Category: Church

I was surfing the Internet tonight while watching TV, and came across The Rapture Index. I'm not an expert on prophecy, but this is interesting.

[shameless plug]
If you are interested in learning more about prophecy, why don't you look into a book by Rev. Kevin Bryant called Prophecy Made Simple
[/shameless plug].

I was browsing various blogs today, and came across this post. It seems that sometime in the past, a skeptic challenged Christians to harmonize the accounts of the resurrection. Well, it appears to have been done. This link will take you to the page where it is done. I'm linking to it ti here to get it distributed as widely as possible. The author…

put this together a number of years ago. A skeptic had put forward what was supposed to be an unanswerable challenge: to take all the passages in the Bible beginning with the day of Jesus’ resurrection and continuing to the day of his ascension, and without omitting anything write a simple narrative that is chronological and leaves out nothing.

 

I received an e-mail forward today from my old pastor–Pastor Tony. It was sent to him by his son who read the article on WorldNetDaily.com. Here is a link to the article. It dovetails nicely with a post I made on 21 March: Thoughts on The Church.

…I don't know Greer personally, but I know many people like him. They go to church on Sunday and then between Monday and Friday lead lives with no seeming connection to what they hear preached in the pulpit, what they read in the Bible, what they claim to believe of the Christian faith.

This may be the biggest single problem we have in America today – this disconnect between the spiritual lives of Christians and how they practice their faith in the world….

…Too many pastors in this country don't require obedience to God as a prerequisite for church membership. They seem to believe in a kind of "cheap" grace that comes with regular attendance or tithing rather than a Christian walk. They seem to have no minimal standards for fellowship and communion with the saints….

Do you want to know why the church doesn't have influence and impact in our increasingly secular world today?

Because there are too many so-called Christians like Judge George Greer and not enough like Pastor William Rice.

This is a good point. It is true that only God really knows the heart of men. On the other side of the coin, we are told in the Bible that our fruits/works/obedience will show if we really love God: 

Matthew 7:19-21
19 Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.
20 Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.
21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.

John 14:15
If ye love me, keep my commandments.

Church! It is time to wake up and see what is going on! We need to seek the face of God and plead for revival.

We had two church services at Highland for Easter this year. I wasn't sure how it would work, but it is a good thing we did. Our first service was at 8:30am and about 310-350 people attended. Our second service was at "normal" time for us, that means 10:15am). I would estimate we had 400-500 people at it (the sanctuary was packed). So, if we had planned only one service, we wouldn't have had enough space for everyone.

When I was a kid, I remember seeing this picture on a poster one time and thinking that it was a neat portrayal of the rapture. Well, I was poking around the internet, and came across it again. I downloaded this image from here. That person has a reference saying the image came from the Bible Believers Evangelical Association; however, when I followed the link to their site, I couldn't find any reference to it. So, I'm posting it here so you guys can see it. If you own the copyright to this image and want it removed, please contact me.

Well, in preparation for Easter, I thought I would post the words to the famous song Christ the Lord is Risen Today by Charles Wesley. Remember, Christ the Lord is Risen and his act of sacrifice on the cross has paid our sin debt. For more information on this, click here. HE IS RISEN!

Christ, the Lord, is risen today, Alleluia!
Sons of men and angels say, Alleluia!
Raise your joys and triumphs high, Alleluia!
Sing, ye heavens, and earth, reply, Alleluia!

Love’s redeeming work is done, Alleluia!
Fought the fight, the battle won, Alleluia!
Lo! the Sun’s eclipse is over, Alleluia!
Lo! He sets in blood no more, Alleluia!

Vain the stone, the watch, the seal, Alleluia!
Christ hath burst the gates of hell, Alleluia!
Death in vain forbids His rise, Alleluia!
Christ hath opened paradise, Alleluia!

Lives again our glorious King, Alleluia!
Where, O death, is now thy sting? Alleluia!
Once He died our souls to save, Alleluia!
Where thy victory, O grave? Alleluia!

Soar we now where Christ hath led, Alleluia!
Following our exalted Head, Alleluia!
Made like Him, like Him we rise, Alleluia!
Ours the cross, the grave, the skies, Alleluia!

