First Baptist Church Branford Florida

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First Baptist Church Branford Florida We welcome you to First Baptist Church where Faith, Family and Friends come together.

We focus on senior adults who need fellowship, biblical encouragement, and a place to feel useful and needed.

10/24/2026

A MOMENT OF CLARITY
Continued
Matthew 27:45 Now from the sixth hour until the ninth hour there was darkness over all the land. 46 And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?” that is, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?”
47 Some of those who stood there, when they heard that, said, “This Man is calling for Elijah!” 48 Immediately one of them ran and took a sponge, filled it with sour w**e and put it on a reed, and offered it to Him to drink.
49 The rest said, “Let Him alone; let us see if Elijah will come to save Him.”
50 And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice, and yielded up His spirit.
51 Then, behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; and the earth quaked, and the rocks were split, 52 and the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised; 53 and coming out of the graves after His resurrection, they went into the holy city and appeared to many.

Why did they not understand what Jesus said on the cross, “Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?” “Eli” (“ἐλώι”) has a Hebrew origin and is the name of “God”. The point is, the Jews of Christ's day had so far removed themselves from their native language that Scripture had to be translated into Greek, the Septuagint (LXX).
Even the word “sabachthani” is Aramaic, but for us it is translated into Greek as “σαβαχθάνι.” So in our Bibles we see the translation from Hebrew to Greek, but they heard the Hebrew; thus, they did not understand.

He called out his Father's personal name, and they did not even know it; they thought he was calling for Elijah. We discussed yesterday that this was the only time he cried out, as he was apart from His Father because of sin.

He gave up his Spirit; no one took it from him. How can you take life from the Creator of life? Notice all of the miracles that take place at his death. We will discuss those tomorrow. Isn’t the Word of God amazing?

10/23/2026

GRIEF SHARE
Our 13-week support program has blessed many who have experienced the greatest loss of their lives. In the safe camaraderie of our support group, we share instruction, hope, fellowship, and healing.
Our next program will begin:
Thursday December 3rd, 2026 from 10:30-1200
Register early; there is no charge for the meetings. The $25 registration covers your workbook.
386 935-1363
[email protected]

10/23/2026

A MOMENT OF CLARITY

Matthew 27:45 Now from the sixth hour until the ninth hour there was darkness over all the land. 46 And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?” that is, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?”
47 Some of those who stood there, when they heard that, said, “This Man is calling for Elijah!” 48 Immediately one of them ran and took a sponge, filled it with sour w**e and put it on a reed, and offered it to Him to drink.
49 The rest said, “Let Him alone; let us see if Elijah will come to save Him.”
50 And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice, and yielded up His spirit.
51 Then, behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; and the earth quaked, and the rocks were split, 52 and the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised; 53 and coming out of the graves after His resurrection, they went into the holy city and appeared to many.

This is certainly an amazing and historic event. The Jewish day began at 6:00 am, so the sixth hour would be noon. So from 12 noon to 3:00 pm, darkness covered the land. This places Jesus on the cross for six grueling hours. The darkness continued until he gave up his Spirit to death. Do you think Isaiah had this event in mind when he spoke by the Holy Ghost:

Isaiah 60:1 Arise, shine;
For your light has come!
And the glory of the Lord is risen upon you.
2 For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth,
And deep darkness the people;
But the Lord will arise over you,
And His glory will be seen upon you.
3 The Gentiles shall come to your light,
And kings to the brightness of your rising.

Jesus had never experienced separation from His Father. For six grueling hours on the cross, he did not cry out in agony, but when he took on our sin and became sin in our place, the pain was too great to bear quietly, because the Father could not look on sin.

2 Corinthians 5:21 For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

We think of his greatest pain as spikes and tears of flesh from his back; no, the greatest pain he suffered was when his Father turned away.

More to be continued tomorrow.

10/22/2026

A MOMENT OF CLARITY

John 19:25 Now there stood by the cross of Jesus His mother, and His mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. 26 When Jesus therefore saw His mother, and the disciple whom He loved standing by, He said to His mother, “Woman, behold your son!” 27 Then He said to the disciple, “Behold your mother!” And from that hour that disciple took her to his own home.

