Embracing Grace

Remember

2009-05-25T20:47:00.001-04:00

The Red Envelope Project

2009-02-20T17:27:00.001-05:00

"This envelope represents one child who died in abortion. It is empty because that life was unable to offer anything to the world. Responsibility begins with conception."

Check it out!

Sick!

2009-02-20T09:31:00.003-05:00

This just makes me sick! How can these woman live with themselves?! Do they have a heart? This isn't a single case either. Check out YouTube. There is more proof about the wickedness of Planned Parenthood!

Bailout?

2009-01-31T19:38:00.000-05:00

Jane Roe Today

2009-01-31T19:23:00.002-05:00

NBC rejects pro-life Super Bowl ad

2009-01-31T19:13:00.001-05:00

NBC Rejects Pro-Life Super Bowl Ad Educating Viewers on Obama and Abortion

Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- NBC is coming under fire from pro-life advocates for rejecting a television commercial a pro-life group hoped to run during the Super Bowl. The ad shows a beautiful picture of an unborn child during an ultrasound and asks what would happen if President Barack Obama had been a victim of abortion.

Thanks Crystal

"Let Love Be Without Hypocrisy"

2008-12-22T11:42:00.002-05:00

"But the reality is, Jesus had no patience for half-hearted, lukewarm, hypocritical followers, nor was He accepting of sin. While Jesus loved us enough to die for us, He did NOT compromise on morality..."

Please, go read this post!

"Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil; Cling to what is good." - Romans 12:9

Child Sacrifice In America: Abortion Used As Economic Relief

2008-12-22T11:36:00.002-05:00

Planned Parenthood is seeing a notable increase in abortions

Click Here For The Full Story......

Not Surprising

2008-12-12T11:19:00.004-05:00

Planned Parenthood of Indiana has fired a health center aide who was caught on video telling a woman who claimed to be a pregnant teen to lie about the age of the father.

story

Warning about Christian apathy...

2008-12-03T09:51:00.001-05:00

End the Silence…Voice for the Voiceless

This Is Sick!

2008-11-17T08:52:00.004-05:00

Prop. 8 foes unite in Chico

Thanks to friends on Twitter, I found this article. In this article it talks about 500 opponents of Proposition 8 rallied in support of same-sex marriage. Here is a quote:

"One of the protesters was Tyler Johnson, 24, who was unable to marry his partner, James Temple, before the passing of Proposition 8 because Temple's 18th birthday falls next January."

Do you see the sickness?! This grown man is upset because he can't marry his 17 year old lover! He is a pedophile and the parents of this boy should be ashamed of themselves. Do they care at all about their child? Do most parents let their 17 year old daughters run off and marry grown men? No! So why is this any different?

Many Homosexual men think that having sex with boys is ok, and one of their basic rights. They are wrong in so many ways!

So what! Obama is looking for a dog!

2008-11-12T09:42:00.003-05:00

Read this article this morning about people anticipating what type of dog that Obama will get. Get a life people! But, something in this stupid article got my attention.

Seeing that Obama is the first "global president," it's not surprising that the Fido frenzy has gone international.

Do you see what I am talking about? "Global president"?

Scary!

Communism on the Doorstep of America

2008-11-05T12:29:00.000-05:00

My Verse for the Day

2008-11-05T08:40:00.000-05:00

God is our refuge and strength,
a very present help in trouble.
Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way,
though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea,

—Psalm 46:1-2

Effigy of Democrat called 'disgusting,' but Palin's hailed as fun Halloween art

2008-11-04T14:09:00.002-05:00

This to me sums up America today and the stinkin media slant. Freedom of speech my butt!

Effigy of Democrat called 'disgusting,' but Palin's hailed as fun Halloween art

Discrepancies

2008-11-04T08:41:00.005-05:00

Everyone I know and many I love are voting McCain. I understand why, look who the other option is, but we need to step back and stop looking at it from either/or and from Republican vs Democrat.

The Republican party is not what we have always believed they are. They seem to stand for things we (Christians) stand for and they are the "conservatives ones". But are they? I think the difference between the Rep. and the Dem. is that the Dem. openly share their wicked views, but the Rep. try to sugar coat theirs. They want us to BELIEVE they are against abortion and for family rights, but in the end they are no different then the Dem. A few examples that some may not actually know:

A 1973 Supreme Court decision, Roe v. Wade, legalized abortion by a 7-2 vote. Six of the seven justices in the majority were Republican appointees. The only Democrat appointee, Byron White, voted against Roe v. Wade.
In fact, in every year since 1969, the United States Supreme Court has been controlled by a majority of Republican-appointed judges. There has not been a Democrat-appointed Chief Justice since 1953.
Currently, there are seven Republican appointees and two nominated by Democrats. Obviously, if the Republican majority has wanted to overturn Roe v. Wade at any time since 1973, they had the votes to do so. Why haven’t they?
In 2003, the United States Supreme Court in Lawrence v. Texas overturned a Texas law against sodomy. Once again, in the 6-3 decision, four Republicans voted to overturn the law.
Recently, the California Supreme Court overturned the state’s ban on same-sex marriage. Six of the seven California judges were elected Republicans.
From 2000-2006, Republicans controlled both houses of Congress and the presidency. In 2006, the FDA approved an “over the counter” abortion drug known as “Plan B.” The head of the FDA serves at the pleasure of President Bush.
My point is clear. For religious leaders to continue to blame Democrats for Republican actions is wrong.

You see, voting for McCain because he will appoint conservative judges means nothing! Rep. have had the majority vote for years and nothing has been done to overturn Roe vs Wade. Matter of fact, here is a quote from McCain during the last debate:

Q: Could you ever nominate someone to the Supreme Court who disagrees with you on Roe v. Wade?
McCAIN: I would never, and have never in all the years I've been there, imposed a litmus test on any nominee to the Court. That's not appropriate to do.
Q: But you don't want Roe v. Wade to be overturned?
McCAIN: I thought it was a bad decision. I think that decision should rest in the hands of the states. I'm a federalist. And I believe strongly that we should have nominees to the Supreme Court based on their qualifications rather than any litmus test. They should be judged on their qualifications. I will find the best people in America who have a history of strict adherence to the Constitution. And not legislating from the bench.
Q: Even if it was someone who had a history of being for abortion rights?
McCAIN: I would consider anyone on their qualifications. Someone who has supported Roe v. Wade, that would be part of those qualifications. But I certainly would not impose any litmus test.

So, do you see?! Just because McCain is president doesn't mean he will actually appoint pro-life judges and even if he did, they have had years to do somethings about it and they don't. Do you know why? Money and evil. It will not change.

In November 2006, McCain said on ABC's This Week that he favors
allowing gay men and lesbians to "enter into contracts’’ but stopped short of
endorsing civil unions. He supports legal benefits for same-sex
partners.

Does he really share your views?

Q: Would you expand federal funding of embryonic stem cell research?
A: I believe that we need to fund this. This is a tough issue for those of
us in the pro-life community. I would remind you that these stem cells are
either going to be discarded or perpetually frozen. We need to do what we can to
relieve human suffering. It's a tough issue. I support federal funding.

We can continue to kid ourselves that the republicans are on our side, or we can do what is right and risk the consequences!

Obama Funny

2008-10-31T21:36:00.001-05:00

I stole this from this blog. Go check her out!

Sad

2008-10-31T21:30:00.001-05:00

Hey Zionsville, IN!

2008-10-31T21:05:00.002-05:00

I would love the person who has been visiting me from Zionsville to introduce themselves (if you like). I keep seeing traffic from Zionsville everyday and a lot of times they click on my sitemeter (at least that is what it is showing me).

So, please help my curiosity! :)

School Holds Surprise 'Gay' Day for Kindergartners

2008-10-25T09:31:00.001-04:00

Thanks for sharing this Dani.

Parents Outraged at Public Elementary's Secretive 'Coming Out' Event

Posted: October 22, 2008
By Chelsea Schilling
WorldNetDaily.com

SACRAMENTO, Calif. – Some parents are shocked to find their children are learning to be homosexual allies and will participate in 'Coming Out Day' at a public elementary school tomorrow – and they claim the school failed to notify parents.

One mother of a kindergartner who attends Faith Ringgold School of Art and Science, a K-8 charter school in Hayward, Calif., said she asked her 5-year-old daughter what she was learning at school.

The little girl replied, 'We're learning to be allies.'

The mother also said a Gay Straight Alliance club regularly meets in the kindergarten classroom during lunch.

According to a Pacific Justice Institute report, Faith Ringgold opted not to inform the parents of its pro-homosexual activities beforehand. The school is celebrating 'Gay and Lesbian History Month' and is in the process of observing 'Ally Week,' a pro-'gay' occasion usually geared toward high school students.

The school is scheduled to host discussions about families and has posted fliers on school grounds portraying only homosexuals. According to the report, a 'TransAction Gender-Bender Read-Aloud' will take place Nov. 20. Students will listen to traditional stories with 'gay' or transgender twists, to include 'Jane and the Beanstalk.'

Some parents only recently noticed posters promoting the school's 'Coming Out Day' tomorrow – celebrated 12 days after the national 'Coming Out Day' usually observed on Oct. 11. When WND contacted the school to confirm the event, a female representative replied, 'Yes, it is scheduled on our calendar.'

When asked if the school made any efforts to inform parents, she refused to answer and said Hayward Unified School District would have to respond to additional questions. However, the district did not answer its phones or e-mails, and a voicemail recording would not take messages. 'Coming Out Day' is not listed on the district's online school calendar.

Some of the parents contacted Pacific Justice Institute for representation when they learned the school was pushing pro-'gay' events for young children without warning.

Brad Dacus, president of Pacific Justice Institute, said opponents of California's proposed ban on same-sex marriage, or Proposition 8, often say the measure would not have an effect on public schools – but this is one of many recent developments that prove otherwise.

'Do we need any further proof that gay activists will target children as early as possible?' he asked. 'Opponents of traditional marriage keep telling us that Prop. 8 has nothing to do with education. In reality, they want to push the gay lifestyle on kindergartners, and we can only imagine how much worse it will be if Prop. 8 is defeated. This is not a scenario most Californians want replayed in their elementary schools.'

