Church Blog

Sisters and brothers,

Happy Monday to all! Yesterday, from Genesis 34, we looked at the difference between justice and the vengeance of man. Justice seeks for wrongs to be righted and for proper punishments for crimes committed. The vengeance of man seeks for others to be destroyed. Jacob’s sons were right to be angry over the abuse of their sister Dinah. But they were wrong to carry out vengeance, not just on the ones who committed the abuse, but on those who were simply connected to them by nationality. We learned that God will bring about perfect justice and right every wrong in the end. In fact, the cross points to perfect justice. God did not just overlook our sin. Christ Jesus came to die on the cross and justly pay the deserved penalty for sin. God can forgive us because in Jesus’ death on the cross, our sins have been atoned for, paid for, justly. We can justly forgive others knowing that if they will believe in Jesus, their wrongs against us and their sins against holy God will also be justly forgiven. God does not give people what we justly deserve. In Christ Jesus, God poured His perfect wrath on His Son that we justly deserved because of our sins so we could be justly forgiven. God tells us as His children, “Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, ‘Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord,’” (Romans 12:19, ESV). His children are never to repay evil for evil. We are to leave that in the just hands of God. Desire justice and avoid vengeance as the people of God knowing that God will work it all out in the end. God’s people trust God to right all the wrongs in His perfect timing.

We will have a potluck luncheon after worship, next Sunday, May 10. Bring enough food to feed your family and a little extra for any guest who might be with us.

Also, beginning next Sunday, which is Mother’s Day, we will be passing out baby bottles for the annual CareNet offering. From Mother’s Day until Father’s Day, we encourage people to put their change, bills, and checks in these bottles. At Father’s Day, we will bring these bottles back to the church and then return them to CareNet to support their ministry to help pregnant women in our community choose life.

Remember to keep praying continually for each other. None of us know fully the burdens our brothers and sisters in Christ might be carrying.

Love being your pastor!

Bob Ray, Pastor, East Madison Baptist Church

Brothers and sisters,   

Happy Monday to all! Yesterday, we thought about the sweetness of reconciliation from Genesis 33. We saw a picture of that as Jacob and Esau were reconciled to one another. Jacob humbled himself before his brother Esau whom he had deceived and stolen the blessing that normally went to the firstborn son. Esau with a picture of complete grace ran to his brother Jacob and hugged, kissed and wept with him offering complete forgiveness. Reconciliation is the essence of the gospel. The gospel is not a story of “we sin and we can’t be with God.” Yes, our sins are a barrier between us and God. We have offended a holy God by our sins against Him. We, however, could not remove this barrier. God had to do that. God did not wait for us to move toward Him. God moved toward us! God came looking for us! God provided the way for Him and us to be together! The gospel is a story of how God moves toward reconciliation and provides an answer to the question of “how can God be with us?” “God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation,” (2 Corinthians 5:19). God moved towards us and continues to move toward us! Romans 5:8 tells us when God did this, “God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”  The gospel today tells us God continues to move toward us and call rebellious sinners like us to forgiveness and life through His Christ. God moves toward us in self-sacrificial love and we are to thus move toward others, not away from them.

I want to thank God for the CarePortal team that enables us to minister in Jesus’ name wisely. We have been able to meet tangible and vetted needs of those in our community. Thank you Alicia, Jim, MaryAnn, Tricia, Pete, and Carla for the work you do in this wonderful ministry.

We will celebrate the Lord’s Supper in our worship gathering next Sunday morning.

Remember to keep praying continually for each other. None of us know fully the burdens our brothers and sisters in Christ might be carrying.

Love being your pastor!

Bob Ray, Pastor, East Madison Baptist Church

Sisters and brothers,   

Happy Monday to all! Yesterday, we looked at Genesis 32 where Jacob was returning to the promised land. When Jacob left, he had deceived his father and older brother out of the blessing that usually went to the oldest son. As Jacob came back to the promised land a changed and more mature man, he realized that God would have him seek to reconcile with his brother Esau, whom he had greatly offended. Jacob had to face an exceedingly difficult situation. It is always good to humble ourselves and acknowledge the wrongdoing we have done to others, especially to those who have been the objects of our wrongdoing. Yes, that is difficult. We all, from time to time, must deal with unpleasant situations. Sometimes we put off dealing with unpleasant situation for longer than we should and that unpleasant situation or confrontation we avoid leads to far more difficulties. If we are wise, we will prayerfully seek God’s guidance in dealing with unpleasant situations as God leads us but doing it sooner rather than later. Believers can do the difficult things in life if we remember certain truths. First remember, God goes ahead and with His children as we walk with Him. There is never anything we have to deal with that God has not prepared the way for us. Remember also, God’s children’s faith is tested and grows as we face with these difficult situations. Also, remember we do not have to wait for our faith to be totally complete to deal with difficult things, because it never will be fully completed in this life. God comes to us and helps us in our imperfect faith to do the hard things. God guides and goes with us as we obey Him in the difficult tasks of life.

