Josh:

Tim Rogers was at the North Carolina SB meeting.
He expressed his er, concern a lesbian would be allowed at the mike.

“…never in my wildest dreams have I ever thought that we would be sitting, listening to the address of a practicing homosexual. Not only did that shock me, but we were hearing that we were mis-applying scripture if we did not affirm this church.”

I understand from his second post she quoted John 3:16. I’m sure he has sat in many a meeting listening to someone in the closet without his thoughts wandering. At any rate the attendees dutifully preached repentance. I doubt they get the opportunity that often.

“…The messengers listened to the appeal from this deacon and her Pastor. When it came time to respond from the convention floor the messengers stepped to the microphone and graciously responded. Brother David Martin from First Baptist Cary lovingly and passionately pleaded the case for repentance and becoming a new creature. Never condemning this precious lady, but openly admonishing her to repent from her lifestyle.”

http://rebekah1.wordpress.com/2007/11/12/it-is-going-to-get-interesting/

God bless Myers Park church indeed. That took courage.

Amen, Shadrach, may God bless you over there in Niger.

I happen to live in Niger, West Africa where we see spiritual battles on a daily basis. We see demonic possessions and true filling of the Holy Spirit, but each time they follow patterns set exactly from scripture. That is thing, Josh. God doesn’t change. Just as you cannot separate a man from his word, you cannot separate God from His Word. To call the Bible “a collection of ancient hallowed writings” is to call God an ancient hallowed god.

Biblically and in this life we see the Holy Spirit fall on those who place all former sins behind and no longer follow in them. To say that the Holy Spirit will manifest Himself in those living in sin is to call God a liar and last time I checked, there wasn’t any denomination that was going to stick with you on that one.

I appreciate what MP is trying to do. I hope they do not fall into the pit they have started toward of not being able to uphold any absolute moral guidelines. I really pray their message of Christ will lead many to repentance, but the church cannot be a place where people come to hear ‘it’s okay to be a sinner. Just say this prayer and we’ll take care of the rest.’

So, as MP signed out of their convention, I will sign out of this conversation.

The Bible is the ONLY way we know the Truth of God. Everything else is just our opinions. My vote goes for the Rock of eternity, not the quicksand of modern morality.

I notice “dh” couldn’t even listen to Pastor Shoemaker’s testimony:

“And we, like Peter in the Book of Acts, have overcome our original resistance to the inclusion of gay and lesbian persons as Peter overcame his resistance to accepting Gentiles into the people of God. He saw the Holy Spirit fall upon the Gentiles, he saw God working in their lives and said:

“’If then God gave them the same gift that He gave us when we believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could hinder God?’”

When even Southern Baptists can notice that the Holy Spirit falls upon Gay people, as many other churches have also discovered, it’s GAME OVER for the anti-Gay crowd.

The message here is to worship God, not the Holy Book about God. The first is genuine worship, while the second is pure idolatry. God cannot be contained by even the best and truest Book. It is God’s Holy Spirit we must first attend to, not a collection of ancient hallowed writings.

God bless Myers Park Baptist Church. Those whom God has joined together let no one put asunder.

Myers Park Church honoured and participated fully in the NCBC process, the public letter posted above was their goodbye. Good on them.

Sorry; evangelicals who believe the Bible is infallible think Meyers Point is weakening the Gospel process of admission of sin, repentance, and salvation in order to make themselves more culturally appropriate.

The method of their leaving the convention is indeed sad, but when people choose to abondon the Bible, they have chosen to abandon the only true foundation we have. We, as the greater SBC cannot affirm such actions. The NCBC did the right thing.

And evangelicals who believe the bible is infallible think what Myers Point did and said is reflecting what Jesus Christ came for.

Meyers Park has left the convention, SBC leadership doesn’t have to concern themselves with ‘those’ sinners anymore.

Man, what a great exit they made.

The point is that Baptists believe in the inerrancy of the Bible. As I said before, not matter what faith background you come from, it is impossible to defend any moral position as absoute without an inerrant scripture. So if Baptists chose not to follow the Bible, they will be removed from fellowship. It seems like this is Baptist identity to the fore, but it is actually the Bible to the fore.

We have many members who do not know how to respond in lovingkindness, because homosexuality is a ‘hot’ topic among Baptists, but in the end, they are defending the Bible.

Baptists SHOULD withdraw fellowship from any member who continues to live a lifestyle of sin. That is any sin, from homosexuality to refusing to observe the Sabbath.

Jesus didn’t condemn homosexuals, I don’t think he even mentioned them. He didn’t condemn prostitutes either, or women.

Sorry dh, I am not being kind. From outside the US homophobic condemnation and shunning from all things evangelical and rejection of certain lifestyles just doesn’t cut it.

God will be the judge - the US attitude vs. other Christians outside that circle.

Personally I’d rather be a light in the darkness than the earthly judge of anyone of any persuasion.