---------------------------------------------

"Why am I not even the least bit surprised? If parents were really so 'outraged,' why don't they just pull their kids out of the perverted pagan seminary and quit whining about all the destructive things that are going on without their consent?"
Dani

* Related posts:
- The New Show and Tell: How Homosexuality Is Being Promoted In The Classroom
- Kindergarten Cross-Dressing, & Sixth-Grade Books on Homosexuality, French Kissing & Cursing
- Top 10 Strategies of Implementing HOMOSEXUAL Agenda in Public Schools

Abortion and Black Genocide (Barack Obama and the Negro Project)

2008-10-24T17:05:00.002-04:00

NOT a Howard Stern Fan, But Watch This!!

2008-10-20T15:01:00.001-04:00

This is sad! Inform yourselves people!!

Joe the Plumber

2008-10-17T11:49:00.001-04:00

City leaders to recommend approval of gay high school

2008-10-13T09:18:00.002-04:00

This is too much!

"We want to create great new options for communities that have been traditionally underserved," he said. "If you look at national studies, you see gay and lesbian students with high dropout rates. . . . I think there is a niche there we need to fill."

Unbelievable! I just can't express how wrong this is and can you imagine the consequences this is going to have???

Percentage Of Abortions because of Rape, Incest, or Mother's health

2008-10-08T13:04:00.004-04:00

I found my answer! Very sad...

Actual percentage of U.S. abortions in "hard cases" are estimated as follows: in cases of rape or incest, 0.3%; in cases of risk to maternal health or life, 1%; and in cases of fetal abnormality, 0.5%. About 98% of abortions in the United States are elective, including socio-economic reasons or for birth control. This includes about 25% for primarily economic reasons.

Read

I have simple solutions to these excuses!

#1 Read God's Word
#2 Do what it says

Reasons for abortions
In 2000, cases of rape or incest accounted for 1% of abortions.[8] Another study, in 1998, revealed that women reported the following reasons for choosing an abortion:[9]

25.5% Want to postpone childbearing (don't have sex, or be smart about time of the month if you are married)

21.3% Cannot afford a baby (Don't have sex and/or trust God, He knows what you need)

14.1% Has relationship problem or partner does not want pregnancy (Don't have sex before marriage and/or don't marry a jerk)

12.2% Too young; parent(s) or other(s) object to pregnancy (Don't have sex before marriage and if married, who cares what others say!)

10.8% Having a child will disrupt education or job (Don't have sex and stop being selfish and/or be smart about what time you have sex if you are married)

7.9% Want no (more) children (get fixed)

3.3% Risk to fetal health (unlikely, but if the baby will make it, then let him live and love the baby no matter what!)

2.8% Risk to maternal health (unlikely, either do right and risk the consequences (God knows) or deliver the baby early so it can have a good chance at life)

2.1% Other (no excuse!)

Why I can't Vote for McCain

2008-10-08T12:28:00.003-04:00

and why Alan Keyes could never be nominated for President. Watch this debate between McCain, Bush, and Keyes.

Debate

I do have a question...why was it ok to vote for GWB back in 2000 when his stance on abortion is the exact stance as McCain's? Why did Christians push for Bush and now it isn't ok??

Have my views changed so much over the years or was it not as big an issue with Bush because he was a "Christan"? Did he hide this fact?

I am just talking to myself

McCain said he thought Roe v. Wade should be overturned and said he would support exceptions to a ban on abortion in cases of rape, incest, and when the mother’s life is in danger.

There should be no exceptions! It is not the babies fault that the father was a sicko. There are many families out there that would take in a child and love him no matter what! I would like to know what percentage of abortions happen because of the above circumstances...I am guessing very few!

This is why George Bush has been a disappointing president. He didn't walk the walk.

Lesbian and Gay Rights - Status Quo: Although President Bush strongly advocated a constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage at the federal level, it has never passed. Bush has made no attempt to rescind President Clinton's Executive Order 13087, banning discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation in federal employment. Bush opposed a 2007 bill that would have federalized hate crime investigations while adding sexual orientation to the list of hate crime categories, but his stated rationale had to do with the federalization of hate crimes, not the addition of sexual orientation as a protected category.

Ray Boltz is Gay?!

2008-09-26T13:16:00.003-04:00

I can't believe this! Ray Boltz who sang I Pledge Allegiance to The Lamb...Ray Boltz who sang The Anchor Holds...Ray Boltz who sang At The Foot of The Cross...Ray Bolts who sang One Drop of Blood...Ray Bolts who sang Thank You...Ray Boltz who hundreds of churches sang his music...is gay? How can this be? Being gay and being a Christian is an oxymoron. The two can not mingle together. You can not be a gay Christian, at least not living out a gay lifestyle. If you are in Christ then you have to repent and turn away from such a lifestyle. The Holy Spirit lives inside a Christian.

Now, the terrible Church called The Jesus Metropolitan Community Church which spreads lies and false teaching has invited him to sing there. They have embraced him as a "brother". This is causing series damage! My Lord's name is being dragged through the mud! This makes me sick! Shame on you Ray Boltz!

Powerful!

2008-09-18T08:32:00.002-04:00

You must watch this video. This woman is a survivor of a botched abortion 31 years ago. She is a bold believer and is helping to spread the truth!

How Can You Tell if Your Pastor is a Calvinist?

2008-09-08T21:57:00.003-04:00

Here are a few clues that MIGHT tell you:

He will give a benediction at the end of his sermon
You have a time of corporate confession of sin
He reads and asks the congregation to repeat creeds
He refers to the "great" early church fathers including; Calvin (duh), Luther, St. Augustine

This was my experience this Sunday. We have been visiting our old church that we were apart of when it began 7 years ago. They just voted in a new pastor last Sunday, and I was excited to be there for his first day (we didn't plan it). He gave a sermon on the role of the pastor. This Sunday he preached on worshipping God in spirit and in truth. All the things I wrote above were things that happened and they were all new to this church family. Towards the end of the sermon, he was telling a story about how a friend of his has a different "view", but they are still Brothers in the Lord. He said his friend is Armenian and he was a committed Calvinist. When he said this my mouth dropped open. I was disappointed. I really enjoy listening to him, but I can not sit under a Calvinist. I can't stand what they believe, and their views on my God. Yes, I believe there will be Calvinists in Heaven because they believe in Jesus for the redemption of their sins, but I can not be apart of that thinking.

This is a Bible church (nondenom) and the goal of the church was to be a multi-ethnic church that reaches out to all types of people. I don't understand why they choose this Calvinist preacher with all of his ministry experience being in middle to upper class white churches. I think the church will (and has) lost it's site on their original vision.

Planned Parenthood Up To More Evil

2008-09-08T21:45:00.003-04:00

Lindsay shares a great post about PP new evil tricks.

Obamanation!

2008-09-06T10:02:00.001-04:00

Calvin's Error

2008-08-31T13:40:00.002-04:00

John Calvin: "By predestination we mean the eternal decree of God, by which he determined with himself whatever he wished to happen with regard to every man. All are not created on equal terms, but some are preordained to eternal life, others to eternal damnation; and, accordingly, as each has been created for one or other of these ends, we say that he has been predestinated to life or to death." (Institutes of Christian Religion, Book 3, Chapter 21, Section 5)

Can you actually agree that "before time" God preordained some to eternal life and others to eternal damnation? Is that God's character? Does that sound like a loving God? Please, if you agree with this, post scriptures that back this up...

John Calvin: "We say, then, that Scripture clearly proves this much, that God by his eternal and immutable counsel determined once for all those whom it was his pleasure one day to admit to salvation, and those whom, on the other hand, it was his pleasure to doom to destruction. We maintain that this counsel, as regards the elect, is founded on his free mercy, without any respect to human worth, while those whom he dooms to destruction are excluded from access to life by a just and blameless, but at the same time incomprehensible judgment." (Institutes of Christian Religion, Book 3, Chapter 21, Section 7)

It blows my mind that people actually believe this and even worship a God who is like this! Is this God's character shown over and over again throughout the Bible??

Atheism is:

2008-08-30T18:48:00.002-04:00

Obamacide

2008-08-27T18:12:00.002-04:00

Obamacide. It means (1) killing the newborn survivor of a botched abortion through a deliberate act of omission; and (2) that which a nation commits upon itself by electing one who would allow such a thing.

What Does DNC Mean????

2008-08-26T13:15:00.003-04:00

Thanks Dani for sharing this! I love the fact that these people put their faith and beliefs into action!

American Right To Life Unfurled World's Largest Protest Sign: DNC Sheets Of Shame

DENVER, Aug 26, 2008 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ --
An official Guinness Book of World Records attempt to display the largest ever protest sign has succeeded. The 530-foot tall and 666-foot wide message is being shouted from the mountaintops overlooking the Democratic National Convention with the leading 2008 protest message.

Depending on their location, thousands of DNC delegates and journalists can look out their hotel windows to the west to see the sign. Sponsored by American RTL Action, the message initially appeared with three enormous 160-foot tall, bright yellow letters, D-N-C, stacked on top of each other.

After those letters suddenly appeared on a mountain just west of Denver, the actual full message of the sign began to unfurl. Three lines of white text, built on the vertical yellow letters read,

D-N-C:

Destroys
uNborn
Children

'The tiniest boys and girls should be loved and protected,' said American RTL Action president Steve Curtis, 'but as nominating Barack Obama emphasizes, the DNC even supports killing kids in the womb old enough to know their mother's voice, sleep and dream, suck their thumbs, and play with their toes.'

Columbine dad Brian Rohrbough, whose son Daniel was murdered at that high school massacre, is the group's vice president. 'When we tell kids that unborn children can be killed if their parents don't want them,' said Rohrbough, 'we rob them of the knowledge of the God-given right to life and we destroy their moral foundation. Abortion is wrong because it's a baby; it's always wrong to intentionally kill an innocent baby.'

Guinness assigned American Right To Life an official world record attempt number: 228132. The protest sign weighs more than 2,700 pounds and was sewed together with more than four miles of seams connecting 2,400 sheets and backpacked onto location and unfurled by 44 letter carriers with spotters a mile away to ensure proper letter placement. ARTL commits to removing the DNC Sheets Of Shame and leaving the area cleaner than it had been.

ARTL is also a lead sponsor of the DNC Power in the Park protest event by national black leaders at Denver's Martin Luther King Jr. Park and of the Clinton Watch project at Denver area strip joints.

