Another Word On Alien Baptism.

A comment was sent to me concerning my previous blog that dealt with alien baptism. Even though the person agreed with me, they wanted to see how I would justify it biblically. Here is the response I sent:



Here is my theory. Yes, no where in the Bible does it say that a person should be baptized twice. But with that, no where in the Bible does it say a person cannot be baptized more than once. The act of baptism is a symbolic act of obedience and testimony. If I wanted to express what has happened to me when I was saved, is it wrong for me to do so with a second or third baptism? In fact the Baptist Faith and Message says that being baptized is “an act of obedience symbolizing the believer’s faith in a crucified, buried and risen Saviour, the believers death to sin, the burial of old life, and the resurrection to walk in newness of life in Christ Jesus. It is a testimony to his faith in the final resurrection of the dead. Being a church ordinance, it is prerequisite to the privileges of church membership, and to the Lord’s Supper.” (Bold parts done by me for emphasis.) So, do those who say that one baptism fits the bill to church membership declare that a second water baptism is wrong? Is Baptism valid if it was performed when the believer was an infant or if they were sprinkled instead of being immersed?

One thing that separates Baptists from many other denominations is the assurance of Eternal Security. Those who are in the final resurrection will be ones who have been eternally secure John 10:28-29. Part of baptism is the belief in the symbolism of new life that is Eternally Secure. Shame on those who baptize new converts and don’t explain to them, before hand, the new believer’s security in Christ. Therefore we ask for a person coming from a church of different faith and order to be baptized by our baptism as a testimony to their agreement with us as to the security of the believer and that the act of baptism is an obedient testimony as stated by scripture in meaning and method. Again, this should be determined on a local church level and I believe that the BF & M is an excellent guide in qualifying those who would be our missionaries abroad.

Biblically, I don’t believe they have a valid argument preventing us from baptizing others who come from a different church order, but I also cannot find a particular commandment that pertains to our practice. Both sides have taken information from the Bible and have brought together a theology of practice. We do this to keep our theology and beliefs intact in our church. Wade Burleson can accept members into his church the way they decide and we can do the same, but in the case of appointing missionaries, I am satisfied with our system the way it is. In this I am in agreement with Bro. Burleson. Further meddling can only lead to closing the door on gifted people in Southern Baptist missions.

Thanks for your comments and look forward to hearing yours.

Bro. Robin Foster


One thing that I do want to state after sending this pastor my response. As our pamphlet states, “First, we do not mean that you were not saved when you were a member of your previous church. As Baptists, we believe salvation is always based upon God’s Grace and our faith receiving His gift of Grace (Ephesians 2:8). Second, we don’t want to say that you were wrong for being baptized before or that our baptism is superior to everyone else’s.”

We practice baptism and church membership as we do in order to keep our essential beliefs unbroken. I don’t expect everyone to agree with me. This should not become a major issue that takes up our time. You do it your way, we’ll do it ours. Time is more importantly spent telling others of Jesus’ sacrifice on Calvary, the lost state of humanity, and forgiveness of our sins in Jesus.

I don’t see any need to comment on this subject any further. If am led, I will, but right now we all have bigger fish to fry.

Kerusso Logos (Preach the Word)

Can Democracy Survive Without God?

In this time of political correctness (PC), one can become confused as to the morals and norms of society. For example, the original Star Trek had in its opening credits the phrase, “To boldly go where no man has gone before.” Years later when Star Trek: The Next Generation aired it had changed the wording to, “To boldly go where no one has gone before.” Even when I was in seminary a few years ago, I was warned against using words like, “man” or “mankind.” “Humanity” or “human kind” was preferred. Being gender neutral was important so not to offend someone. This type of PC has infiltrated our religious institutions. Even Bible translations have fallen to PC attacks. The TNIV translation has changed the rendering for the Hebrew word “man” in Genesis 5:2 to say, “human beings.”

