The Beacon of New Bethel Baptist Church

October 2018 XXXVIII Issue #2

“Did Jesus Really Claim to be God?” Not only do we want to know what we believe, but we should know why we be-lieve it. We started a new sermon series through the Gospel of Mark a couple of weeks ago and in the very first verse, Mark declares, “The beginning of the gos-pel of Jesus Christ the Son of God” (Mark 1:1). These words should not be taken

lightly. We will only come to the Father through Jesus Christ and we can only do that if Jesus truly is God. He did not just die for our sin on the cross and stay buried. He atoned for our sin and rose again, conquering the grave and now interceding for us at the right hand of God the Father. While knowing this great gospel truth is certainly a personal thing to each and every one of us, it is not a private thing and we must be able to articulate why we believe this to be true. With that said, allow me to share a few insights into the deity of Christ that may reaffirm what you already know, or possibly jumpstart you into seeking the truth that can only be found in Christ Jesus our Lord. You know, critics of Christianity will often attempt to discredit the deity of Christ. Richard Dawkins is quoted as saying, “There is no good historical evidence that he even thought he was divine.” Of course, Dawkins, like many others would be wrong in their assertions, because the Bible clearly, and historically, shows that Jesus did claim to be God. Matthew 26:43-44 shows us, while being ques-tioned by the high priest regarding His claim to be the Son of God, Jesus affirmed that He was. Crit-ics will often point out that Jesus most often referred to Himself as, “The Son of Man,” so He was really claiming to be human and not God. However, the term “Son of Man” is far from an admission to being a mere human. We know that Jesus was fully God and fully man. As we continue our Wednesday night study here at New Bethel through the book of Daniel, chapter seven shows us that he prophesied he saw, “a son of man coming with clouds of heaven…with au-thority, honor, and sovereignty over all the nations of the world…with an eternal rule that will never end or be destroyed” (Dan. 7:13-14). So, obviously this is not a description of a just another mortal human being. In the aforementioned verses of Matthew, Jesus continued His answer to the high priest and said, “But I tell you, in the future you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of the Power and coming on the clouds of heaven” (Matt. 26:44), affirming the prophecy set forth by Dan-iel. Daniel’s prophecy clearly defines a divine figure and that One has come in Jesus Christ. So, what assertions did Jesus make to show that He was God? It was very clear that He asserted His deity because it was the very reason why the religious leaders wanted to put Him to death. The Bible says, “This is why the Jews began trying all the more to kill Him: Not only was He breaking the Sab-bath, but He was even calling God His own Father, Making Himself equal with God” (John 5:18). And Jesus went on to tell them in John 5:25, “I assure you: An hour is coming, as is now here, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live.”

On more than one occasion, Jesus’ assertion to His deity caused those around Him to want to stone Him to death. Both John 8 and John 10 point to such occa-sions as Jesus referred to Himself as, “I Am,” and “One with the Father.” His authority as God was also on display as He forgave sins in Mark 2:5-7 and He historically made the claim to deity in the final hours before His death in Mark 14:61-64, when asked if He was the Messiah, or Son of the Blessed One. He

assuredly answered, “I Am.” Everything Jesus did confirmed who He was and is best seen in His miracles. To define a miracle, Josh McDowell says, “It is a religiously significant intervention of God in the system of natural caus-es.” While some may say these miracles cannot happen because they defy the laws of nature, they forget that the One who Created is the same One who can step into nature and intervene as He de-sires. And this is exactly what Jesus did. He calmed a storm in Matthew 8. He made a mute person speak in Matthew 9. He fed 5000 people with 5 loaves of bread and a couple of fish in Matthew 14. He cast out demons in Mark 5, walked on water in Mark 6, brought sight to a blind man in Mark 10, and made a tree wither just by cursing it in Mark 11. He healed someone who was paralyzed in Luke 5. He raised a young boy from the dead in Luke 7. He cleansed lepers in Luke 17. He turned water into wine in John 2, made lame people walk in John 5, and forgives sin in John 8. These are not the actions of a mere human being. Jesus was not just a great teacher, He was not just another man, He was truly the Son of the Living God! My hope and prayer for our church is that we grow in spiritual maturity as we seek to draw near to God in all areas of our lives. We must be obedient to share the gospel with all who would believe knowing full well the One we have believed in and by being persuaded that He is able to guard us. The Bible tells us, “Honor the Messiah as Lord in your hearts. Always be ready to give a defense to anyone who asks you for the reason for the hope that is in you. However, do this with gentleness and respect, keeping your conscience clear” (1 Pet. 3:15-16). May we grow together as we share the good news of our faith, praise God for all He has done. It has been said, “If what you believe doesn’t make a difference, then it doesn’t matter what you believe.” Let’s make a difference in our homes, in our work, and in the community for Jesus Christ by growing closer to Him and learning how we can best defend our faith with mercy, gentleness, and love toward others. May God bless us as we seek Him continually and share our faith with others, Pastor Chad Sources: Josh and Sean McDowell. 77 FAQ’s About God and the Bible: Your Toughest Questions Answered. (Eugene, OR. Harvest House Publishers, 2012). Richard Dawkins. The God Delusion. (New York, Mariner, 2008).