(*Pictures to be posted as soon as they are released...)

Punishment?

2008-08-25T21:28:00.002-04:00

What about adoption? What about giving a loving couple who can't have babies a blessing? Why would he think first about killing the baby instead of choosing life, choosing adoption?

Barack Obama and His Opposition to the BAIPA

2008-08-18T14:40:00.002-04:00

I just read an excellent post over on Bethany's blog about Obama, the lying evil man! I wanted to remind everyone that Oprah is backing this man. Another reason to stop watching her! Here are many more!

According to Obama, Babies from Unplanned Pregnancies are Mistakes

2008-08-17T23:07:00.003-04:00

and a punishment.

What's Confusing? Abortion is Murder!

2008-08-17T22:59:00.003-04:00

And it was held at Rick Warren's church...classic!

Who Am I

2008-08-14T10:22:00.000-04:00

This is so awesome! It really moved me!

Victoria Osteen's Case

2008-08-10T12:08:00.004-04:00

Have you heard about this? This is one of the stupidest things I have ever heard!

"According to court documents, Brown claims that she suffers from anxiety and hemorrhoids because of the incident involving Victoria Osteen and said her faith was affected. She is also suing Victoria Osteen for medical expenses for counseling."

Now, I am sure something happened on that plan and I wouldn't be surprised if Victoria lost her temper, but what this Brown lady is doing is so wrong! Suing her for 10% of what Victoria Osteen is worth because she claims to have post traumatic stress disorder!! Give me a break! Who hasn't been treated like this in some time in their life?? I can think of several instance at public school when I was a kid and I turned out ok! :) And Hemorrhoids? Whatever...how can they prove that!?

This lady is just trying to make a buck (well, lots of them).

Hell's Best Kept Secret

2008-08-01T13:33:00.002-04:00

Have you ever heard these two before? Watch it!

Part 2
Part 3
Part 4

A Test For Atheists

2008-08-01T13:08:00.002-04:00

Darwin's full quote: "To suppose that the eye, with all its inimitable contrivances for adjusting the focus to different distances, for admitting different amounts of light, and for the correction of spherical and chromatic aberration, could have been formed by natural selection, seems, I freely confess, absurd in the highest possible degree." Darwin continues, "Yet reason tells me..."

Darwin goes on to explain in the Origin of Species that he believed he could justify the idea of the eye forming through natural selection by reason. Ask yourself if it is really reasonable for an eye with 40,000,000 nerve endings, focusing muscles that move an estimated 100,000 times a day, and a retina that contains 137,000,000 light sensitive cells to form without a designer. You decide.

Take the test

New web address

2008-07-31T10:30:00.003-04:00

I decided to change my address from www.betsyinthebeginning.blogspot.com to www.embracinggodsgrace.blogspot.com.

New Look, Same Message

2008-07-28T15:55:00.003-04:00

Thanks to everyone who gave me input on changing my blog. I love it!

Dani & Lindsay helped in the creativity department and Sandra did such a wonder job on the header! Love you all!

I think I will change my sig to a brown to match the header...I just love blue and brown together!!

Church Visiting Part 2

2008-07-27T15:01:00.002-04:00

We decided to go hear a familiar voice today. I used to listen to this pastor when I would clean houses long ago and I always wanted to go hear him preach. Dh had met him before during some conference a long time ago.

My thoughts:

It was a medium sized (I would say 400 people or more) mostly middle class, and all white (besides 2 black people in the choir). Like most other bigger churches, it wasn't very welcoming. I am so used to being a part of smaller churches now that it seemed odd to go to this church and nobody came out of their way to say hello. No hugs either. Even though the music all pretty much sounded the same to me (not a lot of variety), I did enjoy hearing a choir again. I wasn't so impressed with the sermon as I thought I would be either. The kids stayed with us, so I don't know much about the children's ministry. Over all, it was nice to just sit and not be "in charge", and we were out within an hour (wow!).

Next week, we go to visit a church whose pastor was one of my dh professors. We may be the only white people there. I do feel a little weird about it, but I look forward to a great worship service!!

Until next time...we will continue to find the perfect church! LOL! ;p)

Church Visiting Part 1

2008-07-27T14:28:00.005-04:00

We have never been on the church hunt since our lives were transformed by Jesus. I got saved in 1996 through a ministry of a big Baptist church, and that is where we spent the next 5 years. My husband realized through serving in that church that God was calling him to the pulpit and to be a Shepard for God's people.

He began his studies at a local Bible college. He helped with music during the student chapel sessions and really enjoyed that. He always was involved in singing in one way or another. The college decided to start a church to share the vision behind the college. It was a multi-ethnic ministry and the goal was to start a church to bring people together from all walks of life. My husband agreed to be a part of the music launch team for the church. I was not happy at first, and honestly a little scared. You see, we came from a big, white, uppity kinda of church. It took me awhile to get use to the lifted hands, people talking (agreeing) while there was prayer, and the excitement that people showed as they praised God...it was great!! I had never experienced this kind of worship and the relationships that we found at that church.

2 years later, dh decided to take an internship at a small (very) Baptist church. This church was mostly made up of family members. It had gone through some major splits and had been without a pastor for one year. It was mostly dead! We went there to try to turn this church around. After 3 years, and not a lot of growth, and many problems, we were done. That church will never grow because the leadership (one deacon) "owns" this church and the legalism runs very deep.

Well, dh and I prayed and decided that we wanted to start a new ministry and do away with all the church cliche's. We started out of our living room in Nov. 2006 with 16 people the very first Sunday. We were also going through some changes in our theologies, mainly rejecting the Calvinistic beliefs that we were taught along the way. Thanks to the ministries of Theology Online and Bob Enyart, we are happy to say that we have had our eyes opened to the TRUTH!

So, now Open Fellowship Bible Church is no longer active, but we haven't given up all together. If the right circumstances were to come together, we would do it all again. For now, we will visit.

Are You a Nicer-Than-God Kinda Christian?

2008-07-26T22:22:00.004-04:00

I love this statement that Bob Enyart has made popular. It describes many Christians today, and how many unbelievers think a Christian should behave.

Dani elaborated on this...go check it out!

Here is another good read

It's great to know that there are still people out there that have original thoughts!

2008-07-24T12:28:00.004-04:00

Kathie left a nice comment and so I followed her to her blog. I can tell right away that she speaks truth, and I love this post! She is also a missionary, so let's keep her family in our prayers!

"We Are No Longer a Christian Nation"...

2008-07-12T14:07:00.004-04:00

Barack Hussein Obama (you read that right, that is his middle name) declared that we are no longer a Christian nation. Lord, please forgive us. Once a nation turns it's back on the Lord, He gives them over to their vile lusts. Looking around, maybe He already has.

Come quickly Lord Jesus!

Could this be the beginning of a one world religion?

Speaking out Against Abortion

2008-07-10T15:11:00.003-04:00

Lindsay point me to this video. Awesome!

“Norma McCorvey’s testimony is a incredible example of God’s redeeming grace. I commend Norma for her courage to speak out on the evils of abortion and pray that her redemptive story will touch hearts and change minds.”

The end...

2008-07-10T09:26:00.005-04:00

My husband and I have made the tough decision to close the church down. If you have been reading the blog, then you know that the church has been struggling for months and so have we.

We started the church in our living room in Nov of 2006. We moved to our building in April 2007. We have had some fun times, sad times, and amazing times. I have learned so much! We stepped out in faith and followed the Lord. We leave the results to Him. It is not a failure in our eyes. It may just be a stepping stone for our future.

Besides the name and header, I don't plan to change or erase this blog. I just plan to change the focus of it. I haven't posted much lately because there hasn't been a lot to post about. I want to use this blog platform now to expose false teaching and hopefully open the eyes of Christians to the Bible and who God truly is, not what the church has taught us over the years. There is so much wrong teaching, legalism and men's traditions out there in our churches with so many Christians who don't pick up their Bible and truly know who God is. We believe everything we are told today.

Can I ask you something?? Truth, the Bible, and Godly living are not popular, so why is Beth Moore, Joyce Meyer, John Piper, Billy Graham, and John MacArthur so popular today??

Think about it!

I am joining other Sister's in Christ on the quest to help people really KNOW God and to stand up for TRUTH!

Here is my first post concerning Open Fellowship Bible Church, and this is my last.

Need new name! Got an suggestions??

The Truth Truck!

2008-07-07T00:04:00.004-04:00

Check out the Truth Truck and the man behind this ministry. I wish all believers (including myself) were as bold as him!

Freedom of speech? See what a cop said to him.

Great video!

2008-07-06T18:26:00.002-04:00

Biblical truth with a modern twist.

In other words...children (our children) mean nothing...

2008-06-27T16:53:00.003-04:00

Of course, if anything happens to THEIR children, it would be a different story!

Supreme Court Rejects Death Penalty for Child Rape

Colorado Senate Bill 200

2008-06-10T14:59:00.003-04:00

This is what your child could pick up and read at the book store or the library if you live in Colorado. Think it won't spread??? Read Dani's post for an unbelievable Bill that has passed where she lives. Coming to a town near you soon!

Let's do all we can to speak out against this!!

Obituary

2008-05-17T17:06:00.002-04:00

Today we mourn the passing of a beloved old friend, Common Sense, who has been with us for many years. No one knows for sure how old he was since his birth records were long ago lost in bureaucratic red tape.

He will be remembered as having cultivated such valuable lessons as knowing when to come in out of the rain, why the early bird gets the worm, life isn't always fair, and maybe it was my fault.

Common Sense lived by simple, sound financial policies (don't spend more than you earn) and reliable parenting strategies (adults, not children, are in charge).

His health began to deteriorate rapidly when well intentioned but overbearing regulations were set in place. Reports of a six-year-old boy charged with sexual harassment for kissing a classmate; teens suspended from school for using mouthwash after lunch; and a teacher fired for reprimanding an unruly student, only worsened his condition.

Common Sense lost ground when parents attacked teachers for doing the job they themselves failed to do in disciplining their unruly children. It declined even further when schools were required to get parental consent to administer Panadol, sun lotion or a Band-Aid to a student but could not inform the parents when a student became pregnant or wanted to have an abortion.

