BrotherTony

Again with the wide brush and sentiments against mega churches. Eddie, how many mega churches have you PERSONALLY been an active member of? I have been an active member of three, and all three are still in play and serving the Lord. And to be frank, not a one of them has produced a female pastor. Both you and @Dom Jr. seem to have very negative feelings towards churches. The Lord has told us that HE has founded his church and will build it through us and that the gates of hell will not prevail against it. We also see that in Revelation the seven churches were reprimanded for their worldliness but weren't told to shutter their doors! They were told to repent or face discipline from the Lord. Either the Lord is right or he's a liar. It seems from many of your posts that you believe the latter, and that is sad. We should let the Holy Spirit do his job and convince, convict, and confirm whether these churches are worthy of dissolution. 
Dom has a very warped eschatological view and seems to be in need of some firm, factual hermeneutics. I find very little of what he's stated as being backed by Scripture.

Lifeway had a president who, against his conditions of employment hired a publisher for his book. He then violated several other conditions of his employment. He ended up being paid over $1 million in a settlement which shouldn't have been paid, and then went on to trash the churches of the SBC and then joined another denomination and continued on with his antics. Lifeway has been on a downward, leftist slide for years. 

You're correct, it's not a healthy habit to have. But, in this fast paced society we have, it's pretty much a necessity for many. I know that I did this for thirty some odd years. And it wasn't just at work. With only 20 minutes to eat lunch while in Jr high and highschool, if you wanted to eat in the cafeteria you pretty much had to guzzle your food down or take it with and eat it on the run between classes. Of course, it was a very high stress environment, and I ended up in the hospital with bleeding and peptic ulcers. My wife has 45 minutes for lunch, which she brings from home. If she were to eat in the company break room, it would take 7-10 minutes to get there from the restroom which is a good five minutes from her work station. So, there's 15 minutes of her lunch gone. Then, if she was to eat inside and needed to heat her food, there's usually a 10 minute line for the two microwaves. So, she just walks to the bathroom, then out to the car (five minutes from the bathroom) and eats her sandwich or soup in the car. Many go down to the corner convenience store and buy a hot lunch there and gobble it up on the way back to the parking lot and in the parking lot. 
Corporate America has very little concern for their workforce, and they truly don't make lunch breaks sacred, often interrupting them, especially if you're a lead person, if they need or want something. I truly believe that the American (Western worlds) form of Capitalism needs a complete overhaul. The greed has run amock.

This is the second time you've stated something like this. If someone is doing a good job in a certain position, it's up to the leadership whether to continue utilizing that person in that particular position. I would advise leaving them as this is probably where the Lord wants them at this particular time. Rotation for rotations sake is NOT a good thing.

I've used this on one or two on these forums a long while back. It's a great idea for the peace of the board and the peace of mind that comes with not having to deal with unscriptural doctrine being introduced. Still, there are times when such needs to be addressed. Moderators and Administrators are best at handling this, and these things should be brought to their attention. 

Personally, I enjoy the smaller to medium sized churches. The larger churches seem to be lacking in some things, ie., friendliness, hospitality, encouragement of others, etc. It's not in ALL larger churches, but in many we've been part of. The smaller churches are more like family, and the medium churches are usually more diverse in race, culture, etc. The church we're in right now is a small church, under 150 weekly in attendance. We unjoy the friendliness of the people, and like the way people look out for each other.

Though I believe it is a good thing to "dress to impress," I believe a lot of people pay far too much attention to what everyone else is wearing. If one is dressing to impress everyone else to gain their approval, then they're doing it for the wrong reasons. Do I believe a pastor should be dressed like a professional? Yes, I do. Pastors are held to a higher standard, and I have to say, personally I have a problem with taking a pastor seriously if he doesn't care enough to look professional. Does this mean that a pastor is necessarily doing something wrong by not dressing in a suit and tie? No, of course not. God blesses the preaching of his word regardless. We as Christians have to remember that we are Ambassadors of Christ. We should try to look the part if possible.

