The sermon at church this morning was delivered by our associate pastor and my good friend Chris Haney. He preached from the ninth chapter of the minor prophet Amos bringing this series of the past few months to a close. While Amos may not be a book of particular interest for most, it just so happens that it was the subject of several months of intense study for me during my senior year of college. Like the vast majority of prophetic literature, Amos is not a slap happy, pick-me-upper. Rather, it is a very solemn and firm reminder of the true heart and nature of the Living God.

Amos, a small nobody farmer from the southern kingdom was called to proclaim the word of the Lord to the northern kingdom of Israel. This would be the equivalent of being sent on a one way mission in war. Not only was the message carrier without any proper training or qualification, but he was a foreigner in the northern lands and one of the last people on earth they would consider listening to; especially after hearing what he had to say. The word he brought was this: the day of the Lord is coming and judgment is near. On numerous occasions the prophet cites the sin and wickedness of the people of God and proclaims the Lord will not and cannot tolerate their idolatry and social injustice any longer. The people however, are unreceptive to the prophet’s pleas as they continue in their state of ignorant confidence.

They knew that they were the chosen people. They knew that they were descendants of Abraham and the promise. How then could this same God bring destruction? Sure, they made mistakes and began worshiping other gods and trampled the poor to build up for themselves. But, they still observed the festivals and carried out the religious obligations according to the Law of Moses. They gathered at the temple to offer sacrifices and seek mercy from the true God. Therefore, what did they have to fear? Or so they thought.

In Amos 5:21-24 we find the following words to the people of Israel,

“I hate, I despise your feasts,
and I take no delight in your solemn assemblies.
Even though you offer me your burnt offerings and grain offerings,
I will not accept them;
and the peace offerings of your fattened animals,
I will not look upon them.
Take away from me the noise of your songs;
to the melody of your harps I will not listen.
But let justice roll down like waters,
and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.”

Attempting to demonstrate what was happening in this context, Chris used the illustration of getting a speeding ticket. Speaking from experience, he described what so many of us have gone through before. Specifically, he drew attention to our mindset in this type of minor violation. Most often we are not racked with guilt or shame, but rather anger and frustration. Perhaps we think to ourselves how unfair it is that the officer decided to pull us over when the guy ahead was clearly going even faster. Then we are forced to go through the hassle of traveling all the way to the city court building and paying a small fine for our offense. All the while we are not afraid of justice or what the judge may think. In fact, he probably doesn’t even care because it’s just a speeding ticket!

Much in the same way, Chris contended, the people of Israel saw their sin as an inconvenience. It forced them to offer sacrifices, worship at the temple, and maintain the many requirements of their religious festivals. There was no true remorse. There was no understanding of their sin or offense to the perfect righteousness of God. To them, it was just a sinful misdemeanor and God, like any earthly judge, would get over it.

I cannot fully explain why, but this illustration really stuck with me today. For one thing, it serves as an excellent depiction of how I so often view my own sin. Though I may not realize or want to admit it, I often believe and operate based on the fundamental understanding that I am innocent and sin is just another little blip on the radar like a speeding ticket. Sure it’s bad and I shouldn’t have done it, but doesn’t everyone? Did Jesus not come and die on the cross to abolish sin? If I just say I’m sorry and pray a little prayer things will be okay. After all, it’s just a sinful misdemeanor.

What a wretched and damning way to live and think! At the most fundamental level this way of thinking somehow assumes God is obligated to save me and look past my offenses. Instead of understanding the true depravity of my situation, I think I am deserving. But in reality, we are not committing simple, sinful misdemeanors; instead, we are already convicted, sinful felons. Paul put it this way in Romans 3:10-12,

“None is righteous, no, not one;
no one understands;
no one seeks for God.
All have turned aside; together they have become worthless;
no one does good,
not even one.”

Imperative to understanding the true nature of God is understanding the true nature of ourselves. In this case, we must come to the realization that we are sinful. We don’t just sin at times, but we are, to the very core, wicked and evil people just like the recipients of Amos’ prophecy. It is impossible to receive the Word of the Lord, to hear and understand the Gospel of Jesus Christ if we are under the illusion that we are not in need of being saved. If we only think of our sins as little misdemeanors, minor wrongdoings, we will never embrace the glorious grace of God.

Quote of the Week: “Mercy hath a heaven, and justice a hell, to display itself to eternity; but longsuffering hath only a short-lived earth.” –Henry Smith (c.1561-c.1600).

