Shiloh Baptist Church

“The heart knows its own bitterness, and no stranger shares its joy.”

Proverbs 14:10

Bitterness in the Bible is termed, “Wormwood.” There are more than 120 species of plants known as “wormwood.” These plants have medical value, but are primarily known for their bitter taste. When it rains, the toxins in “Wormwood” dissolve, and drip off the plant, poisoning the ground around it, resulting in death to anything in its path. Like the Dandelion in your lawn, its roots go very deep. Bitterness is toxic. It contaminates; physically, and spiritually. It can cause physical illness and affect our Walk with Christ. It can cause problems and death in our lives. But:

1. Prayer is an antidote for Bitterness. Psalms 86:7 says, “In the day of my trouble I will call upon you, for you will answer me”.
2. Confession is an antidote for Bitterness, according to James 5:16. Ask Christ to come into your heart and change you.
3. Forgiveness is an antidote for Bitterness (Colossians 3:13)

What should we do? Looking away from all distractions, fix our eyes on Jesus who is the Author and Finisher of our faith. This leaves no room for bitterness to come in (Hebrews 12:2). Remember what God has done for you. Confess. Pray. Meditate on the Word. Forgive for Jesus’ sake, and for yours (James 5:16). In Hebrews 12:15, a warning is given to the Church community, that bitterness can contaminate the congregation. The root of bitterness is a deliberate turning away from God. We must pray for those with this condition and ourselves too. Being bitter is not a sin. It is a spiritual condition caused by Sin. The problem must get treated because the roots are deep. Remember the dandelions!! When the toxicity from the wormwood hit the ground, it brought death to everything around it. When the Blood of Jesus was shed on the Cross, it brought Life to all who believed.

Submitted By Sis. Brenda Perry

If we want strong relationships, strong marriages, and strong communities then we need men like Gideon; “And the angel of the LORD appeared unto him, and said unto him, The LORD is with thee, thou mighty man of valor” (Judges 6:11-13 KJV) And Jeroboam, “And the man Jeroboam was a mighty man of valor: and Solomon seeing the young man that he was industrious, he made him ruler over all the charge of the house of Joseph” (1 Kings 11:28 KJV). The dictionary defines valor as boldness or determination in facing great danger. God calls these heroic men in the Holy Bible ‘mighty men of valor’ because they have the characteristics of courage and bravery.

Our women and children need these types of men in families, in homes, in schools, in churches, and in our communities. How do our women and children get these types of men in their lives? It starts with us. And where do we need to start? We need to start with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Jesus is the personification of courage and bravery. What was it about Jesus that made him such a ‘man of valor’? He was obedient even to death and He encourages us to be also obedient until death. ‘Men of valor’ do not destroy one another with their words or actions but they do like Jesus and encourage one another; “He appointed the priests to their offices and encouraged them in the service of the house of the LORD” (2 Chronicles 35:2 ESV). Criticism, disputes, divisions, and gossip destroy but encouragement strengthens; “But charge Joshua, and encourage him, and strengthen him…” (Deuteronomy 3:28 KJV). This encouragement is displayed during our time together at Men’s Fellowship every Monday at 7 P.M. There is no better time to build one another and strengthen each other to take on the challenges of the world than during the times that we come together at Men’s Fellowship. God’s kingdom is established in a different manner than the world’s system.

The month of February has been designated as Men’s Fellowship Month. This month the men of Shiloh Baptist Church in Rockville Centre, New York, and other brothers from visiting churches and men in the local community will come together to encourage one another and strengthen each other; “And the people the men of Israel encouraged themselves and set their battle again in array in the place where they put themselves in array the first day” (Judges 20:22 KJV). With Jesus Christ on our side and the encouragement of the brothers, there is no problem, conflict, or challenge that we can’t claim victory over. “It starts with us.”

 Submitted By Trustee Stanley Ridley

We are responsible. I am not sure if we always realize that we all have a divine purpose and the very fact that we are all here together means we are connected in the body of Christ. God has given each of us a gift and the gift is as unique as each individual here.

As we all know this month is youth month and we are here to celebrate our children, but I would like to bring back into our minds for just a moment, the two little boys that were being bullied; one in Georgia and the other in Massachusetts, who committed suicide. They never knew that Jesus was the answer to the hurt and pain they felt, they never knew that they could find refuge in Him, they were babies.

My heart grieves for them and their parents on so many levels. All I felt like I could do was cry out to God and pray, “Father, what can I do?” I did not have to pray long before it came to me.  As a Christian, I have a responsibility to help the children and the parents of the children that I meet, here in Shiloh and outside of the doors of Shiloh. I am asking all the people here who are in the capacity to help to start helping.  I am not sure what the faith of the parents was before these tragedies happened or even now, but in this day and age we as a Christian community need to reach out in our communities to do all we can to try to make a difference for our children here and the children outside of the Body of Christ.

God connected us to one another no matter what you want to think or believe. We must get back to a “it takes a village” mentality in order to make a difference. I hear people talk about all that is going on out in the world but that world that we talk about, our children live in. I ask you can, or do you make a difference?  I have made a decision that I will be the change that I want to see in the lives of the children I come in contact with. I am asking everyone who can, to do the same. I can imagine what a child must be experiencing on more than one level. I can see it from the eyes of a child because I was a child. I can see it from a parents’ perspective because I am a parent. I know the feeling of being hopeless and helpless, not knowing what to do to protect my children. Before I knew God loved me and realized my worth, I felt that same helplessness and hopelessness, however, I am here because I know God has a purpose for my life that is bigger than all of my circumstances or any situation, but children don’t know that, they just do not know. They are searching and seeking answers for their pain. Some parents do not know they too, need the Savior. They are all in the same position that we were in before God called us into the fold before we realized that He loves us. It is our responsibility to go out from Shiloh and proclaim the Word of God, to use the gifts that God has given us, to be a beacon of light for those that are in darkness, to show the way, to lead back to Christ.

My son was being picked on at school a few days ago. On his lunch break he called me from his cell phone and said, “Mom this boy keeps bothering me” and I immediately said, “What Boy?”. He said, “I don’t want to tell you his name, but he is one of the kids that was bothering me before”. I said go tell the teacher”, and he said, “I did but the teacher didn’t do anything, in fact the teacher said to the boy ‘what is the problem’ and the boy said ‘nothing’”. “But then the boy was even worst because he felt like I was snitching on him.” I said, “do you want me to call the school and set up a meeting?” He replied “No ma, I am okay. I can handle him I am not afraid of him”. He then said, “I want to beat him up but no matter how mad I get something keeps stopping me and I called to ask you why, Because I want to get him”. I started smiling because I knew in that moment and knowing my son, that God has his hands all over him and that the same Holy Ghost that keeps me, is keeping him. But what about the children who do not know our Lord and Savior? We are responsible. 

Submitted by Sis. Kim Evans