First Baptist Church of Rahway

How Great Thou Art on Dulcimer

noreply@blogger.com (FBCRahway) — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 13:38:00 +0000

More Than Just Me

noreply@blogger.com (FBCRahway) — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 19:34:00 +0000

(I wrote this seven years ago. I just rediscovered it. My daughter is in 42nd Street now and so it seems appropriate to reprint it)

My Son Edward became part of the cast of 42^nd Street at the High School, and for a while my world revolved around that famous street in NYC. First there were endless shuttles back and forth from rehearsal. We needed to buy the CD and listen to it over and over. Then we bought the video and watched it over and over. Edward came home from school everyday and tapped danced across the oak floors while singing the songs we just listened to on the CD. For months leading up to the big moment we lived 42^nd Street, we dreamed 42^nd Street, we existed in a 42^nd Street universe.

Finally it was on with the show. We attended multiple performances. There were cast parties, award ceremonies, etc… My wife even won an award for costume design. And then it ended. We returned to something resembling normal – though Edward still tap dances on the oak floors. And here I sit wondering – how did my world become so caught up in the worlds of others?

Well that’s an easy question to answer. I got married and had babies. It used to be just me. I could go where I wanted to go – do what I wanted to do. I could go out with my friends – or not. I could stay with my parents – or not. Then I met Betsy and then it was Betsy and me. And my orbital path fell into her orbital path and we would go where we wanted to go and do what we wanted to do. And then we had children. And more orbital paths fell in with ours – including in-laws, siblings, nieces, nephews, friends, coworkers and so on and so forth. For the briefest time it seemed that my world consisted of just me. But it quickly became more than me.

God didn’t need us. Have you ever thought about that? God didn’t need to create anyone or anything. God could have existed as a monolith – massive yet alone. Yet God wanted us – all of us. God wanted to fill the creation with unique individuals – beings in God’s image with whom God could care and share. I think God wanted this because existence is better with others. My life was not so great when it was just me. I could do what I wanted, but it was mostly boring and lonely. My life has been getting better and better as more people become a part of it. No wonder God said that the creation was good.

Edward is trying out for another musical. My other children are in the band, chorus, and scouts. Life is busy with all of these people demanding more and more of my time. I wouldn’t have it any other way.

God bless you,

Pastor Bill

Pray for the Church in America

noreply@blogger.com (FBCRahway) — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 14:36:00 +0000

A popular political and economic analyst and African-American culture critic has stirred controversy with a column bashing Bishop Eddie Long of New Birth Missionary Baptist Church over his multiple sexual misconduct allegations, calling the Atlanta, Ga., minister a "bold-faced liar."

Dr. Boyce Watkins, a published author and Scholar in Residence in Entrepreneurship and Innovation at Syracuse University, bashed the Georgia minister, known for multiple controversies including alleged sexual misconduct with male church members. The critic expressed admiration that the young men who accused Long have been speaking out, "in spite of the consequences for doing so," which he expressed in a column in his online publication, Your Black World.

Read the Rest of the Story…

That such a thing could happen, and continues to happen is unspeakable. Please pray for Jesus’ Church in America.

But let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream!

Christian Publishing Boom in China

noreply@blogger.com (FBCRahway) — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 14:45:00 +0000

China's communist government may be constricting freedom of worship in some places, such as Beijing's Shouwang house church, but Chinese consumers are gaining access like never before to legally published books by best-selling American evangelical authors.

Since early April, the 1,000-member-strong Shouwang church has held services outdoors rain or shine, and eight of its pastors are under house arrest. The government, citing the church's lack of registration, pressured the church's landlord to cancel Shouwang's lease.

At the same time, there has been a surge across China in the availability of popular Christian titles by authors Rick Warren, Gary Chapman, and Beth Moore, as well as classic titles by C. S. Lewis and others. Statistics on Christian book sales are unreliable in China. But figures on Bible publishing provide one reliable snapshot of the phenomenal growth. Amity, the official publisher of Bibles inside China, increased Bible printing each year from 1998 (2.8 million) to 2008 (10 million). Other than Bibles, top sellers are Rick Warren's The Purpose Driven Life, with more than 100,000 in print, and the Francine Rivers novel Redeeming Love.

