Baptism and Marriage. Part Three.

I think we can all agree that marriage and the marriage vows are sacred and holy, and carry a commitment to love, cherish, and obey one another.

When we think of sacredness and holiness we often think of a church or temple. 

Think of how we conduct ourself when we enter into one of those buildings. We speak in a softer tone of voice, we won’t speak certain words or talk of certain topics. We act in a more respectable and responsible way than we normally would. We are kinder, gentler and more considerate to the people around us. Now imagine if our body is a temple to the living God, and guess what, it is! Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? 

Well, if we think of this way, that changes things a little bit. And so it should. For if we don’t treat our body as a temple, chances are that the Holy Spirit won’t like the atmosphere we produce and very predictably, will move out. And without the presence of the Holy Spirit influencing us, our temple will turn into a house of shame rather quickly and our baptism is desacralized.

 As with baptism so with marriage, when we treat our vows with anything less than sacredness, we may soon start to find ourself estranged from the one we promised to love, cherish and obey.

Baptism and Marriage. Part Two.

Here are some more thoughts on the similarities between baptism and marriage.

We cannot get married to our loved one by ourselves, we need an ordained representative to create the bond, almost as a free gift with no work on our part, except to say I do. 

And the same goes with baptism, we cannot get baptized by ourselves, we need an ordained representative. 

Once committed to God we receive the Holy Spirit that comes to live in our bodily house, and then we are in a very real sense in a marriage with the Third Person of the Trinity or in other words with God himself. 

We can see here that this bond is also a free gift with no work on our part, except to affirm. But that bond doesn’t assure us salvation. Because just as in marriage, we have some work to do. Let me illustrate.

In marriage, as soon as the bond is set, work begins. Though in all fairness it’s not really work as much as it is a working out of your love towards your partner. Labour of love, if you will. Not that we have to do it but we want to do it. To not do it would be to deny or quell our love, and effectively our marriage commitment to our partner. That would be marriage in name only, which throws up the question where our heart lies. “For where your treasure lies, your heart lies also.” Matthew 6:21

So it is in our baptism, except it’s not us working but a letting of the Spirit work in us.

‘Do not quench the Spirit,’ writes Paul in his letter to the Thessalonians. 

The Spirit will then naturally produce fruit.  “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness.” Galatians 5:22

Again, these fruits are the natural out-workings of the unquenched Spirit. “I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.” John 15:5

Baptism and Marriage.

Baptism is often likened to marriage and it’s easy to see why. Like marriage, baptism vows are pledging allegiance and faithfulness to God till death do us part, but the difference is that death, instead of parting us eternally, binds us eternally. 

Both marriage and baptism vows are like signing a contract where we promise to commit ourselves totally and faithfully to our partner.

We can easily see and understand how cheating and indifference can hurt our partner and our marriage, but for some reason we don’t draw the same conclusions with our baptism. We seem to fall into a rut where we think that if we don’t commit major sins against God that everything will be alright and God with his Holy grace will overlook our minor daily transgressions. Well, good luck with that! Revelation 3:16 writes to the Laodiceans  “I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot. So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth.

These are harsh and terrifying words, and again, if that would be going on in an earthly marriage where one partner would go lukewarm and indifferent it would be quite clear to see. Lack of interest and care in the one’s partner would be a terrible drain on a marriage and would probably be harder to put up with than a separation or divorce.

Yet that is how we tend to treat our baptism. We generally don’t put enough energy and devotion into our relationship with God and seem to think our name will still be written into the book of life on that terrible day of judgement. 

Baptism is a beautiful thing. It guarantees us a place in heaven if taken seriously and righteously, but only if we uphold and don’t break the terms of the contract.

1. Do you now acknowledge the teachings of Jesus, which have been laid before you, as being the truth and the true foundation to salvation?
2. Do you believe in and agree with the twelve articles of our Christian Faith, and will you witness to them? 
3. Do you desire the prayer of intercession of the church so that God may forgive and remit the sins committed by you either knowingly or in ignorance?
4. Do you desire to yield, to give and to sacrifice yourself to the Lord God in the covenant of Christian baptism?
5. Do you sufficiently understand the Word of God and acknowledge it as the only path to eternal life?
6. Do you truly and heartily repent of the sins which you committed either knowingly or in ignorance against God and do you desire to henceforth fear God, never more willingly to sin against God, and rather to suffer death than willfully sin against God?
7. Do you believe that your sins have been forgiven and remitted by God through Christ and the prayer of intercession of his people?
8. Do you desire to accept brotherly discipline and admonition and also to apply the same to others when needed?
9. Do you desire to yield, to give and to sacrifice yourself, body and soul with all that you have to the Lord God in heaven, and to yield in obedience to Christ and his church?
10. Do you desire to establish a covenant with God and with all his people and to be baptized on confession of your faith?

