Mark 16:16; Newspaper Ad

Mark 16:16

He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.  -Mark 16:16 NKJV

“He who believes and is baptized will be saved.”  That is absolutely true.  Further, anyone who believes in Jesus, trusts Him as Savior, should be baptized by immersion. 

What happens if someone believes but cannot be baptized?  Many Bible verses tell us what happens immediately when someone believes (John 3:16; 5:24; 6:40; 20:31; Acts 10:43; 16:31; Romans 10:9-13; and many others).  If you believe in Jesus, you will be saved and have everlasting life, period. 

So, if you believe in Jesus and do anything else, you will be saved.  Mark just puts belief and baptism, the first commandment to a new Christian, together.  If you believe and join the church, you will be saved.  If you believe and mow the church yard, you will be saved.  If you believe and buy a pickup truck, you will be saved!  You are saved, made right with God, by believing in Jesus. 

Notice Mark 16:16 says if you do not believe you will be condemned.  It does not say if you are not baptized you will be condemned. 

All believers should be baptized, but baptism is not a part of salvation.  It is a good work.  Baptism is a picture, a symbol of salvation, but not salvation itself.   

He who believes in the Son has everlasting life. -John 3:36

-David R. Brumbelow, P.O. Box 300, Lake Jackson, TX 77566.  David is a Baptist preacher and author of “Ancient Wine and the Bible.”  See “Acts 2:38” & “Mark 16:16” at gulfcoastpastor.blogspot.com. 

*******

The above is the second article published in the Brazoria County News, West Columbia, TX.  The article was published in two issues in 2019.  It, and the previous article, “Does Baptism Save? No,” were in reply to numerous articles published over the years in the same paper from the “Church of Christ” perspective.  I believed readers should hear the other side of the issue. 

A newspaper ad, of course, must be short, concise.  For more in-depth discussion, see other articles here on “Baptism,” “Mark 16:16” and “Acts 2:38.”

-David R. Brumbelow, Gulf Coast Pastor, July 7, AD 2020. 

PS – I’ve been busy and in transition the last several months.  So you have not heard much of me on the internet.  Lord willing, that will change in the coming weeks and months. 

Thanks to Raquel for checking in on me at the last article. 

To all, thanks for reading and may God bless you.  Hope these articles are helpful.  -DRB

Articles: 

Does Baptism Save? No

Quotes on Mark 16:16; Baptism, Salvation

Quotes on Acts 2:38, Baptism, Salvation

Warren Wiersbe on Calvinism, Unlimited Atonement

Links You May Find Helpful

Proper Use of the Public Invitation

Other Articles in lower right margin. 

Pastor Search Committee / Pulpit Committee

I’ve given the following information for a Baptist Church seeking a pastor.  It is geared more toward a smaller church.  Hope some will find this useful. 

Electing a Pastor Search Committee / Pulpit Committee

1.  Have an announced Business Meeting for the purpose of electing a Pulpit Committee. 

2.  Do not just open the floor up for nominations.  Sometimes someone not qualified immediately volunteers (or is nominated); then no one wants to offend them, so they are elected.  Then, you have a mess. 

3.  One option is to have each person put three (or 4, 5) names on a card.  The three who receive the most votes are elected. 

Or, have them write names of two (or three) men, and two women. 

Note: To avoid embarrassment, it may be best not to announce how many votes each person receives.  Just mention the ones who received the most votes. 

4.  Another option is for leadership (deacons, staff, etc.) to nominate three (or more) representative people for the committee.  Then, the church votes on this nomination. 

5.  The committee will have two primary jobs. 

Find supply preachers or an interim pastor. 

Second, begin the search for a pastor. 

Your Director of Missions, local Baptist Association, or a neighboring pastor or evangelist may be of help in this process.  But your church as the final say. 