Read the Rest of the Article…

Starting New Churches

noreply@blogger.com (FBCRahway) — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 14:54:00 +0000

The greatest evangelical impact Christians can take part in is to plant new churches, say leaders at the Acts 29 Network, an organization aimed at facilitating a global church planting movement. Acts 29 is a network of church planters founded by Mars Hill lead pastor Mark Driscoll. Thomas says that in the last 10 years, "Acts 29 has emerged from a small band of brothers to over 400 churches in the United States and networks of churches in multiple countries."

"Keller reflects our biblically-informed approach to church planting," Thomas told The Christian Post. "The Book of Acts is a record of Spirit-led Christians proclaiming the Gospel boldly in places where the Gospel is not known and establishing churches among the new believers. The Book ends in chapter 28. Acts 29 (Network) is seeking to continue the call to redeem broken lives into a community of God worshippers for His glory."

Read More…

Find out about the Acts 29 Network…

Ministry and the Big Show

noreply@blogger.com (FBCRahway) — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 14:54:00 +0000

Bishop Eddie L. Long of New Birth Missionary Baptist Church, stepped down from his pulpit several months ago. Now I know that most of you don’t know nor care who he is but the news caused me to think about my life in the ministry. Bishop Long built an empire outside of Atlanta, having 8,000 people hear his messages every weekend. However he was accused by several teenage boys of sexual misconduct. He lasted a good year after the initial accusations, but now his attendance has swindled to 4,000 a week, and he is out. Made me wonder, was he asked to leave because of the accusations or was he asked to leave because the show is over. The Bishop put on a grand show for a while. His ministry stretched all over the world. But when the people stop showing up, and the money gets tight, they draw the curtain, turn the lights off and send the performers packing. And don’t try telling me this doesn’t happen in churches. If you do, I’ll ask you why he wasn’t asked to step down when the scandal broke out to allow the church to investigate? Or, if they think he is innocent, why isn’t the church standing by him? My answer to the first question is, he kept the show going for a while. My answer to the second, he couldn’t keep the show going forever.

I tried to create the Big Show at my little church. It was a disaster. The supporters of the show told me that there needs to be more energy injected into the church. Why? I still don’t know the answer to that question. I don’t even know why I bought into the concept at the time. If a group of Quakers is doing the Lord’s work in their own quiet way, then that mission is just as powerful as a Mega-church that puts on a high energy show every week. So in the end, I and my church got caught up in a concept that has no validity. Energy doesn’t matter. Mission matters. That’s always been the case.

I’ve been thinking about this because of the misunderstood connection between spirituality and emotional fulfillment. In the new world we have created too many people think that God is in the ‘make me feel good’ business. Just look at the ads on the New Birth Missionary Baptist Church website. An Economic Empowerment Summit, 2012 Prayer Prophecies, The Power of One, and a Spirit and Truth conference in the Bahamas. Now these are all legitimate ministries of the church. However, I think I could make a very good argument that every one of these ministries has been carefully crafted to make the person sitting in the seat feel good about him/herself. It’s the marketing of these ministries that leads me to say that. And marketing is a major part of the show. Jesus certainly wanted to empower his followers, but he also talked about suffering and sacrifice. Selling these concepts is always left out of the show.

So, let me ask you this; what is the most important thing in your church? Is it mission? Or, is it the show? The show is about the emotional fulfillment of the membership. Therefore, it can be a high energy show or not. Or, it can be a keep everything traditional show. It doesn’t matter as long as the pew sitters are happy. Well, I’m tired of the show. More and more I just want my focus to be on mission and ministry. Jesus didn’t make everyone happy, why should I? And I have learned the hard way that real ministry includes suffering and sacrifice. Real ministry is loving God and loving people. Now that’s a show worth putting on, but it won’t sell too well to the high energy crowd.

Peace,

Pastor Bill

Keep Praying for Eric

noreply@blogger.com (FBCRahway) — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 14:25:00 +0000

Eric LeGrand continues to work hard on his recovery from a paralyzing hit on the Football field. He has been working on sitting up in his chair without support. Last week he said he can sit up for 2 minutes and 5 seconds. His goal for this month is to hit the 3 minute mark. If you with to keep up with Eric’s progress you can find him on Twitter; @BigE52_RU.

This past weekend Eric was on the field at the New England Patriots football game. Despite his injury, he has been a very busy person.

Please pray for Eric to walk again!

