RHBC budget and ministry list for 2014

RHBC budget 2013-2014--
click to open and download a copy of budget
adopted in business session Sept. 29.

Ministry Roster, that lists all those serving
the Lord at RHBC and where they are serving.
Click to open and download here

LIFE Group Schedule Sept. 2013

Tuesday-- 9 am-- at the church/Beth Vandenbark facilitating

Wednesday--  6:30 pm-- Bonnie Dickey's home

6:30 pm-- Ken/Sabrina Sevier's  home

6:30 pm-- Carolyn Burer's/D Rollins facilitating 

7 pm, church (childcare)/Keith Thielke facilitating

Thursday-- 7 pm-- Harry/Janet Bown's/Harry facilitating

Friday-- 7 pm Padilla's/Fred Hofstetter facilitating (children welcome)

Saturday-- 7 pm-- Mikhael and Ashley Oliver hosting/ Les Jones facilitating (children welcome)

Questions? Contact Les Jones.

RHBC "Serving" Survey

Click here to access the survey.

Please print it, fill it out, and turn in to church.

Do all Children Go to Heaven?

How are we to believe in regard to children who die before they have trusted Jesus for salvation?  On one hand, they, as everyone else, need a Saviour because of their sin nature. On the other hand, they are not saved because they have not believed yet in Christ. 

Though the doctrine is not stated directly, we believe the Bible does give teaching on this important matter.  Children are not responsible for their own sins until they reach what has been termed an "age of accountability".  That is an age where they understand sin and it's consequences before a holy God.  Though that awareness and understanding grows with age, they begin to grasp this at a child's level, and they feel guilt, shame, conviction, fear of judgment, and other evidences of conviction over their sin and standing before God.  There is no set age when this can occur.  Depending on a child's exposure to the gospel, his maturity, and his sensitivity to spiritual things, the age varies from child to child.

Before a child reaches this age, they are "safe" in the arms of Jesus. 

Here are some Bible verses to look at in this discussion:

1. David believed this when his newborn son died: David fasted and pleaded with God for the life of his ailing son. David's servants were so worried about him, that they feared to tell him when the child died. Yet, when David discovered the fact, he washed, changed his clothes, and sat down to eat. When the servants expressed their surprise, he responded, "While the child was yet alive, I fasted and wept: for I said, Who can tell whether GOD will be gracious to me, that the child may live? But now he is dead, wherefore should I fast? can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he shall not return to me" (2 Samuel 12:22-23
   ). 
2. Jesus said, "Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God." (Matthew 18:2-6
   ).  This matches perfectly with the confidence of David in seeing his son.
3. In Matthew 18:10
   , Jesus states, "Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones; for I say unto you, That in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven." The little ones have angels in heaven that always behold the face of the Father."

It becomes incumbent on all parents to expose their children to the gospel, and be observant to signs that God is dealing with their hearts in conviction for salvation.  Then be ready to help them receive Christ into their hearts.  Until then, I am confident that they are safe in the arms of Jesus.

Your Family Tree, Surviving the Storms

Hey folks,

what a great ending to a great family emphasis. God truly has used these months of praying for and studying God's word on marriage, family, parenting, and the home. I have received much feedback, and I want to bring the entire church family into the discussion.

So please take a few minutes to let others hear what God is teaching you about family, marriage, and the home. Below is a place for comments-- so everybody can see. Get in on the conversation!!

You'll bless others by sharing, I promise. I'll start... See below.

Bro. Danny

Oh, and don't forget the marriage retreat May 6-7. R U In?

update on Japan

My friend is in Japan right now assessing and ministering to the incredible needs in the name of Jesus and representing us. Here is a recent letter, pics, and his first hand account of the needs as he sees them being met. Pray for him and others there now, as well as the Japanese people that they will be open in a new way to the gospel of Jesus Christ.

This has been a very difficult week; but God is good.

After we arrived in Tokyo we started to make plans with the Tokyo Baptist Church, which is an awesome church. They are doing great work. We also realized after we arrived that few people had actually made it to the disaster zone. I realize that a lot of organizations were reporting that
they had work happening. However, that was not the case. The radiation
issues and the government kept people at bay for a while. We decided to
wear dosimeter badges while doing the work to measure the amount of
radiation we were getting while working. It was negligible.

