We Love God!

God: "I looked for someone to take a stand for me, and stand in the gap" (Ezekiel 22:30)

Between the two comings of Jesus, believers experience what is often called the tension between the already and the not yet. Jesus’ followers can look back and see that D-day, the decisive strike, has already occurred and now guarantees thorough defeat of the enemy. Nevertheless, the time after the first coming and before the second coming involves ongoing warfare with the spiritual forces of darkness and their terrestrial supporters. V-day has not yet arrived, and so the potential for setbacks and defeats still exists. All too often, God’s people succumb to temptation and score a victory for the enemies of God. Still, the decisive strike at the first coming of Jesus guarantees ultimate victory at the second, and Jesus’ followers fight the good fight with assurance that God who has begun a good work at the first coming of Jesus will bring it to completion at the second.

Dean Ulrich

Some Reasons Baptists Do Not Baptize Infants: 1. In every New Testament command and instance of baptism the requirement of faith precedes baptism. So infants incapable of faith are not to be baptized. 2. There are no explicit instances of infant baptism in all the Bible. In the three “household baptisms” mentioned (household of Lydia, Acts 16:15; household of the Philippian jailer, Acts 16:30–33; household of Stephanus, 1 Corinthians 1:16) no mention is made of infants, and in the case of the Philippian jailer, Luke says explicitly, “They spoke the word of the Lord to him together with all who were in his house” (Acts 16:32), implying that the household who were baptized could understand the Word. 3. Paul (in Colossians 2:12) explicitly defined baptism as an act done through faith: “…having been buried with Him in baptism, in which you were also raised up with Him through faith in the working of God.” In baptism you were raised up with Christ through faith – your own faith, not your parents’ faith. If it is not “through faith” – if it is not an outward expression of inward faith – it is not baptism. 4. The apostle Peter, in his first letter, defined baptism this way, “…not the removal of dirt from the flesh, but an appeal to God for a good conscience – through the resurrection of Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 3:21). Baptism is “an appeal to God for a good conscience.” It is an outward act and expression of inner confession and prayer to God for cleansing, that the one being baptized does, not his parents. 5. When the New Testament church debated in Acts 15 whether circumcision should still be required of believers as part of becoming a Christian, it is astonishing that not once in that entire debate did anyone say anything about baptism standing in the place of circumcision. If baptism is the simple replacement of circumcision as a sign of the new covenant, and thus valid for children as well as for adults, as circumcision was, surely this would have been the time to develop the argument and so show that circumcision was no longer necessary. But it is not even mentioned.

John Piper

We Love God!

God: "I looked for someone to take a stand for me, and stand in the gap" (Ezekiel 22:30)

"m&m’s"â® Pb&j Cookie Sandwiches

January 28, 2023

CATEGORY	CUISINE	TAG	YIELD
Vegetables, Grains, Dairy, Eggs			1	Servings

INGREDIENTS

1/4	c	Solid vegetable shortening
1/2	c	Butter or margarine
1/2	c	Creamy peanut butter
1	c	Firmly packed light brown
		sugar
1		Egg
1	t	Vanilla extract
1 2/3	c	All-purpose flour
1	t	Baking soda
1/2	t	Baking powder
1/2	c	Finely chopped peanuts
1	c	M&MsÂ® milk chocolate mini
		baking bits
1/2	c	Grape or strawberry jam

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat oven to 350Ã¸F. In large mixing bowl beat together shortening,
butter, peanut butter and sugar until light and fluffy; add egg and
vanilla. Combine flour, baking soda and baking powder; blend into
creamed mixture. Stir in nuts and "M&M's"(r) Milk Chocolate Mini
Baking Bits. Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto ungreased cookie
sheets. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until light golden. Let cool 2  minutes
on cookie sheets; remove to wire racks to cool completely.  Just before
serving, spread 1/2 teaspoon jam on bottom of one cookie;  sandwich
with second cookie. Store in tightly covered container.  Notes:
Imagine, having all your favorite tastes...milk chocolate,  peanut
butter and jelly...rolled into one great snack! MAKES ABOUT 2  DOZEN
SANDWICH COOKIES.  Recipe by: Mars Recipe by 1996 Mars, Incorporated
Posted to  brand-name-recipes by Barbra<barbra@pipeline.com> on Feb 03,
1998

A Message from our Provider:

“God Himself does not propose to judge a man until he is dead. So why should you?”

Nutrition (calculated from recipe ingredients) ---------------------------------------------- Calories: 2867 Calories From Fat: 1750 Total Fat: 203.6g Cholesterol: 199.6mg Sodium: 2756.6mg Potassium: 1802.7mg Carbohydrates: 201g Fiber: 19.3g Sugar: 10.4g Protein: 76.8g