Ministry Update

I thought I would give everyone (those who attend First Baptist) a quick reminder of the schedule tomorrow. It will be a busy day but many opportunities to worship our Savior and commune together. Here is the schedule:

1. For our 9:30 ABF hour, all the adults will be in the sanctuary to meet a visiting missionary. They are still raising their support and are on their way to Cuba. Some of you will remember Brandi Cole, she was a graduate of Howland Christian School and as a young girl she attended and was very involved here at First Baptist of Howland. Please be here tomorrow to encourage this couple and to see how God's grace has been at work in Brandi's life.

2. Tomorrow is a very special day to us because we will be having communion together. It is the pattern of many churches to have communion once a month (often on the first Sunday of the month). We have not taken that approach to communion for the simple fact that we do not want communion to just become a ritual to us. In years past, we have taken communion only 4 times a year...while our purpose in this was to keep communion as something very significant and special to the believer...we felt that this was not enough. This year we have scheduled to have communion together about every 6-8 weeks. The Lord's Supper is given to us as a "living memorial" to remind us of Christ's substitutionary death and the gospel message. At the Lord's table, we confess our faith in Christ as our Savior together. It is a family table, where all of the followers of Christ are welcomed to sit at His feet and remember Him!! Because our purpose during this time is to honor the Lord and to celebrate the cross, and because we know that praise and worship is spiritual warfare (2 Chronicles 20:22), we are asking for all to be in prayer for this special day. Please pray that God would be exalted and that Jesus Christ would become very dear to our hearts through the power of the Holy Spirit. Pray for all of us to have tender and receptive hearts as we "remember His death until He comes". Pray that we would truly celebrate our freedom from sin's condemning power, from the wrath of God, and the removal of our guilt and shame through what Jesus did for us on the cross. Before we take of the elements we are told to "examine ourselves" in preparation. So, today, I am reminding you to examine yourself even before you walk through the doors tomorrow. Prepare physically, spiritually and mentally to worship Christ!

3. After our worship service, we will be having the Famous Baptist "Pot Luck" Dinner...but since we do not believe in "luck", we will be having a "fellowship dinner" together. Just as saints of old used to "feast" together, we too will be using this Sunday as an opportunity to have an extended time of food and fellowship. Please come prepared to stay after the service for the dinner and enjoy and encourage one another...God has given us one another as a gift from Him and for the purpose of encouragement, growth, and sanctification.
Also, if you signed up to bring something...please do not forget! If you did not sign-up, feel free to bring something anyway. If you are not able to bring anything, come join us as well. We love to use these times to get to know one another better!

4. Lastly, since there is no evening service tomorrow...some of us are going to the Robin Mark concert in Elyria. If you have not heard about this but would like to go, let me know either today through email or tomorrow at church.

Looking forward to seeing many of you tomorrow morning!

In Christ,

Pastor Jerry

Someone Greater Than Angels

I was visiting someone in the hospital yesterday and in the course of our discussion the conversation turned to angels. Now, I have to admit that I have always been a little uncomfortable with so much talk about angels...not because I do not believe in them...but because of the amount of "angel worship" that takes place.

But recently I have gained a better perspective about the ministry of angels. You see, all throughout the Bible, angels have had a very significant role in the purpose and plan of God. Of course, they are created beings. Angels have not always existed...they are part of the universe that God created. Angels exercise moral judgment which is seen in the fact that some of them sinned and fell from their positions. Angels are "spirits" which means they do not ordinarily have physical bodies and therefore cannot usually be seen unless God gives a special ability to see them. Angels are often found in the Bible as either "guarding and protecting us" or "joining us in worship to God".

If you think through your Bible, angels have been used at very important times to carry out God's plan. And while angels are "ministering spirits" to serve us...they were created to worship and bless their Creator and serve Him.

We find this to be true in the life of Jesus Christ. Here are some examples:

1. In the birth of Christ. God chose Mary to be the special one who would give birth to the Son of God. How did God choose to reveal this amazing and awe-inspiring news? He sent an angel to tell Mary. So Mary was comforted, but what about her soon-to-be husband Joseph? Remember that he was confused and disappointed and so he decided that he should quietly break off his "engagement" with Mary. And again, right on time, God sends an angel to explain this to Joseph. So angels were used in telling the good news of the coming Messiah!

