"Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him that loved us." — Romans 8:37 "We go to Christ for forgiveness, and then too often look to the law for power to fight our sins. Paul thus rebukes us, "O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth? This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?" Take your sins to Christ's cross, for the old man can only be crucified there: we are crucified with Him. The only weapon to fight sin with is the spear which pierced the side of Jesus. To give an illustration-you want to overcome an angry temper, how do you go to work? It is very possible you have never tried the right way of going to Jesus with it. How did I get salvation? I came to Jesus just as I was, and I trusted him to save me. I must kill my angry temper in the same way? It is the only way in which I can ever kill it. I must go to the cross with it, and say to Jesus, "Lord, I trust thee to deliver me from it." This is the only way to give it a death-blow. Are you covetous? Do you feel the world entangle you? You may struggle against this evil so long as you please, but if it be your besetting sin, you will never be delivered from it in any way but by the blood of Jesus. Take it to Christ. Tell him, "Lord, I have trusted thee, and thy name is Jesus, for thou dost save thy people from their sins; Lord, this is one of my sins; save me from it!" Ordinances are nothing without Christ as a means of mortification. Your prayers, and your repentances, and your tears-the whole of them put together-are worth nothing apart from Him. "None but Jesus can do helpless sinners good;" or helpless saints either. You must be conquerors through Him who hath loved you, if conquerors at all. Our laurels must grow among His olives in Gethsemane." https://www.heartlight.org/spurgeon/0423-am.html

Verses from a Bible study called "Was it a good Friday for Jesus? Part One Matthew 26:36-47 NKJV Then Jesus came to them to a place called Gethsemane, and said to the disciples, “Sit here while I go and pray over there.” And He took with Him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and He began to be sorrowful and deeply distressed. Then He said to them, “My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death, “Stay here and watch with Me.” He went a little further and fell on His face, and prayed, saying, “O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will.” Then He came to the disciples and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, “What! Could you not watch with Me one hour? “Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation, The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” Again, a second time, He went away and prayed, saying, “O My Father, if this cup cannot pass from Me unless I drink it, Your will be done.” And He came and found them asleep again, for their eyes were heavy. So He left them, went away again, and prayed the third time saying the same words. Then he came to His disciples and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and resting? Behold, the hour is at hand, and the Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of sinners, “Rise, let us be going, See, My betrayer is at hand.” And while He was still speaking, behold, Judas, one of the twelve, with a great multitude with swords and clubs, came from the chief priests and elders of the people.

Was it a Good Friday/Weekend for Jesus? Book of Mark Mark:14:32-42 TLB Illustrated Tundale TH-595 The Way Campus Life/Youth For Christ 1972 And now they came to an olive grove called the Garden of Gethsemane, and he intructed his discuples, "Sit here, while I go and pray." He took Peter, James and John with him and began to be filled with horror and deepest distress. And he said to them, "My soul is crushed by sorrow to the point of death; stay here and watch with me." He went on a little further and fell to the ground and prayed that if it were possible the awful hour awaiting him might never come. "Father, Father," he said, "everything is possible for you. Take away this cup from me. Yet I want your will, not mine." Then he returned to the three disciples and found them asleep. "Simon!" he said. "Asleep? Couldn't you watch with me even one hour? Watch with me and pray lest the Tempter over-power you. For though the spirit is willing enough, the body is weak." And he went away again and prayed, repeating his pleadings. Again he retuned to them and found them sleeping, for they wre very tired. And they didn't know what to say. The third time when he returned to them he said, "Sleep on; get your rest! But no! The time for sleep has ended! Look, I am betrayed into the hands of wicked men. Come! Get up! We must go! Look! My betrayer is here!? Mark 14:53-65 Jesus was led to the High Priest's home where all of the chief priests and other Jewish leaders soon gathered. Peter followed far behind and then slipped inside the gates of the High Priest's residence and crouched beside a fire among the servants. Inside, the chief priests and the whole Jewish Supreme Court were trying to find something against Jesus that would be sufficent to condemn him to death. But their efforts were in vain. Many false witnesses volunteered, but they contradicted each other. Finally some men stood