We realized very quickly that fuel was scarce and supplies every scarcer.
So we had to find things here and there to distribute. But we did get things together and made it to the areas where the news media had not gone and helped in a small way. I cannot tell you how much the Japanese people thanked us.
At the gas stations, on the highway, in the devastated areas,people would just walk up to us and say thank you over, and over, and over.
At one highway gas station a young woman walked up to me out of the blue and
said, "You a Christian?" I said, "Yes." Then she said, "Thank you Christian for help." Japanese people are normally very reserved and
unemotional. This disaster has torn that down. Repeatedly folks wanted to
talk and welcomed our praying for them.

I need to keep this update short. So please pray for our folks as they continue in the work. I feel that God is giving us an opportunity to
minister in His name and share His message.

Blessings, P

Easter Sunday 2010

It was indeed a team effort!!

So many people over so many weeks praying, walking the entire community to distribute over 10,000 tracts and invitations, inviting, preparing facilities, and so much more. We had people at the church at 5:30 this morning, and our shuttles ready for people to ride before 7 am. Our children's department and check-in, children's church, and Easter Egg hunt all went perfectly, as well as 3 worship services back to back. So many volunteers I don't think they could all be counted.

I am incredibly grateful to be your pastor. Today was a great day. Final counts are not in, but there were close to 500 people present, over 100 kids, 4000 Easter eggs were given away, and 30+ people picked up a Bible or said they want to take the Next Step with God-- and many of them were first timers to our church.

Please share with us your thoughts on what the experience meant to you-- tell us stories fromf your area of service, or from visitors you met, or just how God used your involvement Easter Sunday in your life or somebody else's life.

As you respond, others will be able to see what you write. You are a blessing to Leann and me.

Bro Danny

Let Us Hear your Story about Fasting.

As we have been seeking God in a very intentional and biblical way, through fasting and prayer, I know God has been at work.

Would you take a moment, click on the word "comments" below (bottom right, beside the pencil), and in the box that opens up, write some thoughts about fasting from your experience during these days?

If you prefer not to write anything, but just want to see what others have written, click on the word "comment" and you'll see all the comments made so far.

Here are some questions to prompt your thinking as you write (answer as many as you like or don't use them at all. They are just to give you some ideas):

How long did you fast?
How has the experience of fasting affected you spiritually?
What did you notice while you fasted, or after you fasted?
What did you learn from your experience about fasting? About God? ...about yourself?
What advice would you give someone who has never fasted?

Thank you for taking the time to do that.

Sharpening Your Spiritual Sensitivity

A professor at a Baptist university was on a flight, and he noticed the passenger beside him closing his eyes and mouthing some words before he ate his meal. Striking up a conversation, he asked the young man if he was a Christian. "Absolutely not. " The professor mentioned he saw him praying over his meal, and asked him what he was praying for. "Do you really want to know? Actually I am a satanist, and I directing my attention to the fall of Chrisian pastors and their families in the New England area."


The days of casual, cultural, comfortable Christianity are over. We are indeed in days of deep spiritual darkness and battle. As we've studied in previous weeks, there is an invisible Kingdom, a spiritual one, that is more real than the physical one we walk and live in.


Verses


Is it possible that you and I can develop a spiritual sensitivity? If so, how can I sharpen my spiritual sensitivity, and be more alert and involved in what is going on in that world?


1. You must first make certain that you are saved. romans 8:16 says "His Spriti bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God..." . Since, as humans we are made up of 3 parts, it is vital to understand this truth. 1 Thess. 5:23


Our body is our outward , identifiable us. It is how we function and connect with the physical world. Our soul is made up of our mind, our will, and our emotion. Our spirit is how we connect, communicate with God and He with us.

When we are unsaved, we are dead in our spirit. When we receive Christ as Lord, He by His Spirit takes up residence in our spirit. We become alive to God in our spirit, and He begins to touch and transform us from within. Our spiritual life, growth, communication, all are rooted in our spirit. If our spirit is dead in sin, then we are unsaved, and cannot participate or discern the things of God.

Are You in the Kingdom?

In the Parable of the Kingdom in Matthew 20:1-16, we see a Landowner, who is . . .

1. Passionate in His Love for the Vineyard.

Sometimes the simplist truth, the truth that sets me free, is the one hardest to get my mind around. And sometimes, that difficulty hinders my walk and service to the King. At times, we just need to pause and reflect on that simple truth-- God, the creator of the universe and one true and living and holy God, loves you. You are the "apple of His eye", the joy of His heart, the one He sent His Son to die for. Look at how The Message describes His incredible love and grace, that He has lavished on us...

