January 2020

Brothers and sisters, 

Happy Monday to all!  Yesterday as we worshipped, we gloried in our Redeemer and all He has done for us.  We thought from Matthew 24 about continually preparing for Jesus’ return. You can only be ready for Jesus to come by getting ready in this life.  You can trust Him today and then faithfully serve Him now, showing that you are prepared for life with God forever.  We need to be prepared for His return even in the normal routines of life now.  We need to be prepared for Jesus’s coming even if it seems Jesus has delayed His coming or even if it seems death might be far away.  Yesterday and last week were grim reminders that no one knows when his or her life will end.   Readiness for Jesus’ return and readiness for death requires active faithful service to Him even though we cannot know when He will return.  Live life always ready to meet God, either at the return of Christ or at the day of our death.

Patti Holmes memorial service will be at East Madison Baptist Church this Saturday, February 1, at 11:00 AM.  The family will be here to meet with friends between 10:00  and 11:00 AM.  Our church family will provide a meal for the Holmes family after the service.

Remember to keep praying continually for each other.

Love being your pastor!

Bob Ray, Pastor, East Madison Baptist Church

Sisters and brothers, 

Happy Monday to all!  We sang yesterday about Jesus being the Rock that we build our lives upon, that Jesus truly is our Rock and our Redeemer.  Then we considered from Matthew 24 how we are to live in the light of waiting for the sure coming of Jesus.  We learned from Matthew 24 some specific things we are to do and not do.  We are not to panic because we live in difficult times for the world and for God’s people.  We are to not to confuse catastrophic happenings in our nation or in the world for the end of the world.  We are to know that Christ will return as the gospel is being preached to all the peoples in the whole world. We are to always be on mission with Jesus in talking His gospel to the whole world until He comes. We are to know when Jesus comes again, no one will misunderstand what is happening. Revelation 1:7 teaches us that: “He (Jesus) is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him; and all the peoples of the earth will mourn because of him. So shall it be! Amen.”  We wait in hope for the One who purchased us with His blood!  We are to live every day for the glory of God, every day as if it is our last day on earth, every day considering the sure coming of Christ.  Believers in every age seek to be faithful to Jesus every day as if He could return for us on any day. 

Today we remember the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.  Dr. King continually fought for justice and helped us to see that we should all fight for justice.  We might not have the platform Dr. King had or the severe hatred and opposition that he endured that ultimately took his life in the battle for justice. But we can all strive for justice in our areas of influence even when we are opposed.  Jim Dennison wrote, “Dr. King was brilliant in his diagnosis of the problem facing our nation.”  Then he quoted Dr. King when he said: “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly.”

Reminder, church council members, that we will meet tomorrow night, January 21, at 6:30 PM.

Remember to keep praying continually for each other.

Love being your pastor!

Bob Ray, Pastor, East Madison Baptist Church

Brothers and sisters,

Happy Monday to all!  We had a wonderful day of worship as we sang praise to God and read Scripture from Psalm 103, Romans 5 and Isaiah 57.  We then thought about the warnings against religious hypocrisy that Jesus spoke in Matthew 23.  Those warnings teach us to continually guard ourselves against religious hypocrisy.  Jesus warned us against living for the for the applause of men instead of the glory of God.  We don’t want to live before others acting like we love God and others but not actually loving God and others. We can appear clean and alive when truly we are corrupt and dead, if our religion is about what is in it for us instead of being centered in Christ Jesus saving us to live for the glory of God. Don’t live for the applause and praise of men but for the glory and praise of God!

It was also wonderful yesterday to commission and pray for Damon and Megan as they move to Michigan.  We had a great time in our potluck honoring Damon and Megan.  It truly was a joy to celebrate all they mean to us at East Madison.  Yes, it is bittersweet because we will miss them, but we believe God is sending them from us to be used for His glory as they move on. 

Damon and Megan need some help this Friday, January 17, at 5:30 PM to load their moving truck.  They will provide pizza to all who help.  I hope to see you there.  Their address is 880 Garden Dr., Apt. 90, Sun Prairie.

Love being your pastor!

Bob Ray, Pastor, East Madison Baptist Church

Sisters and brothers,

Happy Monday and Happy New Year to all!  Yesterday was a wonderful day of worship as we shared the Lord’s Supper together, remembering Jesus, the One who is our salvation.  We considered new beginnings yesterday as we looked at three passage that remind us God is a God who makes all things new.  We saw from Revelation 21 that God ultimately will make all things new by destroying all evil.  We then saw from 2 Corinthians 5 that we don’t’ have to wait for all things to be made new, but that we can right now be made new as we believe in Jesus and are in Him.  We finally saw from Lamentations that every day is a new beginning for us no matter how horrific the circumstances we find ourselves in at the present time.  This is true because “the steadfast love of the LORD never ceases.”  This is true because “His mercies never come to an end.”  God never runs out of love or mercy for those who look to Him.  This is true because His steadfast love and mercies are “new every morning.”  This is true, not because we are always faithful to Him, but because “great is His faithfulness.” We serve a God who makes all things new!

This Sunday following our morning worship, we will have a special potluck luncheon to honor Damon and Megan Tolhurst as they move to Michigan to continue to serve the Lord. Bring enough food for your family and a little extra for our guests.

Love being your pastor!

Bob Ray, Pastor, East Madison Baptist Church