up to lie about him and said, "We heard him say, 'I will destroy this Temple made with human hands and in three days I will rebuid another, made without human hands!' But even then they didn't get their stories straight! Then the High Priest stood up before the Court and asked Jesus, "Do you refuse to answer this charge? What do you have to say for yourself?" To this Jesus made no reply. Then the High Priest asked him, "Are you the Messiah, the Son of God?" Jesus said, "I am, and you will see me sitting at the right hand of God, and returning to earth in the clouds of heaven." Then the High Priest tore at his clothes and said, "What more do we need? Why wait for witnesses? You have heard his blasphemy. What is your verdict?" And the vote for the death sentence was unanimous. Mark 15:1-5 EARLY IN THE morning the chief priests, dlders and teachers of religion--the entire Supreme Court--met to discuss their next steps. Their decision was to send Jesus under armed guard to Pilate, the Roman governor. Pilate asked him, "Are you the King of the Jews?" "Yes," Jesus replied, "It is as you say." Then the chief priests accused him of many crimes, and Pilate asked him, "Why don't you say something? What about all these charges against you" But Jesus said no more, much to Pilate's amazement. Mark 15:16-20 Then the Roman soldiers took him into the barracks of the palace, called out the entire palacde guard, dressed him in a purple robe, and made a crown of long, sharp thorns and put it on his head. Then they saluted, yelling, "Yea! King of the Jews!?" And they beat him on the head with a cane, and spit on him and went diwn on their kness to :"worship" him. When they finaly tired of their sport, they took off the purple robe and put his own clothes on him again, and led him away to be crucified. Mark 15:22-37 And they brought Jesus to a place called Golgotha. (Golgotha means shull.) Wine drugged with bitter herbs was offered to him there, but he refused it. And then they crucified him--and threw dice for his clothes. It was about nine o'clock in the morning when the crucifixion took place. A signboard was fastened to the cross above his head, announcing his crime. It read, "The King of the Jews." Two robbers were also crucified that morning, their crosses on either side of his. And so the Scripture was fulfilled that said, "He was counted among evil men." The people jeered at him as they walked by, and wagged their heads in mockery. "Ha! Look at you now!" they yelled at him. "Sure, you can destroy the Temple and rebuild it in three days! If you're so wonderful, save yourself and come down from the cross." The chief priests and religious leaders were also standing around joking about Jesus. "He's quite clever at 'saving' others," they said, "but he can't save himself!" "Hey there, Messiah!" they yelled at him, "You 'King of Israel"'! Come on down from the cross and we'll believe you!" And even the two robbers dying with him, cursed him. About noon, darkness fell across the entire land, lasting until three o'clock that afternoon. Then Jesus called out with a loud voice, "Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? ("My God, my God, why have you deserted me?") Some of the people standing there thought he was calling for the prophet Elijah. So one man ran and got a sponge and filled it with sour wine and held it up to him on a stick. "Let's see if Elijah will come and take him down!" he said. Then Jesus uttered another loud cry, and dismissed his spirit. Jesus is Risen Mark 16:1-14 THE NEXT EVENONG, when the Sabbath ended, Mary Magdalene and Salome and Mary the mother of James went out and purchased embalming spices. Early the following morning, just at sunrise, they carried them out to the tomb. On the way they were discussing how they could ever roll aside the huge stone from the entrance. But when they arrived they looked up and saw that the stone--a very heavy stone--was already moved away and the entrace was open! So they entered the tomb--and there on the right sat a young man clothed in white. The women was started, but the angel said, "Don't be so surprised. Aren't you looking for Jesus, the Nazarene who was crucified? He's isn't here! He has come back to life! Look, that's where his body was lying. Now go and give this message to his disciples including Peter; 'Jesus is going ahead of you to Galilee. You will see him there, just as he told you before he died!'" The women fled from the tomb, trembling and bewildered, too frighterned to talk. It was early on Sunday morning when Jesus came back to life, and the first person who saw him was Mary Magdalene--the woman from whom he had cast our seven demons. She found the disciples wet-eyed with grief and exclaimed that she had seen Jesus, and he was alive!. But they didn't believe her! Later that day he appeared to two who were walking from Jerusalem into the country, but they didn't revognize him at first because he had changed his appearance. When they finally realized who he was, they rushed back to Jerusaleem to tell the others, but no one believed them. Still later he appeared to the eleven disciples as they were eating together. He rebuked them for their unbelief--their stubborn refusal to believe those who had seen him alive from the dead.

