Ergun Caner talking about Jesus...worth the watch...

Blessings!

A couple of weeks ago I had the privilege to baptize Allie Atcheson. She is a young elementary student who accepted Jesus Christ as her Lord and Savior. She completely understand that her baptism was in obedience to Christ and was a testimony for others to see.

What made it such a HUGE blessing was that I baptized her father, Brandon, when he was in my youth group. Now...it definitely ages me...BUT nothing was more of a blessing than to see God's grace touch that little girl's heart becuase her dad and mom shared the love of Christ with her. To know that I was there for two generations was a blessing to me. Glory to God for His grace.

What is equally cool is that this weekend I am performing Rob Copeland's wedding. Rob was in my youth group, came back to teach in our church youth group, and has simply lived for Christ daily. He now lives in Seattle, but I am here getting to be a part of the ceremony as he and Kristin exchange vows.

What can be a greater blessing than to see kids you taught and shared with follow Christ? It is truly an amazing feeling.

Serving Christ is truly full of blessings!

An interesting read!

A Very Brief Introduction to Baptist History, Then and Now

by Bruce Gourley, Baptist Historian(Baptist Origins; The Reformed Debate; The Southern Baptist Controversy and Beyond)

Those who would research Baptist history via the Internet be warned: there is an abundance of information about Baptist history, but most of it comes from biased perspectives which are fed from personal agendas.

There is a long-held saying among Baptists: when you get two Baptists together, you get three different opinions! This is most evident when one reads online Baptist history resources: many seem bent on proving that their particular view of Baptist history is the one and only true understanding of Baptist history.

History, in fact, is subject to various (and often contradictory) interpretations. Baptist history is not exempt from the interpretive confusion. Indeed, Baptists are even in disagreement over how they originated!

Views of Baptist Origins
1. Outgrowth of English Separatism -- In this view, the Baptist faith originated from within the Separatist movement, a movement which arose in Europe with the goal of breaking away from the Church of England (which previously had broken away from the Catholic Church, yet retained many of the trappings; those within the Church of England who wished to remain a part of the Church and yet purify it became known as "Puritans;" they were, in a sense, cousins to Separatists). The influence of Anabaptists upon early Baptists is considered minimal, according to this viewpoint. The earliest Baptist church is traced back to 1609 in Amsterdam, with John Smyth as pastor. The group's embracing of "believer's baptism" became the defining moment which led to the establishment of this first Baptist church. Shortly thereafter, Smyth left the group, and layman Thomas Helwys took over the leadership, leading the church back to England in 1611. This view of Baptist origins has the most historical support and is the most widely accepted view of Baptist origins. Representative writers include William H. Whitsitt, Robert G. Torbet, Winthrop S. Hudson, William G. McLoughlin and Robert A. Baker.

2. Influence of Anabaptists -- This view holds that although Baptists originated from English Separatism, their emergence owes much to the earlier Anabaptists. According to this view, some early Baptists were influenced by some Anabaptists. The Dutch Mennonites (Anabaptists), for example, shared some similarities with General Baptists (believer's baptism, religious liberty, separation of church and state, and Arminian views of salvation, predestination and original sin). However, other than this, there were significant differences between Anabaptists and Baptists (Anabaptists tended towards extreme pacifism, communal sharing of earthly goods, and an unorthodox optimistic view of human nature). Therefore, few Baptists hold to this theory of Baptist origins. Representative writers include A. C. Underwood and William R. Estep. Among some contemporary Baptist scholars who emphasize the faith of the community over soul liberty, the Anabaptist influence theory is making a comeback.

3. Continuation of Biblical Teachings -- Some Baptists "seek to go back beyond the Anabaptist movement to trace the continuity of Baptist forms of faith through the centuries" (Leon McBeth, The Baptist Heritage, page 56). While advocates of this view do not claim a succession of organized Baptist churches (see below), they believe that Baptist faith and practice have existed since the time of Christ. This view has a few advocates, including a number of early Baptist historians, many of whom were concerned with presenting the validity of their faith (denomination) over and above that of other denominations. Some representative writers of an earlier era include Thomas Crosby (one of the earliest Baptist historians, he wrote in the early 1700s), A.H. Newman and David Benedict.

4. Succession of Baptist Churches -- This viewpoint goes beyond mere "continuation of biblical teachings" and declares that Baptist churches actually existed in an unbroken chain since the time of Christ and John the Baptist. Commonly referred to as "Landmarkism" or the "Trail of Blood" theory (J.M.Carroll wrote a book of supposed Baptist history by this name), this view declares that those churches which stood outside the influence of the Roman Catholic Church at various times in church history were, in actuality although not in name, Baptist churches. Refusing to embrace infant baptism, these churches rejected the legitimacy of the Roman Catholic Church as a Christian entity. However, many of the historical churches which Landmarkists label as Baptist churches were actually heretical in regards to doctrine. Nonetheless, the "Landmarkist" view, despite little actual historical support, remains popular among certain Baptists. The reason for its moderate popularity (and, indeed, strong popularity among some rural Baptists in the southern and western United States) stems to some degree from a long-standing dislike of Catholics by many Baptists. Representative writers of this viewpoint include J.M Carroll, G.H. Orchard and J.M. Cramp. It should also be noted that much of the Baptist history material thus far posted on the Internet is Landmarkist in nature, indicating that Landmarkers remain a vocal lot.

