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Forty Five Years: May the name of the Lord be praised!

June 10, 2024
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Click here for an audio version of this blog post.

Matthew 11:28-30

[Jesus says,] “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

1 Timothy 1: 15

The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost.

2 Corinthians 4:7

But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us.

John 1:14

The Word became flesh and dwelt among us…full of grace and truth.

Jars of Clay | Arbor Gate, Tomball, Texas | May 2024

Pastor Robert Lange served as campus pastor at the Lutheran Chapel of Hope at Southeast Missouri State University where I went to college. My friend Jerry had introduced me to the campus center as we called it. Games of hearts and spades, Bible studies and conversations, sometimes-disgusting frozen dinners and deep friendships were part of my experience there. I was confirmed there. I met Diane there and we were married there. When I was confirmed Pastor Lange gave me the verse from Matthew 11:28 as my confirmation verse. When I was ordained there, his text was that same passage. It’s hard to believe that was 45 years ago.

Today marks that 45 year milestone. I am deeply aware of the incredible privilege I’ve had over the years. Serving churches in Utah, Colorado, Arkansas, and now Texas has been a journey of joy, tears, challenges, breakthroughs, and deep and lasting relationships. We still occasionally connect with friends from those congregations. Some have stood by us in great stress. Some in joyful celebration. The constant is that Jesus’ message of grace and truth has been the glue that holds us together. 

Jesus’ grace and truth is so vital because I stand with Paul as a sinner in need of God’s grace. It is essential because it is the treasure that fills me – clay jar that I am. It is refreshing because the yoke of Jesus is easy and the burden is light. It is a blessing because Jesus’ truth centers me and his grace sustains me. 

I’m also with Paul when he says, “I thank him who has given me strength, Christ Jesus our Lord, because he judged me faithful, appointing me to his service.” (1 Timothy 1:12) That judgment is a gift of extreme grace. I am ever more aware of my continuing need for God’s grace. I am ever more thankful for his mercy. I am ever more thankful for the privilege of serving as a pastor. And I am ever more content in hearing people praise God for his love and mercy, Jesus’ gentleness and lowliness, his invitation rest and calling, and God’s grace and truth.

Leland Milo Hamilton was an American sportscaster, best known for calling play-by-play for seven different Major League Baseball teams from 1953 to 2012. That’s 59 years of baseball play-by-play broadcasting. He was 85 years old when he finally retired. I’m not sure I have 13 more years of active ministry ahead of me. No one knows when his last day will come. But Milo is a sort of hero for me. I’d love to be in the game for many more years to come. I hope, also, to do so as a clay jar, filled with the riches of God’s grace, and spilling it out as much as possible, so that people will say, “May the name of the Lord be praised!”

Context is Everything

February 10, 2015
Covenant, Uncategorized
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Revelation 1:4-7

To the seven churches in the province of Asia: Grace and peace to you from him who is, and who was, and who is to come, and from the seven spirits before his throne, and from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood, and has made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve his God and Father to him be glory and power for ever and ever! Amen.

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The Coastline of Kavala (near Ephesus, one of the seven churches of Revelation)

Oswald Hoffmann, former speaker of The Lutheran Hour radio program told a joke that I’ve retold many times, and always to a good laugh. The punchline is, “I’m fine, I’m just fine!” If you really want to read the whole joke you can see it here. Suffice it to say, context is everything.
That’s so true if we are to understand the book of Revelation properly. The first thing to remember is that this revelation was given to John during a time of persecution of the Christian church, and of John himself. Interpret this whole book with John’s exile because of his testimony to Jesus Christ, and the dangers everyday Christians were experiencing firmly in mind. You will gain a much better read on what God was actually saying.
As important as the milieu of John’s day is, the words at the beginning of this book are vitally important. John offers “grace and peace.” This phrase is more than a formalistic greeting at the beginning of a letter. This is a deep-felt expression of good will toward those who would read these words. These are the words of a close loved one with your best interests at heart.
That’s not always easy to hear, and sometimes we rebel at challenging words even when spoken out of deep pure love. But if we are to hear what is going to be offered in the coming pages, we must keep grace and peace in mind.
God has incredibly pure and true good will toward us. He wishes us deep and profound peace. If we are to be disturbed, it is so that we will move to a better place and experience a better life. Sometimes that requires that we be disturbed. But the disturbance is akin to being violently awakened from a peaceful deep sleep because the house is on fire and unless we are roused, we will perish in the flames.
God’s words to and through John in this Revelation of Jesus Christ are light and life. They come from the One who rules over all, who also died for all, who also has the keys to life and death. He has freed us from our sins by his blood and made us to be a kingdom of priests to serve our God and Father. This is a great blessing and profound responsibility. We ready ourselves for God’s revelation. We need to know these things. We also need to take to heart his call to vigilance.