Daily devotion for April 17th The Devil's Burden And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel. Genesis 3:15 This is one of the most remarkable verses in the Bible. The early church fathers called it the Protevangelium, which means the first preaching of the gospel. It is the clearest promise of the coming of a Redeemer. There are several unusual features about this remarkable verse that reveal the divine hand. First, it predicts an unending enmity to exist between two classes of humanity. Here is the beginning of the two divisions of humanity into which the Bible divides the race. Its first manifestation is that of enmity between Eve and the serpent. I will put enmity between you and the woman, says God. This is understandable. We can see why Eve would detest this one who had betrayed her by his lies, and as the effects of the fall would become more evident in her own life, she would feel a continuing abhorrence against this one who had so cleverly and ruthlessly led her astray. On the other hand, the enemy would surely hate her because she was now the object of God's love, and His hand of protection was around her. But also, it was not enmity merely between the woman and the devil but between his seed and her seed. The only way this prophecy can be explained is that it finds fulfillment in the virgin birth of the Lord Jesus. This concept of the seed of the woman is unique. It is the seed of the man that is the line of descent, and all the genealogies of the Bible trace the line of descent through the male. We continue this in most societies today. Even today families usually bear the man's name. When a couple gets married, it is usually the woman who drops her name and takes her husband's name. But here we are distinctly told that the one who is to bruise the serpent's head is the seed of the woman. Now in all of human history there is only one who can fulfill that condition: Jesus. So the seed is Christ. Here is this most remarkable prophecy, which looks across the centuries to the day when Jesus would be born of Mary. This is confirmed in Genesis 3 by the masculine pronoun that follows the statement, I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head. That masculine pronoun indicates that the fulfillment of this promise, the seed of the woman, would be a man, born of a woman. The Old Testament receivers of this word could not see what was involved in this, but now we know it meant the humble birth at Bethlehem, the silent years in Nazareth, the darkness of Gethsemane, the opposition of Jerusalem, the hatred of Judas and Pilate and Caiaphas, the blood and death of a cross—all that was the bruising of the heel. Then there came the bruising of the head of the serpent in the glory of the resurrection. This whole promise is clearly fulfilled in Jesus Christ. Father, I see how You have been working out Your amazing plan of redemption from the beginning. Thank You that I know the One whose heel was bruised but who rose victoriously.

🙏 In the garden of Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus showed the ultimate surrender. #NotMyWill #GethsemanePrayer #TrustGod #FaithJourney #JesusInTheGarden #SurrenderToGod

THREE ANGELS BROADCASTING NETWORK DEVOTIONAL. Squirrel Syndrome. By Donald Owen II April 15th, 2026 While traveling to work, an excited little squirrel nervously darted out onto the road in front of me. He bounced across the lane, then suddenly realized my car was approaching. I saw his look of confusion and fear as he struggled to decide whether to finish his journey or run back to safety. And despite my efforts to avoid him, his choice came too late. I felt saddened by what happened, then began to wonder how many of us have found ourselves in that dilemma—something huge comes at us, paralyzing our hearts with fear. I can really relate to that little squirrel, because when it comes to making big decisions, I get Squirrel Syndrome, too. And surely, I’m not alone. When faced with a tough decision, our minds become foggy as we struggle to make the right choice quickly. The Bible talks about the things that paralyze us with Squirrel Syndrome: Hesitation – read about it in James 1:8 Fear – find it in 1 John 4:18 Worry – diagnosed in Luke 12:28 It can even lead to Death described in Romans 6:23 Squirrels—and the rest of us—are not the only ones who face life-threatening decisions. Our Savior, Jesus Christ, faced one as He neared the end of His ministry. Our lives hung on His decision there in the Garden of Gethsemane—as well as every living thing on our planet. Mark 14:34–36 opens the scene with Jesus and His three closest disciples going out into the night to pray. In order to save our lost world, Jesus had to agonize over drinking from the bitter cup of God’s wrath. As He talked with His Father, He said, “Abba, Father, all things are possible for You. Take this cup away from Me; nevertheless, not what I will, but what You will.” Jesus left the ultimate decision up to His Father. But what would have happened if He had allowed fear to paralyze Him? What would this world be like, today? How many of us agonize over decisions because the problem seems too scary to face? There is only one prescription for that—we must place our decisions in the care of the ultimate decision-maker, Jesus Christ. He knows our needs better than we know ourselves, and the prayer He uttered to His Father is the perfect example. A wise woman once wrote a powerful little prayer I like to pray in the morning that says, “Take me, O Lord, as wholly Thine. I lay all my plans at Thy feet. Use me today in Thy service. Abide with me, and let all my work be wrought in Thee.”[1] [1] Ellen G. White, Steps to Christ p. 70.