In recent years we have seen the PC police attack the idea that our nation had Christian influence in its founding. Therefore God is being pushed out of the public arena and can no longer be mentioned outside of the church or religious circles. In fact some advocate erasing God from the public arena because the mention of God is offensive to others. Michael Newdow, an atheist, claimed that the phrase, “under God,” in the Pledge of Allegiance violated the constitution. It makes one wonder what James Madison (the “Chief Architect of the Constitution”) would say. He did write in a letter dated November 20, 1825: “The belief in a God All Powerful wise and good, is so essential to the moral order of the World and to the happiness of man…”

There is an argument being hailed by some who claim a separation of Church and State. They gather this myth from a letter Thomas Jefferson wrote to the Danbury Baptist Association (DBA) dated January 1, 1802. Let it be noted that Jefferson was not at the Constitutional Convention, did not sign the Constitution, nor participate in the debate of the First Amendment and religious freedom. What the DBA was worried about was Congress making one single Christian denomination to be the official state denomination. The DBA themselves were victims of persecution because of their Baptist beliefs. Jefferson’s response was to calm their fears that the State would not interfere with the affairs of the church. He in no way implied that the morals of God as revealed in His Word should not influence the workings of government.

In Query XVIII of Jefferson’s Notes on the State of Virginia, he believed that with liberty, came the obligation to remember who the Great Giver of liberty is, and not to abuse this gift without reprisals from God. Even Jefferson understood that as a nation and people, we were accountable to God. Without this awareness of accountability, we face the wrath of God.

Does this mean that we cannot allow the practice of other religions in our nation? Of course not! But we were founded as a Christian nation. The founding fathers understood that a nation without accountability to the God of the Bible was a nation on the verge of anarchy or dictatorial tyranny. Recent events after the devastation from hurricane Katrina showed anarchy in the streets of New Orleans. Set aside those who were trying to get food and water for their families and children, the majority of people seen on TV were stealing electronics, high dollar clothing, jewelry, and other items of value. I believe New Orleans has set the stage of what would happen if there was ever a national disaster of natural or man (“human” for all my PC friends reading this) made (terrorism) causes. During these moments of unrest, a people who do not fear God will become barbaric in their actions.

What is the church to do? First, we must educate our families and ourselves in the ways of God so that we build virtuous character that will transcend any disaster that comes our way. Second, we must be uncompromising in sharing the Gospel in our areas of influence (school, work, marketplace, and the public arena). We must also remind America where our founding fathers looked for their freedom and liberty. Finally, we must organize ourselves to be a place of help and comfort during a local or national crisis. As Southern Baptists, we can be proud of the men and women who have donated their time and money by going to these places of disaster and performing relief work. But, where are we, at the local level?

Can America survive without God? The answer both from the Bible (Psalm 33:12) and recent events (Katrina) is an unquestionable no. To deny God in the public arena is to deny what keeps us safe and unified as a nation.

The Need to Equip Teachers to Correctly Convey God’s Biblical Truths.

Recently someone came to my office to ask me about expository preaching. Why she came to me, I don’t know. I really don’t consider myself in the ranks of a John Mac Arthur, Jerry Vines, Adrian Rogers, W. A. Criswell, or even most preachers in my area, but I was humbled that God laid me on her heart. She had to turn a paper in for a class and wanted to know how to prepare an expository sermon. Before I go any further, I believe women are called to preach as long as they don’t exert authority over the man (1 Tim 2:12) as in the case of being a Pastor. This may be an issue in a later blog, but for now it is the responsibility of the pastor, among others mentioned in Ephesians 4:11, to equip the saints for the ministry God has called them in order to build up the church.

Expository preaching is taking God’s Word verse by verse, proclaiming the truths in the verses by drawing on the principles of the text, illustrating those principles, and finally applying those principles to those who are listening. As we were talking I began to realize how equipping the saints go beyond the pulpit. Don’t misunderstand, the pulpit is vital and takes precedent over other avenues, but as pastors, opportunities are missed in equipping God’s gifted people if we see our only area of opportunity in the pulpit. God brought the issue to mind, “Does our church have a clearly defined plan in preparing teachers bestowed upon us, to explain the principles laid out in God’s Word so that those who hear will grow personally and corporately together in order to achieve our Great Commission Mission?” Sadly, the answer is no. Father, forgive me of this sin.

