The Trumpet

The Trumpet is a monthly paper offered to the good folks of Faith Bible Baptist, Toledo Ohio, and is the work of the pastor.  He assembles the articles and edits them as a ministry to his church.  We offer it to those who read our Web Site but in a different format than is presented to the Church.  The purpose is simple, to generate spiritual thought, and to encourage spiritual discussion within the body.  Where credit can be given, it is, but there is no claim of originality.  Further, the Trumpet is an avenue of current and future events scheduled for The Faith Bible Baptist Church of Toledo.

May the Lord bless you as you read this month’s issue of The Trumpet.

Pastor Tim Goodman

May 2023

**********************

Thank God for Moms

Mothers Are a Gift from God

By Dr. John Goetsch

Executive Vice President of

West Coast Baptist College

I am glad there is still a Sunday in May on our calendars designated as Mother’s Day.  The Bible sadly announces in Proverbs 30:11, “There is a generation that curseth their father, and doth not bless their mother.”  While no mother is sinless or perfect, everyone ought to be thankful for the one who went through the travail of death to give us life!  How shameful that we live in a day when many dishonor and disrespect their mothers.

Emerson once said, “Men are what their mothers make them.”  Abraham Lincoln stated, “No one is poor who had a godly mother.”  Evangelist Billy Sunday preached, “I don’t think there are enough devils in Hell to take a young person from the arms of a godly mother.”  What a difference the right kind of a mother can make in a home, in a church, and in our nation!  God seems to indicate that the last deterrent before a nation slips into total depravity is the righteousness of women.  “For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature” (Romans 1:26).

Personally, I can echo the words of the psalmist who said in Psalm 16:6, “The lines are fallen unto me in pleasant places; yea, I have a goodly heritage.”  How thankful I am for a mom who never wavered in her faith, her convictions, her prayers, or her love for the Lord or for me.  There were many times when I was not worthy of the time spent before God on my behalf, but I am thankful that while others gave up – she never did!  There is no doubt in my mind that much of what is accomplished through my ministry can be attributed to the prayers of my faithful mother.  Sometimes I hesitate to share my schedule with her because if she knows that I am preaching or driving, she will spend the whole night in prayer on my behalf.

Do not let this month go by without thanking God for your mom.  Proverbs 31:28a says, “Her children arise up, and call her blessed.”  If you are one of those people who have the special privilege of being called “Mom,” I hope you will realize the impact you have on this nation.  There is an old Spanish proverb that reads: “An ounce of mother is worth more than a pound of clergy.”  May God give us mothers who will not give up in the battle for what is right in this world.  We need mothers who will pray for their children, give them a pattern to follow, and cheer them on to do great things for God.

We will not notice everything that you do for us, and sometimes we will forget to thank you, but “God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, which ye have shewed toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister” (Hebrews 6:10).  One day you will receive your true reward—a reward for every prayer, every sleepless night, every tear, every encouraging word, and every expression of love that you have shown.  On that day, our flowers, candy, and cards will pale in comparison to the honor that you will receive from the One who truly sees all that you have done for us.

***********************

Parson to Person

The phrase “April showers bring May flowers” is a popular saying used often during the month of April.  This is typically the time when the last bit of snow turns to all rain as temperatures climb, and increased rain shower activity sparks the beginning of flowers and plants to really start blooming.

The saying “April showers bring May flowers” itself originates from the United Kingdom, where April for them is one of the soggier months based on the position of the jet stream.  Since this area typically has a cooler climate, the lower temperatures often push back the appearance of flowers to late April and early May.  The phrase is also believed to come from an early poem with a line that goes, “Sweet April showers, do spring May flowers.”  Well, it’s May, and the flowers are on the rise.