Pastor Search Committee

1.  Have the church vote on a Pastor Search Committee (aka Pulpit Committee).  A church usually varies between men and women, age, and other diverse issues.  Make sure they are mature, knowledgeable church members.  Usually 3 or more. 

2.  Get the word out, that you are seeking a pastor, to the Southern Baptist Texan (or your own state Baptist paper), local Baptist Association, Louisiana Baptist Message (baptistmessage.com), HBU, SWBTS, ABU, ETBU; Criswell College; LC; or others.  Maybe contact an evangelist or pastor.  Narrow down resumes. 

An ad such as: Seeking Pastor.  Friendship Baptist Church, mailing address, city, state, zip code; website, email address.  (You may want to just give a mailing address.  Do you really want to print out 30 resumes?) 

3.  Be mindful of the biblical qualifications of a pastor:  1 Timothy 3:1-7; Titus 1:5-9.  Remember the biblical terms “pastor (shepherd),” “bishop (overseer),” “elder” refer to the same office of pastor. 

4.  Does the pastoral candidate sincerely agree with the Baptist Faith & Message 2000, the doctrinal statement of the Southern Baptist Convention?  Does he believe in the fundamental (basic) doctrines of Christianity?  Does he believe in Baptist Distinctive doctrines?  Does he believe in the inerrancy of the Bible (the Bible is totally true and trustworthy)?  Does he believe personal faith in Jesus Christ is the only way to Heaven and salvation?  Ask him about his view of same-sex marriage.  If you use the old Church Covenant, ask him about it. 

5.  What does he believe about evangelism, local revival meetings, evangelists, missions, Sunday School, Second Coming (premillennial or other), drugs and alcohol, visiting, getting along with church members? 

6.  Is he Calvinist (Reformed Baptist, Doctrines of Grace)?  All Baptists are to some degree Calvinist, but does he believe Jesus died for all humanity, or just the elect?  Does he believe God chooses some people for Heaven, and some for Hell?  Does he believe anyone can be saved?  See Adrian Rogers’ booklet on “Predestined for Hell? Absolutely Not!” (lwf.org). 

If a church wants a Calvinist pastor, they certainly have the right to call one.  On the other hand, if a church desires a non-Calvinist (aka Moderate Calvinist; Traditionalist) as pastor, they have the right to seek and call him. 

7.  Will he be supportive of the Southern Baptist Convention, Southern Baptists of Texas, local Baptist Association, Southern Baptist Texan?  Is he comfortable being a conservative Southern Baptist?  Is he supportive of the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering for the International Mission Board; Cooperative Program; Samaritan’s Purse; Gideons?

8.  Has he lived, and does he live, a life that is morally clean?  In this sense is he blameless?  Ask him to tell about his wife and family.  Will he agree to a sex offender background check? Is he careful in counseling others?   Does he pay his debts? 

9.  Ask about his personal salvation (testimony), baptism, call to preach, education, his experience, and his daily walk with the Lord. 

10.  Ask who are some of his favorite preachers, authors.  What Bible translation does he use? 

11.  What are some of his hobbies, interests?  Hunting, fishing, sports, gardening, etc.? 

12.  Check his references.  Maybe check with his Baptist Association Director of Missions or the SBTC. 

13.  When the time comes for him to leave, is he willing to leave on a positive note?  Even if things have not worked out well?  After all, if you call him, you would call him to help, not hurt your church.  On the other hand, the church needs to be sure to treat him well. 

14.  Discuss salary and cost of living adjustments (COLA).  Pay him as well as you are able; he has to pay his bills and provide for his family like everyone else. 

Give him a raise when you can (note: a COLA is not a raise in salary, it is just keeping up with inflation). 

Discuss a parsonage or if he wants to purchase his own home.  The parsonage should be considered his as long as he is your pastor; respect his, and his family’s privacy. 