Monday, November 30th, 8:00 a.m.  Men’s Bible study.  We are studying through the book of Genesis.

Wednesday, December 2nd, 8:00 a.m.  Men’s prayer meeting.

Wednesday, December 2nd, 6:30 p.m.  Mid-week prayer meeting.  We have broken from our usual devotion messages for a time with studies from a series we will call, “Lord, Teach Us to Pray.” This week’s message is entitled, “Forgive Us as We Forgive.”

Friday, December 4th, 8:00 a.m.  Men’s prayer meeting.

Saturday, December 5th, 1:00 p.m.: “The Sounds of Sovereign Grace” radio broadcast can be heard every Saturday afternoon on Grace Radio WGRW, 90.7 FM.  This is a ministry outreach of Sovereign Grace Baptist Church, taught by Brother John Hunter, and now, with occasional teaching from Brother Jon Cardwell.

Sunday morning, December 6th, 11:00 a.m.:  We will continue in our study of The Epistle of Paul to the Romans. This weeks message is entitled, “O Wretched Man!” and our text will be taken from Romans 7:14-25.

Sunday prayer meeting is held in the nursery prior to the evening service on 5:30 p.m.

Sunday evening, December 6th, 6:00 p.m.:  We will continue our study in the Gospel of John, picking up our study where we left off in John 9:48-53, “The Night Cometh.”

Sunday school classes for children, youth, and adults will begin at 9:45 a.m.

The Children’s Sunday school are for those under 12 years of age.  Kathy Hunter, wife of our elder and missionary John Hunter, teaches the children Bible truth using flanel graphic presentation, Scripture memorization, followed by a craft that reinforces the lessons learned.  Following singing of praises and choruses in the sanctuary, classes are held in the educational room of our building.

Youth Sunday school classes are for those young people attending grades 7-12 or are ages 12-17.  The youth class includes prayer, catechism recitation and memorization, and the verse-by-verse reading and study of Scripture.  Brother Jon Cardwell teaches this class, and currently, we are studying the Gospel According to Luke.  Following singing of praises and choruses in the sanctuary, classes are held in the pastor’s office behind the church building.

Adult Sunday school classes are held in the sanctuary.

Don’t forget: our weekly sermons can be heard and downloaded from the Internet at no charge on SermonAudio.com.

Today we get back into Romans

The text is from

Romans 6

What does true freedom from God mean in your life?

Summary:  As Paul describes man’s ungodliness, it is a picture of our society today.  All ungodliness flows from a false understanding of God and His holiness.  That thinking then leads on a downward spiral resulting in foolish speculations, darkness and idolatry.

1. A. How did God expect mankind to know “the truth” before Jesus Christ came into the world (vv. 19-20)?

B. Consider the human hand.  What can you say about God from studying your hand?

C. What causes you to stand in awe of God when you consider His creation?

2. A. What are “His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature” from v.19?

B. How does the creation point to God being the creator?

C. How can we use this knowledge to share God’s truth with others?

3. A. What words can you find in verses 19 and 20 which explain that God is “knowable”?

B. What does man do with such knowledge?  Why?

C. What is your response to truth about God?

4. A. Who is Paul referring to in v.21?

B. What’s the difference between a person who just knows God and someone who honors Him as God and gives thanks?

C. How can we let this verse help us keep us on track in our relationship with Christ?

5. A. What are man’s “speculations” referred to in v.21?

B. Why do these speculations lead to a darkened heart? What is the danger of following man’s teachings or reasonings?  What did these lead Christ’s enemies to do in His day?

C. Is this darkened heart a permanent state?  If not, what can we do about it?

6. A. Given all the evidence of God around them, what do people do?

B. How do people view this as being wise (v 22)?

C. What kind of things can get between people and their worship of God?

Additional study:  Proverbs is very illustrative in its contrast of the wise and foolish.  List 5 differences between the wise and the foolish man from this book.

Romans 1:19-23 (ESV)

19 For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them.
20 For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.
21 For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened.
22 Claiming to be wise, they became fools,
23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things.