The use of medical marijuana has proven to be beneficial in many situations...not everyone who uses marijuana is "getting high." With that said I pray every day that God will bless our country for the sake of those who ARE serving Christ. I just can't seem to continually post things negative about the country I live in, the God I serve, the churches I go to, the pastor I sit under, the woman I've married, or anything else. There's far too much to be thankful for. Does this mean we shouldn't be aware of the many evil things going on in this country? No. I'm aware of much of the evil that's going on in our country. Yet, I take time to remember that this isn't my final home, but, just a place I'm in to represent the Lord Jesus Christ as an ambassador toward others.  It's truly a wonderful thing to get to represent our Lord and savior Jesus Christ and to present him to others.   

I know of many pastors, IFB, SBC, GARBC, et al, that fellowship with other pastors, or even "crossing the lines" to fellowship with IFB if they're SBC, or fellowshipping with SBC if they're IFB...or even landmarkers (usually Missionary Baptists) who fellowship with those in the SBC, GARBC, or the IFB churches. Since all of these Baptist churches are independent, autonomous bodies, they're free to fellowship with whomever they chose...or not. No sin either way. I know our church doesn't hold to Calvinistic positions, yet we fellowship with two churches that are....We've realized that salvation is in our faith in Christ alone, and his shed blood alone for the forgiveness of sins, his burial, resurrection for our victory over death, and his ascension for our promise of a home in heaven being prepared. People need to learn how to get along and stop accentuating their differences, especially if it is a tertiary issue that doesn't affect our salvation. 

Because, that's what the Bible says will happen.....
Rev 7:9
“After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands;”

Though there are hundreds of versions and translations of the Bible, the KJV is the most popular. According to market research firm Statistica, as of 2017, more than 31% of Americans read the KJV, with the New International Version coming in second place, at 13%.
I'm not a fan of the NIV...never have been. In fact, my wife and I left a church we helped start in Augusta, GA (Garden City Baptist Church) in 1985 because the pastor deceptively employed its use. 

I agree. I don't have $2 for a cup of coffee either. We make ours at home. My brother and his wife in Riverside, FL pay over $5 each for a cup of coffee most mornings, and then several times a day. I don't see how. Now, as to the panhandler, my wife and I would offer to buy him a cup of coffee from Mcdonald's or Burger King, but, there's NO WAY I would put money into his hand if I witnessed what you say you did. 

Again, it's only SOME churches who fellowship under the name SBC who hold to the idea of the "universal church." My dad and mom were members of an IFB church, and my dad held to the universal church ideology...He also held to the Gap Theory. I can understand his position on the universal church ideology, as everyone who is saved is in the "church" as a whole, and will always be at that particular time. It continues to grow by the second. I may not necessarily agree with his thoughts on it, but, they do make some sense. 
I know of many Independent, Fundamental Baptist churches that are members of a state association...We've lived in Illinois, Indiana, Minnesota, Georgia, and Tennessee, and there are many in each state that are doing this. 
I'm sorry, but, I can't agree with that statement. Rick Warren took the church off track many years ago, and they WERE a great church for many years.

I've never had a problem with accepting the fact that there are three distinct persona's in the Godhead. Remember, our ways aren't God's ways, and our thoughts and understandings are not his. We have a finite mind limited in our understanding of God. Yet, we know that three different entities are mentioned. The Father, The Son, and the Holy Spirit. It starts in Genesis 1. It's these are mentioned in unison in several place throughout Scripture. The Trinity is one of the hardest things in the Bible to explain and to get folks to understand at times. We were always having it explained this way...The Trinity is like an egg...there is the shell, the white, and the yoke...three distinctive, separate parts, but all three still a part of the egg. 

Why would anyone ask this question? I mean, SERIOUSLY....we hold to the Bible as our final authority. If we don't, then there's not really any use to preach any of the rest of the Bible, is there?

There ARE strong SBC churches today...Implications and ACCUSATIONS from IFB preachers who try to imply there aren't are fictitious at best. They paint with the same broad brush that some here paint the SBC churches with. Just as with the IFB churches, just because a church fellowships with the SBC doesn't make them a Southern Baptist Church. The SBC IS NOT a denomination...but a group of churches who cooperate in their quest to get missionaries to the missionfield. No church or organization supported by the SB churches has any say over any other church. They all have their own autonomy. I'll ask the same thing back Morales...how many IFB churches have women preachers, gay marriage and quiet abortions?? You're going to paint yourself into a corner with that wide brush you're using!