May is also the time to remembers Mother’s Day.  Abraham Lincoln said, “I remember my mother’s prayers, and they have followed me; they have clung to me all my life.  All that I am and hope to be I owe to my angel mother.”  This world would never have known the ministries of Hudson Taylor, John Wesley, and Charles Wesley except they had praying mothers.  With Mother’s Day in this month, we have the Mother, Daughter, Ladies Luncheon on the 20^th of May at 11:00 am.  Be sure to mark your calendars and plan to attend and help in the set-up on the 18^th.  At the conclusion of this article, I have inserted an article speaking about “How to Honor Your Unbelieving Mother.”  As you have heard me testify my mom was not a church going person and was adamantly disinterested in the things of God.  It is a good article and I encourage you to make time to read it.

I want you to ask yourself a question.  “Do I know someone who is searching for hope and peace?”  I believe we all have men and women around us who are hurting – and many of them are open to the Gospel.  We are planning a spring Revival with Dr. Ron Ostten May 28^th thru June 1^st.  You will have no better opportunity to reach them with the gospel than now.  It is my belief that every member needs to attend your church’s revival services.

Touch is one of the five senses God gave us, and it is very important.  Touch can communicate intention, or it can communicate affection!  It is probably the most sensitive of all our senses, still active when the others fade as the years mount up, or maybe disappear when life ebbs out.  That’s why we would want to hold a loved one’s hand especially at the end.

There’s another meaning to “touch” – something more than physical, rather emotional, or spiritual.  I am speaking about our hearts being touched by someone’s kindness, or our lives being touched by someone else’s intervention, or our souls being touched by God’s love and grace.  I believe it was R.A. Torrey that spoke about the “Repetitious touch of God.”  I believe we all need that touch of God.

As I close Linda and I wish to again say “Thank you Lord for bring us to Faith Bible Baptist thirty years ago.  It has been our privilege and honor to serve Him in Toledo.  Let’s have a fruitful summer.

Pastor Tim Goodman

***********************

How to Honor Your Unbelieving Mother

Josh Buice

Pastor of Pray’s Mill Baptist Church

As we approach Mother’s Day – it’s important to consider a proper way to honor your mother.  The value of a mother is far higher than we can hardly imagine.  In the Ten Commandments, we find the fifth commandment (Exodus 20:12) that reads, “Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.”

Paul, in writing to the church in Ephesus and the surrounding cities, echoes this command as he writes, “Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right. {2) Honour thy father and mother; (which is the first commandment with promise;) {3} That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth.” (Ephesians 6:1-3).  This is a command of extraordinary significance, and we should never devalue the role and value of our mother.

The word translated “honor” in the text found in Ephesians 6:2 means “to show high regard for, honor, revere.”  On Mother’s Day, we will undoubtedly hear many words that praise mothers and their role in the spiritual development of their children.  Many sermons will be preached from Proverbs 31 as an encouragement to godly mothers.  John Wesley once remarked, “I learned more about Christianity from my mother than from all the theologians in England.”  However, that might not be your story today.  What about the Christian who desires to honor his unbelieving mother—how should this be carried out in a way that honors God and the unbelieving mother?  If your mother doesn’t believe the gospel, you can still honor her, and you’re called to this important task.

Honor Your Mother by Your Obedience.

You should obey your mother so far as you are able.  If you live at home, you are required to obey her on a daily basis.  Obey your mother so long as she doesn’t ask you to disobey the revealed will of God in His Word.  Have you considered that God has grouped both mother and father together in the command of honoring and obedience?  In other words, if you dishonor your father, you are not fully showing honor to your mother.  Obedience is expected, as it finds its root in God’s created order.  William Hendriksen observes, “Undisciplined children spell ruin for the nation, the church, and society! The promise of God to reward obedience still holds.”

A willing submission to your mother’s God-given authority is the most foundational way to honor her.  Someone who possesses a rogue attitude to their mother certainly does so at the expense of her honor.  Disobedience and disrespect are linked together, and it’s essential to submit to the authority figures that God has placed over you in this life.  At a foundational level – a person who has trouble submitting to the authority of their mother will likewise find it difficult to submit to God.  We are called to obey our parents in the Lord, and therefore it’s right – no matter if our mother is a believer or not.  The only time disobedience to your mother is permissible is when she demands that you disobey God.

Honor Your Mother for her Position in Life.

