Category: Church

I hadn't fired up Sage in a while, so I did this morning. The Christian CADRE site had this article showing up in my feed. Here is an excerpt

I think we can learn a lot about ourselves by asking that question. Just what would we want to go back and history and witness?

It then goes on to talk about a book: The Didymus Contingency. I don't know anything about the book right now, so if you want to read it, make up your own mind. I think it looks interesting though.

I came across this tonight while surfing the net. It is a What's your theological worldview quiz. To those who know me, I came out fundamentalist–like there was any surprise. However, things like this are hard to take. You know the way you need to answer to have the goofy quiz think you what you are. On the other hand, you have to figure out how to balance that with what you really think. For example:

"God says it. I believe it. That settles it." — Actually, I believe "God says it. That settles it." However, if I had answered that question in the negative, it would have swayed my answers more to the liberal side when I'm not liberal

Homosexuality is one of the worst sins — Well…really sin is sin so this isn't true. All sin is equally bad. But again, if I were to answer this how I really think, the quiz would think me liberal

So, I'd say take this quiz for fun and see where you stand. In general, it is probably right only if you are at the far end of one of the scales.

Cyndi and I went to visit Bethany Place Baptist Church today. Interestingly enough, we met two people who are also new to Richmond. It was good to get to talk to some fellow nebies and see what they think about the place. They moved here from Idaho.

The people at the church were friendly, but neither Cyndi or I felt drawn there. it was a bit smaller than Highland, but it appeared to be trying to be big churchy, if that makes any sense. Like Highland, they don't have Wednesday night services–they have various classes going on. I never thought about it before but that makes it hard to show up and visit in the middle of something. They didn't have an evening service since today was Father's Day.

Today has been interesting. Well, I take that back…the entire week has been interesting. For those of you who don't know, Cyndi has been out of town since last Monday (6 June). She has been visiting family, etc… in West Virginia and Ohio. That has left me TONS of left over time to read. In addition to having more time to read, I have started a new job with the International Mission Board.

Prior to our move to Richmond, I had felt a desire to do something more with my life. A desire to use my skills for God. At the time, I didn't have any desire to be a pastor or missionary. Partially through my experience with new staff orientation at the IMB and partially through my job in general, I have come to see a different definition of a "missionary." In reality, a missionary is one who tells others of their faith. Think of it like this…we all are called to be missionaries and tell others of the Good News. How do we do this? Well, God tells us:

Go ye therefore

Esentially, we are called to go and tell others. As we live our lives, we can (and should) tell others. Ok, but as we are telling, people will have questions. How do we deal with those questions? The only way is to know what we believe and why we believe it. For example, I believe Jesus is God. Ok, but how do I back that up? That doesn't mean we all have to have doctorate degrees from a Bible school, but we should understand it. Here is an example:

If you ask me can airplanes fly, my answer will be yes. If you ask me why, I can give a brief overview of Bernoulli's Principle. Can I work out all the math on the spot? No, but I can explain it.

Why should our Christian life be any different. Do we believe things because the pastor tells us? How about our parents? How about society? How about a denominational structure? We need to personalize our beliefs and understand why we believe certain things.

So, my chalenge now is solidifying those beliefs. Where do I start? I don't know for sure. I'll take any ideas you have. I'll probably start by going through The Baptist Faith and Message looking up those scriptures. I'll probably memorize some of them. While I'm at it, I'll have some sort of method figured out for studying the rest of the Bible too.

Since Cyndi is visiting family and friends, I had to go to church alone this morning. I chose Grove Avenue Baptist Church. It is a large church…much larger than I'm used to. Everyone I met was very friendly. The church service was different. Since they are on TV, they do things a tad differenly than I was used to. However, the pastor's sermon was excellent. His main text was from Genesis 28:11-22. It was a sermon geared towards graduates, but really hit me and moved me. If you are in Richmond and are into big churches, this would be a good place for you to go.

This weekend, Cyndi and I visited Faith Baptist Church. Very nice church. The people were very nice. The Sunday School lesson and sermon were very good–well thought out, delivered, and good content. The church is going through a state of flux right now because the pastor is feeling led to move to California and start a new ministy (I don't know what…no one said). The congregation is small (probably 25-50 people in the Sunday Morning service), but seems to have a good heart.

SBC Life has this article on church growth and planing. Why do we need another church?

Several things hit me as I read the article:

There has been a great deal of emphasis in our Convention recently regarding church planting. The International Mission Board is talking about it. The North American Mission Board is talking about it. Our seven Southern Baptist seminaries offer courses in church planting and have professors of church planting. Our state conventions are talking about it. Our associations are talking about it. Some of our churches are even involved in planting churches. We are the largest non-Catholic, Christian denomination in the world. We consist of more than 16.2 million members and more than forty-three thousand churches. Do we really need another Southern Baptist church?

