Went to a Reformed Church tonight

[Earth Wind and Fire]

Well, I was just trying to break up you and Rippon. Did you guys used to be married to each other?

Nope, ... but you might want to pose that question to SATURN NEPTUNE:laugh:

 

[JonC]

OK, what's with all this? Don't you guys believe your own doctrine? I mean, in my church we do not have sermons on free will, or conditional salvation, we all know what we believe. We have sermons on practical Christianity, how to live as Christian. We are King James only, and we only preach that once every couple of years.
You guys remind me of Charismatics. Go to any Pentacostal church anywhere, and each week the sermon will be on Acts chapter 2 or 1 Corinthians. All they want to talk about is tongues, healings, and miracles every week. They gotta make sure everybody believes it.
You guys are the same, you have to keep hammering yourselves on Total Depravity, Election, Perseverance of the Saints, etc... It's like you guys are not even sure if you really believe this stuff yourself, so you gotta keep pushing it.

I was going to comment earlier today about my questions regarding this issue, but ended up leaving home without doing so. It worked out better because Winman actually nailed my concern on the head.

I have never attended a reformed Baptist church (there are none that I know of in my area), but I am left with the impression that these churches (or at least this one) is stuck in defending Calvinism rather than actually being the body of Christ. It may just be the particular sermon Evangelist heard or maybe I simply took his comments wrong.

 

[Jerome]

"Some men purposely confine themselves to four or five topics continually. Should you step into their chapel you would naturally expect to hear them preaching, either from this, “Not of the will of the flesh, but of the will of God,” or else, “Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father.” You know that the moment you step in you are sure to hear nothing but election and high doctrine that day. Such men err also, quite as much as others, if they give too great prominence to one Truth to the neglect of the others. Whatsoever is here to be preached, all in whatever name you please—write it high, write it low—the Bible, the whole Bible and nothing but the Bible, is the standard of the true Christian. Alas, alas, many make an iron ring of their doctrines and he who dares to step beyond that narrow circle is not reckoned orthodox. God bless heretics, then! God send us more of them! Many make theology into a kind of tread wheel consisting of five doctrines which are everlastingly rotated. For they never go on to anything else." —Charles Spurgeon, "Preach the Gospel"

 

[Earth Wind and Fire]

I was going to comment earlier today about my questions regarding this issue, but ended up leaving home without doing so. It worked out better because Winman actually nailed my concern on the head.

I have never attended a reformed Baptist church (there are none that I know of in my area), but I am left with the impression that these churches (or at least this one) is stuck in defending Calvinism rather than actually being the body of Christ. It may just be the particular sermon Evangelist heard or maybe I simply took his comments wrong.

Since you have never gone.....how would you know? Therefore you just speculate....isn't that judgemental.

 

[Earth Wind and Fire]

Already did that & the answer is Nope...thanks though for the offer. Gotta build a new one.

After much prayer, contemplation,, pm conversations with dear brothers and in obedience to God....we will continue in His wishes to build a TRUE BAPTIST CHURCH for the people of NW New Jersey. God is the motivating force here, not me...but I will be obedient to His will. Praise Him.

I do covet all your prayer's. Thank you!

 

[Winman]

I was going to comment earlier today about my questions regarding this issue, but ended up leaving home without doing so. It worked out better because Winman actually nailed my concern on the head.

I have never attended a reformed Baptist church (there are none that I know of in my area), but I am left with the impression that these churches (or at least this one) is stuck in defending Calvinism rather than actually being the body of Christ. It may just be the particular sermon Evangelist heard or maybe I simply took his comments wrong.

You are catching on Jon. Some churches have to keep everybody in line. You don't want anyone thinking outside the box.

 

[Earth Wind and Fire]

Not one soul on this board owes you an apology. Your hobby of creating dissention and hatred and then backing out is way beyond anything crude that could be said. What makes your case so difficult to deal with is the mixture of evil, hatred, ignorance and stupidity you exhibit every post.

Be at peace brother...do not allow some to raddle the cage. There in fact is no cage but everything is of God....His Sovereign Grace and Mercy both protects and blesses us...we are His and to glorify and enjoy our being present with Him.

 

[Earth Wind and Fire]

After much prayer, contemplation,, pm conversations with dear brothers and in obedience to God....we will continue in His wishes to build a TRUE BAPTIST CHURCH for the people of NW New Jersey. God is the motivating force here, not me...but I will be obedient to His will. Praise Him.

I do covet all your prayer's. Thank you!

TWO INSPIRATIONAL SCRIPTURES

2 Kings 6:17

New International Version (NIV)

17 And Elisha prayed, “Open his eyes, Lord, so that he may see.” Then the Lord opened the servant’s eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.

Hebrews 12:1-3

12 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, 2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

 

[Earth Wind and Fire]

You are catching on Jon. Some churches have to keep everybody in line. You don't want anyone thinking outside the box.

So are you implying that your brand of church keeps people oblivious to doctrine? IE, doctrine is neither taught or stressed? I sincerely hope not.

 

[Thomas Helwys]

naaa.......i'm more apt to burn the place down. I don't do good around churches or church people.

..........................

