December 09 Beacon

December 2009 V o l um e 4 # 12

Wading River Baptist Church P.O. Box 438, 1635 Wading River-Manorville Road, Wading River, NY 11792 (631) 929-3512; 929-6022 www.wrbc.us [email protected]

Joy to the World! Joy to the world! the Lord is come; Let earth receive her King; Let every heart prepare Him room, And heaven and nature sing. Every year at the Christmas season, in our churches—as well as in the media and in our malls, our stores and our restaurants—we hear these familiar words from Isaac Watts’s great advent hymn. As I have often remarked to our congregation, “Joy to the World” is actually not a Christmas hymn (or carol). Watts (1674-1748), one of the most prolific and profoundly evangelical hymn writers in church history, wrote these words in 1719, based on Psalm 98 (the familiar tune was probably written by Lowell Mason about a century later). A study of the section of the Isaac Watts Psalter embracing Psalms 93-100 will show that these are millennial hymns, celebrating the reign of Israel’s Messiah. Psalms 93, 97, and 99 begin with the words, “The Lord reigns.” The Lord Jesus, already designated the “Christ,” or Messiah, in the Godbreathed pages of Scripture, will come again in great power to reign upon the earth. The Lord Jesus himself, just prior to His crucifixion, told His disciples that

immediately following the cataclysmic judgment we call the “Tribulation,” “the powers of heaven will be shaken. And then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky with power and great glory” (Mt 24:29-30).

others). This is earth’s great hope for the future. “Joy to the world, the Lord has come!”

This is Jesus Christ’s “Second Advent,” or second coming; only this time, He comes to the earth in majestic splendor, invested with authority and power to take the iron scepter of heaven and impose His benevolent authority upon a severely traumatized planet. Israel will be judged and repent (Zech 12:10; 13:1); the nations will be judged (Joel 3:1-3; Mt 25:31-46). Then, the Lord Jesus will be exalted as King over all the earth (Zech 14:9), and heaven will echo with hymns of praise, “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ [Messiah]; and He will reign forever and ever” (Rev 11:15). Then the words which inspired another great musical classic heard during the Christmas season will resound throughout heaven: “Hallelujah! For the Lord our God, the Almighty, reigns” (Rev 11:6).

The last few months of American political life have demonstrated just how readily earth will “receive her King.” I cannot recall any time in my life when the language of the New Testament was used so frequently of a human being as it has been of President Barack Obama. During his campaign for the highest office in our nation, he was often referred to as “the messiah” and the “anointed one;” his election has been described as “the second coming.”

Throughout the ensuing 1000 years, God’s people will worship their Lord and King through the words of the great messianic psalms (93-100 as well as some

He rules the world with truth and grace, And makes the nations prove The glories of His righteousness, And wonders of His love.

These blasphemous references to Obama as the Christ prove one thing. Many people, most unbelievers, are ready for the appearing of a Messiah figure. As the problems facing an increasingly complex, out-of-control world—a world beset with international chaos and a rapidly disintegrating economy—multiply, people are clamoring for a charismatic figure who conveys the hope of bringing solutions. The reception accorded Barack Obama in virtually every nation where he has traveled gives continued on page 2

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stunning evidence that the stage is set for the man who will first present himself as that world leader who is able to govern the nations, but will prove to be an evil pretender to earth’s throne, and then for the God-Man to whom that authority belongs (read again Psalms 2 and 110).

nate, came to earth the first time, born in Bethlehem and reared in Nazareth. For thirty years, He lived a sinless life; for three and a half years, He ministered in Judea and Galilee, at the conclusion of which He died as a Substitute for sins of mankind, fulfilling the Old Testament’s striking sacrificial institutions.