When grace is the only answer

September 30, 2014
Kingdom
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Joshua 2:1

Then Joshua son of Nun secretly sent two spies from Shittim. “Go, look over the land,” he said, “especially Jericho.” So they went and entered the house of a prostitute named Rahab and stayed there.

A tour of four painted churches near Schulenburg, Texas yielded these images.

The accounts in Joshua (THE STORY, chapter 7), range from the impressive events surrounding the crossing of the Jordan River, to the dramatic tumbling walls of Jericho, to the conquering of various cities and kings in the Promised Land. The level of violence and brutality recounted in these pages are off-putting for many. Impaling the body of the king of Ai, or completely destroying whole cities doesn’t make for light reading to be sure.

Certainly this points up how real are the accounts of the Scriptures. God pulls no punches regarding the real violence and terror of war. He is not interested in a sanitized version of this conquest. These are serious times and serious events are ensuing.

In the face of these terrifying events the account of Rahab offers a counterpoint of even more significance. The Reformation Study Bible observes:

The narrative does not say why they chose Rahab’s house. She is remembered in the New Testament as an ancestor of Christ (Matt. 1:5), and as an example of faith (Heb. 11:31) and good works (James 2:25).

[Rahab] will be spared from the coming judgment (6:22, 23) and find a place among the people of God (6:25). The chapter testifies to the grace of God in bringing such a woman to seek and find His mercy. The story of Rahab supplies an important perspective on the judgments of God that will occupy much of this book.

Whenever the cruelty, violence and terror of the world overwhelms us, it is a great blessing to have a reminder of the grace and faithfulness of God such as we see in the life of Rahab. In the end the grace of God is the only thing that soothes the troubled soul. May God be gloriously praised on account of his grace!

What is Grace?

August 7, 2014
Covenant
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Ephesians 2:4-10

But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— 6 and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8 Forby grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

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The question caught me completely off guard. She asked, “What is grace?” Amazing; I thought everyone knew what grace was. But then I tried to define it. The classic definition is “God’s Riches at Christ’s Expense.” And that is actually pretty good. Grace is the freely-given treasures of God, poured out because Jesus offered his life as the atoning sacrifice for our sins. It comes to us apart from our merit or because we deserve it.

God does not give grace because we’ve earned it. It doesn’t come to us because we’ve done good works or even because we’ve made up for the bad things we have done. Grace isn’t a matter of reward for having paid our dues or even because we have repented and asked God for it. Grace comes to us by God’s initiative. And it comes not only apart from our merit, but without regard to anything we could ever offer to cause God to give it.

Grace is the kind, good-willed gifts and love of God poured out on people who need it – even when they don’t know the need it. The Bible is very clear about this: “While we were still sinners Christ died for us” (cf. Romans 5:6-8). Grace is a gift we receive through faith, and by which we are saved.

We may cheapen grace if we take it for granted, or use it as an excuse to ignore God, or abandon his ways believing that by grace God will always take us back. But that’s not why we’ve been saved. We’ve been saved by grace so that we may walk in the good works that God is preparing for us to do each day. Does someone you know need a word of grace today? Speaking that word may be just the good work that God has prepared for you to do.

Saved by Grace, through Faith, for Good Reason

August 6, 2014
Kingdom
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Ephesians 2:4-10

But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— 6 and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8 Forby grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

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I had the opportunity to ask a simple, but important question of my Senior Pastor Prayer Partners this morning. I meet with these men each week for breakfast, conversation, prayer and mutual encouragement. I typically ask questions for advice on ministry decisions, or for general good natured kidding. Today I asked them the question: “What does it mean to be saved?” The comments were insightful. One said that he could not be reminded often enough of that fact: it is so important and good, but so easily forgotten. Another talked about how we who have grown up in the church don’t really have a clear idea of what it means because we have never been consciously un-saved.

Another comment was shared later in the day: We have been saved from ourselves. We don’t have to follow our own self-destructive ways; we’re not stuck in self-righteousness; we’ve been delivered from selfish ways. All this is for a purpose. We’ve not been saved just so we can be saved, but for the purposes of living under Christ in his kingdom and serving him. We serve him by doing the good works he has prepared for us to do as we walk along life’s way.

I thought about that last thought a bit more and came to a possibly helpful metaphor. Imagine your house is on fire and you could safely run in and grab only a very few items. You might grab a computer, your important documents, a favorite piece of jewelry or a collection of rare keepsakes. Most people would grab their photo albums. But you wouldn’t save these items just so that they could enjoy that status of salvation. You would save them so that you could use them, so that you could benefit from their continued safety.

