GuineaField

While riding my bike to the office today I came across an interesting traffic situation.  A driver tried to pull out into traffic on Austin St.  That should be a simple maneuver, right?  Well, another driver was illegally double parked in front of him.  A jaywalking pedestrian impatiently walked right in front of him to cut him off.  And another biker was riding down the middle of the road in the wrong lane, headed straight at him!  To top it all off, I was riding behind him. The driver waited and proceeded with caution.  This is commonplace; he or she may not have even thought twice about the crazy pedestrians surrounding the car.  Because traffic laws are rather frequently ignored in NYC.  However, what was interesting to me was the facial expressions of everyone who was breaking the law.  They all looked at the poor driver with disgust.  “What do you think you are doing!?”  “Well, I’m pulling out onto Austin S...

Praise the Lord for a healthy baby boy!  Seth Carey was born yesterday (May 27 th ) at 11:50 am.  He was 8 pounds 12 ounces.  Sarah and baby are healthy and doing well. Name – Seth Carey Seth - Seth is from Genesis, he is the first son of promise in the Messianic line of our Savior (Genesis 3:15; Luke 3:38). The flaming sword that guarded Eden's path Has found its mark, the greatest Son of Seth. The fallen children's perfect Seed chose wrath To pluck eternal life for Adam’s race. By picking for Himself the tree of death He grants life’s one fulfilling fruit, God's face. Carey – Carey is the name of one of Sarah and my favorite missionary heroes, William Carey.  He labored tirelessly in the Gospel harvest in India and saw unusual fruit for his ministry in the Word.  He is known as the father of modern missions. Delivery Seth was stuck because of the way he was twisted and also because he was wrapped up several places with the um...

The flaming sword that guarded Eden's path Has found its mark, the greatest Son of Seth. The fallen children's perfect Seed chose wrath To pluck eternal life for Adam’s race. By picking for Himself the tree of death He grants life’s one fulfilling fruit, God's face. I wrote the lines above reflecting on the following sermon by Robert Murray M’Cheyne on John 14:6.   “ Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me’” (John 14:6). “As long as Adam walked holily, God dwelt in him, and walked in him, and communed with him; but when Adam fell, ‘God drove the man out of paradise; and He placed at the east of the garden of Eden, cherubim, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life.’   This flaming sword between the cherubim was a magnificent emblem of God, - the just and sin-hating God.   In the bush, He appear...

I'm encouraged by the progress of the organization and implementation of phase two of our LIFE Groups series at Grace.  After spending a couple years developing and teaching through material, we are very excited about the opportunity that our people now have to take others in the church through the first series of studies together as they work to "build up" the others in the body.  Personal discipleship is the responsibly of every believer.    We have just finished a mini-series encouraging this emphasis at Grace.  As Pastors, we pray for grace to "equip the saints for the work of ministry" namely, the building up Christ's body.  In the weeks to come we will be dividing into many different groups of three to four people to help build each other up in the faith.    Three sermons: God's Blueprint for Discipleship Part 1 (Ephesians 4:11-13) The Blueprint for Discipleship Part 2 (Ephesians 4:14-16) Biblical images of the church. Organ...

Well, it appears that spring is just around the corner. The ten day forecast is calling for nine of the next ten days above 40 degrees. That is a nice thought = ) Although I’m happy to see the snow go for a few months, I found myself enjoying even this last snowfall. What a quiet blanket snow is! It keeps people indoors. Traffic stops (almost). Quiet comes.  Almost a peaceful quiet.  A good snow fall blankets the whole community in a beautiful sugar colored clean. Its blanket makes even NYC’s dirtiest streets appear clean... for a bit. “But the mud returns, nastier than ever!” Yes I realize that. But for several moments after and during a good snow fall, everything appears clean. I’m so thankful that the Lord’s cleansing is deeper than that. Jesus’ blood does not just cover our sin it cleanses. The penalty for our sin that deserved God’s wrath is paid for by Jesus on the cross. He takes the wrath. Jesus paid the ultimate price. Not one ounce of guilt can s...

LIFE Studies Brochure by timrichmondnyc

Try to picture Jesus teaching to an ever expanding group of people on a green hillside.   The hillside slopes down gradually to what appears to be a large lake.   He is rustling the feathers of the religious leaders sitting off to one side closer to the front.   Perhaps another pocket of them stand further back to the left.   But Jesus teaches very practical truths to the everyday person and they are scattered on the ground all around Him.   Woodworkers, farmers, fathers and mothers are drinking in the word pictures Jesus uses – it is language they can understand.   And so they listen in silence.   Occasionally a bird’s call breaks the silence, or the shuffling of people trying to get in closer to hear even better.   You can sense some tension in the air because Jesus is teaching differently than the religious establishment.   By now it is probably evening – the sun is setting and hundreds have gathered around to hear the Rabbi.   Now, l...