October 2017

Brothers and sisters,

Happy Monday to all! Yesterday it was great to be together with the people of God and worship God as we focused on His glory and as we focused on Jesus as “the Lamb of God taking away the sins of the world.” We looked yesterday at keeping the unity that we have because of what Jesus has done for us by saving us and providing peace with God. We looked at the things we need to do to not let anything disrupt the unity we have because we believe and belong to Jesus. All of us need to maintain proper attitudes of humility and gentleness as we work together for Christ’s glory. All of us need to seek to use our abilities and giftedness to build up the body of Christ and see His Kingdom extended to others. All of us need to seek to continually grow in knowledge and maturity in that unity so that God would through us shows the greatness of Jesus. As Ephesians 4:1-3 say and I really can’t say it better: “Live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.”

Our annual East Madison Thanksgiving Feast on Sunday night, November 12 at 6:00 PM is less than two weeks away! There is a sign-up sheet on the table in the foyer with a list of things we need for that feast. I hope you will plan on joining us for this time of Thanksgiving celebration we share as God’s family.

We have a new grandbaby! Our granddaughter, Anastasia Lucette Ray (Tacy) was for Thursday, October 26 at 11:38 PM. Mom and baby are doing well. We thank God for his blessing of another granddaughter and we pray for her to know, love and serve Jesus with her life.

Love being your pastor!

Bob Ray, Pastor, East Madison Baptist Church

Sisters and brothers,

Happy Monday! I hope your week started well this morning. I also hope our worshipping and gathering yesterday prepared you for what God has for you this week. We have a great and powerful God who has saved us with a great salvation! As we more and more understand this great salvation, we are motivated to boldly pray. In humility and boldness we can pray for inner strength and power to serve Jesus. We can pray for us to understand better intellectually and know experientially the great love of God for us and the world. We can also be assured of God’s power to do not only what we ask, but so much more than we can ask or even imagine! To Him alone belongs glory now and forevermore!

We will be having a fire pit and hot dog roast on Sunday, October 29th at 6:00 PM. I hope you will plan on being here. Bring buns and wieners for hot dogs for you and your family and some marshmallows.

We will have our annual East Madison Thanksgiving Feast on Sunday night, November 12 at 6:00 PM. There is a sign-up sheet on the table in the foyer with a list of things we need for that feast.

Pray for the annual Minnesota/Wisconsin Baptist Convention meeting held in Milwaukee at Layton Avenue Baptist Church this Friday and Saturday.

Love being your pastor!

Bob Ray, Pastor, East Madison Baptist Church

Sisters and brothers,

Happy Monday to all! Wasn’t yesterday a great day of worship? The music was great and Ron’s new song was fantastic! And even though Pete and I plan independently most Sunday’s the music and message, God always seems to fit it all together. God’s ways astound us, don’t they? We saw how God’s plan for the ages calls people from all nations, tribes, peoples and languages to Himself to be His One people. We saw that God’s servants through the ages include choices that amaze us, people whose lives have been radically changed by the gospel. We saw how God’s church through the ages even enlightens the angels of heaven. And we saw how God’s methods through the ages continually confound the wisdom of men. We saw how even in the bad stuff that happens to us and the very difficult times when we can’t see through the darkness, God is working for our good and for his glory. God can and does bring good from horrible circumstances and evil things that happen to us and all around us. Yes, God works to glorify Himself and create His one people in ways that absolutely astound us! We need to remember that when we are going through times when it is hard to see any rhyme or reason to what is happening. We need to remember God is with us and working through us and for us to accomplish His redemptive purposes.

We will be having a special Sunday next Sunday, October 15. Part of the leadership of the church planting team that David Juhlin and Hoyt Lovelace work with on their trips overseas will be with us to share about this work. They will be sharing in the Bible Study hour in Jason’s class at 9:30 AM and then bringing the message during the morning worship. We will also celebrate the Lord’s Supper during worship and follow that by a Pot Luck luncheon. Bring some food for your family and a little extra for our guests to the luncheon. It will be a great day!

Pray for our Damon and Megan and our youth as they go to the “Called Out” conference in Baraboo this weekend. Pray that our students and leaders would be drawn nearer to God and to one another. Pray that this conference will help them more faithfully live for Jesus and more effectively be His witnesses wherever he places them.

Love being your pastor!

Bob Ray, Pastor, East Madison Baptist Church

Brothers and sisters,

Happy Monday to all! I hope the day has started well. We had a great day yesterday as we worshipped together. Although our worship team was a little slim because of all that was happening among our church family, Pete and Ron did a fantastic job leading us. Thank you brothers! I want to also thank our childcare workers and those who provided children’s worship. It is fun to see how much the children look forward to children’s worship when we have it. Often our childcare providers work behind the scene and are not recognized but they provide wonderful ministry and witness to the children. My prayer is that God would use them to plant the seeds of the gospel deep into the hearts of children that children might come to know Jesus early in life.

I hope the message encouraged you by helping all of us to see the unity that is being restored through the cross of Christ to humanity. Jesus’ death not only reconciles us to God when we believe, but it reconciles us to each other. God does not have many peoples, but in Christ Jesus He has the one people of God from every tribe, language, nation and tongue. There is a tremendous diversity among the people of God who believe in Jesus, but that diversity is a diversity in oneness, not in division. Through the blood of Jesus people from every nation, tribe, language and tongue are one! We should protect and strive to live in that oneness by denying ourselves, taking up our crosses daily and following Jesus. We must always be seeking to live for Jesus and not ourselves. Paul tells us in Ephesians 4. “Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.” I pray that God would continue to help us to do this today and every day!

Ladies, remember there is a Ladies Night Out scheduled for this Sunday evening, October 8th. The ladies will meet at Cheryl DiFonzo’s home to watch a movie together at 6:00 PM. Bring a snack to share if you can.

The Veritas Forum places the historic Christian faith in dialogue with other beliefs and invite participants from all backgrounds to pursue Truth together. Veritas Forum is sponsoring an event on Monday, October 9, at 7:00 PM at High Point Church called “Can a Scientist Believe in the Resurrection?” John Lennox is Professor of Mathematics at Oxford University and an internationally renowned speaker on the interface of science and religion. He has also participated in several debates with some of the world’s leading atheist speakers. If you are interested in going as a group to this event, contact me.

Love being your pastor!

Bob Ray, Pastor, East Madison Baptist Church