Discuss his retirement with GuideStone Financial Resources, SBC.  If possible, the church should give an amount equal to 10% of his salary, but not taken out of his salary, to his GuideStone retirement.  He may choose to take an additional amount out of his regular salary for the church to send to GuideStone for his retirement.  This is important.  GuideStone can also give guidance about retirement, as well as guidance about a preacher’s taxes (guidestone.org).  You can also call them for information. 

Consider investing his retirement in the Equity Index Fund, a fund that roughly mirrors the S & P 500.  It has done well for me through the years. 

15.  Would he be supportive of Spanish language ministry, or other special ministries your church may have? Would he be supportive of your present staff? 

16.  Discuss the kind of worship music: Traditional, Contemporary, Blended service. 

17.  Don’t get too picky.  No pastor is perfect.  But beware of someone with a good personality, that does not meet other qualifications. 

18.  During this process be positive and supportive of your church.  And, pray, pray, pray for God’s guidance. 

19.  The committee may want to go hear him preach at his church, or get him to preach at an area church where you can hear him. 

Once the committee is agreed, have him preach at your church “In View of a Call.”  This means that afterward you would recommend him to the church, and the church vote on whether or not to call him as pastor. 

Is he a good, biblical preacher?  Does he care about the lost?  Does he preach in a way that is interesting and easy to understand? 

20.  Don’t leave a preacher hanging.  Be up front and honest with him.  If you have personally dealt with him, let him know if you are no longer considering him as pastor.  Treat him well. 

Note on Interim Pastor or Supply Preachers

Many prefer to have an Interim Pastor or Supply Preacher who in no way would be interested in becoming the regular pastor.  Otherwise, the Pulpit Committee may be ready to call a pastor while a group in the church may be wanting the interim as pastor, leading to division. 

On the other hand, some small churches will purposely get a prospective pastor to supply preach a Sunday or two just to check him out.  Just keep all this in mind. 

Also, if he is presently a pastor, during this process you cannot expect him to take off more than a Sunday from his church. 

You can find other doctrinal information at gulfcoastpastor.blogspot.com under “Fundamental Doctrines,” “Doctrine,” “Calvinism,” “Baptism,” etc. 

-David R. Brumbelow, gulfcoastpastor.blogspot.com, April 20, AD 2020. 

Labels:  Pastor Search Committee, Pulpit Committee, New Pastor

Other Articles: 

Church Covenants, Doctrinal Statements, and Alcohol

Church Covenant

About the Church Covenant

Basic Baptist Doctrines / Beliefs

Books on Calvinism, Predestination

Adrian Rogers on "Wit & Wisdom of Pastor Joe Brumbelow"

Differences Between the 1963 and 2000 Baptist Faith and Message

Roy Fish on Calvinism; part 1 of 2

 Adrian Rogers on Predestination, Calvinism

More Articles (Labels) in lower right margin. 

Avoid Alcohol, Tobacco, Drugs -Surgeon General

Surgeon General Jerome Adams, who happens to be black, has warned against comorbidities and the Corona Virus.  On April 10, 2020 he issued a warning to everyone, but also those of minority communities who have sometimes been hit harder by this pandemic.  Among other things he said,

"Avoid alcohol, tobacco, and drugs.”  -USA Surgeon General Jerome Adams 4-10-2020

He issued this warning to all Americans, and especially to those at risk with comorbidities. 

I certainly agree with the Surgeon General.  While he was specifically speaking in connection with this pandemic, all Americans, of every race, at all times, would be better off, safer, if they “avoid alcohol, tobacco, and drugs.”  See my book, “Ancient Wine and the Bible: The Case for Abstinence,” and other articles here at gulfcoastpastor.blogspot.com for more evidence. 

Wishing and praying all of you have a safe journey through this pandemic. 

Read more at:  https://www.foxnews.com/media/pbs-yamiche-alcindor-mocked-for-confronting-surgeon-general-after-his-remarks-offended-online-critics

In addition, WHO and others have recently pointed out the following information.  Sounds much like what preachers have been saying all along: 

“No amount of alcohol is safe, according to The Global Burden of Diseases study, which analyzed levels of alcohol use and its health effects in 195 countries from 1990 to 2016.

