Sisters and brothers,
Happy Monday to all! It was good to worship our great God and Savior together and remember the wonderful cross “that bids us to come and die and find that we may truly live” in Christ Jesus. From Romans 15, we thought about finding true life. We asked ourselves if we find life by looking deep inside ourselves and by defining and discovering ourselves. That is the mantra of the culture we live in. The culture says we find real life and freedom by self-determination. Anthony Kennedy wrote, “At the heart of liberty is the right to define one’s own concept of existence, of meaning, of the universe, and of the mystery of human life.” Is that right? Is that the heart of liberty and the secret to life? Does the universe and cosmos just have to come to terms with whatever I decide about myself? Or is this just untrue? As Albert Mohler wrote about this opinion of the former supreme court justice, “It is not only constitutionally implausible, but also, just to state the very least, impossible. The cosmos (God’s creation and design) does not come to terms with our own self-understanding. We’ve got to come to terms with how we fit into the cosmos.” Looking within yourself and seeking to find yourself will lead you to nothingness, because the answer is not within you. The answer to finding life is by doing what Jesus told us to do. “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. 24For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it,” (Luke 9:23-24, NIV). We find life only in one person, in Jesus! We only find true life by dying to ourselves and finding life in Jesus.
The East Madison Baptist/Emmanuel Church Thanksgiving celebration will be next Sunday, November 13 at 5:30 PM. If you haven’t already signed up to bring something, come by the church building sometime to see what is needed for the
Remember to keep praying continually for each other.
Love being your pastor,
Bob Ray, Pastor, East Madison Baptist Church