🙏 In the garden of Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus showed the ultimate surrender. #NotMyWill #GethsemanePrayer #TrustGod #FaithJourney #JesusInTheGarden #SurrenderToGod

Getting to Know Peter NKJV Matthew 4:18-20 And Jesus, walking by the Sea of Galilee, saw two brothers, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fisherman. Then He said to them, "Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men. They immediately left their nets and followed Him. John 18:10-11 Then Simon Peter, having a sword, drew it and struck the high priest's servant, and cut off his right ear. The servant's name was Malchus. So Jesus said to Peter, "Put your sword into the sheath. Shall I not drink the cup which My Father has given Me?" John 18:15-18 And Simon Peter followed Jesus. And so did another disciple. Now that disciple was known to the high priest, and went with Jesus into the courtyard of the high priest. But Peter stood at the door outside. Then the other disciple, who was known to the high priest, went out and spoke to her who kept the door, and brought Peter in. Then the servant girl who kept the door said to Peter, "You are not also one of this Man's disciples, are you?" Now the servants and officers who made a fire of coals stood there, for it was cold, and they warmed themselves. And Peter stood with them and warmed himself. John 18:25-27 Now Simon Peter stood and warmed himself. Therefore they said to him,"You are not also one of His disciples, are you?" He denied it and said, 'I am not!" One of the servants of the high priest, a relative of him whose ear Peter cut off, said, "Did I not see you in the garden with Him?" Peter then denied again: and immediately a rooster crowed. Matthew 26:31-46 then Jesus said to them, "All of you will be made to stumble because of Me this night, for it is written: 'I will strike the Shepherd, And the sheep of the flock will be scattered' "But after I have been raised, I will go before you to Galilee." Peter answered and said to Him, "Even if all are made to stumble because of You, I will never be made to stumble." Jesus said to him, "Assuredly, I say to you that this night , before the rooster crow, you will deny Me three times." Peter said to Him, "Even if I have to die with You, I will not deny You!" And so said all the disciples. Then Jesus came with them to a place called Gethsemane, and said to the disciples, "Sit here while I go and pray over there." And He took with him Peter and the two sons Zebedee, and He began to be sorrowful and deeply distressed. Then He said to them, "My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death, Stay here and watch with Me." He went a little farther and fell on His face, and prayed, saying, "O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me, nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will. "Then He came to His disciples and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, "What! Could you not watch with Me one hour? "Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The Spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak." Again, a second time, He went away and prayed, saying, O My Father, if this cup cannot pass away from Me unless I drink it, Your will be done." And He came and found them asleep again, for their eyes were heavy. So He left them, went away again, and prayed again the third time, saying the same words. Then He came to His disciples and said to them, "Are you still sleeping and resting? Behold, the hour is at hand, and the Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of sinners. "Rise, let us be going, See My betrayer is at hand." Matthew 26:51-56 And suddenly, one of those who were with Jesus stretched out his hand and drew his sword, struck the servant of the high priest, and cut