Helping People Find Jobs

noreply@blogger.com (FBCRahway) — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 13:59:00 +0000

The U.S. unemployment rate dropped in late 2011, but the decrease was misleading. The U.S. Department of Labor didn't count more than 1.1 million jobless people who were classified as "discouraged workers": those who were willing and able to work but did not seek employment during the previous 30 days. Such discouragement has many roots. Their employers might have eliminated jobs due to belt-tightening or moved jobs overseas to cut labor costs.

Research shows that discouragement often grows the longer a worker is unemployed. Such individuals begin to spend less time each month looking for a new job. Dan Coffey, an outplacement expert who previously led the jobless ministry at Christ Church in Oakbrook, Illinois, said, "We fail to realize there is a grieving process involved—denial, anger, bargaining, acceptance. People who go through unemployment need to go through that." Job loss is considered one of the top 10 most stressful life events.

The needs of the discouraged worker are complex—which is where local churches can step in. "The church has a unique and wonderful role to play. The church provides spirituality and emotional support that can cut through the anxiety and the depression and give people hope," said Steve Murata, a leader of Menlo Park Presbyterian Church's Career Actions Ministry (CAM). Unlike secular agencies, the church can help people see their true worth in Christ, give them a new sense of purpose for their work lives, and re-energize them for the job search process.

Continue Reading…

More About the Ministry…

Revival Service in Haiti

noreply@blogger.com (FBCRahway) — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 13:59:00 +0000

The Fiery Tongue in Politics

noreply@blogger.com (FBCRahway) — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 15:18:00 +0000

I have a mouth on me. I grew up a nasty little kid who used his mouth to attain a little self respect. I became an expert at attacking my friends and enemies alike and learned to brush off the verbal abuse that I received in return. As a result of this special training in verbal jousting I am still very capable of making a sarcastic comment at just the wrong time.

I was attending one of the many dinners we had at Trinity Baptist in Scranton when the Lord Mayor walked in. My opinion of our Mayor was very low at that time. And I remarked to a friend, “vote for me” with the proper sarcastic vocal inflexions. I was over heard by several church members who reamed me out at a council meeting later in the month. They were very proud that the Mayor was shilling for votes at our church, and they were very upset that I dared to point out the obvious (as you can see I am quite unrepentant). I was severely chastised for the episode and I slunk out of that meeting like a scolded puppy. I have tried to learn my lesson and keep my mouth shut, but every once in a while, I let a nasty comment rip. I guess you can’t change a leopards spots.

You must be hiding under a rock if you don’t know that the Presidential campaign is in full swing and the discourse has turned ugly. On second thought, the discourse was ugly right from the start. From now until November we are looking at an ever increasing bombardment of political attack ads on the radio and television. If the past is any indication, no one will be spared. John McCain’s wife was accused of being addicted to prescription painkillers in the South Carolina primary twelve years ago. No attack will be considered too low. Four years ago the McCain campaign accused President Obama of being a “friend of terrorists”. I wasn’t the only one to think that someone would try and kill the big O after that accusation. And don’t think for one minute that any of this is new. President John Adams was called “His Rotundness” by a newspaper man paid by Thomas Jefferson. Prior to this, Jefferson and Adams were very close friends.

I know that the world of politics is ugly, but should it be this ugly? This is a question I can’t answer, but I can tell you what the Bible says about social discourse in general. And the Bible isn’t on the side of the politicians.

In the book of James, the tongue is compared to an out of control fire (3:6), an animal that cannot be tamed (3:7-8), and a double dealer that praises God and curses man at the same time (3:9-12). In the book of Proverbs it says that our words can “pierce like a sword” (12:18). It also says that words can have the power of life and death (18:21). This saying comes true in the story of Naboth’s Vineyard found in the 21^st chapter of 1 Kings. King Ahab wants to buy the vineyard but Naboth says no. Queen Jezebel spreads a rumor that Naboth has cursed God, and he is stoned to death. This event becomes the last straw as their sinful reign comes to an end. Fly to Saudi Arabia and curse the Prophet Mohammad in a busy square and you will see that words really can have the power over life and death.

James says; “Peacemakers who sow in peace raise a harvest of righteousness” (3:18). The Bible teaches us to be loving and supportive of the people around us. This should apply to everyone, even politicians. Unfortunately the winner take all reality of politics makes the participants desperate for success. And thus, they will say and in some cases do anything to win. But this reality does not spare them from following God’s Word. God calls all of us to be peacemakers and not fire starters. God calls us to do His work in the world, not be the servants of Queen Jezebel. God calls us to be peacemakers, while the political war rages.