Hail, the Lord of earth and heaven, Alleluia!
Praise to Thee by both be given, Alleluia!
Thee we greet triumphant now, Alleluia!
Hail, the resurrection day, Alleluia!

King of glory, Soul of bliss, Alleluia!
Everlasting life is this, Alleluia!
Thee to know, Thy power to prove, Alleluia!
Thus to sing and thus to love, Alleluia!

Hymns of praise then let us sing, Alleluia!
Unto Christ, our heavenly King, Alleluia!
Who endured the cross and grave, Alleluia!
Sinners to redeem and save. Alleluia!

But the pains that He endured, Alleluia!
Our salvation have procured, Alleluia!
Now above the sky He’s King, Alleluia!
Where the angels ever sing. Alleluia!

Jesus Christ is risen today, Alleluia!
Our triumphant holy day, Alleluia!
Who did once upon the cross, Alleluia!
Suffer to redeem our loss. Alleluia!

Are you captive? We are here to help you find freedom by God's grace. Please examine our courses by clicking on the links below, and enroll today. All courses are free of charge.

That is the tagline from a website I recently visited. It is called SettingCaptivesFree. I don't know too much about what they believe, but I like the looks of their program. I also like the fact that their material is free. The guy who runs it attends Parkside Church where Allistair Begg is the pastor. Pastor Begg has a segment on ThePath, and from what I can tell, they watch who is on the radio fairly closely so I don't think this group is out in left field somewhere.

Anyway, I know that the kinds of problems the SettingCaptivesFree studies deal with are a big problem with some people, so I decided to link to them from here.

Our church, Highland Baptist Church, is preparing to do a 40 Days of Purpose campaign. Thinking about this and the Evangelism Celebration I recently attended made me wonder “Why isn’t the church effective today?”

Why isn’t the church effective today? That is an interesting question. And, depending on who you talk to, you will receive different answers. I have an answer that, if you think about it, is very simple yet very profound: the church isn’t effective today because the church–the people–isn’t real. How can the church be real, you may ask…isn’t the church just the building? No! Wrong! The church is those who are saved. We assemble with other beleivers to worship and be more effective at our mission.

Why isn’t the church real? Well, I think the church quit being real quite some time ago. Sure, every congregation has had people who are real and who really care about God, but church has become something we do rather than something we are. People, wake up! The church needs to develop a heart for the lost! We need to desire to be right with God! If we the church were to seek God and repent, revival would sweep the nation! We would have another Great Awakening!

The world sees that the church isn’t real anymore and doesn’t want part of it. They want answers, but want people to care about them. They want people to care. They want real people. They don’t want 3 points and a prayer any more. They want people to invest in them. In the past, everyone played church and it was accepted. Because everyone did it, it was easier to be fake. Now, people want the answers we have, but they want…no need…to hear it from someone who cares.

[Update 2012-12-26 14:44:51]  The old link that would describe the Great Awakening went dead.  I’ve replaced http://www.wfu.edu/~matthetl/perspectives/four.html with a link to wikipedia.

When in college, I received this “article” in an e-mail forward. I “rediscovered” it while looking for something else earlier this week. I’m posting it here just in case it may benefit someone else. This work isn’t original to me. If you wrote it and would like it removed from this website, please let me know. My contact information can be found here.

He sits by himself at a table for two. The uniformed waiter appears at his side. 

“Would you like to go ahead and order, sir?” The man has, after all, been waiting since seven o’clock–almost half an hour.

“No, thank you,” the man says with a smile. “I’ll wait for her a while longer. How about some more coffee?”

“Certainly, sir.”

The man sits, his deep brown eyes gazing straight through the flowered centerpiece. He fingers his napkin, allowing the sounds of light chatter, tinkling silverware, and mellow music to fill his mind. Dressed in a sport coat and tie with his dark brown hair neatly combed, he projects a clean-cut and welcoming image. You get the sense that he wants his companion to feel important, respected, loved. Yet he’s not so formal as to make one uncomfortable. Having taken every precaution to make others feel at ease with him, still, he sits alone. The waiter returns to fill the man’s coffee cup.

