A good article from Dr. Al Mohler.
http://www.albertmohler.com/2010/10/22/banruptcy-in-the-cathedral/
Friday, October 22, 2010
Thursday, October 21, 2010
"Glad To See The Revival In the SBC"
There seems to be a shift taking place in the SBC, at least with the younger generation that is coming up. I am excited to see what God is doing in the youth of the SBC. I see young men and women who are being trained in God's Word and before too long will be in our churches and on our mission fields. I believe one reason for such a great awakening is first, God is revealing Himself to their hearts. Second, these young men and women are tired of Pharisaical religion. A religion that has no commitment to Christ nor passion to go with it. Just a dead cold legalistic, religion.
This generation that is coming up in our SBC churches are studying God's Word. They are praying for God to reveal Himself to them. God's Word is changing the worldviews of these youths and they will ultimately change the church for the future.
I am grateful as well, for the leadership God has placed in the SBC as well. God is using men such as, Dr. Al Mohler (President of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary), Dr. Danny Akin (President, Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary), Kevin Ezell (President, North American Mission Board), and my favorite preacher David Miller (President, Line Upon Line Ministries). God has used these men in my life to shape me theologically but God is using them to shape a new generation of preachers and missionaries as well.
I know revival has not fully come but I do see some positives steps in a right direction. We still have those who feel God's Word is not "totally" sufficient for all areas of life. We are still having issues in the SBC whether God saves man or if man has to help God out a little. Nonetheless, I am thankful God is raising up a generation who believes God is Sovereign and has a heart to share Christ with a lost and dying world.I am also posting a link to a dear brother and fellow pastor whose blog I follow.
http://jaredmoore.exaltchrist.com/2010/10/21/9-reasons-why-the-sbc-is-in-trouble-if-calvinism-is-a-threat/
This generation that is coming up in our SBC churches are studying God's Word. They are praying for God to reveal Himself to them. God's Word is changing the worldviews of these youths and they will ultimately change the church for the future.
I am grateful as well, for the leadership God has placed in the SBC as well. God is using men such as, Dr. Al Mohler (President of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary), Dr. Danny Akin (President, Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary), Kevin Ezell (President, North American Mission Board), and my favorite preacher David Miller (President, Line Upon Line Ministries). God has used these men in my life to shape me theologically but God is using them to shape a new generation of preachers and missionaries as well.
I know revival has not fully come but I do see some positives steps in a right direction. We still have those who feel God's Word is not "totally" sufficient for all areas of life. We are still having issues in the SBC whether God saves man or if man has to help God out a little. Nonetheless, I am thankful God is raising up a generation who believes God is Sovereign and has a heart to share Christ with a lost and dying world.I am also posting a link to a dear brother and fellow pastor whose blog I follow.
http://jaredmoore.exaltchrist.com/2010/10/21/9-reasons-why-the-sbc-is-in-trouble-if-calvinism-is-a-threat/
Saturday, October 9, 2010
"Why A Bible Conference?" pt.2
Acts 20:32 "And now I commend you to God and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up and to give you the inheritance among all those who are sanctified."
I started a blog post last week prior to our first annual bible conference at Pleasant Hill Baptist church. I wanted to answer a question many had asked me prior to our bible conference. The question was, "why are you having a bible conference" or "is a bible conference like revival?" I tried by the grace of God to answer these questions as humbly as I knew how.
3. The third reason for having a bible conference was to:
"...build you up..." The Apostle Paul was commending these elders at Ephesus with some great instructions as they were to lead their sheep at this church is Ephesus. He tells them the "word of his grace" (the gospel), is "able to build" them (elders and members of the church) up.
My intentions of having a bible conference was really four fold.
-i- First, it was to bring glory to God. 1 Corinthians 10:31) So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. Our prayer at PHBC was that God would be greatly glorified through the conference. The scriptures teach we were created to worship the God of the universe and bring Him great glory. Because of our fallen nature and sin we worship everything else and bring glory to these idols as well. This conference was to be God-centered and not man-centered.The bible conference was very simple, we had one song before each message, therefore we were able to focus our attention on the Word of God and not some person singing a special (although God centered specials are o.k. in the right place).