Now, if I can only stop from calling people I don’t like Bozo’s. It is totally unfair to Bozo the Clown.

Peace,

Pastor Bill

Haiti Two Years after the Earthquake

noreply@blogger.com (FBCRahway) — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 14:06:00 +0000

So where is Haiti now? Nearly fixed? Lewis says, "Hardly."

"There are still about half a million people living in some type of very temporary shelter. That number's down from like a million and a half," notes Lewis.

Progress to be certain, but more to go. Fear is still present throughout the nation, and Lewis says many middle class Haitians he has met are still far from obtaining permanent housing as they knew it before January 12, 2010.

"The idea of actually rebuilding back to a brick-and-mortar or concrete type of structure comparable to what they had prior to the earthquake just seems like that's going to be a decade away for so many."

Read the rest of the article…

Link to EFCA Haiti Mission…

Pray for the People of Haiti!

Christian Hospital Struggles During Greek Financial Crisis

noreply@blogger.com (FBCRahway) — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 14:31:00 +0000

The financial crisis that began in 2009 continues in Greece. The economy is declining and, as a result, the people are suffering greatly. Unemployment officially exceeds 16%, salaries have been reduced, and taxes have increased tremendously.AMG missionary Argyris Petrou puts it this way, “There is pain and agony, even despair. People are losing jobs, families are devastated, the young are without hope, and the old are suffering.” Fotis Romeos, AMG’s Eastern Europe Director writes, “A gigantic protest is in progress today, including two days of general strikes. Please be praying for wisdom and that the crisis will become an opportunity for the advancement of the kingdom of God.”

Our coworkers in Greece are under a lot of pressure. St. Luke’s Hospital in Thessaloniki has been particularly affected, as the government insurance agencies have been very slow in meeting their financial obligations to the hospital. Yet, demand for its services continues to grow, particularly as public health services decline further. And this is a great opportunity to share the Gospel. We just recently received yet another testimony of an individual who came to St. Luke’s for physical care and found Christ as Savior as well.

Please pray for the financial needs of St. Luke’s, for Dr. and Mrs. Demosthenes Katsarkas as they lead that ministry, and for Fotis Romeos as he leads other AMG ministries from AMG’s Athens office.

Learn more about AMG Ministries in Greece and St. Luke’s Hospital…

A Mormon or a Christian President?

noreply@blogger.com (FBCRahway) — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 14:55:00 +0000

Since politics currently takes up a lot of space in the news I thought I would ask you, my gentle readers, another question.

Does it matter what religious faith the President is? Does it matter if the President is a Christian, a Mormon, a Muslim or a Jew?

Some say yes, some say no. What do you say? Feel free to answer in the comment section below. Before you do, consider this passage from the Bible.

Isaiah 44:24, and 28
I am the LORD,
   the Maker of all things,…
who says of Cyrus, ‘He is my shepherd
   and will accomplish all that I please;
he will say of Jerusalem, “Let it be rebuilt,”
   and of the temple, “Let its foundations be laid.”’

(Cyrus was a Persian King, not a child of Abraham. And yet, God uses Cyrus to fulfill God’s purposes).

Peace, Pastor Bill

Faith and Reason

noreply@blogger.com (FBCRahway) — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 13:24:00 +0000

(The Seven Sisters by Helder Jacinto)

I am a person of faith. I have been a person of faith since I was a little kid. I can’t even remember a time when I wasn’t talking to God. When I was little I used to ask God for the usual stuff; help with tests, protection from bullies, etc… Over the years I started to have conversations with God. These conversations were mostly philosophical. What do I do in this situation? Why do bad things happen to good people? Stuff like that. I was never a normal teenager.

Today I continue my conversations with God. I find myself saying thank you a lot. I guess I do that because I feel very lucky. I have a wonderful life, with an amazing wife, and a great family. And so when I talk with God I always end up saying thank you, regardless of whether my situation is good or bad.

I am a person of reason. I have always been a person of reason. I have always asked questions when confronted with difficult to explain phenomenon. I have always been a person that demanded explanations. I also love to hear the explanations. I love to learn something new. I love to figure out something that was a mystery to me.