As of 2004, the estimated population of the United States was 293 million, and Canada was thirty-three million. These numbers, of course, increase when you factor in all of those who live here temporarily (legally or illegally). There are more than 386 thousand churches of all types in the United States and more than twenty-two thousand in Canada.

This means that there is roughly one church — orthodox or heretical — for every 800 people in North America. In particular, there is no Southern Baptist church in Newfoundland, and less than 250 Southern Baptist churches in the entire nation of Canada! Even more surprising, recent reports from Western Canada have revealed that there are towns with populations as high as one thousand without a single church of any kind!

Consider the following statistics: It is estimated that the unchurched populations of the United States and Canada are 195 million and twenty-four million, respectively. From the mid-1980s to the mid-1990s, the population in the United States increased 11.4 percent, but the overall church membership declined 9.5 percent. Less than 5 percent of all Canadians could be identified as evangelical

Do we care that people are dying and going to Hell? Do we really care about people? Are we too caught up in "doing the church thing" or "going" to church? People are dying without knowing Christ and His forgiveness. Let's get going!

This Baptist Press article talks about the "Glory days" of the SBC. That brings up an interesting question. What made them the Glory Days? It certanly wasn't money given. It wasn't a lack of disagreement. It wasn't the Conservative Resurgance. While those things were good, the author makes the point that it was because of "Souls! Souls! Souls!"

I happen to agree with him. Christians, WAKE UP! There is a world of lostness out there! We have the answer! We need to love and care for these people enough to "Go Tell!" (Interestingly enough, in the early 1980's an evangelist came to our church in Beeville and preached a crusade entitled that same thing. I think it was Mr. Gage.)

Church, we don't need more programs. We don't need more this or more that. We need more people who CARE about the lostness of people. Go look at these IMB pictures of lost people in the world and tell me they don't need Jesus.

In my opinion dead orthodoxy has created a lack of passion for souls in our pulpits. The battle for the Bible has been won. The battle for souls has not begun.

Church, we need to start that fight! We need to get in the ring! Stand up! Be counted! Care for a lost and dying world!

Baptist Press recently ran this article about church membership. Read it and let me know what you think. Is it truly too easy?

On one hand, I see the author's point? Why should I expect a church to accept me as a member just because I "do the right thing?" As the author states:

One of the easier organizations to join is a Baptist church. Not much is required. Walk down an aisle, gently grasp the pastor’s hand, nod affirmatively at his leading questions, correctly fill out the card on the clipboard, stand before the congregation and listen to their “Amen” as the pastor asks if they are “glad you have come today.” As one who once was a church member before becoming a Christian, I am aware that it is quite possible to join some churches without being a follower of Christ.

On the other hand, does the body have this right? The only person who knows if I am saved or not is the Almighty God. How can men judge that?

Right now, I'm undecided but leaning towards the "proving" part…at least in some basic way. I should have to demonstarte to my brothers and sisters that I should be allowed to join them. They should know me before they allow me to join. If they don't know me, how can they vote up or down? And, as God says: 

For every tree is known by his own fruit. For of thorns men do not gather figs, nor of a bramble bush gather they grapes.

—Luke 6:44

Last night, Cyndi and I went back to Staples Mill Road Baptist Church for their Sunday Evening Service. On Sunday Evenings, the interm pastor is going through the book of Acts. Last night, he brought a message on boldness. His text?

I will sumarize:

* Peter and John are going to the temple
* They see a beggar
* Peter had no money to give the man
* God healed the beggar
* Peter and John preached a great sermon to the people
* Religious leaders didn't like it
* Peter and John were arrested
* Peter hand John were told not to preach any more
* Peter and John said they could only tell what they had witnessed
* The disciples prayed for boldness

As Christians, we are going to be put in hard situations. All around the world, Christians are persecuted for what they believe. Here in the US, we are intimidated. Our reaction should be to pray for boldness! We shouldn't back down! Continue going forward! We shouldn't go looking for trouble: we shouldn't walk up and punch someone in the face. However, when trouble finds us–someone says quit speaking about Jesus or I'll punch you in the face– we should be bold and continue to speak! 

23 And being let go, they went to their own company, and reported all that the chief priests and elders had said unto them.
24 And when they heard that, they lifted up their voice to God with one accord, and said, Lord, thou art God, which hast made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all that in them is:
25 Who by the mouth of thy servant David hast said, Why did the heathen rage, and the people imagine vain things?
26 The kings of the earth stood up, and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord, and against his Christ.
27 For of a truth against thy holy child Jesus, whom thou hast anointed, both Herod, and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles, and the people of Israel, were gathered together,
28 For to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined before to be done.
29 And now, Lord, behold their threatenings: and grant unto thy servants, that with all boldness they may speak thy word,
30 By stretching forth thine hand to heal; and that signs and wonders may be done by the name of thy holy child Jesus.
31 And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldness. 

— Acts 4:23-31