When I first began to teach Sunday school, the training consisted of, “Here is the teacher’s quarterly. Go over this with them in the class.” Even though the pastor had good intentions, he did sit in class and correct me if I misinterpreted what he thought the Bible should say. I later realized that I was not teaching the Bible, but a teacher’s quarterly. Teacher’s quarterlies are important and should be aids in teaching the lesson, not the lesson itself and they should compliment other aids in learning the principles in scripture.

How many Southern Baptist churches put people in teaching positions because they are faithful to be at church during times of worship without considering if they are gifted for this role? And when they are put in the position, how have we failed them and God in equipping them to convey the truths of God?

As pastors, we should be equipping teachers with the tools and methods to teach biblical principles in a manner that is clear, concise, and applicable to those who are listening. One reason many Southern Baptists are doctrinally illiterate is because many (not all) teachers don’t know how to learn and cannot convey the truths of scripture in a manner that relates to the lives of those listening. This does not mean that many of the teachers are apathetic to their calling, they just have not been equipped. One may have a great desire and enthusiasm to rebuild old cars, but without the mechanical knowledge or the tools necessary, you put the car in worse shape than before.

This will become a priority in the pastoral ministry God has granted me. I pray that many of our pastor’s refocus the direction of their ministry and equip the saints for the building of the body, especially in the teaching ministry of the church.

One final note, I will be taking a brief hiatus from blogging this weekend. Look to see me back hopefully by Monday evening. May the Lord bless you and keep you. May his face shine upon you as you witness for him. Thank you for reading.

Two Different Ways.

Long before Frost wrote these words, “Two roads diverged in a wood,” God had the psalmist pen about two ways. One was the way of the blessed man who was considered righteous and the ungodly man. I believe there is an effort today to make the righteous standard lower and what we would consider the ungodly standard lower than what God would have. For example, 85% of Americans consider themselves Christians. If this number is accurate and if they really are Christians, then the remaining 15% of Americans must be paying an extreme amount of money to view pornography, take illegal drugs, have abortions, and gamble (lottery). The 15% must also be using a lot of their time to engage in adultery, murder, stealing, not visiting the sick and the elderly, gossiping, and being rude.

There is one thing that should be clear, “Being a Christian does not mean we live the perfect sinless life, but we should be marching on the road of the righteous even though we might sin and take the occasional detour.” There was a cartoon that came out in the paper a couple of months back that depicted a cowboy with a big belly that over hung his belt so you could barely see the belt. On His belly, were written the words: Liquor by the drink, Casinos, Pari-mutuel Betting, Lotteries. Pointing to the belt was the phrase, “Bible Belt” and the caption read “It’s just a lot harder to see now days!” If 85 % of our country is Christian, why is it that these sinful practices flourish in our country?

I believe there are three reasons to explain this anomaly.

1. Many of the 85% who claim to be Christians have not been born again to a new relationship with Jesus Christ, trusting that He died for their sins. (John 3:7) Because they have not been born again, they are still enslaved to sin (Rom. 6:7,16-17) and can do none other than rationalize decisions giving themselves permission to engage in what God would call sin.

2. For many who are saved, they are still on milk (1 Cor. 3:1-3) and have not moved on to meatier food in their Christian walk. They do not see implications of their decision to engage in even the tiniest of sins such as watching a movie that might flash a lustful image on the screen. As this image arouses our sinful lusts, we crave more of it and become more desensitized to it and it becomes acceptable to our conscience. The end of the road could lead to pornography, adultery, or some other sexual perversion. God told Cain to rule over his sin because its desire was for him. Cain’s original sin was not giving his best to God which led to his anger and jealousy toward his brother Abel. Ultimately, sin bore its full fruit by Cain murdering His brother.

3. Finally, the fire that used to characterize the preaching in our pulpits has been quenched by the feel-good pop-psychology preaching of the secular world. Many preachers no longer want to preach about sin and its effect on the human soul. They would rather give you steps on how to become materially successful. We see preaching that focuses on making you feel good rather than allowing the Word to move your heart, by aid of the Holy Spirit, to conviction of your sins and repentance. A repentant person is a blessed person if they see the forgiveness that is available to them in Jesus Christ. If Preachers just preach the Word expositionally instead of by proof text to fit their step to success outline, many more would be moved to seek salvation in the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross.