Watts’ great hymn implores every person to “prepare Him room.” This is an important reminder. Jesus Christ is coming again, visibly and bodily. He will literally reign for 1000 years over a restored earth (read Rev 20:1-6). But now, at this moment in history, as world conditions decay into ever-increasing frustration, hopelessness, and despair, the Gospel message beckons individual human beings to respond by faith and repentance. That is the urgent imperative. Receive the good news that Jesus Christ, the Son of God and God himself incar-

Mankind is therefore commanded to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ in order to be delivered from the just consequences of sin (Acts 16:31); this belief presupposes a sorrow for and turning away from sin. It involves yielding the authority of one’s life to that of the Lord who purchased us with His blood (1 Cor 6:20; 1 Pet 2:24). God promises that whoever believes in Him will be saved (Jn 3:16, 18, 36; 5:24; Rom 10:9-10, 13). Ultimately, this is the meaning of Christmas.

So while we await the events associated with our Lord’s second advent—the removal of the church (the Rapture), the Tribulation which follows, and the climactic inauguration of the Messiah, King Jesus, and His millennial reign, the most urgent priority we must face is our personal relationship with Him. Without Jesus Christ as Savior, you will never share the glories of His kingdom rule as Messiah. So this Christmas season may you experience the fullness of The glories of His righteousness And wonders of His love. A most blessed Christmas to you and your family! — Pastor Ron Glass

Missionary of the Month Marvin and Denise Robinson As we focus on revival here at the Wading River Baptist Church, may we pray for those who are actively trying to make a difference in the revival of the United States like Marvin & Denise Robinson. They have been in the mission field for many years, 21 of which were spent in Coney Island, Brooklyn, where they planted a church and established ongoing outreach to the community. But now they are 360 miles northwest of Coney Island, bringing Christ and His message of hope and redemption to people living in suburban government-subsidized housing developments and within the inner city of Roch-

ester, NY. One way Marvin and Denise minister is to invite church groups to visit and have an opportunity to minister alongside them in Bible Clubs for children, open evangelism and projects for the elderly. Pray for the Fleming Point Senior Living Facility where they conduct Bible studies with the seniors, some of whom are already believers along with others who are searching like Rose, who came to the Lord this spring. Pray for Denise in her ministry called ASAP (Actively Serving and Proclaiming), which consists of tract mailing, holiday outreach, and prayer station outdoor evangelism which bring the message of the Gospel right into the various neighborhoods of Rochester. Praise God for their successful outdoor Vacation Bible School. From the VBS, a brand new Bible Club has begun bringing in the children who participated

in VBS for further Bible-based instruction. The children in these communities are more or less used to receiving gifts of school supplies but not the Bibles and Gospel tracts that Marvin and Denise distribute. But, of course, all of these forms of outreach require a financial boost and presently they are short of their monthly budget. Please pray for them that they might have all of their financial needs meet. By God’s grace, “Papa & Gramma” Robinson hosted their two grandchildren, Macey (age 3) and Justus (age 2) for three fun-filled days of Bible stories, a farm visit, berry picking, swimming and a visit to the camp snack store. Their son, Paul, and his wife, Erica, along with their daughter, Maria, gave their loving support and cooperation to make those three days a most blessed memory. Continue in your prayers for this wonderful missionary family bringing the Word to those needing to know Jesus Christ in a personal way. − Joan Tyska

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Getting Acquainted with Bill Jones bottle. A good look in the mirror reflected a need to fully surrender and make a change. His older sister, Patty, a Baptist, suggested the WRBC, a suggestion he accepted. Bill began attending our church a little over a year ago.

In getting acquainted with Bill Jones, it is not just a matter of getting to know him better but to recognize the testimony that he has shared with the WRBC of his triumphant victory over alcohol. It was one year on November 19th that he took the giant step forward and put the bottle down, picking up the Bible and letting the will of Jesus rule in his life. Basically a shy gentleman (truly a gentle-man), Bill feels a much improved relationship with both his family and new found church friends, leaving him with a warm, loving feeling and bringing Bill into a more confident lifestyle. But let us go back to where he was born on August 9, 1967 – at home, in the middle of the night on Myrtle Ave. in Staten Island, NY. It was a very humble beginning, being delivered by a policeman and a doctor. His father, William Jones, was a New York City fireman and his mother, Sheila Jones, was a school aid and they together had five children – 2 boys and 3 girls. Bill was a boy scout for a short period of time, an experience that left him with some negative feelings. Instead, Bill embarked on the responsibility of a newspaper route at age eleven, a job that developed the accounting skills that would later open doors of employment for him. On the lighter side, Bill competed on the high school golf team and served as team captain during his sophomore and junior years of high school. After graduating from high school, Bill took a college course in accounting,

