There is no Pastor on earth who is completely fit for this hour. We are all in over our heads. We are all out of our depth. We are all struggling to know the best way to lead those entrusted to us as we face increasingly anxious, divisive, and hostile times. With heartfelt love, and acknowledgement that I do not have the answers to all of the questions we face, I offer the following word of exhortation and encouragement. I pray you receive it as it is intended: as an act of love for your good, to build up your faith, to point you to Christ, to strengthen you in your Christian witness, to restrain you from veering off track, and to shepherd you as I believe the Lord Jesus Christ would have me shepherd his precious people. May the Lord be pleased to fulfill his purpose for these words.

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May the Lord grant that we are not “men of the world whose portion is in this life,” but men of the Prince of Heaven whose portion is the Lord himself, forevermore, (Lam. 3:22-24).

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When it comes to the subject of Baptism, we usually think of ourselves as natives who know the territory well. However, the biblical depth of both Baptism and the Lord’s Supper tend to expose our gentile roots. When we peel back the layers of the sacraments they quickly reveal that our limited understanding of our spiritual heritage as God’s covenant people can lead us to a lot of misunderstandings. We like to think of ourselves as ‘natives,’ but perhaps we are better served to humbly recognize that we are, in many ways, ‘strangers’ in need of local guides. My hope today is to explain an overview of the beautiful sacrament of Baptism. In order to do this, we will be exploring quite a large span of the Bible, and taking a sweeping view of the perfect unity God’s saving work throughout redemptive history.

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So what happens to a Christian who, through a sundry array of diversions and excuses, repeatedly neglects to receive, study, and meditate upon the knowledge of God’s holiness? What is the effect of a low view of God’s holiness upon the message of the gospel? Even more, what is the effect of a low view of God’s holiness upon the heart of redeemed sinners?

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17 “You shall not covet your neighbor's house; you shall not covet your neighbor's wife, or his male servant, or his female servant, or his ox, or his donkey, or anything that is your neighbor's.” (Exodus 20:17)

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“You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.” (Exodus 20:16)

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“You shall not steal.” (Exodus 20:15)

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If we are honest with ourselves, even as sincere Christians our own hearts do not often share the same response. All too often we find ourselves struggling to experience the glory of the One whom we have come to love and trust. Yet we must recall that Jesus’ ministry was not merely one of saving sinners from death, but even more so one of bringing sinners into a right relationship to God, (Jn. 14:6). When God saved you, you did not immediately come into a full knowledge of God. No, it is God’s design that His children grow in such knowledge, more and more, as they walk with Him by faith.

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In love, as under-shepherds of the Lord Jesus Christ, and by the authority vested in us to care for the souls of God's people, we want to extend a strong encouragement to those who have chosen not to attend public worship for many months. You are important to us and we have not forgotten about you. Your presence has been missed and we have often longed to gather together before the Lord with you.

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“You shall not commit adultery.” (Exodus 20:14)

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“You shall not murder.” (Exodus 20:13)

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As a growing child of God, it seems only natural to wonder: What changed in me that made me suddenly understand the gospel? What happened in my heart that made me see my need for Jesus and believe? How did the sins I used to love turn bitter to my taste? These questions have beautiful, profound, soul-humbling and God-glorifying answers that run deep throughout the Bible…The major point that I hope you will take away from this post is that saving faith is a gift of God, (Eph. 2:8).

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12 “Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you.” (Exodus 20:12)

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While stated very simply, this seemed to be worth sharing. May this God-centered perspective of the true focus and nature of Christian worship take deeper root in the corporate gatherings of His churches as His People draw near to Him in “reverence and awe” each and every Lord’s Day.

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35 And one of them, a lawyer, asked him a question to test him. 36 “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” 37 And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. 38 This is the great and first commandment. 39 And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. 40 On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.” (Matthew 22:35-40)

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“…we know from the context that Paul is opposing legalism. However, notice that his wording includes all misrepresentations of the true gospel. He does not say, “If anyone is preaching legalism…let him be accursed.” He says, “If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received…” This means that any misrepresentations of the gospel are a grievous and accursed thing in the sight of God.”

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8 “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. 9 Six days you shall labor, and do all your work, 10 but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, you, or your son, or your daughter, your male servant, or your female servant, or your livestock, or the sojourner who is within your gates. 11 For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy. (Exodus 20:8-11)

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7 “You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain.” (Exodus 20:7)

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4 “You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. 5 You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I the Lord your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and the fourth generation of those who hate me, 6 but showing steadfast love to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments.” (Exodus 20:4-6)

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