Brothers and sisters,
Happy Monday to all! It was exciting to worship with you yesterday and see all the children that were present! Children present among us is a sign of life! I want to thank Leslie for working with the little ones during worship and also Grace and all who helped her with children’s worship. Thank you for loving the children that Jesus loves!
We also had a good time upstairs as we worshipped our perfectly just God and thought about the freedom we truly have as believers to serve God and others. We are free to willingly submit to human institutions and even to those with authority over us in the workplace because we have true freedom in Jesus. We do not fear human rulers or institutions but only fear and reverence God. Our final allegiance is always to God alone because He alone is Lord and Savior. We know that sometimes as believers we will suffer for doing what is right and good. We might suffer because we belong to Jesus Christ. That kind of suffering is following the example of Jesus who never deserved any of the suffering that He went through. We can endure this kind of unjust suffering when we might have to endure it because we trust the perfect justice of Almighty God. It might seem like some get away with all kinds of horrific and evil deeds. But no one gets away with evil and wrong forever because of the just God of eternity. God’s justice is fulfilled in one of two ways. Either we accept the mercy and grace of God offered to all by Jesus’ payment for our sins because He suffered in our place as our substitute. Or we endure an eternity of forever being away from the goodness of God because we reject Jesus and such a graciously offered salvation. Thank You, O God, for the salvation provided to all who will believe that is found in Your Son Jesus!
Love being your pastor!
Bob Ray, Pastor, East Madison Baptist Church