The Bartimaeus Blog 2023.33

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Peace to you, loved ones. On the home front, I’m happy to report that Linda is home and doing a bit better than I would have expected from what I saw at the hospital. This brings me great comfort. You are also a comfort to me. Thanks to all who have reached out during this time. I apologize that we have not been able to respond appropriately to each of you.

Last week we covered the final verses of John Chapter 14, but I want to go back and focus on verse 27. So many of us are facing major issues that can steal our peace. May God’s word help us to hold on to that precious gift, given to us through the Spirit of peace, because of the Prince of Peace. The world challenges us with, “Do you want a piece of me?” Our God invites us with , Do you want a peace of me?”

love you all.

The Bartimaeus Blog 2023.32

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Good morning, friends. It has been a challenging couple of weeks for Linda and me as we walk through this season of our life. If all goes well this week, she’ll be coming home from the hospital on Friday. I mention that because it has some bearing on the message for today. We are covering John 14:25-31, with some emphasis on verses 26-27, which read (LSB), “But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you. Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful.”

As I tried to prepare last week, I asked the Lord, “How can I speak of peace? I don’t have it.” Yesterday as I was praying, He brought to mind the psalms of King David. How many times did he cry out to the Lord for deliverance? How many times must he have wondered why the same God that parted the Red Sea did not step in and save his chosen king? There are some supernatural events recorded in his story, but mostly God shaped seemingly ordinary events to bring about His plan. David was indeed a significant part of God’s plan, but it was a much bigger plan! Our Lord was writing a story to save the world!

How is this relevant? It illustrates one of the ways that the Holy Spirit works in our lives. He brought to my mind His words in the pages of the Bible (v. 26) to remind me of the truth. He is in control. He is doing things greater than we can imagine. In this world we will have trouble, but He has overcome the world. From this I can find the peace that I am seeking. It is a peace only He can give, and it comes from the Holy Spirit living and working within me.

It is my prayer for all of us that we find and hold onto that peace. I hope you can join us this afternoon as we dig into God’s word.

Love y’all!

The Bartimaeus Blog 2023.31

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If you were able to be with us last week, I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did. I always try to hear from the Lord and speak the truth, but it is really special when I can tell that the Lord is speaking through me. If you missed it, I encourage you to go back and listen to that message. His is the glory!

Tomorrow, we’ll cover just a few verses, but they are powerful. If you have ever heard the phrase, “If you love me you will…” I bet I’d be right in saying you didn’t like what came next. It’s often used as a tool of manipulation and has very little to do with love. But Jesus said it, and we know that He is love’s greatest representative, so we know His motivation is pure. He said, “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.” (Jn 14:15) This is not a statement designed to goad us to do what He wants. It is a statement of fact. This is a characteristic of those who truly love Him.

He doesn’t stop there. The next verses introduce his hearers to the Holy Spirit. He is given to all who love Jesus. Over the next few weeks, we will continue exploring the things Jesus tells us about the Holy Spirit and his part in our lives. When Jesus said He is with us always, this is what He meant. His Holy spirit will be with us forever (Jn. 15:16). He is called the Spirit of truth, and a world that refuses the truth cannot see or know Him (Jn 14:17). Holy Spirit is real. He is the spirit of almighty God and of Jesus. He lives within every believer. If we will seek to know Him, He will make Himself known.

Love y’all. See you tomorrow!

Praise and Prayer Requests from Sunday Service of September 17

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Rejoice with us and pray with us.

Cathy said her friends’ memorials went well. The church got our leak fixed. My dad is home.

Keep praying for my dad as he recovers. Keep praying for Gary and his family. Remember Don. Brenda asks prayer for a friend Gary having chronic health problems. Pray for Pris. Pray for Kimi. Her health is worsening. Pris asks prayer for Scott. Pris asks prayer for a friend, Jesse, who has lost family members. Pray for Leann and Zach. Remember Kay. Pray for Deedee and all that surrounds her.

The Bartimaeus Blog 2023.30

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Last Sunday, we celebrated 65 years of ministry at Bartimaeus Baptist Temple. We are honored to be able to carry on the ministry and look forward to what our God is going to do with it in the future. Thanks to everyone who helped make it special. May God grant us many more.

I know it has only been two weeks, but it feels like a long time since I’ve been able to share with you. You may think it hasn’t been long enough, but bless you for not saying so. 🙂

I’m going to pick up where we left off with John 14:8-14. Jesus has told his disciples that he’s going to prepare a place for us, that he will return for us, and that they know the way. Thomas disagrees that they know the way, and Jesus responds in verse 6, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father but through Me.”

He continues in verse 7, “If you have come to know Me, you will know My Father also; from now on you know Him, and have seen Him.” Jesus has just answered Philips next question, but Philip didn’t get it, or perhaps he was looking for something along the lines of what Moses saw when he asked to see God’s glory. Jesus then reaffirms the things He has been saying throughout His ministry, but then he continues with two amazing statements.

“Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do, he will do also; and greater works than these he will do because I go to the Father. Whatever you ask in My name, this will I do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it.”

John 14:12-14 LSB

Jesus raised the dead! What’s greater than that? Ask anything in His name? Anything? Many of us have wondered how this statement can be true as our prayers go unanswered. Maybe we need to look a little more closely at these words to learn what they really mean. Come on Sunday and we’ll do that.