The Reformed Debate
In addition to the long-running debate over Baptist origins, a new debate is now prominent in Baptist life: the question over whether or not Baptists (and particularly Southern Baptists) are historically Calvinistic. The Founders Journal (see below), along with Dr. Albert Mohler, president of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, is doing an admirable job in championing the belief that Southern Baptists have always been strict (5 point) Calvinists. Their efforts do fall short of the truth, however, for although Baptists (including Southern Baptists) have certainly been influenced by Calvinism, they have also been much influenced by Arminianism, which historically served to moderate Calvinism and produce a warmly evangelistic theology as mirrored in the Great Awakenings. Most Baptists today hold beliefs from both Calvinistic and Arminian schools of thought. The current Calvinistic debate about Baptist history has reached the point where it is now affecting many Baptist churches throughout America. The reader will note that a number of the online Baptist history resources listed below are from the Reformed (or Calvinist) perspective. The reader should also note that within the past few years, some Reformed (or Calvinist) Baptists have shifted to using the milder-sounding terminology of "doctrines of grace" rather than "Calvinism."

The Southern Baptist Controversy and Beyond
Finally, the 1980s to the present have witnessed a new fundamentalist controversy (also often referred to as a "political" and / or "biblical" controversy) within the largest Baptist denomination, which has altered the course of Southern Baptist history, and Baptist history in general. The minority fundamentalists, now firmly in charge of the national Southern Baptist Convention, have changed the direction and nature of the Convention, resulting in the first statistical decline of the denomination in some 75 years. They have sought to re-fashion Baptist history to reflect their theology and their insurgency, and as a result have caused much confusion about Baptist history among Baptist laity and the general populace.

Whereas Baptists have historically been non-creedal, the fundamentalist leadership of the SBC has forced creedalism upon Southern Baptists through the implementation of the Baptist Faith and Message 2000. Whereas Southern Baptists have traditionally believed in the Priesthood of all Believers, the fundamentalist leadership positions pastoral authority above the Priesthood of Believers. Whereas Baptists have historically held to the authority of Scripture and looked to Jesus and the Holy Spirit as the criterion for interpreting the Bible, the fundamentalist leadership claims that looking to Jesus and the Holy Spirit as the authority for faith is a liberal position. Instead, they have positioned the Baptist Faith and Message 2000, and/or a modern interpretation of Biblical authority known as "inerrancy," as the only valid way in which to approach Scripture.

At the state Baptist level, many traditional state Baptist conventions are asserting their autonomous rights in distancing themselves from the creedalistic, fundamentalist SBC, refusing to enforce the Baptist Faith & Message 2000.

The year 2004 witnessed a significant new development within the Southern Baptist Convention. The SBC leadership defunded the Baptist World Alliance, charging (with no merit) that the BWA is a liberal, un-American institution. In response, many state Baptist conventions and local Southern Baptist churches have increased their support of the BWA.

In 2006, a rupture within the Southern Baptist Convention occurred, as some younger (conservative) trustees of SBC agencies are accusing the older leadership of being too narrow-minded; the older leadership, in turn, views the younger leadership as being too liberal; latest skirmish demonstrates the nature of fundamentalists' quest for purity.

During the last three years, Southern Baptist leaders have publicly and repeatedly lamented the decline of the SBC, yet remain convinced that fundamentalist theology is not to blame. The problem, they maintain, is a lack of evangelism.

During the course of the Southern Baptist controversy, a number of new entities have come into existence to champion the very historic principles and cooperative spirit that the SBC leaders have long since abandoned. These include the national Cooperative Baptist Fellowship organization, evidencing the trappings of a denomination and including numerous state and regional organizations. Other moderate Baptist organizations, many of whom partner with CBF, include the Baptist Center for Ethics, Baptist Women in Ministry, the national news journal Baptists Today, the Associated Baptist Press, Smyth & Helwys Publishers, some fourteen new Baptist seminaries / divinity schools, and other entities. As the Southern Baptist Convention continues its exit from traditional Baptist life and deeper into non-denominational, evangelical, political fundamentalism, these new entities will play a significant role in maintaining a Baptist witness in America and the world.