Bill is now a regular attendee of Sunday School, Church, Bible studies, and prayer meetings; moreover, he volunteers for as many activities and fellowshipping events as he can. Early spring of 2009, Bill professed his acceptance of the Lord Jesus Christ and was baptized at WRBC. providing him with opportunities of employment in banks − data entry being his specialty. While working in an accounting department in Manhattan, Bill met with a branch manager in the East Setauket branch to reconcile her accounts. What was initially a business meeting was extended to a lunch date. Bill remembers it well. She had chicken salad and a diet coke and was dressed to the “nines.” The lady, Elizabeth, became his wife and on March 18, 2009, they celebrated 20 years of marriage. Bill is a guy to play it smart and at the onset of the 21st century saw a definite downward trend of financial security and decided to take the test for postal service employment. In November 2001, he began to work for the Post Office as a United States Postal clerk and is now employed at the Ridge Post Office. Bill was raised a Catholic (never connecting with it) and eventually discontinued Sunday School attendance. Instead, he gradually turned to alcohol and for ten years found his comfort in the

Bill does not have any children, at least not of the two-legged variety. He has nine dogs, Boston Terriers and Chihuahuas, his favorite being Shadow who on occasion will accompany him on vacations. His hobbies are gardening, golfing, constructing birdhouses, and reading. Reading was never a priority until he began reading the Bible, his favorite book. He spends a good deal of time at the local library; Bill also likes to play scrabble and to reach out to family members and friends with his gardening skills. He looks forward to “alone time” to study the Word in which his favorite verse is 1 Peter 1:3: Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. Blessed is the WRBC to have Bill among us to share such a wonderful testimony. − Joan Tyska

November in Review November began with an extra hour of sleep as the conclusion of Daylight Savings Time ushered in a month that brought us to our knees in thanksgiving for the blessings that have been so generously bestowed upon us here at the WRBC. First of all, may we offer congratulations to Ray & Carol Fitzgerald as they celebrated their 55th wedding anniver-

sary on November 20th! What a wonderful inspiration to the rest of us. Not to forget Kathleen Fitzgerald in our prayers as she celebrated her birthday on November 25th. On November 15th, Mark & Charity Borisuk, our missionaries who are serving our Lord in the Far East paid a visit to the WRBC to share their stories from the mission field. It has been two years continued on page 4

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since they were last here, but that did not interfere with the warm exchange that was shared with the congregation. After a light breakfast served in the Fellowship Hall, Mark continued the visit by leading Sunday School with a PowerPoint presentation outlining what their mission includes; later taking to the pulpit to preach during the morning service.

vested to bring about one of the classiest, yummiest and most extravagant affairs within the church to praise God and express thanksgiving to our Lord. Most outstanding were the young people who volunteered to serve as Junior Hostesses, serving up the appetizers as well as the dinner buffet.

Most outstanding was when three of the Borisuk’s daughters – Grace, Elizabeth, and Anna – sang the doxology in Chinese and a cappella during the morning church service. Might it also be noted, Sarah & Linea Piraino played “This is My Father’s World” on their violins, and Marie Caputo and Kevin Kenter sang a duet – both performances were equally outstanding. The Borisuks have three months remaining in a 5-month leave from the mission field. They came back to the US for a wedding and the anniversary of one set of parents, and have lengthened their stay to include visits to many of the supportive churches such as ours.