While the study's authors say that moderate drinking may safeguard people against heart disease, they found that the potential to develop cancer and other diseases offsets these potential benefits, as do other risks of harm.”

https://www.npr.org/2018/08/24/641618937/no-amount-of-alcohol-is-good-for-your-health-global-study-claims

-David R. Brumbelow, gulfcoastpastor.blogspot.com, 4-13-AD 2020. 

Articles: 

11 Reasons to Not Drink Alcohol

Alcohol and Cancer

Wine for Your Stomach's Sake; 1 Timothy 5:23

Ancient Wine and the Bible - the Book; update

Christian Apologetics: A Reasoned Defense of Christianity

Other Articles at lower right margin.  

Evangelists Face Career Upheaval - COVID-19

NASHVILLE (BP) -- This time a year ago, Tom Tucker, a revivalist and evangelist based out of Rock Hill, S.C., had speaking engagements booked on all but one Sunday. This spring, Tucker’s calendar is empty -- all of his plans for the next two months have been suddenly canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

For Tucker and others who make their full-time living on the road, preaching the Gospel at various events, conferences and churches, the nationwide shutdown of gatherings is especially financially detrimental.

Just two weeks ago, Tucker was driving home after speaking at multiple church services. His entire spring schedule was filled. But it only took hours for the cancellations to begin rolling in as the government issued guidelines for social distancing and restrictions on gatherings.

"I knew then that pastors would be calling me, and they did," Tucker said, "and everything was canceled."

Bill Britt, president of Compel Outreach International in Haughton, La., echoed Tucker's sentiment.

"Just a few weeks ago, no one would have remotely understood what was about to happen around the world," Britt said.

Britt, whose organization has had events canceled all across the U.S. and other countries, said evangelists find themselves in a period of waiting. No one knows when travel -- and beyond that, speaking engagements -- will resume.

Gary Bowlin, president of the Louisiana Conference of Southern Baptist Evangelists, said COVID-19 came at the worst time for evangelists.

"Our revivals and events have been canceled during one of our busiest times of the year," Bowlin said.

"We're all in a holding pattern," Tucker added.

Tucker began his ministry as a full-time evangelist only a year ago. He said it took a lot of trust to surrender his life to that call. But as the effects of COVID-19 came to fruition, Tucker found himself asking God what was happening.

"When all this stuff started happening, I said 'Lord what are you doing? This is what you called us to do,'" Tucker said.

The nationwide shutdown not only eliminates the evangelist's travel and ministry, but his income. Bowlin noted that many evangelists rely on love offerings and don't have guaranteed salaries. Britt said the cancellation of spring events could mean the loss of the majority of an evangelist's income.

"As long as churches are not meeting, then the evangelists are receiving no love offerings from these churches," Britt said. "The evangelist receives the bulk or all of his income through these events where he is scheduled to minister. Even if the shutdown lasts another six to eight weeks, that will mean no income for the evangelist for months. This could be devastating for many ministries across the country."

Some churches are still sending love offerings to evangelists, Tucker said, adding that he is glad many churches have already begun rescheduling events for the fall season. Tucker encouraged congregations to seek to care for those who rely on their financial support as best they can.

Britt also said churches and individuals should try reach out to evangelists and their families. But the change in direction for the moment brings a new opportunity for revival, Tucker noted.

"This is going to make the church do some different things," Tucker said. "I'm sensing there's a hunger, and it may be that God has just slowed us down to realize that we need Him, and we need Him desperately."

Tucker said he hopes that with a revival of the Gospel, and individuals turning the God, the need for evangelists will become greater than ever.

"I'm praying that it's [COVID-19] going to escalate [revivals] to where all of us are busier than we've ever been when this is over with," Tucker said.

The message for the church now, Tucker said, is revival, and out of revival comes evangelism.

