Romans Chapter 5

⁶ You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless,Christ died for the ungodly. ⁷ Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. ⁸ But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.⁹ Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him! ¹⁰ For if, while we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life! ¹¹ Not only is this so, but we also boast in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.

John Chapter 1

⁹ The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. ¹⁰ He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. ¹¹ He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. ¹² Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name,he gave the right to become children of God— ¹³ children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.¹⁴ The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

As we go, we will be sharing things about our lives. We hope to share our successes and failures and the ways we are adapting to fit into this new way of living that seems really counter-cultural and foreign to what we’ve grown accustomed to. We also want to share what we feel God is teaching us about faith and dependence through our journey. Hope you will share this with others!

In blessed fellowship,

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Well, kinda international right? Someone share this with a friend overseas to make the above title a reality!

We’d like to invite you to be the biggest part of getting people to hear this new song “The Grace Parade” and our new EP Antiques Part 1. We’ve exclusively released it on YouTube to allow you to share it easily with your friends. We hope it is meaningful to you! The CD is available for order now at www.mjblack.com

Thanks for listening and sharing,

Matt and Joanna

Cut and paste to share link http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sLomXI3P6m0

All materials are in at the duplicator, the printing presses are warming up. Take a second and sample our album, and share it with your friends!

In contrast to the above, I find hope and comfort in the central message of the Bible. That central message is called the Gospel which means the good news, and here’s the key truth that I’ve learned from it. My worth is not based on my looks, age, ability to achieve, or even how well I can uphold moral standards. The Gospel message tells us that our worth is measured by what God’s Son Jesus did for us, and not on what we we can perform or accomplish to meet man’s approval or most importantly God’s approval. Through the perfect life that Jesus lived on the earth, His sacrificial death on the cross where He took punishment for humankind’s rebellious offenses against God, and His resurrection from the dead, His power to redeem humanity from sin and death was made known.

When we believe in and receive the good news of what God did for us through Jesus, something happens in a realm that transcends our physical realities. This something is called the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. Jesus Himself called the Holy Spirit a helper or guide sent from God to be with us on earth, and He said that the Spirit would connect us both to Him and the Father as they live in the heavenly realms. When the Spirit came to believers some 2000 years ago it was like a cosmic collision of heaven meeting earth, mortality was infused with immortality. The same thing happens today when hearts receive the message I’ve just shared. If you’re growing tired of living as a slave to laws and social norms that govern this world, receive the Good News! You can live in this world with faith that you will be preserved for eternity. There isn’t any other anti-aging serum that can deliver on this! This promise not only gives hope for the world to come, but gives hope in your present circumstance.  Though receiving this message and seeking to follow in Christ’s example will not place a person outside of harms way in this fallen world, as you walk through this life the companionship of the Holy Spirit, and fellowship with other vessels of the Spirit (the church) will help you navigate the tragedies and shortcomings that are common to the human experience, and prepare you for the glorious world that is to come where death will finally lose it’s dominion over creation.

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The main passage that I found was in Luke chapter 7, where Jesus met servants of a Roman centurion who desired for a key servant who was very sick to be healed. Jesus was amazed and said this Gentile’s faith exceeded that of any person in all of Israel. This response from Jesus came after the centurion sent word that he understood authority, and that if Jesus had spiritual authority He would only need to say the word and his servant would be healed. This military commander somehow understood and believed that on the level Jesus was operating, physical nearness didn’t apply. Jesus answered his prayer, and the centurion’s servants returned to find that their fellow servant was healed.

It is interesting to note in this passage that Jesus didn’t ask this man to leave the Roman army and follow Him. The absence of this statement suggests to me that Jesus desired for this soldier to follow Him as the High Commander in the midst of his service to the Romans.

John the Baptist had similarly omitted the call to leave military service in his message of repentance. When a group of soldiers asked what they should do in response to John’s message he replied, “Don’t extort money and don’t accuse people falsely—be content with your pay.”

These passages have led me to pray for our soldiers. Following Jesus as a soldier has to be harder than most of us could imagine, especially during these days. War is filled with a hodgepodge of violence, stillness, life, death, victory, defeat, despair, hopefulness, gratitude, and regret. In these tough situations and chaotic circumstances, soldiers are tested beyond what we would believe human beings could bear.

In the midst of all of this uncertainty and range of experience, I am thankful that God has placed faithful soldiers to be unexpected messengers of mercy and grace. May our captured enemies learn of and receive God’s message of peace from these men of faith. Like King David exclaimed in many of his Psalms, I too want God to bring His wrath and judgment on our enemies; however, I know it’s God’s desire for them to be reconciled to Him. If our enemies are reconciled to God, then we will be reconciled to them as well. If we are reconciled, we will one day serve God together in peace under Christ ultimate authority when His Kingdom comes.

Holy Spirit guide and protect our troops, melt the hearts of our nation and allies, and the hearts of our enemies, may Your will be done and Your Kingdom come. Amen.

Matt Black

Guiding Scriptures: Romans 5:9-11, Romans 12:17-21, Luke 3:14, Luke 7:1-10, Psalm 139:18-20

Worship With The Troops

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Holocaust Rescue Reunion in London