Grace Baptist Church: Come Join Us - Jay Thatcher, Pastor

Welcome to Grace Baptist Church! We at Grace Baptist Church extend to you and your family a most warm invitation to join us as we celebrate the love found in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. At Grace Baptist Church you will find people who worship as a family. We share a concern for each other in our daily walk in life. We are your friends and your neighbors and we extend this invitation to you to visit with us and discover for yourself the grace that flows from God's gift of salvation that is offered to all.

We are not a large Church but a vibrant one. We have been serving the community of Haddon Township for well over 100 years and by the grace of God we will continue that service until the Lord comes. So if you are looking for a church that cares about you and your family, that will make you feel welcome, a people that enjoy being together, where the Word of the Lord is proclaimed with all of its peace and power, then come visit us.

Message From the Pastor

I give thanks to my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ for placing my family and I in this blessed community of Grace Baptist Church. My wife and I over the past few days have been reflecting on the goodness of God and giving thanks to Him for the many blessings that He has bestowed upon us. For those families outside of the membership of Grace Baptist Church that receives this newsletter, I want you to trust that we are all connected together by the Holy Spirit. Trust that the Lord will bless you as He is blessing my family and church community. I rejoice with all my heart in the love that Jesus Christ is lavishing on all of us. It is my desire to spread the love of Christ to you and your family, neighbors, coworkers, and all those who are willing to hear and listen. I give thanks for the privilege to be among a group of people who place their hope not in what the world offers, but simply and yet profoundly in the resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Our hope is based on a fact that Jesus, after being crucified and buried rose from the dead in the flesh. This fact is the cornerstone of our faith and hope. I give thanks in the promise that Jesus gave to all who profess Him as Lord and Savior, that is, when He ascended to the right-hand of the Father, He would send His resurrected and glorified Spirit to live in us.
As Christians, we believe in the resurrection of Jesus Christ. This is evident in our daily Christian walk. However, the reality of Christ’s Spirit in us has not yet been fully grasped. This is exemplified by our doubts, worries, fears, and unbelief in the promise that Jesus gave us in the Great Commission: I will be with you always, to the very end of the age (Matthew 28: 20). As we approach Resurrection Sunday, we need to take time to meditate and reflect on the goodness of God. Reflect on the fact that even though we are sinners, God sent His Son to die for us so that we may be reunited with Him in glory. Often times, Resurrection Sunday is celebrated as a past event in history instead of the life transforming news of today. The Bible says today, not yesterday and not tomorrow, but today is the day of salvation.
A Christian will not experience the power of the resurrected Spirit of Christ in their life without seeking the wisdom of God. In other words, it is impossible for God to bless a person who is making unwise and foolish choices. When we rely on our own understanding and seek the counsel of a non believer, we render the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit useless. Therefore I lift you up in prayer using the words of the Apostle Paul in his letter to the Ephesians …I keep asking that God our Father …give you a Spirit of Wisdom ….so that you may know Him better. I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope in which He has called you and the incomparably great power for us who believe (Ephesians 1:17-19) One of the keys that unlock the hope and the power of the Holy Spirit in a believer’s life is the Spirit of wisdom. In the book of Proverbs, King Solomon wrote, “trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding in all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight”. (Proverbs 3: 5-6). King Solomon also wrote “A man who strays from the path of understanding comes to rest in the company of the dead.” (Proverbs 21:16) What these passages are teaching us is that if we rely on our own wisdom and understanding without consulting the Lord first, we will bring destruction to ourselves and family. I am a firm believer that in order for the living word of God to be useful in our lives, we must first recognize that a life wrapped up in self is a Godless life. This type of life will eventually lead us to ruin. Our daily lives are filled with a continual choice between life and death. The key that unlocks the door to the life of the Holy Spirit is seeking the wisdom of God. When we seek wisdom to guide our choices, we create a healthy heart in which the Spirit of God thrives abundantly. The present day benefits of wisdom spoken through the words of Scripture Proverbs 3: 7-13: Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and shun evil. This will bring health to your body, nourishment to your bones…Blessed is the man who finds wisdom, the man who gains understanding….” Using wisdom and understanding opens our hearts to fully experience the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit in the present moment.
In conclusion, I encourage you to read a chapter daily in the book of Proverbs during the month of March. It is believed that a Proverbs a day will keep the evil one away. In addition, I offer a sample prayer to apply to your daily reading: Lord Jesus the Bible says in You is hidden the Wisdom of God and I ask You to reveal Yourself and your ways into my mind and heart so that in making right choices, I will experience the presence and guidance of the resurrected Spirit of Jesus Christ in my soul. Amen
May the Lord bless you and your family.

-Pastor Jay R. Thatcher

Choir Notes

I wish to extend my warmest thanks to the members of our Adult Choir and to our Methodist brothers and sisters for making this years Christmas Cantata an event that will not be soon forgotten with the wonderful ministry through music that was shared with all.

As I peek into the future – I can see that many of you will be actively participating in our Easter Sunday celebration. Beginning Tuesday, January 15, the Adult Choir will be accepting temporary members. This is only a 10 week commitment for ½ hour a week from 7 to 7:30 pm. I can’t sing is not an adequate excuse – ask me why some day.

I look forward to sharing the fun we have on Tuesday evenings with all.

Your servant,
-Paul

Reading

Did you know that the Psalms were songs of praise, worship, thankfulness and repentance? A variety of feelings, emotions, attitudes and interests are contained within them. There are 150 Psalms and they were written by many people from different time periods. Among some of the writers were David who wrote 73 and it is interesting to find that Moses wrote Psalm 90.
The Library has a few books about poetry which could help you understand the Psalms. Please avail yourself to the Library. It is free to all members of the church. I would be happy to help you select a book or two.

-Jane F. Clark Librarian