The scripture does not describe how Jesus cared for his mother in his earthly father's absence or after Joseph died, but he was certainly absent from the scene.
Even on the cross, as he drew his last breath, he looked out for those he loved.
Ephesians 5:2 and walk in love, just as Christ loved us and gave Himself up for us as a fragrant sacrificial offering to God.

We don’t see John making statues of Mary or praying to her, because she wouldn't have wanted it or allowed it. That would negate and denigrate all that her son just died for. She was a wonderful saint of God, who brought the Son of God into this world. What a great honor for her, and everyone would call her blessed. Every woman who accepts the mission of childbirth can be called blessed by God and man.

Proverbs 31:28 Her children rise up and call her blessed; her husband praises her as well:

Nowhere in Scripture is deity ascribed to Mary; it is a complete fabrication by the evil one to blur the lines between Godhood and mankind. Only the one with the credentials to forgive sin offers and accepts salvation.

Colossians 2:8 Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ. 9 For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily; 10 and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power

10/21/2026

A MOMENT OF CLARITY

Luke 23:36 The soldiers also mocked Him, coming and offering Him sour w**e, 37 and saying, “If You are the King of the Jews, save Yourself.”
38 And an inscription also was written over Him in letters of Greek, Latin, and Hebrew:
THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS.
39 Then one of the criminals who were hanged blasphemed Him, saying, “If You are the Christ, save Yourself and us.”
40 But the other, answering, rebuked him, saying, “Do you not even fear God, seeing you are under the same condemnation? 41 And we indeed justly, for we receive the due reward of our deeds; but this Man has done nothing wrong.” 42 Then he said to Jesus, “Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom.”
43 And Jesus said to him, “Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.”

All four gospels together reveal the full story. With so much happening, it's easy to miss the most astounding event of all. Both thieves on the cross mocked Jesus.

Matthew 27:44 Even the robbers who were crucified with Him reviled Him with the same thing.

But one changed his heart and mind.

This certainly answers any question about deathbed repentance. One of the thieves during the hours on the cross changed his mind and asked for forgiveness. He didn’t really pray a sinner's prayer; he just acknowledged who Jesus was and what he could do. He called him Lord and asked to be remembered in glory. Jesus responded that he would be with him in paradise that same day.

The thief believed in Jesus' resurrection before the event because he asked to be remembered in the kingdom while Jesus was dying beside him. This takes all the bells and whistles out of religion that is attached to salvation. It is simply a matter of the heart, belief, and faith. Jesus did say, “Whosoever will may come.”

Happy Blessed Birthday Pastor Tony !
10/21/2026

Happy Blessed Birthday Pastor Tony !

10/20/2026

A MOMENT OF CLARITY

Matthew 27:37 And they put up over His head the accusation written against Him:
THIS IS JESUS THE KING OF THE JEWS.
38 Then two robbers were crucified with Him, one on the right and another on the left.
39 And those who passed by blasphemed Him, wagging their heads 40 and saying, “You who destroy the temple and build it in three days, save Yourself! If You are the Son of God, come down from the cross.”
41 Likewise the chief priests also, mocking with the scribes and elders, said, 42 “He saved others; Himself He cannot save. If He is the King of Israel, let Him now come down from the cross, and we will believe \Him. 43 He trusted in God; let Him deliver Him now if He will have Him; for He said, ‘I am the Son of God.’ ”
44 Even the robbers who were crucified with Him reviled Him with the same thing.

We saw yesterday that multitudes followed Jesus as He carried the cross, and also Simon was compelled to carry it. They were not mockers but were mourners lamenting the great loss of this wonderful man they called Lord.

Now we see mockers, not mourners. How did they come to mock the Son of God? He had clearly fed thousands from a basket with little, healed the multitudes wherever he went, and even raised the dead. This mockery arises from nowhere; it has no foundation in Jesus' character or actions.

Truth is wasted and spent on the emotions of the moment. The band comes by playing music and beating drums, and many rush to jump on the wagon in the moment, without questions or solid reasoning. People like sheep react in a herd mentality, having deaf ears and closed eyes.

