Baptist Press

The Precious Life

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It is my opinion that the value of human life is on a low scale among humans.  It comes across at times that the lives of animals – dogs, cats, horses, etc. – are of more value than the human being who may not be able to “contribute much to society…”  If they are going to be born with a medical problem many parents are now given the suggestion “Abort this baby.  He/she is not going to be able to contribute much to society” or something similar to that.

The following is a quote from the mother of a child with Down syndrome:

“I’d much prefer society eradicate prejudice than eradicate all babies with Down syndrome. I could go into all the ways our son has made our lives better — and certainly our hearts bigger. Our lives would not be better if, as we were advised even before we declined the recommended test, we never had him. But society won’t listen.”

The quote if from an article in Baptist Press by Andrea Higgins, titled, “Don’t Use The ‘R’ Word”.  If you would like to read the article you may by going to Baptist Press.  I think you will enjoy the article.

Another thing, back off of Sarah Palin.  She is a responsible mother, and the fact that her oldest daughter is having a child shows that our youth today have a problem.  No one’s young people are exempt, not even a Presidential or Vice Predential candidate.

The daughter has determined to keep the child, and raise him/her, with a husband and the father, themselves.  Applaud her, but don’t condemn her or her mother.  You better look at your own life before you condemn.

-Tim A. Blankenship

A Former President

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Here we are in the week of the year when we celebrate the beginning of our great Nation (USA).  I am blessed to have been born in such a nation.  I would not desire to live anywhere else in the world.  There are some people who speak words that makes me think they despise being an American, a citizen of the United States of America.  One of them is a former President of our nation.

This Friday let’s celebrate our freedom which we have, and remember that true freedom comes from God, and sometimes we must fight to keep some of the freedoms of humanity that we hold dear.  Thank God for our men and women who are sacrificing their time, and lives for us.

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 Many of the people who are patriots of our nation have no clue of the danger that is lurking at our doors. Terrorism is not the real threat to us, it is only a symptom. Illegal immigration is not the real threat to our nation. In writing this I certainly do not mean to sound so negative, or opposed to our nation, but I am really trying to defend us, and get us headed in the right direction.

The real threat to our nation is the idolatry pervading our land. The idolatry of technology, medicine, money/finance, recreation, comfort, convenience, even the idolizing of our children. Globalization is also an idol of many. The people involved in this seems to thing if we could just have one world peace, one world economy, one world religion, then all would be well. That is a farce.

When we have a former President of our Country saying that our nation is evil for its support of Israel then, we have problems, and I for one am glad to call him a “Former President”. The man no longer has a heart for our Country. It seems more that he has his heart set on being a world leader, than a man of God, I once thought him to be. I have never thought Jimmy Carter to have been a good President, but I did see him as a good Christian, he seemed to care for the poor, and our nation, but not any longer. He would give us all over to the hands of Satan.

The following is a quote printed from Baptist Press concerning Jimmy Carter’s comments at a human rights conference in Dublin, Ireland on June 19, 2007;

“The United States and European Union should recognize the terrorist organization Hamas as a legitimate component of the Palestinian government, former President Jimmy Carter said at a human rights conference in Dublin, Ireland, June 19.Hamas, he said, had won free and fair elections in 2006, making the United States’ refusal to aid the Palestinian faction and recognize its right to govern a “criminal” act.Carter said he believes both Western governments and Israel are favoring the rival Fatah party of Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, which now only governs the West Bank. Fatah also governed the Gaza Strip until Hamas fighters violently overthrew the party there earlier in June. Hamas, which executed members of the rival party in the street after its victory, had prevailed over the Fatah-controlled security forces in Gaza because of its fighters’ “superior skill and discipline,” Carter said.”

It is despicable, at least to myself, to hear a former leader of the United States of America say such traitorous things. It certainly shows he has no idea of God’s promises to the Nation of Israel. The trouble makers in the Middle East is not Israel, but the Palestinians. Their own proclaimed goal is the extinction of Israel. When will this former leader open his eyes and see the truth? Maybe he has a personal agenda in this. If he thinks he is a “Peacemaker” as in Jesus’s words, “Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God” (Matthew 5:9), he had better rethink that thought. It does not fit with the agenda.

People crying, “Peace, peace”, and there is no peace.

-Tim A. Blankenship

Resolution On Regenerate Church Membership

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It has been reported for several years that the SBC has over 16,000,000 million members, and we know that just over 6,000,000 are faithful attenders.  This may be because the majority of those whose names are on church rolls have never truly been born again, or have not been properly discipled.

The following is the resolution recently passed by majority vote of those present at the annual SBC meeting in Indianapolis, IN..  There is one thing for sure.  The Church of Jesus Christ is made up of only those who know Jesus and are known by Him.  I am one who is happy that this resolution has passed.  It is not the answer to the problem, but it is an encouragement.

Here is the resolution in its entirety from the BaptistPress blog:

Complete text of amended membership resolution
Wednesday, June 11, 2008 – 4:43:00 PM

Following is the amended version of the resolution passed this morning, “On Regenerate Church Membership and Church Member Restoration.” Messengers passed two amendments to the original resolution. (See previous post in this blog.) Additions are in bold here:

 

WHEREAS, The ideal of a regenerate church membership has long been and remains a cherished Baptist principle, with Article VI of the Baptist Faith and Message describing the church as a “local congregation of baptized believers”; and

 

WHEREAS, A New Testament church is composed only of those who have been born again by the Holy Spirit through the preaching of the Word, becoming disciples of Jesus Christ, the local church’s only Lord, by grace through faith (John 3:5; Ephesians 2:8-9), which church practices believers’ only baptism by immersion (Matthew 28:16-20), and the Lord’s supper (Matthew 26:26-30); and

 

WHEREAS, Local associations, state conventions, and the Southern Baptist Convention compile statistics reported by the churches to make decisions for the future; and

 

WHEREAS, the 2007 Southern Baptist Convention annual Church Profiles indicate that there are 16,266,920 members in Southern Baptist churches; and

 

WHEREAS, Those same profiles indicate that only 6,148,868 of those members attend a primary worship service of their church in a typical week; and

 

WHEREAS, The Scriptures admonish us to exercise church discipline as we seek to restore any professed brother or sister in Christ who has strayed from the truth and is in sin (Matthew 18:15-35; Galatians 6:1); and now, therefore, be it

 

RESOLVED, That the messengers to the Southern Baptist Convention meeting in Indianapolis, Indiana, June 10-11, 2008, urge churches to maintain a regenerate membership by acknowledging the necessity of spiritual regeneration and Christ’s lordship for all members; and be it further

 

RESOLVED, That we humbly urge our churches to maintain accurate membership rolls for the purpose of fostering ministry and accountability among all members of the congregation; and be it further

 

RESOLVED, That we urge the churches of the Southern Baptist Convention to repent of the failure among us to live up to our professed commitment to regenerate church membership and any failure to obey Jesus Christ in the practice of lovingly correcting wayward church members (Matthew 18:15-18); and be it further

 

RESOLVED, That we humbly encourage denominational servants to support and encourage churches that seek to recover and implement our Savior’s teachings on church discipline, even if such efforts result in the reduction in the number of members that are reported in those churches, and be it finally

 

RESOLVED, That we humbly urge the churches of the Southern Baptist Convention and their pastors to implement a plan to minister to, counsel, and restore wayward church members based upon the commands and principles given in Scripture (Matthew 18:15-35; 2 Thessalonians 3:6-15; Galatians 6:1; James 5:19-20).

 

That which is in bold print are ammendments which were not part of the first presentation, and were passed by the body.

-Tim A. Blankenship