OCTOBER 27, 6 – 8pm
Haunted Hallways, Games, and Goodies

Each year, with the help of many individuals and families, we line up cars, vans and SUV’s in the parking lot–all decorated to entertain and hand out candy to hundreds of children and their families. There are games and prizes, hot dogs and snacks, crafts and much, much more! This is a great outreach for our community.

We are looking forward to a great event this year —but MANY volunteers will be needed!

There are many ways you can get involved in Trunk-or-Treat…

SETUP– We will set up the tables downstairs and in the foyer for Trunk-or-Treat on Sunday night. Most of the decorating will be done on Monday night. See Rachel Salmon, Sara Wood, Stacey Dalton, or Shawna Northrop if you can help with this task.

VOLUNTEER–Contact Suzanne Scott to help with simple games and craft stations. Easy and fun! You will be provided with details before the event.

FOOD–Bring finger foods or chili for hot dogs. Lots of drinks and desserts will also be needed. See Shannon Morris or Christy McManus to help in this area.

TRUNKS– We need lots of trunks! Decorate your trunk with fun, kid-friendly decor to bring smiles to the faces of the children and their families as you hand out candy to the costumed young ones! (Setup at 4:00pm–ready for visitors at 5:30pm) Need some help deciding what to make your car look like? PINTEREST IT–there are lots of super creative (and thrifty) DIY trunk decoration ideas. If you would be willing to host a trunk, or “donate” your car for a college student to host a trunk–please contact Suzanne Scott.

And speaking of CANDY–LOTS of candy donations are needed for Trunk-or-Treat! Please bring bags of new, individually-wrapped candy/goodies to the container in the lobby this Sunday, October 25. You could also help with making sure each car is stocked up on candy/goodies during the event.

Of course, you are not limited to only one way to be involved–every helping hand is welcome!

Join the fun by helping out with this tradition! Lots of help will be needed before, during, and after (especially afterwards when we have a mess to clean up!).

Invite your friends and neighbors! Whether you come to hand out candy, to volunteer, or to participate in the festivities, we look forward to seeing you!

Pharaoh’s Hardened Heart

The Bible repeatedly mentions Pharaoh’s heart being hardened as a result of the demands God made and the signs He performed in Egypt (Ex. 7:13, 14, 22, 23; 8:19; 9:7, 35; 14:5). The question is, who was ultimately responsible for Pharaoh’s stubbornness?

The scriptures affirm that God hardened Pharaoh’s heart (Ex. 4:21; 7:3; 9:12; 10:1, 20, 27; 11:10; 14:4, 8, 17) but also that Pharaoh hardened his own heart (Ex. 8:15, 19, 32; 9:34-35; 10:3; 13:15). The answer to this apparent discrepancy lies in understanding how Pharaoh’s heart was hardened. God hardened Pharaoh’s heart, not by subverting Pharaoh’s free will, but by simply making demands that Pharaoh didn’t like. Pharaoh hardened his own heart because of his own stubborn pride and rebellion.

Just as the sun has different effects on wax and clay (softens one and hardens the other), so the word of God has different effects on those who hear it. God’s actions and demands in Egypt softened the hearts of many (Ex. 4:30-31; 9:20; 10:7) but hardened the heart of Pharaoh. It was not simply a matter of what God said or did that made the difference but rather the brazen opposition of Pharaoh’s obstinate will. How is your heart responding to God?

–Kevin L. Moore

Baptism in First Century Jerusalem

Many people today have questions about baptism. Is it really necessary? And if so, by what method? With a great deal of confusion in our religious world concerning baptism, it is helpful to see how it was performed in the first century.

As indicated by the New Testament, baptism was first administered by immersion – this is what the term baptize means. This was not a radical invention; Jews had engaged in ritual immersion long before Christ’s birth. They used mikva’ot (singular mikveh), or ritual bathing pools. They were square in shape and equipped with a set of steps by which a person could access the water. Some mikva’ot were small. Others were much larger, more than capable of accommodating an adult.

The Greek word baptizo means to plunge, dip, or submerge. There would be little question about this fact if English translators had chosen to translate the term rather than transliterate it. This decision permitted the continuation of methods already in use that had developed over time, such as sprinkling and pouring.

In the first century, baptism was considered indispensable. This is reflected in the writings of some of the early church fathers. For example, Tertullian called Christians were “little fish” because they were “born in water” (De Baptismo, 17). In time, other methods began to be used. This may have begun in order to accommodate those who did not have adequate availability to the proper facilities. Today, sprinkling and pouring remain as popular methods. Some, recognizing the need for water but exercising greater flexibility, go even farther. I once knew a Presbyterian minister during my time in seminary who “baptized” a man by dipping his thumb into a cup of water and then placing it on the man’s forehead.