HOPE THAT DOES NOT DISAPPOINT

Read Romans 5:1-5

When I was a kid, the Christmas season always brought me great hope. Yes, it was a season filled with hope. I had hope without end. I can remember some of those hopes even now:
“I hope I get a new bicycle!”
“I hope my brother doesn’t get more presents than me.”
“I hope I get to drink some wine at dinner!”
Yes, I had a lot of hope, hope that seemed to spring eternally in my heart. And this sort of hope continued into my adulthood:
“I hope I get that raise; I deserve it.”
“I hope she’ll go out with me.”
“I hope I can retire at age 45.”
It was only later in life that I realized how terribly disappointed I always was in these self-centered hopes. For even when they were fulfilled they usually just resulted in feelings of emptiness because they were things that only served and glorified me. This disappointment finally led me to full surrender to and full reliance upon God.
My hope now is simply, as the apostle writes, that I might share the glory of God. This hope is based not in what I want, but in the purpose of God. Access to God’s glory comes through Jesus Christ. It is Christ who leads us to endurance in suffering, character in endurance, and hope in the character of our faith. This is the hope that does not disappoint! This is the hope embodied in the coming of the Christ into our lives.

Prayer: Gracious Lord of All Life and Hope: come into my life and make me new. Come into my life and be my hope, through Jesus Christ Amen

~ The Rev. Jeffry J. Roberts

Christ is the end of the law for righteousness. The design of the law was to lead people to Christ. The moral law was but for the searching of the wound, the ceremonial law for the shadowing forth of the remedy; but Christ is the end of both. See 2 Co. 3:7, and compare Gal. 3:23, 24. The use of the law was to direct people for righteousness to Christ.

(1.) Christ is the end of the ceremonial law; he is the period of it, because he is the perfection of it. When the substance comes, the shadow is gone. The sacrifices, and offerings, and purifications appointed under the Old Testament, prefigured Christ, and pointed at him; and their inability to take away sin discovered the necessity of a sacrifice that should, by being once offered, take away sin.

(2.) Christ is the end of the moral law in that he did what the law could not do (ch. 8:3), and secured the great end of it. The end of the law was to bring men to perfect obedience, and so to obtain justification. This is now become impossible, by reason of the power of sin and the corruption of nature; but Christ is the end of the law. The law is not destroyed, nor the intention of the lawgiver frustrated, but, full satisfaction being made by the death of Christ for our breach of the law, the end is attained, and we are put in another way of justification. Christ is thus the end of the law for righteousness, that is, for justification; but it is only to every one that believeth. Upon our believing, that is, our humble consent to the terms of the gospel, we become interested in Christ’s satisfaction, and so are justified through the redemption that is in Jesus.

(Matthew Henry, from his Commentary on Romans 10)

Summary: In God’s plan of revealing the gospel, He must first begin by showing how utterly sinful man is. Then the beauty and grace of the gospel has much more impact.

1.A. What does verse 18 tell us about God’s wrath? Identify the 12 uses of “wrath” in Romans.

B. How do those uses of “wrath” help define it? How is God’s wrath revealed? What do we mean when we say God’s wrath is presently revealed? How is God’s wrath revealed generally? Specifically? How is God’s wrath personal? How is God’s wrath different from man’s wrath?

C. Does God’s wrath create fear or comfort for you? How? Why?

2. A. What is ungodliness?

B. How does ungodliness differ from unrighteousness? What connection does idolatry and immorality have with these two terms? Can you identify Biblical characters who demonstrated ungodliness? What was the outcome of their lives?

C. In what way does the world today promote ungodliness? How can believers protect themselves from ungodliness?

3 A. Who are those who suppress the truth?

B. Why does man suppress the truth rather than seek for truth? How does man do this?

C. Do believers suppress truth? How? What is the danger of this?

This document, available at Scribd as a pdf, has been ported to here in html format.

Click here for the article.

Due to some technical limitations, the copy is not paginated and appears as one single, long page. Also the footnotes have major spacing problems which is related to the auto-justifying of the WordPress program. As time permits, these problems will be rectified.

Please note this is still a draft copy and subject to change. Your comments would greatly be appreciated.

VOM–USA Prayer Update for November 27, 2009

The Voice of the Martyrs USA: www.persecution.com

“On his knees the believer is invincible.” C H Spurgeon

As the Scripture says, “Anyone who trusts in him will never be put to shame.” Romans 10:11

IRAN — Maryam and Marzieh Released — VOM Contacts

Psalm 100:1-5

Make a joyful shout to the LORD, all you lands! Serve the LORD with gladness; Come before His presence with singing. Know that the LORD, He is God; It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves;[a] We are His people and the sheep of His pasture. Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, And into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name. For the LORD is good; His mercy is everlasting, And His truth endures to all generations.