“Is there anything else I can get for you, sir?”

“No, thank you.” The waiter remains standing at the table. Something tugs at his curiosity.

“I don’t mean to pry, but…” His voice trails off. This line of conversation could jeopardize his tip, if not his job.

“Go ahead,” the man encourages. His voice is strong, yet sensitive, inviting conversation.

“Why do you bother waiting for her?” the waiter finally asks. This man has been at the restaurant other evenings, always alone, always patient.

“Because she needs me.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes.”

“Well, sir, no offense, sir, but assuming that she needs you, she sure isn’t acting much like it. She’s stood you up three times just this week!”

The man winces, and looks down. “Yes, I know.”

“Then why do you still come here and wait?”

“Cassie said she’d be here.”

“She’s said that before,” the waiter protests. “I wouldn’t put up with it. Why do you?”

Now the man looks up at the waiter with a smile. “Because I love her.”

The waiter walks away, wondering how he could love a girl who stands him up three times a week. The man must be crazy, he decides. From across the room he turns to look again at the man, who is pouring cream into his coffee cup. He twirls his spoon between his fingers a few times before stirring sweetener into his cup. After staring for a moment into the liquid, the man brings the cup to his mouth and sips, silently watching those around him. He doesn’t look crazy, the waiter admits to himself. Maybe the girl has qualities that I don’t know about. Or maybe the man’s love is stronger than most. Pulling himself out of his musings, the waiter moves to take an order from a party of five.

Setting down his coffee cup, the man recalls the many things he wanted to talk over with Cassie. But really he was mostly looking forward to hearing her voice telling him about her day–her triumphs, her defeats…anything. Yes, she’s stood him up before, but he still can’t get used to it. Each time, it hurts. He’s looked forward to the evening all day. He’s tried so many times to show Cassie how much he loves her. He’d just like to know that she cares for him, too. He sips sporadically at the coffee. He hopes Cassie may yet arrive. The clock says nine-thirty when the waiter returns to the man’s table- still with one empty chair. “Anything I can get for you?”

“No, I think that will be all for tonight. May I have the check, please?”

“Yes, sir.” When the waiter leaves, the man picks up the check. He pulls out his wallet. He has enough money to have given Cassie a feast. But he takes out only enough to pay for his five cups of coffee and the tip. Why do you do this, Cassie? his mind cries as he gets up from the table.

“Good-bye,” the waiter says, as the man walks toward the door.

“Good night. Thank you for your service.”

“You’re welcome, sir,” says the waiter softly, for he sees the hurt in the man’s eyes that his smile doesn’t hide. The man passes a laughing young couple on his way out, and his eyes glisten as he thinks of the good time he and Cassie could have had. He stops at the front and makes reservations for tomorrow. Maybe Cassie will be able to make it, he thinks.

“Seven o’clock tomorrow for a party of two?” the hostess confirms.

“That’s right,” the man replies.

“Do you think she’ll come?” the hostess inquires tentatively. She doesn’t mean to be rude, but she has watched the man many times alone at his table for two.

“Someday, yes. And I will be there waiting for her.” The man buttons his overcoat and walks out of the restaurant, alone. His shoulders are hunched, but through the windows the hostess can only guess whether they are hunched against the wind or against the man’s hurt.

About the time the man steers his car out of the restaurant’s parking lot, Cassie falls into her bed. Tired after an evening out with friends, she reaches toward her nightstand to set the alarm.

“Oh, shoot,” she says aloud when she sees the note she had scribbled to herself the previous night. “Seven o’clock p.m…and what’d I write here?…oh, yeah, Spend some time in prayer. Well, I’ll do it tomorrow night for sure.”

Besides, she told herself, she needed tonight with her friends–and now she needs her sleep. Tomorrow night will be fine. Jesus will forgive her. She’s sure he doesn’t mind.

–Author Unknown
–Source: e-mail forward

I finally have pictures of the Wild Game Dinner and the Youth ski trip are now posted. Here are the links:

Wild Game Dinner Pictures
HBC Youth Ski Trip (2005)

[Update 2012-12-26 08:40:34] Updated the links to posts to the new website and the pictures to flickr sets.