The question inevitably arises, “If baptism was by immersion only, how were 3000 people baptized on Pentecost?” To put it simply, mikva’ot were everywhere in Jerusalem. Archaeologists have discovered well over one hundred of them in Jerusalem, with nearly forty within a stone’s throw of the Temple Mount. We have to remember that these pools were for both inhabitants of Jerusalem and pilgrims. This is in addition to the mikva’ot that were part of every synagogue. Additionally, the mikva’ot at the Temple Mount were fed by nearby cisterns which, in turn, were fed by aqueducts so that the pools would have plenty of water.

Jewish believers took ritual purity very seriously. In pictures of mikva’ot, we might notice that there is often a stone dividing line going down the middle of the pool’s staircase. This was to ensure that the ceremonially unclean person did not ascend the same way in which he had entered the mikveh. The distinction between clear and unclean was crystal clear – a person descended down one side of the steps and ascended the other.

Some today may be tempted to think that people make too much of baptism. They disagree that baptism is necessary, citing passages stating that salvation does not consist of works (Eph. 2:9). Here they equate baptism with some kind of meritorious work. Scripture does not define it this way. Instead, it is merely the final act of faith in which one demonstrates his or her commitment to Christ. And its importance is emphasized by Luke, who was careful to record baptism as a part of every conversion experience in the book of Acts.

We might look at another example. If the man born blind had never washed his eyes at the pool of Siloam per Jesus’ instructions, would his eyesight have been restored? Personally, I don’t think so. What if he had washed in some other body of water? Jesus didn’t command him to do that. Jesus gave him specific instructions. If the man had not obeyed, then we have no reason to think that he would have been able to see again.

The offer of sight was a free gift, as long as a specified conditions was met: the man was to wash his eyes in the pool of Siloam. Does this mean the man earned his sight? Of course not. Similarly, salvation in the New Testament has its own conditions. Everyone–excepting the universalists–agrees that faith is a requirement; this is beyond dispute. For those who insist that baptism is necessary, this is merely part of the requirement of faith, as the Bible makes abundantly clear.

–Dewayne Bryant, reprinted from his blog, Looking at all Things Spiritually,
https://dewaynebryant.wordpress.com/2015/04/23/baptism-in-first-century-jerusalem/

Remorse or Repentance?

What is remorse? What is repentance to you? When you talk to God, do you confess your sins to Him? We often do and conclude the prayer by saying something like, “God help me to do better…” Though we always need God’s help and God wants to help us, God won’t take over our lives and make our decisions for us. From the very beginning of time, God gave mankind freewill to choose right from wrong, and we will live with the consequences from those decisions. When we sin, either publicly or privately, do we confess our sins to the person we offended or only to God? “Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective” (James 5:16).

What gets in our way from doing such a thing? I’d argue that it’s pride. If we could humble ourselves to the point where we can go to someone and ask for help, we will have taken a dramatic step in the right direction to becoming better children of God. Confessing that we have a problem is the first step, but the second step is harder. “Actually turning away from that sin? You’re joking, right?” How often do we “repent” of our sins and the next day find ourselves doing that exact thing that we repented of the day earlier? True repentance involves transformation. Doing the 180. Not living on the Devil’s doorstep. “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is, his good, pleasing and perfect will” (Romans 12:2).

It’s so easy in our lives to fall into a rut and get lazy or want something new, but we must be careful. When we look to other places instead of The Book, we will find ourselves so far out there in the world that no one will recognize us. However, if we can change our hearts and minds from thinking evil things to good things, then when life throws us curveballs we can rely on the strength that God offers to us and together we can come out on top with His help. “Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good” (Romans 12:9). How often do we still try and cling to the wrong thing? Paul charges us to develop a discomfort with evil and a craving for being good and right. There is a difference between remorse and repentance. Feeling sorry or guilty for the bad thing we’ve done is good. I believe that God put that feeling in us for a reason, but true repentance takes action and, yes, work. So the next time we mess up, will we confess our sin and going right back to that lifestyle? Or will we see the bigger picture and fervently try to turn away from the sin in our lives?

–Alex Blackwelder

Scriptures to Ponder for the Back to School Season

It’s that time of year again. Summer has come and gone for those of us who attend or work in public school. As the new school year begins, anxiety brews on each side of the teacher’s desk. Here are just a few reminders to help get your school year off to a great start.

These reminders can aid both student and teacher alike from kindergarten through the collegiate level.

S – “fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”- Isiah 41:10

C – “Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!”- Psalm 27:14

H – “Our soul waits for the Lord; he is our help and our shield.”- Psalm 33:20

O – “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.”- John 1:14

O – “Blessed are they who observe justice, who do righteousness at all times!” –Psalm 106:3

L – “But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”- Romans 5:8

Take some time this week to encourage both the young people and the educators who are returning to the classroom. Encourage them to be emboldened as Godly people and to continue to be a light in a world of darkness.

-Steven Marise