Shows
Bethel Baptist ChurchNehemiah: God Prepares NehemiahScripture Reading: Nehemiah 1: 1-11 Bethel Baptist Church is privileged and delighted to host Reverend Ian Leslie while Pastor Cosand enjoys some well deserved rest and recreation.2024-08-1948 min
Bethel Baptist ChurchJude: Standing ... Not StumblingScripture Reading: Jude: 20-25 Once again Bethel Baptist Church is pleased to present the Reverend Greg Hands during Pastor Cosand's absence. 2024-03-1154 min
Bethel Baptist Church2 Corinthians: The Glorious End of a Rocky RoadScripture Reading: 2 Corinthians 13:11-14 Bethel Baptist Church is pleased to present the Reverend Greg Hands during Pastor Cosand's absence. 2024-03-0443 min
Bethel Baptist Church1 John: Confident Children of GodScripture Reading: 1 John 3:1-24 Once again Bethel Baptist Church is honored to present the Reverend Ian Leslie, former Executive Pastor of First Presbyterian Church of Trenton. Reverend Leslie continues a study in 1 John during Pastor Cosand’s absence.2023-12-0445 min
Bethel Baptist Church1 John: Walking in the LightScripture Reading: 1 John 1:1-10 While Pastor Cosand enjoys a well deserved vacation, Bethel Baptist Church is delighted once again to host Reverend Ian Leslie. Reverend Leslie is the former Executive Pastor of First Presbyterian Church of Trenton.2023-11-0535 min
Bethel Baptist ChurchActs: Paul and the Preservation of 276 PeopleScripture Reading: Acts 27:13-26 This week Pastor Cosand enjoys a well deserved vacation. In his absence, Bethel Baptist Church had the privilege and pleasure of hosting Reverand Greg Hands, former Pastor of Woodhaven Bible Church.2023-08-2048 min
Bethel Baptist ChurchHabakkuk: The Just Shall Live By FaithScripture Reading: Habakkuk 2 The book of Habakkuk begins with a heartfelt question as to why God had allowed the protracted sins of the people of Judah to go on, unchecked and unjudged. God gives his prophet a clear, if surprising, answer. He would, indeed, mete out His justice by means of the Chaldeans … a dreaded and fearsome people. Habakkuk, then, has a second (we might say 'follow-up') question. In light of the fact that the Chaldeans (Babylonians) were more sinful than the people of Judah, Habakkuk asks how God could use them as instruments of divine...2023-01-0838 minBethel Baptist ChurchHabakkuk: God's Mysterious WaysScripture Reading: Habakkuk 1 The name Habakkuk does not appear anywhere else in the Bible but in this book. He is a prophet of God, ministering to the southern kingdom of Judah. His message is primarily given in the form of a conversation the prophet has with God. When God reveals that He will destroy Judah and Jerusalem by means of the Babylonians, Habakkuk protests as to the justice of such action. The interaction between God and His prophet is highly instructive. Having prayed regarding the sins the people of Judah, Habakkuk now wonders why God has...2023-01-0146 min
Bethel Baptist ChurchPhilippians: The Exaltation of ChristScripture Reading: Philippians 2:9-11 Clearly the central focus of the entire Bible is Jesus Christ. He is foreseen in the books of the Old Testament, often in shrouded language whose glory is revealed when Christ appears in human form. The mountain peaks of revelation are found in the New Testament, where the mystery and majesty of Christ stand out in unmistakable and unforgettable splendor. Philippians 2:5-11 is one of the most magnificent passages in the New Testament in terms of the exalting of the supremacy of Jesus over all things. There is a certai...2022-12-2536 minBethel Baptist ChurchPhilippians: The Humiliation of ChristScripture Reading: Philippians 2:5-11 This passage is the most theological section of Philippians and one of the most majestic passages in the Bible. At the same time these verses speak of the glorious divinity of Christ and the inestimable humiliation involved in the humanity of Christ. Philippians 2:6 is built on the eternal existence of God the Son before His incarnation. When the verse says, "he was in the form of God," the meaning is that Christ possessed the very essence of God prior to His being born as a human being. This is the divinity of...2022-12-1842 min
Bethel Baptist ChurchNahum: Gods Name is Jealous2022-12-0448 min
Bethel Baptist ChurchThis is My Fathers WorldTHIS IS MY FATHER'S WORLD Sovereignty … the notion that God is King over His creation and that, as King, He has the right to rule over it. Providence … the outworking of God's sovereignty, by which He sustains His creation and governs the events of history and of our lives to bring about His intended purposes. Heidelberg Catechism – question # 27 Question: What do you understand by the providence of God? Answer: Providence is the almighty and ever-present power of God, by which he upholds, as with his hand, heav...2022-11-2753 min
Bethel Baptist ChurchJonah 4Jonah 42022-11-2039 min
Bethel Baptist ChurchJonah: True RepentanceScripture Reading: Jonah 3 Jonah 3 contains the account of Jonah's preaching to the people of Nineveh and their repentance and the stay of God's judgment. There are multiple lessons on display in this chapter. One lesson is the obedience of Jonah to do a very difficult thing … namely, to go to the capital city of a hostile enemy (both Israel's enemy and God's enemy) and declare a coming destruction for their wickedness. A second lesson is the nature of repentance. The people of Nineveh, from the king to common laborer, repented. This repentance included an emotional response...2022-11-1345 min
Bethel Baptist ChurchThe Persecuted Church: Many are in PrisonSince 1996, one Sunday in November has been designated the "International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church." It is a significant remembrance for us. David Barrett, formerly of the Southern Baptist Foreign Mission Board, is one of the foremost authorities on the state of Christianity in the world today. In his book Our Globe and How to Reach It, he says that more Christians have been killed in the 20th century than in the 19 previous centuries combined. Exact statistics are hard to determine, but continuing into the 21st century, worldwide, even on the low end of estimates...2022-11-0644 min