Pieces of Coal.

Imagine we are are pieces of coal.

 To have the knowledge of Jesus is to be a piece of coal, to have the Holy Spirit is to start to glow and provide warmth. A lit coal cannot help but excite another coal to start glowing by proximity. To share the gospel with the lips is to turn pieces of earth into pieces of coal. To share the gospel from the heart is to turn turn pieces of coal into pieces of glowing embers that provide comfort and warmth in a cold and hurting world. 

Is Hell Our Own Making?

I think hell is a product of our own making and choices.

 If we choose not to let Jesus live and reign in our hearts and bodies (our earthly temple) then God will respect that choice. When we breathe our last and enter the next world, whatever is in our heart here will still be in our heart there. If God is not in our heart, we will face eternity without God. And that is hell.

 If God is all that is good, then whatever is evil is all that remains. And that is hell.

 Much like when you extract all the light out of a room, all that is left is darkness. 

  When Jesus prayed in the garden of Gethsemane, he feared something so terrible that he sweat drops of blood. Yes, he fully understood what manner of death he was going to die and how terribly he was to suffer. But he also knew that for a period of time his Father would forsake him, as on the cross he cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?”

 And in that moment Jesus knew what it felt like to be in the total absence of God. And that, my friends, is hell. 

"Watch Therefore:" By Guest Writer Sarah M. Hofer.

'Blessed are those servants, whom the Lord when He cometh shall find watching.' Luke 12:37

We Hutterites are now living in a golden age. Never before in our history has there been such a long period where the authorities have left us alone to live and worship as we wish. The communities we live in are safe, secure and prosperous.

Around us, the world is changing at an incredibly rapid pace. The Christian worldview that has shaped societies for over two thousand years is under fire and in some places, almost obsolete. Self is worshipped in place of God and truth is considered relative. The world is at our gates, trying to win the hearts and minds of our young people. It is a time to be on our guard, ‘for we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the powers of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.’

That our love and zeal has grown colder in these peaceful, easy times must be acknowledged. Good times do not generally make for good Christians. Consider the words of Jesus to the Church of Ephesus: ‘Nevertheless, I have somewhat against thee, thou hast left thy first love. Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent.’

The early Hutterites saw clearly that to follow in the footsteps of their master Jesus, a life of self-denial and loving service to their fellow man was required. They believed that community of goods was the necessary outward expression of a life truly committed to Christ and His kingdom. 'And all that believed were together and had all things in common.'This is the vision that the Hutterite Church has tried to uphold in the long centuries since the Reformation.

From their beginnings in Austria where they witnessed to the truth with their lives, their journey with this vision led them across Eastern Europe. Many times they established flourishing communities on the estates of noblemen, but the periods of peace never lasted for long. Suffering terrible persecution and unjust treatment, they fled on to next place, refusing to deny their God and faith. Finally, to escape military conscription in Russia, they left behind the comfortable farming villages they had established and immigrated to America.

In addition to their steadfast faith, they took their language, culture, and customs with them across the Atlantic Ocean to the New World. Thanks in part to the legacy of our forefathers, the Hutterite church has managed to preserve a distinct identity and faith in modern day America; where many other cultures and religions, of greater numbers, have assimilated.

Our church has been able to take an uncompromising stand on many issues, refusing to conform to the world. From head coverings and male leadership, to divorces and gay marriages, the church has not bowed to popular opinion and trends but has kept its doctrines scriptural. 'Jesus Christ the same yesterday, today, and forever.'

The current modern worldview is a dangerous lens through which to look as we seek to preserve our faith. Condoning the values of the world in our church makes us increasingly resistant to the guidance of the Spirit. We have a rich treasury of literature and the background of a godly heritage that help correct our vision and bring us back to the Biblical foundation of our beginnings.

The literature includes the sermons preached in our church services, written centuries ago by Spirit-filled elders with a deep faith in Jesus and a sincere love of the brethren. From their genuine spiritual and communal experience they wrote of issues that we are still dealing with today. The sermons provide commentary and profound Biblical insights, as well as serving as a safeguard against the tendency to drift away from Scriptural truths. Our community gathering at the end of every day to listen to the Word of God, to sing and pray together, strengthens our bond and acts as a constant reminder of Whom we serve. 

Part of our heritage are the laws, practical arrangements, and accepted codes of behaviour maintained throughout our history to govern our communities and keep our people separate from the world. If these standards are in accordance with Biblical teachings, we should consider what we might lose if we abandon them. ‘Prove all things, hold fast to that which is good.’ But we must be careful lest we adhere only to the letter of the law without seeking after the Spirit. That path constitutes a barren and meaningless religion.