Love y’all!

The Bartimaeus Blog 2023.29, Homecoming 2023

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First of all, I want to thank Cathy for getting us live on Sunday in my absence. I didn’t ask her to do that, and didn’t think she would see the page access request so quickly. It was a nice surprise. And thanks to Don for filling in for me. Keep him in your prayers. As I write this I believe he is still undergoing tests in the hospital resulting from irregular heart rhythm. I also ask prayers for my father, who will have open-heart surgery this Friday.

This Sunday will be our annual Homecoming celebration. Our friend Jay Gibson of Harvest Oaks, who has had his own health challenges to overcome, will be our speaker. I look forward to hearing from him. We are not changing our meeting time this year, but we will have the meal after the service. Old friends and new are welcome. Please let us know if you will be coming and bring a side dish if you are able.

I missed you all and look forward to being back with you on Sunday.

The Bartimaeus Blog 2023.28

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Good Morning, loved ones. This weekend will be a little different. It is very likely that I will not be able to join you tomorrow. Don Potts has graciously agreed to bring the message. I have done as much as I can to make sure everything else that I normally do to facilitate the service has been covered. I know that you will hear the truth, and I know that God is glorified when we come together in worship.

Don’t forget Homecoming next weekend. We will keep our usual meeting time with food and fellowship after the service. Please let us know if you can come and bring a side dish if you are able.

Love y’all!

The Bartimaeus Blog 2023.27

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How quickly the year passes. It’s hard to believe Homecoming is in just 2 weeks. I hope its a little cooler by then. I am surely thankful for air conditioning.

We will be continuing our study with John 14:1-7. Having instructed His disciples to love each other as He has loved them, illustrating what He means by washing their feet, he also introduces the topic of his departure. He has been telling them what is about to happen for some time, but they are not making the connections. He has just told them that where he is going they cannot follow.

He now offers words of comfort, explaining again the purpose for which He has come. He makes an interesting statement in verse 4, “you know the way where I am going.” Thomas doesn’t agree, so Jesus clarifies with these famous words in verse 6, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father but through Me.” At first glance, these words don’t seem to make sense, but they do answer the question. They are a powerful statement of Jesus’ identity and mission.

I hope you will be able to join us.

Love you all.

The Bartimaeus Blog 2023.26

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Good morning, loved ones! In just a few hours we’ll be together to honor our Lord. Big thanks to Pris for getting up there to turn on the AC for us. It’s hot out there, but we’ll be ready for it.

Today, I get to talk about one of my favorite passages of scripture. I’m sure you know that, as I come back to it or quote it often. But I do hope that as I share the fruits of my study of the verses in context that I can bring you something fresh from the word of The Word.

Jesus says in John 13:34-35 (LSB), “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”

What makes it new? Before this, when asked about the greatest commandment in the law, Jesus replied, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the great and foremost commandment. And the second is like it, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments hang the whole Law and the Prophets.” (Matthew 22:37-40)

Jesus has just illustrated in part what He means by washing the feet of the disciples. He is about to provide the ultimate example on the cross. What makes this commandment new is the extension of the old. We are not called just to love our neighbor as ourselves. We are called to love him more than ourselves! He said that we are to love each other as He has loved us. He gave His life for us!

I would love to see you at 2:30 this afternoon.

The Bartimaeus Blog 2023.25

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I will be so happy to join you today! I seriously doubted that I would be able to. Linda went through a rough patch, and I truly thought we would be at the hospital before the end of the day on Friday. Yesterday started out a little better, but I still feared the worst. I am overjoyed to report that last night she ate well, and she seems to have recovered. This morning I have been singing to the Lord and crying tears of gratitude.

Somehow I did manage to study for today’s message. I am excited to share it with you. We are now in John 13:1-20, as Jesus washes the feet of His disciples. We’ve always known this moment is special. Some churches even take his statement that the disciples ought to wash one-another’s feet quite literally, incorporating it into their ordinances and worship. Jesus’ instruction has more to do with the attitude than the act.

Here, Jesus illustrates what true greatness is, even as his disciples are still squabbling over who among them will be the greatest. We may suppose that no one of them offered to do the job, not even for the master Himself. That would be lowering themselves to the level of a slave. But Jesus had no problem doing that. He knew who He was, and so could do what needed doing with no concern for the opinion of others. In Luke’s gospel, apparently after he has done this though Luke doesn’t mention it, he says, “…the one who is the greatest among you must become like the youngest, and the leader like the servant.” (Lk 22:26 LSB)

In so doing, he also illustrates in a small way the sacrifice he is about to make. Before the next day is over, he will willingly submit to the worst torture and humiliation that humanity can imagine, all for the sake of the ones whom He loves. By this act we are saved. When peter objects to the Lord washing his feet, Jesus makes a profound statement, “If I do not wash you, you have no part with Me.” (Jn 13:8) We must be cleansed by the blood of His sacrifice, and we must also return to him each day that the dirt we accumulate by walking through this world may be washed off. We are called to serve each other in this way, as all of us who call Him Lord have been sent to do as He did, that the world may know and receive Him.

This is good stuff! Come and get it!

Love you all.