Open Heart Baptist Church

05/31/2026

The Glory of God
I Timothy 6:13-16

As time progresses, modern science is able to do and explain things which could not be accomplished in years or even decades ago. God tells us through His Holy Scripture that He "dwells in unapproachable light", and that His glory is unmatched in all creation, and "no man can look upon Me and live". But what does that mean? We believe that energy in the form of light emanates from God in such quantities that rivals or exceeds that of the sun. That would explain a lot of things in the Bible like the Transfiguration of Jesus, or the visions John saw while receiving the Revelation. One modern dilemma in the realm of Faith and science is the Shroud of Turin. Aside from the multitude of questions it poses is that of just how the image of a crucified man was imprinted on that strip of linen cloth? For years modern science could not explain it. Science is able to tell us that it is not a painting, or a photograph, or a reaction to burial spices with a dead and decaying body. Science could tell us what the image was not, but could not tell us what it was. That is, until 2011 when an Italian physicist named Paolo Di Lazzaro, experiencing with industrial lasers found that a very intense micro burst of a laser was able to imprint an image of similar depth and coloration as that on the shroud. But the image on the shroud would have taken such massive quantities of light that it would be necessary for over 14,000 of these lasers to fire off simultaneously to create it. That is an extremely large quantity of energy. How would that have been possible 2000 years ago to imprint that image of Jesus' dead body on a linen cloth? Again, it cannot be proven, but 21st century science now has given us a realistic possibility. When Jesus raised His own dead body back to life, the glory of Deity in all its power surged through that dead body in a massive micro-burst of energy and in an instant re-animated it into a glorified body, never to die again and in the process, stamped the image onto that linen cloth creating what we call the Shroud of Turin. Can this be proven? No. It seems to be a matter of faith. But it is the only realistic and plausible explanation to date. It seems God has again, left humanity a "calling card" to testify of His atoning death and resurrection for the salvation of all mankind. We can believe it, or not. What an awesome God we worship. He is perfect in His love, mercy, creative ability and His power. Amen.

05/27/2026

Remember it’s Wednesday…join us at 6pm to watch season 1 episode 4 of The Chosen.

05/24/2026

Remember
Ecclesiastes 12:1-7

Memorial Day is a time to remember all those who have given their "last full measure of devotion" as Abraham Lincoln put it. The have given their lives to preserve freedom for we ourselves, and also countless others around the world. Freedom is such a fragile item for humanity because there is always some tyrant waiting in line to take it away. We believe God has raised up the United States of America relatively late in human history for the express purpose of preserving freedom and propagating the Christian faith not only in America, but also around the entire world. As such, America has fought many wars and battles to preserve freedom, and we want to remember the men and women who gave their lives in the cause. We remember the famous battles from the Revolutionary War to present day Iran. Names like Concord, Pearl Harbor, Iwo Jima, Omaha Beach, and Fallujah are some of the more well known. More recently we remember names like 9/11, Kuwait, or Iraq, and now Iran with sober resolve that freedom is a gift to be constantly tended, nurtured and fought for. Eternal vigilance is said to be one of the prices of freedom. When we remember the freedom we are so blessed with, we are also highly grateful to the God who gave it to us. Scripture says that "Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty." God is the root source of freedom and life, and we must dare not forget it. We also therefore remember the things of the Lord: The 10 Commandments, the birth of Christ, the death of Christ and His resurrection. We are commanded to remember the Sabbath, the Lord's Supper, and the promises of help and support that He gives to His children through His Spirit. It is hard to separate the secular memorials and celebratory observances from the Faith that is responsible for them. The Christian Faith and our freedom are so integrally linked that we dare not forget they go hand in hand. If we lose one, we will certainly lose the other too. So we must take pains and time to remember the milestones of freedom, and also the God who gives it, and then pass that heritage on to the next generation so the memories and truths they represent will not die.