Adding strength to the structure of the church is the accountability of each individual community to all the other Hutterite communities, and the accountability between each believer to the other. Brotherly admonition keeps our vision clear and vibrant, so that none among us may be led astray by the deceiver. 

Our elders have an important role in preserving the vision of our church. They are gatekeepers of the church of God, watching for our souls as they that must give account. A gatekeeper needs to be sober and vigilant, for the enemy circles the house of God, seeking whom he may devour.

‘Watch therefore; for ye know neither the day not the hour wherein the Son of Man cometh.’ To hear the words: ‘Well done, thou good and faithful servant,’ when our Master returns is our sincere hope and longing.

In preserving our vision, we believe we are fulfilling our Master's will and giving our children the best possible hope for their eternal future. Through the Church we can bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord, protected from much of the harmful influence of the world and providing them with a Christian worldview and valid counter-culture. Then when the Spirit comes to these young people, the vision comes gloriously alive, its truths illuminated from within, and unites them to all true believers. 

Our church provides for the widows, the sick and the elderly, it provides discipleship and accountability. Rightly lived, it is the fulfillment of Jesus' Sermon on the Mount; it is the city set on a hill, whose light shines so that all men see it. 

We do not know what the times will be like when the next generation finds themselves being the leaders and elders of the Hutterite Church.  The Bible prophesies terrible times before that great and notable day of the Lord comes. By the grace of God we hope to be a small part of preserving this vision for them against that day.

"Dear brothers, I plead with you to keep watch against disunity, for you can well imagine the terrible disasters that would come in its wake and what great suffering would befall widows and orphans.

Watch that you keep firmly to the fine old Church Ordnungen and follow them without moving the boundary stones.

Hold firm to Christian community, and fight with all your might against stinginess and selfishness, for covetousness is the root of all evil and destroys everything good.  Guard against innovation and starting on a new course. Take special care, my brothers, not to compete against or take advantage of one another, for that is not right.

I appeal to you before God to give fatherly care to the widows and orphans and to concern yourself faithfully with the needs of the church.

Always act in the fear of God, following truth, justice and righteousness.

Tell the elders as a last request that I urge them before God to be wholehearted in taking on the responsibility for the Lord's Church and giving all their strength to its care. 

I commend you to the protection of the Almighty God. May He care faithfully for His people, bless you, keep you in peace, uphold and preserve you. Amen. Amen."

Hutterite Elder Klaus Braidl. Neumuhl Community, Moravia. 1611 

Sarah M. Hofer

Bob's Objection With Christianity.

 Bob “My main objection to Christianity is that anyone can live a horrible, even murderous life and just before they die they can proclaim Jesus and go to heaven.” 

 Louie Vetter. Yes that’s a valid concern Bob, but consider this. For someone living that kind of life, chances are Christianity is not very real to them. To pay lip service to Jesus for insurance purposes with their last gasp is not going to make Jesus any more real than before. There is the story of the sinner on the cross, but that is a single Biblical example of true remorse at point of death. Someone living a sinful life with a sinner-on-the-cross action plan is probably quite blasphemous to God and His grace. Whatever keeps a sinner from following Jesus while he’s sinning, will most likely keep him from grace on his deathbed.  

  Consider this saying from Jesus, “Do you not say, ‘There are still four months and then comes the harvest’? Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are already white for harvest!” 

John 4:35

 The highest genetic potential of a seed is on the day it is planted, every day after that potential yield is lost to various environmental stressors, disease and insects.

 Are we any different? These four months to harvest are like the days of our life. We have a set number of days till our last. A day lived in the lust of our eyes or flesh is a day lost, never to be regained. It is a day where we denied the rain and blessings of the Holy Spirit that our loving Father wanted to pour out over our dry and parched eternal soul. 

 When a field is white to harvest the yield is set. Rain and perfect growing conditions at this point are too late. When the autumn of our life is upon us, will we have the grace, power and will to increase the one pound our Lord gave us? Or will our yield be set with the lifestyle and decisions we deliberately chose? 

 “Remember also your Creator in the days of your youth, before the evil days come and the years draw near of which you will say, “I have no pleasure in them.” ~Ecclesiastes 12

Pentecost. The Coming Down Of The Holy Spirit.

   As the time of compassion drew near when God wanted to fulfill his promise and have mercy on the lost human race, he sent his Word, who was in and with God in the beginning. By means of his messenger Gabriel, he sent Word to a virgin whom he had previously chosen. As soon as she believed, she was sealed with the Holy Spirit. Then she was told, “Power from on high will overshadow you, and the Holy Spirit will come down from above into you. Therefore, the Holy One who is to be born of you shall be called the Son of God. (Excerpt from Peter Riedemann’s Hutterite Confession of Faith)

 We can imagine how blessed Mary felt to have born Jesus, the Son of the Living God! How amazing that must have been to carry the maker of the universe inside her!