Bethel Baptist ChurchSamson at His Best: He's in the Hall of FameJudges 16:23-31, Hebrews 11:32-342022-10-3056 minBethel Baptist ChurchReg Greg Hands2022-10-2347 minBethel Baptist ChurchJonah: Jonah 2Scripture Reading: Jonah 22022-10-1644 minBethel Baptist ChurchJonah: Jonah 1Scripture Reading: Jonah 12022-10-0944 min
Bethel Baptist ChurchRuth 4Ruth 42022-10-0247 min
Bethel Baptist ChurchRuth: Ruth's RedeemerScripture Reading: Ruth 3 … 'Redeemer' in the Old Testament … nearest relative … "kinsman redeemer" … Hebrew word - goel …. the concept of the 'goel' included the notion of protecting, saving, sustaining, guarding a family member, usually with some purchase involved. …. Lev 25:25,26 - redemption of property …. Lev 25:47-49 - redemption of people …. Num 35:16-19 - avenging a murder …. Deut 25:5-10 - law of levirate marriage, though the word 'goel' is not mentioned in this section. Levirate marriage is not the same thing as the work of the 'goel,' but the princ...2022-09-2548 minBethel Baptist ChurchRuth: Behind a Frowning ProvidenceScripture Reading: Ruth 2:1-232022-09-1840 minBethel Baptist ChurchRuth: Divine Providence - Sweet and BitterScripture Reading: Ruth 1 During the time of the judges in Israel, God's providence was on display in a wondrous way, in order to show His faithfulness to bring the promised Messiah. In the process, God displays His grace to a family in Bethlehem. He does this through the everyday ebb and flow of life and not through some spectacular miracle. The book of Ruth is a story of ordinary people in ordinary people in ordinary circumstances. It is a story of hardship and heartache, of love and fidelity, of determination and the sovereignty of God, gov...2022-09-1153 min
Bethel Baptist ChurchJohn: You Follow MeScripture Reading; John 21:15-25 The gospel of John ends with a passage about the greatness of Christ. Peter, who had been frightened to even say the name of Jesus, would one day give his life for the Master. "Truly, truly, I say to you, when you were young, you used to dress yourself and walk wherever you wanted, but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will dress you and carry you where you do not want to go." (This he said to show by what kind of death he was...2022-09-0448 minBethel Baptist ChurchJohn: Do You Love MeScripture Reading: John 21:15-19 This remarkable conversation between Jesus and Simon Peter is found only in John's gospel. Following breakfast that morning, Jesus asked the same question three times … "Simon, son of John, do you love me?" And three times Simon Peter gave the same answer, "Yes Lord, you know that I love you." In calling Peter "Simon, son of John," Jesus may have been recalling the initial call of Peter to follow Christ. John 1:42 … "You are Simon the son of John. You shall be called 'Cephas' (which is translated Peter)." This conversation is a res...2022-08-2845 minBethel Baptist ChurchJohn: Tender, Sustaining PowerScripture Reading: John 21:1-14 This post-resurrection story is found only in the gospel of John. It is a tender reminder of the power, compassion, and provision of Christ. Still coming to grips with the reality and implications of Christ's resurrection, these seven disciples return to fishing. This was probably not evidence that these men were abandoning their ministry of the gospel, but rather that, until further definition of their ministry, they did what was both familiar and sustaining. Reminiscent of an earlier event (cf. Lk 5:1-11), these men caught nothing after fishing all night. Like the e...2022-08-1441 minBethel Baptist ChurchJohn: Peace Be With YouJohn 20:19-232022-07-3147 minBethel Baptist ChurchJohn: Understanding The ScripturesScripture Reading: John 20:1-10 The account of the resurrection of Christ is found in all four gospel accounts, as we would expect. Each gospel writer includes some details about Jesus' resurrection that are not found in the other three gospels. It is only from John that we learn about Peter and John running to the tomb, and John hesitating to go in. Only in John do we have the account of Jesus appearing to Mary Magdalene. And only in John 20 do we read the description of the cloth that had covered Jesus' face, along with the grave clot...2022-07-2451 min
Bethel Baptist ChurchPsalm: The King Is ComingPsalm 22022-07-1743 minBethel Baptist ChurchJohn: That You May Believe2022-07-1044 min
Bethel Baptist ChurchJohn: It Is FinishedScripture Reading: John 19:16-30 If someone can read this passage about the substitutionary death of Christ and not be moved, then that person is either quite thoughtless or spiritually dead. Given who Jesus is, the condescension He subjected Himself to is utterly indescribable. During the crucifixion, Jesus said seven things which the gospel writers record. John 19 contains three of these sayings. When Jesus said to His mother, "Woman, behold your son," (Jn 19:26) He was pointing Mary to the disciple next her for her ongoing care. When Jesus said, "Behold your mother," He was pro...2022-07-0341 minBethel Baptist ChurchJohn: The Judge of the Earth on Trial (Part 3)Scripture Reading: John 19:1-162022-06-2643 minBethel Baptist ChurchJohn: The Judge of the Earth on Trial (Part 2)Scripture Reading: John 18:28-40 After being up all night, both praying and being questioned by Annas and Caiaphas, Jesus endured the Roman stage of His trial. At daybreak, the Sanhedrin Council made a formal charge and sent Jesus to Pilate, the Roman governor of Judea. There were three components of the Roman stage of Jesus' trial. Jesus was questioned by Pilate, then by Herod, then by Pilate again. John's gospel contains the fullest account of this part of Jesus' trial. One element that stands out here is Pilate's recognition of Jesus' innocence and his unwillingness, therefo...2022-06-1949 minBethel Baptist ChurchJohn: The Judge of the Earth On Trial (Part 1)John 18:12-242022-06-1245 