Fellowship Baptist Church

09/08/2026

Spiritual Warfare

Ephesians 6:12-13 "For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand."

When we drove a Ryder truck with our belongings into Lancaster on a hot July day more than twenty-five years ago, we had two children under five and another on the way. We didn’t have a whole lot of stuff, so it didn’t take us long to get moved in. We started going soulwinning with zeal in our hearts to do God’s work. You might think that no one would oppose such a good purpose, but one of the lessons we learned very early on was that anything we do for God involves spiritual warfare.

Anything good that you try to accomplish will result in opposition. Dr. Bob Jones Sr. said, “The door to the room of success swings on the hinges of opposition.” The devil is not interested in seeing you succeed as a Christian, and he is especially unhappy if you are having a positive influence on others. Just as a soldier would not go onto the battlefield without his weapons and equipment, we should never start a day without taking time to equip ourselves for the battles that lie ahead.

There is an old story about a boxer who was losing badly during a match. In an attempt to encourage him, his manager said, “He hasn’t laid a glove on you.” The battered boxer replied, “Then watch the referee this round because somebody is beating the daylights out of me!” We have a very real enemy, and he will use any and every means possible to try to get us to quit doing what God has called us to do.

09/08/2026

Daily Bible Reading
John 20:1-18

1 The first day of the week cometh Mary Magdalene early, when it was yet dark, unto the sepulchre, and seeth the stone taken away from the sepulchre.
2 Then she runneth, and cometh to Simon Peter, and to the other disciple, whom Jesus loved, and saith unto them, They have taken away the Lord out of the sepulchre, and we know not where they have laid him.
3 Peter therefore went forth, and that other disciple, and came to the sepulchre.
4 So they ran both together: and the other disciple did outrun Peter, and came first to the sepulchre.
5 And he stooping down, and looking in, saw the linen clothes lying; yet went he not in.
6 Then cometh Simon Peter following him, and went into the sepulchre, and seeth the linen clothes lie,
7 And the napkin, that was about his head, not lying with the linen clothes, but wrapped together in a place by itself.
8 Then went in also that other disciple, which came first to the sepulchre, and he saw, and believed.
9 For as yet they knew not the scripture, that he must rise again from the dead.
10 Then the disciples went away again unto their own home.
Jesus Appears to Mary Magdalene
11 But Mary stood without at the sepulchre weeping: and as she wept, she stooped down, and looked into the sepulchre,
12 And seeth two angels in white sitting, the one at the head, and the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain.
13 And they say unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? She saith unto them, Because they have taken away my Lord, and I know not where they have laid him.
14 And when she had thus said, she turned herself back, and saw Jesus standing, and knew not that it was Jesus.
15 Jesus saith unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? whom seekest thou? She, supposing him to be the gardener, saith unto him, Sir, if thou have borne him hence, tell me where thou hast laid him, and I will take him away.
16 Jesus saith unto her, Mary. She turned herself, and saith unto him, Rabboni; which is to say, Master.
17 Jesus saith unto her, Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God.
18 Mary Magdalene came and told the disciples that she had seen the Lord, and that he had spoken these things unto her.

09/08/2026

"The Holy Spirit will never lead you into confusion, chaos, or pride. He leads with clarity, peace, and humility that always glorifies."

09/08/2026

09/08/2026

Thought For The Day

"Though our enemy is powerful, we have been given the armor to protect ourselves and the weapons to defeat him."

09/07/2026

How Fellowship Differs From Salvation
Confessing our sins restores us to the joy of His presence.
1 John 1:5-7

John’s first epistle isn’t about salvation, even though it teaches the necessity of confessing sin. This letter was written to people who already had a relationship with God but needed a reminder of how to remain in fellowship with Him. The Father wants believers to enjoy His presence, but unconfessed sin can hinder that.

Christians have been made new (2 Corinthians 5:17) but aren’t yet perfect and still struggle with temptation. Our physical bodies have natural desires for rest, food, and pleasure. When such yearnings are under the Holy Spirit’s guidance, we live a joyful, God-honoring life. But when we allow them to control us, we step out of fellowship with Him and “walk in darkness” (1 John 1:6).