We’re far more important than keepsakes, jewelry, or even photo albums. And God’s purposes for our salvation are not just for his personal satisfaction, any more than our salvation is for our personal enjoyment. We’ve been saved by God’s grace so that we may live as God’s works of art bringing grace, mercy, love, and kindness to others along the way. All that comes to us by faith – the means by which God’s gifts find their place in our hearts and lives.

Wages and Gifts

March 17, 2014
Covenant
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Romans 6:20-23

For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. 21 But what fruit were you getting at that time from the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death. 22 But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the fruit you get leads to sanctification and its end, eternal life. 23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

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My first real job was in a restaurant, Wayne’s Grill, a small place with 8 booths and about 20 stools at the counter. I made the mistake on my first day there, and sat down in a rear booth. Wayne asked me, “What are you doing?” I told him that I was caught up and I was taking a break. He informed me that he didn’t pay me for taking breaks. There is always something to do, he told me. And there was. Always. The wages I earned for this job? Sixty-two and a half cents per hour. That’s w whopping $5.00 for an eight hour shift. Between the time I graduated from college and when I entered the seminary, I worked in a brick factory. I received a higher wage – $3.60 per hour – and worked harder than I have ever worked in my life. 

Then came our major experience with receiving a number of gifts while we were in seminary. Because of a number of circumstances, we were financially devastated. In a symphony of grace, several people came together with a number of gifts that saved our day. Ask me with I would rather have and I can tell you – the gift provided a much greater joy than the wages!

So why would we not wish to receive the free gift of God – eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord? Why would we choose to remain slaves of sin and keep paying the wages of our sinful behavior? Why choose death rather than the free gift of eternal life? The destiny of those who are enslaved to sin is death. If we are intent on getting what we deserve we will be sadly disappointed in the end. But if we are content to receive the grace and blessings of God we will discover the riches of God’s grace and that eternally.

I am thankful for the free gift of God. How about you? If that is the case, what will our lives look like? Surely we will not choose to be slaves of sin, but rather to be set apart for an eternal celebration of God’s grace.

God’s Trump

March 12, 2014
Covenant
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Romans 5:18-6:2

Therefore, as one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life forall men. 19 For as by the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man’s obedience the many will be made righteous. 20 Now the law came in to increase the trespass, but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, 21 so that, as sin reigned in death, grace also might reign through righteousness leading to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

6:1 What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? 2 By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it?

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The Good News of God’s love and grace is a deep and inexhaustible wellspring of blessing. The simple but remarkable truth is that God’s grace is abundant to the extent that it never runs out because sin depletes it. Though sin may abound, and evil may flourish, grace abounds all the more and God’s gifts flow forth richly. The more sin, the more grace. It’s God’s ultimate word and final answer.

Recently, however, I was asked a very unexpected question: “What is grace?” On the one hand the answer is simple: “Grace is ‘God’s Riches At Christ’s Expense.'” That acrostic really does help one define grace. Embracing that grace and experiencing God’s gifts is far more rich than even the best definition or acrostic. God’s riches come to us in the form of answered prayers, daily provision, protection, joy, and all good things – chief of which is the forgiveness of sins, the hope of the resurrection and the promise of eternal life: God’s gift of salvation. These all come to us at Christ’s expense. And there is always an abundant (more-than-enough) supply of God’s grace.

So the question comes: If God’s grace does not run out, why not sin more so that we can experience more of it? Why not drink deeply of God’s love and grace, forgiveness and joy of our redemption by sinking deeper into the miry pit of sin and degradation? Because grace, after all, will not run out. Something has happened in the heart and lives of those who have been captured by God’s grace. We have died to sin, through the grace of God. We have been shown a better and new way of life. We live no more in sin, but in grace. Such grace is not depleted by sin. But sin has lost its sway. It is the way of death. We live in grace, and that’s where we find the truest joy.

The power behind the silence

March 3, 2014
Covenant
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Romans 3:9-20

What then? Are we Jews any better off? No, not at all. For we have already charged that all, both Jews and Greeks, are under sin, 10 as it is written:

“None is righteous, no, not one;
11     no one understands;
no one seeks for God.
12 All have turned aside; together they have become worthless;
no one does good,
not even one.”
13 “Their throat is an open grave;
they use their tongues to deceive.”
“The venom of asps is under their lips.”
14     “Their mouth is full of curses and bitterness.”
15 “Their feet are swift to shed blood;
16     in their paths are ruin and misery,
17 and the way of peace they have not known.”
18     “There is no fear of God before their eyes.”