minBethel Baptist ChurchJohn: Peter's DenialJohn 18:12-272022-06-0543 minBethel Baptist ChurchJohn: I Am HEJohn 18:1-11 The story of Jesus' arrest in the garden of Gethsemane appears in all four gospels, but the details in the gospel of John are virtually only in John. In his gospel, John is interested in presenting the deity of Christ and that deity is on display when Judas and the others came to arrest Jesus. We see, in this account, the authority of Jesus. Though the arresting group was large, and though they had weapons, Jesus is completely in charge of the situation. Upon His asking whom the Roman soldiers were seeking, they said...2022-05-2944 minBethel Baptist ChurchJohn: That They May All Be OneJohn 17:20-262022-05-1541 minBethel Baptist ChurchJohn: Sanctified by the TruthScripture: John 17:14-19 In praying for His own, Jesus asks the Father to do several things for them. He prays that the Father will keep them (Jn 17:11,15). He prays that they would experience Jesus' own joy (Jn 17:13). Next, Jesus prays that the Father would 'sanctify' believers (Jn 17:17,19). The root of the word 'sanctify' is the word for holiness. All holiness derives from God's holiness. The primary idea of 'holy' is to be unique, distinct, separate. God is utterly unique and separate from His creation. Since God is separate from His creation, He is, in turn, separat...2022-05-0847 minBethel Baptist ChurchJohn: That They May have My JoyScripture Reading: John 17:12-19 In this wonderful prayer for His disciples, Jesus requests four things from the Father. The first is that the Father would keep those whom He had given to His Son (Jn 17:11). The second request is that Jesus' disciples would experience Jesus' joy. "But now I am coming to you, and these things I speak in the world, that they [the disciples] might have my joy fulfilled in themselves" (Jn 17:13; cf. Jn 15:11). We start with the reality that God is a God who has pleasure in Himself. He has pleasure in His Son...2022-05-0140 minBethel Baptist ChurchJohn: Kept by the Father and The SonScripture: John 17:10-17 The first request Jesus makes in this glorious prayer is found in verse 11 … "Holy Father, keep them in your name, which you have given me." Jesus is asking the Father to hold on to these disciples, keeping them aligned with God's name. God's name represents who He is. To be kept 'in His name' is to be drawn to a life which accords with God's character. This fits with Jesus calling on God as Holy Father. Specifically here, we are called to righteousness ("keep them from the evil one" – Jn 17:15) and to unity ("t...2022-04-2443 min
Bethel Baptist ChurchJob: If A Man Dies Shall He Live AgainScripture Reading: Job 14:7-15 From time immemorial, people have wondered out loud about what happens after we die. There is a longing in the human soul for immortality because our Creator has set eternity in our hearts (Ecc 3:11). Job’s question in this passage reflects the desire in his heart for eternal life. He notes that when a tree is cut down, sometimes a shoot springs up and the tree lives again (Job 14:7-9). But Job’s reflection is that for a human being, this is not possible. Death is final (Job 14:10-12,18-22). But still he asks the question...2022-04-1742 minBethel Baptist ChurchJohn: Receiving God's WordScritpture Reading John 17:6-11 Continuing in His glorious prayer, Jesus turns His focus from the glory of the Father and the Son to the needs of His disciples. He knows they are sorrowful and that their grief will increase the next day. In this prayer, Jesus is clear that He is not praying for the world but for these men. The foundation of what Jesus says here is that the Father had given these men to His Son and Jesus, in turn, had manifested the Father to them (Jn 17:6). As Christ contemplates leaving the earth...2022-04-1040 minBethel Baptist ChurchJohn: The Glory of the Father and the SonScripture Reading: John 17:1-5 This is one of the most exquisite chapters in the Bible. Though we are told that Jesus prayed often, this passage is the only long prayer of Jesus recorded in the gospels. Because these are the words and thoughts of one person of the Godhead (the Son) to another person of the Godhead (the Father), there are depths here that we are not able to fathom. Even though the prayer in Matthew 5:9-13 is called the Lord's Prayer, this prayer could also be called the Lord's Prayer. In Matthew the prayer is...2022-04-0347 minBethel Baptist ChurchJohn: Love and Peace from The ConquerorScritpture Reading: John 16:25-33 This section of chapter 16 is the final recorded words of encouragement of Jesus to His apostles, prior to His arrest and death. It is a fitting summary of this glorious section of John known as the 'upper room discourse' (Jn 13:31-16:33). Jesus repeats some of the themes He has mentioned, namely prayer, His relationship with the Father, the Father's love for these men, the peace Jesus wants for them. And Jesus ends with the triumphant declaration, "Take heart, I have overcome the world" (Jn 16:33). We see in John 16:25 that Jesus has come, among other things, to...2022-03-2748 minBethel Baptist ChurchJohn: No One Will Take Your JoyScripture Reading: John 16:16-24 In light of His impending death, Jesus continues to encourage His apostles (and us) in this passage. Here Jesus promises His own joy and answers to prayer. Referring to His death and resurrection (and ministry beyond His earthly life) Jesus says, "You will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will turn into joy . . . and no one will take your joy from you" (Jn 16:20,22). The source of this joy is the presence of Jesus Himself. "So also you have sorrow now, but I will see you again and your hearts will rejoice" (Jn 16:22). The deepest root...2022-03-2043 min
Bethel Baptist ChurchMark: I Stand Amazed in the Presence of Jesus the NazareneMark 1:21-282022-03-1350 min