-ii- That God's people at PHBC would be "built up" in the gospel of Jesus Christ. Our modern day evangelism teaches us that special meetings "revivals" should only be for the salvation of lost people. This is contrary to the word of God. The church is for God's redeemed and we are "to go out into the world and preach the gospel to every creature (Mark 15:16)." When we gather as the church it is to "build the saints of God up" in the word. As the pastor/elder of PHBC my desire is for God's people would be built up in the "word of his grace."
-iii- Not only was the bible conference to build our people up but it was to be an outreach opportunity. An opportunity for us to reach out to the community to hear the "gospel of God's free grace." We were able to send out over four hundred invitations to people in several states and people within our local community. We had advertisement in two of our local papers as well. God blessed and we had several from all over to visit. We even had some who stayed after services to be counseled. Which this leads me to my fourth reason of why we held a bible conference.
-iv- Fellowship with like minded brothers and sisters. We were blessed to have people from all over who believes in the great doctrines of God's grace. People from Kentucky, Indiana, Alabama, Georgia, and Tennessee. We had a great time fellowshipping in the Word of God, meeting new brothers and sister in Christ, and great food as well.
In closing, I am overwhelmed at the goodness of God in allowing us to host such a conference. I am very thankful for God's people at PHBC and how they supported their pastor even though they "never done this before." It says alot about PHBC. I know alot of churches who would have rebelled but our people surely expressed a heart of grace through the entire conference. They cooked, greeted, and attended all the sessions with joy and gladness, this causes a pastor to truly be thankful for God's work in their hearts. To God Be the Glory!
I started a blog post last week prior to our first annual bible conference at Pleasant Hill Baptist church. I wanted to answer a question many had asked me prior to our bible conference. The question was, "why are you having a bible conference" or "is a bible conference like revival?" I tried by the grace of God to answer these questions as humbly as I knew how.
3. The third reason for having a bible conference was to:
"...build you up..." The Apostle Paul was commending these elders at Ephesus with some great instructions as they were to lead their sheep at this church is Ephesus. He tells them the "word of his grace" (the gospel), is "able to build" them (elders and members of the church) up.
My intentions of having a bible conference was really four fold.
-i- First, it was to bring glory to God. 1 Corinthians 10:31) So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. Our prayer at PHBC was that God would be greatly glorified through the conference. The scriptures teach we were created to worship the God of the universe and bring Him great glory. Because of our fallen nature and sin we worship everything else and bring glory to these idols as well. This conference was to be God-centered and not man-centered.The bible conference was very simple, we had one song before each message, therefore we were able to focus our attention on the Word of God and not some person singing a special (although God centered specials are o.k. in the right place).
-ii- That God's people at PHBC would be "built up" in the gospel of Jesus Christ. Our modern day evangelism teaches us that special meetings "revivals" should only be for the salvation of lost people. This is contrary to the word of God. The church is for God's redeemed and we are "to go out into the world and preach the gospel to every creature (Mark 15:16)." When we gather as the church it is to "build the saints of God up" in the word. As the pastor/elder of PHBC my desire is for God's people would be built up in the "word of his grace."
-iii- Not only was the bible conference to build our people up but it was to be an outreach opportunity. An opportunity for us to reach out to the community to hear the "gospel of God's free grace." We were able to send out over four hundred invitations to people in several states and people within our local community. We had advertisement in two of our local papers as well. God blessed and we had several from all over to visit. We even had some who stayed after services to be counseled. Which this leads me to my fourth reason of why we held a bible conference.
-iv- Fellowship with like minded brothers and sisters. We were blessed to have people from all over who believes in the great doctrines of God's grace. People from Kentucky, Indiana, Alabama, Georgia, and Tennessee. We had a great time fellowshipping in the Word of God, meeting new brothers and sister in Christ, and great food as well.
In closing, I am overwhelmed at the goodness of God in allowing us to host such a conference. I am very thankful for God's people at PHBC and how they supported their pastor even though they "never done this before." It says alot about PHBC. I know alot of churches who would have rebelled but our people surely expressed a heart of grace through the entire conference. They cooked, greeted, and attended all the sessions with joy and gladness, this causes a pastor to truly be thankful for God's work in their hearts. To God Be the Glory!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)