Pastor Bob

[Isaiah 58:1-9]

What a powerful passage of scripture.  God’s chosen fast involves breaking the yoke, overcoming sin, and reaching out to others.  Charles Finney didn’t want people to pray for him because he didn’t think their prayers worked.  Ouch.  Like the Wendy’s commercial from a few years ago, we wonder “Where’s the beef” or power in our prayers.  Prayer and fasting helps you get through to God and have more power in your prayers. Try it.  You’ll see.

God wants to answer your prayers.  James 5:17 tells us that the prophet Elijah is just like us.  And he got his prayers answered.  Let’s draw closer to the Lord this week and see our prayers answered.

Charles Finney was born in 1792.  Though he wasn’t raised in a Christian home, he became converted in his early 20’s.  Before he was converted, Finney observed that the Christians around him did not get their prayers answered.  This bothered him.  He made it a life study to understand how prayer worked.  Eventually he began preaching the gospel with amazing results.  Whole towns were converted.  He gave credit for his results to his time spent in prayer and the work of the Holy Spirit.
We began our study of prayer this week looking at the Lord’s prayer.  Jesus gave us a model to help guide us.  If we are to be successful in our Christian walk we must learn to pray more effectively.  Join us.  See you Sunday.

Philip was used mightily by God in a revival in Samaria.  From there he was directed by the Lord to the road to Gaza.  There he met the Ethiopian eunuch who was reading from the Book of Isaiah in his chariot.  Philip struck up a conversation with the eunuch and joined him in his chariot.  As they continued down the road, Philip explained to the eunuch the prophesies of Jesus’ crucifixion.  As part of their discussions, Philip must have explained to the Ethiopian the importance of baptism because seeing water, the Ethiopian said, “Look here is water, Why shouldn’t I be baptized.”  So they stopped and Philip baptized him.
Baptism doesn’t save anyone but it is important for someone to be baptized once they have accepted Jesus into their heart. Going down in the water represents dying to self and coming out of the water symbolizes living to Christ.  The act of being baptized testifies to anyone watching that the person being baptized has accepted the teaching of Jesus. We continue next service with our Christian life series and a closer look at how prayer works.

What a wonderful service Sunday as we began our Christian Life Series.  The story of Nicodemus coming to Jesus at night teaches us so much.  “You must be born again” emphasizes our need for a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.  “God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”  This foundational scripture highlights the love and concern that God does have for each of us.  We were so thankful for those that responded  to the love of God and gave their lives to God Sunday.  Join us this Sunday as we continue our Christian Life Series  with the story of Philip.  See you then.