Reflect Bible Study:John 1:29-34

The baptism of Jesus is a unique picture that shows us the Humanity of God and is a perfect module of what we can hope for. 

Leviticus 8 describes a priests threefold anointing. 

1. Water baptism

2. Oil anointing

3. Blood anointing

Jesus fulfills two of these in this chapter. 

First Water baptism which was an example for us because Jesus knew no sin. Second in a sense an oil anointing which is a picture of the Spirit for us. As Jesus is being baptized the Spirit falls on Jesus and stays on him. 

Jesus shows us what it is to live a life in the Spirit, and that Jesus in the flesh needed to be filled with the Spirit as do we. Immediately afterwords Jesus begins his public ministry. In this we can also understand that one of the works of the Spirit is for the empowerment of ministry. Acts 1:1-8 confirms that Jesus Spirit filled life and the Power He received, as well as Jesus being the first fruits of the Baptism of the Spirit. 

If we are not experiencing Christ exalting Power in ministry, as in lives being changed, and people being saved. Then we should turn to Lord in repentance and ask to be filled and baptized in the Spirit. 

Reflect Bible Study:John 1:19-28

The testimony of John the Baptist was this, "I am not Jesus". 

John the Baptist gives us a unique picture of what it was to be a "voice". It is an especially important passage for the evangelist to which we all are called in a time when there are so many voices out there. 

John witnessed in the "I am not"

1. I am not your King

2. I am not your Healer 

3. I am not your Judge

 

In approaching witnessing from the perspective of John the baptist we are able to Elevate  Christ and move ourselves out of the picture. 

This is a brief introduction to How we are begining to get vision 

for the CSU college ministry 

Birthday of Tragedy

Its my Birthday tommorrow and I get a little nervous around this date because of the mass amount trajedy's on or around my birthday. 

April 19th 

-Start of the revolutionary war with the "shot heard around the world" 

-the ship the Iowa blowing up and killing 47 soldiers

-the Waco fire when David Koresh and his followers killed themselves 

-the Oklahoma City Bombings

-Getting mentioned the movie 23 as a tragic date, cursed the movie

April 20th

-Prophet Muhammads Birthday

-Hitlers Birthday

-Columbine

This Year Passover on the Jewish Calender starts on April 19th sundown 

is this all coinciedence who knows? 

Peace with you all tommorrow. 

Safety in Steeples

Rebecca and I went up on the top of one of Charleston's many parking garages to take some pictures. I had forgotten how many steeples there were, there must have been at least 20 to 30. There looming presence over Charleston reminded me of an old Charleston folklore that gave an explanation to all the steeples in Charleston. It was believed that if you were in view of a steeple that God could see you. In other words there was safety in steeples because people were afraid to commit crimes in view of God. Obviously a poor doctrine and representation of God to hold but it does give us a good figurative picture of a characteristic of church and makes us ask the question. 

Do these steeples still offer safety?

Ps 5:11 

But let all who take refuge in you be glad, let them ever sing for joy; And may you shelter them, that those who love Your name may exult in You.

Ps 7:1 O LORD my God, In You I have taken refuge; save me from all those who pursue me, and deliver me,