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Steve Newell

Something that I have observed is that many pastors who insist that baptism MUST be by immersion also have replaced wine with grape juice for Holy Communion. So much for claiming to be consistant.

Also, many pastors who insist on immersion also deny what Scripture teaches about baptism and communion. Again, so much for being consistant.

This inconsistancy is something I have noticed long ago while I was still in the SBC, which is the church body I was raised in.

Truman

Mine's a dunker. Wouldn't be there otherwise.

Two Sundays ago, the Vicar was preaching on Christ's admonishment to not worry, and while I was ushering my older son to the bathroom, I just caught the Vicar saying, "The Bible doesn't preach a gospel of prosperity like Joyce Meyers and Joel Osteen seem to do." I couldn't help but pump my fist in the air and shout "YES!" (No one outside the empty stairwell heard me, though.)

PHW

Our pastor is new to the congregation, but he seems like a dunker.

Like your first commenter... they'll go to the mat over the exact method of baptism, but then laugh or condemn you out of the church if you say it is a sacrament. My whole question, if it offers you nothing, why bother?

lc

Chris, The jewish leaders of Jesus' time didn't know Him, though the prophets writings they read every Saturday spoke of Him with the prescion only God can attain.They chose to not see. So it amazes me how, right under today's pastor's noses, they cannot see the words that warn them to preach ALL that Jesus commanded. Paul rebuked those pastors of his own time, who preached just to seem important or attain power over the congregation. But even my being " amazed" of what THEY aren't seeing, I have to question myself over what I'M not seeing. They that are called to preach are held to a stricter standard. I think it takes so much courage to take on the responsibility to pastor. Though I know some are wicked using the office for their own desire, I know it must be a struggle daily for the real pastors to stay on the narrow path, when the world wants easy, liberal answers to salvation. Today everything is marketing, commerical, disposable,convenient, packaged pleasing to the eye and sold with cute little catch phrases. The more that churches and their pastors try to reach the world by being like the world, then the world becomes the head of the church, replacing Jesus, who is the only head of any true church. There are many false churches. I pray for those who are misguided as I hope my brothers and sisters pray for, point out and help me recover from my own errors. Those who knowingly go against God, their fate has already been written of, that we can take heed from.

Paula

Well ya can't put TOO much salt (i.e. Word) on their wounds ya know... it hurts! ;-)

Mike Toole

A few verses for you... I'll probably be accused of sprinkling, but this will be the last time a come to the site, so say what will...

Eph 4:29-32
Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear. 30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 31 Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. 32 Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.

I John 2:9-11
Whoever says he is in the light and hates his brother is still in darkness. 10 Whoever loves his brother abides in the light, and in him [2] there is no cause for stumbling. 11 But whoever hates his brother is in the darkness and walks in the darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes.

Mark 11:25
And whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father also who is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.”

Gal 6:1
6:1 Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted. 2 Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.

Gal 5:13-15
For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. 14 For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” 15 But if you bite and devour one another, watch out that you are not consumed by one another.

Chris I really enjoyed your site initially, but it has become a mean spirited tirade that does not seek reform, only to ridicule and injure.

I hope you someday come to see that what may have initially started as a labor of love that might have actually cause Christian pastors to change their ways is now something completely different.

Blessings to you, and you are in my prayers...

jared

I resonant with some of what mike stated. How can we help each other to build up the body of Christ? Most of what i have seen in the last several months hasn't been building up but only tearing down. What would it look like if you concentrated your energies to helping pastors and the people of God understand what it means to do the things you attack churches for not doing?

lc

Mike, I am sorry to see you go and pray you don't. You and Jared are correct in verse and context. But how you apply it to Chris' post I think may be reactive(?) to the truth we see in today's churches. We don't know why another errs. Sometimes I'm not sure why I err. Is it the evil in my heart that is the flesh against the spirit that is the race of faith I run in some way daily? Or being ignorant, thinking that I'm doing the best I can by my brothers and sisters? I can only trust the Word of God to discern that. And 90% of the time, biblically what someone else has pointed out or I find in my own reading of the Word, convicts my heart. I would find only death in my efforts to please God, if not for the correction that is real hard truths to swallow. There is always a right way to say anything. And Mike you quoted it. And there is a right way to be angry. A righteous anger. The truth must always be told for the edification of the church. It reminds me of Paul in his speech to the "foolish Galatians". He loved them and held nothing back to show them their error. By today's standards it would've been a harsh speech. I agree that at times there have been some harsh comments on this blog. Some are, us sinning in our selfish, gotta be right, sin nature. But most of what appears to be harsh is a plea to not stray from our only salvation. Jesus' command to abide in His word. There just isn't a "nice sounding" way to convey the truth sometimes. I do agree wholeheartedly that we must study our own thoughts, words and deeds daily, to be sure our own actions are in the spirit of God and not self righteousness. My prayers are with you Mike,if you go, you'll be missed.

clearly

Some of us are "dunkers" in both senses of the word. We believe the Bible does teach baptism by immersion AND we believe in expositional preaching. We do our best with the minds that God has given us to exegete Scripture from its original language and consequently, we believe that baptizo means to dunk or immerse.

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