words thou shalt be…

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Not Just Somewhere or Some Day, But Today!

"Do we want to please God by having lived lives of faith? If so, we must start living now."

  by Neil Cullers

For the missionary, deputation can be a grinding process through which to progress in order to get to the field.

This is a time that can, in a weak moment, feel as if it is an absolute waste. Strangely, at the same time it is such an essential time of personal growth and focus, a challenging of God’s people across the nation, and a linking of prayer warriors with the front-line…

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Tackling the Troubles that Target Timothys- CASH

"It should never be the Christian who is wringing his hands over the prospect of insufficient provision. God always provides for His people!"

  by Justin Cooper

1 Timothy 6:10 – For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.

After a long day of work, a man went home to his wife and young daughter. “Have you got a kiss for your Father?” he asked his daughter. “No,” answered his child. “I’m ashamed of you!” the man joked.…

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Are You a Sideline Christian?

"In conclusion, to all who stand by while those of us who are 'lesser' fight your battles, there is a reason why you scrutinize us...criticize us...judge us. The reason is because you have remained on the sidelines while others have joined the battle."

  by Greg Neal

I Samuel 17:27-29 –And the people answered him after this manner, saying, So shall it be done to the man that killeth him. And Eliab his eldest brother heard when he spake unto the men; and Eliab’s anger was kindled against David, and he said, Why camest thou down hither? and with whom hast thou left those few sheep in the wilderness? I know thy pride, and the naughtiness of thine…

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The Spiritual Youth Group

"We should strive to have spiritual youth groups that honor Christ!"

  by William Davis

Romans 16:1-6 – I commend unto you Phebe our sister, which is a servant of the church which is at Cenchrea: That ye receive her in the Lord, as becometh saints, and that ye assist her in whatsoever business she hath need of you: for she hath been a succourer of many, and of myself also. Greet Priscilla and Aquila my helpers in Christ Jesus: Who have for my life laid down their…

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The Law of Kindness: Words Matter

"Is the law of kindness in effect in our lives as Christian ladies? Does kindness set the standard for what we allow ourselves to say...?"

  by Cathy Corle

Proverbs 10:19 – In the multitude of words there wanteth not sin: but he that refraineth his lips is wise.

Another true fact about the wisdom of words is that sometimes the wisest thing to say is nothing at all.

Abraham Lincoln once said, “It is better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak and remove all doubt.” I can recall a few instances in which I wished I had…

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David’s Old Weapons

"I am convinced...that the New Testament church had better trade her new weapons for the old weapons upon which our country and our churches were built."

a sermon preached by Jack Hyles to his church (edited for readability)

II Kings 11:10 – And to the captains over hundreds did the priest give king David’s spears and shields, that were in the temple of the LORD.

Ahaziah had been the king of Judah. Ahaziah had a son who was just a baby, and his name was Joash. Ahaziah died, and his mother Athaliah decided she was going to destroy all of the…

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Not Alone: Encouragement for the Lonely Times

"Every time an 'alone' time comes, God has been faithful..."

  by Valerie Grande

Alone.

This word had never really existed in my vocabulary until a couple of years ago. Growing up in a family of six children, I really never had the opportunity to be alone as often as some. In fact, I had no concept of the idea of having no one around me. I could not even imagine it.

For the first eighteen years of my life, I shared a room with one or two sisters. I then…

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The Judas Rule: Are You Offended?

"...the big question for us to ask ourselves is this, 'When I get offended, how will I respond?'"

  by Keith Phemister

Luke 17:1-10 – Then said he unto the disciples, It is impossible but that offences will come: but woe unto him, through whom they come! It were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he cast into the sea, than that he should offend one of these little ones. Take heed to yourselves: If thy brother trespass against thee, rebuke him; and if he repent,…

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Do Christians and Muslims Worship the Same God?

"The truth of this is incredibly important for evangelism. If we are all worshiping the same God, why does it matter if details of our beliefs are a bit different?"

  by Casey McFall

The short answer is NO—Muslims and Christians do not worship the same God. In fact, even Jews do not worshipthe same God (see below). A part of the reason why so many people believe that Muslims and Christians worship the same God is because Muslims claim to worship a monotheistic god who was the “god” of Abraham and shares many characteristics with the true God. In fact,…

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Forsaken but Not Forgotten

"Someone once told me, 'The ministry is all about people.' I could not agree more, but the devil is a master of taking what we have done to help others and using it to hurt us."

  by Joe Collingsworth

2 Timothy 4:6-11 – For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.Do thy…

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