Reality shows are everywhere these days. Some people survive, others become idols but I wonder if they are being real. Often times we aren’t real with one another. We’re not even genuine with God I think. We say our little prayers, repeating words that our parents taught us or words that we’ve heard others say in church.

Come on – get real. That’s what God wants. Matthew 6:5-7

5“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 men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. 6But 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. 7And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. 8Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.

Examine the prayers of David from the Psalms. He didn’t try to sound big and macho. He cried for help with very real problems and confessed very real sins. Examine the prayers of Jesus from the gospels. He too prayed about how he really felt. These were the cries of real people to a real God. That’s what God wants when we pray; he wants us to be real. He doesn’t want us trying to sound fancy and churchy he wants to talk to us. He wants to be with us not with some public face we put up. He sees through the facade. He is your Lord and Savior but what he really wants is to be your friend and walk with you like he did with Adam before the fall and with men like Enoch and Moses. Can you imagine the joy of walking side by side with God Almighty? But before you can really walk with him you have to really talk with him.

Just drop all that is not genuine and be real. Get real with God. Let your guard down and let God be your friend.

I. BAPTISM IS IMMERSION
Insights from the Greek:
Four words are worth looking at in the NT for the purposes of our discussion, and they correspond to what denominational Christianity calls “modes of baptism”: immersing, sprinkling, pouring, and affusion (applying water to the head of the individual).
1. Baptidzo = immerse. The word always used for NT baptism. (It comes from the verb bapto, which means to dip.) Baptidzo literally means dip or immerse (in the active voice), dip oneself, plunge, sink, or even drown (in the middle voice). Classical Greek authors used this word to describe ships sinking in naval warfare. The clear implication is total immersion.
2. Hrantidzo = sprinkle. Never used in the NT in connection with baptism. It is true that the OT practice of sprinkling blood (which conveys sanctification) is associated through the death of Christ with NT baptism (Hebrews 10:22), but there is no evidence the first century Christians attempted to give a new meaning to the word baptidzo. Read the rest of this entry

(We Don`t Always Get What We Want)

Luke points out that in Christ sometimes we don`t get what we asked for. Sometimes we don`t get what we want. Sometimes we get more than we ever dreamed.

Acts 3:1-11

Peter Heals the Crippled Beggar
1One day Peter and John were going up to the temple at the time of prayer—at three in the afternoon. 2Now a man crippled from birth was being carried to the temple gate called Beautiful, where he was put every day to beg from those going into the temple courts. 3When he saw Peter and John about to enter, he asked them for money. 4Peter looked straight at him, as did John. Then Peter said, “Look at us!” 5So the man gave them his attention, expecting to get something from them.
Read the rest of this entry