Bethel Baptist ChurchRomans: A Pleasing Harmony That Overflows with HopeScripture Reading: Romans 15:1-13 Guest Speaker: Dr. Brandon Jones2022-03-0634 minBethel Baptist ChurchJohn: The Guarantee and Gift of the SpritiScripture Reading: Ephesians 1:13,14 & Romans 12:6-8 For people who belong to Christ, the Bible answers the profound questions, "Where are we going?" and "What do we do on the way there?" The Spirit of God is our guarantee, in Christ, that we will be made new on the day of redemption. And the Spirit equips us to work in the kingdom of Christ along the way. For Christians, the Holy Spirit has been given to us, by God, as a pledge, a sort of down-payment, reminding us of the glory to come. To secure this promise the Holy Spir...2022-02-2749 minBethel Baptist ChurchJohn: The Spirit of TruthScripture Reading: John 16:12-15 John 16:12-15 is the last section in this gospel about the Helper, to whom Jesus has repeatedly referred in the sermon on the mount. "When the Spirit of truth comes," Jesus says, "he will guide you into all truth. . . . He will declare to you the things that are to come. He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you" (Jn 16:13,14). The ministry of the Holy Spirit is to bring glory to God the Son. One way He has done this this is to inspire the wri...2022-02-2040 minBethel Baptist ChurchJohn: Exposed by the Holy Spirit.2022-02-1345 minBethel Baptist ChurchJohn: God the Holy SpiritScripture Reading: John 15:18-27 Up until this point in the gospel of John, Jesus had only made mention of the Holy Spirit on two occasions … speaking to Nicodemus (Jn 3:5,6) and speaking to the crowd in Capernaum (Jn 6:63). Now, in the upper room discourse, Jesus brings the Holy Spirit to center stage (Jn 14:16,17,26; 15:26; 16:7-15). Jesus knew that these men would need the strength-giving comfort of the Holy Spirit because they would face rigorous opposition after His ascension. He prepares them by not hiding the stinging truth … "If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you" (Jn 15:20). The disdain people...2022-02-0646 minBethel Baptist ChurchJohn: Chosen, Beloved Friends Scripture Reading: John 15:12-17 Continuing to say things specifically designed to encourage His apostles (and us), Jesus issues a command and He gives it twice … "love one another" (Jn 15:12,17). It is a command that Jesus had also given earlier (Jn 13:34). This command is found at least 15 times in the New Testament, using the word 'love' and many more times using synonyms. Love between Christians is not a peripheral issue in our lives. It is central in proclaiming the gospel. Many glorious benefits are the results of mutual love between believers, not the least of which is encouragement in the m...2022-01-3042 minBethel Baptist ChurchJohn: Abide in MeScripture Reading: John 15:1-11 Continuing to encourage the eleven apostles on the night before His crucifixion, Jesus gives the last of His "I am" statements in John's gospel. "I am the true vine" (Jn 15:1). What follows is an extended metaphor of the relationship between Christ and His own. He is the vine and Christians are seen as branches, deriving their life and fruit from the vine. There is a contrast presented here. God the Father, depicted as the vinedresser, does two things with the branches … He cuts away the lifeless and He cultivates the living (Jn 15...2022-01-2344 min
Bethel Baptist ChurchCorinthians: Glorify God in Your BodyScripture Reading: 1 Corinthians 6:9-20 The background to this section of 1 Corinthians 6 is the occurrence in the church in Corinth of church members taking other church members to court. Paul reasons that believers must not take other believers before a state judge because, for the most part, these judges are unbelievers. "When one of you has a grievance against another, does he dare go to law before the unrighteous instead of the saints?" (1 Cor 6:1). This text is forbidding believers from taking other believers to a civil court, with the reasoning that the church, given authority by Go...2022-01-1651 min
Bethel Baptist ChurchJohn: Let Not Your Heart Be TroubledScripture Reading: John 14:25-31 The concept of 'peace' is a major theme in the Bible, especially in the New Testament. The word 'peace' occurs 95 times in the New Testament and is found in every book except 1 John. Few passages in Scripture are as sweet and comforting as this familiar promise of Jesus in John 14. There is, in the Bible, the objective standing of peace with God. "Therefore having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ" (Rom 5:1; cf. Col 1:20). The breech of relationship between sinful man and an infinitely holy...2022-01-0948 min
Bethel Baptist ChurchJohn: If You Love Me You Will Keep My WordJohn 14:18-252022-01-0242 min
Bethel Baptist ChurchJohn: Greater Works and Answered PrayersJohn 14:12-172021-12-2647 min
Bethel Baptist ChurchColossians: The Supremacy of Christ (Advent Day 4, 2021)Scripture Reading: Colossians 1:15-20 It is highly significant that, from the time of Christ, the Holy Spirit inspired passages like today's passage. This section reveals, in glorious description, the nature of the Son of God. For two thousand years there have been multiplied false ideas about who Jesus is. Passages like Colossians 1:15-20 help us to clearly understand who Jesus is. He is God the Son, which means He was not created. Here the Son is "the image of the invisible God" (Col 1:15). This means that Jesus is the perfect manifestation of God to a world...2021-12-1947 min
Bethel Baptist ChurchLuke: A Light and A SignScripture Reading: Luke 2:25-35 We all know that Christmas means more than eggnog and emotion, cards and commercials. But it is so easy, in the lunacy we call December, to lose sight of the Son of God. Usually the star in the Eastern sky is dimmed by the flashing of department store lights. How refreshing it is to return each year to the word of the living God and let the gospel writers focus our hearts on the King who was born. The whole meaning of Christ, in concise form, is found in the declarations...2021-12-1247 min
