Madison, Wisconsin (Artist: Susan Cassidy Wilhoit)
Constitution Preamble (1848)
We, the people of Wisconsin, grateful to Almighty God for our freedom…do establish this constitution.
To read the introduction to and purpose of this series, CLICK HERE.
Author Archives: Anthony Baker
The Magnificent Fifty: Foundation of Faith (Wisconsin)
Filed under America, Apologetics, Culture Wars, politics, The Magnificent Fifty
The Magnificent Fifty: Foundation of Faith (West Virginia)
Charleston, West Virginia (Artist: Susan Cassidy Wilhoit)
Constitution Preamble (1872)
Since through Divine Providence we enjoy the blessings of civil, political and religious liberty, we, the people of West Virginia reaffirm our faith and constant reliance upon God.
Let’s look at that again:
“…we, the people of West Virginia reaffirm our faith and constant reliance upon God.”
Sounds a lot like another embattled phrase, doesn’t it?
“In God We Trust”
To read the introduction to this series, CLICK HERE.
Filed under America, Culture Wars, God, politics, The Magnificent Fifty
It’s the Bible, Not a Telephone Game
Dear friends,
This afternoon I was skimming through posts on Facebook and came across a discussion on the reliability of the Bible. A lady named Shannon questioned the claim that the Bible we have today is the same scripture from thousands of years ago.
Shannon asked, “Ever play the game telephone? Try doing that over a course of a couple of centuries and a few languages.”
Well, I felt I should engage Shannon, so I offered her some resources I thought might be helpful. I want to share them with you guys, too.
First, please try to find a copy of the book God’s Word In Our Hands: The Bible Preserved for Us. I have a copy in my library and let me tell you, it is an invaluable resource.
Click on the picture of the book for a link to Amazon.
Secondly, if you can take the time, watch this lecture by Dr. Sean McDowell (son of Josh McDowell) on the reliability of the Bible.
Yes, we may disagree on what some of it means, but it would be intellectually silly to write off the Bible as nothing more than the result of 2000-year’s worth of playing “telephone.”
Essentially, I am fully convinced that what we have today is the preserved Word of God, regardless of how long it’s been since the originals were penned. The textual evidence is overwhelming that what we have in our hands is reliable.
Filed under Apologetics
The Magnificent Fifty: Foundation of Faith (Washington)
Olympia, Washington (Artist: Susan Cassidy Wilhoit)
Constitution Preamble (1889)
We, the People of the State of Washington, grateful to the Supreme Ruler of the Universe for our liberties, do ordain this Constitution.
By the way, the “Supreme Ruler of the Universe” doesn’t sit in the Oval Office or the Supreme Court.
Filed under America, Apologetics, Culture Wars, God, politics, The Magnificent Fifty
The Magnificent Fifty: Foundation of Faith (Virginia)
Richmond, Virginia (Artist: Susan Cassidy Wilhoit)
Virginia Bill of Rights, Article XVI (1776)
Religion, or the Duty which we owe our Creator, can be directed by reason and conviction…that it is the mutual duty of all to practice Christian forbearance, love and charity towards each other.
What kind of forbearance, love, and charity?
Filed under America, Christianity, politics, The Magnificent Fifty
Arguments for Eternal Security
My Outline
Because I just commented on a post by a fellow blogger who believes one can lose his salvation, I am re-posting this sermon outline.
The following is an outline I used a couple of years ago. It starts off with some arguments against the “once-saved-always-saved” position. The next part lists six basic arguments in favor of the eternal security of the believer.
Of course, this is only an outline, not the sermon. However, you can click below for a link to the audio.
“Eternal Security”
Arguments Against “Once Saved, Always Saved”
- Observational – How people live that believe it.
- Free Will – We are created with a will; we’re not slaves.
- Scriptural (Hebrews 6; 1 John 3:9; 5:18)
Arguments FOR “Eternal Security”
- Creational Argument: We are New Creations (2 Cor. 5:17)
- It took a supernatural act to change us
- We can’t act supernaturally to change us back
- New Birth Argument: We are Born Again (John 3:7,16)
- By the Spirit – Jn 3:6
- By the Word of God – 1 Peter 1:23
- We are not God, so we must remain “born again”
- Children of God Argument
- Born that way – 1 John 5:1; 1 Peter 1:23
- Adopted – Rom. 8:15; Gal. 4:5; Eph. 1:5
- Abba – Gal. 4:1-7
- The Possession Argument – We belong to Christ
- Purchased – 1 Cor. 6:19-20; 7:23 (Bought with a Price)
- Given by the Father – Jn. 6:37-40; 10:28-30
- Will never be separated – Rom. 8:35-39
- Romans 14:8 – For whether we live, we live unto the Lord; and whether we die, we die unto the Lord: whether we live therefore, or die, we are the Lord’s.
- He can keep what is His – 2 Tim. 1:12 “…for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.” See also: 2 Timothy 4:18 And the Lord shall deliver me from every evil work, and will preserve [me] unto his heavenly kingdom: to whom [be] glory for ever and ever. Amen.
- The Marriage Argument
- Ephesians 5:25-28, 31-32 – Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church…This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church.
- He is faithful, even when we are not.
