On Sunday, October 22nd, we celebrated how God has blessed Bethlehem Baptist Church at our 135^th anniversary. As the eighth pastor, I am grateful for its 19 founders, those faithful servants who stood and declared the Word of God. In our history, Bethlehem has been bombed and relocated, yet we stand. Bethlehem Baptist Church, the House of Bread, acknowledges the power and strength of the Sovereign God. We are not kept by gifted pastors and preachers, but by God’s grace. Pastors come and go, but God’s Word and Power never changes. Although I celebrate 37 years as pastor, it is God alone who reigns. Thanks be to God! In Isaiah 51:1, we find these words:

“Listen to me, all who hope for deliverance — all who seek the Lord! Consider the rock from which you were cut, the quarry from which you were mined.”

Isaiah wanted the people to hear the voice of the Lord. He called on them to look at those that God had used and to see His hand working in them. Thank God, that He is actively working on our behalf. He has a rich history of not only giving strength to our congregation, but to us as a people. From generation to generation, He has blessed. I am confident that God will continue to bless His church. We should all remember our history and be assured that our future is all in God’s hands.