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WHAT IS A BAPTIST?

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MARKS OF A BAPTIST

By Ken Blue

Some time ago I was invited to join another pastor and one of his church members for breakfast at a nearby cafe. We had a pleasant visit. We discussed various subjects, the nature of which I cannot remember. However, as we were finishing our meal, the pastor asked me a question that caught me off guard, and I am convinced he was not impressed with my answer.

The question was, “What is a Baptist?” My answer was, “one who holds to Baptist beliefs.” I proceeded to tell him of the acrostic used to explain what Baptist believe. B-Born again membership. A-Autonomy of the local church. P-Preservation of the saints. T-Total depravity of the lost. I-Inspiration of the Scriptures. S-Separation of church and state. T-Two ordinances.

However, although I agree with the above, I do not think that was the answer he was after. If a Lutheran is a follower of Martin Luther, one might assume a Baptist would be a follower of John the Baptist. I am aware that there are a few Baptist who believe just that.

The facts will demonstrate that Baptist do not, nor can they follow the Baptist.

1. John was sent to Israel only to prepare them for their Messiah. No Baptist today does that.

2. John’s baptism was accompanied with repentance and confession of sins. No Baptist makes that a requirement.

3. John’s ministry was to prepare a people for their King and earthly Kingdom. That is not the goal of any Baptist today.

4. John’s gospel (good news) was that the King was coming to establish His Kingdom, and repentance and baptism were a requirement to enter it. No Baptist preaches that.

5. John’s ministry and message never contained one word about the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ. That is the central theme of Baptist today.

6. Since John knew nothing about the upcoming death of Christ, his gospel must have contained a different message than that of Baptist today.

7. Since John knew nothing of Jesus’ coming death, his baptism must have served a different purpose, and possibly a different mode, then the baptism practiced today,

8. Since John was sent to baptize and Paul was not sent to baptize, there must have been light years between their two ministries.

9. No one claimed to be a follower of John the Baptist, “Now this I say, that every one of you saith, I am of Paul; and I of Apollos; and I of Cephas; and I of Christ.” 1 Corinthians 1:12, isn’t it strange that no one claimed to be a follower of John the Baptist?

So, the best I can do is stick with the acrostic and follow Christ, since it is impossible, and unscriptural to follow John the Baptist.

FIRSTY LADY SAYS ‘EAT CARROT STICKS,’ SERVES JUNK FOOD AT WHITE HOUSE

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     Beer from super bowl states heads up Obama’s party

Sun Feb 6, 3:50 pm ET

“WASHINGTON – You could call it the White House Beer Summit, Part II.

President Barack Obama is turning again to fermented alcoholic beverages to find common ground between antagonists, this time fans of the Green Bay Packers and the Pittsburgh Steelers.

For his Super Bowl party Sunday evening, Obama is offering Yuengling Lager and Light, brewed in Pennsylvania, and Hinterland Pale Ale and Amber Ale, all the way from Wisconsin. Independents can pour down some White House Honey Ale if they like.

The rest of the menu for the 100 or so guests at the White House bash is tailgate-friendly even if served inside the Executive Mansion: bratwurst, kielbasa, cheeseburgers, deep-dish pizza and Buffalo wings with sides of German potato salad, twice-baked potatoes and assorted chips and dips.”

The American Heritage Dictionary: hy·poc·ri·sy. hy·poc·ri·sies. 1. The practice of professing beliefs, feelings, or virtues that one does not hold or possess; falseness. 2. An act or instance of such falseness.

CHART AND COMPASS

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By Ken Blue

Paul compares the church to our human bodies. In fact, the believers are the body of Christ. Just as the body must have several vital areas function simultaneously for the whole man to be healthy; so must the church.
The human body has 1. a nerve system, 2. a circulatory system, 3. a respiratory system, 4. a digestive system, and 5. a skeletal system. Each of these exists to serve the rest of the body.
A church must be conscious of each of these and understand their importance to the local church.

The nerve system is rooted in the head, and the rest of the body receives its signals from it. The Lord Jesus is the head of the church and a church must seek direction from Him.
The circulatory system carries new blood to the rest of the body for vitality and life. The life of the flesh is in the blood. A body dies when the body stops producing fresh blood. And so it is with the church. New blood must be added constantly. This is done by adding new converts daily. The outcome is simple; add new blood or die.
The respiratory system breaths fresh oxygen to the body and is vital for its life. Such is the prayer and worship. These bring the breath of life into a dying church. Worship and prayer are its life.
A healthy digestive system is imperative for food to nourish the body. We must be more than hearers of the Word, we must know how to divide it, digest it and dispense it. A church must be a Bible church. God’s preachers are to feed the sheep.
Finally, the skeletal system gives form and stability to the whole man. The skeleton need not be seen, but it must be strong for the body to be held together, and function as a whole. Many failures of the church are the result of its lack of a proper organization. The church must be organized for the work of the ministry to avoid confusion.
These five provide a chart and compass for the pastor to stay on course. When you feel you have lost your way, go back to the chart, and compass; they will reorient you.

AN OLD MULE

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            By Ken Blue

        

I saw an old mule standing right there, always in the same old place.

I’m no authority, but the story was clearly on his face.

So I stopped the car and climbed the fence to the place where he was at.

I can tell by the look on your face that we need to have a chat.

He didn’t acknowledge I was there, by movement of eye or ear.

So, I moved closer, and said some things I thought he needed to hear.