Ephesians 1:3-9; 11-14
3 How blessed is God! And what a blessing he is! He's the Father of our Master, Jesus Christ, and takes us to the high places of blessing in him. 4 Long before he laid down earth's foundations, he had us in mind, had settled on us as the focus of his love, to be made whole and holy by his love. 5 Long, long ago he decided to adopt us into his family through Jesus Christ. (What pleasure he took in planning this!) 6 He wanted us to enter into the celebration of his lavish gift-giving by the hand of his beloved Son. 7 Because of the sacrifice of the Messiah, his blood poured out on the altar of the Cross, we're a free people - free of penalties and punishments chalked up by all our misdeeds. And not just barely free, either. Abundantly free! 8 He thought of everything, provided for everything we could possibly need, 9 letting us in on the plans he took such delight in making. He set it all out before us in Christ, 10 a long-range plan in which everything would be brought together and summed up in him, everything in deepest heaven, everything on planet earth. 11 It's in Christ that we find out who we are and what we are living for. Long before we first heard of Christ and got our hopes up, he had his eye on us, had designs on us for glorious living, 12 part of the overall purpose he is working out in everything and everyone. 13 It's in Christ that you, once you heard the truth and believed it (this Message of your salvation), found yourselves home free - signed, sealed, and delivered by the Holy Spirit. 14 This signet from God is the first installment on what's coming, a reminder that we'll get everything God has planned for us, a praising and glorious life. (The Message)

2. Persistent in His Pursuit of Laborers

He pursues Continually
Often there is an intentional process He uses to get us “on frequency” with Him: a circumstance, an event, a maturity level, a colleague or coworker, a difficulty, an observation

He pursues Expectantly. "Why are you standing here idle?" is the question of one who has offered opportunity, and knows there is no reason to not be in the vineyard.

He pursues Knowing our Limitations. Some are limited by time, or age... They get into the vineyard late, but are still able to contribute something, and are given the chance. He knows our limitations, but still wants us active.

3. Powerful in His Presence among the Laborers.
Matt 4:24 shows us what happens when Jesus is reigning in His kingdom. And these things will happen around us as we are living the Kingdom life.

4. Punctual in His Payment of Laborers.
Though the pament is different than some expect, God's grace is abundant as He pays what He has promised, not what is deserved. But He can to trusted to be faithful to His promise. There is a payday coming.

How To Appeal to Your Authority

Daniel gives us a great Biblical illustration of how to deal with and appeal to our authorities.



1. Accept God’s view of authority

When thinking about authority, Christians are fond of saying—God is my authority. And that would be true. God, and His Word are our authorities and guides to whom we submit. However, that’s not the whole of it. We live in a world, and relate to other authorities—how are we to relate to them? Does God have anything to say to us about them, and how we are to live in relation to those other authorities that are in positions over us? A boss, coach, teacher, or parent can be the source of difficulty and frustration, and it helps to know a Biblical way to appeal to them when necessary.

“Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God; the powers that be are ordained of God.” Romans 13:1

“higher powers” = superior authorities, those over and above us in position, who are over us and have the liberty to make decisions and choices; usually has to do with delegated/temporary authority.


4 Sources of Authority in our lives

Family – “Children, obey your parents in all things, fo r this is well pleasing unto the Lord.” Colossians 3:20

Work – “Servants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh; not with eyeservice, as men-pleasers, but in singleness of heart, fearing God.” Colossians 3:22

Spiritual – “Obey them that have rule over you, and submit yourselves; for they watch for your souls, as them that must give account, that they may do it with joy and not with grief; for that is unprofitable to you.” Hebrew 13:17

Governmental – “Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake; whether it be the king, as supreme,or unto governors, as unto them that are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers, and for the praise of them that do well.” 1 Peter 2:13-14

God establishes authority over us to teach us how to respond to Him. How we respond to our authority many times is how we will respond to God.


2. Have a clear conscience in relation to your authority.
We can't expect to successfully appeal to them if we have issues unresolved-- if you have stolen, are lazy-- and not productive, your appeal will fall on deaf ears. If you are disruptive, antagonistic, uncooperative, foul-mouthed, a gossip, flirtatious or seductive, and you want to appeal to them on a spiritual level, it will not happen.

3. Develop Convictions and Determine Where the Line is you will not cross.

Daniel “purposed in his heart” – 1:8, meaning he decided beforehand. A conviction is a scriptural principle I choose to follow whatever the cost. We will all have convictions.