Common Sense lost the will to live as the Ten Commandments became contraband, churches became businesses, and criminals received better treatment than their victims.

Common Sense took a beating when you couldn't defend yourself from a burglar in your own home and the burglar could sue you for assault.

Common Sense was preceded in death by his parents, Truth and Trust; his wife, Discretion; his daughter, Responsibility; and his son, Reason. He is survived by three stepbrothers; I Know My Rights, Someone Else is to Blame, and I'm A Victim.

Not many attended his funeral because so few realized he was gone.
If you still remember him, pass this on. If not, join the majority and do nothing.

Colorado Personhood Victory!

2008-05-16T20:22:00.002-04:00

If you don't know what this is, then go read Dani's post!

Double Standards

2008-05-01T15:22:00.003-04:00

A terrible tragedy happened here in Indiana a week or so ago. I man robbed a bank and shot a woman in the stomach who was carrying twins. Did you notice the past tense? The babies died a few days later. Now, the Marion County prosecutor wants to change the law to increase the punishment for the killing of unborn babies.

"Our law should recognize the fact that for the purpose of a criminal sanction that life begins at conception all the way to birth and if someone intentionally, knowingly takes that life that they ought to be responsible and accountable for murder," he said.

Why??? Why is it ok to kill your own baby and it is not considered murder nor even considered a baby, but if someone kills your baby when you don't want them to it is murder? IT IS THE SAME THING!

"If you put it in the homicide statute you restart the philosophical question as to whether or not abortion is murder," said Karlson.
"It would be a stretch for them to link those two," said Brizzi, who argued that the wording of the law would rule out any confusion. "There is a specific exclusion for title 16 and title 16 is the exception carved out for reproductive rights," he said.

It is called reproductive rights. How sick! It is man taking God's word and making fit what they want to believe and what works for them.

Murder is murder!

Open Fellowship is still going!

2008-04-28T16:14:00.003-04:00

We are the "energizer bunny" church...we just keep on going! All praise and thanks to God of course. Dh and I were really down last Sunday after church. We talked about all kinds of different things that we might have to or should do with the ministry. I must say I was very discouraged and have been because of the attendance (lack there of) and just the attitudes of God's people. I must repent and say that I did have my thinking set on the things of this world and not heavenward (ok, you were right dh). I was really letting the worry of the bills get me down. We just decided to do nothing (but pray) and see what God does. Well, He did answer! We received a donation of over $700, a new family called and asked about the church, we had a great turn out Wednesday for Bible Study, and this Sunday we had an ok attendance. Could have been better, but at least it was in the double digits! The family did not come Sunday, but hopefully they will next week. We also had another donation of $40 given online! So our bills are paid for the next 2 months! God always provides! We are praying about taking the next step and getting the letters for our sign. We didn't know whether or not we were going to because we thought we were going to have to use the banner money for bills.

Hopefully this is the beginning of a great summer! Thanks for any prayers out there for our ministry! Keep it up!

Note: After reading this back, it accured to me that if you are not familiar with our background (meaning you haven't been reading the blog) then you might think that I was talking about my own personal bills. In fact, when I talk about bills, I am referring to the churches bills like rent and utilities. My dh is not paid at all as the full-time pastor. The ministry isn't big enough (yet!).

Go Bob!

2008-04-25T16:04:00.001-04:00

Do Right and Risk the Consequences!

2008-04-25T16:01:00.002-04:00

Expelled!

2008-04-19T19:56:00.001-04:00

A dear sister in Christ blessed us with free passes to see Expelled today. I wanted to share my thoughts without giving too much away...

I wanted to walk out in the beginning! I was getting very mad and frustrated. It got better towards the middle and through to the end. This is a documentary and he interviewed lots of people with lots of different views. I don't necessarily agree with all the thinking behind Intelligent Design because people can say that Aliens or some other "being" was the creator and some don't even believe in a young Earth Creation. What I do like about it is that Ben Stein is getting this out in the open and showing that in the Academic world and beyond, you have to believe in Darwinism or else. Where is our free speech when it comes to science? Really, it is only going to get worse!

The best part is how he links Darwinism with Hitler. Hitler was doing what he thought was good and right because of Darwinism. Get rid of the sick, the old, the weak, the poor...make a new breed of man. Sounds very similar to Margaret Sanger and Planned Parenthood! Sounds similar to things we hear and see today!

Kids in public school are getting this stuff spoon fed to them!

What was your take on it?

Don't Drink the Kool-Aid

2008-04-03T14:08:00.000-04:00

Just released 3/3/08
Available in paperback or immediate view/download/print.
To purchase Paperback - Don't Drink The Kool-Aid

"One lasting legacy of the Jonestown tragedy is the saying, “Don’t drink the Kool-Aid.” This has come to mean, "Don’t trust any group you find to be a little on the kooky side." Of course, you would have to know of Kool-Aid’s dubious connection to Jim Jones to understand the proverb."
(from Rapture Ready)

A Matter of Life and Death!

2008-04-03T13:45:00.002-04:00

Please share this video anywhere and everywhere you can! This is real and people need to open their eyes to what Oprah is spreading! Please watch this video!

3D Bible Primer~Great post!

2008-03-31T19:15:00.001-04:00

"Do you remember those 3D comic books you'd get when you were a kid? You could kind of see the pictures, but it almost hurt your eyes to try and make out the images. However, when you'd put on the 3D glasses that came with it, the images would jump right out at you. Those blurry pictures suddenly had depth! I've come to realize that Bible is like those 3D comic books."

Read the rest...

Ok, lighten up! You know it's funny...

2008-03-28T13:59:00.002-04:00

And has a bit of truth in it!

How Many Christians Does It Take To Change A Light Bulb?

Charismatic: Only one. Hands already in the air.

Pentecostals: Ten. One to change the bulb and nine to pray against the spirit of darkness.

Presbyterians: None. Lights will go off and on at predestined times.

Roman Catholic: None. Candles only.

Baptists: At least 15. One to change the light bulb and three committees to approve the change and decide who brings the potato salad. (This one is my favorite! I have been apart of a Baptist church until we started our nondenom. church)

Episcopalians: Three. One to call the electrician, one to mix the drinks and one to talk about how much better the old bulb was.

Mormons: Five. One man to change the bulb and four wives to tell him how to do it.

Unitarians: We choose not to make a statement either in favor of or against the need for a light bulb. However, if in your own journey you have found that light bulbs work for you, that is fine. You are invited to write a poem or compose a modern dance about your light bulb for the next Sunday service, in which we will explore a number of light bulb traditions including incandescent, fluorescent, three-way, long-life and tinted, all of which are equally valid paths to luminescence.

Methodists: Undetermined. Whether your light bulb is bright, dull, or completely out, you are loved. You can be a light bulb, turnip bulb or tulip bulb. A church-wide lighting service is planned for Sunday. Bring a bulb of your choice and a covered dish.

Nazarene: Six. One woman to replace the bulb while five men review the church lighting policy.

Lutherans: None. Lutherans don't believe in change.

Amish: What's a light bulb?

Church of Christ: They do not use light bulbs because there is no evidence of their use in the New Testament.

This is what happens...

2008-03-27T14:16:00.002-04:00

When people have the wrong Biblical view of God.

The girl's parents, Dale and Leilani Neumann, attributed the death to "apparently they didn't have enough faith," the police chief said.

They believed the key to healing "was it was better to keep praying. Call more people to help pray," he said.

The mother believes the girl could still be resurrected, the police chief said

This is why it is so important to spread the truth and not believe that "it's only their opinion". This is why we must teach and preach the truth, no matter how unpopular it is! This is why it is important to understand God's Word and to divide it rightly! Ideas have consequences! People can sincerely believe in false teaching and they can sincerely be very wrong!

Very sad...God is slandered all the time in the name of Christianity.

Beth Moore

2008-03-27T08:32:00.003-04:00

I have enjoyed her teachings in the past, but a good Bible student has to take everything a person teaches and compare it to the Word! It doesn't matter what Beth Moore, John Piper, Joel Osteen, Billy Graham says and teaches...they are mere men. Listen to your Bible and ask God to show you truth! Take the whole scripture into account, not just selected verses. Consider God's characteristics. If we hear something that doesn't match up to God's living, loving, relational, and good character, then it is FALSE!

Beth Moore~Believing God:

"If you can't imagine God ever delivering you from the corruption of evil desires and bringing forth a great harvest through your life, you've bought into the lie that God's promises don't apply to you. The Amplified version of Ephesians 2:10 says that you and I are "God's [own] handiwork (His workmanship), recreated in Christ Jesus, [born anew] that we may do those good works which God predestined (planned beforehand) for us [taking paths which He prepared ahead of time], that we should walk in them living the good life which He prearranged and made ready for us to live]."

God knew you before you were formed in your mother's womb and planned good works for you that would bring forth much fruit. According to Acts 17:26, God even determined the times and places set for us to live on planet Earth most conducive to our personalized harvests. Too much predestination for you? (YES!) Here's the catch: we don't have to cooperate. We can live our entire lives as Christians and never fulfill the glorious plan God tailored for us in advance"

Do you know what God's plan for your life is? I will tell you. It is to come to a personal relationship with Jesus and to live your life for Him to bring Him glory and honor, and to share that with others around you. Mystery solved!

It is sad that so many Christians teach this and so many Christians will read it and believe. Believing that God has preordained everything in a Christian's life will cause them to ask these questions when bad things happen"

"Why did God let this happen?"
"Why is He doing this to me?"
"What have I done to deserve this?"
"This evil thing that happened to me and my family is all of God's plan"

God is good and this world we live in is evil and corrupt because of sin. Bad things happen to people all the time, and it is just the consequence of living in this bad world. Predestination is corporate, not individual. God predestined that all of those who would repent and put their faith in Jesus will have eternal life. All people who don't, will spend eternity in Hell. There must be a punishment for sin. Jesus took our punishment, all we have to do is accept it. If we don't, we pay for our sin. God did not from the foundation of the earth, personally pick who will spend eternity in Heaven and who will be tortured for all eternity in Hell (for His glory). Compare that to the living, loving, relational, and good attributes of God. Does that sound like a good God? Is that what the Bible teaches and shows over and over? NO!

Are Mormons Christians?

2008-03-24T13:12:00.003-04:00

According to Joel Osteen they are.

