Bethany Baptist Church of West Los Angeles

Daily Devotional from Pastor Wesley October 26, 2020 Knowing the Father Through the Son... There was the true Light which, coming into the world, enlightens every man. He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. He came to His own, and those who were His own did not receive Him. But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God. And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth. John testified about Him and cried out, saying, this was He of whom I said, `He who comes after me has a higher rank than I, for He existed before me. '"For of His fullness we have all received, and grace upon grace. For the Law was given through Moses; grace and truth were realized through Jesus Christ. No one has seen God at any time; the only begotten God who is in the bosom of the Father, He has explained Him. John 1:9-18 How do you know who God is? Many people today have arrived at their own perception of Him, based on their personal ideas, reasoning, and desires. And some don’t want anyone interfering with their preconceived notions of God. This is nothing newit was true in the first century, just as it is today. Jesus came to His own people, the Jews. But despite the testimony of John the Baptistthat Christ was someone who surpassed him in rank and existed long before arriving on earththey didn’t want Him. Our Savior came to die in order to save those who would believe in Him, but He also came to explain the Father. Jesus has both the knowledge and the authority to do this, because He is God the Son and the only one who has seen and fully knows God the Father. Therefore, if you want to know and understand who God is, look at Jesusnot just in the Gospel accounts of His earthly life but in the entire New Testament. This is the best way to make sure that you are not deceived in your understanding of Him. Being confronted with the truth now is much better than discovering too late that you are following the wrong god. Stressing the Rails with Dr. Michael W. Wesley, Greater Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church

Thank you for joining us today. Please stay safe and blessed. #PLEASEVOTE2020

Interacting Sample Ballot information https://www.lavote.net/isb

Daily Devotional from Pastor Wesley October 22, 2020 Life’s Greatest Gift... For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. This is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil. For everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come to the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. But he who practices the truth comes to the Light, so that his deeds may be manifested as having been wrought in God." John 3:16-21 Everyone loves presents, yet many people reject the greatest gift ever given. This gift is God’s Son, and the term only begotten expresses His uniqueness. There has never been anyone else like Jesus, who is truly God and truly human. He is the only One who lived a perfect life and died as a sinless sacrifice in the place of sinful humanity. When God gave the gift of His Son, mankind had two options. They could either accept Jesus by faith or reject Him. This is the most important choice a person will ever make, because the outcome has eternal ramifications. God will one day judge the people He has created, and that judgment will be on the basis of what they have done with the gift of His Son. Those who believe in the Savior will not be condemned, because they have received eternal life. However, John 3:18 says whoever doesn’t believe has already been judged and condemned for unbelief. The determining factor between the accepters and the rejecters is the object of their love. Those who refuse God’s Son love their sin and don’t want to change. But believers come to Christ because they love the truth and desire righteousness. Which one are you? Stressing the Rails with Dr. Michael W. Wesley, Greater Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church

Flashback Thursday: our young people praising God through dance

Daily Devotional from Pastor Wesley October 20, 2020 The Difference Between Wants and Needs... O taste and see that the LORD is good; How blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him! O fear the LORD, you His saints; For to those who fear Him there is no want. The young lions do lack and suffer hunger; But they who seek the LORD shall not be in want of any good thing. Psalm 34:8-10 Sometimes we confuse wants and needs. We can become so focused on our wants that they feel critical to our well-being. Then, when God doesn’t meet our need, we get angry or frustrated. If we ever feel this way, we should ask ourselves, Is my petition essential to accomplishing God’s purpose, or is it only for my enjoyment? If we can’t complete the Lord’s plan without something, then it’s a need, and He will answer when we pray for Him to fulfill that requirement (Phil. 4:19). God is also pleased to satisfy wants that fit within His purpose and will (Psalm 37:4). And while He isn’t obligated to grant wishes or fulfill any plans but His own, He says that those who seek Him won’t lack any good thing (Psalm 34:10). Pursuing the Lord above all else means making our desires subject to His will. And when we delight in the Lord (Psalm 37:4), He’ll also shape our desires. The heavenly Father wants to be His children’s greatest delightthe One in whom fulfillment and satisfaction are found. When that is true in a believer’s life, then he or she does not require a lot of stuff, entertainment, or people in order to be happy. Joy is in the Lord. Stressing the Rails with Dr. Michael W. Wesley, Greater Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church