Your convictions will sooner or later be tested
Your convictions will always be rewarded. 1:17; 3:28;6:26




4. Offer Creative Alternatives



5. Give God time to work


6. Suffer for not doing wrong.


Daniel’s friends conviction of worship was tested – Dan. 3:1-6, 12-18, they stood up for their convictions and were tossed in the fiery furnace.


Daniel’s conviction of prayer was tested – Dan. 6:4-15, Daniel stood on his conviction to pray to his God, and was thrown in the lion's den.



(I am indebted to IBYC and the Basic Seminar for some of the thoughts of this message)

Red White and Kaboom, 2007

Our ministry to the Fairfield community

while they await the annual fireworks display.

Why Was Jesus a Carpenter?

Ever Wonder?

Did you ever wonder why Jesus came as He did?

He was the Son of God. He came into a human world in order to seek and save it. He would choose the exact profession to do the most good and be most influential. He could have come as a conquering general, an Alexander the Great or Napolean, and be known for His brilliance in battle and courage in the face of death.

Or He could have come as a King, demanding obeisance and loyal worship of His subjects. The people were accustomed to despots and their corrupt and tyannical reign-- There are always the Caesar's, or the Pharoah's. Another Nebuchednezzar would not be unusual.

But He came as a simple carpenter. Looking at my own life, I have an idea why.

Carpenters are good at taking something old or ruined and making it look brand new again. And carpenters are experts at making something that did not exist before-- they can take scrap pieces of wood, and from a vision in their head, make them into something beautiful.

And that is what Jesus did for me. I was old, empty, useless, and turned me into something new and alive.

"we are His workmanship..."

What a great God! Have you let Him do His work in you?

"Made from scratch daily" and other daily pressures

Does the “dailyness” of life ever make you weary, making you wish you could find the pause button on life’s remote control? Pressures mount, children grow up, expenses increase, debt threatens, minute details and “to do” lists continue to scream for attention… and sometimes we just want to unplug the phone, close our door, sit uninterrupted while we just do nothing…

David experienced those feelings and frustrations. If you look up daily in a concordance, you’ll find listed in Psalms these daily struggles as an eternal reminder to us of how painfully difficult daily life can be:

He described his heart as being filled daily with sorrow, of being reproached daily by those who despised him, of fighting daily with those who sought to destroy him, of facing the pain and conflict of enemies daily.

I can imagine that is why he wrote “Oh that I had the wings of a dove, I would fly away and be at rest…” (Psalm 55:6). Short of Calgon “taking us away”, or our miraculously growing wings like a dove, what are some secrets David discovered that can help us along the way as we face the difficulties and draining drudgery of our “dailyness”?

1.Worship--Ps 72:15—“prayer also shall be made for him continually; and daily shall He be praised…”

2. Prayer-- Ps 86:3 –“Be merciful unto me, O Lord: for I cry unto thee daily. “

3. Look to His promised blessings-- Ps 68:19—“Blessed be the Lord, who daily loadeth us with benefits…”


These secrets cut against our natural tendency when we are lost in the daily grind, but will be the very things God uses to restore us and refresh us in our daily difficulties.

"Touched By The Cross"
John 19:38

Joseph of Arimethea is described as a disciple, but one secretly. He followed Jesus from afar, not wanting anyone to know he was a follower. But something happened that called him out, made him go public. What chracterized his "secret" life, and what brought the change?

4 Characterstics of a Secret Disciple:

A Lack of Courage-- he was afraid of what people might think, or what it might cost him if others found out he was a follower of Jesus.

A Love of Riches-- he was obviously a man of means, and could have made
A Limitation of Service
A Loss of Blessings

4 Changes does the Cross Brings:
A Readiness to Risk— "he gathered up his courage and went to Pilate…"
A Carelessness of Cost-- he was identifyng with a convicted criminal.
A Seriousness in Service-- he was serious about doing something. no more just thinking about it, talking about it...
A Publicness in Practice-- it was visible to others.

New Opportunities for a New Year

Facing a new year is always a time of mixed emotions for me. Ringing out the old, ringing in the new. As December 31 meets January 1 of each year, there is the tension I feel, the sometimes regret at opportunities lost, and experiences missed. And standing at the brink of a new year, with the unknown of it before me-- 8560 hours ahead that will make up this next year. What will it mean? What will happen...?

One of the blessing of a new year, are the New Opportunities that bring needed variety to our lives.

