Brothers and sisters,
Happy Monday to all! I pray that all of us are living in the forgiveness found in Jesus. We learned yesterday that no believer needs to be afraid of truth because all truth is God’s truth. We learned that Christ’s disciples seek to continually understand and live by God’s Word while falsely holy people distort and misuse the Word of God. We don’t have to hide anything as believers. We can be transparent with God, ourselves, our brothers and sisters in Christ, and the world. We can acknowledge where we are struggling and failing as believers, knowing that God forgives those who openly acknowledge and confess sin. When we seek to honestly deal with our sins and not hide them, God will forgive and help us. There is no sin that is greater than the sacrifice of Jesus to pay for that sin. As believers all of us know we have not yet arrived so we do not have to pretend that we have it all together. But those who are falsely holy people seek to justify themselves by distorting and misusing God’s Word. They misuse and distort the Word of God and refuse to call sin what God calls sin. They look down on others and justify themselves in the eyes of men. But God knows their heart and because they are not honest about their sins before Him, their sins remain unforgiven. We learned that we could live in the forgiveness that God provides in Jesus. When Satan accuses us by reminding us of the sins of our past, we remember that Jesus has forgiven those who believe and gives them a clean slate and a brand new start. We praise Almighty God for the forgiveness that is ours in Jesus! We praise Almighty God for the wonderful Savior we serve!
I mentioned a website last week that would enable you to pray for your neighbors. The web address is pray4everyhome.com. You can go to that website and sign up and they will send you the names of five of your neighbors every day so you can pray for them. After you get signed up and they start sending you the names of five neighbors, you pray for them and click on the link that keeps track of your praying. I encourage you to use this tool to pray for your neighbors who need Jesus.
Remember we will be observing the Lord’s Supper in our morning worship next Sunday, February 12.
Love being your pastor!
Bob Ray, Pastor, East Madison Baptist Church