On November 18, Maryam Rustampoor and Marzieh Amirizadeh were released from Evin Prison in Tehran after being held for 259 days, according to Elam Ministries. Family members picked them up at the prison, and the women expressed heartfelt thanks to Christians around the world who prayed for them during their days in prison. “Words are not enough to express our gratitude to the Lord and to his people who have prayed and worked for our release,” they said. Maryam and Marzieh were released without bail, but charges against them have not been formally dropped. They may still face a court hearing in the future. They were arrested March 5 by Iranian security forces and labeled “anti-government activists.” Marzieh and Maryam’s apartment was searched and their belongings were confiscated. “Their only crime is that they are committed Christians who follow the teachings of Jesus,” Farsi Christian News Network reported following their arrest. “They are being unfairly labeled as ‘anti-government activists’ because of the hostility of the government towards practicing Christians.” Please continue to pray that Maryam and Marzieh will recover physically from their ordeal, and pray that all charges against them will be dropped. Pray also for other Christians in Iran who are persecuted for their faith in Christ.

ISRAEL — Christian Family Continues to Be Persecuted — VOM Contacts/Jerusalem Institute of Justice

Psalm 7:1

O LORD my God, in You I put my trust; Save me from all those who persecute me; And deliver me,

Eleven year old Rivka’s Messianic Jewish family continues to face persecution from extremist Jewish factions in Israel, according to VOM contacts and Jerusalem Institute of Justice. Rivka’s father is a pastor and even though the family has relocated to another house, their new landlord has already received threats from Jewish extremists who want them evicted. Recently somebody poured sugar into the fuel lines of their vehicle, which destroyed its engine. Earlier this year, Rivka was questioned by a prominent rabbi and two activists from Yad L’Achim, an organization whose stated goal is “fighting Christian missionaries.” Rivka’s family is facing what has become a growing problem in Israel: persecution against Christians by extremist Jewish factions. Pray God will provide for this family and protect them. Ask God to use their courageous testimony to draw non believers into fellowship with Him.

VIETNAM — Update: Imprisoned Vietnamese priest suffers severe stroke — Forum 18 News

Psalm 103:2-4

Bless the LORD, O my soul, And forget not all His benefits: Who forgives all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases, Who redeems your life from destruction, Who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies,

Father Nguyen Van Ly, who was sentenced to eight years in prison in March 2007, recently suffered a severe stroke, according to Forum 18 News. He was admitted to the military hospital in Hanoi. At last report, he was semi-paralyzed but was conscious and able to speak. Family members report that he is being treated well. Pray that Father Van Ly will have a full recovery. Pray for strength for his loved ones at this time.

At this Thanksgiving season let’s be thankful for the wonderful salvation given us through the death, burial and resurrection of our glorious Savior Jesus Christ; and for our brothers and sisters in Christ who are risking and even giving their lives for Christ’s sake.
-posted by T.A.

Romans 12: I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.

2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

3 For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith.

4 For as we have many members in one body, but all the members do not have the same function,

5 so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another.

6 Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, let us prophesy in proportion to our faith;

7 or ministry, let us use it in our ministering; he who teaches, in teaching;

8 he who exhorts, in exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness.

9 Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good.

10 Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another;

11 not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord;

12 rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer;

13 distributing to the needs of the saints, given to hospitality.

14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse.

15 Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep.

16 Be of the same mind toward one another. Do not set your mind on high things, but associate with the humble. Do not be wise in your own opinion.

17 Repay no one evil for evil. Have regard for good things in the sight of all men.

18 If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men.

19 Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord.

20 Therefore “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; If he is thirsty, give him a drink; For in so doing you will heap coals of fire on his head.”

21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

Are the topics of today’s reading

Romans 5

Tomorrow we will have a day of grace – use it to catch up or consolidate reading through Romans. Sunday is a day of grace. We’ll continue with Romans 6 on Monday.

Le Hello ! Project (ハロー !プロジェクト, Harō ! Purojekuto ?) ou H !P est un vaste ensemble de chanteuses-idoles japonaises et de groupes féminins de Jpop, découvertes ou créés depuis 1997 par leur producteur Tsunku.

Groupe et solo actif

- Morning Musume.

- Berryz Koubou

- C-ute

- Buono!

- Guardians 4

- Shugo Chara Egg!

- Aa!