Imagine getting stuck living the same day over and over. Movies have pictured the misery and agony of re-living the same 24 hour period again and again. Bill Murray and others became almost suicidal at the repetition and boredom of such a life. Beautiful changes from one day to the next, one week to the next, one season to the next, one generation to the next all add an incredible variety and beauty to our lives-- cloudy to clear, rainy to windy, green to barren, cold to hot, rain to snow, all invigorate and stimulate us in different ways.

God has built this variety into His universe, and into our daily lives. Without the hope of a new day, full of unlived adventures, untried possibilities, or unexperienced opportunities, how boring and dull this life would be.

The old sage said: "four things come not back: the spoken word, the spent arrow, time past, and the neglected opportunity."

Lord, help us to live each new day this year to experience the opportunities You have for us. Help us to use the time wisely and benefit from all the experiences You will bring our way this next year.

"Be very careful how you live-- not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity..." Epehsians 5:15-15 NIV

Chris Telger's Testimony

Chris Telger was a young member of Rolling Hills Baptist Church. He died unexpectedly before Christmas. He was 28 years old. He so wanted to be used of the Lord. He had been chronicling the ups and downs and struggles and victories of his life, and was wanting to share them with anyone who would listen. His parents, Vern and Larua, wanted to share this with the desire that it might help others avoid the difficult path Chris walked.

Testimony – Christopher Vernon Telger – April 12, 2006


When I was growing up I went to Sunday school & church and was strongly involved in the youth group and had many friends at school and at the church. I was going on youth retreats, participated in lock-in’s at the YMCA and went on a mission trip to Chicago. I played baseball, basketball and soccer from the age of 6 until I was a junior in high school. I was a really good soccer goalie and wanted to play college basketball. My dream was to play for Bob Huggins at UC. I got hurt playing basketball and the coach that I loved, Coach Chasteen, died of a heart attack and my world began to change. Most of my friends were still involved in sports and I began to turn somewhere else for something to do and a new set of “friends”. When I was 15, I started drinking alcohol and smoking marijuana just to fit in with some of the new “friends” and to drown out the guilt and pain of the abuse I had experienced by a family friend who lived with us for over 2 years. By this point, I was mad at the world, hated myself, didn’t want to know or follow God and just wanted to die. I now know that it was an excuse but that need to fit in and be accepted, later turned to using harder drugs…..believe me, I used them all…..acid, cocaine, PCP, and my drug of choice was heroine. I got involved with a group that was selling it through illegal rings that took me to places like New York, Toledo & Miami mixing with people I would never wish anyone to come into contact with. That was the lowest I had ever sunk.

After months of this life style (if you can call it life) during which time I had over-dosed twice but thankfully, my roommates found me in time, something happened that began to change my life. On the third time I felt myself actually in a place I called Hell. I think God wanted to show me what it was like without Him, reminding me that He was in charge…that he made me and wanted to have a personal relationship with me. I saw total hate, total lovelessness, and total lack of the Holy Spirit. After what felt like an eternity there, I cried out for Jesus and was instantly in my body again and felt loved. I would also like to share that I have seen three friends die from overdoses.

That attempted overdose turned my life around. I ended up on the steps of the Rehab unit at Fort Hamilton Hospital with hundreds of dollars in my pockets….I do not know to this day how I got there…Obviously through God’s Grace. I was there for 10 days and clean for the 1st time in months. You’d think this would be enough to convince me but I was stubborn and went back to the streets the very next week and a few months later was taken back to the Detox unit by another user’s mom. While in the hospital this time, I finally called my mom to tell her where I was and what I was doing…they had no clue. You see, just like many other drug users, I was a master of disguising the symptoms. I then decided to start taking Methadone. It’s a cheap chemical substitute for heroin and would help take the cravings away and give me a normal life. I stayed on it for 6 years because my counselors at the clinic where I got the Methadone made me scared to even try to detox off it. When I finally decided I had had enough, they lied to me again and said it would only take 2 weeks to a month to get clean. It took me 3 ½ months of severe withdrawals and sleepless nights and it caused damage to my nervous system that may never be repaired.

I’ve been clean from street drugs for over 8 years and from Methadone for almost 2 years. I would do anything to get those 12 years back. I have health problems caused by my drug usage. My liver and heart are about the age of a 45 year old man; I have memory problems and have been diagnosed as being Bipolar. Drugs and alcohol don’t just destroy your body; they destroy your mind. Friends will tell you that it can’t hurt you….that’s the farthest from the truth!