I do not say this enough, but I am so grateful for those of you who faithfully serve in our weekly Bible studies and worship. Our Bible study teachers work hard to help us understand God’s Word. Also, those who are on the worship team and run the sound and video systems during worship give of themselves continually to help us worship our great God. Thank you to all of you who serve the Lord week after week.

During the month of April, we will be taking up the Annie Armstrong for North American Missions. All the money given goes to reaching people and starting churches all over North America.

Remember to keep praying continually for each other. None of us know fully the burdens our brothers and sisters in Christ might be carrying.

Love being your pastor!

Bob Ray, Pastor, East Madison Baptist Church

Brothers and sisters,   

Happy Monday to all! Yesterday, we worshipped our great God knowing we are His children forever through faith in Christ. Then we looked from Genesis 31 how God directed Jacob’s life to make him a godlier man and to accomplish His purposes to bring salvation to the world through Jacob’s descendants. We learned God will guide and direct us to do His will for our good and for His glory. God does not hide His will but makes clear to us what he desires for us to do. God provides confirming signs to direct our paths to His purposes. Even though you and I have not yet become the men or women we need to be, God protects and directs us despite our flaws. God purposes for our lives will be fulfilled whether others understand or not. God works out His purposes for His children even when people seek to thwart that from happening.

During the month of April, we will be taking up the Annie Armstrong for North American Missions. All the money given goes to reaching people and starting churches all over North America.

Remember to keep praying continually for each other. None of us know fully the burdens our brothers and sisters in Christ might be carrying.

Love being your pastor!

Bob Ray, Pastor, East Madison Baptist Church

Sisters and brothers,   

Happy Easter Monday to all! Yesterday, we focused our worship on the crucified and risen Christ. We believe that Jesus physically and bodily rose from the grave never to die again. If the resurrection is true, Christianity is true. Everything hinges on the resurrection of Jesus. To deny the bodily resurrection of Jesus is to deny the faith. Those who say it is not necessary to the Christian faith to believe in the miraculous physical resurrection of Jesus are absolutely wrong! Without the bodily resurrection of Christ, the Christian faith is just like Greek mythology. However, Christ Jesus did rise bodily from the grave and that fact changes everything. It changes hopelessness to hope when a child or loved one dies. It changes injustice to justice when a crime against humanity goes unpunished in this life. It provides the hope of eternal life when we face death. Because Jesus rose from the dead, this changes everything.

The EMBC Annual Business meeting will be held after worship next Sunday, April 12.

During the month of April, we will be taking up the Annie Armstrong for North American Missions. All the money given goes to reaching people and starting churches all over North America.

Remember to keep praying continually for each other. None of us know fully the burdens our brothers and sisters in Christ might be carrying.

Love being your pastor!

Bob Ray, Pastor, East Madison Baptist Church

Brothers and sisters,   

Happy Monday to all! Yesterday, we worshipped our Savior who willingly gave His life for us. We learned from John 12 that just as we face decisive moments in our lives that change us forever, Jesus faced such a moment in His life on earth that would be the most pivotal event in the history of the world. Jesus faced the cross with all its horror and pain to provide a just forgiveness for the sins of those who would believe. Without His just sacrifice for us as our Substitute suffering the penalty that we deserved to suffer for our sin, there would be no forgiveness. We learned that this decisive hour Jesus faced brings salvation to those who believe. We learned that the decisive hour Jesus faced glorifies the Father. We learned that this decisive hour Jesus faced revealed God’s righteous judgement against our sinful wickedness. Our sins deserve God’s wrath, so God poured out His wrath on His own Son to provide a just payment for our sins. We learned that Jesus’ death on the cross totally defeated our enemy and God’s enemy, Satan. Finally, we saw Jesus’ defeating the enemy and revealing that salvation and victory over sin comes to us through His suffering. We are to follow Jesus in being willing to suffer for Him and for others. We conquer not through power but through suffering and sacrifice. Instead of refusing to embrace the horror of the cross, Christ Jesus willingly embraced the decisive hour of His crucifixion, the purpose for which He came into the world.

We will have a Good Friday Communion service this Friday evening, April 3, 2026, at 7:00 PM. Also, next Sunday on Resurrection Sunday, April 5, we will have an Easter Breakfast at 9:30 AM during our regular Bible Study hour and a Resurrection celebration service at our regular worship time of 10:45 AM. Invite a friend!

During the month of April, we will be taking up the Annie Armstrong for North American Missions. All the money given goes to reaching people and starting churches all over North America.

The EMBC Annual Business meeting will be held after worship on Sunday, April 12.

Remember to keep praying continually for each other. None of us know fully the burdens our brothers and sisters in Christ might be carrying.

Love being your pastor!

