The Hillsboro Christian

THE HILLSBORO CHRISTIAN

Volume 64 - MAY 2024

CLAIRE HOLSTED Ohio Wesleyan University

CAIDEN FAUBER Paint Valley High School MARAH ROUSH Hillsboro High School SCARLETT ANN ROBINSON Hillsboro High School BRAYDEN WILLIAM LANE Hillsboro High School MORGAN GARMAN Hillsboro High School SHAE WILLIAMS Hillsboro High School

PROCLAIMING CHRIST - ACTS STYLE!

By James Scott

Following Christ's giving of the great commission in Acts 1, the apostles wait for the promised Holy Spirit. Once He was received, they immediately got to work. A pattern emerges through the book of Acts that should be imitated as we continue the commission that was given to the apostles and passed down to us. The New Testament process of salvation, as described in the book of Acts, leads me to what we can all confidently preach regarding salvation as ministers of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The pattern is summarized as follows:

1. Proclamation: The gospel is preached, and Jesus is identified as God, King and Savior. People hear it.

2. Response: Repentance is commanded, and should one be moved to do so, they must confess Jesus as Lord and be baptized in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

3. Result: The new believer receives the Holy Spirit and forgiveness of sins through faith in Christ by the grace of God.

4. Rejoice: Overjoyed after becoming a new creation, they enter the service of their good King and begin to proclaim Him themselves,

We see a mixed order of operations play out through the book of Acts that should make us hopeful. If we remain dedicated to the pattern, however, we cannot mess up what God is going to do in the lives of those who submit to Him! Some seem to have the Holy

Spirit before they're baptized. A few only receive Him after an Apostle lays hands on them. Of course, the extraordinary way things happened in those days should be seen as confirming Jesus' deity as well as the Holy Spirit approving of apostolic authority. Regardless of the various methods and order in which the Holy Spirit is received and baptism is administered in the Book of Acts, we can confidently preach what is recorded in Acts 2:38:

Peter said, "Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off, as many as the Lord our God will call to Himself."

There is assurance that if one turns from their ways to follow Christ, submits to Him, confesses that He is Lord, and is baptized in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, they will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit, and their sins will be forgiven. Trust can be placed in Him and His grace. This is a promise to all people for all time.

Having many Reformed Baptist and Presbyterian brothers, I have had the baptism debate ad nauseum. Do we sprinkle, dunk, dip, or pour? Should the sacrament of baptism be administered to the infant children of believers to mark their entrance into the covenant community? Should it only be practiced by those who have confessed faith in Christ? Is the baptism of the Holy Spirit a separate occurrence? When I first started attending the Hillsboro Church of Christ, I encountered the baptism debate again. This time was a little different, however. I had never considered it necessary for salvation, but rather, it was the public identification of a disciple of Jesus, their first public step in obedience to Him. It seems strange to me now that I have separated and placed things in categories that the Bible does not. I had previously failed to notice that there isn't much passing of time between belief and baptism in the book of Acts. It all turned when my mentor (and pastor at the time) Jim Bush said, "I know you're sensitive to other expressions of the faith, but James, when it comes to baptism and salvation, what can you confidently preach?" I didn't have an immediate answer, which was humbling. I had to admit that I had developed presuppositions based on different theological views held by trusted and dear friends.

One of my favorite verses in the Bible is Romans 3:23: "All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." I believe this to be true, so why would I waste time debating about the many complex views of regeneration and faith, the order in which they happen, and how sacraments should be administered with someone responding to the drawing of the Father to His Son? I was thankful for this moment with Jim because I could firmly plant my feet on something solid rather than embrace inconsistent thought and practice (and possibly a bit of hermeneutical error). If someone asks me what they need to do now that they know Jesus is God, I can say with confidence, "Repent and be baptized in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit for the gift of the Holy Spirit and the forgiveness of your sins." You can say the same thing too!

Health:

Barbara Ashley

Kaydence Bass

David Campbell

Bill Clouse

Evelyn Kisling

Wava Labig

Sidney Lankford

Madisen Link

Ohio Mission Bible Training Center (OMBTC)

Janet Pence

John Roark Sr.

Shalom Orphanage

Linda Smith

Kim Thompson

Don Watson

Jesse Weaver

Wayne Wiedenbein

Shut Ins:

Ruth Adams

Kim Adams

Eloise Ludwick

John Porter

Carol Setty

Sharon Webb

Cancer:

Jeffrey Aurigema

Jeff Beam

Rob Butler

Vicki Butler

Jim Cook

Kari Crafton

Sally Kennedy

Judy Roush

Mark Sears

Family Loss:

Jewel Calmes family

Missions:

The Brittons

The Millers

The Newmans

HCC Leadership:

Steve Allen

Megan Apgar

Brad Clouse

Roger Epley

Dan Fauber

Trevor Gleadle

Jeff Griffith

Micah Herrick

James Scott

Richard VanZant

Military:

Tyler Amos

Ryan Burns

Mark Conover

Thadeus Conover

Corey Hughes

Phillip Mycroft

Average attendance for the month of April was 443

Average weekly giving for the month of April was $13,646.00

Our weekly need is: $12,564.00

There is no cost to attend the spring Clinic. An offering is taken each night.

Free camping at Restoration Acres is available.

05-01-24

The last Back Pack Club for this school year.

05-02-24 National Day of Prayer the theme is LIFT UP THE WORLD - LIGHT UP THE WORLD

“For you are my lamp, O Lord, and my God lightens my darkness. For by You, I can run against a troop, and by my God I can leap over a wall. This God-his way is perfect; the word of the Lord proves true; He is a shield for all those who take refuge in Him. 2 Samuel 22:29-31

Faith in Action Women’s Ministry will meet in the Connection Café @ 6:00 p.m.

05-05-24 We will have a special offering for the Shalom Orphanage in Ethiopia.

Taco Dinner - the middle school and high school students are hosting a Taco Dinner to raise funds for their CIY trip in June. This dinner is by donation only, please help support our kids and enjoy a good meal! The dinner will start after the 2nd worship service.

05-10-24 Little Lamb Christian Preschool graduation @ 7:00 p.m.

05-12-24 Mother’s Day.

Also, the Southern Ohio Pregnancy Center Baby Bottles will be here for their fundraiser. Please pick up a bottle or two and put your spare change, cash, or check in, then return them by Sunday, June 16th (Father’s Day).

05-19-24 Graduation Sunday - this is the day we recognize our graduating Seniors.

THEO will meet right after the 2nd worship service in the Connection Café (this is the last one, they will take a break during the summer months).

05-23-24

MomConnect will meet from 5:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. in the Connection Café.

05-27-24 Memorial Day - the church office will be closed.

06-02-24

We will have a special offering for Kamp Dovetail.

June 3-7 is our Vacation Bible School here at HCC

The Adult Men’s Small Group will meet in the Worship Center every Thursday from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.

SAVE THE DATE - Outdoorsmen for Christ are planning an event for Saturday, June 1st, at Butler Springs Christian Camp.

Check the website hillsborochurch.net/events for more details.

AREA 937 IS COLLECTING PANCAKE MIX AND JUICE FOR THE MONTH OF MAY

Congratulations to you all, and welcome to the family of God!

As a church family, we have committed ourselves to praying for 50 souls to be saved this calendar year. Every one of these individuals is an answered prayer from God. Let us rejoice in the Lord and His plan of salvation through His Son Jesus Christ.