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Primitive Baptist Preacher Biographies
Elder Jeremiah Bass
I have always attended church, but the Lord did not deal with me personally until around the year 1990 or 91. Before that time, I was very rebellious against my parents, desiring to walk in my own ways. However, around the dates mentioned above, my pastor, Elder Mark Burress, gave me a book by A. W. Pink entitled The Sovereignty of God. I had never read religious books like that before (except the Bible, and I only read that because I had to), but decided to read it just to please my pastor. I even began at the introduction. For the first several chapters, the reading was boring to me, but one day I remember that suddenly the truths pronounced in that book became real to me. I felt myself to be a changed person, a "new creature." Shortly thereafter, God began to convict me of my sins, one by one. During this period of conviction, I attempted to gain God's favor by doing good works. I began to fast, pray, and read my Bible often. I thought that if I afflicted myself enough, that somehow God would finally accept me. But the more I did these things, the worse I saw myself to become. In attempting to get to heaven in my own strength, I only became more in bondage to the very sins I was trying to escape. However, one day by God's grace, I was shown the true way to salvation. The Holy Spirit through the Word led me away from Mount Sinai to Mount Calvary and led me to trust entirely upon the Lord Jesus Christ and His righteousness for salvation. I was shown that it is simply by faith in the dying Redeemer that we are justified. And as soon as I looked to Jesus, the chains of sin's enslavement fell off. I felt myself to be truly liberated both from the guilt and power of sin. And by God's grace, one day I shall be freed from the presence of sin as well. At this time, I simultaneously began to feel a desire to preach. It was not too long before I was given several opportunities to do so, and felt some measure of success to attend my feeble efforts. Nevertheless, what really sealed the matter for me was on a trip I took with Elder Billy Lawrence to Mexico to visit some churches there. During this trip I was given opportunity to preach twice: the first time I failed miserably, and began to wonder why I was in Mexico to begin with. But the second time I preached, the Lord attended the ministry of the Word with such blessing, even in the conversion of souls, that I was greatly encouraged. Another thing that has encouraged me towards devoting my life to the ministry of the Word, is in the means of preparation for the work. Even before having any opportunity to preach, I began to feel a burden to study the Greek language. This burden became so strong on me that felt I would be in disobedience to God if I did not pursue a study of the language. So down to the Christian book store I went, remembering that I had seen some books about Biblical Greek there. As I was perusing the aisles, a total stranger came tip to me, having noticed that I was looking over a Greek grammar manual, and asked me what I was doing. He did not belong to the store, and I had never seen him before. But after telling him I wanted to learn Greek, and was looking for a grammar to do so, he offered his services. Later I found out he was the pastor of the Orthodox Presbyterian Church in town. He told me that he would teach me Greek for free, that all I had to do was to buy the books. So not only did the Lord give me a burden to study Greek, He also gave me a teacher! If this was not a sign of what the Lord had in store for me, I do not know what it was. I have been preaching now for about five years. I was ordained on July 10, 1999, at the Primitive Baptist Church in Lawn, Texas.
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Bassett Family Association Database
1977 - 