- High-King

- Mano Erina

- Frances & Aiko

- Ice Creamusume

-S/mileage

Groupe et solo inactif :

- Tsukishima Kirari starring Koharu Kusumi
- MilkyWay
- Kira☆Pika
- DEF.DIVA
- Athena & Robikerottsu
- GAM(Great Aya & Miki)
- Country Musume.
- Coconuts Musume.
- Mini Moni
- Pucchi Moni
- Morning Musume.Sakura Gumi
- Morning Musume.Otome Gumi
- Morning Musume.Tanjo 10 Nen Kinentai
- ROMANS
- W(Double You)
- Biyuuden
- Gomattô
- Nochiura Natsumi
- ZYX
- T&C Bomber
- Tanpopo

Suite ici …

Nothing’s changed… besides it’s better than what the Gentiles are going to receive for doing it wrong, if that’s any consolation.  It’s the only role on earth that guarantees salvation.  Whereas, you Gentile Christians had better make sure your act is the right one, for the same guy that you claim to follow, said:  The Jews that fall over me shall be broken, but the Gentiles whom I shall fall upon shall be pulverized into dust.

What is dust, is dead; but what is broken can be healed.  Christian Jews have a very special gift from God to help the Gentiles believe the truth about Jesus, but don’t expect to be thanked for doing it.  Rather than worry about people hating you for doing God’s work, prepare yourselves for the slaughter.

Now, if Jews are sent to help the deceived Gentiles believe the truth about Jesus (the gospel), then there must be lies about Jesus; and if all the people who claim to believe in Jesus, and God, and the Bible, cannot find a lie about Jesus, it’s because they are the liars!  For salvation is of the Jews! Otherwise, Jesus was the liar!  And you Gentiles are following Him in vain!

If the Messianic Jews hide their talent your Father in heaven gave you, which is the ability to teach the truth about God and Jesus, you will be treated just like the Gentiles when Jesus comes, because you were sent to save them.  This is why the prophet Ezekiel said, If you see a man erring and you do not correct him, and he dies in his sin, you are guilty of his blood; but if you tell him to correct his error, and he dies in his sin, you are blood guiltless (not guilty).

Therefore, your own Jewish families, who think you are nuts, will be much better off than you on Judgment Day.  Each of you Jews has to learn respect for the other, which is love.

The Jew called to work for the Messiah in Christianity is not wrong, but is misguided until they give up the Roman lie that Jesus is God and the Scriptures will heal them.  The non-Christian Jews are called by the same God to reject the false Messiah of the Gentiles that is now presented to the world, even though they are using Jesus’ real name.

The Jews will be saved by their faith in keeping the commandments in their Bible; while the Messianic Jews will only be saved if they keep the commandments in the whole Bible and accept the truth about God the Father and Jesus the Son.  Messianic Jews and Gentile Christians must prove their faith by keeping God’s commandments.  Therefore both sides of the Jewish question will be saved by faith.  For the just live by faith.

The time has come for each of you to learn you are two parts to the same plan of God, which is why the book of Revelation Chapter 11 speaks about two olive trees.  An olive tree in the scriptures represents Israel or the Jews, and the Bible is telling us there are two parts of Israel.  One Jew is called to represent the Messiah Jesus for the Gentiles and the truth about Jesus and God, who are actually our long lost brothers known as the ten lost tribes of Israel.

The Church of Jesus is for Jews only!  Jesus threw the doors of Judaism open to all Men, because the Jews had made their religion a private club.  When God had intended them to proselytize the whole human race.  Jesus commanded the Apostles to search for the lost sheep of Israel.

Yes, the lost ten tribes of Israel, who were scattered amongst all the nations over three thousand years ago, were recalled back to Israel.  God called them out of the East, the West, the North, and the South, long before the Diaspora when Rome scattered the Jews of Jesus’ time around the Roman empire.

The Jews of today are from the three unlost tribes of Israel.  The ten lost tribes were Israelites, Jews if you will.  They are they who know His voice and follow Him.  The regathered lost tribes do not know they are the lost Israelites.

Thousands of years have separated them from the knowledge of their forefathers and from their God of Israel.  Yet, God had a plan for them prophesied in the Old Testament.  God did not forget them.  He just punished them for worshipping idols; but He promised to deliver them from the hands of Pagans who mistreat them.  He promised to gather them out of the east and the west, and from the north and south, into a new land.

This is a mystery I show you… the church!  It is the gathering of the children of God back to Israel into a new land called America.  Therefore the Jews called to work for Jesus are supposed to be gathering the lost Israelites back unto the Father.  The problem is the converted Messianic Jews don’t know it.  You are the kings and priests promised to reign with the Lord; but the Gentiles have robbed us of our heritage; and have made us believe we Jews must join them.