And so it is not so mysterious that I eventually wandered into the world of astrophysics. The stars kept pulling at me until I decided to build a telescope and see what they looked like through the eyepiece. I was not disappointed and I still love to view the night sky as often as possible. The heavens speak to me of the glories of God.

The night sky also speaks to me of the glories of reason. When I was learning how my telescope worked, I found out that there was a purpose to all that trigonometry I didn’t learn in High School. A friend gave me the trigonometric formula for finding faint celestial objects that can’t be seen with the naked eye. I sat down with a scientific calculator and did the trigonometry on a pad of paper, comparing the results with calculations made by my computer until I got the numbers right. What that exercise taught me was that the formulas work. If you do them right, they work every time. And I remember thinking, wow, this really makes sense. Now that is reason in action.

I can’t apply a formula to God. When it comes to my faith I can’t punch in the numbers and get the result I want. I can talk about my faith, but I can’t prove it beyond a reasonable doubt. In fact I can’t prove it at all. I can only tell people that I talk with God all of the time. I can only say that I experience the presence of God within me. I can only testify to what I know and that is that God is with me all of the time and I am never alone. I know this to be true. I can’t prove it to you, or verify it, or calculate it. But I can tell you about my relationship with God, and you can judge for yourself. I can also tell you that if you look, you can also find God within you. But that is entirely up to you. I can show you how to find a galaxy in the night sky, but I can’t show you how to find God. I can only tell you that I speak with God, and that God knows me and cares for me. God knows you and cares for you. But you need to start talking to God to find that out.

Now excuse me while I make a few requests to the Almighty. A bigger telescope would be nice. A lot bigger. And a few of those really expensive eyepieces. And how about some astro-photography equipment…

(God’s response; You’ll Shoot Your Eye Out, Kid)

Peace,
Pastor Bill

Politics and the Bible

noreply@blogger.com (FBCRahway) — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 17:05:00 +0000

Now that the Presidential Election has gotten off the ground, I’d like to ask you a question or two about politics and religion. How much involvement should religious people have in the political process?

Some Quotes from the Bible to consider.

• Priests and Prophets have been involved in politics from the beginning.

The Prophet Nathan and King Solomon from 1 Kings 1:11-14.
The Apostle Paul bows to the demands of local politics in Acts 20:17-25.
Moses needed good people to serve in his government in Exodus 18:18-22.
Moses gathered together the leaders of the local tribes for decision making councils in Exodus 3:16.

• Prophets of God attack Injustice

God wants us to root out injustice in Proverbs 25:5.
Jeremiah says God will punish those who are politically corrupt in Jeremiah 22:1-5.
Jeremiah has been sent to destroy the unjust system and build up a new political system; Jeremiah 1:9-10.

• Religious people have a Duty to the State

Jesus says pay your taxes in Matthew 22:17-21.
The Apostle Paul says that the government is the sword of God in Romans 13:1-7.
The Apostle Peter says we should show people how good we are by following the rules in 1 Peter 2:13-17.

More Questions for your consideration. Please feel free to give your answers in the Comment section below.

Do you think Christians should run for political office and openly talk about their faith?
Do you think Christians should obey the law even when you think it is wrong?
Do you think Churches should openly support political candidates?
Do you think Churches should openly support political positions?

Pray for the People of Nigeria

noreply@blogger.com (FBCRahway) — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 14:16:00 +0000

(Above, Nigerian Christian Church bombed at Christmas)

An Islamist group in the northern part of Nigeria has said they will kill all of the Christians in the north unless they all leave. Christian groups are saying that they will defend themselves. A religious war is threatening the people of Nigeria with misery and chaos. Please pray for the people of Nigeria.

Read more…

SAT-7 for Kids in Arabic

noreply@blogger.com (FBCRahway) — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 14:10:00 +0000

SAT-7 is a satellite TV service that sends Christian programing into the Arabic speaking world. Most countries with Muslim dominated governments make Christian evangelism illegal. SAT-7 has found a way to bring the good news of Jesus Christ into the homes of millions of people who are denied the opportunity to hear our message. The organization has created a satellite channel and website for kids who speak Arabic. Check out their website (in English) and see what they are doing.

Link…

Happy New Year from First Baptist Church

noreply@blogger.com (FBCRahway) — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 12:54:00 +0000

"Be Thou My Vision" by Selah.