Honor your mother, as much as you’re able, for her position as your mother.   If your mother is an unbeliever, she is no less your mother.  Find ways to honor her even if you can’t commend her for gospel-centered discipleship in your life.  Perhaps you can honor your mother by complimenting her beauty – not just from old photographs, but by how she has aged.  Perhaps you can honor her ability to provide for you and nurture you in your early years of life.  In some cases – such as a single parent home where the mother was responsible for all of the provisions – her labor is worthy of double honor.  Can you honor her housekeeping or her cooking?  Can you honor her unquestionable love for your family or for your children – her grandchildren?

James Montgomery Boice provides encouragement in this area by writing, “If you are having difficulty in this regard, I suggest that you study your parents and pick out those areas in which you can properly honor them.”  Boice talks about “studying” your parents to find areas worthy of honor.  This is extremely important for the Christian who has an unbelieving mother.  Unless it’s a truly rare circumstance, your unbelieving mother is worthy of roses on Mother’s Day if for no other reason than the simple fact that she is your mother.

Honor Your Mother by Pointing her to Christ.

If your mother is not a follower of Christ, the very best way to show her honor is by sharing the gospel with her.  In doing so, you are not dishonoring her or disrespecting her by pointing out her need for Jesus Christ.  By sharing the good news of Jesus Christ, you demonstrate your love for her.  As you speak of her need for Jesus Christ, you reveal the true value of her existence – the glory of God.

Consider the fact that you honor God by engaging in the Great Commission and sharing the hope of the gospel with unbelievers.  What better way to honor your mother than by sharing with her the hope of salvation that comes through Jesus Christ?  Unfortunately, many people inadvertently dishonor their mother by talking to her about her cakes while never getting around to talking about her soul.

The day your mother dies, you will value your gospel conversations with her far above how you honored her service, her commitment, her labor in providing for your material needs, her love for your children, or her abilities in the kitchen.  Make this Mother’s Day one that has eternal value.

***********************

The Hand That Rocks the Cradle

5 Things a Mother Did That Helped Prepare Her Son for Ministry

By Dr. Jeff Amsbaugh

Pastor of Heritage Baptist Church,

Woodbridge, Virginia

Several weeks back, my mom was involved in a somewhat serious car accident. The accident, which very easily could have taken her life, resulted in a fractured pelvis and tibia. Over the past month or so, she has been institutionalized in a nursing home for rehab and healing. I had the privilege of traveling back to my hometown to visit Mom for her 75th birthday. As I walked into the nursing home, and realized what could have been, my heart was grateful for the influence that Mom has had upon my life.

Indeed, I would say my mother is the number one human reason I am in the ministry today. It is true that God calls men, but parents must place children in a position where that call can be heard. Like Hannah, moms must understand the necessity of turning their children over to the Lord. And so as we approach Mother’s Day this year, I want to highlight a few things that my mom did which were instrumental in preparing me for ministry.

She Was a Stickler for Detail

On more than one occasion, I can remember going to bed at night and feeling the comfort of warm blankets on a cold, winter night in Ohio only to hear my mother ask, “Jeffrey, did you brush your teeth?” If the answer was negative, there never was one instance when mom said, “Well, be sure to brush them in the morning.” Oh, no! It was mandated that I get out of bed immediately and brush my teeth. Mom fully believed that little foxes spoil the vine (Song of Solomon 2:15).

On one occasion, I remember chewing a piece of caramel while wearing braces. The orthodontist said this was a no-no, and mom believed there were no exceptions to the rule. When she caught me, she ordered me to spit it out in the wastebasket. I went to the other room and proceeded to finish the caramel. With motherly intuition, she asked if I had spit it out. When I said that I had, she asked me to show her the discarded caramel in the wastebasket. That was a spanking I’ll never forget.

To be sure, there were times when I lamentably did not practice self-denial, but these occasions always occurred because I stepped over clearly demarcated lines drawn by my mother, not because no lines in the sand were drawn. Mom was a stickler for detail, and this meant that she was always minding the store.