19 Now we know that whatever the law says it speaks to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be stopped, and the whole world may be held accountable to God. 20 For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin.

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I heard only small portion of the conversation between my wife and her seat mate on a recent flight. What I heard, however, (or more accurately, didn’t hear) was stunning to me. Silence. In the middle of the somewhat earnest conversation about children and family, there was suddenly no conversation. The silence was powerful evidence that Diane had struck a nerve and brought this woman to a place of sincere self-examination. There was no more argument. Although the conversation was very friendly (she was seeking help connecting with her son), the woman seemed defensive in the face of her own confusion and inability to influence her son in a good direction.

I later learned that Diane had simply asked, “What are you afraid of?” It was a powerful question in that moment and silenced the woman long enough perhaps for her to reflect rather than emote. I remember a similar occasion when I was brought to a powerful silence when asked a question I had to reflect on rather than offer an immediate answer or an excuse. It brought me to a place of humility and blessing. I didn’t need to figure out an answer. I needed to receive grace.

Paul writes that the law speaks to us so that “every mouth may be stopped…” Such silence is needed for the sake of our own eternal wellbeing. For if we go on and on, blithely excusing our behavior, justifying ourselves, and proving our point we will never enter into the place of true righteousness and justification. That is because we have no righteousness of our own. There is no excuse for our behavior. We cannot prove our point before God. We are accountable to God, and truly have nothing to say in our own defense.

That is true of us all: “None is righteous, no not one.” That ought to give us pause. That ought to silence us. And in that moment of silence the Good News of God may be heard in all its sweetness and joy. But if we are babbling on, offering excuses, defending our cause, blaming others we will miss it. We will be eternally lost. Is it time for you to “be still and know that [the Lord] is God”? (Psalm 46:10) Such silence brings the golden opportunity to seek the righteousness of God. That Good News is sweet in the ears of those who are silent before God.

Tree-Topping Teaching

December 23, 2013
Covenant
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Acts 18:24-28

Now a Jew named Apollos, a native of Alexandria, came to Ephesus. He was an eloquent man, competent in the Scriptures. 25 He had been instructed in the way of the Lord. And being fervent in spirit, he spoke and taught accurately the things concerning Jesus, though he knew only the baptism of John. 26 He began to speak boldly in the synagogue, but when Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him aside and explained to him the way of God more accurately. 27 And when he wished to cross to Achaia, the brothers encouraged him and wrote to the disciples to welcome him. When he arrived, he greatly helped those who through grace had believed, 28 for he powerfully refuted the Jews in public, showing by the Scriptures that the Christ was Jesus.

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Our Christmas Tree has an angel on top of it. Growing up we had a star. It was about 6 inches in diameter, and designed so that a Christmas tree light would protrude through the center. I’ve seen others with a spiked ornament, and  still others with nothing on top of the tree. The idea of the star or angel being on the tree top goes to the Christmas story of angels announcing the birth of the Savior to the shepherds. The star is a reminder of how the magi came from the east, following a star. But the presence or lack of a tree-top ornament as little or no real impact on one’s Christmas celebration. Frankly it doesn’t matter one way or the other.

When Priscilla and Aquila heard Apollos teaching in Ephesus, they discovered a missing element to his teaching. It was one which was more important than Christmas tree-top ornaments. Apollos knew about Jesus and was a powerful witness to the Gospel message. But Apollos’ understanding about Christian baptism was lacking. The problem was significant enough that Priscilla and Aquila took Apollos aside to instruct him privately about the matter. The instruction must have been well-received, since Apollos is soon sent off to Achaia and shares the Gospel there.

I am struck by how these new people (Aquila and Priscilla) are used by God to correct a new teacher (Apollos), with little more said than that fact. There seemed to be no controversy. There seems to have been no bitter struggle. There is no mention of going to Jerusalem to consult with the Apostles there. It seems that the simple truth of Jesus’ institution of Baptism was sufficient to direct and correct Apollos along a new path.

It is also interesting to me that the issue of Christian baptism was significant enough to warrant the conversation. Some speak of open-handed and closed handed doctrines. Some would put baptism into the open-handed category; that is baptism is something we don’t have to agree on in order to be brothers and sisters in Christ. It is clear here, however, that at least some understanding of Christian baptism was necessary. And although we don’t know what was said, it is also clear that Jesus’ institution of baptism into the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:16-20) is a vital part of the Christian witness.