So, what needs to be done? First, the church and each person in it need to take seriously the commission (Matt. 28:19-20) Jesus gave us before He ascended to the Father. This commission: “To go and make disciples.” We must share the gospel in order to win souls. Second, part of that commission was to teach each disciple to observe all that Jesus taught. This means to grow in spiritual maturity and wisdom as you learn more of the Word. Last, preachers need to stop preaching to so called “felt needs” of the people and give them the full counsel of God.

If these simple activities were embraced we would get closer to the 85% of Americans becoming actual Christians and even the Christians we have now, would not support many of these activities that tear at the fabric of our churches and country. The great tragedy is this: these sins have such a great impact in our society because many born again believers support them with their time and money.

We have two roads facing us. The godly road will bring us closer to God. The ungodly road will lead us to destruction. Which will you take? The words in our heart and on our lips should be like the ones in the great hymn written by B. B. McKinney, “Let the Holy Spirit come and take control, and send a great revival in my soul.”

Is Jesus That Important?

This last weekend, I rented the documentary, "Beyond the Gates of Splendor". It retells the story of missionaries who went into the jungles of Ecuador and were killed by the Waodoni people. The Waodoni were later contacted by some of the wives of the missionaries they killed. The wives lived with them and taught them the Bible. The documentary reported that because of the actions of these women, the tribe stopped killing as a means to solve problems. Definitely a touching story of missionaries who courageously gave their lives to the call God laid on their heart. One thing I noticed about the documentary is that Jesus or salvation through Him was not given a primary role in the transformation of the people. Something may have alluded to it, but Jesus and his death, burial, and resurrection was not given primary responsibility in the change of these people. They did claim that the people were changed because they were taught the Bible, but they also said that the people realized that if they continued in this vicious lifestyle they would eventually be extinct.
On the web site forum of the movie retelling this story "End of the Spear," the producers commented they didn’t want to be preachy, but wanted the actions of the people to move the hearts of their audience. I want to say that Every Tribe Entertainment is free to make any movie they want and include or exclude any content they want. What I am concerned about is telling stories such as these, teaching others good morals, or stating our moral beliefs without basing them on the authority of Jesus Christ as revealed in the Bible. In retelling this story, if we state that these people stopped killing because they were taught it was wrong and the authority of Jesus was left out as the foundation to this commandment, we have not completed our mission in being light in a dark world.
This past Saturday our church had a family movie night. We watched the movie "Time Changers." It is a sci-fi adventure that was set in the 1890’s. The movie focuses on a seminary professor (Russell Carlisle) who wrote a book stating that to teach the morals of Jesus apart from Him and His authority may be necessary since the name of Jesus would not be accepted to all. Many Christians today want to argue certain moral areas like abortion and leave the name and authority of Jesus out because others do not recognize the supremacy of Jesus in the command as a valid point we can make in debating issues.
Another seminary professor (Norris Anderson) questioned his analysis and invited Carlisle to his house to discuss the matter. Carlisle finally meets with Anderson and is persuaded to go into the future via a time machine. Carlisle is sent to the year 2000 and discovers what a society is like that doesn’t recognize the authority of Jesus or the Bible. A direct reflection of who we are today. Carlisle acknowledges his mistake and returns to the year 1890. The Gospel was clearly presented in this movie. I highly recommend buying it for your own personal collection. As Christians we must support entertainment like this.
My dilemma is Christians minimizing the name and authority of Jesus in our witness to others. As the movie stated, "Satan is not against good morals. He is against Jesus Christ." We stand on our beliefs because of the authority that is contained in God’s word and in His son Jesus. Jesus claimed to be the light of the world (John 8:12). This should be our message and mission. To reveal that the world is lost in their sins and in order to be reconciled to God, they must recognize their sin, Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross and the forgiveness that is available to any who will receive God’s grace. We cannot take the authority of Jesus as revealed in His Word out of our churches or individual lives. Our churches and lives will be like the waves of the sea driven and tossed by the wind (John 15:5; James 1:6).
Since Jesus and His authority have been taken out of the public arena, we are left in a world that has no basis for its standard of conduct. Why is it wrong to steal, murder, or commit adultery? Who says this is wrong? Is it okay to steal under certain conditions or have an adulterous affair if our spouse is not meeting our needs and making us happy? When I managed restaurants, cashiers stole from their registers. Some felt that since they weren’t paid enough, it was okay to do so, plus a big company would not miss five or ten dollars. Some of these weren’t kids, but mothers who were married and had teenagers. So since it really won’t hurt anybody directly, it must be okay to steal. WRONG! It is a sin to steal because God said it was in the eighth commandment of the Ten Commandments He gave to Moses on Mt. Sinai. Any society that has no foundational basis rooted in the Bible to position themselves for their standards of conduct is a society that is built upon a false sense of security in its family structure and government. When the family falls apart, so will the government and anarchy will prevail. Our lives, churches and nation must be one under God.
While we should use all facts and methods of reason in debate, we should not shy away but herald the Light that drives the cover of darkness to reveal the absurdity of the world. The Gospel is who we are, what we do, and what we share.