Amid physical and economic concerns prompted by the pandemic, Bowlin said many people might be more receptive to the Gospel.

"It is possible that we could see the beginning of another spiritual awakening in America," Bowlin said.

And Bowlin noted that the sudden emptiness of evangelists' calendars hasn't caught God by surprise.

"I find great comfort in that, knowing He is in control," Bowlin emphasized. "Obviously, we have never faced anything like this. It has been a time of great peace for me knowing that God has a reason for allowing this and great good will come from it."

Bowlin and many other evangelists are using other means such as YouTube and Facebook to still minister to people.

"God will direct us, and we have a burning desire in our hearts to tell people that Jesus saves," Bowlin said. "We hope and pray we can be back in churches soon, but we know God is in control, and we will follow Him."

Britt said he utilizes social media to host virtual services and has tried to post things that align with his calling while he is unable to travel.

"All of us want to stay busy sharing the Gospel and exercising our gifts and calling even during this time," Britt said.

Sammy Tippit, president of the Conference of Southern Baptist Evangelists, said evangelists need to be preparing to move to forms of digital outreach, adding that the pandemic hasn't so much begun the move as accelerated what was already happening.

Tippit said he hopes that when the restrictions of the pandemic are lifted, evangelists will be able to act on new ideas and strategies. Importantly, he said that might also apply to new ways to earn income -- perhaps including raising support or finding positions on church staffs.

But as changes unfold and ministry platforms adjust to the current needs of the global body of Christ, evangelists are capitalizing on the time and temporarily limited geographic space they have been given to live on mission for the Gospel.

Tucker said he just wants to seek what God is doing in this situation, staying faithful to his calling and trusting the Lord.

"We're sitting here waiting, but it doesn't mean we're not doing anything," Tucker said.

Tucker recounted a recent experience waiting in line at a grocery store. He stood behind a woman with a cart full of toilet paper as she complained and expressed frustration. Tucker took the opportunity to start a conversation and share the Gospel, and ended up leading the woman to Christ.

That experience, Tucker said, reminded him again of the purpose the Lord has given believers.

"Let's not be so selfish about what's going on in our lives," Tucker said, "because there's others that need Jesus."

- by Tess Schoonhoven, Baptist Press staff writer; bpnews.net. 

http://www.bpnews.net/54564/evangelists-face-career-upheaval-in-the-midst-of-covid19

-David R. Brumbelow, gulfcoastpastor.blogspot.com, April 2, AD 2020. 

Articles: 

Does Baptism Save? No

Discipline - A Trip to the Drive-In Store

Why We Don't Use Alcohol For The Lord's Supper

He Maketh No Mistake - A Great Poem of Comfort

Warren Wiersbe on Calvinism, Unlimited Atonement

Other Articles in lower right margin.  

Brumbelow on COVID-19

A few of my thoughts: 

Pray about the COVID-19 outbreak.  Pray that God would to great things in our country and around the world.  Pray for revival. 

Don’t panic, but get the facts from trusted news sources. 

Wash your hands well and often with soap and water. 

Eat right, exercise, get plenty of sleep. 

Do not shake hands or hug, but do be friendly! As you can, be helpful to others. 

Use the good judgment God gave you. 

Trust in the Lord, and keep doing what it right. 

At this point I’m not criticizing churches that close their Worship Services, or those who do not.  But, be very careful. 

Interestingly, churches were forced to close their doors in October, AD 1918 during the Flu Epidemic.  Do some research on this; you will find it interesting. 

COVID-19 is also called the Chinese Flu and the Wuhan Flu, because that is where it started.  But that does not mean to avoid Chinese or Oriental people or Chinese restaurants; they will not give you the virus because they are Chinese!  I love Chinese food. 

Our president and country seem to be doing an outstanding job dealing with this pandemic. 

In the early days many were skeptical concerning Corona Virus.  We should, however be taking it very seriously.  Don’t smart off too much about all this – you may have to eat your words. 