When a person is converted and confesses his or her newly-founded faith, the way in which the promises are sealed, and the manner in which the conversion is ratified by God is through baptism. One may say a prayer. One may confess the faith publicly. But in the New Testament, baptism is the seal-the-deal event for the newly converted. We’ve seen it with the jailer at Philippi and his household, Lydia, the Ethiopian eunuch, Paul himself, and the 3000 converts on Pentecost.

Our Christmas tree may be OK with or without star, or angel. But baptism is more than a tree-top teaching. The reason has little to do with the doctrinal position or a disconnected truth. The reason is that baptism is a gift of God – rich and gracious. It is the means by which the promises of life and salvation are sealed. It is the manner in which the new believer has promises and blessings made more certain. When Apollos learned this, he was an even more powerful tool of God. When we are reminded of the blessings we have received in our baptism, we are ever more confident of God’s love and grace. That is a blessed assurance to be sure.

Indiscriminate Grace

November 8, 2013
Covenant
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Acts 10:35-43(44-48)

So Peter opened his mouth and said: “Truly I understand that God shows no partiality, 35 but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him. 36 As for the word that he sent to Israel, preaching good news of peace through Jesus Christ (he is Lord of all), 37 you yourselves know what happened throughout all Judea, beginning from Galilee after the baptism that John proclaimed: 38 how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power. He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him. 39 And we are witnesses of all that he did both in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They put him to death by hanging him on a tree, 40 but God raised him on the third day and made him to appear, 41 not to all the people but to us who had been chosen by God as witnesses, who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead. 42 And he commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one appointed by God to be judge of the living and the dead. 43 To him all the prophets bear witness that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.”

The Church at Locuon

A bill (the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, or ENDA) was passed recently by the US Senate that aims to prevent discrimination against gay and transgender employees. Critics of the bill, however, contend that  ENDA would “lead to a form of reverse discrimination.” Non-discrimination is the number one cultural moral norm in today’s world. More people would know Jesus’ words in Matthew 7, “Judge not, lest you be judged,” than they would know John 3:16. Non-descrimination is a slam dunk in today’s world – with the possible exception of discrimination against those who wish to hold traditional Christian values regarding things like human sexuality or life in the womb.

But there is one Christian value for which we ought to be known: the desire for people to embrace the grace of God in Jesus Christ. It might not seem as though this is a difficult or uniquely Christian value, for the whole culture seems bent on applying grace to all people – no matter what their story, status, or social standing might be. But in fact, grace is a decidedly Christian concept; it centers in Christ, and is experienced only by faith in Christ.

A faulty view of grace makes grace either something that I must earn, or an abandonment of all moral absolutes. It seems the latter abuse is the current cultural approach. But true grace centers in Christ and is free to the one receiving it, and infinitely costly to the One who gives it. Someone always has to pay for grace. And in the case of Christian grace, that Someone was God himself. It cost him his Son’s life to pour out his grace without abandoning moral truth or requiring moral payback on our part. He did that for all people. True grace is always tied to Jesus’ death for our sins and resurrection from the grave. It is received by the power of the Holy Spirit, and brings glory to God who gives his Son, his Spirit, and his Salvation to all who believe.

Perhaps the word, “indiscriminate” is not the best word to use when speaking of God’s grace. It might make one think that there is no sense of appreciation for God’s grace, or that one would be foolish in his or her showing or sharing of grace. But the truth is, as Peter says, “God shows no partiality, but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him.” Perhaps it’s the “fears him and does what is right” that marks the grace of God as unique. But the simple word, “anyone” is a great invitation of grace.

We don’t earn grace. Nor do we abandon moral norms in order to apply it. But God gives the riches of his kingdom to those who look to Christ, fear him, and do what is right. And when we lose sight of Christ, or wander from the path of doing right, God’s grace receives us back as we turn in repentance back to him.

In Peter’s day the issue had to do with God’s covenant extending to non-Jewish people: the Gentiles. And to make the point clear, that the Gentiles were also chosen by God to receive his grace, the Holy Spirit is visibly poured out on the Gentile believers while Peter is preaching on this occasion. I’m not certain what group or class of people I might need to recognize as recipients of God’s grace (could it be Republicans or Democrats?!?). But I do know that I am thankful that God’s grace extends to me for Jesus’ sake. How about you?

Then comes the exclamation point of God’s approval…

44 While Peter was still saying these things, the Holy Spirit fell on all who heard the word. 45 And the believers from among the circumcised who had come with Peter were amazed, because the gift of the Holy Spirit was poured out even on the Gentiles. 46 For they were hearing them speaking in tongues and extolling God. Then Peter declared,47 “Can anyone withhold water for baptizing these people, who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?”48 And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they asked him to remain for some days.