Think before you Post...

Celebrate this, the world shared some wisdom and remember where wisdom comes from!

HT to Ryan over at UthPastor. Ryan is the founder of www.pastor2youth.com. He is a good egg, even if he is a Presbyterian! LOL.

Well... moving right along.

Yeah, yeah, haven't posted here in a while, don't hate me for that please.

My life is changing focus a bit. I will post more on this in the future.

Why people leave....

Recently a friend of mine left our church and became the pastor of Open Door Baptist Church about 20 minutes away. He left on good grounds and I really think that God took him there. However, in our church he has about 15 relatives. Recently we've all been noticing that they're not at church on Sunday nights or Wednesday nights. We found out it's because they're all going over to my friend's new church. They said at the very beginning they were not going to go over there. The people at the new church requested that no one follow my friend over there and give him a year to get settled in. However, they are going and are now talking about joining. [The truth is, my friend doesn't want them to join because he thinks they won't recognize him as "pastor". Which, the family doesn't even recognize my pastor (their brother/uncle/etc.) as pastor.] I know it's hard when someone you love goes to another church or state or country. But is it the right reason to change churches? I was always told that the right reason to leave is if wrong doctrine is taught. They've been talking for several years on leaving, but haven't. I personally think they are using this as a way to get out of the church, but that's just me. (By the way... one person who's following him and missing 2 out of 3 weekly services is a deacon in our church and another is our Sunday school superintendant and 4 of them are choir members.) If they leave, they leave. Our church will not suffer because of their absence. God will give us new people, I know. So.... question... why do people leave? Is it right to leave to "help" someone in their new ministry?

Would you or wouldn't you?

I came across some people having a discussion the other day. They were talking about a church in Arkansas whose pastor is openly gay. This church takes the position that "gay is OK", for lack of a better way to put it. (Click here to see the church's website.) Obviously, this is an affront to what Scripture teaches, but that's not what they were discussing.

These people were discussing whether or not they would go and minister in that church. (Either preaching or music ministry.) What say ye?

Yeah, it's been around, but, man, it just makes me hope I never make a mistake like that one...

Catholicism

Last week on visitation I witnessed to several Catholics. At the end of our 2 hour visitation I ended up debating a Catholic guy for just over an hour, thus making visitation 3 hours that day (oh, no!). The conversation began with me asking if the guy (who's a youth director at a Catholic church) if he knew for sure if he was going to heaven. He said no and that no one could know. I asked him if I could show him a verse and he said sure. I took him to 1st John 5:13 and emphasized the "know" (just like how you know your name) and "have" (present tense). The guy seemed kind of awestruck for a second. Then, as most debates.. er... uh... conversations do, he changed the subject a few times, but we always made it back to salvation and the surity of it. I asked him how long forever, eternal, and everlasting were and he agreed they were forever, eternal and everlasting. Then I asked him, if 1st John 5:13 says saved people HAVE eternal life, how can you stop something that's eternal? Anyway.... the teen that was with me said that the conversation sounded like a Kent Hovind debate (www.drdino.com). I stumped the guy numerous times by continually going to the Bible (which, he said was God's inspired Word, but doesn't give us everything we need for living), but I couldn't convince him (not that you can when first talking to someone).
My question is this: What are the best verses or best way to convince a Catholic that their belief in salvation is wrong? Do you break their trust in the church first? Do you just give them continual verses on the subjects discussed like I did (which he admitted later caused him to doubt some)? What are your experiences?

Sometimes, the world gets it better than the christians get it...

Thanks be to the Lord Above!

The angels are having a party tonight. I had the privelege of leading my son to the Lord while my wife led my daughter. My son got saved first at 9:03 and then my daughter at 9:08. Thank God we aren't super strict with their bed times!