John?s Announcement

Colin Dye — Mon, 08 Oct 2012 11:55:30 +0000

John the Baptist was called to prepare the way for Christ, and his ministry focused on a baptism in water.

Nicolas Poussin Saint John Baptizing in the River Jordan

Thousands came from all Judea to be baptised by him as a sign of their repentance and willingness to receive the Christ who was about to be revealed. But John was clear that the Messiah would bring a baptism which was to be far greater than anything Israel had ever conceived. It was a baptism with the Holy Spirit and fire. Just as John plunged his followers into the River Jordan so the Christ would plunge his followers into the cleansing and empower river of the Holy Spirit.

Key Thought

John?s baptism was a baptism into water, but Jesus? baptism means you are immersed into the realm of the Holy Spirit. John took his followers up out of the waters of his baptism, but Jesus? baptism into the Holy Spirit is permanent. You go on living in the presence of the Spirit.

Prayer

Lord, saturate me once more with your Spirit. Help me to find the fullness of this experience of living in your presence. Keep me in the freshness of life in the Spirit.

Discipleship Steps

Being baptised in the Holy Spirit means that you are not only permanently plunged into the realm of the Holy Spirit and that you experience his presence and power. It also means that the Holy Spirit?s influences begin to penetrate every part of your life, just as water begins to penetrate every part of a sponge immersed in water. To be truly filled with the Holy Spirit is an awesome experience. It introduces you to a lifetime of being constantly saturated by God.

Read: Matthew 3:11-12

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The Boundaries of Same Sex Relationships

Colin Dye — Wed, 14 Mar 2012 10:44:33 +0000

Ben Affleck and Matt Damon, two straight Hollywood stars, are well-known for their friendship, or "Bromance"

The Bible is very clear about this. Sexual intimacy is solely for husband and wife within the bounds of marriage. What this clearly tells us is that there are boundaries in same sex relationships that must not be crossed. To some readers this may be obvious, but to many this very fact is a stumbling block, since society has so strongly promoted the view that freedom only comes through the removal of boundaries.

For many, the way to have fun is to do whatever you want with whoever you want, without any boundaries. But the truth is, in our relationships with God and each other, the real blessing is released when we operate within God-given boundaries.
The boundaries of same sex relationships are this: no matter how deep or intense or loving the relationship is (and we have seen that such relationships can be so powerful as to extend beyond the grave and to the generations to come), there is no evidence in Scripture- taking even the most sympathetic view- that any form of sexual expression can be sanctioned between people of the same sex.
There are many examples of love and closeness between members of the same sex in the Bible, but not one of them has any sexual connotations.
John the beloved disciple rested on the breast of Jesus at the Last Supper. Such a physical expression of love reveals a deep friendship, even a level of intimacy that some friends would not be comfortable with. But it would be wrong to move from such signs of affection (the Greek philos) to homoerotic acts ( the Greek eros love). For people who see that in the relationship between Jesus and John, it tells us more about them than it does about Jesus and John. We must be careful not to read into the Bible what isn?t there, or what we would like to be there.
So, the Bible includes many strong expressions of love, even of physical contact, but they always stop short of erotic intimacy. It is physical closeness, but never sexual. The modern world cannot comprehend a level of physical closeness without an underlying sexual agenda.
The Bible is clear about the fact that same sex relationships are intended for friendship, companionship, mutual encouragement, and to fulfil the purposes of God.

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