Is Homosexuality Really a Sin?

Recently in our local town newspaper, an opinion concerning the movie "Brokeback Mountain" was entered. The lady who entered it was pro-homosexuality and stated that Christians have been wrong for 2000 years concerning this sin. We were to love one another. She used some scripture references from a web site that totally misrepresented the issue of homosexuality and what the Bible says. One of my church members told me he was going to write an opinion from a Christian point of view and asked me if I would look over it before he sent it in. I want you to know that I was thoroughly impressed with his response and asked him if I could copy it to my blog. He said yes. Here is what he wrote:


Dear Editor,

Needless to say, the points raised in last week’s editorial article, by Dr. Scout Cloud Lee about the controversial movie “Brokeback Mountain”, is typical of many secular progressives and reflects modern mainstream media’s political correctness. This movie spotlights a tragedy that is avoidable, and almost seems to suggest that the damage the two lead characters do to their families is somehow forgivable because they are in love. The movie wrongly leads people to believe there is only one option-to behave as homosexuals even if they choose to hide their same-sex attractions from their families and society. While it is not true that some people are born homosexual, it is true that every person is born with a sin nature and that this sin nature is capable of every kind of lust and vile affection. The real truth is that those who struggle with homosexuality can leave the lifestyle and the pain and emptiness that so often accompanies it. Thousands of men and women have done just that. When viewing this movie, one simply cannot separate the artistic achievement from the film’s theme/message. That is to further promote homosexuality as mainstream in the collective American psyche. I believe as Christians, we are to love and care for people from all walks of life. Even those with whom we disagree and believe are involved in immoral lifestyles. However, I have to acknowledge that Dr. Scout Cloud Lee and I have a very different understanding of Holy Scripture. God is clear about the consequences of an unrighteous lifestyle such as homosexuality, as with other sinful lifestyles. It is true, as Dr. Lee pointed out, that Jesus said “This is my commandment, that you love one another, as I have loved you”, and that he never mentions homosexuality directly. However, Jesus also never mentions directly bestiality, sadomasochism and pedophilia. Yet no one would suggest that these other perverse forms of sexual expression would not qualify as sin. Jesus did give the greatest commandment in Matt. 22:37-38, condemn sexual immorality as sin in Matt. 15:19-20, and loves & forgives those who commit sexual sin but tells us not to repeat the sin in John 8:3-11. Jesus did directly give us God’s perfect plan for expressing our sexuality in Mark 10:6-8. God also reminds us of Holy Scripture’s authority in 2nd Tim.3:16 and clearly condemns homosexuality as sin in Rom.1:26-27. I would also recommend that if you want to learn the proper interpretation of the Holy Scriptures, you attend a Bible based Church that adheres to and practices the traditional orthodox Christian faith. The website, recommended by Dr. Lee for correct interpretation of certain Holy Scripture concerning homosexuality, named “Soulforce” was founded by Rev. Mel White and his partner Gary Nixon, both homosexual political activists and not qualified Biblical scholars. They reinterpret certain Holy Scriptures to justify their extreme views on human sexuality and do not provide a scholarly translation that accurately expresses the original Bible texts that are faithful to the thoughts of the Biblical writers.

