Coming Full Circle

Allen Baumgarten
2 Mar 2011
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My walk with Christ began when I was a meager seven years of age. One particular Sunday morning, sitting in a room at a certain church in Hollywood, FL, the youth pastor shared with us that God is holy but that we are not. He also shared that God loved us so much that He gave His utmost so that we would not have to remain separated from Him. What did God the Father give? His Son, Jesus. That day, I put my trust in the fact that Jesus had paid for every bad thing I had ever done by […]

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The gift of time

Allen Baumgarten
2 Feb 2011
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Some unexpected things happened to me at the close of 2010.  To begin with, I found myself on Christmas Day embattled with a rather aggressive stomach virus which for two days prevented me from keeping down foods or liquids of any kind.  Soon after, I learned of the untimely death of friend.  I then received the News that one of my high school teachers had finally lost his bout with cancer, leaving behind a wife and two daughters.  While my stomach flu was nothing more than a mere inconvenience, the loss of those I knew affected me deeply. Time, it […]

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Holding On to What God Already Has

Allen Baumgarten
9 Dec 2010
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The book of Jude is the second to last book of the Bible, tucked away in the New Testament just before the book of Revelation.  Its subject matter, however, is sobering as it warns us to beware of those who falsely impersonate followers of Christ. Knowing the spiritual commitments and values of those with whom we serve and seek the Lord is of paramount importance if we are to maintain a healthy walk with the Lord.  Why?  Because God has ordained that we encourage and counsel each other in spiritual and other matters.  It is therefore obvious that those who […]

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God’s ‘Tactical Blunders’

Allen Baumgarten
1 Oct 2010
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Have you ever really goofed up?  I sure have.  One summer I took a week off to attend a seminary class up in Charlotte, NC.  I had planned to drive up a day or so early so that I might take a “day trip” over to the mountains in the western end of North Carolina.  On my day off, I enthusiastically set off on I-85 out of Charlotte, savoring the anticipation of seeing the mountains and smelling the fresh mountain air if even just for a few fleeting hours.  Not really knowing the interstate I was driving on, the names […]

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I believe in Jesus … Now what?

Allen Baumgarten
2 Sep 2010
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God is in the business of saving and transforming lives. The Bible’s authors exhort us to put our faith in Christ as God’s answer to our sin problem. Our sin, which is just the Bible’s term for “lawlessness” and disobedience to God (see 1 John 3:4), effectively separates us from fellowship with God.In His love, however, God graciously foreordained that Jesus, God the Son, would pay the price for our sin against God. That is, our salvation from the effects and consequences of sin, both now and in eternity to come, is found in our faith in Christ’s death on […]

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Growing deeper in faith

Allen Baumgarten
5 Aug 2010
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Faith is a necessary component of our growing closer to God and experiencing all that He has for us. Yet, it can feel like our faith is in short supply at times. God understands this about us and encourages us to grow in our trust in Him. The Bible is filled with men and women who trusted God, despite what they saw happening around them. One person of faith who stands out in particular is King David of Israel.David was born into a family of modest means. He was the youngest of the children and had a number of older […]

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The providence of God

Allen Baumgarten
3 Jul 2010
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  Occasionally, the unexpected happens. Recently, I decided to pick up some groceries at my neighborhood supermarket after work. I wondered,  “Would they have fresh avocados?” After my uneventful transaction with the cashier, I smiled and bid them goodnight, and headed for the store exit. But as I neared the door, I did a double take–walking into the store at that moment was the bass player from a world-famous rock band that I had followed as a teenager! The particular band he plays in, I happen to know, is still famous and tours the world regularly. I walked up to […]

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Monday morning Christianity

Allen Baumgarten
28 May 2010
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If you have ever asked why the Christian life can seem difficult to live out, you are not alone.   Taking what you learned at church on Sunday morning with you to work on Monday afternoon is not always so easy.  Ever tried to stop being secretly prideful or critical of others?  Do you genuinely love others the way Christ has asked us to?  The apostle Paul wrote that the Christian walk is actually impossible to do–at least on our own.  Now, the good News is, living a righteous and holy life is possible:  Jesus did it.  But how does […]

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The act of service

Allen Baumgarten
30 Apr 2010
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Years back, I remember being asked by one of the pastors in my church if I would like to serve in a capacity that would include a certain level of leadership responsibility.  Along with that position, I would be given a title as well as some tasks to carry out in our church body.  Being given a new opportunity to serve the Lord in ways I never had before was both humbling and frightening.  Would I live up to the standards of those who had served before me?  Would I be effective or would I fall flat on my face?  […]

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We are all tools in the hands of God

Allen Baumgarten
14 Apr 2010
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There is a most curious incident recorded in the seventh chapter of Mark’s gospel. Jesus, we are told, “left the vicinity of Tyre and went through Sidon, down to the Sea of Galilee and into the region of the Decapolis. There some people brought to Him a man who was deaf and could hardly talk, and they begged Him to place His hand on the man” (7:31-32, NIV). Mark then records that “with a deep sigh” Jesus healed the man’s affliction and “commanded them not to tell anyone” (vs. 33-36a). Not heeding Jesus’ command, we discover that the more Jesus […]

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