Joshua Thomas (1719-1797) served as the pastor of the Baptist church at Leominster in Wales for almost 45 years. His history of the Baptists in Wales was published in the Welsh language in 1778. He published an English edition of his history in 1795. His history was considered a well-researched edition of Baptist history. Acccording to Hywel M. Davies in "Transatlantic Brethren" (p.142), Joshua Thomas insisted that the Welsh Baptists "were the direct inheritors of the legacy of pure, primitive British Christianity--the spiritual and ethnic descendants of the pre-Augustinian Celtic Christians, historically free from the taints of popery." This would take this strain of Christianity back to the time when the Roman Empire ruled Britannia; back before Augustine of Canterbury brought Catholicism to the Germanic Anglo-Saxon tribes that conquered England after the Romans had retreated. There was always a remnant of true believers even throughout the darkest of the Dark Ages. Some of those believers were in Wales.

An article in the September 15, 2006, edition of "Forward" tells of the sweet challah bread that is on every Rosh Hashanah table throughout the Jewish world. Rosh Hashanah is the Jewish New Year and it is equivalent to the Feast of the Trumpets in the Bible.

The August/September, 2006, Newsletter of the Southern View Chapel surveys the doctrinal stands of C. S. Lewis (1899-1963). The popularity of both the fictional and non-fictional works of Lewis is at an unprecedented high. His "Chronicles of Narnia" were just made into a popular film and his is almost everywhere acclaimed. Perhaps it would be good to know the theological views of this man.

Today's "Knoxville News-Sentinel" has an article on how skulls have become a big fashion statement. What used to be reserved for the underground and Goth kids has become mainstream. Skulls are everywhere. The fashion designers use them because of their connection with poison, danger, pirates, and death. Although most popular with the young, they can give an edge to older fashionistas who want to look tough. Isaiah 65:4 tells us of those "Which remain among the graves, and lodge in the monuments, which eat swine's flesh, and broth of abominable things is in their vessels." The Maniac of Gadara who was delivered by Jesus Christ also had "his dwelling among the tombs" (Mark 5:3). We have a generation that is given to death. They dwell among the tombs and need to be delivered from the evil one.

The following is a quote from p42 of Winsome Christianity by Henry Durbanville:

In Bridgeport, West Virginia, the High School recently settled a case that had been brought against it by the Americans United for the Separation of Church and State and the ACLU. The school agreed to take down a portrait called the "Head of Christ" that had been on the wall outside the principal's office for 37 years. In the same school, one classroom had a portrait of Buddha and another had a two-foot statue of Buddha. These were not opposed and will be allowed to remain. One reason the school officials decided to surrender their rights out of court was the fact that, if they had lost, they would have had to pay the legal costs of both sides. This is established by federal law and it is one of the reasons so many schools quickly give in when they are sued. A bill to change this law passed the House in September. However, it seems unlikely that the Senate will be passing the bill anytime in the near future.

As I was watching a local meteorologist, a.k.a. "weather guy," explain a recent cold snap in our area, a beautiful picture of a mountain was displayed on the screen. In order to resolve any confusion on the part of the viewers he noted that the white on the trees was NOT snow but what he called "hoar frost." HOAR FROST? I thought that the scholars, a.k.a. King James Bible critics, said that hoar frost was an archaic, obsolete term that made the King James Bible difficult to read and understand. I was on a web site recently that cited 419 words and phrases (including hoar frost) from the King James Bible. That list, like many others was designed to show that your King James Bible ought to be rendered in "modern English." Apparently that term is NOT archaic, obsolete, or indecipherable, and the author of that list LIED!

The Book of Numbers is a great book when looking for devotional material.In chapters 1-10 the people seem to be wholly following the commandments of the Lord. However,chapter 11 is the beginning of woes.The very first phrase is "And when the people complained, it displeased the Lord".In chapter 12, we find the murmuring moving up the poles into the leadership and infecting Miriam and Aaron as they murmur against Moses. In chapter 13, ten of the twelve spies come back with an evil report concerning the land of promise. In chapter 14, we find the people wanting to make a captain to return to Egypt and then wanting to stone Joshua and Caleb for their report of faith.This chapter includes the decision of the Israelites not to go into the land of promise and then their decision to go into the land of promise after the Lord told them they could no longer go in. The Israelites decide to go against the commandments of the Lord and try to take the land of Canaan on their own, only to be smitten by the Amalekites and Canaanites.

According to an article in Thursday's "Wall Street Journal," earlier this year on the day Muslims celebrate the willingness of Abraham to sacifice his son on Mt. Moriah (a son they claim was Ishmael), 25,000 sheep in Brussels, Belgium, had their heads turned to Mecca and were sacrificially killed by having their throats slit so that they would die from the shedding of their blood. Many of the Muslims will be eating their sheep for lunch that same day. Although home slaughters are illegal in Belguim, Muslims now make up over 15% of the one million people in the city of Brussels.

"When burdened with sins from 2006; just burn them up for a real quick fix." Martin Luther dealt with a Roman Catholic agent who sold indulgences with a catchy ditty. Perhaps the preceeding one might work for the new sellers of quick fix forgiveness. Thursday's "Wall Street Journal" revealed a growing trend in churches and the modern spiritual community. More and more congregations are meeting for a service in which they write the sins and failures of the previous year on a piece of paper. Then, in a heart uplifting ceremony, they burn the pieces of paper to symbolize the doing away of these sins and their readiness to face a new year clean and ready to do better. The ceremony is getting rave reviews from many religious groups.