Our little church

[Brother Ben]

I want to ask for your prayers. Many or most of you do not know this because I have not talked about it much, but I began pastoring a little country Baptist church near our home about 8 months ago, it came with a backlog of trouble.

We have endeavored by the grace of God to turn the church in a direction of growth and change for good. We have seen the addition of some new families, and God is powerfully at work in the lives of some, (lives wrecked with sin and sorrow.) However, some of the "old guard," ,who are still in association with a member, whose membership was terminated for strife and threatenings, are determined to stand in the way of the Lord, at work in these new families. The old mal-contents, want me gone. The growing families do NOT.

I want to ask you to pray for the Lord to melt the hearts of those who oppose the work of God. I do not wish harm on anyone, but I also know one does not stand in opposition to the forward motion of the church, Christ's blood-bought bride, and not suffer for it. I would rather they repent.

I expect God to role up his slaves and do something mighty that will cause those who do not want to lose their grip of control, to see that the church is the bride of Christ, purchased with His blood, and not theirs. They have gone about telling tales, even to their "gun-totten," unsaved relatives and I have received calls and been verbally accosted. I answered them in sweetness, truth, and peace, and I believe the Lord blessed, but this is all part of the "old" giving way to the "new" work of the Spirit.

You might think, "Bro. Ben, you're crazy for even being there!" And, I must confess, it seems crazy, but when I sought the Lord, he told me two different times clearly to take the work. He is doing something. Perhaps my dreams and visions may appear too grand, but I think the "old" has to go, and the "new" is going to be glorious!

Please covenant with me in prayer this week in particular. I have asked those who take prayer seriously to beg of the Lord a showing of his mighty hand. Pray three times a day the rest of this week. I have been told about all the "kin' that are going to be there on Sunday. I do not want a bad scene, the new ones do not need to see this.

Pray:
1. For protection on my family and me.
2. For protection of the sweet ones that have hearts toward the Lord.
3. For the Lord to melt the hearts of the trouble-makers, or WAKE THEM UP, whatever way he has to where THEY WILL KNOW, God, Jehovah God, is knocking on their door.
4. For Christ to be glorified, truth to be held up, and the church brought forth in glory.

For my Kind and Beloved, Christ,
Ben

P.S. If you will covenant with me in prayer, THREE TIMES A DAY, just post, "Count me in!" AND send this via email, (or phone call,) to every brother and sister you know who know how to grab heaven with two hands, and shake it till they've gotten a hold of God.

Blessings to you.

[Brother John]

Count us in.

John

[Brother Randy]

Count me in .

Bro Randy

[benshelpmeet]

Please do pray for our little church. God is at work and Satan is fighting mad. It's hard on us all. We want to see God do something big in behalf of His blood bought church and in behalf of those precious souls turning toward Christ. This church is coming alive and the powers of hell are coming up against it mightily. Sick em Lord.

Mat 16:18...I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

[preacherchris]

will be praying

[benshelpmeet]

Dear Brethren,

Bro Ben just called me and said he's praising God for '' His Great Protection'' He was driving down the highway and the Semi truck (18 wheeler) in front of him went over a GIANT sign of some sort, and it hit Ben's truck, and smashed the grill ,and head lights, flood lights, and tore off the drivers side rear view mirror, and broke out his front window, and dented badly his camper box. He said he is fine. (PRAISE THE LORD!) He's sitting on the side of the highway waiting for the Sheriff to arrive to make a report for the Insurance.

Your prayers mean more than you realize.

Thank you so much Bro John, Bro Randy, and Bro Chris for your prayers.

This is important! Please continue to pray for protection for our whole family, and property (we had a really bad storm the night before last, but had no damage.)

Also remember to pray for the Sunday morning church service, and for the hearts of those who will be there to be turned toward the Lord, and for God to distract anyone who would come to do ill, or hinder the cause and work of God.

May the Lord Bless you, ~ sister Darlene ~

[Brother John]

Hey Brother,

I'll bet that's the last time you ask for a sign!

Anyway, very glad and thankful to hear that you're alright. Praise the Lord for his hand of protection.

John

[benshelpmeet]

Thank you for your response. We do need to be careful what we pray for. That was a good one, we all burst out laughing here. ;D

We found out later that it wasn't a sign it was some type of fiberglass sheet rock, he found a big piece stuck in his grill, it was green with writing on it.

His boss is going to make him drive this bashed truck ( until it can get fixed, which could take a while), he has to get a rear view mirror, and front blinkers and a toggle switch, I guess he will silicone his camper top to keep water out. He said it broke his air conditioner line, and set his clock at a different time and for AM instead of PM. Isn't that strange. I'm just worried about his wind shield coming loose and hitting him in the face ( he does drive 70 miles per hour hwy speed)

Please just continue to lift us and our church up in much prayer.