Richard McCullough
Perkins

We need more people to stand up against these distortions and lies fostered by the homosexual community. While I am against hate and physical abuse of homosexuals, I am for loving them with the truth of what scripture says. Thank you Richard for your thoughts.

Why say no to alien baptism?

There seems to be a debate going on among Southern Baptists concerning the view of alien baptism. Alien baptism is accepting others for church membership even if they have been baptized by a church of different faith and order. Hopefully, without getting myself into the thick of things, I will try to explain my view concerning this matter. Let me say from the outset, I do believe this is a decision that should be made on a local church level with out argumentation that keeps us from cooperating in missionary endeavors. There are valid opinions that should not separate us from working together as a denomination to reach the world for Christ. Below is part of a tract that we use to inform others of our beliefs and practices. I hope this is helpful:



You might ask, “Why does the Baptist church require baptism in their church if I want to transfer membership from a church of a different denomination or different faith and order?”
Let us start by answering what we do not mean concerning this issue. First, we do not mean that you were not saved when you were a member of your previous church. As Baptists, we believe salvation is always based upon God’s Grace and our faith receiving His gift of Grace (Ephesians 2:8). Second, we don’t want to say that you were wrong for being baptized before or that our baptism is superior to everyone else’s.
The most important requirement for membership in Immanuel Baptist Church (IBC) or any church is salvation (becoming a believer). A second requirement for those coming from a church of different faith and order is baptism. We require baptism because our beliefs of baptism and salvation differ from what other denominations believe. Some believe that you are not saved until you are baptized. That belief goes against what Paul said in Ephesians 2:8. Others say that your salvation is only good until you do something to lose it, which is contrary to several references telling us of God’s eternal protection and love in salvation (Romans 8:38-39; John 10:27:28). There are still others that practice infant baptism which is contrary to what scripture reveals. Only those who were able to believe and did believe were baptized in the Bible. Many have even abandoned the biblical model of immersion in water for sprinkling.
We ask you to be baptized in our church if you come from another denomination or church of different faith and order because it gives testimony to your salvation and it shows that you understand salvation and its essentials. It is a symbolic gesture that you agree with us at IBC in matters of salvation and baptism.
We more importantly believe the act of baptism is an outward testimony of what has already occurred in the life of the believer, namely that as you are lowered in the water, you show that you have died to your old sinful self. The testimony of being immersed in water illustrates that you have been cleansed of your sins. The act of being lifted out of the water demonstrates you have been raised to new life in Christ (Romans 6:4). And as has been pointed out, this new life is eternal and protected by God never to be lost. Again, we do not believe that water baptism is required for salvation.
In order to maintain the truth of scripture in our church, concerning this essential doctrine, we do ask for you to be in agreement with us and to follow the same baptism we all have participated in. The Lord did not make baptism to be a stumbling block, but He does require us to worship Him in spirit and truth (John 4:24). If the Holy Spirit is leading you to join our church and you come from a church of different faith and order, we hope you will not see baptism as a stumbling block, but witness again as to the great salvation God has given you. If your situation requires baptism, it is our prayer that you will agree with us as to the truth of salvation and the symbolic meaning behind baptism and join our church by baptism.

Preserved because God chose me and knows me!

As I am studying John 10:22-29, I find assurance and peace in scripture. It tells me that when I heard the "voice" of the Shepherd, I followed Him out of the sheep pen. Not because I could in my own human sinfulness, but because Jesus drew me (John 6:37, 44) out of the sheep fold.

It also tells me that the Shepherd (Jesus) protects me and keeps me in His care so that I will never lose my salvation, nor never walk away from it. Jesus gives eternal life and none of His sheep will perish.

In this world where things are so uncertain with terrorists, an unpredictable economy, and human secularism overtaking the hearts and minds of our kids, you can rest knowing that your eternal destination is protected by God Himself. You can also rest in God's sovereignty, trusting that His perfect plan of victory will come to pass no matter how hard the enemies of God work against Him.

Our job is to do what He has called us to: Make Disciples. As part of His flock, are you fulfilling your mission? If you are still in the pen (10:3), is He calling you? Answer the call, time is short. Jesus will return one day. Trust Him today as the sacrifice that covers your sin and makes you white as snow in the presence of the Father.