February 2018

Happy Monday, February 26, 2018 church!

Sisters and brothers,

Happy Monday to all! What a beautiful day! (My bike is calling me!) Yesterday was a wonderful day as we worshiped and praised Jesus who came to serve us and give His life as a ransom for us. Praise His name! Jesus set the ultimate example of service by giving His life for us. He wants us to continually seek not to be served but to serve. He wants us to become great in His Kingdom by serving others. Service for others is the way to greatness in His eyes. My prayer for each of us is that we will be servants to our community and servants to each other and bear witness to the One who gave “His life as a ransom for many.”

Kevin Huddleston will begin next Sunday a transitional pastorate at a church in Kenosha. A transitional pastor is one who comes into a church to help them prepare for a permanent pastor. Sometimes the church needs some organizational issues repaired. Sometimes there is a divide in the fellowship that they want the transitional pastor to help them work through. We want to keep Kevin and his family in our prayers as they serve for a time in Kenosha. We ask God’s Spirit to lead Kevin as he works with this church to prepare them for God’s good future for them. Kevin and Miranda, we promise to keep you in our prayers and we know God will use you in mighty ways as your serve Him in Kenosha.

Love being your pastor!

Bob Ray, Pastor, East Madison Baptist Church

Happy Monday, February 26, 2018 church! Read More »

Happy Monday, February 19, 2018 church!

Brothers and sisters,

Happy Monday and happy Presidents’ Day to all. I hope your day is going well. I am so grateful to be a part of the family of God at East Madison. Your desire to follow Jesus and glorify Him and be on mission with Him is such an encouragement to me as your pastor.

Yesterday we focused on the truth that Jesus’ return will ultimately destroy all evil and bring in a reign of righteousness. In spite of all the evils around us today, evil will not win. Jesus will reign eternally in justice and righteousness. Don’t be overcome by the evil around you. Daily be reading the Bible to be encouraged and to grow spiritually so we will be faithful until Jesus comes. And until the Day of the Lord comes, seek to have the heart of God who wishes all to be saved and all to come to a knowledge of the truth. Be reminded of what God said through the prophet Ezekiel to those needing His forgiveness in Ezekiel 18:31-32: “Rid yourselves of all the offenses you have committed, and get a new heart and a new spirit. Why will you die, O house of Israel? For I take no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Sovereign LORD. Repent and live!” God is seeking to save those who are lost and His people must be seeking them also. Pray with me that we as His people might always have His loving and seeking heart.

I want to thank those of you who volunteer for childcare during our worship service. We had a lot of children in childcare during worship yesterday. Deanna, even though she taught the little ones in Sunday School, willingly stepped up at the last minute to help out. Then Cheryl, when she realized how many children Deanna had, went to help her. Thank you ladies and all the other volunteers who quietly serve the Lord by loving children and enabling parents to worship. You are a blessing to your pastor and the East Madison family!

Next Sunday, I will begin a series called “Marching to the Cross” as we move toward Good Friday and Resurrection Sunday.

I really do love being your pastor!

Bob Ray, Pastor, East Madison Baptist Church

Happy Monday, February 19, 2018 church! Read More »

Happy Monday, February 12, 2018 church!

Sisters and brothers,

Happy Monday to all! It was a great day to worship as the family of God yesterday at East Madison. Pastor Meskerem Thomas got us started well with a great testimony of how God was working among the Ethiopian and Eritrean living in Madison. Thank you Pastor Thomas for your faithfulness and for your sharing with us about the work of God. You are a blessing! The worship team then led us in a wonderful time of singing praises to our great God. The message centered on how true faith in the loving God of the universe always resulting in blessings of incalculable worth. I pray it encouraged you to trust God in every area of your life. Knowing Him better and better is worth whatever it might cost us.

We are nearing the end of our “Forty Days of Prayer” emphasis. I would love to hear how God has impacted you during these days. Send an email or share in some other way how God has worked in your life through this. I could share these results with others in some upcoming Monday emails if that would be good with you. Or, if you would prefer to not share it publically, just let me know when you email or call. If God has worked in your life through this, share it was someone whom it would help to encourage them, even if it is not to be shared publically.

As the season of remembering the cross and resurrection of Jesus approaches, ask God how we at East Madison can take advantage of the season to share Christ.

Love being your pastor!

Bob Ray, Pastor, East Madison Baptist Church

Happy Monday, February 12, 2018 church! Read More »

Happy Monday, February 5, 2018 church!

Brothers and sisters,

Happy Monday to all! We had fun yesterday as we celebrated with a pot luck and baby shower the baby that God is giving to Edie and Grayson. Isn’t it wonderful to be part of a church family? We missed all those who could not be with us because of the weather. We know you missed being with us.

As we worshipped, we learned a little bit more about God’s gracious presence with His people. Because of the sacrifice of Jesus, our sins can be forgiven if we trust in Him and we can by Jesus have a friendship with Almighty God. We learned that we live in a day of mercy where God is continually offering His grace to sinners who need it. God mercifully puts off punishing sin to give sinners time to turn from their sin and trust in Jesus. But we learned also that we must never mistake God’s patient mercy to sinners as an endorsement of sin or an unwillingness by God to judge sinful people. In fact, God has already judged sin in Jesus. When Jesus died on the cross for us, God was declaring us guilty as sinners and placing our judgment upon Jesus. That is why we must trust in Him because in Jesus our sins are already judged. Believe in Him today and sin will be forgiven. But if people will not believe, they need to understand that justice delayed is not justice denied. God will ultimately do away with evil. God will ultimately right every wrong. God justice is perfect and God will without partiality do away with all evil and injustice. That includes evil in every person who has refused to accept the sacrifice of Jesus. Either your sins will be judged in Jesus and you will be forgiven, or you will have to pay for your sins by eternal separation from God’s goodness. Today, in the day of mercy and grace, don’t neglect to respond to God’s grace offered to us in Jesus.

As we continue to emphasize prayer for renewal and awakening for 40 days, keep up your praying! Jeremiah 33:3 (NIV) reminds us of God’s promise: “Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.”

Love being your pastor!

Bob Ray, Pastor, East Madison Baptist Church

Happy Monday, February 5, 2018 church! Read More »