On November 21st, the Fellowship Hall was near peak capacity with approximately 110 people both from the church family and the community present for the Fall Harvest Celebration. Thanks to Liz Hyland & Cheryl Sunderland for the many hours that they in-

A sequence of digital photographs, 2009 in Review at WRBC, was shown in movie format during the dinner hour. Everyone enjoyed looking back at what the WRBC had to be thankful for over the past year. A testimony was given by Bill Jones as he celebrated one year of sobriety and his acceptance of Jesus Christ. It was a testimony of thanksgiving that each one connected with. Another highlight of the evening was meeting Jim & Janet Perry’s grandson, Jake. Jake has been on our prayer list with an ongoing need of prayer. Since birth, one of his legs has been growing longer than the other. It is now known that Jake will need a Super Hip 2 surgery which is a more intensive surgery that will be done

when he reaches 3 years of age; additional surgeries will follow at ages 6 and 12. It was an opportunity to put a face to the object of our prayers and to continue to support Jake and the family with our petitions for his physical well-being. After dinner, everyone moved to the sanctuary for a time of praise and worship. There was much singing of hymns: from the congregation, from the Awana Clubbers, and from the WRBC Choral Ensemble. Also included on the program were the Hallstrom sisters plus Sara Hart, singing; John Moses Piraino with a recitation of the Beatitudes; a guitar and vocal duet from Hunter & Olivia Coleman; a solo from Reeva Bellard, and, to top it all off, a beautiful light show titled “Thank You for the Cross” performed by the Truth in Training Girls (directed by Liz Hyland). A Thanksgiving fellowship, praise, and worship would not be complete without Pastor Glass’s Thanksgiving Meditation; this year’s titled “Entitled or Thankful?” As always, Pastor Glass’s message was most powerful, thoughtprovoking and included an invitation to accept the Lord. Now that November is a memory, we look forward to the fellowship planned for December. We do know that there will be a Senior Saints’ “Candy Cane Birthday Luncheon” on December 12th at 1:00. On the following day, the WRBC Choral Ensemble will present “An Old-Fashioned Christmas” during the 11:00 service. Hope to see you there. − Joan Tyska

Barna Baloney All right. I can’t let this one go. In a recent column (“A High Tight Wire”) in World magazine (November 7, 2009), founder Joel Belz departed from his usual level-headed commentary to engage in a frontal assault on contemporary evangelicalism. His premise is that “evangelical Christians have a pretty ugly reputation in today’s culture,” and his evidence for this is a recent survey by the Barna Group. That’s a problem in itself. The findings of the Barna Group have

proven to be biased in favor of the new paradigm. George Barna himself, for example, confidently predicts that within twenty years, “the local church will lose 50 percent of its adherents to alternative forms” (George Barna, Revolution, quoted in Gary E. Gilley, This Little Church Stayed Home, p. 174). With no solid research behind him and totally ignoring the New Testament, he insists that the local church is so ineffective that it is facing “a decline of mammoth pro-

portions” among those who believe the church has no power and who want something better. All of this indicates that we have to wonder about the objectivity of Barna’s research and conclusions. The basic problem here is found in those whose opinions the Barna people solicited. As the results table on page 5 shows, they were unbelievers and socalled “evangelicals” in the 16-29 age group. What?! Do they think they can continued on page 5

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reliably determine the opinions of evangelicals by asking only the youngest of them? And unbelievers? More disconcerting is the fact that Belz gives this nonsense any credence whatsoever. This is, to be sure, a classic case of the tail wagging the dog. Who has assigned the youth among us to be the arbiters of evangelical culture? Belz spent time discussing the survey, the results of which are contained in the table below, with Barna president David Kinnaman, and he reaches the conclusion that our “own children share with unbelievers some of the same questions about what they see as flaws in our character.” Hold on, Joel! Doesn’t that statement set off alarm bells? Is there not the very high probability that if these young people share these opinions with unbelievers that they are likely unbelievers themselves? Apparently Belz never reckoned with that possibility.