The Real Story of Christmas

noreply@blogger.com (FBCRahway) — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 12:42:00 +0000

This is the story of how we have come to celebrate Christmas today. The story starts with the birth of Jesus of Nazareth either in the year 6 BC or 6 AD. Both dates have pros and cons. The earlier one would have the baby Jesus born during King Herod’s lifetime (Matthew 2:1), before his death in 3 BC. Jesus would also be in his thirties (Luke 3:23) during the time Pontius Pilate was procurator of Judea, from 26 AD to 36 AD. In 6 BC there was a conjunction of planets that could have been what the Magi saw (Matthew 2: 1-2). However, there was no census (Luke 2:1) that we know of taken in Palestine in 6 BC. We do know that there was a census taken in 6 AD while Quirinius was governor of Syria (Luke 2:1). However if Jesus were born in 6 AD he would not have begun his ministry in his thirties and still face Pilate at a trial. Another date to consider would be 3 BC, but this date has problems too. All we really know is that Jesus didn’t say what year he was born in or what day. In fact, Jesus probably didn’t want anyone to make a fuss, and so he kept quiet about it. And this silence left the door wide open for people to make Christmas into whatever they wanted.

The earliest celebration of the birth of Jesus was called the Theophany or manifestation of God. Today we call it Epiphany and it is celebrated on January 6^th, which was the beginning of the year in the days of the early church. The celebration included more than Jesus’ birth, it included the concept of God being with us always. This celebration was split into two holidays in the 4^th century AD. At that time the Christmas celebration competed with the pagan celebration of the birth of the Unconquered Son which was placed on the winter solstice (the calendar in those days was off by four days). When the Roman Empire became Christian, December 25^th became Jesus’ birthday. Epiphany was then considered the day Jesus was baptized and the Holy Spirit became manifest to all (Matt. 3:16). And Advent came about as a civil law that required all citizens to be in church for forty days before Epiphany! For over a thousand years Christmas was a midwinter religious celebration. But it changes dramatically in the last several hundred years.

Our modern celebration begins in the fourth century AD in the Turkish town of Myra. Bishop Nicholas was known for his generosity and kindness to children and after his death was canonized as Saint Nicholas. The day of his death, December 6^th became a major holiday around Europe and people celebrated it by exchanging gifts. Protestants in the 16^th century banned the celebration of saint’s days and so people moved the day of celebration to Christmas. German traditions have Nicholas giving gifts to children and a ghost-like Christ child hovering around him called Christkindl (Kris Kringle). Dutch settlers in New York brought with them the story of Sinter Klaas (Santa Claus) who was plump and smoked a pipe. And in the early eighteen hundreds in America Clement Clarke Moore wrote the words, “‘Twas the night before Christmas…” which cemented the story of Santa in the minds of every American. In his story St. Nick rides a sleigh pulled by eight reindeer, is a jolly old elf and delivers toys to children through the chimney. Our modern Santa is dressed in red and white because in the 1930’s Coca-Cola used him to sell soda in the winter. And so there you have it - the story of how the birth of our savior and a kindly saint became tied up with gift giving and soda pop!

Isn’t this an amazing story! Isn’t it astonishing how St. Nick became Santa and was thrust into the Christmas story? I hope you can see that many of our Christmas traditions have very little to do with Jesus of Nazareth. Fortunately the core message of the religious celebration still survives in our churches today. And that is the message of God becoming manifest to people in a very real way. God came to our world, as a real living person to show us how much He loves us. And He lived His life as an example of how to serve our Father in Heaven as well as serve other people. This is the real message of Christmas. And the message is more important than all of the gifts and all of the celebrating in the entire world. It is my hope that as we are opening presents and drinking soda, we keep in mind a child in a manger who came to give us the gift of light and life.

Blessings, Pastor Bill

Christmas Storm Strikes Philippines

noreply@blogger.com (FBCRahway) — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 13:36:00 +0000

A terrible storm struck the Philippines before Christmas leaving a thousand people dead and tens of thousands homeless. Please pray for the people of the Philippines today.

President Benigno Aquino of the Philippines declared a state of national calamity on Tuesday after visiting areas in the south of the country that were devastated by a tropical storm over the weekend.

The death toll continued to rise from Tropical Storm Washi, which has left tens of thousands of people homeless as aid agencies struggle to deal with a growing humanitarian crisis.

Read the rest of the Story…

German Muslim Student Banned from Praying

noreply@blogger.com (FBCRahway) — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 14:49:00 +0000

A recent story caught my attention this week. A German Muslim student has been banned from praying in the hall corridors of his public school.