Bethel Baptist ChurchGalatians: The Redemption of Jerusalem (Advent Day 2, 2021)Scripture Reading: Galatians 4:4-7, Titus 2:11-14 A few people recognized Jesus as the promised Messiah when He was born. One of them was Anna, whom Luke said, "did not depart from the temple, worshiping with fasting and prayer night and day" (Lk 2:37). Upon seeing the blessed baby, Anna began to speak "to all who were waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem" (Lk 2:38). Among the many ramifications of the coming of Christ is the idea that Jesus is the Redeemer of the souls of all who trust in Him. There are two main ideas in the conc...2021-12-0543 min
Bethel Baptist ChurchRomans: Falling Short of God's Glory (Advent Day 1, 2021)Scripture Reading: Romans 3:23 As we begin to approach the Christmas season, it is important to understand the need the human race has for a Savior. The birth of Christ means little to us, personally, unless we grasp the deep and urgent need we have for what Jesus was born to do. Understanding Romans 3:23 drives us to comprehend our need for Him. "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." But exactly how do we describe God's glory and what does it mean to "fall short" of it? A meditation on this verse helps us to...2021-11-2845 min
Bethel Baptist ChurchJohn: I Go to Prepare a Place for YouScripture Reading: John 14:1-11 In this passage, it is particularly helpful to remember that John did not write in terms of chapter divisions. Chapter 13 ends with Jesus telling His disciples that he was going to go away and that they could not follow him. Further, He said that Peter would deny Him before the sun rose on the next day. These must have been very troubling words for the disciples to hear. Therefore, it is important for Jesus to comfort these men by telling them, not simply that they should not be troubled, but precisely...2021-11-2140 min
Bethel Baptist ChurchJohn: Love One Another As I Have Loved YouScripture Reading: John 13:31-38 John 31:31 begins a section of John known as the 'upper room discourse.' It is only found in this gospel and contains the last instruction, at least recorded, that Jesus gave to the eleven apostles. Jesus was about to die, and He knew it. When you are dying, you only speak of the most important things. It is significant that in His dying encouragement to His disciples, He begins speaking of the glory of God and the necessity of the disciples to love one another. The unity of God...2021-11-1446 min
Bethel Baptist ChurchJohn: Judas and the Sovereignty of GodScripture Reading: John 13:10-30 The story of the life of Judas is one of the saddest stories in the Bible, indeed in all of human history. Judas had spiritual privileges beyond our wildest dreams. He lived with Jesus for three years, listening to His divine wisdom, beholding acts of omnipotent power. Yet in the presence of divinity in human form and in the face of divine perfections, Judas's heart remained unchanged and rebellious. When Satan enticed Judas (Jn 13:2) and finally possessed him (Jn 13:27), we ought not imagine that this was a good man who had...2021-10-3147 min
Bethel Baptist ChurchJohn: The Son Glorifies the FatherScripture Reading: John 12:36b-50 John does not record the scene in Gethsemane when Jesus prayed the night before His crucifixion, but this passage captures the same emotions Jesus had as He faced His work on the cross. Jesus is ever aware that He has come to the earth, taking on human flesh, to do the will of the Father who sent Him. Here Jesus prays, "Father, glorify your name." God the Father responds with the declaration, "I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again" (Jn 12:28). We see here the truth that God, Himself...2021-10-1744 min
Bethel Baptist ChurchJohn: The Son Glorifies the FatherScripture Reading: John 12:27-36a John does not record the scene in Gethsemane when Jesus prayed the night before His crucifixion, but this passage captures the same emotions Jesus had as He faced His work on the cross. Jesus is ever aware that He has come to the earth, taking on human flesh, to do the will of the Father who sent Him. Here Jesus prays, "Father, glorify your name." God the Father responds with the declaration, "I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again" (Jn 12:28). We see here the truth that God...2021-10-1045 min
Bethel Baptist ChurchJohn: Losing Our Life to Keep ItScripture Reading: John 12:12-26 After being hailed as the Messiah, the King of the Jews (Jn 12:12-19), Jesus is shown to be Sovereign over the Gentiles as well (Jn 12:20,21,32). Jesus did, in fact, come as the fulfillment of Old Testament promises of a king. But He did not come, the first time, to be the kind of ruler His generation expected. His glory would come through suffering, death, and resurrection. Just days before His crucifixion, Jesus reminds His disciples of His dying. Then He instructs them of the necessity to die to themselves in order...2021-09-1933 min
Bethel Baptist ChurchJohn: Mary's Love ... Judas's ScornScripture Reading: John 12-1-11 This section in John 12 is a study in contrast. Mary, the sister of Lazarus, displays her deep devotion to and adoration of Jesus, on the one hand. Judas displays his deep contempt for Jesus, on the other hand. Jesus divides people into those two categories, and there is no third category. Someone must either love Christ or reject Christ. There is no middle ground. Mary's love for Jesus is shown in the value of the expensive ointment with which she anointed Jesus’ head (cf. Mt 26:7) and feet. The cost of the oil was...2021-09-1239 min
Bethel Baptist ChurchJohn: To Gather The Children of GodScripture Reading: John 11:45-57 Though it is not mentioned in word, the gospel of Christ is at the center of this passage. The rejection of Jesus has now taken institutional form. John 11:47 says that "the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered the council." This is a reference to the Sanhedrin Council in Israel and it is the highest authority in the Jewish community. The High Priest himself, Caiaphas, pronounced a death sentence on Jesus saying, "It is better for you that one man should die for the people, not that the whole nation should perish" (Jn 11:50). 2021-09-0542 minBethel Baptist ChurchJohn: Lazarus, Come Out!2021-08-2944 min