off his ear. But Jesus said to him, "Put your sword in its place, for all who take the sword will perish by the sword. "Or do you not think that I cannot now pray to My Father, and He will provide Me with more than twelve legions of angels? "How then could the Scriptures be fulfilled, that it must happen thus?" In that hour Jesus said to the multitudes, "Have you come out, as against a robber, with swords and clubs to take Me? I sat daily with you, teaching in the temple, and you did not seize Me. "But all this was done that the Scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled." Then all the disciples forsook Him and fled. Matthew 26:58 But Peter followed Him at a distance to the high priest's courtyard. And he went in and sat with the servants to see the end. Matthew 26:69-75 Now Peter sat outside in the courtyard. And a servant girl came to him, saying, "You also were with Jesus of Galilee." But he denied it before them all, saying, "I do not know what you are saying." And he had gone out to the gateway, another girl saw him and said to those who were there, 'This fellow also was with Jesus of Nazareth." But again he denied with an oath, "I do not know the Man!" And a little latter those who stood by came up and said to Peter, "Surely you also are one of them, for your speech betrays you." Then he began to curse and swear, saying, "I do not know the Man!" immediately a rooster crowed. And Peter remembered the word of Jesus who had said to him, "Before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times." So he went out and wept bitterly. Mark 14:66-72 Now as Peter was below in the courtyards, one of the servant girls of the high priest came. And when she saw Peter warming himself, she looked at him and said, "You also were with Jesus of Nazareth." But He denied it, saying, "I neither know or understand what you are saying." And he went out on the porch, and a rooster crowed. And the servant girl saw him again, and began to say to those who stood by "this is one of them." But he denied it again. And a little latter those who stood by said to Peter again, "Surely you are one of them; for you are a Galilean, and your speech shows it." Then he began to curse and swear, "I do not know this Man of whom you speak!" A second time the rooster crowed. Then Peter called to mind the word that Jesus had said to him, "Before the rooster crows twice, you will deny Me three times." Luke 9:18-22 And it happened, as He was alone praying, that His disciples joined Him, and He asked them, saying, "Who do the crowds say that I am?" So they answered and said, "John the Baptist, but some say Elijah; and others say that one of the old prophets has risen again." He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?" Peter answered and said, "The Christ of God." And He strictly warned and commanded them to tell this to no one, saying, 'The Son of Man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised the third day." Mark 16:2-8 Very early in the morning, on the first day of the week,they came to the tomb when the sun had risen. and they said among themselves, "Who will roll away the stone from the door of the tomb for us?" But when they looked up, they saw that the stone had been rolled away-- for it was very large. And entering the tomb, they saw a young man clothed in a long white robe sitting on the right side; and they were alarmed. But he said to them, "Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He is risen! He is not here, See the place where they laid Him. "But go, tell the disciples-- and Peter-- that he is going before you into Galilee; there you will see Him, as He said to you." So they went out quickly and fled from the tomb, for they trembled and were amazed. And they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid.