October 14 Blood Pressure Screening October 21 Wear Pink to Church

October is Health Literacy /Breast Cancer Awareness Month

Health literacy means understanding health information and finding health services you need. Research has shown that only 12% of adults have health literacy sufficient to manage their health and prevent disease. Lack of health literacy can lead to repeated hospitalizations, difficulties with chronic health problems, and failure to use preventive measures to prevent health problems. Let’s face it – doctors are often in a hurry and some use a lot of big medical terms that we don’t understand. Medical professionals are primarily responsible for assuring health literacy, but there are some things you can do to increase your understanding and find resources. Speak up when you don’t understand. A program called Ask Me 3 suggests you ask your doctor:

What is my main problem? What do I need to do? Why is it important for me to do this?

Getting your information on the web can be chancy. I suggest you look for reliable sites, such as the Mayo Clinic at mayoclinic.com. Websites that are promoting a specific treatment or medica-tion are probably not the best place to start. Questions about medication may be addressed by your pharmacist. For chronic conditions, a nurse or social worker may be able to recommend a

support group. We also asking that you wear pink to church on Sunday, October 21 to raise awareness about breast cancer.

Please join the Reapers Sunday school class for a "free" luncheon after the morning worship service on October 21. We are hosting a fiesta bar with tacos and piñatas full of candies for the children. It really is free but you may donate cash to help pay postage for the Operation Christmas Child shoeboxes if you wish.

Children’s Department News

October 5th here at New Bethel we will be having a lock-in children in grades 1st-6th. The fun will begin at 7:00 pm with pizza and games. Nerf Wars will be going on so bring your nerf gun!! You will need to bring a sleeping bag or a blanket and a pillow to sleep with. Also you will need to bring a snack and drinks to share. We will have a pancake breakfast on Saturday morning (October 6) before parents picking you up at 9:00 am. Contact Pam Kirk if you have any questions.

Friends and family, at New Bethel Baptist Church on Saturday, October 27 we will be having our annual Fall Festival/TRUNK OR TREAT. The fun is from 5:00-8:00 p.m. We will have a devo-tion, hay ride, photo booth, bouncy house, prizes, and costume contest for kids & youth. Youth, start your ovens as we will be having a dessert bake-off and adults will be having chili cook-off. Prizes will be awarded for the costume contest and for the bake-off and chili cook-off. Last but not least there will be trunk or treating! Adults, you are welcome to decorate your trunks and give out candy. Hot dogs will be provided; bring a side dish and 2 liter to share. Come out and enjoy a great night of fellowship, fun, food and treats with us! Everyone is welcome!

4th, 5th, and 6th Graders Announcing a great place for children to learn about God, the Bible, and have fun at the same time! Children’s Bible Drill meets on Wednesday nights at 7:00 pm at New Bethel Baptist Church. Participating in Bible Drill is about learning verses in God’s word and what they mean. With the knowledge base learned in Bible Drill, a child can learn about Jesus and what he can mean to their life. Children’s Bible Drill is about memorizing scripture with the meaning of the verses being discussed each week. Bring your friends and enjoy “Children’s Bible Drill” Call Don Kemper at 859-409-2110 or donkemper@twc.com, if you have questions.

