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“His mother and his brothers came, and standing outside, they sent word to him and called him. A crowd was sitting around him and told him, “Look, your mother, your brothers, and your sisters are outside asking for you.” He replied to them, “Who are my mother and my brothers?” Looking at those sitting in a circle around him, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! Whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother.”

Mark 3:31-35

Often times we fall for the line “there’s nothing more important than family,” but that’s not exactly true. Jesus is number one. Now, God gave us the family, so it is a gift and a blessing. However, if our family ever comes between us and serving the Lord, in the Bible the choice is clear, we follow Jesus. I think most of the time we don’t have to make a choice, we can have amazing times with our family as well as our church-family, often at the same time. It’s a matter of priorities, Jesus is number one.

Reading Plan for 2021; livestreams: Shiloh.TV
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Then, passing by, he saw Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax office, and he said to him, “Follow me,” and he got up and followed him.

Mark 2:14

It’s not a difficult decision, follow Jesus or not. Isn’t is striking how someone who has entrenched in a successful career, who had built a life for himself, immediately left it all behind to follow Jesus? One simple two word statement “Follow me.” It wasn’t a question, it was a command… and Levi did. Leaving everything behind, he became a follower of Jesus. Are we willing to give up our everything to follow Jesus?

Reading Plan for 2021; livestreams: Shiloh.TV
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Shiloh Baptist Church: shilohgarner.org
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In those days Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized in the Jordan by John. 10 As soon as he came up out of the water, he saw the heavens being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. 11 And a voice came from heaven: “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well-pleased.”

Mark 1:9-11

Jesus was baptized. The word baptizō literally means “to immerse.” I know there are other traditions that call sprinkling or pouring “baptizing” but that was more of a tradition of convenience that developed over time in stead of how the Bible actually describes the first church. Even prior to the New Testament, the Greek word communicates this same idea. The Greek poet/philosopher Nicander (200 BC) actually records a recipe for making pickles. He says that vegetables should be baptizō in a vinegar solution. That’s a great picture. Water baptism doesn’t save us, just like it didn’t save Jesus, but it pictures what has happened. We are surrounded by the holy spirit, and like a pickle, he infuses us with his essence and we become something completely new. Baptism also signifies death, our death to ourselves and our association with Jesus death (see Romans 6:4) so that we can now live to/for him. Have you been baptized? Believe in Jesus, then follow his command to make disciples baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. 

Reading Plan for 2021; livestreams: Shiloh.TV
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Join us Sundays 9AM & 10:30AM & Wed 7PM

Shiloh Baptist Church: shilohgarner.org
3414 N. Shiloh Rd, Garner, NC 27529