2. At the temptation of Christ. The Bible tells us that the Holy Spirit led Jesus into the wilderness where for 40 days and 40 nights he was tempted by the Devil. Christ answered each temptation with the truth of God's Word even answering one temptation by using a reference to angels. But the Bible tells us that after the Devil left Him, the angels came and ministered and strengthened Christ. So, here again we find the angels ministering to Christ and strengthening Him for His earthly ministry.

3. In the Garden of Gethsemane. It was here that we are introduced to a staggered and overwhelmed Christ. Never before in the life of Christ do we find Him so overwhelmed as we do in the garden. It is here that we find His soul "exceedingly sorrowful" even unto death. It has been said that 'while on the cross was where Christ physical body was crucified, it was here in the garden that his soul was crucified'. Because He was facing the reality of taking on the sins of the world. As he prays, "Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me" the Bible records for us no answer from His Father. All Christ hears in response to this prayer is SILENCE. Because there is no other way. Christ must go to the Cross. But while there was silence from the Father, we are told that "an angel from heaven appeared to Him, stengthening Him".

As we can see, the angels have always played an integral role especially in ministering to Christ. Angels are beings that are instructed with what to do and they are ready at a moment's notice to do what the Father commands.

But, that means that the angels are limited. They can only do what the Father commands. Did you know that there was a time when God could have called on the angels....but didnt!!!

The most crucial moment in all of history. The Cross of Calvary. It was here that God could have ended it all, but instead, the angels never got the call. You can imagine the angels all lined up and in position...all they needed was a "word"...in fact, on this occasion, just a "nod" would have been enough. But as they looked to Almighty God for instruction...the call never came.

The Bible tells us that there were at least 7 sayings of Christ on the Cross. Are you not thankful that Christ did not cry out "Father, send twelve legions of angels to rescue me"??

In fact, after the Garden of Gethsemane, I do not find any trace of angelic ministry until the empty tomb. At the tomb the angel says, "do not be afraid; for I know that you are looking for Jesus who has been crucified...He is not here, for He has risen, just as He said. Come, see the place where He was lying...and go quickly and tell His disciples that He has risen from the dead".

So, what does the Bible record for us in between the Garden of Gethsemane and Resurrection Morning??

The Cross!!

No angelic assistance because Christ had to go to the Cross alone!!
No assistance...no help...no strengthening!!

This is why we do not worship angels or pray to angels. Angels have their place....and we should give thanks for their ministry. But no angel became a man! No angel died in our place! Christ did not become an angel...He did not take on the nature of an angel...He did not die for angels.
Listen to Octavius Winslow on this point:

"Who are the people upon whom the heart of Jesus is set? They, are not angels; and yet He loves angels, because they are elect and holy; He loves them as the creatures of His power, and as the ministers of His will. But God loves not angels as He loves man. The Lord Jesus bears not the same affection towards those unfallen and pure spirits as He does towards a poor sinner hiding in His wounded side, cleansing in His blood, and enfolding himself within the robe of His righteousness. He never took part of the nature of angels, nor wept over angels, nor bled for angels- but all this He did for man!"

Christ was made lower than the angels for a time so He could take on human flesh and He who knew no sin became sin for us and died in our place so we could be redeemed and have our sins forgiven.

And 1 Peter tells us that the angels look into these things because they are still a mystery to them. 1 Peter 1:3-12 are some of the greatest verses on "our great salvation" that God has provided. It tells us that the prophets spoke of this salvation and Christ has provided it and today you hear of it through the gospel...but what are the angels doing? They are still "looking in". The picture is of someone who is on the outside (never having experienced saving grace) "looking in" and wondering how it all works!

Although these angels do not understand it, they worship our God night and day and rejoice in the Savior Jesus Christ...how can we, who are sinners that have been redeemed, do anything less!!

(May I encourage you to read more on this study in Hebrews chapters 1-2)