Bethel Baptist ChurchDeuteronomy: Over, Under, Around, and Through These Are The Ways God Ministers to YouSpecial Guest Speaker: Rev. Greg Hands Scripture Reading: Deuteronomy 4:39, 33:27, Psalm 16:8, 125:22021-08-2259 min
Bethel Baptist ChurchJohn: God's Glory and God's LoveScripture Reading: John 11:1-16 John has deliberately selected some of the miracles of Jesus to include in his gospel as 'signs' pointing to the identity of our Lord as the Son of God. Perhaps the most spectacular 'sign' is the raising of Lazarus from the dead. J. C. Ryle says that this chapter in John is "one of the most remarkable in the New Testament. For grandeur and simplicity, for pathos and solemnity, nothing was ever written like it" (Ryle, Expository Thoughts on John, 2:166). The circumstances leading to the actual act of raising Lazarus are...2021-08-1543 min
Bethel Baptist ChurchJohn: I and the Father are OneScripture Reading: John 10:30-42 In the discourses between Jesus and the Jewish leaders, in the gospel of John, we are brought into the glories and mysteries of the infinite God. Jesus says things that can only be true if He is God in human flesh. "Whatever the Father does, the Son does likewise" (Jn 5:19). "Before Abraham was, I am" (Jn 8:58). On both occasions, the Jews wanted to put Jesus to death. In today's passage the leaders had the same reaction to the same implication in what Jesus was saying. The implication in Jesus' words was His e...2021-08-0844 min
Bethel Baptist ChurchJohn: The Good Shepherd Gives Eternal LifeScripture Reading: John 10:19-30 The good shepherd promises to do several things for His sheep in this passage. He calls them to Himself (Jn 10:3) … He leads His sheep (Jn 10:3) … He gives them abundant life (Jn 10:10) … He lays down His life for His sheep (Jn 10:11) … He knows them (Jn 10:14). John 10:28 contains another wondrous promise which Jesus declares concerning His sheep … "I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand." This is the promise of rescue from everlasting damnation ("they will never perish"), the promise of the experien...2021-08-0146 min
Bethel Baptist ChurchJohn: The Good Shepherd Gives Abundant LifeScripture Reading: John 10:1-18 John emphasizes the identity of Jesus in his gospel, highlighting the deity of Jesus. John records 'signs' that Jesus did which point to His divinity as well as 'I am' statements Jesus made. In John 10, Jesus declares "I am the door" of the sheep (Jn 10:7,9) and "I am the good shepherd" (Jn 10:11,14). In the context of these statements, this designation stands in stark contrast of the Pharisees. Jesus certainly has the Jewish leaders in mind when He refers to "thieves and robbers" (Jn 10:1,8) who do not truly care for the sheep....2021-07-1841 min
Bethel Baptist ChurchJohn: The Work of God on DisplayScripture Reading; John 9:1-41 A central point of this miracle, and the dialogues which follow, is that there are two kinds of blindness … physical blindness and spiritual blindness … and Jesus can heal them both. Only John records this miracle. The gospel writers record sight to the blind more than any other healing miracle of our Lord. This particular miracle, perhaps, most aptly illustrates the miracle of conversion, in which spiritual sight is given to the spiritually blind. There is a contrast here between the blind man to whom Jesus grants both physical and spiritual sight and...2021-07-1137 min
Bethel Baptist ChurchJohn: Jesus: The Great 'I AM'Scripture Reading: John 8:48-59 This section is the ending of John's record of a long interchange between Jesus and the Jewish leaders (and others) following the Feast of Tabernacles. The focus, increasingly, is the identity of Jesus and the reaction of His hearers to Him. Their initial perplexity at what He was saying became hostility and, finally, open violence. In our passage there is a staggering promise and a more staggering declaration. The wondrous promise is founded in the wondrous Person of Christ. Both the promise and the declaration are introduced by the sobering words "...2021-07-0441 min
Bethel Baptist ChurchJohn: Truly My DeciplesScripture Reading: John 8:30-47 This section of Jesus' statements is addressed to those who believe and yet do not believe. These folks seem inclined to think that what Jesus said was true. But it is clear that they were not prepared to see themselves as sinful rebels in opposition to the God of Abraham. Thinking that being descendants of Abraham made them acceptable to God, they repeatedly justified themselves to Jesus, oblivious to the wretched state of their hearts … and hardened against the holy assessment Jesus was making of their true spiritual status. Ab...2021-06-2738 min
Bethel Baptist ChurchJohn: Light of the WorldScripture Reading: John 8:12-30 One of the hallmarks of the gospel of John is the "I am" statements of Jesus. There are seven of them and only John has them in this form … "I am the bread of life" (Jn 6:48) … "I am the Good Shepherd" (Jn 10:11) … "I am the true Vine" (Jn 15:1). In today's passage Jesus says, "I am the light of the world" (Jn 8:12). Light, in the Bible, is associated with several things. Intellectually, light is truth and darkness is error. "Your word is a lamp to my feet, and a light to my path"...2021-06-2034 min
Bethel Baptist ChurchJohn: Sermon Merciful SaviorScripture Reading: John 7:53 – 8:11 This is one of the most well-known of the stories of our Lord, probably because of the great comfort we find in the mercy of Jesus. Our hearts long for Him to show us the same mercy which we see in this passage. The Pharisees and scribes who brought the adulterous woman to Jesus were not at all concerned with holiness and justice. John 8:6 reveals that they were looking for some way to discredit Jesus. It was an ethical trap and their inquiry "So what do you say?" was a loaded question....2021-06-1338 min
