Turned off by the church, some notes

The following notes were made by me when I listened to someone online talking about folks in our days being “turned off by the church.” I failed to write down the source, it has been awhile since I made the notes, and now I do not know who he was. Nevertheless, I am going to post the notes here, thinking they might benefit someone. (If anyone recognizes the source, please let me know.)

Why are some people turned off by the church?

• By the people.
• By the preacher.
• By the hypocrisy.
• By begging (being robbed in church)
• By the message being polluted.
• By the sexual harassment.
• By promoting everything but Jesus Christ!

3 primary problems: We have abandoned our master; we have abandoned our mission of making disciples; we have abandoned our message.

Master. (John 13:13) They hung him high, stretched him wide, and dropped him low. Low in the grave he lay, but up from the grave he arose.

Mission. And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen. (Matthew 28:18-20)

Message. (2 Timothy 4:2) If we do not know what the Bible is, then we do not know what the Bible says. If we do not know what the Bible says, then we cannot speak with authority from it.

“You can’t love Christ and hate his church.” There is a difference between frustration and hatred.

“Unfortunately, a lot of people meet other Christians before they meet Christ.” Tony Kennedy.

Baptism, word and significance

The significance of baptism - 

Baptism is the sign of the righteousness which is by faith.

Acts 2:38: Baptism announces or exhibits the remission of sins.
Act 22:16: Baptism announces or exhibits washing away of sin.
Romans 6:3-4, Colossians 2:12: Baptism announces or exhibits renewal in Christ (we die to sin with Christ and rise with Him to walk in newness of life).
Galatians 3 :28: Baptism announces or exhibits putting on Christ (being new or renewed in Him).
1 Peter 3:21 Baptism announces or exhibits the answer of a good conscience toward God.

--

A few dips in the Old Testament (Greek Septuagint)

1. King James translation of the Bible
2. English translation of the Septuagint by L. C. L. Brenton
3. Greek Septuagint text used by the Church of Greece/Greek Orthodox

Exodus 12:22 And ye shall take a bunch of hyssop, and dip it in the blood that is in the bason, and strike the lintel and the two side posts with the blood that is in the bason; and none of you shall go out at the door of his house until the morning.
Exodus 12:22 And ye shall take a bunch of hyssop, and having dipped it into some of the blood that is by the door, ye shall touch the lintel, and [shall put it] upon both door-posts, even of the blood which is by the door; but ye shall not go out every one from the door of his house till the morning.
Exodus 12:22 λήψεσθε δὲ δέσμην ὑσσώπου, καὶ βάψαντες (from βάπτω, translated dip) ἀπὸ τοῦ αἵματος τοῦ παρὰ τὴν θύραν καθίξετε τῆς φλιᾶς καὶ ἐπ᾿ ἀμφοτέρων τῶν σταθμῶν ἀπὸ τοῦ αἵματος, ὅ ἐστι παρὰ τὴν θύραν· ὑμεῖς δὲ οὐκ ἐξελεύσεσθε ἕκαστος τὴν θύραν τοῦ οἴκου αὐτοῦ ἕως πρωΐ.

2 Kings 5:14 Then went he down, and dipped himself seven times in Jordan, according to the saying of the man of God: and his flesh came again like unto the flesh of a little child, and he was clean.
2 Kings 5:14 So Naiman went down, and dipped himself seven times in Jordan, according to the word of Elisaie: and his flesh returned to him as the flesh of a little child, and he was cleansed.
2 Kings 5:14 καὶ κατέβη Ναιμὰν καὶ ἐβαπτίσατο (from βαπτίζω, translated dip) ἐν τῷ ᾿Ιορδάνῃ ἑπτάκις κατὰ τὸ ρῆμα ῾Ελισαιέ, καὶ ἐπέστρεψεν ἡ σάρξ αὐτοῦ ὡς σάρξ παιδαρίου μικροῦ, καὶ ἐκαθαρίσθη.

2 Kings 8:15 And it came to pass on the morrow, that he took a thick cloth, and dipped it in water, and spread it on his face, so that he died: and Hazael reigned in his stead.
2 Kings 8:15 And it came to pass on the next day that he took a thick cloth, and dipped it in water, and put it on his face, and he died: and Azael reigned in his stead.
2 Kings 8:15 καὶ ἐγένετο τῇ ἐπαύριον, καὶ ἔλαβε τὸ μαχμὰ καὶ ἔβαψεν (from βάπτω, translated dip) ἐν τῷ ὕδατι καὶ περιέβαλεν ἐπὶ τὸ πρόσωπον αὐτοῦ καὶ ἀπέθανε, καὶ ἐβασίλευσεν ᾿Αζαὴλ ἀντ᾿ αὐτοῦ.

Daniel 4:33 The same hour was the thing fulfilled upon Nebuchadnezzar: and he was driven from men, and did eat grass as oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven, till his hairs were grown like eagles’ feathers, and his nails like birds’ claws. 
Daniel 4:30 In the same hour the word was fulfilled upon Nabuchodonosor: and he was driven forth from men, and he ate grass as an ox, and his body was bathed with the dew of heaven, until his hairs were grown like lions’ [hairs], and his nails as birds’ [claws]. 
Daniel 4:30 αὐτῇ τῇ ὥρᾳ ὁ λόγος συνετελέσθη ἐπὶ Ναβουχοδονόσορ, καὶ ἀπὸ τῶν ἀνθρώπων ἐξεδιώχθη καὶ χόρτον ὡς βοῦς ἤσθιε, καὶ ἀπὸ τῆς δρόσου τοῦ οὐρανοῦ τὸ σῶμα αὐτοῦ ἐβάφη (from βάπτω, translated bathed), ἕως οὗ αἱ τρίχες αὐτοῦ ὡς λεόντων ἐμεγαλύνθησαν καὶ οἱ ὄνυχες αὐτοῦ ὡς ὀρνέων.