Point in case: the most overwhelming negative perception is that we evangelicals are “anti-homosexual.” That shouldn’t be too surprising since our kids have been brainwashed by our politically correct culture to believe that all lifestyles should be tolerated. But hold on . . . the Bible is profoundly antihomosexual, and if we are truly evangelical—truly believing and living by God’s Word—then we will also be antihomosexual. Scripture condemns homosexuality in the severest possible terms (Lev 18:22; 20:13); there is no stronger word of disapproval in the Old Testament than “abomination.” It refers to that which God hates. Those who practice this sin are specifically excluded from the coming kingdom of God (1 Cor 6:9-10), which amounts to saying that they are not believers at all. Under the

Law, homosexuality was a capital offense. Belz later tips his hat to the biblical position but then blames evangelicals for hating the sinner as well as the sin. However, God hates more than just the sin: “You hate all who do iniquity,” says David (Psa 5:5; see also 11:4-6). Now of course, to think like this also makes us judgmental (number 2 on the list), and because we are all sinners, to condemn such sin makes us hypocrites as well (number 3), the relics of an outdated way of thinking, which means we are old-fashioned too (number 4—you see the pattern here). 72% of nonChristian young people describe us evangelicals as out of touch with reality (32% of church goers say this—number 6 on the list)? Surprise, surprise! This is nothing more than the age old generation gap. Virtually every young person at one time or another thinks his parents and his parents’ generation are hopelessly out of touch! And like typical young people, Barna’s sampling rounded off their evaluation of evangelicalism with “boring,” “not accepting of others’ faiths,” and “confusing.” Hey, Joel, have you ever read the Old Testament? What did God think about Israel’s acceptance of their neighbors’ faiths? Hmmm? Confusing? No, confused is more like it. What else would you expect from kids who are trying to have the world and evangelical religion too, or from unbelievers who love their sinful lifestyles and passionately defend the right of everyone else to theirs as well? But it just gets worse. Belz goes on to chastise those of us who might be tempted to say that these numbers can be interpreted as a sign of our faithfulness. No, he says, and then asks: “When is it that our own clumsiness and klutziness leaves people alienated from the truth that we think should be so attractive? And when is it that the very essence of God’s truth drives people away?” He charges us with making the truth of God repulsive. I would love to have heard Mr. Belz ask the same question of the Lord Jesus, whose proclama-

tion of the truth constantly drove people away. That’s what biblical truth always does. And who ever said that the truth should be attractive? No, truth is so vitally important just because it is true, not because it is pretty! Besides, sinners always find the righteousness of God repulsive. Again, a little biblical literacy is in order here. I’m sorry, Joel, I don’t accept the indictment that this is rationalizing on our part! Yes, you quote our Lord’s words in John 15:18 (“If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you.”), but then you say that we had better work hard at portraying God as “exciting” as well as true since that’s how God portrays himself (come again?). Actually, the last time I looked, God portrayed himself as holy! You say that “our default position should be an assumption that we are the guilty ones” and as good as insist that “we get so carried away with speaking God’s truth that we forget the love assignment.” And then you essentially conclude that anyone who disagrees with Barna and with you is guilty of “smugness.” Here’s the problem. Evangelical Christianity has abdicated its leadership to its youth. Our young people, who should be learning from those who are older and wiser, are being allowed to dictate the evangelical agenda. Everything from our doctrine to our worship to our evangelism has to be “cutting edge.” One of the most popular magazines among these young people today is titled Relevant. Just guess what kind of Christianity it advocates! Church leaders in the New Testament were called “elders” for a reason! Older men and women, those who have walked with the Lord and served Him for many years, should be serving as mentors to our youth. Likewise, our young people, before they are qualified to lead anything, need to learn Christian theology and practice, all of which are the products of the painstaking exegesis of Scripture and the study of 2,000 years of church history. They need to learn that that which is new is not necessarily that which is better—or even good for that matter. Which brings me to the heart of the matter. The real problem in all of this is the inevitable clash between biblical continued on page 6