Here is the Link.

I am curious about your comments to this story. Stories like this one are popping up all of the time. What do you think? Should he be allowed to pray in public or not?

Keep in mind these two stories from the life of Jesus.

And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. Matthew 6:5-6 (Jesus saying not to publicly make a fuss)

On reaching Jerusalem, Jesus entered the temple courts and began driving out those who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves, ¹⁶ and would not allow anyone to carry merchandise through the temple courts. And as he taught them, he said, “Is it not written: ‘My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations’? But you have made it ‘a den of robbers.’ Mark 11:15-17 (Jesus very publicly making a fuss)

Am I To Be

noreply@blogger.com (FBCRahway) — Mon, 26 Dec 2011 13:47:00 +0000

( A Poem by Ted Zendarski)

If it's your will, am I to be seen
And if that's so, will anyone look
But it's out of my hands
Please give me a chance
But not as I will

If it's your will, am I to be heard
and if that's so, will anyone listen
But it's out of my hands
Please give me a chance
But not as I will

If it's your will, am I to be touched
And if that's so, will anyone feel
But it's out of my hands
Please give me a chance
But not as I will

If it's your will, am I to be fed
And if that's so, will anyone feed
But it's out of my hands
Please give me a chance
But not as I will

If it's your will, am I to be held
And if that's so, will anyone hold
But it's out of my hands
Please give me a chance
But not as I will

If it's your will, am I to be loved
And if that's so, will you love me
But it's out of my hands
Please give me a chance
But not as I will

If it's your will, am I to be
And if that's so, do you really want me
But it's out of my hands
Please give me a chance
But not as I will

It was her will, and given free
And so long ago, she accepted it to be
But now it's in your hands
Please give me a chance
As Mary did He

Johnny Cash and Daughters Sing Silent Night

noreply@blogger.com (FBCRahway) — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 13:18:00 +0000

All I want for Christmas is hair like his.

Happy Christmas and God's Blessing Everyone!
Pastor Bill

Religion at Christmas

noreply@blogger.com (FBCRahway) — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 14:55:00 +0000

This Christmas Eve there will be candles burning. Lots and lots of candles burning. Our church turns off the lights at the end of the service and we light our candles and sing Silent Night. The more traditional churches like the Roman Catholic Church probably have enough burning candles in them to outshine New York City on New Year’s Eve. Some contemporary churches will have their congregants holding battery powered electric candles. Safer, but not very cool. All throughout the world this week there will be praises, prayers, singing and burning candles. This is how we Christians worship during the Christmas season. However, this is not religion.

That last statement has probably gotten some of you to shake your heads or wrinkle your noses. If our celebration of Christmas is not religion then what is? It depends on how you define the term, as opposed to how I define the term. Most people define it in a very broad sense. If a person is worshipping something whether it is God in Heaven or a dandelion, then that person is practicing religion. I do not define religion in this way. In my definition it is not enough to worship God or whatever it is you believe in. It is not enough to light a candle and sing a song. It is not enough to believe in something. These aspects are all a part of how we express our religious belief, desires and feelings. However, they are only a very small part of what religion is.

When asked “which is the greatest commandment”, Jesus responded; “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments” (Matthew 22:37-40). Notice that neither of these are in the 10 Commandments. Instead Jesus quoted Deuteronomy 6:5 and Leviticus 19:18. The Deuteronomy passage is part of the Shema, the foundation of the Law of Moses: “Here O Israel; the Lord our God, the Lord is One”. The worship practices cited above would fall under this commandment. Religious people are to worship God with everything they have and everything they are. And so those of us who have faith in God do just that, at church services, synagogue services, etc… For Jesus, this commandment is not enough.

His second command is to love your neighbor. This comes from Leviticus and is surrounded by a host of laws some of which we wouldn’t consider too important today. “Do not mate different kinds of animals. Do not plant your field with two kinds of seed. Do not wear clothing woven of two kinds of material” (Lev. 19:19). I think I’m in trouble with The Lord because of my cotton/polyester blend sweater. And yet, Jesus lifts up loving your neighbor as the second most important law besides loving God. And though I have said that these two commandments are not in the 10 Commandments, they are the foundation of the 10. The first 5 commandments are all concerned with loving and honoring God. The second 5, are concerned with loving and honoring people. I hope that you can see, being a religious person is more than being a devote worshiper. It is also about treating each other with dignity, love and respect.