Great video! Todd Friel (Way of the Master) holds Joel Osteen to the Bible!

Part 2

Because He lives...

2008-03-23T20:18:00.002-04:00

We can face tomorrow.

A great classic! We shall behold Him!

Sad day...

2008-03-16T21:36:00.003-04:00

To me, it is looking more and more like we are not going to be able to stay in this building. We got great news today that our landlord will allow us to stay in the building on a month-to-month basis, and he is even giving us a sign from a business down from us that has left (we are in a shopping complex). We just need to change the face of the sign and have it moved. We don't know how much this would all cost, but it is a great beginning. We have been collecting money in a box that sits on a long table where the coffee sits. We have been doing this for probably six months. Dh announced today the good news we got and that we have collected over $100 in the "banner fund". Well, at the end of the service when our eyes were closed praying, I heard a noise. It sounded like the money box. I looked over and saw a person by it and he sat down real quick in the chair that is by the table. After service, I decided I would check the box out. It was short over $40! How could someone steal from the Lord?! I asked dh if he took any money from the box, just to be safe, and he said no. We prayed! We have decided to leave this in God's hands and let Him deal with it. Accusations will not help, even though I am sure I know who did it.

Our offering was $100 less than where we need to be for 2 weeks now. If it continues this way, we will not be able to pay the bills for the month. Would we be failures if we go back to the home? Maybe we have to change our thinking. I know we are doing what God wants us to do, but maybe it isn't suppose to be on a large scale. I was very encouraged by the comment I received on my last post. He is right! The truth is not popular! That is why some churches are big and grow because people can do what ever they want to do on Sat (and the rest of the week), and go to church on Sunday and not be moved by the Spirit or convicted in any way. Plus, I am convinced that a lot of people are deceived and actually think they are ok and on their way to Heaven. They just hear a fuzzy warm message telling them that Jesus loves them the way they are, which is true, but God demands righteousness. We come to Him just as we are, then we allow Him to change us. If there is no change, there is a problem! Maybe God just wants us to minister and change people's lives with the truth on a small scale...one person at a time. People are so set in their man-made beliefs, it does seem so impossible to reach out and teach people that what they have heard and been taught their whole lives are just lies!

Please pray for us!

What's going on...

2008-03-14T20:54:00.003-05:00

I haven't posted about the church lately because frankly, nothing is going on. Next moth we will have been in our building for one year. We were growing out of our homes. People were also telling us as soon as we move into a building, they would come to church. Well, guess what? Those people didn't come or came but didn't stay. I have learned this past year that if people want to go to church and worship, they will go no matter what the circumstances. I can find any number of excuses to stay home too! We are not legalistic to a point where we think that you are not right with God if you don't attend church (any church, assuming you are saved), but it is a critical part of growth and we all need fellowship!

The church was growing last spring and into the summer. It seemed that we were having visitors every Sunday. Since late fall, the attendance has dropped dramatically! We are to the point where we are praying about going back into the home(s). We just don't feel comfortable with signing a new lease for one year when we are barely making it now. We are praying and waiting on the Lord. Dh is probably going to see if we can do a month-to-month lease for now. That is our best option! We have been saving up money to purchase a sign for the church so we can be seen. We are on an off the road location and you can't see us from the road. If we buy a sign, we will be more visible. We are waiting to buy it to see if we need the money for bills.

If you are reading this, please say a prayer for us for wisdom!

Contest!

2008-03-11T09:31:00.000-05:00

Check out my other blog for a great contest!

Great on-line debates!

2008-03-05T23:03:00.002-05:00

Openness Theology - Does God Know Your Entire Future? - Battle Royale X
Samuel Lamerson vs. Bob Enyart

Battle Royale XII: Will unbelievers spend eternity in the Lake of Fire?pastorkevin vs. logos_x
(dh's battle)

Does God Exist? - Battle Royale VII - Bob Enyart vs. Zakath

How to build a mega-church

2008-02-26T09:38:00.003-05:00

Preach like Joel Osteen and never step on any one's toes.

The Bible says:

1 Cor. 1:18
For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.

Stephen wasn't afraid to preach the truth or step on toes!

Acts 7:51-60
51 “You stiff-necked people, uncircumcised in heart and ears, you always resist the Holy Spirit. As your fathers did, so do you. 52 Which of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? And they killed those who announced beforehand the coming of the Righteous One, whom you have now betrayed and murdered, 53 you who received the law as delivered by angels and did not keep it.”

Acts 2:37-41
37 Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?” 38 And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself.” 40 And with many other words he bore witness and continued to exhort them, saying, “Save yourselves from this crooked generation.” 41 So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls.

Did you catch that? They were cut to the heart.

Acts 20:20-26
26 Therefore I testify to you this day that I am innocent of the blood of all of you, 27 for I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole counsel of God.

Luke did his part too.

Romans 1:16

For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.

John 8:32-37
32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” 33 They answered him, “We are offspring of Abraham and have never been enslaved to anyone. How is it that you say, ‘You will become free’?”
34 Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is a slave [1] to sin. 35 The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son remains forever. 36 So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. 37 I know that you are offspring of Abraham; yet you seek to kill me because my word finds no place in you.

Jesus wasn't afraid to tell the Jews they were sinners.

2 Tim. 4:2

2 preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching.

This is what the Bible tells us to do!!

Can anyone say works????

2008-02-25T16:41:00.000-05:00

The gospel according to Joel Osteen (in other words, the "health and wealth gospel")

2008-02-25T16:17:00.002-05:00

2 Timothy 4:3

For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear.

The gospel according to Rick Warren

2008-02-25T16:12:00.001-05:00

Is Ron Paul the man that Christian's really think he is?

2008-02-24T18:10:00.006-05:00

More importantly, is he the man they think they are voting for????

* Ron Paul: is pro-choice state by state: "While Roe v. Wade is invalid, a federal law banning abortion across all 50 states would be equally invalid." 1-31-06.

* Steve Curtis: The president of American RTL Action provides overwhelming evidence that Ron Paul and the Libertarian Party promote pro-abortion policies and that pro-life Christians should expose both for being pro-choice.* The Libertarian Party is Officially Pro-choice:

Libertarian Party platform: "I.8 Reproductive Rights ... We oppose government actions that... prohibit abortion..."

* Paul Promotes the Immoral Libertarian Party: Libertarian Ron Paul is running for the Republican nomination and remains on "good terms" with the Libertarian Party and spoke at its 2004 national convention and he has never repudiated them even though the Libertarian Party is viciously immoral and officially: pro-legalized abortion, pro-legalized homosexuality, pro-legalized pornography, pro-legalized adultery, pro-legalizing crack cocaine, pro-legalized suicide, and pro-legalized euthanasia, pro-legalizing prostitution, and against protecting marriage between a man and a woman, The Libertarian Party is based on a humanist rather than on a Judeo-Christian worldview and thus has misguided notions of governance and no compass for righteousness in law.

* Revisionists Libertarian Pro-Lifers: Typical Claim: The federal government gave us abortion with the Supreme Court's Roe v. Wade. What makes anyone think the federal government will end abortion? Truth: The states began "legalizing" child killing with 19 states permitting abortion for various reasons in the seven years before Roe (MS, CO, CA, OR, NC, NY, AK, HI, WA, FL, AL, AR, DE, GA, KS, MD, NM, SC, VA) including a number with virtual abortion on demand like New York which allowed abortion through six months.

* Paul's ‘Life' Bills Allow Abortion in the States: Sanctity of Life Act of 2007: "the Supreme Court shall not have jurisdiction to review... any case arising out of any statute... on the grounds that such statute... regulates--(A) the performance of abortions." Sec. 3(2) (consistent with other Paul bills)

* Paul's Bills Even Violate Constitution: Ron Paul would allow the use of government authority to deprive innocent children of life and liberty. Paul would require the federal government to violate the U.S. Constitution and tolerate child killing, rejecting the 5th and 14th Amendment: "...nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws."

* Libertarians Assert that Authorizing Murder Falls Under State's Rights: States prosecute murder. They do not have the right to decriminalize murder. God gives no country, state, or any subdivision of government permission to tolerate the intentional killing of the innocent. The federal and state relationship is irrelevant to the legalization of abortion. If a neighboring country legalized the killing of Christians, Jews, children, or any class of person not convicted of a capital crime, it thereby commits an act of war that would justify invasion. God won't and pro-lifers must not give a pass to the federal government to look the other way when American states authorize child slaughter.

*
Personally Pro-life Means Officially Pro-choice: American RTL Action opposes candidates who are personally pro-life. The official position of someone who wants to be a governing official matters. If an official is personally against lynching blacks, killing Jews, and aborting kids but will officially tolerate such crimes, we will oppose him.

* Constitutional States Rights are Side Deals: Ron Paul promotes a confused view of states' rights that suggests that the federal government can apathetically look the other way if the states authorize the killing of innocent human beings. No side deal that human beings make between themselves can exempt them from obligation to enforce God's enduring command, Do not murder. So even if the U.S. Constitution explicitly stated that most blacks would be counted for appropriations reasons as three-fifths of a person, or if it explicitly stated that the states have the right to decide whether to authorize the killing of Jews or unborn children, such provisions would be unjust and should not be defended under some perverse understanding of governmental principles but should be opposed by all.

* And Then You Can Kill the Baby PBA Fiasco: Ron Paul voted for the partial birth abortion ban. Any law that ends with "and then you can kill the baby" is a bad law. Thus the PBA ban is a bad law. The U.S. Supreme Court in April 2007 upheld this wicked child-killing regulation in the most brutally vicious decision ever issued by an American court. In their majority Gonzales v. Carhart ruling the court advocated "an injection that kills the fetus" and "less shocking methods" of killing the same late-term children, and the ban explicitly keeps partial-birth abortion legal declaring that the baby can be delivered up to "the navel" and then terminated, turning this ruling into a virtual PBA manual.

* "States' Rights" Violated by Advocate Ron Paul: Ron Paul, in violation of what he sees as a states' rights principle, voted for the federal partial birth abortion ban imposed upon the states. Paul rightly chastised the pro-life movement (which had been led by National RTL) for sponsoring the unprincipled PBA ban, but then he voted for this federal legislation violating not only God's enduring law but also his own states' rights principles even though he acknowledged his fear that this "pro-life" law "does more harm than good" by corrupting the principles of life and further undermining the possibility of legally protecting human life from fertilization. Paul gets a lot of funding from misled conservatives who also gave popular support to the evil PBA ban, so rather than risk alienating these voters, on the House floor Paul lambasted the law, and then voted for it.