MORNING AND EVENING. Charles H. Spurgeon Morning. "Ye shall be scattered, every man to his own, and shall leave me alone." John 16:32 Few had fellowship with the sorrows of Gethsemane. The majority of the disciples were not sufficiently advanced in grace to be admitted to behold the mysteries of "the agony." Occupied with the passover feast at their own houses, they represent the many who live upon the letter, but are mere babes as to the spirit of the gospel. To twelve, nay, to eleven only was the privilege given to enter Gethsemane and see "this great sight." Out of the eleven, eight were left at a distance; they had fellowship, but not of that intimate sort to which men greatly beloved are admitted. Only three highly favoured ones could approach the veil of our Lord's mysterious sorrow: within that veil even these must not intrude; a stone's-cast distance must be left between. He must tread the wine-press alone, and of the people there must be none with him. Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, represent the few eminent, experienced saints, who may be written down as "Fathers;" these having done business on great waters, can in some degree measure the huge Atlantic waves of their Redeemer's passion. To some selected spirits it is given, for the good of others, and to strengthen them for future, special, and tremendous conflict, to enter the inner circle and hear the pleadings of the suffering High Priest; they have fellowship with him in his sufferings, and are made conformable unto his death. Yet even these cannot penetrate the secret places of the Saviour's woe. "Thine unknown sufferings" is the remarkable expression of the Greek liturgy: there was an inner chamber in our Master's grief, shut out from human knowledge and fellowship. There Jesus is "left alone." Here Jesus was more than ever an "Unspeakable gift!" Is not Watts right when he sings-- "And all the unknown joys he gives, Were bought with agonies unknown." Evening. "Canst thou bind the sweet influences of Pleiades, or loose the bands of Orion?" Job 38:31 If inclined to boast of our abilities, the grandeur of nature may soon show us how puny we are. We cannot move the least of all the twinkling stars, or quench so much as one of the beams of the morning. We speak of power, but the heavens laugh us to scorn. When the Pleiades shine forth in spring with vernal joy we cannot restrain their influences, and when Orion reigns aloft, and the year is bound in winter's fetters, we cannot relax the icy bands. The seasons revolve according to the divine appointment, neither can the whole race of men effect a change therein. Lord, what is man? In the spiritual, as in the natural world, man's power is limited on all hands. When the Holy Spirit sheds abroad his delights in the soul, none can disturb; all the cunning and malice of men are ineffectual to stay the genial quickening power of the Comforter. When he deigns to visit a church and revive it, the most inveterate enemies cannot resist the good work; they may ridicule it, but they can no more restrain it than they can push back the spring when the Pleiades rule the hour. God wills it, and so it must be. On the other hand, if the Lord in sovereignty, or in justice, bind up a man so that he is in soul bondage, who can give him liberty? He alone can remove the winter of spiritual death from an individual or a people. He looses the bands of Orion, and none but he. What a blessing it is that he can do it. O that he would perform the wonder tonight. Lord, end my winter, and let my spring begin. I cannot with all my longings raise my soul out of her death and dulness, but all things are possible with thee. I need celestial influences, the clear shinings of thy love, the beams of thy grace, the light of thy countenance; these are the Pleiades to me. I suffer much from sin and temptation; these are my wintry signs, my terrible Orion. Lord, work wonders in me, and for me. Amen.

Today’s readings.. (Numbers 26), (Proverbs 18), (Philippians 1,2) Today’s 2nd chapter of Paul’s letter to the Philippians contains a meaningful exposition of the relationship between God and Jesus Christ. Verses 5 to 11 need to be read in context to see all the factors in their relationship with each other. Paul tells us Jesus was in “the form of God” – what does he mean? Paul then says he “did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant” These words lead us to recall the temptation of Jesus when God’s spirit drove him into the wilderness to be tested (Luke 4 v.1-13.) He resisted the temptation to use the unlimited divine power in the wrong way, for he had been given “the Spirit with measure” (John 3 v.34). Jesus came to “serve and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Matt 20 v.28) Others had “grasped” and suffered for doing so. Think of Adam and Eve, tested as to whether they would obey God, they failed the test they had “grasped” for knowledge hoping to become like God (Genesis 3 v.5) In contrast to them, says Paul, Jesus “humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on the cross” [v.8] We recall his prayers in the garden of Gethsemane, agonizing about the sacrifice his Father had appointed for him to make. He said in prayer, “My Father, if it be possible let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.” (Matt 26 v.39) Because of this attitude and resultant commitment, says Paul, “Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth … and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” [c,9-10] Does it mean “every tongue? Paul is looking ahead to the ultimate time to come when those granted eternal life will do this. We think of his words in writing to the Romans, “if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart … you will be saved.” [10 v.9] In his 6th chapter Paul had expressed the meaning and vital role of baptism in this and how, as a result, “we shall be united with him in a resurrection like his.” [v.3-5] If we fail to confess belief in Christ, that is counted as denial, there is no middle path, We have the blunt words in Mark 16 v.16 “whoever does not believe will be condemned” May we all be among the tongues that confess a genuine belief from our hearts.