No! No! No!  Christianity is a Jewish religion and God was merciful enough to allow Gentile heathens to join us.  For salvation is of the Jews! Not the Gentiles!  Wake-up Jews!  The Thieves, who have taken God’s kingdom by force, have set the Jewish people against each other.  Don’t fall victim to the Gentiles.  Unite in love and judge not your brother.  For if you love your brother, you know God; but if you hate your brother whom you can see, how can you say you love God, whom you cannot see?  Liar!  You walk in the darkness even now, but you Jews are not the children of darkness, but the children of the light.

To be continued…

In this study I have tried to show what the Scripture teaches about water baptism. I know there is more to say but basically it is personal response to our faith in the Lord Jesus as the Son of God, and that He died for our sins.

By the physical act of baptism we are declaring the spiritual fact that in Jesus we want to count the sins of the past as dead. We want to bury it all by baptism with Him. Coming up out of the water signifies that we are risen with Him to walk a new life in Christ Jesus. (Romans 6; Colossians 2:12,13) Then the promised Holy Spirit will help us, comfort, strengthen, and guide us into all His truth.

There are many different teachings, rules, and ways concerning how and when water baptism should be done. I find a few simple words very spiritually satisfying and Scriptural.

We know that Jesus said to baptize all that became His disciples in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Some object because the name of Jesus is not mentioned in these words. On the day of Pentecost Peter commanded the people to repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus. Some think there is a conflict. I do no see a conflict for these reasons.

If I refuse to use these words of Jesus I am refusing to observe and teach what He said. If I baptize without doing and saying it in Jesus name I am not obeying the commandment to do all things in His name. (Colossians 3:17) Therefore I do both. I use Jesus’ words and give them in Jesus’ name.

After the one to be baptized gives a testimony of their faith in the Lord Jesus as the Son of God, and that through Him we receive the forgiveness of sins, I proceed with these or similar words:

Because of your testimony, and because of Jesus’ command-ment, in Jesus name I now baptize you in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

If they have not already received the promised Holy Spirit I, along with others, pray for this blessing.

Our desire and prayer for you is:

Colossians 1:9 …that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding;

10 that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God.

Carlton B. Abbott and Leelah Boone Abbott

On this day in which Americans around the world celebrate Thanksgiving — a case of expats/immigrants trying to make friends with the natives of their new homeland — I thought I’d mention some news about some early expats here in the Utrecht region. It seems that some untouched Roman graves have been found near IJsselstein, dating from around the second century AD. They may have been related to the Roman fort that was about 200 meters away.

As I mentioned previously, Utrecht was the location of a Roman fort built around 47 AD. There are also remains of the old city walls (as seen above), although they date from closer to the 1100s. We live right on the eastern edge of the old walled city. I guess Utrecht just can’t get rid of those Italians. G’s even made it inside the city walls.

Now I’m off to give the oven a workout. Time to bake the sweet potatoes, turkey, and cornbread dressing. Plus, those regular potatoes aren’t going to mash themselves. Happy Thanksgiving to all who may be celebrating it, no matter where in the world you’re located.

“kingdom of God is …..righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit” (Romans 14:17)

My sister was on her bus this morning and this kid got on without the right amount of money.  He was holding up the bus and some people were getting annoyed because they were trying to get to work.  So Jen, not really thinking about it, gave the boy a buck so the bus could get rollin.

She got to work and had her normal day.  When she left work for the day and got to her bus stop, she realized she didn’t have her monthly bus pass.  This pass is $50.  She left it at work and it would definitely be a pain to walk all the way back there to get.  But to her surprise something happened.  A homeless man walked up to her and not knowing her situation gave her a pass to get home.  My sister’s words were, “I didn’t deserve it [the pass].”  My mind automatically thought of the gospel.

Just like Jen didn’t deserve that pass to get on the bus, we as Christians don’t deserve God’s Grace for salvation.  That’s exactly what Grace means, God giving us what we don’t deserve.  We were hopeless without Jesus.  Romans 5:6-8 says, “You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die.  But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.“ 

Paul says that rarely will someone take the bullet for a righteous man, someone who walks godly.  And someone might possibly die for a person whose good.  But for us, who sin against God, who’d die for us?  He says Christ did because He loves us.  Jen didn’t get that pass because she was nice to that boy earlier.  She didn’t deserve to get that pass from the homeless man.  SHE left her pass at work.  SHE rightly should have walked back to get the pass, missed her bus and got home late.  Likewise, the Bible tells us we don’t deserve God’s love for us.  We sinned against him.  We deserve punishment!  But because He loves us, he sent Christ so we could believe in him and ride the J-Train (as tobyMac would say).

