Month / October 2021

by In Light Of The Cross

An Open Newsletter for Those Contributing to the Plant City SDA Bible Worker Fund

It’s that time of year again when I like to celebrate and share the wonderful things God has done through the Plant City Bible Worker Fund. Even with the COVID restrictions God has been providing more ways than ever to share the Gospel.

As well as continuing online Bible studies via Zoom and Facetime, personal and group Bible studies in person are growing as well. This year I have been enjoying several youth, adult and family Bible studies on Zoom as well as after school on the NTCA school campus. I have also been able to give Baptism studies in the Tampa Bay area, extending beyond the Plant City community. In just a few weeks I will be conducting another week of prayer evangelism series at the New Port Richey Adventist school.

In Plant City I have been having group Bible studies as well as personal Bible studies. Some groups meet at the church while I have also started a group Bible Study at the Krazy Kup Café in downtown Plant City. This group is intended to reach the unchurched as well as those who want a personal worship service but are not comfortable returning to a regular sized church yet. The start was rather small, but it has been growing steadily, and more people are showing an interest. Some Adventist members have been reluctant to come because it is at a coffee shop on Sabbath mornings. However no one in our group buys anything (not that I have told them not to, that’s their personal business) and we meet in a private meeting room the café provides at a reasonable cost.

This year also saw several new members coming into the kingdom of God at the Homosassa SDA Church by way of baptism and profession of faith. The Homosassa SDA Church generously provides for half of my fulltime salary. This is why I rely on God providing contributors like you to the Plant City Bible Worker Fund for the other half of my fulltime salary. The Plant City SDA Church itself is unable to contribute, but generously hosts the fund so I can do Bible Work in the Plant City-Tampa Bay area and beyond. Jim, is one of those who I have studied with and baptized at Homosassa. However there still turned out to be a link between him and my ministry in the Tampa Bay area. As it turns out, Jim is the cousin of some friends of mine from the Tampa First SDA Church. Both his family at Tampa First and the Homosassa SDA Church family were very encouraged to see Jim make his decision for Jesus!

As well as doing personal and online Bible studies and seminars, I am usually preaching twice a Sabbath. While many people are uncomfortable returning to the actual church for worship service and Sabbath School, this includes some lay preachers who hesitate to return, thus creating a greater demand for me to speak. The Homosassa SDA Church has graciously moved its services to the afternoon, allowing me to preach mornings at the Plant City SDA Church before driving to Homosassa to preach. Other area churches have had several pastors retire this year, and I have also been called to preach at a few of those churches as well.

Several times recently I have been given the opportunity to preach at the New Port Richey SDA Church.

Meanwhile, as I have been giving personal and group Bible studies and seminars in person in the Florida area, I have also been conducting Zoom and FaceTime personal Bible studies and seminars from Georgia to California and several points in-between. I want to thank those who have been faithfully contributing to this ministry with their generous monthly contributions as well as one time contributions. This ministry has been successful now for over 6 years. Yet there is still so much more to be accomplished. Also while this ministry relies on the continued support of contributors like yourself, some who have begun contributing 6 years are no longer able. This is why we are always welcoming new contributors to contribute monthly or with one time contributions.

You may send your tax deductible contributions to the Plant City SDA Church, P.O. Box 5379 Plant City, FL 33563. Please mark your check or envelope “Bible Worker Fund.”

You may also contribute online by going to the Plant City Adventist Online Giving page, and go to the third line item under “Local Church” which reads “Bible Worker.” 

Thank you so much for your prayers and support!

Your Christian Servant,

William Earnhardt

by In Light Of The Cross

Love is why we Have to

Photo by Katya Wolf on Pexels.com

Love does no wrong to others, so love fulfills the requirements of God’s law. Romans 13:10 NLT 

A young grade school boy and his daddy were walking down a country road, when they noticed a car pull over to the shoulder a few hundred meters up the road. The passenger door opened, and a little puppy fell out the door into the ditch near the shoulder of the road. The boy watched in amazement as the car then sped off. The boy ran to the aid of the little puppy. He found the puppy whining and confused as well as looking malnourished. When the father finally caught up to the boy, the boy firmly told his daddy, “I know you may not let me keep him, but we have to take him home and feed him right now!” 

What did the little boy mean by “we have to?” How did an abandoned puppy suddenly became his problem? Was there some law written in stone that the boy had to rescue this poor dog? As a matter fact there was a law, but it was not written in stone. The only reason why the boy said, “we have to” is because there was a law written on that little boy’s heart. 

In Luke 10:30-37 Jesus tells a familiar story we call today, “The Good Samaritan.” In the story both the Levi and the priest knew the law of God which was written in stone, but yet they passed by a suffering brother, because that law was not written on their hearts. Then a Samaritan walks by who has the law of love written on his heart. He at once recognized what he had to do, not because of the law written in stone but because it was a law of love tugging at his heart strings. Like puppet strings, his heart strings controlled his behavior. Love and compassion were written on his heart and controlled his behavior. 

Writing God’s law of love on our heart is not new to the New Testament. the goal was never to have the law of love written on stone. The ultimate goal was always to have the law written on our hearts. This goes back to the Old Testament. 

But this is the new covenant I will make with the people of Israel after those days,” says the Lord. “I will put my instructions deep within them, and I will write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. Jeremiah 31:33 NLT 

And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength. Deuteronomy 6:5 NLT 

“Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against a fellow Israelite, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the Lord. Leviticus 19:18 NLT

True justice must be given to foreigners living among you and to orphans, and you must never accept a widow’s garment as security for her debt. Deuteronomy 24:17 NLT

In the Old Testament as well as today, God does not just want the letter of the law written on stone. He wants the spirit of the law written on our hearts. That means showing love and compassion for a little puppy that will never be able to help you. It means showing love and compassion for a neighbor or foreigner who would probably just spit on you and pass you by if the situation was reversed.  

This “letter” is written not with pen and ink, but with the Spirit of the living God. It is carved not on tablets of stone, but on human hearts. 2 Corinthians 3:3 NLT 

A Samaritan had to rescue a foreigner left to die in a ditch, a young boy had to rescue a helpless puppy, not because of a law carved in stone. They had to because the law was etched upon their hearts. 

You may study this week’s Sabbath School lesson here.