Community Baptist Church

08/30/2026

“Save me, O God, by Your name, And vindicate me by Your power.”
— Psalm 54:1

The key thought of this psalm comes in verse 4: “Behold, God is my helper; The Lord is the sustainer of my soul” (Psalm 54:4).

The psalm tells us how He is our helper and sustainer: by His name and by His power. “God” is not His name. His name is LORD, יהוה. As verse 6 says, “I will give thanks to Your name, O LORD, for it is good.”

God’s name, LORD, is bound to His making and keeping of covenant promises. Because He is good, He is willing to keep everything He has promised His people. Because He is almighty, He is able. His word cannot fail, for He cannot fail.

The same God who spoke into the darkness and light began to shine, three days before there was a sun, or a star, or a moon, is the same God who speaks to us in the terms of a covenant. The promises sealed in the blood of Christ have no more chance of falling than when He said,

“Then God said, ‘Let there be light’; and there was light” (Genesis 1:3).

08/23/2026

This is from Christopher Ash’s commentary on the Psalms. As you know, Psalm 54 is CBC’s Psalm of the month. I thought you might find the opening paragraph and first footnote by Ash encouraging.

Also, as we’ve said many times, Hebrew poetry has a variety of styles and forms like most cultures, including our own. One such form is when you see that the opening verse and last verse are very similar in vocabulary and thought immediately look for the middle verse, in this case verse 4. In this format the middle verse often is the main point or key thought of the Psalm. Like a crescendo the psalm is building to a climax and then descending back to the original thought.

Behold, God is my helper; the Lord is the upholder of my life.
Psalm 54:4.

What a wonderful Lord we have!

07/12/2026

“Therefore when you meet together, it is not to eat the Lord’s Supper…” — 1 Corinthians 11:20

The Lord’s Supper is central to the life of every Christian. Christian traditions vary widely in practice and understanding, but one thing remains constant: the Lord’s Supper is a vital part of our Christian experience.

The name itself tells us why. We too quickly pass over the word “Lord’s” in our reading. It has more to say than we realize. We might confuse it with the familiar word κύριος (“Lord”), which appears some 717 times in the New Testament. But in 1 Corinthians 11:20, a different word stands behind “Lord’s” — κυριακός, a word that appears only twice in the New Testament. It is related to κύριος but distinct from it. κύριος is a noun, meaning Lord. Κυριακός is an adjective, meaning belonging to the Lord. Its only other New Testament occurrence is Revelation 1:10, where John writes, “I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day, and I heard behind me a loud voice like the sound of a trumpet.”

Throughout church history, Sunday has been called the Lord’s Day — the day that belongs to the Lord. It is His day. That is what makes it holy.

The same is true in 1 Corinthians 11:20. The meal is the Lord’s Supper. The phrase stands parallel to “the Lord’s table” in 1 Corinthians 10:21. It is His table, His supper, His Supper. To sit at the Lord’s table is to receive food from Him — and through it, to enter into communion with Him.

Communion is the Lord’s Supper not only because it belongs to Him, but because He is the meal. As Jesus says in Matthew 26:26, “Take, eat; this is My body.” And in verse 28, “This is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for forgiveness of sins.”
At the Lord’s table, we receive spiritual food from Him — and that food is His own life. Christ is our feast. He is our host. He is our meal. He is the nourishment we need for the wilderness of this life.

As Paul writes:
“I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me” (Galatians 2:20).

And: “Christ in you, the hope of glory” (Colossians 1:27).

Today, we get to have fellowship with our Lord on His day, and communion with Him at His table — to enjoy Him as He nourishes us afresh with His own life.

07/05/2026

“The former priests, on the one hand, existed in greater numbers because they were prevented by death from continuing, but Jesus, on the other hand, because He continues forever, holds His priesthood permanently.Therefore He is able also to save forever those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.” — Hebrews 7:23–25

In the book of Hebrews, the author shows many ways Jesus Christ is superior to the Old Testament priests. He speaks of Jesus bringing us a better hope (7:19), a better covenant (7:22; 8:6), better promises (8:6), and better sacrifices (9:23). In Hebrews 7:23–24, Jesus is the better priest because His ministry is never interrupted by mortality. He lives forever. Whatever else Jesus is doing this morning, we know from this passage that He is praying for every believer, “since He always lives to make intercession for them.”

