July 2020

Happy Monday, July 13, 2020 church!

Brothers and sisters,

Happy Monday to all! Yesterday we had a wonderful day of worship.  We considered from Hebrews 2 Jesus as not only the Son of God, but also the Son of Man.  It was necessary for the Creator, Sustainer, Redeemer, and King of the universe to become a man so that we would be saved. God the Son became the Son of Man.  Jesus took on flesh because it was necessary for Him to be made a sacrifice for our sins.  Without this great condescension of the Son of God, we could not have been saved. Hebrews 2:10 reminds us: For it was fitting that he, for whom and by whom all things exist, in bringing many sons to glory, should make the founder of their salvation (Jesus) perfect through suffering.”  Jesus could not have become our Savior without His sacrificial death on the cross. Then we sang about this from the song written by Damon Tolhurst and Ron Roberts, “The Enigmatic Christ.”

His countenance is brilliant white, but He put on flesh like mine
Not to hide within His radiance, but so His Light would shine
We are not of human kin, yet He is Brother now to me
Through the Father God, Who made us all to be.

He is Lord, He is the Christ, and yet He’d be our Sacrifice.
Perfect Man and Holy Son came down from God to make us one
Not to be just God and King, but even Shepherd of the lost:
For every rescued soul  He paid the cost.

He came to us with empty hands, no treasure stored on earth.
But what He came to offer us is a gift beyond all worth.
He waged the war on evil,  yet He had no armory.
His weapon was His life,  laid down for me.

He had no sin or shame to shun,  no bondage to release,
Yet in our place He suffered all:  His grief has bought our peace.
He had no rank or status, and He claimed no earthly throne;
But by His death the Crown is His alone.

What a Savior we have, One who suffered for us in our place and One who runs to help us when we cry out to Him when we are tempted and suffer!

We want to congratulate Jessica Pokrandt and Sean Bull as they became husband and wife yesterday afternoon. Mr. and Mrs. Sean Bull had a beautiful wedding in the midst of social distancing, crowd limitations and Covid 19.  God worked His wonderful miracle of making a family yesterday. 

Remember to keep praying continually for each other.

Love being your pastor!

Bob Ray, Pastor, East Madison Baptist Church

Happy Monday, July 13, 2020 church! Read More »

Happy Monday, July 6, 2020 church!

Sisters and brothers,

Happy Monday to all! It was good to be able to take the Lord’s Supper yesterday during our time of worship.  We are all part of the one body of Christ which He bought with His own blood.  We remember Jesus as we take the Supper and worship the One who has made us into the one family of God.  The message from Hebrews 1 encouraged each of us to gain a greater understanding of Jesus our Savior. Jesus “is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power.” Jesus Christ our Savior and Lord whom we follow created, sustains, redeems, and rules the universe. Jesus will reign forever and ever, and every knee will bow, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.  We must always be growing in our understanding of who Jesus Christ truly is.  We learned that God’s revelation in and through Jesus brings to fulfillment all His promises in the old covenant. God’s new covenant in His Son Jesus is final and complete. 

Remember to keep praying continually for each other.

Love being your pastor!

Bob Ray, Pastor, East Madison Baptist Church

Happy Monday, July 6, 2020 church! Read More »