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truth and morality and the world. A new generation of Christians has been reared without being disciplined in the biblical warnings not to be conformed to the world (Rom 12:2) or to love the world (1 Jn 2:15-17). Because all that is in the world is not of God and is passing away, we are to be transformed by a radical change in the way we think. The

mandate for our evangelical youth today is simple: separate yourselves from the sinful philosophies and lifestyles of the world. Come out from it and be separate (2 Cor 6:14-7:1). So there. I got my frustration off my chest. Frankly, I am not ashamed to be called a traditional, Bible-believing Christian—an evangelical in the old

sense of the word. In fact, I still kind of like the word “Fundamentalist”! I cringe to find so many otherwise good people (who should know better) capitulating to the spirit of the age. Enough of the Barna baloney. Just give me the Bible. − Pastor Ron Glass

Are We Missing the Mark? This article was going to be about our responsibilities to the secular authorities but first I thought it would be better to lay some groundwork regarding sin. Both the Hebrew and the Greek words for sin have been defined as to miss the mark, or to err. Can this mean that mistakes are sin? If someone orders a cheeseburger from Burger King without pickles but gets his burger with a pickle on it, has the person responsible sinned? I will attempt to make the case that it is better for ourselves to treat “minor” mistakes such as this as sin and to try to refrain from it. Of course, we ought to be gracious and not treat mistakes against us like atrocities as I have seen done by some professing Christians. My wife can tell some stories about this. It seems that many professing Christians' concept of sin is something along the lines of rebellion against God. That is what I was taught growing up. However, after studying Hebrews 10:26-27, I had to reexamine my thinking on the issue because the verses indicate that continuous willful sin or rebellion has terrifying consequences. If all sin is willful, it would seem that the word “willful” in that passage is an unnecessary redundancy. I see agreements between people to get things done as having a minimum of three parties. Obviously, each person can represent a party. One party that is always represented is the truth (which is of God). If a person selling a car does not reveal what is wrong with the car he is selling, he has stolen the difference the buyer would have paid had he known the deficiencies of the car. If a contractor substitutes material that is inferior to what is agreed upon and the customer pays the price agreed upon in the contract, than the contractor at the mini-

mum has stolen the difference of the cost of materials from the customer. If the words of an agreement between two people are the same as the act of the agreement being done and no law is broken, is God not satisfied? One other thing to note is the use of the word debt when Jesus said “forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors” in the Lord's prayer recorded in Matthew 6 and Luke 11. This has a significantly different meaning in my mind than “trespasses” as I learned the prayer when I was little. I see sin as debt due to theft. If one party does not fulfill his end of a bargain, is he not also in debt to God because of the corruption he caused in His order? The truth through words measures the degree of indebtedness. It is unfortunate that evil corrupts language and in its deceit tries to change the meaning of words. So how can we measure the harm done to the person who got a pickle on his cheeseburger when he specifically stated he did not want it? Pickles cost the company money so how could it be said that the customer got cheated when the cost of his cheeseburger is more with the pickle? We have to remember that value is a subjective utility that differs among people. If the customer’s price for the cheeseburger as he likes it is one dollar, and the customer can choose freely between that and the one given to him that was not according to his order, the difference in the amount he would pay for the inferior cheeseburger is the amount he is harmed. Does the fact that we might not intend to do something mean that the action was not done? Remember what Paul wrote in Romans 7:15-20: “For what I am doing, I do not understand; for I am not practicing what I would

like to do, but I am doing the very thing I hate. But if I do the very thing I do not want to do, I agree with the Law, confessing that the Law is good. So now, no longer am I the one doing it, but sin which dwells in me. For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh; for the willing is present in me, but the doing of the good is not. For the good that I want, I do not do, but I practice the very evil that I do not want. But if I am doing the very thing I do not want, I am no longer the one doing it, but sin which dwells in me.” (NASB) It seems to me that much of what he was talking about could be mistakes. Does forgetting to write down something about a tent he was making for someone qualify? If I put the wrong price on an oil delivery ticket, it is a mistake – but I also consider it a sin because it causes grief. I have to figure out what I can do to prevent it from happening again to be serving God correctly. It is easy to see how rebellion is wrong. Mistakes are not good either. − Carl Chapman