For more information on current events in this ongoing struggle from a traditional Baptist perspective, visit BaptistLife.Com, Mainstream Baptists, The Baptist Standard or Baptists Today. To view the fundamentalist perspective, go to Baptist Press, SBC Life, or Baptist2Baptist.

A published chronology of this controversy (through the mid-1990s) can be found by clicking here.

Iranian Couple Risk It All to Follow Christ

by Kate Gregory

International Mission Board
“Davoud” felt so disillusioned with life that he sank into a deep depression.
He wasn’t destitute. Far from it. Davoud was successful in the entertainment industry in Iran.

He brokered motion picture deals and created artwork that hung above fireplaces in the capital city of Tehran.

He had a good home life. He loved his wife. He knew he should be happy.

But he felt hollow inside, like nothing really mattered. He tried to push these feelings aside by burying himself in work, but they kept creeping back, weighing heavier each time.

My life “was meaningless because my heart was empty,” Davoud recalls.

Barriers to faith
He shrugged it off when a friend told him the reason for his depression was that Christ was missing from his life. Most Iranians know of Jesus Christ because He is believed to be one of many Islamic prophets. For Iranians to try to convince others in the Islamic Republic that

He is more than that can be punishable by prison or death.

When other friends accepted Christ, Davoud and his wife, “Susan,” still weren’t interested. Fear wasn’t their primary reason for rejecting Christ, it was disdain for religion of any sort.

When Davoud and Susan got married, they agreed that religion was something to be tolerated at special occasions.

Both of their families followed religious practices out of obligation and necessity. It was clear to the couple that religion as they knew it had nothing to do with the heart.

Susan was caught off guard by the joyful outlook of a friend who had accepted Christ.Up to this point, religion and religious people — including her extended family of strict Muslims — seemed cold and removed.

Finally Susan’s curiosity piqued. She wondered who God really is, and her friend seemed to know.

When her friend led her to Christ a short time later, “It was love, real love, pure love,” says Susan about who God is.

Jesus loves me
Susan’s face softens into a deep, lingering smile when recalling her discovery of God’s love.

“When I pray to God and when I think, I can talk to God directly,” she says, “at that time I can understand how God loves me and how much I love Him.”

Growing up she felt “… always behind a barrier so you cannot touch a real God. But in Christianity, I can reach Him very easily. I’m always open to hear Him, to interact with Him.”

Davoud’s first thought when Susan told him about becoming a Christian was: “Don’t react. After a while, she’s going to forget [her impulsive decision] and everything [will] be the same.”

But Davoud couldn’t shake his feelings of restlessness and discontentment. He had recurring daydreams in which he was drawn to a group of people sitting in a circle. When they realized someone was approaching, the group stood up and turned to him.

Going crazy?
He decided not to seek professional help. He was afraid people would think him crazy, which is how he felt. But his experience as a filmmaker helped him resolve the mysterious dream.

“I figured out that I can do something in that dream,” Davoud recalls. “I can act. Until that day, I was the audience of a movie but as soon as I figured this out, I started shouting and yelling —
‘What do you want from me? Who are you people?’”

The circle parted, and a man with an intent look asked him, “Have you suffered more than I have?”

Davoud says he realized “with all the cells of my body” that he was receiving a spiritual message.
But he wanted to be sure what it meant, so he consulted a Christian friend. The friend congratulated him for receiving a personal invitation from the One he had been trying to introduce Davoud to for a long time.

This time, Davoud accepted God’s invitation. “After that, I did not feel depressed anymore,” he says.

Following Christ
Davoud has learned that being asked, “Have you suffered more than I have?” didn’t just pertain to his salvation but also to his Christian life, which wouldn’t always be easy.
“God came to save me from my spiritual problems, but you can still encounter problems in life in Iran especially if you become a Christian,” says Davoud.

There is a saying in Iran that being a Christian isn’t a problem unless you’re an active one.
But for Christians, that’s a problem.

“If you try to give people [the] Holy Bible, if you have a place, a room for Christian books, if you openly invite people to Christianity and do other things helping people to get to know Jesus Christ, you are considered an active Christian,” Davoud explains. “If you have a house church, you are an active Christian. If you help people to get baptized, you are an active Christian.”

A price to pay
Davoud and Susan had to leave Iran or risk imprisonment when some of those forbidden activities were discovered. Within less than a week they made arrangements and left behind almost everything they had.

They are now seeking refugee status in another country. They still face restrictions about what they can do and where they can go. Davoud longs to practice his art again. Susan sometimes wonders why rebuilding their lives is such a struggle, but they refuse to surrender to self-pity.

They are active in a house church.

“When you read Acts, you don’t find yourself lonely,” Davoud says. “So, we [Iranian Christians] are experiencing this truth — that our Lord was tortured, He was insulted and He was [put to death] in the most brutal way.

“We are His followers.”

Names in quotation marks have been changed.