You need to remember when you were young; secure at mother’s side.

You ran and played the games young mules play, being filled with youthful pride.

Then one day a farmer came by, choosing you to work in his field.

You shared the news with other mules, and your excitement they too did feel.

You pulled the plow straight, leaving a furrow in each purposeful track.

Your eyes were fixed on the goal ahead; you never, ever looked back.  

Think of the millions who have been fed because you pulled that old plow.

And as we talk, every last grain is producing somewhere right now.

A neighbor drove by and he slowed down; saw me talking to that mule.

He turned to his wife and he said, I always thought Blue was a fool.

As we finished, his chin quivered; a twinkle was in his eye.

I felt I had helped a little bit; it was time to say goodbye.

So, don’t despair over years gone by, if you can no longer plow.

Be thankful for those fruitful days and God’s abundant grace right now.

STRIVING ABOUT WORDS

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STRIVING INSTEAD OF GETTING OUT THE GOSPEL

By Ken Blue

 

“Of these things put them in remembrance, charging them before the Lord that they strive not about words to no profit, but to the subverting of the hearers. 2 Timothy 2:14.

 One way to discredit an individual is to give a word an alternate meaning from its intended context. There are several such words; and the brethren who use them have been segregated into a class of their own. I am reminded of the man who said, “Thou art stubborn; he is obstinate, and I am persistent.” Each word has much in common, but who wants to be thought of as stubborn or obstinate? “Persistent” always sounds more acceptable.

One word that has fallen into ill repute among the brethren is the word fundamentalist. The reason is its connotation and use. Fundamentalist have been associated with terrorist, fanatics and Kooks. This is unfair and unfortunate, but it is the way it is. Thus, many Bible believers, who embrace the fundamentals of the faith, are reluctant to be associated with some who call themselves fundamentalist. The fundamentals must be embraced, some fundamentalist need the boot.

Another word is the word share. One argument is that it isn’t a Bible word. Are we going to confine our vocabulary to words found only in Scripture? I don’t think so. We know the words rapture and trinity are not found in the Bible, yet we use them constantly because we know those truths are taught. The same principle is found in the word share. This truth and example is found from Genesis to Revelation. Perhaps a dictionary definition will help some. “share: A part or portion belonging to, distributed to, contributed by, or owed by a person or group. To accord a share in (something) to another or others: shared her chocolate bar with a friend. To have a share or part: shared in the profits.” This attack is another nail in the coffin of unity between believers.

[pullquote align=”right” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]Be careful when preaching to the Pharisees! To stay out of trouble, you must be political![/pullquote]

A young college student criticized his pastor because he used the word Philosophy. The pastor had pastored for about 15 years; the student had been out of college about six months. Below is a list of synonyms from the American Heritage Dictionary on the word, philosophy: “A system of belief, principles, or opinions:  • creed • dogma • faith • religion • doctrine • credo • canons • gospel.” All these words are used by pastors and no one complains. But if you say the word philosophy, you are related to the Antichrist. This is nonsense. It is the world’s philosophy one must reject, not the word!

The word Liberal is anathema among Bible believers. However, the word does not always have a negative connotation.  “The liberal soul shall be made fat: and he that watereth shall be watered also himself.” Proverbs 11:25. “Whiles by the experiment of this ministration they glorify God for your professed subjection unto the gospel of Christ, and for your liberal distribution unto them, and unto all men;” 2 Corinthians 9:13. Wouldn’t you like to have these liberals in your church? Our objection should be against those who take liberty with the Word of God and deny its teachings and Truth. Again, the word liberal is not a negative word, like all words, it depends on how it is used.

 Do you know what a fag is? Let me give you a dictionary definition. “1.a. A student at a British public school who is required to perform menial tasks for a student in a higher class. b. A drudge. 2. Chiefly British. Fatiguing or tedious work; drudgery. 1. To work to exhaustion; toil. 2. To function as the servant of another student in a British public school. –tr. To exhaust; weary: Four hours on the tennis court fagged me out.” American Heritage Dictionary.  Sodomy is the sickest sin on earth. So call it what it is, and stop trying to be “cute.”

The word Contemporary is another word that we must abhor. How contemporary are you? Some time ago I visited an Amish village in Illinois. All tools were of wood, carts were pulled by horses, and electricity was rejected. Are the Amish more in line with Scripture than you, since you are more contemporary? There was a time when all musical instruments were rejected by the church, and most of the music in your hymnal was rejected because it was contemporary at the time.  This is not a suggestion that you throw all caution to the wind. However, we need to stop acting like a donkey when it comes to words and methods.

The final word under fire is the word Entertainment. When used in relation to the church, it means that you must not have certain musical interments, Power Point, quartets, solos, songs under 100 years old, and more than one special.

Pastor, if you don’t entertain your congregation, you will lose it. All speakers and singers are trying to entertain and edify their listeners. That is why they use the style, words, and methods when presenting their message. I am aware that prayer, the power of God, the Word of God, the love of God, and the grace of God must be present. But, let’s stop hiding behind these, while pretending that the human element is not important. Many pastors need never worry about entertaining church members. Even the Devil would sleep through their service; everyone else is.

I have also discovered that you may quote certain leaders and get a course of “amen’s.” Just don’t mention the names of the men you quote. You may use their words, but you must know your crowd, or they will treat you like the Jews at Jerusalem treated Paul when he mentioned the word Gentile. So, be careful when preaching to the Pharisees! To stay out of trouble, you must be political!