Lifeway is Destroying Southern Baptist Churches

Can someone please teach the expert that Sunday School can NOT be tasked with worship, fellowship, discipleship, ministry and evangelism?  Sunday School or more appropriately, the Bible Study Ministry of the local church, has only one defined purpose, evangelism. 

Sunday School cannot by definition be discipling because not all members of a Sunday School class are to be Christians.  Only Christians can be discipled.  The same goes for worship as well.  Only believers can worship God and the Sunday School class is not supposed to be full of Christians.  Ministry and fellowship can take place as long as it is under the auspices of evangelizing the lost.  If no lost people are involved, then there is no reason to have a Sunday School class.

It is about time that people understand that Lifeway has brutally destroyed Sunday School and turned it into an incestuous bunch of inbreeders who are now impotent.  There is no reason for most churches to have a Sunday School because most churches do not have lost people in their Sunday School classes.

 

 

 

When the Ignorant “Christian Left” Speaks

I find myself at a loss for words when “Christians” speak ignorantly.  I may have to type s-l-o-w so that many on the “Christian Left” can comprehend.

 

The Bible when it is used as a basis for determining public policy for a country must be understood for what it is.  The Old Testament as it is written is a history book, poetry and prophecy, as well as laws for governing a people.   Therefore, the Old Testament can be used as a guide for laws and governance of peoples or nations, but it is not written as such.

 

The New Testament is completely opposite of the Old Testament in its ability to be used for governance.  If you try to use it as a basis for governance then you have either accidentally or intentionally misread the document.  The New Testament is solely concerned with individuals being in a right relationship with their creator.  To draw anything else from the New Testament is vile at best and heretical at worst.

 

To demand that a government must comply with the teachings of Jesus is arrogant.  Jesus did not come to have governments built on His teachings, He came to find the lost and bring them into a right relationship with His Father.  To say that Jesus came for anything political is heresy.

 

Jesus did not teach us to care for the least of those as a country; He came to teach us to do that as individuals.  He did not come to teach us to provide health care as a country; He came to teach us to care for our fellow man as individuals.  If you want to find a Biblical document that deals directly with governing a country, then go to the Old Testament.  It is replete with rules, laws, and directions for governing people. 

 

So that many of my “Christian Left” friends can come to a better understanding of their heretical views concerning the use of the Bible to govern countries:  S-t-o-p  using it to govern this country with unless you want to follow the part that is truly written as a guide to rule countries.  You look f-o-o-l-i-s-h and not very well read when you continue to use the New Testament completely out of context in this way.

Wine Tours and Southern Baptists in Alabama

In dealing with Bible thumping oafs, buffoons and morons it is important to remember one thing, they are not tolerant. They are incapable of understanding any viewpoint other than their own. They are senseless and useless when it come to the use of the pea-sized brains.

Here is my example of the day: Alcohol sales and use.

What makes my heart hurt even more is that I too am a Southern Baptist and we are just plain ignorant when it comes to the Bible and alcohol.

Why Do Bad Things Happen to Good People

Have you ever asked the question, “Why do bad things happen to good people?” I have been asked that questions hundreds of times. Until recently, I have always answered it gently and politely with little quips that are actually fallacies based on the Biblical text. You want to comfort people and present God and life in the best philosophical setting so that their times of trial are softened somewhat by your answer. Nevertheless, in reality the honest brutal truth is more devastating that we actually care to hear.

Biblically speaking, there are none that are good, not even one. In Psalm 51 we are given great insight into the reality of our beginnings of life and where our nature is rooted. In Isaiah 53 we are told none of us are right before a holy God. We are all infected with a sin nature that alienates us from God from before birth. When we are conceived, we are already missing the mark before we are even born. When we are conceived, we are conceived with rebellion against God already programmed into our DNA at conception. The very second the ovum is fertilized, we are programmed to rebel against an almighty God. There are none of us who fail to qualify for that category.

Now when I am asked the question, “Why do bad things happen to good people?” I simply respond, “They do not.” I intentionally leave it there. I do not go any further than that in my answer. But, always without fail, I get drug into a deep minded philosophical and theological conversation. Many want to debate the theological implications of my answer and almost everyone wants to argue that God cannot be that calloused to the plight of mankind.

That is where I have them. They have fallen for the trap, they jumped right up on the trap and took the cheese. The lever has been sprung and now the full weight of their sin is about to collapse around them. They do not know that they have been sent for an appointment with their maker, not me, I am just the messenger. They have fallen into a philosophical and theological trap out of which there is not escape, their sin in the hands of an angry God.

The answer they do not expect is this: Who is good in the sight of a holy God? Who deserves to go to heaven without their sins being forgiven? Who places themselves higher than the Son of God, Jesus of Nazareth? Either they are better than Jesus, and Jesus died in vain or there are none that are good?