Whether you agree with me or not, my definition of religion is; Loving God and Loving People. It’s as simple as that. A so called religious person is not religious if he/she do not place both of these concepts at the foundation of their life. All of the candles, all of the prayers and praises, all of the religious practices in all of the world do not amount to a hill of beans if the people involved do not love their neighbors. You can pray to a dandelion all you want, and it can make you feel good, but if you treat the people around you like garbage, your prayers and your good feelings will disappear like your godlike weed when the winter sets in.

So when you light your candles and sing your songs this Christmas, just remember as you step outside into the cold. Love God and Love People, religion hangs on these two commandments.

God bless you and Happy Christmas,

Pastor Bill

The Star of Bethlehem Part 3

noreply@blogger.com (FBCRahway) — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 12:40:00 +0000

Of course, it didn’t work out the way they had planned. There was no royal birth in the family of King Herod the great of Judea in the spring of 6 BC. This was a catastrophe for the Magi. They had invested a ton of money into the enterprise and so far they had nothing to show for it. What does an ancient astrologer do in a crises like this? They consulted their star charts and astrology tables for the answer.

What they saw there was Jupiter entering retrograde motion in the house of Taurus on August 23^rd. Retrograde motion of the outer planets is a wonderful optical illusion. The Earth’s orbit is shorter and faster than Jupiter’s, and so every so often we catch up to Jupiter and pass it. When that happens, Jupiter appears to stop against the background of stars for a week. Then the big planet moves in the opposite direction than it normally does for several months. It then stops a second time for a week and proceeds on its merry way. A modern astronomer knows that Jupiter never stops and also knows that retrograde motion is due to the different speeds of the planets and the changing angle of view. However, to an ancient astrologer, planetary retrograde motion was an amazing phenomenon that portended great things. The meaning they assigned to this event was that it enhanced greatly whatever qualities the portents were predicting. In other words, if I was born under a sign that foretold I would be a leader, and Jupiter was in retrograde motion at the same time, the portent would mean that I would be a great leader. Thus when the Magi looked at their tables, they saw that Jupiter would move backwards out of Taurus and back into Ares and stop for a week on December 19^th. They would have interpreted this to mean that the royal birth would happen in the winter of 6 BC rather than the spring. They were back in the hunt.

I would also like to point out that during planetary retrograde motion, the wandering star, in this case Jupiter, stops in the sky. “And, lo, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was” (Matthew 2:9). The planet (wandering star) was “moving before them”, which meant that it was moving against the background of stars. The language used in these quotes is exactly the same language ancient astrologers used to describe retrograde motion.

How did the Magi find Jesus? At the time there were several prophets proclaiming the coming of the Messiah in the Jerusalem Temple. Simeon (Luke 2:25-35) and Anna (Luke 2:36-38) were probably typical of the people who came to the temple and prophesied in the outer courts. Word may have reached the Magi of their preaching and they went to speak with them. Both Simeon and Anna were aware of Mary and Joseph and so they could have sent the Magi to Bethlehem. Of course this common couple and their new born were not what the Magi expected. But what the heck? Prophets had proclaimed Jesus the King of the Jews, and that meant the Magi could return home and proclaim victory. And of course, cash in.

One last detail before I wrap up our Christmas story. Why would a good Jewish boy like Matthew associate the worst of sinners, astrologers, with the coming of the Jewish Messiah? Deuteronomy 18:10 condemns anyone who practices divination or reads omens, which is what astrologers did. No good God fearing 1^st century Jew would have anything to do with someone who cast horoscopes. So why would Matthew write this story? Because it is true. As strange as it sounds, the more unlikely a story is the more likely it is to have happened. For the simple reason that if Matthew was to make up a story about the birth of God’s anointed King, he would follow the OT tradition of miraculous birth announcements, like Sarah and Abraham in chapters 17 and 18 of the book of Genesis. Instead Matthew tells his mostly Jewish audience that the birth of Jesus was predicted by sinful Babylonian diviners. It’s so crazy it must be true.

So, next time someone brings up the question of The Star of Bethlehem, you can say; why it was Jupiter in retrograde motion, of course.

I hope you have enjoyed this brief explanation. If you wish to know more, I heartily recommend the books I listed in the beginning of this narrative.

God bless you,

Pastor Bill