She Encouraged Me to Take Risks

Many mothers today coddle their boys and make sissies of them. Boys are never allowed to grow into men because they are never allowed to take risks and exercise entrepreneurial exploits. Whether it was obtaining a job as a teenager, being involved in fine arts, or exercising leadership at church or in civic organizations, mom believed that boys should be given the opportunity to fail.

Even when my feet were being reconstructed due to a debilitating disease, mom never did for me things that I was able to do for myself. I remember when I was first asked to apply for the station manager’s position at my high school radio station. Mom really believed that I could do it and encouraged me to pursue it. Only eternity will reveal the leadership values that I gained from that motherly push out of the nest. Fearful people are not productive people (Ecclesiastes 11:4). If you want to walk on water, you have to get out of the boat. And I had a mom who encouraged those risks.

Quitting Was Never Allowed

There was a standard rule at our house. You are never allowed to quit, and if you do, it is an automatic spanking. Even if you are losing the ballgame, or the chess match, quitting is never an option. Even the most untalented people can be faithful. Winners never quit, and quitters never win.

Thus, it is understandable I have never considered quitting the ministry to sell car insurance. Nor did I ever quit a degree program before graduation or consider walking out on my marriage. Quitting is never an option to one raised in the home of Janet Amsbaugh. Men of God, “Hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end” (Hebrews 3:16).

Steward What You Have Been Given

Mom is a strong believer that you return something in better condition than what you received it. Thus, if you borrow a car, you wash it, vacuum it, and fill it with gas before returning it. My mom still uses the same ironing board that she used when I was a kid. We often joke because my mom has plastic covers over her car floor mats, and then rugs over the plastic covers—all of this to protect the cleanliness of the car.

Nothing that my mom owned was ever “rode hard and put away wet.” Every talent placed in her position was invested and returned with more value accumulated (Matthew 25:20). Hopefully, I have followed in my mother’s footsteps and left ministries in better condition than when I initially found them.

She Modeled Domestication

When I went looking for a wife, there was little doubt in my mind about what I wanted. I was not easily sidetracked by a girl who could bat her eyelashes but not boil water. When mom graduated from high school in 1960, she did so with a 4.0 in Latin. She was offered a full scholarship to college in order to study Latin, but she turned it down to marry my father. We have often said that mom turned down a Latin scholarship to study Art—Art Amsbaugh. Mom used her talents in the most effective arena; she was literally a homemaker.

I watched as mom nursed me back to health when I was an invalid. It is not surprising, therefore, that my wife was more than able to nurse our infant daughter through fifteen surgical procedures. I married someone like my mother. I feel very qualified to speak each Mother’s Day on the qualities that define a Proverbs 31 woman for I have spent over fifty years observing two of the best—Janet and Karen Amsbaugh. Indeed, my wife Karen has all the valuable and necessary qualities that I saw modeled by my mother.

As I visited my mom a few days ago, I did so with renewed appreciation for the woman who has made me the man I am today. My successes are attributable to her, and my failures are in spite of her, not because of her. Today, I rise up and call her blessed (Proverbs 31:28), for she certainly is of inestimable value (Proverbs 31:10).

***********************

How to Become a

Member of

Faith Bible Baptist Church

By Profession of Faith and Baptism

If you will receive Jesus Christ as your personal Saviour and follow Him in baptism by immersion, we welcome you into our fellowship.

By Letter

As a Baptist whose church membership is elsewhere, if God directs you here, we will be pleased to welcome you into our church family.  We will happily take care of appropriate details for transferring your membership.

By Baptism

If you know in your heart that you have been saved and want to become a member of Faith Bible Baptist Church, we invite you to join us by baptism.  This gives testimony of your salvation and your obedience to His direction.

By Statement of Faith

In the event church membership records are not available for a transfer of membership, or if you were once a Baptist church member, we will accept you upon your statement of faith.

You may express your desire to fulfill any of the above by presenting yourself during the invitation at the close of each worship service.  Of course, any decision assumes your commitment to being faithful in prayer, church attendance, tithing and participation in our Lord’s work at Faith Bible Baptist Church.

***********************