It’s important to understand that “walking in darkness” does not mean a believer can lose salvation—those who have received Jesus Christ as Savior will never perish (John 10:28-29). Rather, it means we’re choosing to live in a way that weakens our awareness of God’s presence.

Our Father wants us to be in fellowship with Him so we’ll experience fullness of joy. This happens when we spend time in His presence (Psalm 16:11), align ourselves with His will, and share Him with those around us. And if that fellowship is interrupted, confession can restore it, as we’ll see tomorrow.

09/07/2026

Getting Ready for the Wedding

Revelation 19:7-9 "Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints. And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God."

Weddings are a big business in our society. In a typical year there are some 2.5 million weddings held, at a cost of more than $70 billion. It is believed that the royal wedding of Charles and Diana in 1981 is the most expensive wedding in history with a total price tag of more than $110 million in today’s money. But whether the wedding is large or small, cheap or expensive, there is an air of excitement and anticipation surrounding the preparation for the wedding.

As believers, we have a wedding to look forward to. The Bible uses the illustration of a bridegroom coming to claim his bride to help us understanding the relationship between Christ and the church. It is a beautiful picture of the love of God and something wonderful for us to anticipate. Paul wrote, “Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it” (Ephesians 5:25).

Jesus paid the price for our salvation in full, and once we have trusted Him as our Saviour, we become part of the bride. There is nothing that can take away our salvation, but we are expected to prepare for the day when we see the Lord. This preparation, which is seen in our personal commitment to holiness and our witness to a lost world, is evidence that we are eagerly anticipating His return.

09/07/2026

Daily Bible Reading
John 19:21-42

21 Then said the chief priests of the Jews to Pilate, Write not, The King of the Jews; but that he said, I am King of the Jews.
22 Pilate answered, What I have written I have written.
23 Then the soldiers, when they had crucified Jesus, took his garments, and made four parts, to every soldier a part; and also his coat: now the coat was without seam, woven from the top throughout.
24 They said therefore among themselves, Let us not rend it, but cast lots for it, whose it shall be: that the scripture might be fulfilled, which saith, They parted my raiment among them, and for my vesture they did cast lots. These things therefore the soldiers did.
25 Now there stood by the cross of Jesus his mother, and his mother's sister, Mary the wife of Cleophas, and Mary Magdalene.
26 When Jesus therefore saw his mother, and the disciple standing by, whom he loved, he saith unto his mother, Woman, behold thy son!
27 Then saith he to the disciple, Behold thy mother! And from that hour that disciple took her unto his own home.
28 After this, Jesus knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the scripture might be fulfilled, saith, I thirst.
29 Now there was set a vessel full of vinegar: and they filled a spunge with vinegar, and put it upon hyssop, and put it to his mouth.
30 When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost.
31 The Jews therefore, because it was the preparation, that the bodies should not remain upon the cross on the sabbath day, (for that sabbath day was an high day,) besought Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away.
32 Then came the soldiers, and brake the legs of the first, and of the other which was crucified with him.
33 But when they came to Jesus, and saw that he was dead already, they brake not his legs:
34 But one of the soldiers with a spear pierced his side, and forthwith came there out blood and water.
35 And he that saw it bare record, and his record is true: and he knoweth that he saith true, that ye might believe.
36 For these things were done, that the scripture should be fulfilled, A bone of him shall not be broken.
37 And again another scripture saith, They shall look on him whom they pierced.
38 And after this Joseph of Arimathaea, being a disciple of Jesus, but secretly for fear of the Jews, besought Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus: and Pilate gave him leave. He came therefore, and took the body of Jesus.
39 And there came also Nicodemus, which at the first came to Jesus by night, and brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about an hundred pound weight.
40 Then took they the body of Jesus, and wound it in linen clothes with the spices, as the manner of the Jews is to bury.
41 Now in the place where he was crucified there was a garden; and in the garden a new sepulchre, wherein was never man yet laid.
42 There laid they Jesus therefore because of the Jews' preparation day; for the sepulchre was nigh at hand.

09/07/2026

"Your Relationship with God will set the tone of every other relationship in your life. Fix your eyes on Him and watch how it changes things."