John Calvin’s Birthday is Today

See more references to celebration activities here:  Calvin 500

Will people remember you when you are 500 YOA?

People will remember John Calvin when we roll another 1000 years off on this old earth if we are still in the old earth and not the new.

John was one of the greats of Scotland–a sickly man but strong in his faith and in his belief about what the Bible said about that faith.

John Calvin got it, that is the majesty and awesomeness of God.  Do you get it?

Thank you John Calvin for standing and for what you stood for!!

Three Little Black Girls

This is a true strory from a friend of mine.  He would love to talk to any one of these girls.

“The year was 1978.  I had been a Christian for about 3 years.  I was a member of a fundamental Baptist church in Birmingham, Alabama.  I had a bus route.  I was determined to win the bus captain of the year trophy for 1979.  I did something that no one else was doing.  I started running my bus on Sunday nights.  One Sunday night, three black girls ages 11-13 rode the bus.  We had talked Sunday afternoon to one of them and she brought two of her friends.

They were giddy as you would expect young girls to be.  When we arrived at the church, someone alerted the deacon who alerted the pastor that Bro. Rice was bringing in three black girls.  I was ordered not to let them off the bus.  So, I told them to wait on the bus until I got back.  The pastor and a deacon took me in one of the classrooms of the Christian school across the street from the church.  The pastor told me I could not bring them into the church.  He said it would split the church.  I asked, “Don’t they have souls?”  He replied, “Do you want your son to marry one?”  I said “Well, what should I do? Take them to McDonalds and buy them a hamburger?”  I was being sarcastic, but I was feeling hurt and felt really bad. “That’s not a bad idea,” the preacher replied.  After a long silence, the pastor just said, “Do whatever you want to do.”  Then he walked out.  I sat there trying to think.  Then, I went to the bus and told the girls to follow me to the school.  I took them into a classroom and tried to get them to understand why they couldn’t go in the church.  Then I proceeded to tell them the gospel using the blackboard to illustrate the great chasm that separates sinful man from God.   After explaining the way of salvation to them, I asked them to bow and receive Jesus.  They did and we prayed together.  Then, we talked a bit and we went back to the bus to wait for church to be over.  Then we took every body home.  But that’s not the end of the story.

The next Sunday morning we were picking up kids and when we got in the neighborhood of the black girls I just kept going by.  But to my surprise the little girl whom we had talked to the week before came running after the bus!!  Sherry, one of the bus workers said, “Bro Rice, we’ve got to stop!”  So, I stopped the bus, put it in park and stepped off the bus to meet her.  She was all smiles.  She had on a light blue dress–black shiny shoes and matching socks.  She had her Bible and her purse and she was ready to go and worship God.  I’ll never forget the way she looked that bright Sunday morning.  But, I had to be “loyal” to my pastor.  I had to tell her that I was sorry, but I couldn’t let her ride the bus, because the people at the church didn’t want her because of the color of her skin.  Her smile went away.  She turned and started walking home.  I got back on the bus, and you could cut the tension with a knife.  I felt like the biggest heel there ever was.  That day was the beginning of many more disappointing times I would later experience.

In retrospect, I wish I had welcomed her, or taken her and myself to a different church.  She’s much older now and so am I.  I always wondered how she got along.  Was I the cause of her giving up on church, on God?  Did she grow in Christ in spite of me?  Does she hate me?  I pray that God has truly saved her and that she is happy in Christ. I will never know in this life, but perhaps I can tell her how sorry I am in heaven.”

I am not sure we are completely past this era in America.  The 11 o’clock hour on Sunday morning remains the most segregated hour of the week.

What Churches are Loosing Membership?

Catholics and Southern Baptist according to the Washington Times report recently.  The Southern Baptist lost 40,000 members last year which is a very small percentage of a total of 16.2 MM members I believe.  But a loss is not as good as an even or a gain.

President Obama’s denomination, United Church of Christ, lost 6 % of membership last year.   Maybe it is because they allow ministers in the pulpit who preach unbiblical, ethnocentric, Black theology.

Here is a listing of some of the top denominations from the Washington Times:

The Roman Catholic Church, 67,117,06 members, down 0.59 percent. (Ranked 1)

The Southern Baptist Convention, 16,266,920 members, down 0.24 percent. (Ranked 2)

The United Methodist Church, 7,931,733 members, down 0.80 percent. (Ranked 3)

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 5,873,408 members, up 1.63 percent .(Ranked 4)

The Church of God in Christ, 5,499,875 members, no change reported. (Ranked 5)

National Baptist Convention, U.S.A., Inc., 5,000,000 members, no change reported. (Ranked 6)

Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, 4,709,956 members, down 1.35 percent. (Ranked 7)

National Baptist Convention of America, Inc., 3,500,000 members, no change reported. (Ranked 8 )

Presbyterian Church (USA), 2,941,412 members, down 2.79 percent (Ranked 9)

Assemblies of God, 2,863,265 members, up 0.96 percent. (Ranked 10)

African Methodist Episcopal Church, 2,500,000 members, no change reported. (Ranked 11)

National Missionary Baptist Convention of America, 2,500,000 members, no change reported. (Ranked 11)

Progressive National Baptist Convention, Inc., 2,500,000 members, no change reported. (Ranked 11)

The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod (LCMS), 2,383,084 members, down 1.44 percent. (Ranked 14)

The Episcopal Church, 2,116,749 members, down 1.76 percent. (Ranked 15)

Churches of Christ, 1,639,495 members, no change reported. (Ranked 16)

Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, 1,500,000 members, no change reported. (Ranked 17)

Pentecostal Assemblies of the World, Inc., 1,500,000 members, no change reported. (Ranked 17)

The African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church, 1,400,000 members, down 3.01 percent. (Ranked 19)

American Baptist Churches in the USA, 1,358,351, down 0.94 percent. (Ranked 20)

Baptist Bible Fellowship International, 1,200,000, no change reported. (Ranked 21)

United Church of Christ, 1,145,281 members, down 6.01 percent. (Ranked 22)

Jehovah’s Witnesses, 1,092,169 members, up 2.12 percent (Ranked 23)

Christian Churches and Churches of Christ, 1,071,616 members, no change reported. (Ranked 24)

Church of God (Cleveland, Tenn.), 1,053,642 members, up 2.04 percent. (Ranked 25)

20 Unusual Churches

You have to admit somethings, God has given His people an unusual amount of creativity.  Here is just one was it is expressed.  Take a peek here  click, and you might want to visit part 2 at the bottom of the page for 20 more.  The second set is more unique I believe than the first, but that is a matter of opinion of course.

As with any topic here we are open to your comments below or would you pass it on through a reading service?

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Re: It’s All About the Eye Contact

About five years ago I stumbled into a church in downtown Dallas. I thought I would be able to hide in the back of the church, believing that no one would take notice of the “new girl”. I was a broken woman seeking to regain some semblance of peace that I once had earlier in my life. I happened to be wrong about the hiding part. Several women quickly approached me and made sure that I wasn’t lost in the crowd that in most churches would slip out unnoticed. I received phone calls during the week inviting me on shopping excursions and always had a listening ear whenever I was dealing with heart issues. Transparent, safe community changed my life. If it hadn’t been for that church and the absolute sovereignty … read more …

As with any topic here we are open to your comments below. Comment away!!

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