I would do anything to get those years back. What I’m trying to get across is that once you start down that road, it’s a downward spiral to either death or rehabilitation and you don’t want either one of them. You don’t have to be lonely or abused to experiment in drugs, all it takes is a little curiosity and a little bit of peer pressure. You begin with a small drink of beer and the next thing you know you begin to drink to get drunk because you “feel good”…that doesn’t satisfy your curiosity and you smoke a little marijuana…just to see what it’s like….that leads to trying the hard stuff (no matter what they try to tell you that it don’t) Just like me, you start small and doors open to other drugs to get what you need and want at the time because of who you’re with. The choices I made when I was 15 have changed my life forever.

I now know that God was with me every step of the way. “He will never leave or forsake you”… He brought me from the depths of Hell itself, put me on those steps at Fort Hamilton Detox Center, let me witness my friends dying from overdoses and provided me with help just at the right time, comforted me through the months of horrible pain, sickness and depression. My life will never be what it could have been if I had made different choices.

If you don’t get anything else out of this, take this with you…..God made you in His image and it was not meant to use drugs. It was meant to deny yourself and take up the cross daily and follow Him. I now know that God was with me at my lowest points and has brought me through the roughest times that anyone could ever imagine…even out of the depths of the Hell I put myself into and that it is only through His Grace that I now have the strength to face each day. I give Him the Glory for my life as it is today and pray that no one else ever allows Satan to take them down the path that I took. The daily walk with our Lord and Savior is a much better way to live.

Our prayer is that God will use Chris' life and testimony and death to help others avoid his mistakes and trust His Saviour. If we could be of any assistance to you in this way, please let us know by your comment below. If you leave your email address, we will get back in contact with you with prayer, and any information that would be helpful to you. God bless you.

Christmas Open House 2006

The first Saturday of December is our week-end to host the church at our house. This tradition is our way of

expressing our love and appreciation to you as a church for your love, prayers, and support. This is our 3rd year to host it, and it is always a blessing.

It's a fun time for us as a church to be together and enjoy a lot of good fellowship.

And the food is always great.

Some folks have been to every one of the open houses we've done. This year, we had over 120 people stop by.

What's in a Name?

Imagine life without names. What would you tell your kids in that phase where everything is "What's that, Daddy?". "Well, sweetheart, that's a gray furry creature with a long tale and small head that eats nuts and lives in trees...". It would get a little complicated wouldn't it?

We can thank Adam that our world is not full of nameless creatures. As soon as God had finished His work of creating all things, "He brought them to Adam to see what he would name them...". Yes, that's one thing Adam got right.

Without names, you and I would be just another face in the crowd, another among millions of humans, engaged in living our lives. Your name distinguishes you from all the others that could be confused as you. Without it, you're just "hey you" to the world. It reveals you as a "one and only" to others.

Christmas all begins with a simple name. To Joseph, the angel whispered "you will call his name Jesus...". And that very name separated this precious child from all others, and later, from the wannabe's, the contenders, the pretenders, the self appointed, and presumptious. "You shall call his name JESUS, for he will save his people from their sins..." It was this Jesus, born of a virgin, that was named by God before He was born, and given a "name that is above every name". Given a name that identifies Him over the myriad of others through the corridors of time claiming to be messiahs. He's the "one and only" of God. And God indentified Him with a unique name.

Names are important. Shakespeare opined, "... a rose by any other name would still smell as sweet." But some names could never be changed and be the same. Without His Name, we would not know salvation, forgiveness of sin, peace and life eternal. Taking the holy name out of the holiday may be politically correct, but robs it of any meaning. It is impossible to have Christmas without Jesus.

"Salvation comes no other way; no other name has been or will be given to us by which we can be saved, only this one." Acts 4:12

2 Worship Services at RHBC

Well, we are approaching the 12 week point of having 2 worship services. During that time, our Sunday School and worship attendance have been significantly higher than the same months last year. We've seen many new faces.

During the 3 week period that begins on December 17, when the choir will lead us in worship, we will have only an 11:00 AM service. Then also, on Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve, we will have only an 11:00 AM morning services.

Then we plan to return to our 2 morning service format on January 7. But I want your evaluation and input-- how has having 2 Sunday morning worship services been to you? Has it enabled or hindered your attendance in any way? Has it enabled or hindered the attendance of anyone you know?

Below, click on the "Comments" link, and express yourself. It will help us better our ministry.

Let us know what you think. Thanks for your participation, love, and faithfulness.