Alicia, Corey, Brandon, & Lily,
It makes my heart overflow with joy to know that you have decided to follow Jesus in baptism as a family. I can only imagine Nanny, Grandmother, and Granddaddy and all the Christ followers who passed on before us rejoicing at Christ’s feet as he looked upon each of you and forgave you of all your sin. I can imagine only imagine Granddaddy helping Jesus prepare your dwelling place in heaven as Grandmother and Nanny prepare a meal for you to enjoy upon your arrival in heaven (John 14:1-5). I am blessed to have you as my family, but now I rejoice in knowing you’re my family in Christ. Though hundreds of miles separate us, we will worship Christ together for eternity. May the Lord come quickly!
When I think of all
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Know Jesus intimately. Scripture describes the relationship between God and His people as that of a husband and a wife. A married couple share an intimate knowledge of each other; God desires to have that kind of relationship with each of you. My prayer for you is Ephesians 3:14-19, which I quoted above. I encourage you to spend time with God first thing in the morning. Everyone has 15 minutes to spare each day, so spend 5 minutes in the Bible, 5 minutes in worship (find a good playlist on Spotify), and 5 minutes in prayer. If you can do more, do more. The goal is to know Jesus personally and intimately. Believers are in great danger of falling in love with the ministry of Jesus without ever knowing the Jesus of ministry. On the day of judgement, Jesus will say to those people, “Depart from me, you law-breakers; I never knew you” (Matthew 7:21-23). So, I encourage you to spend time with God each day and know Him personally and intimately.
2. Take up your cross and follow Jesus. Taking up your cross and following Jesus means to continue following Jesus means to continue following Him regardless of the circumstances you face. The cross is an instrument of suffering and death; though there may be a time when you are required to physically suffer for following Jesus, it is unlikely that you will experience that in the American context (though it has happened). Instead, the cross many of us bear is the rejection of family for changing who we are. I encourage you to follow Jesus,
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Exchange the character of self for the character of Christ. You can do nothing to help people, but Jesus can. So, let Christ change your character of sin and self into that of sacrifice and servanthood. Colossians 3:12-17 says, “Therefore, God's chosen ones, holy and loved, put on heartfelt compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience, accepting one another and forgiving one another if anyone has a complaint against another. Just as the Lord has forgiven you, so also you must forgive. Above all, put on love-the perfect bond of unity. And let the peace of the Messiah, to which you were also called in one body, control your hearts. Be thankful. Let the message about the Messiah dwell richly among you, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, and singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, with gratitude in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or in deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through
Baptism of Christ is a painting created by Francesco Albani from 1630 to 1635. ("Baptism of Christ - Francesco Albani - The Athenaeum." Baptism of Christ”). In this painting there is an image of the baptism of Christ and all of its surroundings. The reason for the creation of this portrait, is because Francesco Albani was influenced by the Council of Trent during the time he created this painting. The painting has a description of what seems to look like a half-naked person who is surrounded by what looks like a body of water and has another person pouring some type of liquid on top of his head. This image is the center importance of the peace because it’s what’s closer to the audience and doesn’t fade into the background.
We all know that we need to follow Jesus' example to become the perfect Christian, and Mathew's Gospel shows us ways in how we can do that. While Jesus was in the desert, he was continually being tempted by Satan. He was tempted to turn stones into bread, to test his Father, and to worship Satan to receive all the kingdoms on earth, but Jesus stayed true to his Father because he knew that God's love is greater than anything else. Like Jesus, we need to remain true to God by keeping our Lenten promises to him. I think that each little promise that we keep will help us grow that much closer to God. Jesus said, “Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes
Are you willing to risk everything in order to make a difference with the time you have? Robert F. Kennedy is credited with saying, “Only those who dare to fail greatly, can ever achieve greatly.” In essence, those who accomplish something great do so by taking great risks. Do you want to make a difference? Do you desire to see God move? We must be ready to take whatever risk God requests of us. Remember that we don’t have to do it on our own; it isn’t up to how much we accomplish, but how willing we are to be used by God. I have to warn you, pursuing Christ isn’t always safe. Just look at the life of Paul. He was beaten, shipwrecked, and eventually beheaded. Esther was faced with the possibility of death by choosing to ask the king to save her people. Still, in each case, God was glorified and he used the people who listened and were obedient to whatever He asked of them. They took the risk and were
The story of Jesus' life is described and depicted in each of the four Gospels in the Bible. Matthew, Mark, and Luke are also known as the synoptic books, which means see things the same. There are some beliefs that Mark was written as a summary of the book of Matthew, but more scholars actually believe now that Mark was the first of the Gospels to be written. The book of Mark paints a vivid picture of Jesus' life, and all that he carried out on earth. Many examples of Jesus healing, forgiving and teaching are given throughout the book.