Bethel Baptist ChurchJohn: Rivers of Living WaterScripture Reading: John 7:37-52 In Biblical times, every morning during the first century Feast of Tabernacles, a priest would draw water from the pool of Siloam with a golden pitcher. In a joyful procession he would lead a march to the altar in the temple courtyard. In a solemn ceremony of pomp and delight, he would pour the water into a bowl next to the altar. The water symbolized God's provision of water for the Israelites during their 40 years in the wilderness, as well as water for the year's harvest. Against this background, on the...2021-06-0637 min
Bethel Baptist ChurchJohn: A seeking that is not SeekingScripture Reading: John 7:25-36 The exchange in the temple between Jesus and the Jewish religious leaders continues in this passage. The opposition to Jesus is becoming clearer through this conversation and the declarations of Jesus are becoming more piercing. The confusion on the part of the people prompts Jesus to say, "He who sent me is true, and him you do not know" (Jn 7:28). It is a repetition of Jesus' identity, but also a challenge to these Israelites. Jesus is revealing to them that they truly did not know the God of Abraham, though they...2021-05-3038 min
Bethel Baptist ChurchJohn: Willing to Do God's WillScripture Reading: John 7:14-242021-05-2338 min
Bethel Baptist ChurchJohn: The World Hates JesusScripture Reading: John 7:1-13 It is clear from reading the gospel of John that the author records a growing hostility toward Jesus as time goes on. There is a mixture of confusion and disdain as the people, and particularly the Jewish leaders, become familiar with Christ. This passage gives us insight into the extent to which people did not understand Jesus. Even Jesus' brothers did not believe in Him (Jn 7:5). Against the backdrop of the Feast of Tabernacles, the Jewish people were privately talking about Him, even arguing about His character (Jn 7:10-13). In...2021-05-1637 min
Bethel Baptist ChurchWhy Did Jesus Choose Judas?Scripture Reading John 6:60-71 This passage presents the reader with a puzzling question. John 6:60 says that "Jesus knew from the beginning . . . who it was who would betray him." And in John 6:70 Jesus says, "Did not I choose you, the Twelve? And yet one of you is a devil." The natural question is this: If Jesus knew, from the beginning, that Judas would betray Him, why did He choose him to be one of His twelve apostles? Unless the Bible clearly states why Jesus did the things He did, answering the question 'why' must be done...2021-05-0941 min
Bethel Baptist ChurchFeeding on the Flesh of JesusScripture Reading John 6:52-65 The declarations of Jesus in this section of John could not be more indescribable in their glory. But in the ears of Christ's listeners His assertions were utterly incomprehensible. As clear as Jesus was, and repeatedly so, the Jews in the Capernaum synagogue had no idea what He was talking about. And most people today are adrift in the same spiritual darkness. In this long chapter, the greater the resistance of Jesus' hearers, the more pointed His statements become. Jesus had repeatedly referred to Himself as the 'bread of life' or...2021-05-0236 min
Bethel Baptist ChurchDrawn by the Father Raised by the SonScripture Reading: John 6:41-51 This paragraph in John is yet another example of the mystery of human responsibility and divine sovereignty. Jesus chides these unbelieving Israelites for their grumbling. They, like most people today, imagined that Jesus was simply another human being like them. "They said, 'Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How does he now say, 'I have come down from heaven'?" (Jn 6:42). People are responsible if they do not heed Jesus' exhortation … "This is the bread that comes down from heaven, so that one may ea...2021-04-2544 min
Bethel Baptist ChurchJohn: God Invites All, God Loses NoneScripture Reading: John 6:30-40 There are many mysteries which rise from the pages of the Bible … wonderful mysteries. How could it be otherwise when the Bible reveals the infinite God to our very finite minds? The eternal existence of God is a mystery to us. The triune nature of God is a mystery to us … as is the union of divinity and humanity in the person of Jesus. In today's passage we are met with the mystery of the compatibility of human responsibility and divine sovereignty with regards to salvation. Human responsibility is on display in John...2021-04-1839 min
Bethel Baptist ChurchHebrews: The World to ComeOriginally Presented: October 30, 2016 Scripture Reading: Hebrews 2:5-9 In this paragraph the author picks up the theme of Christ's superiority to angels. To this point in the book, to buttress the idea that Jesus is superior to angels, the line of reasoning has centered on His divinity. Christ is seen as the Son (1:5), king (1:8), God (1:8), creator (1:2,10), unchanging (1:12). Now the argumentation for the superiority of Christ to angels is drawn from His humanity. God did not subject the world to come to angels, but to Christ and His redeemed people (2:5). Though human beings are, in...2021-04-1136 min
Bethel Baptist ChurchJohn: Food that EnduresScripture Reading: John 6:22-29 On the heels of the feeding of the 5,000 we have this interchange between Jesus and some of the people who ate Christ's miraculous food. Having followed Jesus to the western side of the Sea of Galilee, our Lord confronted them with a blunt and searching indictment … "Truly, truly, I say to you, you are seeking me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves" (Jn 6:26). These folks were enamored with the product of the miracle instead of being enthralled with the person who accomplished the miracle. 2021-04-1139 min
