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Showing posts from February, 2012

Jesus: The Believer’s Inheritance

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  It is fascinating to observe when people talk about inheritance, ones mind would immediately cater properties, wills, houses, jewelries, and other material things. All of which are centered on material temporal things.   In 1 Peter 1:4 , although The Apostle Peter used the term “inheritance” once in his letter, Apostle Paul on the other hand, mentioned this term in his letters several times. ( Eph_1:14 , Eph_1:18 , Eph_5:5 , Col_3:24 ,) But what is so significant about this particular emphasis of Peter? After all, he made a brief description of the inheritance (verse 4-5) a believer will obtain now that he is part of God’s family.   The term “inheritance” is not something new among Jewish ears. Going back to the OT, when God divided the promised land among the 12 tribes of Israel, every tribe received a portion of the land as their inheritance, except for the tribe of Levi…”the priestly tribe”. They were the only tribe that didn’t get one. God’s reason for doing so is interesting. Th
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What is Baptism?

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What Is Baptism?             Baptism is one of the ordinances that a biblical church observes (the other is the Lord’s Supper or Communion). Baptism is never taught in the Bible as essential for one to be saved or have eternal life. Salvation is always by grace through faith in Jesus Christ alone and baptism is never part of the equation. However, baptism is an essential part in the believer’s life because of its significance. Baptism is a result of a determined choice of a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ to publicly identify with Him and His people, the church. The book of Acts gives us a number of examples those who followed the Lord in water baptism through immersion after believing in Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior (Acts 2:41; 8:12, 38; 9:18; 10:48; 16:15, 33; 18:8; 19:5). When a person places his or her trust in the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation, baptism follows as a demonstration of love and obedience to the Lord’s command (Matthew 28:19, 20). The Lord Jesus showed to
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Our 1st Baptism!

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We praise the Lord for our first baptismal service held at Sunrise Valley Baptist Church, our sending church.  After Pastor Shaw preached on the meaning and significance of baptism, Pastor Sidney baptized Jimmy, Marlene and Jennifer, who were saved within a week of each other, respectively.  What a privilege we have had in sharing with them the Gospel and what an honor to see them obey Christ in water baptism, making public their profession of faith and identifying  themselves with their Lord in His death, burial and resurrection! To those of you who have prayed with us — thank you! We especially thank our SVBC family for their preparing and granting us use of the baptistry, for Pastor Shaw’s clear preaching on baptism during the service and for each one who came. Each one’s presence was truly an encouragement.  Do continue to remember Jimmy, Marlene and Jennifer as they grow in their walk with the Lord. Thank you for your prayers! Above is a photo of Pastor Shaw and “Baby Bree.”  We a
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Nehemiah--A Leader and a Builder

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  President’s Day, commemorated just this past Monday, is a special holiday dedicated to honoring our country’s leaders. As Christians, we are called to pray for those in authority, for this “is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth (1Timothy 2:1-7). A number of godly and strong leaders appear in American history. Examples are George Washington and Abraham Lincoln. In the Bible, such leadership can be found in the person of Nehemiah, the subject of my preaching last Sunday. Nehemiah held a very influential and prominent position in the Medo-Persian Empire, the world power of his time. He served as the cupbearer of king Artaxerxes. Nehemiah was a man of faith, demonstrated by his prayer life and trust in God. Scripture records his pleas to the Almighty (Nehemiah 1:11, 13:14, 24, 29, 31) and his acknowledgment of God as the One responsible for his success in leading the people of Judah in rebuilding
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Ezra: "A Fresh Start"

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Ezra—“A Fresh Start” As a result of sin, Israel and Judah were ravaged by the Assyrians and Babylonians, respectively. The people of God were scattered and Jerusalem was destroyed, including the Temple. Guilty of the sins of idolatry, spiritual adultery and moral corruption, the people of God received God’s righteous judgment.  They had violated God’s covenant and they suffered as a result. Nevertheless, a look into the book of Ezra will demonstrate God’s amazing grace. In due time, God brought His people home from exile under the leadership of Zerubbabel and Ezra (Ezra 9, 10). A nation with a horrible past is given the blessing of having a new beginning! God, in His grace, gives them a fresh start. How are you today? Are you struggling with sin? with failure? Do you need a “fresh start”? The apostle Paul in his epistle writes, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things have passed away; behold, new things have come” (2 Corinthians 5:17). If you do not yet
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Chronicles--"Encouraging a Downhearted People"

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Chronicles—“Encouraging a Downhearted People” Have you ever met someone with such knowledge and wisdom that your mouth just hangs open in awe?  Open the book of Chronicles and you will meet such a man. Jewish tradition holds that the book of Chronicles was penned by Ezra, a man of God who was indeed endowed with both knowledge and wisdom. Interestingly, the author devotes the first 9 chapters of the book to the genealogy of nearly all the tribes of Israel.  He lists names of known and unknown individuals, followed by chapters that give account of the history of the kings of Israel (namely Saul, David and Solomon) and the kings of Judah. Though some may argue that Chronicles is just a repetition of the books of Samuel and Kings, a closer look will prove otherwise. First, the book of Chronicles is distinct in that it does not pay particular attention to the sins committed by the kings (namely, Saul, David and Solomon). Its focus, instead, is the glory of the kingdom of Israel, the buildi
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"The Good, the Bad and the Ugly" (A study on 2 Kings)

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“The Good, the Bad and the Ugly” (A Study on 2 Kings) C.S. Lewis’ “Chronicles of Narnia” and J.R. Tolkien’s “Lord of the Rings” are exciting to me for a number of reasons. Aside from the hand to hand combat and the captivating battle scenes that have been portrayed on film, I appreciate the ultimate victory of good over evil in these stories. The book of 2 Kings is also a book of captivating stories (even more so because the stories are real!). This book provides for us an account of the good, the bad and the ugly– various kings over Israel and Judah. Some of these kings were godly rulers; but, most were evil, leading their people into a spiritual condition that was ugly, to say the least. They engaged in rebellion, idolatry and even demonic activity (2 Kings 1:1-4)– the very reasons for Israel’s and Judah’s fall (2 Kings 17:7-23 and 2 Kings 24, 25, respectively). Let us learn from the real life stories of 2 Kings.  Let us remember God’s character of holiness and His hatred against sin
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