“The main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing.”
Stephen Covey

So what exactly is the “main thing”?  We are rapidly approaching Christmas.  Many Christians and non-Christians will celebrate Christmas but the focus will be far different for these two groups. 
For the Christian the focus is on remembering the blessings of Christ’s birth.  While the Christian might put up a tree and share presents with others, the focus is not on the commercialism of the “Holiday” but more about the Holiness of that day, nearly 2000 years ago, when Jesus was born in that humble setting and placed in a manger.
All too many times people today celebrate Christmas with very little thought to the real meaning of the celebration.  Christmas has become big business and highly commercial.  I would even go to say (and this is my personal perspective) that when a large corporation "allows" their employees to say "Merry Christmas" it is not to offer Christ centered blessings but to bring up the "bottom line" or raise their revenue.  That is why we find banners with Merry Christmas alongside a display with the jolly guy in the red suit.

Do a bit of research and you will find the satire behind much of what we see today in the business of Christmas.
You will find that Saint Nicolas incrementally became the Santa Clause who was not earth bound but could travel by sleigh because he alone possessed special flying reindeer.  He could fly the entire world over in only one night and even before that he could know who was bad or good, who is sleeping, who is awake.  Those who brought this tall tale into existence, I imagine, never intended it to take away from Christmas but it can if we lose focus of the truth of God's Word.
You know, it all comes back to the authority of Scripture.  If we regard Scripture as a mere sidebar to life and not the guiding factor of how we live we will find that we are off track.  So keep the main thing, the main thing! 

If you wish to keep the main thing the main thing this year and celebrate Christmas, it’s great to decorate your home and share gifts with your loved ones.  I enjoy giving the gifts as well as being thought of to receive them. 
But remember that scene offered to us in Scripture:
Luke 2.6,7: 6So it was, that while they were there, the days were completed for her to be delivered. 7And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.
Keeping the focus only on Christ and the gift of His grace that comes through faith in Him is the “Reason for the Season!”
Yes, Virginia, there really is a reason for celebrating Christmas, and that is because God so loved the world that He sent His only Son, so that whoever believes in Him would not perish, but have eternal life.

I wish to share with all who come to read this installment a very Merry Christ centered Holiday Season!

Last night at T.I.M. (youth group) we had a time of teaching where the kids did some skits.  There were five teams that demonstrated various types of churches to the rest of the group.  There was the Movie Theater church where people go for entertainment.  The people who go to this church for what they can get from the service not for what they can bring.  There is an attitude of "I can't wait to see the latest music video on the screen" or "My church is so cool because we sing only the newest songs . . ."
The Country Club church was where people go for social reasons - who they can see or to be seen.  Those who go to this church tend to have a philosophy that by going to church (the right church) that their social circle will be better and their standing in the community is therefore somehow better. 
Then we had the Supermarket church.  Now this church has it all, a group for everything - the moms with wet babies group, the dads with pink slippers group, the teens who have siblings group, and on and on  . . .the list was endless to the special groups formed so that there would something for everyone.
The Museum church was interesting.  This was a very traditional church.  Stuffy and orderly.  Everything at MC had to be just right and the children were to seen and not heard.  There was no joy in worship and no spontaneity because if it was not in the "Order of Worship" well, it just did not happen.  The Holy Spirit was not even allowed permission to move in the MC.
Then we find the Hospital church.  On any given Sunday at HC you will find people with their many problems and issues.  Here at HC people come only when tragedy strikes.  When one loses a job, off to HC to pray for God to help them get a job.  When a family member faces a life threatening illness, off to HC and pray.  You get the picture, the people who go to HC only go when they want something from God and then once the trial is done they might not attend church until the next challenge.
Now of course I do want to downplay the hurts and the losses people face on a regular basis but I do want to make a point.
That point being, that God is not a genie in a bottle.  He is not in the business of offering you entertainment or a place to go to meet people and make friends.  He does not find great pleasure in people who seek to control the church or His Holy Spirit.
When people go to God only when there is something is wrong - then something is really wrong because God is not there to take care of the temporary problems we all face everyday.  No God is so much more than that.
Going to church is about worship.   John 4:24 "God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth."
When our lesson was near the end, one young man asked a very important question - "What kind of church is this?"
It was the best question to ask.  I had to think about it a moment and my response was this: "This is whatever the people who come into it make it."  I'm sure we have aspects of each church listed above at various times.  The reality is that First Baptist Church is not perfect, nor will it ever be.  One thing that we can do though, is strive to honor the Lord while we live in this world. 
1 Peter 2.1-8 teaches us that we are the church, the living building blocks, a spiritual house that make up the body of Christ.  We are the temple of God (2 Corinthians 6.16) and as such we are the church.  In light of all of what we have in God's Word we must ask ourselves . . . What kind of church is this?

    Ministry of the Word    
 by Pastor Richard J. Rizzi

    Election.  We’re coming up on a mid term election and there’s a bit of tension in the air.  So I’m not going to get all political on you in this installment.  But I do want to discuss your election.  While there are two ends of the spectrum of the doctrine of election I believe that God has a plan and He knows who will or will not trust in Him.
So there are two aspects to election - the application of God’s grace which is salvation through faith in His Son, Jesus.
Election is that wonderful balance of the Lord seeing every person ever born and those who will be, and knowing the response to His invitation to place their trust in Him. 
Ephesians 1.3-5:  3Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, 4just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, 5having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will.
Yes, the Lord does know your heart.  He knows the times when you pray silently for His protection and guidance and He knows if you have placed your faith in Jesus or if you merely believe He existed (there is a real difference).
That’s why its important for you to respond to the revelation that there is, indeed, a God.  He is very real and even when some say that there is no God, there is a still small voice that calls out from within to prod people toward Him.
That’s where our part in the election process takes place.  We must accept the “nomination” or calling of the Lord.
  2 Peter 1.10: 10Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent to make your call and election sure, for if you do these things you will never stumble. 
We are to make our election or choice firm or real.  There’s no half way in believing in Jesus for salvation. 
This is a great time for an election.  If you have not yet done so, take a moment to seek out the Lord and make a personal decision to accept God’s free gift of salvation. 

Greetings! Just a quick note to say I am in the process of building this site whenever I have the opportunity to sit down and do it. 
That does not really happen that often because in the realm of small church service there are many areas of ministry that come before a website, soooooo . . .
Please check back from time to time and if you want any info about the church (more than you find here) just write or call us.
We would love to hear from you.