- 2 Timothy 2:11-13 “…if we believe not, yet he abideth faithful…”
- He is God, not man! – Hosea 11:7-9
- It’s a Gift
- 2:8-9 Gift of God, by grace
- Romans 11:29 KJV – For the gifts and calling of God [are] without repentance (irrevocable)
Click on the link below to listen to the audio. As you might be able to tell by the opening remarks, I believe it was a sermon we needed, but the devil was opposing. Nevertheless, hearts were encouraged.
https://riversidesermons.sermon.net/main/main/20657994
Filed under Bible Study, Preaching, salvation
They Did Believe, But…
I’m on my last day of “vacation” in Charleston, S.C., visiting with our oldest daughter and her husband, but I’ve still found time to sit and quietly study. As a matter of fact, I’ve had some wonderful times of peaceful, uninterrupted periods of reading and note taking.
Which brings me to what I want to share with you this morning, while I have a moment and it’s fresh on my mind.
I’m good friends with a legendary Church of God gospel group, the Branham Family. In one popular song that Donna Branham (Coleman) wrote, she sings about the story of Peter being released from prison (Acts 12:1-19), then coming to the house where the church was praying. In short, the song makes the argument that even though they had been praying all night, because they were shocked to see Peter at the door, they must have not really believed the prayer would be answered.
Then, as the title of the song describes, the chorus leads us to acknowledge that “someone in that house believed when they prayed…” because the proof was that Peter did get released. The assumption, then, is that because the people were amazed to see Peter at the door they must have not really believed God would deliver him from being executed the next day.
And honestly, that’s what a lot of people think about these early Christians. They tend to detract from the fact that they were in one accord pleading with God all night long for Peter’s life, and then describe the prayer warriors as “faithless.”
I disagree.
You see, as I have been studying Acts 12 (along with the rest of the book), it doesn’t appear that the church that prayed for Peter was faithless; it’s just that they were shocked at how God answered.
Think about it, just because Peter and the other “apostles” experienced a similar angelic deliverance in Acts 5, that doesn’t mean they were going to assume it would happen again. After all, both Stephen and James had now been killed, not delivered, so why were they to assume the doors would open on their own for Peter this time?
Yet, they did pray all night for Peter, which is far more than we might see today. Could it be that what they were praying for was Peter’s life to be spared, and possibly by changing the heart of Agrippa?
I guess what I’m trying to say is that there is a message to the Church in Acts 12, and I think it’s more than “believe when you pray.”
I believe the message to us today might be more like, “Don’t be amazed when God answers your prayers in an unexpected way.”
I mean, the church might have been expecting to wake up the next morning to hear word that Herod Agrippa had accepted Christ as his Messiah, or something. But I think it’s unfair to judge this fearless and committed group of early believers as unbelieving pew-warmers just going through the motions.
They DID believe, but they never expected how miraculous the answer would be.
So, keep praying and believing; you might be surprised at what God has planned.
Filed under Bible Study, Church, Faith
The Magnificent Fifty: Foundation of Faith (Vermont)
Montpelier, Vermont (Artist: Susan Cassidy Wilhoit)
Vermont Constitution, Chapter 1, Article 3
That all persons have a natural and unalienable right, to worship the Almighty God, according to the dictates of their own conscience and understandings.
Filed under America, Christianity, community, The Magnificent Fifty
The Magnificent Fifty: Foundation of Faith (Utah)
Salt Lake City, Utah (Artist: Susan Cassidy Wilhoit)
Utah Constitution Preamble (1896)
Grateful to Almighty God for life and liberty, we establish this Constitution.
Filed under America, Apologetics, Culture Wars, The Magnificent Fifty
Barriers to Church Growth #7
A very revealing study was done, leading to a book detailing how 300 churches went from declining or dying, to growing. In Comeback Churches, written by Ed Stetzer and Mike Dodson, there is a list of 30 different barriers to church growth. Having received permission from the publisher (B&H Publishing Group), I would like to discuss a few of them.
“People think of giving as being for their own honor.”
“Therefore when thou doest thine alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth: That thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly.” – Matthew 6:2-4 KJV
I don’t have a problem with buildings, wings of buildings, rooms, sanctuaries, pews, or stained-glass windows being named in honor of people. It’s when those people give money in order have their names put on those things.
One of the most commonly used complaints against the church is, “They only want your money.” Just throw a rock into any crowd and the chances are high that you’ll hit a disgruntled, self-proclaimed atheist who thinks that way.
But even though most churches aren’t all about money (if they were, then why are so many struggling with tight budgets?), there are some folk within the church that like others to know how much money they have. These are the ones who pay the bills, and everybody knows it.
Jesus spoke of those who give just to be seen. I know people like that. They don’t give anonymously, heaven forbid. No, they hold a new conference and write an over-sized, four-foot-long check to the church, while posing for the camera.
These are the people who think they have more say-so in the congregation of believers. They think they have earned the right. Some even give in order to purchase titles, such as “prophet.” What’s worse, that very practice is applauded within a particular denomination. How sad.
What we need are more people who are willing to give because they love the Lord, not praise. I love the scene in Facing the Giants where a wealthy man gives the coach a new truck. Then he looks over at his son and says something like, “Don’t you say a word.” Now THAT’S what I’m talking about!
God gives to us so that we can give to Him. When it is money that we give, it is to be for His glory, not ours. So, if you want recognition, why not wait a little while for the kind that will come from your Heavenly Father?
The praise of men is worthless, if not simply envy in disguise.
Related articles
- Barriers to Church Growth, #6 (Selfish Prayer) (therecoveringlegalist.com)
- Barriers to Church Growth. #5 (Honoring Self) (therecoveringlegalist.com)