Be prepared in season and out to share that our God is a holy and just God demanding perfection to stand in His presence. When you are asked the question, do not be afraid to let God be God, maybe He plans to use you as part of His plan to bring a friend or stranger into the kingdom.

American Christianity’s Compromise with Absolutes

For what purpose has absolutism been bred out of the soul of man? The very thing that God imparted to the Old Testament prophets that made them men of renown now condemns their contemporary counterparts as traitors to the species. Biblical Christianity’s American counterpart is so compromisingly corrupt that it has actually come to believe that it is absolutely superior to Biblical Christianity. The absolute desire to be accepted by those who hate them most has brought about their complete and utter compromised status to God.

The mindless, moronic miscreants of modern American Christianity are not Biblical Christians. They are not of the remnant. They are so absolutely compromised that their sophomoric stylings of clichéd culture demonstrates that their mind-numbed ignorance has allowed them to hold holy huddles of mass delusion without ever considering their absolute damnation.

These mental malcontents are nothing more than thoughtless purveyors of pious propaganda so void of substance that they starved to death spiritually. Their reality consists of nothing more that brotherly love and hopeless hope twisted by ear-tickling trumpeters of trivial self-worth slogans. They never knew agape love, but they are absolutely full of themselves when it comes to philadelphia and eros.

More to Come . . .

The Gift Is Not The Manger, It Is The Cross

Why do we celebrate the birth of the savior? His birth is not the gift to mankind, His death and resurrection are the actual gifts to mankind from the Father.

Though His coming in and of itself was miraculous, never forget the truest meaning of the gift. Man is sinful in his nature and has no way to be accepted by the Father except for the vicarious death of Jesus and His resurrection from the dead that gives us eternal life.

Isaiah 6 HOLY

Isaiah 6
My Favorite Chapter in the Bible

1 In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord seated on a high and lofty throne, and His robe filled the temple.

The history behind Uzziah has to be as important as the fact that this also dates the book. Do not let the fact that Uzziah was one of the good kings be forgotten. He fought to drive out the Philistines and to rid the land of their presence. He was a great warrior and a good king, but will be remembered for what he did wrong. He was a political/military king and he offered incense to God in the temple, which was forbidden for anyone to do except for a priest. Because of his sin, he was struck with leprosy, sent outside the city and died miserably and lonely.

Ultimately, Uzziah died because he either simply forgot the rules in his desire to praise God or intentionally disregarded the rules about soldiers and politicians coming into the inner part of the temple. He was not allowed to enter in, but he did and paid dearly for it because he never entered the temple again. What should we learn from this example of leprosy and death? Have we allowed the politicians and warriors to inter into the inner part of the sanctuary? Have we not forbid their entrance? Are we not guilty before God as they are?

Now, back to Isaiah. He was a prophet and priest and was allowed into the temple. After Uzziah died, Isaiah saw the Lord. In my imagination, I see him praying in the inner part of the temple and having this vision where he is called into the throne room of God, the Holy of Holies.

Isaiah saw God seated on His throne, high and lofty, high above all others in the throne room. And God’s robe filled up the entire temple. What a majestic scene we are allowed to have a glimpse of here as the prophet describes what he sees. This throne room temple, the very inner part of heaven revealed to us and God’s robe is as big as the entirety of the location. This is where we will be one day, this is where we will bow before the Father and give the crowns that we receive back to His son. This is the place of joy and worship and thanksgiving and praise.

2 Seraphim were standing above Him; each one had six wings: with two he covered his face, with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew.

The seraphim, the keepers of the temple, the angels of the throne room, were standing above God, in positions of respect and honor and protection. These angels are special and they are assigned to be around God. Their wings covered their faces, and feet and flew. Take the symbolism and run if you want, but the magnificence of the scene is enough to elicit worship and praise and glory and honor.

These angels hid their faces and feet from God. In honor, these angels hid their faces from God not in fear of looking at God, but out of total honor and respect. They were not worthy to look upon God and they knew their place in heaven. They were demonstrating worship by hiding their faces. They hid their feet because of their being in the presence of God. God confronted Moses for having shoes on his feet in God’s presence.

3 And one called to another: Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of • Hosts; His glory fills the whole earth.

The Hebrew way of accenting a word is to have it repeated. In English we use exclamation points and sometimes two of them for extra emphasis. In Hebrew, this was accomplished by repeating the word.

The scene is one angel calling to another, with a voice so loud that it is almost destructive. One angel calls “HOLY!! is the LORD of the Hosts of Heaven, His glory fills the whole earth.” Then another angel calls out, “HOLY!! is the LORD of the Hosts of Heaven, His glory fills the whole earth.” Then another calles out, “HOLY!! is the LORD of the Hosts of Heaven, His glory fills the whole earth.” And other calls out, “HOLY!! is the LORD of the Hosts of Heaven, His glory fills the whole earth.” They continue for there is nothing else to say about God.