Think about that for a moment. Jesus is praying right now, as you read these words. He is not praying for everyone, but He is praying on behalf of all “those who draw near to God through Him.”

For all of us who place our hope in Christ alone for drawing near to God, He is praying. No matter our circumstances, we know by faith that Christ sees us, knows our deepest needs, and intercedes with the Father on our behalf. What could give us more comfort than knowing we are never truly alone — that Jesus Christ Himself, the eternal Son of God, is praying for us, for exactly the grace and mercy we need at this very moment?

What an amazing Savior! What an incredible priest! One who never slumbers, sleeps, or ceases to intercede because of the weakness of mortality. A priest better than any Old Testament priest in an earthly temple in Jerusalem, “since He always lives to make intercession” for His people to the Father at the throne of grace in heaven.

06/28/2026

Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. Hebrews 4:16

Today, as we draw near to God in our worship services in “…Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to myriads of angels…” (Hebrews 12:22), let us do so with “confidence.” The “confidence” of Hebrews 4:16 means boldness, a freedom to speak. What is it that we are to say?

First, to speak or sing bold praises to our Savior God. Psalm 100:1 says, “Shout joyfully to the Lord…,” and “Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise. Give thanks to Him, bless His name” (Psalm 100:4).

Second, to speak confidently to Him about your life—not only thanking Him for all He has done for you in Christ Jesus, but confessing your sins. Why? Because here, at the throne of grace in the heavenly Jerusalem, we find a High Priest who can “… sympathize with our weaknesses,” as “…One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin” (Hebrews 4:15).

Third, that there “…we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:16). Not just grace and mercy, but exactly what we need in the moment—for the phrase “time of need” is one word in the Greek text. It is “εὔκαιρον,” which means “well-timed.” Jesus knows us, understands us, and completely sympathizes with us. He gets us. He knows how to help us, and He delights in doing so.

Let us “not forsake our own assembling together, as is the habit of some…” (Hebrews 10:25). Rather, let us draw near today to the throne of grace in the heavenly Jerusalem, and to our God, serving Him with our confident praises and receiving from Him grace greater than all our sins (Romans 5:20). What a wonderful day our Christian Sabbath is!

06/21/2026

“O come, let us sing for joy to the LORD, Let us shout joyfully to the rock of our salvation. Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving, Let us shout joyfully to Him with psalms. For the LORD is a great God And a great King above all gods…”

Psalm 95:1-3

It is amazing how often God calls us into His presence to worship Him. He summons us. He desires His people to come into His presence in one accord to praise Him. He delights in His Church drawing near to worship Him, ascribing to Him the glory He deserves while receiving from Him all the grace and mercy our Lord Jesus Christ purchased for us with His own blood. How amazing is that?

For example, in the book of Hebrews, God repeatedly calls us to draw near to Him in His heavenly tabernacle. My favorite is Hebrews 4:14-16.

“Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin. Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:14-16).

Notice the plural pronouns, “we” and “us,” that run through these verses. This is something we do together as the Church, as His people.

Secondly, we are called to the very throne of grace. This is not to some earthly place but into heaven itself, a truth expressed repeatedly throughout the book, especially in Hebrews 12, which contrasts Israel coming to a mountain that could be touched with our coming into the heavens themselves.

“But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to myriads of angels, to the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the Judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood, which speaks better than the blood of Abel” (Hebrews 12:22-24).

Finally, as we draw near to God on His throne to praise and worship Him, we are blessed beyond words.

“…let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water” (Hebrews 10:22).

What we find there is not a just judge but a gracious Heavenly Father and His Son, our Lord and Savior, ministering to us in exactly the manner we need most, to dwell in Their presence forever.

“One thing I have asked from the LORD, that I shall seek: That I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, To behold the beauty of the LORD And to meditate in His temple” (Psalm 27:4).

