Rappin’ With Rick

I recently got an email from Bill(y) Carroll, and yes he did sign it that way, which I loved! Anyway, he asked if I would write out a metaphor I had shared with him twenty-two years ago about baptism. He said he had shared it hundreds of times with people who had questions about baptism, and recently shared it with a leader in his church who is convinced that a person’s sins are not forgiven until the moment of baptism because it’s in that moment that you come in contact with the blood of Christ. He just wanted to make sure he hadn’t strayed far from the way I had said it. In asking for it, however, he actually stated it better than I remembered it, and when I told Marilyn about it, she said she’d never heard me say it. So, for Bill(y), Marilyn, and anyone else who might have wondered about the relationship between salvation and baptism, here goes.

As we noted in our study of I Peter last Sunday, Peter does state that baptism saves us, not by removing dirt from our flesh, but as an appeal to God for a good conscience. And at his conversion, Paul was told to rise and be baptized, and wash away his sins. He then explained in Romans 6 that we are buried with Christ through baptism, and if we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, we shall share in His resurrection. There is apparently, therefore, a direct connection between baptism and the forgiveness of sins. In fact, I believe something even sacramental happens in baptism, because God does something for us in baptism that goes far beyond what we are doing. But to suggest that the moment before baptism a person is lost, and when they come out of the water they are saved, may be going too far.

I think when Jesus told Nicodemus that unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of heaven, He painted a picture of a process, and not just a singular event. It’s true that a birth is an event, but the baby is alive before coming forth from the womb. And Jeremiah’s call and John the Baptist’s leap indicate that the Spirit works prenatally. To suggest, therefore, that a person cannot be spiritually alive before baptism, in my opinion, goes against the picture Jesus painted.

I’ve come to believe that when someone comes to faith in Christ a spiritual conception takes place, and that that new life continues to grow spiritually “in utero” until the moment of birth. Baptism, then, is the birth, when the person is actually born again. He is alive in a “prenatal” relationship with Christ before that moment, but at baptism that relationship becomes “postnatal”.

I think this understanding avoids the pitfalls of baptismal regeneration on the one hand, and baptism as nothing more than a symbolic act on the other. It recognizes that baptism as a physical act saves no one, but when done in faith it assures the believer that they have indeed been washed in the blood of Christ and made acceptable in the sight of God.

At what point in the process of coming to life in Christ our sins are actually forgiven might be as hard to prove as when life actually begins in the womb. What’s not open for debate is that if you believe that Jesus died for your sins and you have been baptized into Him, your sins have been forgiven. The moment it happened is, in my opinion, of little concern.

God Bless, Rick

A question was recently asked in my adult class about the appropriateness of watching violence on TV. In responding to the question it was noted that the Bible contains a lot of violence, and now I read that according to computer textual analysis the Bible is more violent than the Quran. What are we to make of this?

The analyst, whose findings were published in the UK, said his findings cheer up Muslims and rile Christians, but the American Thinker author who was reviewing the findings made some very important points.

He began by noting that a raw word search in the U.S. criminal code would find all sorts of violence, but pointed out that that would not mean the code endorses murder and robbery and rape. He also noted that ancient Israel was a full-fledged nation with a military, surrounded by hostile nations that waged annihilation or near-annihilation warfare, and that if Israel’s neighbors had been peaceful, we wouldn’t find war verses in the Hebrew Bible.

The analyst also “discovered” that killing and destruction were referenced even more often in the New Testament than the Quran. The respondent agreed that the New Testament did have violence in it, but said recording that Jesus was crucified and Paul was beaten and stoned did not mean Christians should crucify or beat or stone people.

He went on to say: “There is simply no verse in all the New Testament that commands or even suggests Christians should form a militia or even a military to injure or kill people in the name of Christ. Rather, Peter and Paul hand the sword over to the state. This is where, once again, our Founders got things right. They separated the state from church, so the state does not meddle in church matters. Christians are called to preach the gospel that changes criminals to honest men, while the government is purposed to raise up a military and police force to protect the citizenry.”

He then notes that no Christian denomination today quotes the Old Testament to endorse or encourage violence, but the Quran is filled with violent verses that terrorists use to justify killing people in the name of Allah.

Just because a computer analysis suggests something is so doesn’t mean it is.

God Bless, Rick

In my Father’s Day sermon last week I noted that Peter’s admonition for husbands to live with their wives in an understanding way has been called the biggest challenge God has ever given to men. I went on to note that men understand other men; we know how they think, and usually know what to expect. The corollary is that we don’t know how women think or what to expect from them. I was proven wrong on both counts before lunch. Let me explain.