For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be." (Matthew 24) In Revelations, the scriptures say that a loaf of bread will cost a day 's wage. Countries around the world are suffering food and water shortages. If you haven 't done so already, call on the Lord now. Pray and ask Jesus to be your savior. "Behold, I (Jesus) stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me." (Rev. 3:20) Let Him in. It doesn 't matter who you are or what kind of sin you have in your life. He will take care of that. And He never turns anyone away. "All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out." (John 6:37) "Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you." (James 4:8) Related Articles: http://www.helium.com/items/832260-how-to-get-a-student-visa-in-the-us http://www.helium.com/items/800042-college-life-how-to-ask-a-classmate-for-a-date
Before action can take, it is important to consult Scripture for inspiration. One verse that I like to lead by is “Let your faith be bigger than your fear”. This is a very powerful verse that I like to keep in that back of my mind. It helps me because I know that with my faith in God, I can defeat anything. I am not ashamed of my faith because it is what keeps me
Be one with God, not the church - You do not have to attend church and serve the church to please God, only serve god and nothing else.
Throughout the course of organized religion both present and past, ritualistic acts of praise and worship have been practiced as a sign of both love and honor to God. Catholicism refers to these rituals as sacraments. As Christians and members of this faith, the first sacrament received by each member is Baptism. This sacrament has not only been practiced since the beginning of our faith, but has deep meaning and symbolic ties to the start of creation with Adam and Eve. I hope to prove through both illustration and published works how Baptism as a sacrament is both a sign and symbol of humanities desire to become closer to God by cleansing them of original sin through this ritual and rite of passage.
All Christians know about the Great Commission, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:19-20, English Standard Version). In that command, Jesus tells us to baptize in the name of the Trinity. What does the word “baptism” mean? Baptimsa and sometimes baptismos, the Greek word origin of “baptism”, can translate to “immersion” or “bathing” without any religious implications (McGowan, 2014). Nearly every Christian church practices baptism with a religious implication; however, they do not agree on God’s activity in, the qualifications for admitting a person to, and methods of administering baptism. For instance, many churches do not baptize people until they become adults and make a profession of faith, while others encourage baptizing an infant soon after they are born. The practices and philosophy for baptism changed throughout its use in the New Testament, the Early Church, and the Medieval era.
Make a commitment today to servicer the Lord. Think about the sin, pain, and brokenness that comes from lying, stealing, murder, and adultery that can all be traced back to the prior condition when hearts and minds are frustrated and discontent.
The only way sinners can save themselves is by accepting Jesus Christ, Jonathan Edwards expresses that Christ “has thrown the door of mercy wide open” (Edwards 9) and he is calling out to “poor sinners” (Edwards 9). Edwards asserts that if sinners welcome Christ into their lives, their hearts will be “filled with love” (Edwards 9) and Jesus will “wash[ed] them from their sins in his own blood” (Edwards 9) and they will rejoice “in hope of the glory of God” (Edwards 9). As well as in this sermon, the acceptance of Christ is expressed in the Bible: “that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth,” (Philippians 2:10-11New International Version (NIV) ). Edwards wishes for people to understand the seriousness of their sinful ways, and that letting Jesus into their lives is the only way to God and eternal life. Jonathan Edwards uses vivid imagery in his sermon, “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God” to make puritans of his congregation fear God and choose the path of righteousness by accepting Jesus
Psalms 37:5 Commit everything you do to the LORD, Trust him, and he will help you.
He was tired, thirsty and hungry. He wept, laughed and was in pain. He was bullied, beaten and bruised, and He experienced rejection, loss and grief. He loved, laughed and learned yet marveled, mourned and was tempted. He got angry, prayed and rejoiced and was challenged, tested and accused.
God expects individuals that call themselves “Christian” to grow spiritually. The Word of God encourages personal examination as a part of the growth process, as found in Psalm 139:23-24: “Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my concerns. See if there is any offensive way in me; lead me in the everlasting way.” Becoming more Christ-like focuses on how He works in us and not on our work for Him. The Cycle of Works demonstrates that regardless of work we complete, the acceptance of others, the sustainability of our works and the significance it brings, we cannot compete with God’s Cycle of Grace that show us that we are significant in His sight and that brings us sustenance and acceptance
This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another." When we have this kind of responsibility in the congregation, it makes a domain where we are all in this walk of life together. We appreciate great circumstances together and express gratitude toward God, yet we likewise stay with each other amid troublesome circumstances. Truth be told, if there are never troublesome circumstances, we would never reach the point of knowing whether we are submitted or not. " The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy." - Dr. Martin Luther King