Titus 3:3-5:  At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another. But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy.

Paul says plainly in this letter to Titus, God-Man Jesus had so much kindness and love for us that he saved us, not because of any good thing we did but because of his mercy (God not giving us what we deserve).

Other verses to check out:  Ephesians 2:8-9; Romans 10:9-10; Romans 6:23; 1 John 4:10; Colossians 2:13-14

Imagine three people talking about their mother. A stranger wants them to describe her, so they each offer a description.

Person Number One says:

“My mum is green. She has antennae sticking out of her head, and her hair is yellow. She’s as big as a sumo wrestler and has muscles that Mr Universe would be proud of.”

Person Number Two says:

“She’s got very pale white skin and blonde hair. She’s very petite and short.”

Person Number Three says:

“She’s got dark skin and black hair. She’s tall and beautiful.”

Could all three of these people be correct in their descriptions of one person when their descriptions are so contradictory? Of course not. If she is a real human being, she can’t be both a giant green person with antennae and a petite blonde with pale skin at the same time.

You can believe whatever you want about who she is and what she looks like, but she will always be who she is regardless of what you believe about her or how you describe her.

Of course, you probably know that already. You wouldn’t describe your wife as green or purple unless she is (probably), and you would likely be hurt if you heard people describing you as somebody completely different than you really are, especially if they describe you in a way that you would consider to be insulting.

Yet so many of us treat the subject of God in the way the three people above talked about their mother. They say that whatever you believe about God is fine, as long as you’re sincere.

This belief defies logic, though. If we believe God is a myth, then of course we can paint Him however we want. But if God is REAL, as I sincerely believe He is, we need to realize that not everything that is believed about God can be true.

Some believe that Christ-followers are arrogant to suggest that there is only one God, but I don’t believe it is any more arrogant than it would be for me to suggest that I only have one mother. She is who she is, and what others believe about her doesn’t change reality.

I am on a quest to know the God Who Is, not just a god whom I wish existed. If I wanted to create my own religion, I could create any kind of “god” I wanted, but that god wouldn’t be REAL. I want to be careful, as much as possible, not to misrepresent God. That’s why I try to seek Him in the ways He’s revealed Himself and not to create God in my own image.

The problem with many religious people, Christians and non-Christians alike, is that they tend to create their “god” in their own image. If they are of a particular political persuasion, they assume that God is too. If they believe particular things about morality, life, culture, or whatever, they assume that God does too.

But God is Who He Is, not who we make Him.

I think we all have the tendency to project our own ideas or perceptions upon God, so this is something we all have to try to fight if we are going to begin to discover the God Who Is REAL.

Yet I will always continue my quest, not to describe God as I think God should be, but to discover more and more of Who God really Is.

How can I know the God Who Really Is?

God is infinite. That means He has no limits and no boundaries. God is bigger than me. How can I ever truly understand a mind that is infinitely bigger than mine? The fact is that I can’t. The best I can hope to do is to get the tip of the iceberg, to learn to know SOMETHING of Who this God is.

That isn’t cause for despair, however. Why? Because I believe I can know SOMETHING of God. In fact, not only can I know something ABOUT God, I can even KNOW God personally.

How, you may ask?

Well first of all…

1. I can know God through the things He has made.

   Romans 1:20 says:

   For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.

   I sincerely believe that any great masterpiece must have the hand of a master behind it. The Mona Lisa didn’t come into existence by accident, and neither did this beautiful and vast universe we live in. We can argue all we want as to HOW God created it, but I believe that no effect can exist without an ultimate Cause. And I believe God is that Cause.

   Furthermore, I believe all that is good and beautiful in this universe points to the Creator. Yes, I know there are a lot of things in this universe that have been messed up by humankind but, before we messed it up, it was all beautiful. I also believe God has a plan in place to make it all beautiful again one day.

   When I look at the masterpiece of a sunset, a snow-capped mountain, or a star-filled night, I believe it points to the Hand of the Creator. However, that alone only points to the idea that there IS a source and that this Source must be beautiful if He can create such beauty.

   How do I know anything more of Who this Source is?

2. I can know God through the Words He’s given us.

   The Bible says:

   All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness.