Stay informed about how this affects our churches at bpnews.net. 

Your church may be hurting for money.  Remember, your church has to pay the bills, salaries, and give to missions.  Continue giving tithes and offerings.  Mail it or give online if necessary. 

Mission giving during a time of crisis is always appropriate.  Two great possibilites:  Southern Baptist Disaster Relief and Samaritan's Purse.  

The stock market looks terrible and, like many of you, I’ve lost a lot of money in my retirement / investments.  If at all possible, keep your money in the stock market; I’m convinced it will come back fairly soon.  If you can get your hands on cash, now it a good time to invest; stocks are on sale.  To this point, I’ve not taken any of my money out of the stock market; I’ve actually added a little to it. 

I’ve found foxnews.com to be a good source for COVID-19 news. 

Last, don’t wait for a crisis, always be stocked up on toilet paper! 


Update:  A couple of messages we've recently placed on our church sign; 

KNOW GOD, KNOW PEACE
NO GOD, NO PEACE

and, 

TRUST THE LORD AND WASH YOUR HANDS.  

-David R. Brumbelow, gulfcoastpastor.blogspot.com, March 18, AD 2020. 

Articles: 

Baptists on Tithing

SBC Resolution on Tithing

Saving for Retirement

Ancient Wine and the Bible - the Book; update

The Girl Who Saved His Ministry

Other Articles in lower right margin. 

Library Evangelism

I was impressed with the following evangelism article by Tyler Robbins.  You might want to try it or adapt it. 

EVANGELISM AT THE LIBRARY

This past Saturday, our church did a public evangelism event at our local library. The West Coast is deservedly considered one of the more leftist areas in the United States. The Governor of Washington State recently ended an unsuccessful presidential run in which his platform consisted of climate change alarmism. Paper straws are mandated in Seattle. The homelessness crisis in urban centers along the I-5 corridor grows ever worse. Marijuana is legal. The sexual revolution is in full swing.

Olympia, WA (the state capitol) is one of the more secular areas in a very secular region. It’s a small city; not much more than 50,000 people. Together with Lacey and Tumwater, it forms a modest metro area.

My experience is that, in the Midwest, your church can grow (albeit slowly) if you (1) preach faithfully, (2) do a children’s event like VBS in the Summer, and (3) maybe a few other odds and ends. I also found that many people think they’re Christians already because they’re Americans.

Olympia is different. Really different.

I never saw urban ministry modeled in a healthy way. I come from the KJVO-flavor of Baptist fundamentalism, where “run and gun evangelism” was the order of the day. I’ve had to fiddle around and figure some things out for myself. I don’t have much figured out, but one thing I have figured is that churches need to be winsomely aggressive with evangelism in this culture.

So, that’s where the library event comes in. A few years ago, I saw a flyer in the library for some kind of “intro to Buddhist chanting” class. I thought to myself, “why don’t Christians do this kind of thing in the public square!?” I looked up the public meeting room policy, and anyone can reserve and use the rooms free of charge. You just can’t sell anything. Fair enough.

But, I’ve been busy. It hasn’t been the right time. Blah, blah. We brought on board second elder, and he’s been here for about seven months. The time had come.

So, we did it.

The format we used was pretty simple:

A 25-minute overview of the Christian faith and message.

A one-hour live question and answer from the audience.

We advertised heavily on FaceBook, and gave invite cards for church folks to pass out to friends and family. Newspaper advertising is dead, and it’s too expensive. With FaceBook marketing, you can tailor your ads to the gender, age, area and interest of your target demographic. It’s outstanding. For our next event, we plan to continue FaceBook ads but fool around with Pandora and Spotify ads, and perhaps YouTube, too.

We titled the event, “What is Christianity Really About?” We wanted people with real questions to come hear the Gospel outside a church building, in a neutral place. We also wanted to give people a chance to ask questions.