3 stages of a God-called minister

Hoyt Sparks recorded the following as told by an Elder Wyatt to J. M. Mewborn. 

Elder Wyatt said there are three stages a true God-called gospel minister goes through:

1. First, they will IDOLIZE you. 
2. Second, they will VILIFY you. 
3. Third, they will SCANDALIZE you. 

--Posted in the Predestinarian Forum, Tuesday, January 13, 2009

159

I have 159 unread e-mails in my inbox. What wondrous love is this!

This and that

"The question 'Can God build a rock so big that He can't move it?' is a logical absurdity.
The omnipotence of God as stated in the Bible never means that God can do anything imaginable. It means that God can do everything logically possible and in accordance with His character and will. There are many things that God cannot do. He cannot cease to exist. He cannot sin." --  Ben Simpson

* 13 Facts You Never Knew About Bonnie and Clyde -- "They kidnapped Bonnie's undertakers."
* How to Clean a Cast-Iron Skillet Without Destroying It -- "You’re in love with those gorgeous bird’s-eye photos of dreamy cast-iron skillets, but you’re terrified of actually owning one."
* Seasoning Cast Iron: Do I Really Have To Do That? -- "There are certain labor-intensive recipe phrases that can make the most diligent cook roll her eyes."
* Will Drinking Vinegar Actually Boost Your Health? -- "Unless you’ve been living under a rock, chances are you’ve heard about the much-touted health benefits of vinegar..."

"Gamaliel believed in God and had enough confidence in God to leave God's work to God (Acts 5:34-38). To think that you must vanquish through your efforts alone is an atheistic idea." -- Bart Barber

Inactivity

I apologize to my readers for a lot of blog inactivity lately. Haven't had much afternoon/evening time to spend on it. Will try to get back on a regular schedule, Lord willing.

Spiritual Suicide

It is SPIRITUAL SUICIDE to:

1. Support a ministry, school or seminary whose teachings will destroy of your own.
2. Support missionaries who are establishing churches whose teachings will deny your own.
3. Call a pastor who will preach doctrines that will corrupt your own.
4. Belong to a group which opposes the things you promote and promotes the things you oppose.

“Can two walk together except they be agreed.” “Shouldest thou help the ungodly, and love them that hate the Lord?”“Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you.”

Will you lay down the knife, or will you cut your own throat and commit spiritual suicide?

Adapted from The Baptist Waymark, August 1986, Vol. 1 No. 3, p. 3

5 Most Searched Words on Google

A few days ago I heard a radio preacher mention the top four searched words on the internet: 1) sex 2) God 3) jobs 4) and professional wrestling. I wondered how accurate that was and did a search for most searched for words. His information apparently came from the most searched words on Google as attributed in The World Is Flat: A Brief History of the Twenty-first Century, a 2005 book by Thomas L. Friedman. This info is probably outdated. I could find only one site that breaks down the most searched for words in a simple chart. Click HERE for the top 100.

The #1 through #5 Most Searched Words on Google are:
1. facebook 3,080,000,000
2. youtube 755,000,000
3. hotmail 414,000,000
4. google 277,000,000
5. yahoo 226,000,000

Sidetracked

I got sidetracked with two days of jury duty, and forgot to schedule any new posts. Hope you're still out there reading. :-)

I'll try to get something new up tonight. Have a blessed day.

Quotable quotes

"You can't back up on a freeway." -- James Dobson, referring to the impossibility of going back to "the way things were."

"Some are Microwave Christians - 30 seconds and they’re done." -- unknown

God placed Psalm 35 in His spiritual medicine chest for the times when the enemy seeks to destroy us. -- Kirby Hill (Not an exact quote, but paraphrased from his radio program)

"Begin with the end in mind." -- Stephen R. Covey

"There is a Holy Spirit and I am not him. It is my job to speak truth but not my job to convince others of it." -- Henry Blackaby

"There is only one Hero in the Church, and it is not the preacher." -- Matt Chandler, Josh Patterson, Eric Geiger in Creature of the Word: The Jesus-Centered Church

"Flimsy sermons will create a flimsy flock." -- Matt Chandler, Josh Patterson, Eric Geiger in Creature of the Word: The Jesus-Centered Church

"God doesn't believe in atheists." -- Ray Comfort

Random

"Life goes on, long after the thrill of living is gone."

homespun –adjective: Unsophisticated; unpolished; rustic.

ennui –noun: a feeling of utter weariness and discontent

Things we don't think about

Where does an 18-wheeler have its 18 wheels?

Miscellaneous

"I'd rather feel pain than nothing at all." -- Unknown
"It's better to have loved and lost than never loved at all" -- Common quote, unknown source

Wisdom divine! Who tells the price
Of wisdom's costly merchandise;
Wisdom to silver we prefer,
And gold is dross compared to her.
Charles Wesley (1707-1788)
Hymns for Those That Seek and Those That Have Redemption, 1747.