Stressing the Rails with Dr. Michael W. Wesley Daily Devotional from Pastor Wesley October 19, 2020... Feasting on the Word like newborn babies, long for the pure milk of the word, so that by it you may grow in respect to salvation, if you have tasted the kindness of the Lord.1 Peter 2:2-3 Have you ever watched an infant eat? A baby clutches the bottle, smacks his lips, and makes noises of contentment. He thoroughly enjoys his milk. But there comes a time when milk doesn’t satisfy a baby’s appetite anymore. That’s when a whole world of culinary possibilities opens up. Comparing new believers to babies, Peter said that they long for the pure milk of the word (1 Peter 2:2). You wouldn’t feed a newborn steak and spinach, would you? Well, baby Christians must sip scriptural truths that they understand. Then, they feast on Bible passages, gradually taking in more. Believers aren’t left alone to make sense of Scripture any more than babies and young children are expected to get their own meals. The Holy Spirit illuminates the Word, making the meaning clear to those who seek to understand. Moreover, according to Ephesians 4:11-16, pastors and teachers are charged with equipping the saints for service. They instruct, clarify, and motivate people to grow in their personal faith and to fulfill the church’s purpose of reaching the lost. God’s Word is a feast for our heart, mind, and spirit. This is one banquet table where there is no such thing as taking too much. Stressing the Rails with Dr. Michael W. Wesley, Greater Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church

Thank you for join us today. Have a blessed and safe week.

Daily Devotional from Pastor Wesley October 16, 2020 The Danger of a Hard Heart... Therefore, just as the Holy Spirit says, TODAY IF YOU HEAR HIS VOICE,DO NOT HARDEN YOUR HEARTS AS WHEN THEY PROVOKED ME, AS IN THE DAY OF TRIAL IN THE WILDERNESS,WHERE YOUR FATHERS TRIED Me BY TESTING Me, AND SAW MY WORKS FOR FORTY YEARS. THEREFORE I WAS ANGRY WITH THIS GENERATION, AND SAID, `THEY ALWAYS GO ASTRAY IN THEIR HEART, AND THEY DID NOT KNOW MY WAYS'; AS I SWORE IN MY WRATH, `THEY SHALL NOT ENTER MY REST.' "Take care, brethren, that there not be in any one of you an evil, unbelieving heart that falls away from the living God. But encourage one another day after day, as long as it is still called Today," so that none of you will be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. For we have become partakers of Christ, if we hold fast the beginning of our assurance firm until the end, while it is said, TODAY IF YOU HEAR HIS VOICE, DO NOT HARDEN YOUR HEARTS, AS WHEN THEY PROVOKED ME. "For who provoked Him when they had heard? Indeed, did not all those who came out of Egypt led by Moses? And with whom was He angry for forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose bodies fell in the wilderness? And to whom did He swear that they would not enter His rest, but to those who were disobedient? So we see that they were not able to enter because of unbelief. Hebrews 3:7-19 When we go to church and hear God’s truth, we’re responsible for how we respond to His instructions and convictions. It’s easy to accept and practice things we find effortless or enjoyable, but if the Lord convicts us about a truth we don’t like, we could be tempted to rationalize our disobedience. Perhaps we decide that a certain command doesn’t really apply to us or that God understands there are good reasons why we can’t comply. All excuses are displeasing to the Lord. A willful refusal to obey His Word has a hardening effect on the heart and, over time, can make us less receptive to the stinging conviction of the Holy Spirit. This may seem to make life more pleasant in the short term, since we don’t feel as guilty. But the end results are painful. The next time you’re tempted to ignore a divine commandment, remember the cost of Israel’s hard-hearted disobedience. Instead of trusting God, they refused to enter the Promised Land. As a result, they missed settling in their own homeland and instead wandered in the desert for 40 years until that generation died. Let’s learn from the Israelites’ mistakes and pray for softened hearts that are open to the Lord’s voice. Stressing the Rails with Dr. Michael W. Wesley, Greater Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church

Daily Devotional from Pastor Wesley October 15, 2020 Choosing the Right Building Material... According to the grace of God which was given to me, like a wise master builder I laid a foundation, and another is building on it. But each man must be careful how he builds on it. For no man can lay a foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if any man builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each man's work will become evident; for the day will show it because it is to be revealed with fire, and the fire itself will test the quality of each man's work. If any man's work which he has built on it remains, he will receive a reward. If any man's work is burned up, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.1 Corinthians 3:10-15 A believer’s life is built on the foundation of Jesus Christ. One way to think about this is that every motive, deed, and word is a building material for our spiritual house. All that we have said and done in Jesus’ name will be incorporated into this structure, but it will also include sin, negative attitudes, and good deeds done with wrong motives. Not all if it will last, howeversomeday, when we stand in the Savior’s holy and just presence, the only things that will remain are what we’ve done to glorify Jesus. The apostle Paul warned believers to build with care because on the day of judgment, fire will test the quality of each person’s workthis refers to the purifying presence of Jesus Christ. The judgment of believers is about rewards. In the parable of the unrighteous steward, Jesus explained the basic concept to His disciples: He who is faithful in a very little thing is faithful also in much (Luke 16:10). Our time on earth is the beginning of an eternity serving and rejoicing in the Lord. Wise people plan for the future (Proverbs 27:12). I want to receive as much of God’s goodness as He offers, so I’m determined to build with top-quality, enduring materials. The privilege of serving here is only the beginning of the rewards. In heaven, God’s generosity will be even more abundantly unleashed. Stressing the Rails with Dr. Michael W. Wesley, Greater Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church