Of all of attributes of God that these angels can proclaim, they proclaim the most important attribute. Holiness is the attribute of God out of which all other attributes flow. Where does God’s love come from? His holiness. Where does God’s mercy and justice come from? His holiness. There is nothing that anyone or anything can do in the presence of God but to proclaim His holiness.

4The foundations of the doorways shook at the sound of their voices, and the temple was filled with smoke.

The strongest and most sturdy place within a building is the doorway. The doorways of the throne room of God is shaken to its foundations by the power of the voices of the angels proclaiming the holiness of God. “HOLY!! is the LORD of the Hosts of Heaven, His glory fills the whole earth.” This throne room is The Throne Room, the great white throne room. This is the epicenter of heaven. This must be an amazingly large and spacious room. All of the peoples of all of the worlds history will be judged in this room. Even with its vastness, the foundations of the doorways in this room will be shaken.

When the angels make this proclaimation, smoke fills the throne room. The incense from the alter fills the room and the glory of God fills the room along with His holiness.

5 Then I said: Woe is me, for I am ruined, because I am a man of unclean lips and live among a people of unclean lips, [and]* The bracketed text has been added for clarity. because my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of Hosts.

In Isaiah 5 Woe is used in verse 8, in verse 11, in verse 18 and in verse 22. The words in Hebrew are alas and touch, strike or to smitten.

Literally, we could read this as, “alas or then strike me or touch me or smite me for I have not spoken or remained silent, because I am a man of unclean speech and lips and I live in al land of people with unclean speech and lips, and because I have seen the King, the Lord of Hosts.”

This can be viewed in two different ways. First, it can be interpreted as “strike me for I did not say Holy because I am a man of unclean lips and speech and I live in a land of people with unclean lips and speech. . .” The second interpretation can be, “strike me for I was silent among my people because I am a man of unclean lips and speech and live among a people of unclean lips and speech.”

I think it is appropriate to interpret it both ways at the same time. Both are sins in the presence of a holy God.

6 Then one of the seraphim flew to me, and in his hand was a glowing coal that he had taken from the altar with tongs.

One of the angels charged with guarding the presence of God flew to Isaiah with a burning coal taken from the altar with tongs.

7He touched my mouth [with it]* The bracketed text has been added for clarity. and said: Now that this has touched your lips, your wickedness is removed, and your sin is atoned for.

The angel touched Isaiah’s mouth, his whole mouth which was unclean, with the burning coal. Now that the coal had touched Isaiah’s mouth and lips, his wickedness was removed and his sins atoned for.

There are two different things here which are vitally important. They are so easy to overlook and they are so vital to our understanding the role of Jesus’ death. First is having wickedness removed. This is where his guilt and punishment are being removed from his life. Isaiah has had the punishment removed from him by the cleansing. Second and possibly the most important is the propitiation of his sins through atonement.

Atonement or propitiation is a completely different aspect of the concept of forgiveness. Removal of punishment is good, but forgiveness which satisfies the holiness must be a blood sacrifice which not only puts aside punishment but makes righteous.

It is this dual concept which is vitally important to us as believers. Jesus not only puts aside punishment like the “scapegoat” of the Old Testament, but becomes the sacrificial blood offering only capable of being the propitiation or atonement of sin. The atonement or propitiation is the debt owed to make for a clean title for transaction to a new owner.

Those are shouting words. Isaiah could not do anything to have propitiation and neither can we, God brings about our propitiation through the atonement of the

8 Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying: Who should I send? Who will go for Us? I said: Here I am. Send me. And He replied: Go!

Isaiah finally hears the voice of the Lord, only after he has been forgiven. God would not speak to Isaiah or even acknowledge him until he was clean. He was a prophet and priest, but God would not speak to him. He was preaching for God in the previous chapters but God would not acknowledge him. We must be clean when we come into the holy presence of God. We need both forgivenesses happening in our lives at the same time for God to speak to us.

Then when God speaks, He wants us to go. Here I am, send me. No excuses, no questions. Here I am, send me.

Diving In Deeper

What if we have made a parable out of something far less parable and more of an apparent reality?

What about the Rich Young Ruler.

What if Jesus answer was not a parable and more of a reality?

Paul says in Eph 4 that the reason we work is to provide for the poor among us.

I remember one of the final scenes in Schindler’s List where Oscar Schindler realizes he could have saved more Jews if he had not had so many things of value. (a watch, home)

If we are actually more communal the individual as believers, then we are doing it backwards in the modern church where we do it as individuals in groups.

We have changed a community of individuals into individuals in a group, not community.

What if we have made a parable out of something far less parable and more of in apparent reality?

abort73.com

Abort73.com is the best Pro-Life site I have ever seen. I have been weeping for 10 mins after viewing the second video section.

SWBTS

This is where I went to Seminary. I learned some stuff there as well.