Blessings, ~ sister Darlene ~

[Sister Penny]

Brother Ben,
We are praying here too in Michigan for you and your church..
God bless,
Sister Penny

[Brother John]

Praying for tomorrow brother Ben. Let us know how it goes.

John

[Brother Ben]

Update: Monday Nov. 1, 2010

Well, How did the service go yesterday? The preaching, I think, went great. The Lord helped and I felt liberty. The atmosphere? Well, all the lost and ready to fight relatives were there. The Lord prompted me to preach Hell hot, salvation available, and repentance necessary.

As usual, we had our monthly business meeting. We read the financial report and were about to dismiss and a currently "inactive" member started the ruckus. It went from him, to his wicked sister, to his other wicked sister. Back and forth and sometimes two at once. I did my best to answer their questions calmly but also told them that their hearts were not right with God and that they were in trouble with God.

Another sister, who was trying to keep it calm, came (she is NOT a member,) and asked if I felt like I need to resign? I asked her upon what scriptural mandate does she ask that question. She had no answer and I told them the Lord told me to take the church, I'll leave when he tells me I'm finished.

The real core of the problem is a little old 84 year old woman who does not like scriptural authority and goes home and rials up her adult (unsaved,) children. Her husband, (not their father,) we feel is a saved man, but he is weak. We are praying for the Lord to give him holy boldness and to tell his wife she is being wicked, and to tell the step sons and daughters, they are, too.

So, for now, we press on and seek the leadership of the Lord. My current prayers are along these lines.

1. For the Lord to show the trouble makers they are mistaken about the Lord and his jealous love for his church. I do not have any expectations except this; if God is holy, and his word is true, and he is jealous over his church, I expect him to take the trouble makers to the wood shed of life, whether they are saved or unsaved so that others will fear.

Act 5:11 And great fear came upon all the church, and upon as many as heard these things.

2. For the families that are good, (hearts in the right direction,) two church families, and my family, to be protected, strengthened, and encouraged in the Lord.

One of the families that just started coming, got up and left the meeting saying they were never coming again. The wicked trouble makers showed not the least bit of shame. I talked to him after the service and said, two things are going on here, the Lord is at work and the devil is too. I told him, it is good for him to be in church with his family, and the devil is mad. Don't walk away from the right thing. He said, he'd stay as long as his Daddy, (the other family that is FOR us,) stays.

Pray.

For Christ and his body.
Ben

[Brother John]

Ben,

How did it go today?

John

[SisterNancy]

continued prayers...for you and for your church.

wow our little church had problems on the same Sunday but this was the people vs the district. I'll let my husband expand on that.

Just know we are praying for all the churches that are standing for the truth of God and His word!

[Brother Ben]

Those against met Friday night at the church building to organize their coup d'état (also known as a coup, putsch, and overthrow—is the sudden, illegal deposition of a government, usually by a small group of the existing state.)

As far as actual members qualified to vote, their were only 2, and that is questionable if you consider their gossiping and refusal to obey the church decision to avoid the member we put out several months ago. They decided they would have a meeting Sunday morning and ask me to leave. I received a phone call, was verbally bashed, and told to, "...not push the issue because somebody is going to end up getting shot."

I do not fear their words or guns, but I decided I was going to let them have their "club," (it surely is not a church of the Lord Jesus Christ.)

We met in our home Sunday morning with one of the two families that were for us in all this ordeal. We had a nice meeting and a meal. They live over an hour away from us and said they are going to visit some churches near their home. I encouraged them to do so. If it is the Lord's will for them to stay, he will direct.

Please pray for the Lord let a spirit of peace to settle on our family and the other families that left the church. This has been emotionally hurtful on my family. I preached Sunday morning on the, Universal Principle of the Unequal Yoke, so they could understand the spiritual dynamic of what happened in all of this. The Lord gave me the message during the week and perhaps I can share it with you brethren. It was very edifying.

We press on.

Ben, Darlene, and the children.

Psa 27:11 Teach me thy way, O LORD, and lead me in a plain path, because of mine enemies.
Psa 27:12 Deliver me not over unto the will of mine enemies: for false witnesses are risen up against me, and such as breathe out cruelty.
Psa 27:13 , unless I had believed to see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living.
Psa 27:14 Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD.

[Brother John]

Ben,

We'll be praying. I'm sorry you folks had to go through what you did. I know you and your family love the Lord, so Romans 8:28 certainly applies here. Like you said, let them have their social club. I have no doubt God has something better for you.

In these last days when truth has fallen in the streets and there is a famine in the land, it is becoming more and more difficult for true believers to find fellowship with others of like mind. Sure, there are plenty of churches around, but that's not what I mean. I mean true love and fellowship in a true New Testament assembly where Christ is head and Lord. One where God is honored and glorified, his word is believed and taught, and his saints are edified and provoked unto good works. My prayer for everyone on this forum is to know and be part of such a church.

Love you folks.
John

By the way, it seems like I'm not able to even view the forum now without having to log on first. Is this something new?