* Libertarian President will Punt the Killing of Kids: Ron Paul is running for the nomination for president saying that abortion is not a federal issue. A thousand candidates for mayor have put off pro-lifers with the claim that city government has nothing to do with abortion. Candidates for governor have said abortion is a federal matter. Ron Paul is running for president and he says it's a state matter. God grants no such immunity for the tolerance of shedding innocent blood to any level of government (Deut. 21:1-2, 6-7). These candidates pass the buck, and hope to punt the abortion issue because they see it as hurting their chance to gain power.

***This is from Bob Enyart Live. Please click over and listen to a very good radio program! Do not harden your hearts!****

Unconditional Election and Predestination

2008-02-19T22:42:00.008-05:00

The doctrine of Unconditional Election comes from the doctrines of Calvinism known as the "TULIP". The "TULIP" stands for: "Total Depravity, Unconditional Election, Limited Atonement, Irresistible Grace, Perseverance of the Saints." The main teachings of Calvinism come from John Calvin and the Canons of Dordt which are considered official Calvinism theology.

What is the doctrine of Unconditional Election and why is it a un-Biblical doctrine? This doctrine teaches that before God created anything He chose those who would be saved and those who would be damned for all eternity. The doctrine of Unconditional Election stresses that man has no choice (no free will) at all because man has no ability to seek God, (Total Depravity) therefore it is by God's sovereign choice that anyone is saved. Is this the One and True God that you get when you read the Bible??? I don't! God is love, this goes against His nature! God says that He wants everyone to be saved, He wants no one to perish! (2 Peter 3:9)

John Calvin: "By predestination we mean the eternal decree of God, by which he determined with himself whatever he wished to happen with regard to every man. All are not created on equal terms, but some are preordained to eternal life, others to eternal damnation; and, accordingly, as each has been created for one or other of these ends, we say that he has been predestined to life or to death."

John Calvin: "We say, then, that Scripture clearly proves this much, that God by his eternal and immutable counsel determined once for all those whom it was his pleasure one day to admit to salvation, and those whom, on the other hand, it was his pleasure to doom to destruction. We maintain that this counsel, as regards the elect, is founded on his free mercy, without any respect to human worth, while those whom he dooms to destruction are excluded from access to life by a just and blameless, but at the same time incomprehensible judgment."

I am so glad I do not serve a God like that! A God who gets pleasure out of dooming and destroying people??

"21 "But if the wicked man turns from all his sins which he has committed and observes all My statutes and practices justice and righteousness, he shall surely live; he shall not die. 22 "All his transgressions which he has committed will not be remembered against him; because of his righteousness which he has practiced, he will live. 23 "Do I have any pleasure in the death of the wicked," declares the Lord GOD, "rather than that he should turn from his ways and live?...32 "For I have no pleasure in the death of anyone who dies," declares the Lord GOD. "Therefore, repent and live."" (Ezekiel 18:21-23 & Ezekiel 18:32)

An immutable God?

I don't worship a stone idol! God is not a frozen automaton who cannot respond to persons; he is a living person who can and does react to others. The Bible clearly shows over and over how God has changed, has changed His mind, and still changes today. God's righteousness, holiness, faithfulness, and love, never change. These are absolute and unconditional affirmations that Scripture everywhere teaches about His nature and character. But this does not mean that all his promises and warnings are unconditional.

Jeremiah 18:7-10: "If at any time I announce that a nation or kingdom is to be uprooted, torn down and destroyed, and if that nation I warned repents of its evil, then I will relent and not inflict on it the disaster I had planned. And if at another time I announce that a nation or kingdom is to be built up and planted, and if it does evil in my sight and does not obey me, then I will reconsider the good I had intended to do for it."

If this were not so...Why pray? Why did Abraham beg for Him to reconsider over and over again about destroying Sodom and Gomorrah? God changed when the 2nd person of the trinity came to this earth as a baby and He changed again when He died on the cross and the Father poured out His wrath on Him. Is that still happening today? NO! It was a change. To read more about this, visit here. (warning* I agree with this page, but I may not agree with the entire site!)

Quotes by John Calvin:

God ...shows himself to be reconciled to the whole world, when he invites all men without exception to faith in Christ ...For Christ is made known and held out to the view of all, but the elect alone are they whose eyes God opens, that they may seek him by faith. (John 1:125)

God offers his word indiscriminately to the good and bad; but it works by his spirit in the elect…as to the reprobate…it renders them without excuse. (Ezekiel 1:113)

Do you know how much all of this has penetrated Christian doctrine, theology, Christian literature, denominations, Bible Schools for all these years?! It is false teaching! Read the Word. How does God present Himself from the Bible? Forget what you have "been told" your whole life. Read it with new eyes like you have never read it before, or knew anything about it!

2008-02-15T22:46:00.000-05:00

test

Are you...

2008-01-25T19:57:00.001-05:00

Forgiven???

"Nailing Down the Start"

2008-01-12T19:31:00.002-05:00

OBSERVING THE CONTRASTS

Paul describes himself as the "apostle to the Gentiles" in Romans 11:13 and Galatians 2:8 because of his unique commission to tell the Gentiles about the gospel,the good news of salvation, and of God's grace toward them as He accepts them on a par with Israel. This equality was the mystery revealed to Paul. Thus, this present oikonomia, the dispensation of Grace, begins with the ministry of the apostle Paul sometime between his conversion in Acts 9 and his first missionary journey in Acts 13. We might well look to his time in Arabia as the specific point when the revelation of themystery was given to him.

One obvious result of placing the beginning of this present dispensation at the time of the revelation of the mystery to Paul is the conclusion that all which immediately preceded him belongs to the previous dispensation, Law. That includes both the earthly ministry of Christ and the early chapters of the book of Acts. This conclusion is supported when we look at the material in these sections of the Bible. The content of biblical passages before Paul's ministry is clearly consistent with the terms and conditions of the dispensation of Law. In fact, much of the teaching in the Gospels and early Acts contrasts in important ways with the dispensation of Grace as outlined by Paul. But remember, there will always be horizontal truths.

One of the contrasts involves the matter of prophecy. Because prophecy and mystery are mutually exclusive (if it is prophesied it can't be a secret and vice versa), anything which involves the fulfillment of prophecies made to Israel or makes further promises to the nation is clearly within the boundaries of the dispensation of Law. The dispensation of Grace and its features were a mystery, "kept hidden in God, who created all things" (Eph. 3:9). Even a casual reading of the Gospels and the early chapters of Acts shows Israel's prophetic agenda was the basis for both the teachings and events of that period. Eleven times in Matthew's gospel he tells us a particular event happened in accordance with the prediction of a prophet (see Matt. 2:5,17 as examples). Christ warned the disciples to be on the lookout for the abomination of desolation spoken of by the prophet Daniel (Matt. 24:15).

This focus on prophecies to Israel can also be seen in early Acts. In Peter's first sermon (chapter 2) he tells the crowd the events they are witnessing are the fulfillment of the prophecy given by the prophet Joel (see v. 16) whom he goes on to quote. Clearly God is here dealing with Israel under His special relationship with them just as He was in the old Testament. In fact, He is beginning to fulfill promises made to Israel regarding the "last days" (v. 17). Peter's sermon climaxes with the proclamation that Jesus whom they crucified was the Christ or Messiah (v. 36), the One promised to Israel.Peter's sermon in chapter 3 is even more clearly a continuation of God's dealings with Israel. Peter again tells his listeners the crucifixion of Jesus was the fulfillment of prophecies made to their forefathers (vv. 17,18). In verses 24 and 25 He says, "Indeed, all the prophets from Samuel on, as many as have spoken, have foretold these days. And you are heirs of the prophets and of the covenant God made with your fathers. He said to Abraham, 'Through your offspring all peoples on earth will be blessed.’”

This emphasis on prophecy stands in clear contrast to Paul's emphasis that this dispensation was a mystery never before revealed through prophecy. The features and events of the dispensation of Grace cannot be found predicted on the pages of the Old Testament, nor unfolding during Christ's earthly ministry or during Peter's ministry in Acts. They were revealed first to the apostle Paul.

The only thing which changes between Malachi, the last book of the Old Testament, and Matthew, the first book in the New Testament, is the date. God was continuing to deal with Israel and doing so within the context of the prophecies and promises made to her. That is why it is not surprising to see in the Gospels and early chapters of Acts that Israel continues to enjoy privileged status before God, holding a position as "his treasured possession" (Deut. 7:6).

Christ's earthly ministry was directed to the Jews and any contact He had with Gentiles is presented as a striking exception to His normal practice. In Matthew 23:2,3 Christ instructs His followers to obey the Pharisees, "and do everything they tell you." These Pharisees were the ones who taught the Jews to obey the Mosaic Law, including all the rituals, ceremonies, and holy days. Contrast this with Paul's instruction that we should not allow anyone to hold us accountable to the commands of the Law (Col. 2:16). Peter's ministry in Acts is also completely Jewish in both scope and content. His audience in Acts 2 was "men of Israel" (v. 22) and the occasion which brought them together was Pentecost, an annual Jewish feast. In chapter 3 Peter speaks to a crowd of Jews gathered at the temple and tells them to repent so they can receive the "times of refreshing" in order that God "may send the Christ [Messiah] who has been appointed for you" (vv. 19,20).

In Acts 5:12 we learn the believers were meeting at Solomon's Colonnade, an area within the temple grounds, and the problem in chapter 6 involved a disagreement between Jews, some of whom spoke Aramaic while others spoke Greek. The seven men chosen to help solve the problem were all Jews, including Nicolas, a convert to Judaism. It is very possible the Ethiopian eunuch in chapter 8 was a Jew who lived in
Ethiopia. If not, he was certainly a proselyte or convert to Judaism, because he had gone to Jerusalem to worship.

In short, everything in the Gospels and the first eight chapters of Acts is consistent with God's continued dealings with the nation of Israel as His special people. God's prophetic agenda was continuing to unfold and the offer of the Messianic kingdom was being made to the Jews in the name of Jesus their Messiah.