We tried to partner with the Bible Presbyterians across the street. The pastor there, who is also the President of the local Bible Presbyterian seminary, is a cautious guy. A good guy. He hedged his bets and attended the event, but declined to be part of the Q&A panel or have his church promote it. I think he wanted to see if we were theological wimps. If we were the William L. Craig, Mike Licona “mere Christianity” type, then he wouldn’t be interested in partnering. I think he was happy with what he saw, and we hope to partner with them at our next event in April or May.

So, what did we do?

For the “overview” section, I wanted to do more than a “1-2-3, pray after me!” presentation. I wanted to present the broad sweep of the Christian story, and attack the secular worldview I assume most of the audience had. My talk had six parts:

Misunderstandings. I quickly rattled off some common misconceptions about Christianity, and explained that the Christian message is really about reconciliation. We’re not good people. We’re bad people who need to be rescued. I also explained we’re doing this public event outside the church building because this message is so important.

Worldviews and scripts. I briefly explained what a worldview is, and suggested we’re all handed “scripts” about how to think and live our lives. We edit these scripts throughout our lives.

Big questions of life. I suggested that not all “scripts” are true; some of them are wrong. I challenged the audience to consider whether their “scripts” for their lives made sense. I asked them to think about how they answered the so-called “big questions” of life.

The Christian script. I presented the Gospel with the framework of “creation + fall + promise + redemption + restoration.” I explained how the Christian faith answered each of these “big questions” with this framework. I was able to explain the Gospel fully and completely.

What’s your script? I then suggested that a secular, materialist script could not answer the “big questions” of life. I presented the implications of this worldview, and challenged people to consider whether they actually lived in light of these depressing implications. I worked in the teleological and moral arguments for the existence of God along the way.

Evangelistic invitation. I then urged the audience to believe the Christian message, because it made sense of who they are and of our world. It answers questions their worldview cannot. I referenced Augustine’s City of God, and his contention that moral degeneracy destroyed the Roman Empire, and his plea for the Romans to choose Christ. I asked people there to do the same.

The overview went to 28 minutes. I was hoping for something like 20-25 minutes; preferably closer to 20. Next time, I’ll cut out some unnecessary material at the beginning and the end. But, all told, it was good enough. I’d give the presentation a B+ for content.

The live Q&A was outstanding. Our church has two pastors. We took turns fielding questions, and helping one another out. I haven’t had so much fun for a very long time. I was a bit disappointed we didn’t get any questions about homosexuality or transgenderism. I suspect people were too polite to ask. Among these present, a few interactions stand out:

A young Jewish woman and her friend were there. She asked about the problem of evil in Genesis, along with some other questions. I was able to discuss compatibilism, and only used examples from the Tanakh that highlight this dilemma. I suggested she read Isaiah 53 and ponder whether Jesus is the promised Messiah. I also encouraged her to get Michael Brown’s five-volume set Answering Jewish Objections to Jesus, even if she only wants to figure out how to argue with Christians!

One man asked about the Old Covenant law and its relationship to the New Covenant. The other pastor handled that one, and I followed up by directing him to the appropriate section in the Westminster Confession of Faith.

Another man, who appeared to be from the Middle East, asked what core beliefs a person must have in order to be a Christian. He also seemed to believe Christianity was a performance-based religion (i.e. you become a Christian by performing certain rituals), and I did my best to correct that. I directed him to read Romans and James.

Another man asked if he had to believe in the Trinity in order to be a Christian.

One lady, clearly a Christian, asked about how to deal with bitterness in her life in light of what Christ has done.

I’m not aware of another church doing something this aggressive in our area. There might be one; I just don’t know about it. Many churches seem to do evangelism by doing service projects. They want to let people know they’re nice. That’s good. I’m convicted that we ought to do more. Everyone else is pushing their narrative in the public square – even the Buddhists! The Christians ought to do the same. This event is one small way to do that.

