Last, But Not Least

Mark 1:4 - And so John came, baptizing in the desert region and preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.

Have you ever gone to a concert? You know how they always wait until the last encore to play your favorite song? They save the best for last! We have come to the end of the Old Testament. Can you believe it? The prophet sent to bring an end to Act 1 is John!

John preached in the desert region.  He belonged to no nation, to no particular people--he was out in the desert!  To a people who trusted in genealogy, this was radical.

Baptism was not a new idea. If a Gentile wanted to convert to Judaism, he was baptized. What was unique about John's baptism is that it was for the Jews, not for Gentiles.

John was calling the Jews to repent, to prepare for the Messiah. If Jews decided to repent, their baptism was a public confession that they were waiting for the Messiah, and God canceled their sins!

Pray for Amsterdam, Netherlands

Amsterdam is the capital and largest city of the Netherlands, located in the province of North Holland in the west of the country. The city has a population of 750,000, or 1.36 million including the suburbs. It is situated on the river Amstel, and is a city of canals and waterways.

The city is the financial and cultural capital of the Netherlands. Many large Dutch institutions have their headquarters here, and 7 of the world's top 500 companies, including Philips and ING, are based in the city. The Amsterdam Stock Exchange, the oldest stock exchange in the world, is located in the city centre.

Amsterdam's main attractions, including its historic canals, the Rijksmuseum, the Van Gogh Museum, Hermitage Amsterdam and Anne Frank House draw more than 3.5 million visitors annually. Most of these arrive through Schiphol airport, one of the busiest airports in Europe and a hub for the region and the world.

Amsterdam is truly cosmopolitan, with many races, nations, cultures and religions represented. It is a challenging city to evangelize, with more than 40% of the population claiming to be atheists.

Gemeente van Christus te Amsterdam (Amsterdam Church of Christ):

The Amsterdam church is a small congregation of 27 adults and 21 children, spread out all over Amsterdam and the surrounding suburbs and towns. The church consists mostly of families, with four singles, one of whom is a student.

After many years without full-time staff, the church was led by Brian and Caryn Homet in 2008, and was able to employ Stefan Wolmarans full-time in February of 2010. This year the church is focused on growing in numbers and starting a campus ministry.

Prayers are requested for God to bless the church with restorations, baptisms and growth in the campus ministry. Also please pray for funding to sustain and grow the full-time staff next year.