The Birthday Corner Dec. 5th – Bob Drummond Dec. 9th – George Ehmann Dec. 10th – Ruth Kerr Dec. 13th – Kristen Hallstrom Dec. 13th – Denise Tolf Dec. 16th – Pastor Glass Dec. 22nd – Katie Glass Dec. 31st – Melissa Hart

The Anniversary Corner Dec. 28th – Tom & Laura Kelleher Dec. 31st – Dennis & Joan Tyska Do you have a December birthday or anniversary and it is not listed here? Please let us know.

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December Bible Quiz Questions 1) Where were the bones of Joseph, which the children of Israel had brought up out of Egypt, buried? 2) Where did Peter get the money to pay the two-drachma temple tax for Jesus and himself? 3) Jesus told his followers to be wise as serpents and harmless as ___. 4) Which of the seven churches in Revelation had some who held to the doctrine of the Nicolaitans?

November Bible Quiz Answers 1) The Branch (Isa 11:1; Jer 23:5; 33:15; Zech 3:8; 6:12). 2) Malachi 1:2. 3) A vision appeared to Paul (Acts 16:9-10). 4) Ananias (Acts 9:17-18). 5) Sarah (Gen 23:19-20); Abraham (Gen 25:9-10); Isaac, Rebekah, and Leah (Gen 49:29-31); Jacob (Gen 50:13). Bonus: Jerusalem (mentioned in the Amarna Letters).

5) Where did the Philistines originally come from? Bonus: What is the usual Hebrew name for Egypt?

Submit the Bible reference and answers to: [email protected].

― Felix Acerra

The answers for this month’s quiz will be announced in the next newsletter!

December 2009 Sunday

Monday Tuesday

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Wednesday

Thursday Friday

Saturday

2 8:00 AM Ladies Prayer – Joan Tyska (727-5998)

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5

10

11 7:30 PM

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6:30 PM AWANA

7:00 PM Basic Bible Interpretation

7:00 PM Prayer Meeting and Exposition of Psalms

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9:45 AM Sunday School

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11:00 AM Morning Worship Service – Choir Rehearsal immediately after

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9:45 AM Sunday School

14

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8:00 AM Ladies Prayer

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16 8:00 AM Ladies Prayer

11:00 AM “An Old-Fashioned Christmas” (WRBC Choral Ensemble)

20 9:45 AM Sunday School

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7:00 PM Board of Deacons Meeting

Choir Dress Rehearsal for Christmas Cantata

1:00 PM Senior Saints “Candy Cane Birthday Luncheon”

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19

23 8:00 AM

24 7:00 PM 25

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Ladies Prayer

Christmas Eve Service

6:30 PM AWANA 7:00 PM Prayer Meeting and Exposition of Psalms

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6:30 PM AWANA 7:00 PM Prayer Meeting and Exposition of Psalms

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11:00 AM Morning Worship Service

27 9:45 AM Sunday School

7:30 PM Choir Rehearsal for Christmas Cantata

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30 8:00 AM

10:00 AM to 4:00 PM – Kids Christmas Cookie Bake – WRBC Kitchen

MERRY CHRISTMAS

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Ladies Prayer

11:00 AM Morning Worship Service

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PO Box 438 Wading River, NY 11792

Wading River Baptist Church

Our Purpose 1. To glorify God through sharing the good news of salvation by God’s sovereign grace through faith in His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. 2. To nurture believers through a strong program of Christian education, youth ministries, and expository Biblical preaching. 3. To provide an opportunity for Biblical worship, service, and fellowship.

• • •

For the Exaltation of God in All Things For the Proclamation of Faith in Christ For the Transformation of God’s People

4. To extend our ministry throughout America and around the world through participation in home and foreign missions. WRBC is affiliated with the Conservative Baptist Association of America and the Conservative Baptist Mission to the Northeast.

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