   These words from the Bible are claiming that all the Bible comes from God in some way. This may seem like a ludicrous claim, but I sincerely believe it’s true. I believe that this book, which is really a library of 66 ancient books, has been somehow preserved through the centuries in better condition than any other books from the ancient world for a reason. People have tried to disprove it time and again, and yet it still remains the best selling book in the world. Instead of contradicting science, as some have unfortunately tried to claim, it is supported time and again by the discoveries of science and archeology. It is also supported by the reality of the millions of lives its words have changed.

   It tells us about One God, and I truly believe that the God it reveals is the One True God. Its words are often debated and misinterpreted, but I am dedicated to the study of these ancient texts because I believe that the God who inspired it is the God Who is Real, and I’m convinced that the God Who is revealed in its pages is the One Who has the power to rescue lives and restore all of Creation to its intended glory.

3. I can know God through His Son.

   Jesus said, in John 14:9, “Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father.” In other words, he says that if you’ve seen Jesus, you’ve seen God.

   Of course, none of us have SEEN Jesus either, but we learn about Him in the Bible. We learn about His plan to rescue us from all the junk in our lives and to give us a life that never ends. We learn about His radical love for every one of us, and if His words are true, we learn that He is God’s way of revealing Himself to the world. The more we learn about Jesus, the more we learn about Who God Really Is. Not some preacher’s idea of God, not the ramblings of some crazy son who talks about his mom being a green sumo-wrestler….but WHO HE IS IN REALITY.

   He also says that we can do more than know ABOUT Him. He teaches us that there is a way that we can know Him personally.

Of course, you don’t have to believe any of what I’m saying. What I suggest, though, is that you investigate the facts for yourself before you come to a conclusion. Don’t just listen to what somebody says ABOUT God, or what you think God is or should be like.

If God is real, then He will be real regardless of what you think about Him… just like my mom is real no matter what you choose to think about her.

But if you don’t investigate the facts for yourself and find out if what I’m saying is true, I fear that you will miss out on the most wonderful experience you could EVER have…the experience of KNOWING the God Who is real.

Won’t you check out the evidence? You might be surprised what you find!

Romans 4

Is trusting God hard to do? Why?

Romans 6.1-2:

1 – What then shall we conclude?  Should we continue to reside in the realm of sin so that grace might greatly increase? 2 – No way! How can people such as us who died with reference to the lordship of sin still behaviorally participate in it? (translation mine)

In approaching Romans 6.1ff, there is some debate over who exactly Paul has in mind when asking this question.

One view, based on similar classical Greco-Roman writings of the same period (1 c. e.), thinks Paul is using a method of argumentation known as a diatribe since he continuously poses rhetorical questions and answers throughout Romans (cf. 3.1, 9; 4.1; 6.15; 7.7; 9.14, 19, 30).[1]

Another possibility is that Paul may be addressing antinomian thought that could arise from the doctrine set forth in 5.20, thus also appeasing any Jew who might be reading the epistle.[2] Here an appeal is made to verses 6.15-23 which provide the wider context to understand verses 1-14.

Related to this is a third view that Paul’s question and answer routine is strictly pedagogical to teach on the implications of grace since he is not primarily interested in answering intellectual questions but rather with christian practice.[3]

To distinguish between these three views, however, I would humbly suggest, is a false disjunction and fails to understand the precise nature of a diatribe. The reason a diatribe was so often used in the Greco-Roman world was because it raised questions and answers that might inevitably be raised in objection to one’s assertions for academic and pedagogical purposes. Granted, the opponents in view are technically fictitious, but the fictitious opponent of a good diatribe would connect with a probable and likely objection from a genuine opponent.[4] Thus, it makes good sense to think of 6.1 as pedagogical, while addressing a potential objection by a Jew, and while also refuting antinomian conclusions; or, in short: a well thought out argument which covers all bases.

[1]So Wright, Romans, 437-48; and Robert Jewett, Romans, Hermeneia (Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2007), 394. For thorough discussion on a diatribe, see Stanley K. Stowers, The Diatribe and Paul’s Letter to the Romans (Chicago: Scholars Press, 1981). 

[2]Charles E. Cranfield, The Epistle to the Romans, vol 1, ICC, edited by J. A. Emerton (Edinburgh: T & T Clark, 1975), 297n1.

[3]Douglas J. Moo, The Epistle to the Romans, NICNT, edited by Gordon Fee (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1996), 356.

[4]Also on a diatribe, see “Diatribe,” in Greco-Roman Literature and the New Testament, edited by David E. Aune (Atlanta: Scholars Press, 1988), 71-84.