06/07/2026

“Let all who seek You rejoice and be glad in You; and let those who love Your salvation say continually, ‘Let God be magnified.’ But I am afflicted and needy; hasten to me, O God! You are my help and my deliverer; O LORD, do not delay.” Psalm 70:4-5

Whatever the circumstances that prompted David’s plea, it is grounded solely in God’s grace and mercy.

The situation must have seemed desperate, because four times David pleads for urgency — twice in the opening verse alone.

“Make haste, O God, to deliver me! O LORD, make haste to help me!” Psalm 70:1

His cry for help is rooted in God’s greatness, contrasted with his own neediness. David isn’t complaining, “Why me?” or “I deserve better!” Nor does he plead his own merits. Rather, in his cry for help, he acknowledges he is “poor and needy,” that God alone is his help and deliverer — with the hope that in his deliverance others will say, “Let God be magnified” (v. 4).

Every circumstance gives us opportunity to trust God more rather than ourselves — to grow in the faith that “God is for us” (Romans 8:31).

“The LORD is for me; I will not fear. What can man do to me?” Psalm 118:6

“O LORD of hosts, how blessed is the man who trusts in You!” Psalm 84:12

“In God, whose word I praise, in God I have put my trust; I shall not be afraid. What can mere man do to me?” Psalm 56:4

“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change and though the mountains slip into the heart of the sea; though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains quake at its swelling pride.” Psalm 46:1-3

05/31/2026

The LORD loves the gates of Zion more than all the dwelling places of Jacob. May the knowledge of God's love for his church encourage and comfort us as we seek to be faithful to him who has called us.

05/26/2026

We’re thrilled to announce that the 3535 Foundation will be hosting its third conference on John Owen and the rise of puritan congregationalism and 1689 ecclesiology from August 11-13, 2026, in Fargo, North Dakota.

Registration goes up after June 1.

Part of the comprehensive plan of the 3535 Foundation involves organizing conferences that enable churches and associations to learn, discuss, and implement the principles of 1689 Ecclesiology.

05/26/2026

Say to my soul, “I am your salvation.” Psalm 35:3

Psalm 35 is a Psalm of David. It’s an pray for deliverance from his enemies. He prays for God to, “Contend, O LORD, with those who contend with me; Fight against those who fight against me (v.1).

Later in the Psalm he sings of God’s great deliverance, “And my soul shall rejoice in the LORD; It shall exult in His salvation” (v.9).

God has heard and answered his prayer, “Say to my soul, ‘I am your salvation’” (v. 3).

What greater enemy of our soul is there than our sin? Not just our acts of sin that Jesus nailed to the cross.

“When you were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions, having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us, which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross” (Colossians 2:13-14).

But our great enemy is also the power of indwell sin that continues to wage war against us.

“…but I see a different law in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin which is in my members…”(Romans 7:23).

Or as Peter puts it, the “…fleshly lusts which wage war against the soul” (1 Peter 2:11).

Like David, our hope for deliverance from our greatest enemy, our own sinfulness, is God alone. Our hope is never ourselves. We don’t ever pray to ourselves for deliverance. Our salvation does not come from within!

The Apostle Paul writes to the Colossians defending the true gospel which had come under attack by false teachers just as it has in every age since. The Apostle reminds them it is our Heavenly Father who delivers us through our wonderful redeemer, His beloved Son, Jesus Christ.

In Colossians 1:12 Paul writes, “…the Father, who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in Light.”

In verse 13-14 Paul writes, the Father, “…rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.”

And he writes, “…and through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, having made peace through the blood of His cross; through Him, I say, whether things on earth or things in heaven” (v. 20).

May God give us the grace today to pray as David did, “Say to my soul, “I am your salvation” (Psalm 35:3).

May our loving Heavenly Father give us the grace to believe that in Christ the answer is “yes and Amen.”

“For as many as are the promises of God, in Him they are yes; therefore also through Him is our Amen to the glory of God through us” (2 Corinthians 1:20).