05/17/2026

“A House Divided”
Luke 11:17

America today is divided to an extent rarely seen before in history. Politically, the United States Congress cannot even pass a budget by the centuries-old accepted standard of appropriation bills. The "left" wants no restrictions on illegal aliens and opposes funding for ICE and Border Patrol fearing mass deportations, so the government was "shut down" for 72 days until an alternative funding method could be found. Even though they are the minority in Congress, if they cannot win, they will not compromise. Because the divide between Republicans and Democrats is so fixed, those who claim to be Independent are few and far between. What is the reason for this divide? Some say they are standing for Biblical values of love, compassion, tolerance and inclusion, while the other side claims they are standing for the Biblical values of the rule of law, self-responsibility and criminal prosecutions. Who is right? In the words of Abraham Lincoln — can a nation so conceived in the values of liberty and equality of man, long endure? We hope so. But it seems the divisions are insurmountable. A Canadian psychologist and philosopher named Gad Saad has written a book called "Suicidal empathy — Dying to be kind" in which he concludes that the "Western nations" have gone so overboard in trying to be loving and empathetic that they have actually embraced and enabled certain dangerous and deadly peoples and practices that will ultimately destroy their free world. They protect illegal immigrants, especially the criminal ones who kill, r**e and assault. They advocate for full term abortions without exception. They embrace anyone who wants to be any s*x, at any time and demand the rest of America accept it. They, in the interest of empathy, fairness and compassion, look the other way when citizens and illegals alike scam the Federal welfare system to the tune of billions of dollars annually. This over-blown sense of empathy and self-righteous compassion is actually suicidal to the country in the end. It cannot continue without the death of America as it was founded and we know it. Maybe that is the left's actual intent. Regardless, this godless and sinful empathy cannot continue. A holy and righteous God cannot, and will not close His eyes to the rampant violence and evil unfolding in the world today. It will come to an end one way or another. Preferably, both sides would come to their senses and reach a compromise in governance that would be beneficial to all involved. Unfortunately, evil doesn't work that way. A civil war or government dictatorship is much more likely. Perhaps the rule of law will prevail, and righteous men and women will again impose sanity over the land they rule. Maybe Jesus will come, and all will be made right. As believers, we are commanded to love each other, contend for the rule of law and the common good, and pray that God would "deliver us from evil". Our ultimate hope is in God, our Righteous Deliverer who will make all things right and new in His own good time. Till then, we strive to be the salt and light that points all men to the Savior. Come Lord Jesus. Amen.

05/10/2026

“Memories of Mother”
Exodus 20:12

Mother's Day comes once a year and it is an opportune time to reflect upon and honor our own mothers, whether they are still with us or have gone home. Certainly, there are no perfect mothers, just as there are no perfect fathers or sons or daughters on this earth. We all have feet of clay and are imperfect in many ways, but considering all, mothers must be the most perfect of the imperfect. They tend to be the most loving, patient, compassionate, selfless and faithful of all humanity. We can't say this about fathers, for they may tend not to be these things, but certainly have other necessary and redeeming qualities. Today, we want to remember our mothers — the good qualities and achievements of our mothers. The times they kissed our skinned owees and made them feel all better. Or the way they hugged us when life gave us a bad turn and our tears would not stop. Or maybe the time they, with a slight smile, allowed us to leave the table without finishing our plate completely. My mom never said "just wait till your father comes home". Those infractions hardly ever made it to our father's attention, but tended to be taken care of without him. Perhaps we most remember the tremendous faith of our moms. Maybe they didn't talk much about their faith, but boy did they live it. Every day. Every Sunday. In good times and difficult times our mothers were rocks of stability that forged and shaped our lives for the future. Scripture says that faith is demonstrated by works. On the basis of that testimony alone, many of our mothers are guaranteed a mansion in Jesus' heavenly house above. History also testifies to the powerful influence that mothers have on their children who eventually grow up and change the course of history. Think of Moses, or George Washington, or James Dobson or Billy Graham. We believe it was Napoleon who said "the hand that rocks the cradle, rules the world." How true is the tremendous influence for good that godly mothers have on a culture. This Mother's Day, let's remember our mothers, whether past or present for their greatness, and thank God for their blessings in our lives.

05/06/2026

REMINDER: We hope that you will join us tonight for an evening episode of The Chosen! The showing will start at 6pm.

Water, coffee, and tea provided. Some small snacks will also be available.

Have you watched the award winning series The Chosen? Have you been interested, intrigued, but not able to find it? Maybe you have seen it but have someone you would like to share it with. Great News! Beginning May 6th, we will be hosting a watch party every Wednesday evening at 6pm.

Join us for a faith filled and family friendly showing of one of today’s most powerful dramas based on the life of Jesus Christ and the calling of the initial disciples.

Bring your family! Bring your friends! Bring your neighbors! You are more than welcome to bring your own snacks and non-alcoholic refreshments. There might even be some popcorn to share!

