The Bartimaeus Blog 2023.5

Bartimaeus Baptist Temple Posted on by

It’s late Saturday evening as I write this, and I’m looking for some catchy opening to grab your attention. Obviously, that’s not happening. So, Let me just say I hope to see you tomorrow. If you’re a regular, we miss you when you’re not here. If this would be your first time, I am anticipating the joy of welcoming you to our fellowship.

We’ve been studying the book of John. This week’s text is John 6:15-21. Jesus has just finished feeding over 5,000 people with a kid’s lunch, and has sent the disciples ahead of him while He dismisses the crowds. We learn these details by combining the accounts of that event from all the Gospel writers. Jesus has gone up onto a mountain to pray, and the disciples have started out across the lake when the wind kicks up. Jesus, seeing their peril, comes to them walking on the waves. Understandably, they are terrified, thinking they see a ghost.

From Matthew and Mark we learn a few more details about what happened that night, but John gives us only the basics, except for one thing the others don’t mention. As soon as He got into the boat, they were immediately at their destination. It would seem there were two miracles that night. John is focused on the revelation of Jesus and illustrates His command over nature. We might summarize with this quote, which might be translated, ““I am; do not be afraid.”

Come on in and bring a friend!

love y’all,

Larry

The Bartimaeus Blog 2023.4

Bartimaeus Baptist Temple Posted on by

I’m pumped today! I’m thinking about seeing almost everyone last week and of the joy of seeing you again tomorrow. I’m also excited because I love God’s word, and I love finding new life in old passages that we think we know so well.

We’ll be continuing our journey through the gospel of John with Chapter 6.  Versus 1-14 present to us a story many of us probably grew up hearing. It is one of the few that occur in all four of the Gospel accounts. Jesus takes 5 little loaves of bread and two small fish, and feeds over 5,000 people. It’s a great story, but what makes it so great that all the Gospel writers felt the need to include it in their chronicles of the things that Jesus did? It shows the power and provision of God, but is there more here? I think that’s why John also writes about this even though Mark, Matthew, and Luke had already recorded it. He provides us with some details that they did not, and in the rest of the chapter he shows us why Jesus did what he did. It seems to me the key is in verse 4.

I hope you can join us tomorrow, because I can hardly wait to share this with you!

Love y’all,

Larry

Praise and Prayer Requests from Sunday Service of February 5

Bartimaeus Baptist Temple Posted on by

Rejoice with us and pray with us.

Benny is Covid free and Cathy is feeling better. Jim is back at work. Cindy enjoyed spending time with her daughter. Brenda enjoyed some time off and seeing Barbara.

Pris asks prayer for the family of a relative who passed away last week. Pray for Jesica, a coworker of Keneth who is in hospital with kidney failure. Cindy asks prayer for her grandson Ryan who is trying to get into the military. Pray for Scott’s mother Tina suffering from memory loss. Cathy asks prayer for Lisa recovering from surgery. Pray for Kay. Brenda asks for prayer. Pray for their family. Pray for Tracey.

Be blessed to be a blessing this week!

Larry

The Bartimaeus Blog 2023.3

Bartimaeus Baptist Temple Posted on by

Blessings to you, loved ones. I’m looking forward to seeing you tomorrow. I think everyone is well, and we’ll be having our Fifth Sunday Fellowship after the service. We’ll also be doing a bit of church business.

Our study will be from John 5:25-30, continuing with Jesus’ words after the healing of the sick man at Bethesda. He adds more depth to the statements he made in verses 18-24 that we read last week. The time has come, and the time will come. The time has come, “when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live.”  (v. 25) It began with Jesus’ public ministry. It was sealed by his death and resurrection. This is a spiritual statement. When the dead receive the words of life, they gain life eternal and abundant!

The time will come when “all who are in the tombs will hear His voice, and will come forth; those who did the good deeds to a resurrection of life, those who committed the evil deeds to a resurrection of judgment.” (v. 28-29) We will all stand before our Lord. We are all deserving of death, but he gave His life to give us life. We, too, committed evil deeds, but by His grace, those deeds have been forgotten. Yet it is also true that our deeds can reveal our hearts. Jesus also said that we are known by our fruit.

Jesus came to do his Father’s will, and provided us an example for our own lives.  He gave us life, let us also be givers of life. The life is in the Word of God. Spread the Word!

Love y’all!

Larry

The Bartimaeus Blog 2023.2

Bartimaeus Baptist Temple Posted on by

Blessings to you, loved ones.  I apologize for the late post.  As the time is short before I need to be on my way, I will be brief.  I am aware of no special news.  Linda did speak with Cindy this week and she was feeling better.  Today, we will be in Jon Chapter 5.  I hope to see you there.

Love y’all!

Larry

The Bartimaeus Blog 2023.1

Bartimaeus Baptist Temple Posted on by

What a great way to begin the new year! It was a joy to be together last Sunday and start it off right. If you missed it, know that we missed you. I am expecting great things in 2023.