All told, it was a great time. We should have advertised more. We packed the place with church folks so it didn’t look quite so dead. We had seven visitors, but they didn’t realize they were the only ones! We’ll do a few things differently next time. But, it was a great success. As we partner with other churches and pool resources, we’ll attract more people for our next event. I can’t wait!

Your church can do something like this. We aren’t a large church. By that, I mean we’re well under 100 in attendance on Sunday morning. We didn’t do PowerPoints. We just showed up and talked. We had tracts and other literature available. This was a minimalist event. It’s easy to do.

The audio for our event is below. The overview presentation goes to 28:00; the rest is the Q&A. My voice is the one you hear at the beginning; the other pastor doesn’t chime in until he opens the Q&A session after 28:00.

---

-Tyler Robbins is a graduate of Maranatha Baptist Seminary and a pastor at Sleater Kinney Road Baptist Church, in Olympia WA. He’s also an Investigations Program Manager with the State of Washington. He blogs as the Eccentric Fundamentalist and is the author of What’s It Mean to be a Baptist?

See original article at SharperIron:

https://sharperiron.org/article/evangelism-at-library

(Used here by permission)

-David R. Brumbelow, gulfcoastpastor.blogspot.com, February 25, AD 2020.

Articles: 

Does Baptism Save? No

 13 Reasons Why Not to Commit Suicide

 Church Covenants, Doctrinal Statements, and Alcohol

 More Articles in lower right margin. 

Accomplishments of President Trump

In the midst of much condemnation of our president, following are some of President Trump’s accomplishments with which I generally agree: 

Ending USA funding of abortion in other countries, and supporting the Pro-Life cause. 

An excellent Vice-President, Mike Pence. 

Lowering taxes. Something that ultimately helps rich and poor alike. 

Very strong economy, helping everyone, including minorities like Blacks and Hispanics.  Unemployment at record lows. 

Strong Stock Market.  Record highs. 

Business friendly, which results in more jobs, and greatly helps retirement and investment plans.  Helps retirement plans of the poor and middle class, as well as the rich. 

Recognizing the vital importance of fossil fuels while maintaining reasonable pollution restrictions. 

More military spending, thus keeping our country safe. 

Encouraging other NATO countries to pay their fair share in military defense. 

Largely defeating ISIS in Iraq and Syria. 

Ending numerous excess regulations.  This also helps business and the economy. 

Actually saying and writing the word Christmas.  Many leftists are anti-Christmas. 

Christian friendly; some good Christian advisors. 

Nominating conservative Supreme Court justices, and numerous other conservative judges. 

Nominating conservative judges even in liberal areas.  Previous conservative presidents did not do so; they acquiesced to liberal senators in those areas. 

Moving USA embassy to Israel’s capital of Jerusalem, and supporting Israel. 

Recognizing Golan Heights as part of Israel. 

Opposing the Iran deal, and supporting freedom protestors in Iran. 

Supporting freedom protesters in Hong Kong. 

Cuts to United Nations. 

Opposing Paris accord on Global Warming. 

Getting tough, yet communicating, with North Korea. 

Justice and prison reform. 

Trump administration arguing in Supreme Court in favor of a Christian baker’s right to not be forced to design a wedding cake for same-sex wedding.  One should be free to do so, or not do so. 

Tough trade talks with China, Canada, Mexico, France, etc.  Insisting America be treated fairly in international trade. 

More emphasis on religious liberty, here and abroad. 

As Cal Thomas says, “Character matters, but so do results.”

-David R. Brumbelow, gulfcoastpastor.blogspot.com, January 7, AD 2020. 

Article by Wayne Grudem on why President Trump should not be removed from office. 

https://townhall.com/columnists/waynegrudem/2019/12/30/trump-should-not-be-removed-from-office-a-response-to-mark-galli-and-christianity-today-n2558657

Articles: 

Thank You President George W. Bush

Other articles in lower right margin.