October

1st Wellness Team Meeting 6:30 pm 3rd Adult Bible Study 7:00 pm 5th Children’s Lock-In 7:00 pm 6th Trustees Work Day 9:00 am-12:00 pm Operation Christmas 9:00 am-12:00 pm Child Packing Party 7th Operation Christmas Child Kick-Off Youth Meeting 6:00-8:00 pm TeamKid Meeting 6:00-8:00 pm Sunday Night Bible Study 7:00 pm 8th Columbus Day 9th WMU Meeting 6:30 pm 10th Adult Bible Study 7:00 pm 14th Blood Pressure Screening after service Sunday Night Bible Study 7:00 pm 17th Business Meeting 7:00 pm 19th 5th Quarter after the game 21st Operation Christmas 12:00 pm Child Luncheon Wear Pink to Church today Sunday Night Bible Study 7:00 pm 24th Adult Bible Study 7:00 pm 26th 5th Quarter after the game 27th Trunk or Treat 5:00-8:00 pm 28th Youth Meeting 6:00-8:00 pm TeamKid 6:00-8:00 pm 31st Adult Bible Study 7:00 pm

SUNDAY 9:30 Fellowship Time

9:45 Bible Study 10:55 Morning Worship

September Attendance

Bible Study Worship 2nd 113 128 9th 108 154 16th 120 157 23rd 101 142 30th 116 130

Average

112 142

November

3rd Operation Christmas Child 9:00 am Packing Party Trustees Work Day 9:00 am-12:00 pm 4th Youth Meeting 6:00-8:00 pm TeamKid Meeting 6:00-8:00 pm Sunday Night Bible Study 7:00 pm 5th Wellness Team Meeting 6:30 pm 7th Adult Bible Study 7:00 pm 11th Blood Pressure Screening Operation Christmas Childe Shoebox Collection Day TeamKid Meeting 6:00-8:00 pm Youth Meeting 6:00-8:00 pm Sunday Night Bible Study 7:00 pm 13th WMU Meeting 6:00 pm 14th Adult Bible Study 7:00 pm 17th Church Wide Thanksgiving Dinner 6:00 pm 18th Youth Meeting 6:00-8:00 pm TeamKid Meeting 6:00-8:00 pm Sunday Night Bible Study 7:00 pm 22nd Thanksgiving Day 28th Adult Bible Study 7:00 pm

Deacon of the Week 7th Jimmie Webster 14th Don Kemper 21st Jack Blackburn 28th Dennis Rich Nursery Worker Schedule 7th Karla Porter & Lacey Alford 14th Jackie & Ally Blackburn 21st Kathy McDannold & Philip Blackburn 28th DeDe Hagstrom & Jenny Burch Van Driver Schedule 7th Bill Wethington 468-2033 14th Lisa Strunk 250-2861 21st Erick & Stephen Greener 859-815-9555 28th Dan Montgomery 859-496-0603

Contact Us New Bethel Baptist Church

P.O. Box 100 2022 Verona Mudlick Road

Verona, KY 41092 (859) 485-4864

Bro. Chad Brannan, Pastor: pastorchad@nbbcky.com

Stacey Griffin, Minister of Music: sgriffin@nbbcky.com

Robert Strunk, Minister of Youth: brotherrobert@nbbcky.com

Kathy McDannold, Administrative Assistant: kmcdannold@nbbcky.com

Visit us on the web at www.nbbcky.com

1st Julie Sullivan

2nd Dana Behne

Jason Fishel

4th Ruth Riley

5th Mike Finn

6th Trinity Bloomer

8th Jerome Behne

Nathan Strunk

9th Misty Ryan Frilling

11th Baylee Moffett

13th Janet Lucas

Rebecca Warner

14th Billy Catlett

Stephanie Greener

15th David Lucas

16th Mark Lawson

Luke Lawson

17th Aubrey Spencer

19th Pat Blackburn

Tyler McDannold

Alan Knochelman

20th Jonathan Helvey

23rd Enna Blackburn

28th Maddox Moffett

Lilia Brown

Reagan Rich

29th Margaret Kruse

Gale Lewis

31st Jonathan Morrisey

Philip Mastin