This time, we’ll continue our study with John 4:43-54.  Last week, we explored the well-known story of the Samaritan woman that Jesus confronted at the well. The result of that exchange was a whole village turned to belief in Jesus because that woman couldn’t wait to share what she found, or rather, who found her. Jesus’s disciples also learned an important lesson, that He came for all, even those whom they considered unworthy. This week we will see how Jon continues this theme. Now His grace will be extended to a roman official who begged Him to heal his dying son. John doesn’t tell us this man’s ethnicity, but as a nobleman in service to the Romans, he might have been even more despised if Jewish than he would have been as a gentile.

The questions I hope we will consider as we examine this text are these:

  1. How do you define belief? Is it something you think is true, or something more?
  2. In what or in whom do you believe?
  3. Does your belief lead you to action?
  4. You have the words of Jesus available to you. Do you believe Him?
  5. What are you going to do about it?

I believe I will see you tomorrow, and so I’m going to be there!

Love you all,

Larry

The Bartimaeus Blog 2022.51 – And a Happy New Year!

Bartimaeus Baptist Temple Posted on by

I can’t think of a better way to start off the new year than to meet together in worship of our Lord. I’ve never been one for paying much attention to the calendar, but I’ve learned to see these events as opportunities. As we turn the page on 2022, we reflect on what has past and look forward to the future. We resolve to do things better, to accomplish a goal, or maybe just not to do that again!

I asked the Lord what I should say on this occasion. I tossed around some ideas for clever commentary, but as I prayed, He showed me that what i needed to do was just keep going with what we started a couple of months back. There’s a message in that too. If you’re already doing what you need to be doing, stay the course. It may seem like nothing is happening, but God will honor your faithfulness.

We’ll be in John, chapter 4. As Jesus makes his way back to Galilee from the area of Jerusalem, he passes through Samaria. The Jews and the Samaritans didn’t like each other, so many Jews would go the long way around to avoid going through this region, but not Jesus. He had a purpose. Having sent his disciples away to buy food, he stopped by a well to rest. It may have been the middle of the day, but if we assume Jon to be consistent in his method for marking time, it would have been around 6:00 in the evening.

When a Samaritan woman comes to draw water, He asks her for a drink, and then this conversation ensues. The Jews considered the Samaritans impure, so the woman was surprised that Jesus asked for a drink from her vessel. We can’t tell from the text whether her response is antagonistic or simply curious, but Jesus was about to radically turn the discussion. When He’s finished, the woman has been convinced that He is in fact the coming messiah and can’t wait to go tell everyone in her village. When the disciples return, they, too, are surprised to find him talking with this woman, but they wisely keep silent. They’re getting their first lesson (at least as we have it recorded) in the true scope of Jesus’ ministry. No one is beyond reach, not even these despised half-breed Samaritans. Jesus tells them, “raise your eyes and observe the fields, that they are white for harvest.”

We will draw from the whole of the story as we examine its themes, but our focus passage is from John 4:19-26. What is worship? Is it what we do on Sunday, or is it much more than that? As we enter a new year, I pray that we will find new ways to worship our Lord, and new people to worship Him with. See you Sunday!

love y’all,

Larry

The Bartimaeus Blog 2022.50 – Merry Christmas Again!

Bartimaeus Baptist Temple Posted on by

Merry Christmas y’all!  I hope you are able to enjoy the time with family and maybe get a little well-earned rest in too.  Say a special prayer for Leann and her family this year.  Cathy’s first eye surgery went well and she is scheduled for the other next week. I pray everyone gets and stays well.

We will not be holding services on Christmas day, but we will be back for the new year, ready for new and better things. Make the most of the season. Spread the good news about the Reason.

Love you all,

Larry

The Bartimaeus Blog 2022.49 – Merry Christmas!

Bartimaeus Baptist Temple Posted on by

Merry Christmas Y’all!  It’s a week away tomorrow! We all look forward to the family time, the sharing of gifts, and more good eating. But we also recognize that it’s going to be a tough one for some of us. Just last week, we held the memorial for Leann’s mom, Bobbi. Thank you to everyone who jumped in to make that happen. Let’s continue to surround and lift of the family now that the hubbub has subsided and they are left to face the new reality.

Tomorrow we have our Christmas celebration at the church. We’ll have finger food, fellowship, and fun with a small gift exchange after the service. It will be a great time to bring a guest, but if you do, bring along an extra gift of $around $10 value so that everyone can participate. We really enjoyed doing this last year and i look forward to doing it again as it gets everyone involved.

we’ll keep the service short and sweet and I’ll try to keep my message the same as we read the traditional Christmas story and reflect upon the greatest gift of all.

Remember that we will not be having a service on Christmas day as several of us will be with family.

See you tomorrow,

Larry

The Bartimaeus Blog 2022.48 – In Memory of Bobbi Allison

Bartimaeus Baptist Temple Posted on by

Dear friends, tomorrow, December 11, we will not be having our usual services as we devote the time to a memorial for LeChelle’s mother, Bobbi Allison.  We sometimes do this for people close to the church because of the logistical challenges we face in gathering everyone together.  The church service time is already planned and arrangements are in place for everyone who might want to be included.

Tomorrow we will honor Bobbi, and love on her family and friends. Keep them in your prayers as they grieve her loss.