Prayer List
Betty Harris is in Carrrus room 214.
Ben Harrington will have additional
tests in December.
Shirley Quinn is now at Home. AC is
also doing better.
Andy Ledane still needs our prayers as
he is having heart rate issues.
Sue Morgan is in a Greenville hospital.
Wanda Peterson, Charley's sister is a
home.
Jerry Foster has been moved to Texoma
Healthcare.
Jack & Kay's grandson, Gabreil was
to have more tests last week.
Christel Balthrop, a friend of Leta's,
is having difficulty carrying her baby to full term.
Brian Smelser passed Monday –
Remember his family.
Remember in Daily Prayers
Eddie Griffin, Steven Courtney, Leta
Embry, Jerry and Betty Harris, Nell Hall, James & Florene
Griffin, Don Hickerson, Lester and Billie Phillips, Jack & Diane
Arnold, Betty Clark, Debbie Kluge, Sonny & Doris James, Beryl
Miller, Dean & Della Price, and Terry Turner.
Serving Our Country
Travis Counts Cody Blumstead Dakota Smitherman
Pantry Item Cereal
Men Serving Next Month
Announcements – Scripture reading,
Butch Balzen
Lord's Supper, Greg Counts, Robert
Embry, Jack Cawthon
Men Serving Next Week December 6, 2015
Scripture Reading; Butch Balzen
Prayers Morning Jack Cawthon – Robert
Courtney
Evening Charlie Counts – Jerry
Harris
IS BAPTISM ESSENTIAL TO
SALVATION?
By Ben Bailey
Many in our religious world would
answer this with a "NO". It is good to do. It definitely
should be done. Can I go to Heaven without doing it? Yes. For just
a few moments I want to ask you to put aside any preconceived
thoughts or ideas you may have about baptism. I ask you to simply
take the Bible for what it says and examine with me this very
important subject.
Jesus said, "He that believes and
is baptized will be saved, he that does not believe will be
condemned" (Mark 16:16). In this verse Jesus gives us two
requirements that must be met to receive salvation. What are they?
Belief and baptism are the two requirements that are essential to
salvation.
Peter said, "Repent and be
baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the
remission of your sins and you shall receive the gift of the Holy
Spirit" (Acts 2:38). Peter's statement is in response to the
Jews questions, "Men and brothers what shall we do"? (Acts
2:37). The Jews had just realized they had crucified their own
Messiah. When they realized their sin, they asked what we must do to
receive the forgiveness of this sin. Peter gave a clear response to
their question. He said they had to repent and be baptized to be
forgiven of their sin! Thus, repentance and baptism are essential to
be forgiven of sin,
Jesus mad it clear to Nicodemus that
baptism was essential to get to Heaven. Nicodemus came to Jesus to
flatter Him, but Jesus got right to the point. He said to
Nicodemus,"...unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he
cannot enter the kingdom of God" (John 3:5). Jesus plainly
taught that a person could not go to Heaven without being baptized.
From the Apostle Paul's conversion we
also learn that baptism is essential to salvation. At Paul's
conversion Ananias told him, "arise and be baptized and wash
away your sins calling on the Lord's name" (Acts 22:16). How
did Paul get his sins washed away? How did he call on the Lord's
name? By getting up and being baptized. Thus, baptism is essential
to have your sins forgiven.
Friend, can you honestly come to
passages like these and many others ans say that baptism is not
essential to salvation. Did you know that most modern religions say
that exact thing? Why not just take Jesus at His word and obey Him?
If you would like to study more about God's plan of salvation we
would love to help you. May God help each of us to conform our will
to the Gospel of Christ!