June 13th: Double Baptism

    Sharon and Basil were baptized today at the Baptist church on Beida Road.

    Sharon's testimony was followed by Basil's testimony. Pastor Dale then gave us his message:

    2 Corinthians 5:17
    Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!

    Not by our efforts. We can try to be good, but ultimately it's in God's hands

    Galatians 2:20
    I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

    I live a life by grace

    John 3:8
    Jesus talking to Nicodemus:

    3 In reply Jesus declared, "I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again."

     4 "How can a man be born when he is old?" Nicodemus asked. "Surely he cannot enter a second time into his mother's womb to be born!"

     5 Jesus answered, "I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. 6 Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. 7 You should not be surprised at my saying, 'You must be born again.' 8 The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit."

     9 "How can this be?" Nicodemus asked.

     10 "You are Israel's teacher," said Jesus, "and do you not understand these things?

    There are prophecies that God would take out the stony spirit
    Unless one is born of water and the spirit, he cannot enter the Kingdom of God
    water = baptism? = God's word?
    The wind blows ~ Spirit

    born again = new life
    I came to give you everlasting life (zoe), this everlasting life is abundant

    no other religion has a definite path to salvation
    the old life has been completely wiped away
    You, Jesus, have provided this way for me to be reconciled

    "In him we have redemption through His blood"

    Romans 6:18
        And having been set free from sin, you became slaves to righteousness
        (= bound to Christ, to live for him)
        Obey from the heart, God will help us

    Romans 6:4-8
         4 We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.

     5 If we have been united with him like this in his death, we will certainly also be united with him in his resurrection. 6 For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with,[a] that we should no longer be slaves to sin-- 7 because anyone who has died has been freed from sin.

     8 Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him...

    The cross of Jesus has a transforming power: sin, anger, frustration etc.

    {BAPTISM: Sharon, then Basil}

    Church history:
    Originally Catholics had 7 sacraments: There are seven sacraments in the Church: Baptism, Confirmation or Chrismation, Eucharist, Penance, Anointing of the Sick, Holy Orders, and Matrimony. [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sacraments_of_the_Catholic_Church] Protestants kept only 2: Baptism & The Lord's Supper

    (For  Protestants, Communion (Confirmation?) has no meaning for children because a child doesn't know anything)

    Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil

    <Amazing Grace>

    We closed our service this month with a 2nd Lord's Supper this month because two members  were baptized