Bob Ray, Pastor, East Madison Baptist Church

Sisters and brothers,   

Happy snowy Monday to all! Yesterday we looked at Luke 19. In that chapter, Jesus looked at Zacchaeus and invited Himself to Zacchaeus home. Also in Luke 19, Jesus told the parable to His disciples about faithfully serving Him as we wait for His second coming. We saw in this passage from God’s perfect Word how we should be looking and anticipating His second coming. Jesus is coming again physically and bodily to earth and He will rule and reign forever. Until the day that this happens and as we patiently anticipate that great day, we are to be faithful until He comes. We are to be faithful by seeking the salvation of the ruined and lost around us just as Jesus sought to seek and save the lost. As we patiently anticipate that day, we are to labor diligently sharing the gospel that has been entrusted to us and investing in the lives of others who need Jesus. Faithfully be on mission with God as you anticipate Jesus’ return.

We will have a Good Friday Communion service on Friday evening, April 3, 2026, at 7:00 PM. Also, on Resurrection Sunday, April 5, we will have an Easter Breakfast at 9:30 during our regular Bible Study hour and a Resurrection celebration service at our regular worship time of 10:45 AM. Invite a friend!

Remember to keep praying continually for each other. None of us know fully the burdens our brothers and sisters in Christ might be carrying.

Love being your pastor!

Bob Ray, Pastor, East Madison Baptist Church

Brothers and sisters,  

Happy Monday to all! It was wonderful to worship our great God with all of you yesterday. It once again revealed to me that we need one another. Gathering with the people of God is not something we can take or leave. It is essential for us to continue to live faithfully for Jesus. It we neglect being with the people of God, it is starving our own souls. From the beginning as God gave Eve to Adam, He has told us that it is not good for man to be alone. The book of Hebrews emphasizes our need for one another in Hebrews 10:23-25. “Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. ²⁴And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, ²⁵not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.”  We not only meet for ourselves and other believers. We meet to influence those around us-our children, our extended families, our coworkers, and our neighbors- to believe in Jesus and confess Him as Lord. When we do not make being with the people of God a necessity, we say to the world that Jesus is not important in our lives. We treat Jesus as an add-on instead of Lord. Make being with the family of God a priority in your life because no one can truly live for Jesus if it is not.

Remember to keep praying continually for each other. None of us know fully the burdens our brothers and sisters in Christ might be carrying.

Love being your pastor!

Bob Ray, Pastor, East Madison Baptist Church

Sisters and brothers,  

Happy Monday to all! Yesterday in Genesis 29 and 30, we looked at how God worked through Jacob’s dysfunctional family of four wives and twelve children to accomplish His purposes. We saw that despite their competition, envy, and jealousy, God was working to accomplish His purposes through their lives. Do you think because you have or had a dysfunctional family that God cannot work for, in, and through you? God uses us though everyone of us is messed up by our sin. God works despite those things. However, that does not excuse our jealousy and envy. Jealousy and envy should not be part of the lives of believers. The Holy Spirit wants to enable us to live in love and peace, not jealousy and envy. Jealousy and envy in any situation create greater conflict. Jealousy and envy spills over into the lives of those closest to us. By God’s power and grace, we can stop the vicious cycle of bitterness, jealous, envy, and unforgiveness and life can be better. God the Father sent Christ Jesus His Son to enter our pain and take it upon Himself! Even as Jesus was suffering, Jesus set an example of forgiveness when he cried out, “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.”  Wecan also by the power of God forgive. God can empower us to overcome. In our pain know this: God works in the lives of those who feel lonely and unloved. God remembers them. God works in dysfunctional families to bring His love and salvation.

Remember to keep praying continually for each other. None of us know fully the burdens our brothers and sisters in Christ might be carrying.

Love being your pastor!

Brothers and sisters, 

Happy Monday to all! Yesterday, we shared in communion and remembered Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross for our forgiveness and salvation and His presence with us right now. Then from Genesis 29, we saw how God directed Jacob’s steps to exactly where Jacob needed to be. We also saw how God disciplined and trained Jacob through Jacob’s sufferings, difficulties, and trials. We saw that difficulties, sufferings, and hardships grow us to become more like Jesus. I wish we did not have to go through these sufferings to grow but know that we often grow more in our sufferings than in times of comfort. Also, as my son Nate has been teaching me as he has preached through Job: God will not waste one second of suffering in our lives! God will use every second of our sufferings for His glory and our good. Even though we do not like it much, God uses difficult things in our lives to teach and discipline us. I do not like hardships and difficulties, but I also know that I want to be more like Jesus to show the world how great God is. I do want my life to bring glory to His name.God uses the difficulties of our lives to make us increasingly more like Jesus.

Next Sunday, March 1, after morning worship we will have a potluck luncheon. Bring enough food for your family and a little extra for any guests we might have with us.

Remember to keep praying continually for each other. None of us know fully the burdens our brothers and sisters in Christ might be carrying.

Love being your pastor!

Bob Ray, Pastor, East Madison Baptist Church