 But 33 years later mankind brutally beat, and ridiculed her beloved son Jesus, murdering him with the most agonizing and cruel death they could devise by nailing Him to a cross and mocking him till he breathed his last. But Jesus defeated death, leaving his mankind in the carved out, rocky tomb, and arising victorious. Before he left earth for his heavenly home he made a promise: He promised to send  down his Holy Spirit from above into us, to dwell in us. If we but receive his gift we can have the Spirit of God living inside us, guiding us and providing comfort and wisdom. Unbelievable passion to want to be part of the very creatures he created! 

 But unlike the Virgin Mary, whom after a short while bore the fruit of the Holy Spirit in a stable in Bethlehem with the baby Jesus, we get to house the presence of the Holy Spirit in the temple of our bodies. Imagine, our earthly body a living temple to the Creator God! We are never more alone or afraid, for in us radiates the power, love, and comfort of a mighty God who spoke the whole universe into existence with merely a word! Who loves us so thoroughly and personally that he sent his Son down to us, to inhabit human form and live according to our human conditions, knowing full well that he would be rejected and killed, but knowing also that it was the only way to reconcile man to God.

 So how grand we build that temple, or not, to his Holy Presence is up to us. The natural outworkings of our human condition are fleshly and manifest themselves as described in Galatians Chapter 5: Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. 

 I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.

Eins Betrübt Mich Sehr Auf Erden.

One thing grieves me beyond measure,

That so few will enter heaven,

Oh, just where should I begin,

There’s so many people dying,

The Son of God they are denying,

Leaving earth, bound fast to sin.

Everywhere, in every nation,

Men live in retaliation,

From across all walks of life,

Few are those who gain salvation 

Most are striding to perdition. 

Oh, what are the reasons why?

It’s not hard to see the answer

Man is full of hate and envy, 

In a life that denies God,

Indulging their inner vices,

Just as if they didn’t cognize,

Heavens road is oh so small. 

Pride and self-glorification, 

Boasting and self-adoration,

Greed takes over more and more,

As the self fights for attention

Do we even want redemption?

Is that the way the heavens door?

Throwing banquets, eating, drinking,

Playing, dancing, fleshly thinking,

Living in the moment bold,

Can that be the path to heaven,

Then it’ll be to slight the faithful,

Surely this will not work so. 

People make no qualms of lying, 

What’s more commonplace than cheating, 

Just as if it were okay,

He who does right, he is losing,

Dishonesty ends up winning,

Greed and money pave the way.

Oh how common cussing, swearing,

Blaspheming God in heaven,

Don't the children know that well?

‘Tis no wonder, that corruption, 

Young and old die in destruction, 

Heading down the path of Hell.

Stealing honour from another,

Spiting, envy, and dishonour, 

Isn’t that now common place?

Finger pointing, accusations,

Repeating false allegations,

More and more, that is the case.

What do we hold more important, 

Than exerting every effort

Gathering material goods.

Gold and silver, rare held treasures,

Harm our spirit without measure

Loved and sought out by the world.

Those who take others possessions, 

Will in fear and pain be sweating 

Eternal in the fires of hell.

Even though so many know this,

Stand accused before their conscience,

Yet they do not seem to care. 

Who seeks virtue, wisdom, morals?

Look how far the youth has fallen,

Where is trust, humility?

Those who seek to follow Jesus,

Mocked, ridiculed, and mistreated,

Persecuted constantly. 

My child, turn and follow Jesus,

Look at what he taught and showed us,

What his deeds and actions were.

He, the truth, way, life, forever,

Follow him, you’ll make no error,

That’s the best advice for you.

Brotherly love is fundamental, 

Without it we’re barred from heaven, 

Love God with your heart and soul.

If we show love to another

We will never grieve our brother,

We will also not grieve God.

Keeping reins upon our passions,

Curbing evil wants and habits,

If we seek eternal life.

Those who seek a life of pleasure,

Will not find a place in heaven,

Stand in judgement when they die.

Poverty and will to suffer,

Bravely facing persecution, 

That's food for the chosen few,

Praising God, strong hearts so faithful,

Suffer willing all that’s painful,

Blessed who learns this virtue.

Do you want to follow Jesus,

Oh, so live a life that’s righteous, 

Seek out the minority,

Once this poor, short life is over

God will give you one eternal,

Greet you into royalty.

So my friend, so let it happen,

Come what may, I will be ready, 

As God wants, so it will be.

Lord, please be my guide and shepherd, 

In my thoughts, my words and actions,

And through your love, grant me mercy.