Sisters and brothers,
Happy Monday to all! Yesterday as we worshipped, we looked from Genesis 6 at the catastrophic judgment God brought on the world through The Flood. God revealed through Genesis 6 that He would not tolerate evil forever. Though the Lord is more than patient with sinful human beings, the Lord’s patience is limited. God will not continue forever to be merciful to sinners who will not turn from self-centeredness and evil. The Scripture says, “Seek the Lord while he may be found. Call on Him while He is near.” All of us, for the first time or for the hundredth time, need to turn to Him and call on Him today! We also saw that the wickedness of men grieves the heart of a holy and loving God. God takes no pleasure in the destruction of sinful men but seeks for them to turn to Him and live. And just as God grieves over the evil of human beings, His children should also grieve over the ruin and death that sin causes among us and to those all around us. We also finally saw that just as God was merciful to Noah and his family, the Lord looks for those to whom He can be merciful. God is just and His justice will compel Him to destroy evil. But we see even in this, Almighty God as ultimate judge is merciful to those who will trust Him.
I want to thank all of you who give so much of yourselves in serving the Lord at East Madison. We have so many who volunteer and work behind the scenes to help us be able to be on mission with God. I consider it a privilege to work beside all of you.
Next Sunday, March 13, Daylight Savings time begins. Do not forget to move your clocks ahead one hour on Saturday before you go to bed.
Our Hispanic mission, Emmanuel Church, will begin having worship services on Sunday, March 20 during our Bible Study time at 9:30 AM. Some of the children of those adults attending will join our Sunday School classes during this time. Pray for Jose and Mary Lou Marco as they take the next step in reaching Hispanics for Christ in our community. We are so excited to be part of this gospel outreach!
This song has been an encouragement to me lately and I would like to share it with you. It was written by Bob Kauflin and Keaton Bunting, and is called, “My Soul Will Wait.” It can be found here: https://youtu.be/e4brmgdJvBc. I hope it encourages you as much as it has me.
Remember to keep praying continually for each other.
Love being your pastor,
Bob Ray, Pastor, East Madison Baptist Church