This uninterrupted thread of ministry to and for Israel is abruptly broken with the chain of events which begins with Paul's conversion in chapter 9. Paul's account in Galatians chapter I traces his movements in those early months after his salvation. We learn that immediately following his short stay in Damascus he went out to the Arabian desert where he stayed for the better part of three years. "Then after three years, I went up to Jerusalem to get acquainted with Peter and stayed with him fifteen days" (v. 18). If Paul, during this stay in Arabia, had received the revelation of the mystery that God was beginning a new dispensation in which Jew and Gentile were equal before God, he would surely tell a shocked (and undoubtedly disbelieving) Peter during this fifteen-day visit. In Acts the account of Paul's conversion in chapter 9 is followed by Peter's visit to the Gentile Cornelius in chapter 10. But between these events is Paul's fifteen-day stay with Peter. When God tells Peter to go to Cornelius the Gentile, Peter is at first very reluctant to go, even though he had heard about the new dispensation from Paul. After some divine persuasion through the vision of the sheet, he goes, and when Cornelius and his household are saved Peter says, "I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism but accepts men from every nation who fear him and do what is right" (v.34).

Those words represent a major change in Peter's theology from what he had been preaching to and for Israel in earlier chapters. Paul's news of dispensational change had been confirmed to him by divine direction and he accepted it as from God. At this point the narrative of Acts shifts from a wholly Jewish perspective to one in which Jew and Gentile are saved without distinction.

Correctly placing the beginning of the dispensation of Grace with the ministry of the apostle Paul allows us to be more precise in distinguishing truths which do and do not apply to us today. It means we must read the Gospels and the first portion of Acts carefully so as not to apply vertical truths meant for Israel to the Body of Christ. Certainly our goal is to correctly handle the word of truth (2 Tim. 2:15), and this kind of dispensational accuracy is an important part of the effort. In a future chapter we will look at some of the specific consequences of a proper dispensational framework, one which recognizes Paul's role as God's instrument in beginning the dispensation of Grace.

Source: Understanding Your Bible by S. Craig MacDonald

from Chap. 4

Michael Pearl on Calvinism

2008-01-11T21:13:00.001-05:00

Spurgeon is a Heretic?
By: Michael Pearl

If Calvinism is a heresy, then Spurgeon is a heretic. Yes, or no?
I’m writing to ask, “Where is the consistency?” Your newsletter regularly promotes the book, The Other Side of Calvinism. It’s proclaimed to be “...the best book exposing the heresies of Calvinism....” Yet, in your Nov-Dec 2007 newsletter, you have an article featuring Charles Spurgeon, one of the biggest Calvinists of all time. So, where is the consistency? If Calvinism is a heresy, then Spurgeon is a heretic. Yes, or no?

Michael answers:
There prevails a misconception, historically promoted by Calvinists, that the great doctrines of the faith are the product of, and exclusive to, Augustinian Calvinism. I have read and appreciated many wonderful works written by professed Calvinists. I graduated from a strong Calvinist Bible College. If you have read much of Spurgeon, you know that you will read a thousand pages and not come across anything that is exclusively Calvinistic. He teaches the same gospel that is taught by so-called Arminians, like Wesley and Finney. The old Methodist and the General Baptist churches preached the wonderful words of grace and life exactly as Spurgeon did. Long before Luther or Calvin, the gospel Spurgeon preached was believed and taught by many non-Catholic groups throughout the Dark Ages, and even all the way back to the Apostle Paul. If the Apostle Paul were to preach in a Calvinist School, he would be labeled a Pelagian or an Arminian and never invited back.

Sound Biblical exegetes do not reject all that a professing Calvinist believes; we reject those doctrines in particular that interpret the total depravity of man as an inability of the sinner to choose Christ after having been drawn by the Holy Spirit. I have read thousands of pages of Spurgeon and only found one place where I found him to be in error regarding this subject.
If I say your apple pie is no good because it has too much salt, that doesn’t mean I don’t like apples, brown sugar, and spices.

Finally, if Spurgeon were representative of all Calvinists, the “kinky” twists of Calvinism would never be known. Old-fashioned Methodists and Bible-believing Baptists would invite him to preach an autumn revival.

Who said it?

2008-01-05T20:51:00.003-05:00

Martin Luther! He also said... (if you are lost, go here to see the question)

"I had made up my mind to write no more either about the Jews or against them...these miserable and accursed people...Much less do I propose to convert the Jews, for that is impossible."

"Listen Jew, [your] Jerusalem...temple and priesthood have been destroyed for over 1,460 years," "Let the Jews bite on this nut..."

So we are even at fault in not avenging all this innocent blood of our Lord and of the Christians which they shed for three hundred years after the destruction of Jerusalem, and the blood of the children they have shed since then (which still shines forth from their eyes and their skin). We are not at fault in not slaying them.

Adolf Hitler echoed Luther's sentiment:

"Hence today I believe that I am acting in accordance with the Almighty Creator: by defending myself against the Jew, I am fighting the work of the Lord."

Luther stated that the Jews had a plan of.."finally overcoming us, killing us all...and robbing us of all our property (as they daily pray and hope)."

There are several reasons for this post. Luther heard lies about the Jews which he chose to believe and spread those lies further. Including that the Jews were killing Christian children and poisoning Gentile drinking wells. Luther started out with high hopes of converting the Jews, but when he realized that it wasn't going to happen, he got hateful towards them.

God chose Israel as his special people (Jesus was a Jew). His plan was to spread the gospel through the Jews. In Jesus' day, you had to become a Jew to be saved. You had to do the ceremonies, get circumcised, and follow all the Jewish traditions. It didn't work out that way though. The Jewish people rejected Jesus and his Word. God's last straw was when Stephen was stoned. Do you notice a change half way through Acts? Do we have to make sacrifices today? Do we have restrictions on our food? Tomorrow , will you be cooking and doing most normal things you do throughout the week? God turned from Israel and opened up Salvation to ALL people (Gentiles!). Jesus said that "Salvation is of the Jews". It is no longer just for the Jews. Salvation is for anyone who puts their faith and trust in Jesus Christ. God revealed the gospel of Grace to Paul who became the Apostle to the Gentiles.

God is not done with Israel. He made a promise and He always keeps His promises. After the Church, the Body of Christ (we are the Church, Christians, not Israel) is raptured, Jesus comes back to fulfill His promises to Israel. My point in going into all of this was that early Christians got a big head and started such racism as we read up above. It also enabled a false theology to form called replacement theology. This teaches that the Gentiles (Christians) in the Body of Christ have completely replaced Jews and Israel. This is not the case. Luther embraced and promoted replacement theology, that God is utterly finished with national Israel, that He has utterly rejected Her, that He will never return to Her. It teaches that God has grafted in the Body of Christ eternally replacing Israel. This is false teaching. The Jews are God's chosen people and He has only temporally set them aside because of their unbelief. It is to our benefit but we, the Body, are no better then the Jews. We are just saved by grace!

Rom. 11:28
Rom. 11:23
Jer. 30:7
Joel 2:27-32
Rev. 7:4-8

Contrast replacement theology with Romans 11
Gentiles are the wild branches and Israel is the natural branches

Another reason for this post (and if you are still reading, yay!) is that people just believe anything they are told. Put aside everything you were taught growing up by your parents, your pastor, the guy on the radio, your friend. The Bible is our final authority! The Holy Spirit is our guide. Yes, people help us, but if we are being taught something that is wrong and continue to believe just because , even though we read Scripture that seems to contradict or doesn't fit, that is wrong. It is time to study for yourself. Who cares what Martin Luther, John Calvin, and John Wesley taught and believed. There are whole denominations based on these MEN and their beliefs, and not all of it is Biblical!! But, hey, I am a Baptist, so I have to believe what I am suppose to believe... NO!! Take God's Word at face value. Read it literally. Asked God to show you His truths.

Romans. 11:30-31
For as you were once disobedient to God, yet have now obtained mercy through their disobedience, even so these also have now been disobedient, that through the mercy shown you they also may obtain mercy

Sources:
The Plot
Internet Medieval Source Book
Martin Luther, ibid
Luther's Works Vol 47

Sunday, Dec. 30th

2007-12-31T09:58:00.000-05:00

It was a wonderful service today! I could really feel the spirit moving. I love Sunday's like that! We had a great turn out which always blesses my heart (and dh's), as well as God's I am sure. I pray that this new year brings wonderful things for our church and glory to our Lord!

Here are some great verses to chew on for the New Year!

We have a new birth and a living hope!

1 Peter 1:3

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.

We are a new creation (and forget the past!)

2 Corinthians 5:17

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.

Listen to Paul! Forget the past!

Philippians 3:13-14

No, dear brothers and sisters, I am still not all I should be, but I am focusing all my energies on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I strain to reach the end of the race and receive the prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us up to heaven.

Prepare yourself, stand firm, keep your eyes on the Lord!

Eph. 6:10-18

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.

A New Year's Poem for Christians

Instead of making a New Year's resolution

Consider committing to a biblical solution

Your promises are easily broken

Empty words, though earnestly spoken

But God's Word transforms the soul

By His Holy Spirit making you whole

As you spend time alone with Him

He will change you from within

-- Mary Fairchild

Grow closer to God

Free Bible Studies

I found one thing (there my be more and there my be some for you too, or you might agree) while searching through these that I do not completely agree with, but you know the saying "do not throw the baby out with the bath water". It was not a salvation issue and I don't "major in the minors".

Can you find the false teaching in this "statement of faith"?

Grace Bible Studies

Bible Reading Plans

Bible Reading plans sent by email

Prayer Journal~Free printables

Christmas Sunday

2007-12-23T18:38:00.000-05:00

The weather was better, but our attendance is not. Some people are out for health reasons, but many are out because they are not living for the Lord. I am continually telling myself that God is in control. We had no offering last Sunday (because of no church) and it was slim today. Praise God there are 5 weeks this month! Sorry if this sounds piety or if you feel I talk a lot about money (or the lack there of), it's different when you are the one responsible for paying the bills. I mean that literally too. If the church doesn't have enough money to pay the bills, it is on us. The building and bills are in our name. Sometimes I miss just going to church with no strings attached, KWIM? Probably not :) I now know how much time and work it takes to make "church" happen, and we are tiny. If I knew then, what I know now, I would have tried to be more of a help and blessing to those with responsibilities in the church.