Daily Devotional from Pastor Wesley October 13, 2020 The Call to Be a Neighbor... And a lawyer stood up and put Him to the test, saying, Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?" And He said to him, what is written in the Law? How does it read to you?" And he answered, YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR STRENGTH, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND; AND YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF. "And He said to him, you have answered correctly; DO THIS AND YOU WILL LIVE. "But wishing to justify himself, he said to Jesus, And who is my neighbor? "Jesus replied and said, A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among robbers, and they stripped him and beat him, and went away leaving him half dead. And by chance a priest was going down on that road, and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. Likewise, a Levite also, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, who was on a journey, came upon him; and when he saw him, he felt compassion, and came to him and bandaged up his wounds, pouring oil and wine on them; and he put him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn and took care of him. On the next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper and said, `Take care of him; and whatever more you spend, when I return, I will repay you. 'Which of these three do you think proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell into the robbers' hands? " And he said, The one who showed mercy toward him." Then Jesus said to him, Go and do the same." Luke 10:25-37 If loved ones suffer, we want to relieve their burdensto alleviate pain, meet needs, or right a wrong. But if helping family and close friends is sometimes complicated, taking action to assist strangers or people we don’t know well can be even trickier. However, the Parable of the Good Samaritan challenges us to do exactly that. Placing ourselves in the story, it’s possible that most of us would not have stopped, even on a safer road than the treacherous route from Jerusalem to Jericho. Yet we see the Samaritan man specifically and deliberately risk his own safety to meet the needs of someone he’s never met. Similarly, each of us has many opportunities to extend God’s mercy in the same waybut we’ll notice only if our eyes are focused on the other person rather than on ourselves. Think about it We often ignore the needs of others because we think someone else will help or assume it’s not our problem. Social psychologists call this phenomenon diffusion of responsibility. What are some things we can doas individuals and churchesto extend mercy? Is there anyone you know who demonstrates mercy in day-to-day life? What can you learn from his or her example? Stressing the Rails with Dr. Michael W. Wesley, Greater Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church

Daily Devotional from Pastor Wesley October 12, 2020 God’s Definition of Success... To You, O LORD, I lift up my soul. O my God, in You I trust, do not let me be ashamed; Do not let my enemies exult over me. Indeed, none of those who wait for You will be ashamed; Those who deal treacherously without cause will be ashamed. Make me know Your ways, O LORD; Teach me Your paths. Lead me in Your truth and teach me, For You are the God of my salvation; For You I wait all the day. Psalm 25:1-5 How would you define success? Though much of the world considers power and prosperity to be the highest of goals, God desires a different yearning in His children. From the Lord’s standpoint, success means walking in His way. The Bible asks, What does the Lord your God require from you, but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all His ways and love Him, and to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul? (Deuteronomy 10:12). As the Holy Spirit reveals God’s heart to us, we have the opportunity to obey and follow our Father. Beyond pleasing Him, there are many benefits to walking in His way. First, we develop a closer relationship with the Lord. When we seek Him, He enlarges our ability to understand His ways (Jeremiah 29:13). Second, we gain a rich prayer life. Third, we begin to see things from His perspective. Fourth, we have more patience and find it easier to wait for His timing. Fifth, when we face adversity, we are increasingly stable and steadfast. Finally, we impact othersall the benefits listed above will be evident to those around us. Read Deuteronomy 10:12 again, this time as a prayer. Ask God to reveal one new way you can love Him or serve Him more wholeheartedly. Stressing the Rails with Dr. Michael W. Wesley, Greater Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church

Hello everyone, Are you confused about the Ballot Propositions or just want a little better understanding of what they mean to you? Then... Join the Bethany Baptist Church tonight where Jimmy Valentine will conduct a review of the CA Ballot Propositions from 7pm-8pm via Zoom.... Zoom ID# 893-8982-9580 Dial in # (669) 900-6833