Bethel Baptist ChurchHebrews: A Great Salvation and a Sober WarningOriginally Presented: October 23, 2016 Scripture Reading: Hebrews 2:1-4 To this point in Hebrews there has been no command. The author did not tell his readers to do anything in the first chapter. It was all declaration, wonderful declaration, about the glorious supremacy of Jesus. He is the radiance of the glory of God. Now comes some implications which issue from what is being said in chapter one about Jesus. There is a command in these four verses and there is a very sober warning in these four verses. The command is to pay close...2021-04-0439 min
Bethel Baptist ChurchJohn: He Knew Her Name She Knew His VoiceScripture Reading: John 20:1-18 (Biblical references to Mary Magdalene, in chronological order) Lk 8:2 - Jesus had cast out seven demons from Mary Magdalene Jn 19:25 - Mary standing by the cross Mt 27:56 - Mary standing afar off when Jesus died (Mk 15:47) Mt 27:61 - Mary watched to see where Jesus was buried (Mk 15:47) Mt 28:1 - Mary came early Sunday morning to anoint the body of Jesus (Mk 16:1; Jn 20:1) Lk 24:10 - Mary told others about the empty tomb (Jn 20:2) Jn 20:11-18 - 1st resurrection appearance of Jesus … to Mary Magdalene (Mk 16:9) These are the only New Testament references to Mary Mag...2021-04-0436 min
Bethel Baptist ChurchHebrews: The Supremacy of ChristOriginally Presented: October 16, 2016 Scripture Reading: Hebrews 1:4-14 Having begun this letter with seven statements describing the exalted position of Christ (Heb 1:1-4), the writer now displays the preeminence of Jesus over angels. The author utilizes seven Old Testament quotations to make a case showing Christ to be superior to angels. Angels were held a high position in the minds of first century Jews and there is New Testament evidence of worship of angels (Col 2:18). So Christ is shown here to be superior, infinitely superior, to angels. God declares that Jesus is His Son...2021-03-2842 min
Bethel Baptist ChurchJohn: The King of IsraelScripture Reading: John 12:12-26 All four gospel writers contain the stirring story of the triumphant entry of Jesus into Jerusalem one week before His death on the cross. The account tells the story of a very public declaration, in no uncertain terms, that Jesus is king. All secrecy about Jesus is now gone. The Passover festival was one week away when Jesus rode the two miles from Bethany to Jerusalem on a donkey, arriving not on a war-horse, but on a symbol of peace. The Passover festival was a time when all Jews who were...2021-03-2840 min
Bethel Baptist ChurchHebrews: Christ ExaltedScripture Reading: Hebrews 1:2,3 Few Biblical passages laud the excellencies of Christ like these opening verses of Hebrews 1. The position which Jesus occupies, both as the second person of the Godhead and as conquering Redeemer, is described in unrivalled and supreme terms. Jesus is "heir of all things" through whom the world was created (Heb 1:2). He is "the radiance of the glory of God" and "the exact imprint of His nature" (Heb 1:3). Further, "he upholds the universe by the word of his power" (Heb 1:3). Every atom and molecule in all creation is held in place by...2021-03-2137 min
Bethel Baptist ChurchJohn: It Is I . . . Do Not Be AfraidScripture Reading: John 6:14-21 As if the miracle of Jesus feeding the 5,000 is not astounding enough, Matthew, Mark, and John all follow up the account of that miracle with another breathtaking display of power and authority. This is the miracle of Jesus walking on the water. Jesus deliberately sent His disciples away in a boat at night (cf. Mt 14:22; Mk 6:45). It is not stretching the story to say that Christ not only knew there would be a violent storm on the Sea of Galilee that night, but that He generated the storm. Then...2021-03-2138 min
Bethel Baptist ChurchHebrews: Christ's Divine NatureScripture Reading: Hebrews 1:1-9 The author of Hebrews does not begin his letter with the usual identification of the writer and the recipients. Instead he immediately plunges into the theme of his letter, namely the indescribable majesty and unapproachable glory of God the Son. What the readers had not understood deeply was the strength-giving wonder of the person and work of Jesus. The description of Christ in Hebrews 1:2,3 is the highest possible representation of the nature of Christ. The phrases here are lofty and glorious. Christ has been "appointed heir of all things." Through Christ...2021-03-1439 min
Bethel Baptist ChurchJohn: The Power and Goodness of ChristScripture Reading: John 6:1-15 This long chapter (71 verses) is all about Jesus being bread. The main point of the miracle of the feeding of the 5,000 is to say, not only that Jesus gives bread, but the Jesus is bread … the bread of life (Jn 6:48,51). The only miracle Jesus did that is recorded in all four gospels is the feeding of the five thousand. Involving easily more than ten thousand people (including women and children), it is understandable that this is one of the most recognizable of Jesus' miracles. To consider that Jesus created food for so...2021-03-1442 min
Bethel Baptist ChurchHebrews: The Book Of Hebrews OverviewOriginally Presented: Sept 25, 2016 Scripture Reading: Hebrews 1:1-14 It is a tonic for the spiritually debilitated. The study of this epistle leads us beneath the surface of things to the profound depths of our evangelical faith, and enriches and establishes our understanding of the grace of God manifested on our behalf in the incarnation, self-offering, and exaltation of him who is the Apostle and High Priest of our confession. 'There is, indeed, no book in Holy Scripture,' says Calvin in the foreword to his commentary on Hebrews, 'which speaks so clearly of the priesthood of...2021-03-0743 min
Rudy Maxa's World31 March 2018 – RMWorldTravel Connection - Hour 2— Topics & Guests on this hour of RMWorldTravel with Rudy Maxa and Robert & Mary Carey include:
Seg 1 – Rudy, Robert & Mary Show Open, News and Travel Trio Banter
Seg 2 – Personal Connection – Trailblazer for Women in Aviation, American Airlines First Officer Kathy Cosand
Seg 3 – Joshua David Stein shares his massive, global complication of great eateries for locals and travelers
Seg 4 – Deals of The Week
Seg 5 – Oliver Mernick-Levene details Secret Food Tours to experience in multiple cities around the globe1970-01-0100 min