We will be starting Wed nights back up and I believe we are going to be studying about Open View Theology.

A nice surprise was that friends we had not seen in awhile came to visit us today. They started going to a "big" church and I think they are missing the closeness and friendliness we have. Lord willing they will come back!

Merry Christmas!

No church today

2007-12-16T23:51:00.001-05:00

We had a lot of snow and ice yesterday and over night. It was still coming down this morning. I just saw on the news where a mom and three daughters were killed when their car slid off into a retention pond. So sad.

Dh spoke with a man the other night who said he was ready to give his life to Christ. A friend from church called dh and asked him to come over and speak with him. He was having a hard time understanding. Dh said he seemed to have a learning disability, so he used a lot of illustrations to share the gospel with him. The man finally said he really understood and he prayed and asked Jesus to save him! He is a recovering addict and he said that at his next meeting he stood up and told everyone what he had done. He was planning on being at church today. Hopefully he will come next time!

The Ultimate Gift

2007-12-14T18:36:00.000-05:00

Jesus is the Gift

Jesus is the gift that perfectly fits every heart
and it is with His love that all celebration starts.
We rejoice in Him as we remember His birth
and thank God for sending His only Son to earth.
His life led from a manger to a cross on a hill
where He faithfully followed His Father’s perfect will.
He freely laid down everything so that we could live,
and there is no greater treasure anyone could give.
Like a scarlet ribbon His love wrapped around the cross
and He offered it to us all at the greatest cost.
So each time that we give we remember what He’s done
and honor the perfect GiftÂ—God’s one and only Son.
— Holley Gerth

One year anniversary celebration!

2007-11-27T13:35:00.000-05:00

We celebrated Open Fellowship Bible Church's one year anniversary this past Sunday. We sent out invitations to everyone who had been apart of the church at some point and no longer comes or has visited. I was a little disappointed because I thought more people would show, but Lord be praised and He was that evening. We reminisced about what the Lord had done for and through the church this past year, and talked about plans for the coming year. Our lease is up in April and we will have to make a decision about staying where we are or going back to the homes. We stepped out in faith when we moved to this building, including a promise from a person of support. We are getting an amazing deal that we couldn't find anywhere else, and there is a major plus in being in a consistent location and having extra room. Unfortunately, we have never received the support that was promised and our attendance has been low, so it has been a struggle to pay the bills over the past several months. We are a unique church, and we know who our core members are, who love and want to serve the Lord. It might be wiser to go back to the homes and save money for the future. Lord willing, He will let us know. We actually didn't talk about this. It has just been floating around in my head.

We decorated our tree at church Sunday night and had lots of food to eat!

How did I score??

2007-11-17T20:57:00.000-05:00

What's your theological worldview?
created with QuizFarm.com

You scored as Evangelical Holiness/Wesleyan

You are an evangelical in the Wesleyan tradition. You believe that God's grace enables you to choose to believe in him, even though you yourself are totally depraved. The gift of the Holy Spirit gives you assurance of your salvation, and he also enables you to live the life of obedience to which God has called us. You are influenced heavily by John Wesley and the Methodists.

Evangelical Holiness/Wesleyan

64%

Fundamentalist

61%

Charismatic/Pentecostal

43%

Neo orthodox

39%

Reformed Evangelical

39%

Emergent/Postmodern

32%

Roman Catholic

14%

Modern Liberal

Classical Liberal

They couldn't have been more wrong! I am not influenced by Wesley and I am far from reformed! The category for what I believe, is simple. I don't believe in denominations, man's traditions, legalism, spiritual gifts (notice my PC score), and being put under law. It's plain and simply...I believe the Word of God. I believe that man turned away from God. God loved us enough to come to this wicked world in the form of Jesus Christ, became the last and perfect sacrifice (people were saved in the OT through sacrifices=works and their faith), so that anyone (Jew or gentile=all people) that puts their faith in Him, will have eternal life. We are given the Holy Spirit (3rd person of the Trinity) as a deposit until we go home to be with the Lord. We are no longer under law, but under grace. We serve God because He saved us, we love Him, and the Holy Spirit inside us helps us to continue to grow in our Christan walk (with Bible study, prayer, and fellowship). I believe that God is alive, and active in our lives. I believe prayer changes things and God can be moved through prayer and emotions. After all, we were created in His own image. I do not believe every single second of the future is set and planned. I do believe there are certain things that God has said He will do in the future (in the Bible), but God can bring it about anyway He pleases. He is not a robot or a computer. He is loving and good. We have free-will and live in a fallen world. Things happen because of that. People get cancer, God did not give it to them. How would that be loving? Although, through that bad situation, He can cause good things to happen (salvation, strong faith, lives changed). I do NOT believe that God planned or is the cause of abortions, murders, rapes, etc. Those all go against His character. A day of judgement is coming. God can only take so much, but He is a patient God and wants as many people to be saved as possible before His judgment upon the wicked. No one is without excuse.

I know not everyone will agree with me on every single point, and that is ok. I am not a die hard believe what I believe or you are wrong and I am right, so we can't get along. If we agree on the saving faith of Jesus Christ...that is most important! We are believers and we need to love one another even though we may disagree in some areas. After all, we will be spending eternity together! ") And, the world is watching...

27th & 28th Sunday

2007-11-05T14:41:00.001-05:00

Church is going well. This month marks our first year anniversary since we started OFBC. We started on Nov. 19th in my living room. We are planning on having a pitch-in at the end of the month to celebrate. I was thinking, with Thanksgiving at the end of the month, I need to find a date everyone can agree on.

We decided until the church grows some more, to do once a month Sunday evening services.

We have a lot of fun when we get together. We had pizza and played games Saturday night. It was great!

Videos for you viewing pleasure!

And to be fair to every one else...Dh made this one of me. So here I am.

Links to consider...

2007-10-29T06:18:00.001-05:00

God can change His mind.

God can be moved by love

God has Attributes that change

Does God know your next move?

What is the Open View?

Open Theism Seminar~Eye opening!

Read and see what the Lord has to say...

2007-10-26T18:07:00.002-04:00

The Basics of Mid-Acts Dispensationalism

A great read. I was not taught this view of the Bible after I was saved. Most people are not. It will open your eyes! This is on the back of the book that my church is using for Bible Study on Wed. nights. It has been so awesome and has giving me a new hunger for God's Word.

The Bible seems so complex, so hard to figure out. In one place it says you can only eat certain "clean" animals, but another tells us all foods are to be received and eaten with thanksgiving. Are we suppose to keep the Sabbath or not? And what about things like speaking in tongues?

No wonder so many people never open their Bibles unless they're in church! "Leave it to the pastor-he's the expert. We pay him to tell us what the Bible says."

Others reject the whole idea of theology. They figure if even the experts can't agree about what the Bible teaches, it's best to just stick to the basics and let everybody believe whatever is right for them.

But God didn't give the Bible to pastors and seminary professors. He gave it to everyone. And if He meant for all of us to read it, He also meant for us to understand the Bible. Actually, He wrote the Bible in such a way that the average reader can grasp its truths if they only follow a few fundamental principles.

There's nothing tricky, just basic things like taking words and phrases at face value, and recognizing God has had different instructions for His people in different periods of history. This straightforward approach to the Bible is known as dispensationalism. It's the method the apostle Paul talks about when he explains how God has worked throughout history.

Understanding Your Bible is written in simple language for the average person. The goal is to encourage you to read the Bible for yourself. You will be surprised at the benefits when you take advantage of the Book God gave us.

26th Sunday

2007-10-21T16:05:00.000-04:00

We had fellowship with 20 brothers and sisters today. Next Sunday is our fellowship pitch-in. I hope we have lots of people show up! Here is a video I took with my camera today. The kids love this song. We try to incorporate the kids in our fellowship.

25th Sunday

2007-10-16T07:24:00.000-04:00

Attendance back up. Things looking good for the month. I would love to do something during the holidays out in the community, or invite them in, or for the community.

Any ideas?

24th Sunday

2007-10-09T15:00:00.000-04:00

Another low week, but Praise the Lord that the offering was where we need it to be and the bills are paid for the month. Dh was on Bob Enyart's radio program and got to plug our church and the church's website. Actually, Bob was out of town but dh's friend from TOL was sitting in for him. Dh is very active on the TOL boards. We have had 28 new visitors hit the site after the airing of the show! Maybe we will have visitors this Sunday!

23rd Sunday

2007-10-01T09:07:00.000-04:00

We had a good turn out yesterday and God provided! We did decided to send out letters to the members of our church to let them know where we stood financially and to pray and give what the Lord put on their hearts. I just pray that we continue to have good Sunday's so we can get ahead and not have to worry about it each month. I have enough of that with my own finances at home! Really, I know that God is in control and He will provide. We just need to pray! We need more people, more people who are committed to live and walk with Christ. There was one other family besides us last night for Sunday evening services.

We are planning a family fellowship night. I really hope everyone participates and we are talking about doing pitch-ins on the last Sunday night of each month. Food, that always brings people...right!? :)

21st & 22nd Sunday

2007-09-23T22:08:00.000-04:00

I am a little behind! Our attendance has been very low this month, so obviously the offerings have been low too. Praise the Lord there are 5 Sundays this month! We had a great offering today though. God knows our needs and He will provide! We were down to no cups, paper towels, toilet paper, and other things we use weekly. I was thinking about making a comment like, "If anyone feels lead...", but I decided to just leave it in God's hands because He knows our needs. Last Wednesday we had commercial sized boxes of toilet paper, paper towels, cups, trash bags...you get the picture, donated to the church! I was so happy that I never said anything and it just affirmed for me that He will pay the bills no matter what!

Sunday night service started last Sunday and so far it has just been 2 faithful families. People really don't know what they are missing! We are planning another "fun and family night" with games and pizza. We have a long list with emails that dh collected when he went to a seminar this past January. We plan to send out emails to invite everyone, and someone even suggested doing a door prize or 2. Sad, but I guess we should do what we can to bring people in. I am very worried for some of my brothers and sisters...

A few ebooks I would like to share.

Rightly Dividing the Word of Truth by Dr. C. I. Scofield
Understanding Your Bible by S. Craig MacDonald