05/03/2026

“You Can Do This”
Philippians 4:13

Life is complicated. Especially in these modern times, it is very complicated. We govern our daily schedules by the clock and every day have to fit everything into an allotted time slot to get everything done. We have obligations from schools, the government, our families, our jobs, our friends, and still must make time for ourselves. Burnout is a frequent result. Burnout is that overwhelming state of despair and fatigue resulting from too many responsibilities and too little time and energy to accomplish them. Burnout is not one of God's plans for our life, but is a very real part of it from time to time. Fortunately, God knows all about it and has made provisions that allow us to avoid it, and/or prevail through it. Jesus, when He left this earth said He would not leave us alone. He sent us a "Comforter" who would help us get through the difficulties of it. The Holy Spirit is given to each believer at salvation as God's guarantee of the promises He has made to us. The Holy Spirit Who lives within us empowers us to live the abundant life God promises. He teaches us, guides us, encourages us, warns us, and gives us God's strength and power at those times when we need it. Scripture is filled with promises that we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us, or the overwhelming waters will not overflow us, or that in all things we overwhelmingly conquer through the power of God in our lives. Add the truth that God watches over His children and protects us supernaturally from the power and attacks of the enemy, and we have all the resources from God we need to accomplish His will in our lives and maintain our sanity. When burnout occurs and we think we cannot go on, we actually can. Sure, life is tough. But Jesus said we should take courage: He has overcome the world. And if He did, we can too. Maybe we need to take a short break, take a deep breath, and double down on the tasks at hand — all the while praying and pleading for the Lord's help and strength while taking one day at a time. Then there are those times when the Lord is telling us to restructure our lives. The "weeds" of life tend to accumulate and need to be removed on a regular basis so we can concentrate on the really important things that truly matter — like the people in our lives. Ultimately, there are those times when we just need to gut it out and endure the tasks at hand — kind of like when Jesus took the cross. He died, but rose again and achieved eternal life for the world. Our task is certainly not that deadly, but is just as temporary. It will pass. We CAN do this. With God's strength, we can do all things He desires from us, and do them very well.

04/26/2026

“Made for More”
John 10:10

God created mankind as His crowning achievement of a vast heavens and earth. As such, mankind was created to fellowship with God forever, but sin ruined it. Because man chose to sin, his intimate fellowship with God was severed, and could not be restored until sin was forgiven. Because man cannot save himself, God did it Himself by offering His only Son on the cross. Sin was forgiven through Christ, fellowship is restored and mankind now has access to an amazing, abundant life that he has never known since the Garden of Eden. The truth is, man was created for more in this life than we have experienced since creation. God desired His people to have a rich, rewarding and fulfilling life by His standards, not the worlds. Through Christ, we now experience the love and purpose that God has always intended for humanity. We are no longer bound by the pain, grief, hopelessness, sadness, futility, sickness, and other maladies of this life. Instead, God has given us His Spirit to indwell us and has infused us with life, a purpose, and a future for all eternity. Life is no longer characterized by enslavement to sin and the world's chains. We are free to fellowship with the Father, the Son, and each other in a new, spiritually enhanced way. When we are born again into God's family, we are His adopted children and relate to Him as such. The world can never receive this relationship or the blessings that come with it because it does not believe in Him or follow Him. In fact, the world hates God and is in rebellion against Him. A world which wants no part of God in this life will have no part of Him in the next. On the contrary, those who love God, receive Christ and follow Him are given the quality of life and blessings that go with the restoration of fellowship, and will partake of His Presence forever. We were truly created for more than the misery and death that sin has imposed on us. We were made to soar like eagles in His Presence forever. And we will. Come Lord Jesus!

04/19/2026

“Only Jesus”
Matthew 5:14-16

Many people today want to be remembered for things they have done or other memorable accomplishments. Whether it is in the Guiness Book of world records or the local newspaper, people want to know their life has meaning. That's not all bad. But quite often people are remembered for things that are not all that good. Some people commit crimes or hurt people just to get their 5 minutes of fame and are remembered for the wrong things. We do remember those people who do great things for the good of all peoples, but as Christians, we want to be remembered for the right things. We want to be remembered for things we do that point people to faith in God, and more specifically to faith in Jesus Christ. Our ambition should not to be remembered for how much money we made, or even how much we gave away. We don't need to be remembered for how big or how many sports records we hold, or how many Super Bowl rings we may own. We want to be remembered for those things that last for eternity. The influence we have on others that bring them to faith in Christ and eternal life in heaven is the real measure of our success as a human being. In fact, if our attitude is right, we don't necessarily want people to remember us at all, we want them to know, remember and worship Jesus Christ. Our entire lives should consist of pointing and directing others to Jesus, and then helping them to be successes in living victorious Christian lives. We want our lives to point to Christ and glorify Him forever. That is the real goal of our lives, that others would see Jesus, and only Jesus.

04/17/2026

Secret Church 26!

Join us tonight, from 6pm to Midnight, as we dive deep into the Book of Elijah. Come together with us for study, prayer, and conversation.

Study books, snacks, water, coffee, and tea provided.