What Do We Do Now? This morning, as I read the decision by our nation’s Supreme Court to declare gay marriage legal in all fifty states, the first thing that came to my mind was, “What do we do now?” There is a real fear over the continuation of religious freedoms that American churches have enjoyed for a long time…
Author: <span>Matthew Johnson</span>
Congregational authority is derived from the Word of God and is limited to those areas where the Bible gives his people instructions. According to Baptist polity, the regenerated church, assembled in particular localities and autonomously governed, under the principles and commands of Scripture, has authority to admit into membership born again and baptized believers; to expel and remove from fellowship…
Congregational Polity Congregationalism run amok has become a calling card for critics to decry baptistic polity. Sure, it is true that if only sheep lead the sheep, then the entire flock could be in grave danger. While it is true that some churches have an unhealthy practice of congregational polity, one that is more “Americanized” in its application than Biblical; this…
As a convinced Baptist, I believe the Scripture is crystal clear that God builds his church through sinners becoming regenerated by the grace of God through faith in Jesus Christ and his sacrifice; those sinners, as now justified, being called saints expressing faith in Christ alone through a public demonstration of water baptism; and formally covenanting together with fellow Christians…
In 1925, a young Martyn Lloyd-Jones was filled with massive internal debate concerning his future. A rising star within the medical community, a brilliant thinker, and a recent convert to Christ, Martyn was overcome with a new passion, a passion to teach God’s truth at every possible moment. While not yet a pastor, he was invited to lecture at Charing…
I have been meditating lately on what it means to obey God’s command to “love our neighbor as ourselves.” Often when we think of loving our neighbor, we emphasize what we can do for someone. This is obviously valid and love that has no action is a worthless kind of love. I have, however, been noticing in the Scripture that often…
It has been a while since I have written anything. For the one or two of you who read this, I apologize, I have been pretty busy walking through the joy of the ordination and commissioning of my co-worker and assistant pastor to another church; along with trying to make up for the lack of his presence in the church. Not to…
What do you do when you are so distraught and overwhelmed in your soul that you literally are holding on the wall to keep from falling to the floor into a heap of discouragement? How do you steady yourself when you are so stressed your whole body is shaking? How to keep from screaming at the top of your longs…
My grandfather (and later father) used to ask me “Are you helping out or part of the problem?” on a continual basis. I could not help but infer from his question that I probably wasn’t “helping out” so much because I assumed (rightly I am sure) that the question came because indeed I was “part of the problem.” This really…
It has been a very emotional couple of days; heights of joy in reuniting with my sister’s family (missionaries in Poland) after several years to solemn contemplation as I touring the Auschwitz 1 labor and death camp, to sheer wonder at the largest Medieval town square in Europe in “Old Town” Krakow. I am enjoying my first European travels in…