Isaiah 6:10 Make the hearts of this people calloused; deafen their ears and close their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts, and turn and be healed.”

Some cried out, “Let him come down from the cross, and we will believe.” They have already had more than enough evidence that Jesus was the Son of God; would one more act turn the tide of the wicked human heart? Jesus was not on the cross to answer their petty challenges; he was on a mission of mercy to free the world from the consequences of sin.

Isaiah 1:18 “Come now, let us reason together,” says the LORD. “Though your sins are like scarlet, they will be as white as snow; though they are as red as crimson, they will become like wool.

10/19/2026

A MOMENT OF CLARITY
As Jesus carries His cross

Luke 23:27 And a great multitude of the people followed Him, and women who also mourned and lamented Him. 28 But Jesus, turning to them, said, “Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for Me, but weep for yourselves and for your children. 29 For indeed the days are coming in which they will say, ‘Blessed are the barren, wombs that never bore, and breasts which never nursed!’ 30 Then they will begin ‘to say to the mountains, “Fall on us!” and to the hills, “Cover us!” 31 For if they do these things in the green wood, what will be done in the dry?”

This passage from Luke adds detail that Matthew does not. Some teach that all of Jerusalem rejected him, but Luke tells us otherwise. After the religious leaders put him on a mockery of a trial and brought in false witnesses and provoked the crowd to receive Barabbas, he carried his cross toward Golgotha.

A great multitude is following the path to Golgotha, not to mock him but to mourn his ex*****on and lament his death. To lament is to openly show your pain and loss, sometimes beating on your breast.

Jesus reminds them, "Don’t mourn for me; mourn for yourselves." This nation of jews has fully rejected their God and Messiah. Not only would they experience the destruction of the temple in about thirty-five years from this event, but they would be scattered and become the scourge of the earth. The N***s would slay millions just because they are Jews. The world today uses the Jew as a whipping boy for all the world’s problems.

Would you rather be in a green forest or barren dry ground? Jesus saw His arrival and offer of the kingdom of heaven as a very green, fruitful time, with thousands upon thousands finding God and salvation. If evil could accomplish this atrocity in a fruitful time, just what will they do when there is a famine of the word of God?

The Jewish nation will find out, because after the church has been caught up to glory, the Jewish nation left on earth will experience tribulation like no one ever has. They will cry to the mountains, “fall on us,” and to he hills, “cover us.”

10/18/2026

A MOMENT OF CLARITY

Matthew 27:32 Now as they came out, they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name. Him they compelled to bear His cross. 33 And when they had come to a place called Golgotha, that is to say, Place of a Skull, 34 they gave Him sour w**e mingled with gall to drink. But when He had tasted it, He would not drink.
35 Then they crucified Him, and divided His garments, casting lots, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet:
“They divided My garments among them,
And for My clothing they cast lots.”
36 Sitting down, they kept watch over Him there. 37 And they put up over His head the accusation written against Him:
THIS IS JESUS THE KING OF THE JEWS.

The Gospel of John adds that, as He went out, Jesus bore His own cross, and Matthew picks up the story as Simon takes up His cross. The Gospel of Mark identifies Simon as the father of Alexander and Rufus. Simon did what we should all do: pick up the cross and follow Jesus.
Matthew 10:38and anyone who does not take up his cross and follow Me is not worthy of Me.

He would not drink of the sour w**e, and the Psalmist saw this about 900 years before the event.
Psalm 69:20 Insults have broken my heart, and I am in despair. I looked for sympathy, but there was none, for comforters, but I found no one. 21 They poisoned my food with gall and gave me vinegar to quench my thirst. 22 May their table become a snare; may it be a retribution and a trap.

Their table of sacrifice became a snare because they had rejected the true sacrificial lamb. Their temple would be destroyed, and they would be scattered around the globe. After his resurrection and ascension, God begins building his church as cloven tongues of fire show his power on the day of Pentecost, about 50 days after his crucifixion.

So God set aside the Jewish temple, Jewish priests, and even the Old Covenant to prepare the way for the New. Now the King of the Jews can become the king of your heart because he has risen from the dead.

Address

607 SUWANNEE Avenue
Branford, FL
32008

Telephone

+13869351363

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