We recently had “my” bathroom re-done. We did “Marilyn’s” three years ago, and I was in no hurry to do mine. I didn’t see anything wrong with a green toilet and shower. But, understanding that women think differently about such things, I eventually gave in. And, I have to admit, it really turned out nice. Now I have a very contemporary bathroom that no one will ever see.

Anyway, I knew the picture of a Harris Hawk that had graced my bathroom for years would have to go. I was anxious to find something to put in it’s place, but Marilyn told me she was going to take care of it. It drove me crazy not knowing what was coming, or what she was waiting for. The study at home is filled with falconry pictures, and the living room has vacation and family pictures, so what would it be? Apparently it wouldn’t even be artsy, because she wouldn’t even let me pick out something at the Art Fair.

Without saying anything to her about it, I started thinking a picture of my first motorcycle would really be cool. And I thought maybe Father’s Day would be the day for whatever was coming. We had found a picture of my ‘48 Harley a couple of years ago when going through some pictures Mom had saved, but never really discussed it. Except to note that I had bought it for $90 and sold it for $95, and that they are now worth $50,000 or so. But that’s another story.

I’m sure you’ve guessed the end of this story. Yes, a beautiful picture of my old Harley now hangs in a place of honor in my new bathroom. I guess after 40 some years together, men and women can actually start thinking alike.

God Bless, Rick

Six weeks ago I told you to be watching for signs that the day is drawing near, and be ready to respond when the call goes out that it’s time. In case you’ve forgotten, I wasn’t talking about the Second Coming. I was talking about the need for volunteers to help us take up the old baseboards and move everything so new carpet could be laid in the hallways, classrooms and fellowship hall. Well, you can relax a bit. Lord willing, the day is still coming, but a couple of things have come up that have pushed the install a couple of months or so into the future.

As I mentioned when last talking about this, your excellent stewardship is making possible some improvements around the church. I just didn’t realize that there were a couple of improvements that had to take precedence.

The first came to our attention when we got a $3,000 water bill! We hadn’t noticed an increase in our water bill during the months of September-November. Nor did we notice they were then normal until the end of April. Apparently a leak had developed in the fall, and the water meter had failed in December. The bills were averaged until the meter was replaced, and it was discovered that we had “used” nearly 400,000 gallons of water! The city determined that the leak was between the meter and our building, and we hired a leak finder, a backhoe operator, and a plumber for a total of $1575 to get it fixed. We are now awaiting the final adjusted water bill that will be around half of the original bill, or another $1500.

The second opportunity to upgrade came when the AC unit for the fellowship hall started squalling. We replaced three units last year, but thought we could get a little more life out of the other two. We did. The north classroom unit only needed a minor repair in January, and a fan motor will hopefully keep the fellowship unit working through VBS. Once the fan noise was gone, however, we did discover that the compressor is also crying out for replacement. A new $5700 AC-furnace will be on its way shortly.

Our balance sheet is getting a tad shorter, but hopefully it will still cover carpeting before fall.​

God Bless,
Rick

I really don’t like picking ticks off a dog, or my skin! I know that mosquitos are actually the most dangerous of insects, killing a million people a year transmitting deadly diseases, but ticks really creep me out. Mosquitos suck blood and turn red; ticks suck blood and turn into bags of blood with their heads buried in my skin. I really don’t like ticks. And I didn’t think I liked ‘possums.

When I was in the 9th grade I came to Chatham to get a couple of heads from a guy who bought and skinned fur-bearing animals. No, it wasn’t for a Satanic ritual. They were for a biology project.

When I compared the brain size of a raccoon and a ‘possum, I discovered that ‘possums had tiny brains. That, and a couple of bad experiences with ‘possums, sealed the deal. Even though I had seen cute pictures of mama ‘possums with babies hanging from their tails, I thought they were ugly and stupid. They became my least favorite wild mammal. But, as they say, “The enemy of my enemy is my friend.”

Today I read an article in the “Dandy Designs” section of Does God Exist?, a periodical that Jonathan Sperry introduced me to several years ago. It’s good, and it’s free. If you want to subscribe, send a request for it to: Does God Exist? PO Box 2704, South Bend, IN 46680-2704.

Back to the article. “Recent studies have shown that opossums protect us from ticks. Opossums are fastidious in their grooming, scratching, licking, and chewing to remove any tick that is in their fur. Recent studies have shown that opossums may kill as many as 4,000 ticks a week, reducing the chance of Lyme disease being spread.”

The article also noted that scientists have recently found a peptide in opossum blood that neutralizes toxins so well that it is like a miracle, and concludes by saying, “God’s design of all life is a miracle, but the lowly opossum may be one of the most under-appreciated of all of God’s creatures.”

The next time one crawls out of our dryer vent I’ll not only thank it for cleaning it out, I’ll apologize for under-appreciating it.

God Bless, Rick