 

[Thomas Helwys]

Past history.

Easy to blow something off as "past history" when you don't agree with it. Those original Baptists gave us religious freedom and suffered and died for it. Besides, there are still Free Will and General Baptists today.

 

[Thomas Helwys]

So....do you love me yet :laugh:

Well, I do, in spite of you. :laugh:

 

[Thomas Helwys]

I have no "Splaining" to do to you .....you aint God, not even close.

More people have been hurt by church people who act like little tin gods while not following the true Gods commandments than I could possibly ever count......so who the heck made them Gods minions......indeed, it is more of a hypocritical circus event than a true communion .....and I am tired of it. This is not God..... its righteous jerks acting out their holier than though attitudes & they will answer for it.

I understand where you're coming from and agree to a great extent.

 

[JonC]

Since you have never gone.....how would you know? Therefore you just speculate....isn't that judgemental.

Not at all - that's my point. How I would know that is that it was posted in the first post of this thread (it's this description, not personal experience, which I address). The picture formed is from the comments posted about Reformed Churches by those who are Reformed. The preaching was good because he hit on Total Depravity, Election, suffering, sin, lordship salvation, false converts, perseverance of the saints, human responsibility, etc. I believe that the picture is skewed and dependent on the cal/non-cal issue (but that is speculative and benefit of the doubt on my part - perhaps what was said is what constitutes “good preaching” in Reformed churches).

 

[Thomas Helwys]

After much prayer, contemplation,, pm conversations with dear brothers and in obedience to God....we will continue in His wishes to build a TRUE BAPTIST CHURCH for the people of NW New Jersey. God is the motivating force here, not me...but I will be obedient to His will. Praise Him.

I do covet all your prayer's. Thank you!

You have mine.

 

[Earth Wind and Fire]

You have mine.

Thank you.

 

[Earth Wind and Fire]

TWO INSPIRATIONAL SCRIPTURES

2 Kings 6:17

New International Version (NIV)

17 And Elisha prayed, “Open his eyes, Lord, so that he may see.” Then the Lord opened the servant’s eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.

Also can anybody venture an answer as to who do you think the horses and chariots of fire were?

A follow up question I have is, " Do you think God ever provides this kind of protection for us today and if so how?"

 

[InTheLight]

"Some men purposely confine themselves to four or five topics continually. Should you step into their chapel you would naturally expect to hear them preaching, either from this, “Not of the will of the flesh, but of the will of God,” or else, “Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father.” You know that the moment you step in you are sure to hear nothing but election and high doctrine that day. Such men err also, quite as much as others, if they give too great prominence to one Truth to the neglect of the others." —Charles Spurgeon, "Preach the Gospel"

This was the case when I attended a Calvinist Baptist church. The Sovereignty of God was the main sermon topic in perhaps 2/3's of the sermons and made a cameo in every other sermon. After awhile my wife and I openly wondered to each other why this pastor keeps after this topic which we had accepted as a given Christian doctrine. It got to the point that we would look at each other on the way to church and say, "I bet the sermon is on how great our God is."

Then the eye-opening statement was made. "There are people that God has elected to salvation that haven't heard the gospel yet and it is our duty to bring it to them." Then realized that pastor's favorite preachers were Jonathan Edwards, Charles Spurgeon, John Piper, etc. Then noticed they were moving away from calling church officers deacons and going to Elder rule and a different church government.

 

[Earth Wind and Fire]

This was the case when I attended a Calvinist Baptist church. The Sovereignty of God was the main sermon topic in perhaps 2/3's of the sermons and made a cameo in every other sermon. After awhile my wife and I openly wondered to each other why this pastor keeps after this topic which we had accepted as a given Christian doctrine. It got to the point that we would look at each other on the way to church and say, "I bet the sermon is on how great our God is."

Then the eye-opening statement was made. "There are people that God has elected to salvation that haven't heard the gospel yet and it is our duty to bring it to them." Then realized that pastor's favorite preachers were Jonathan Edwards, Charles Spurgeon, John Piper, etc. Then noticed they were moving away from calling church officers deacons and going to Elder rule and a different church government.

So what....are you stating a preference or are you making a judgment call what is proper to preach & teach & what isn't?

Ive been to non Calvinist churches where they insisted that divine sovereignty must be accommodated to human capability. This was done AD NAUSEUM each and every week with pastors even preaching on the "Evil of Calvinism" with popular themes like John Gill being a Hyper Calvinist who rejected any Missionary Initiatives . I even heard disparaging remarks about Spurgeon which were and still are shameful. Lastly I was encouraged by one pastor, in front of others to wise up and drop my Calvinistic beliefs (and Im not a Calvinist). So I find that the mostly Arminian & Non-Calvinistic churches are just as slanted & biased in their theological outlook quite frankly. However I didnt start this mudslinging but I will certainly give you a much more complete analysis based off of my own personal observations.

 

[InTheLight]

So what....are you stating a preference or are you making a judgment call what is proper to preach & teach & what isn't?

Both. If you have to be affirmed 40 Sundays out of 52 for half an hour that God is all-powerful, all knowing, and sovereign then perhaps you really don't believe it, perhaps on a subconscious level at the least.