Hello FBC!
And at the time of the offering of the oblation, Elijah the prophet came near and said, “O LORD, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, let it be known this day that You are God in Israel, and that I am Your servant, and that I have done all these things at Your word.”
(1 Kings 18:36)
The confrontation of the prophets of Baal by the prophet Elijah is one of the most memorable events recorded in the Bible. It’s a powerful scene! If you haven’t read it recently, it would be a great refresher of God’s power and the exclusivity He demands in worship. He is the only true God and there is none other! The events are recorded in 1 Kings 18:17-40.
I liked the note in my Gospel Transformation Bible on this: “The competition between Elijah and the prophets of Baal was certainly dramatic: a single prophet of Yahweh versus 450 prophets of Baal. It hardly seemed fair, and the consolation prize for the losing side was death! But all of this drama had a purpose, and that purpose was to produce repentance and to change the hearts of God’s people, in order ‘that this people may know that You, O LORD, are God, and that You have turned their hearts back’ (v. 37).”
May we turn our hearts back to Him today if we have strayed in any way! And may we be used by the Lord to turn the hearts of many in our community back to Him!
We hope to accomplish that as we all have an impact on the world around us, on the people in our circles of influence (our ‘oikos’). And we hope to work on the hearts of people even through our Trunk or Treat event! October 31 is coming on us quickly. We are so thankful for the people who have signed up to have vehicles decorated, but we are looking for many more! Make sure to get your name on the list in the foyer. We also will need help with various volunteer positions, with kitchen help, etc. And, of course, we need candy, candy, candy! Thank you for making me the winner of Round 1 of the “heavy-weight” contest! The totals so far are: Me 34.8 lbs, Justin 31.1 lbs. So keep it coming! Last year our goal for candy was 500 lbs, so if we’re shooting for that again we’re 434 lbs short with 4 Sundays to go! I have faith that we can do it. And I have faith that you will keep me ahead of Justin!
Remember we have a membership class offered on October 16 from Noon to 3pm. Please let me know soon if you’d like to join in!
This Sunday I will be preaching on Colossians 1:15-20. This is one of the most important passages on Christology (the study of Jesus Christ) in all of the Bible! Please be sure to be here with us! Packed with powerful truths about who Jesus is, these verses are vital to our lives as Christians. The title of the message is “Christ Over All”. Is He the Lord of all in your life? I look forward to seeing you Sunday!
Love From Your Pastor,
Michael