CoramDeo2k5's Xanga

Anglican/Episcopal Church

Sat, 08 Dec 2007 14:53:20 GMT

So, I have started to study the Anglican/Epsicopal Church, and may join it. I feel like everything in my life has been leading up to this moment. I also feel like, as a Baptist, I am ending my Protest and coming home. For those of you, my readers, who may not know Baptist history, Baptists split from the Anglican church over the issue of baptism. So, while most Protestants say that becoming Catholic is like coming home, being at a Catholic church, for me, feels like visiting my grandparents. I don't know what else to say about this, I just wanted to get it in writing and out of my head, to share it with someone besides the Episcopal priest who is helping me study. Please, pray for me.

October/December 07 Reading List

Sat, 27 Oct 2007 12:02:07 GMT

Currently Reading

The Doctrine of the Priesthood of Believers by Walter Shurden
Baptist Confessions of Faith by William Lumpkin
Theology for the Community of God by Stanley Grenz
Lord, Teach Me to Pray in 28 Days by Kay Arthur
Proclaiming the Baptist Vision: The Priesthood of All Believers

Want to Read

Hero of Heroes: Seeing Christ in the Beatitudes by Iain M. Duguid
Wild at Heart by John Eldredge
The Beginner's Guide to Intercession by Dutch Sheets
You Are Chosen: The Priesthood of All Believers by Herschel H. Hobbs
Priests to Each Other by Carlyle Marney
The Doctrine of the Laity by Findley B. Edge
A Hunger For God by John Piper
Proclaiming the Baptist Vision: The Bible
Proclaiming the Baptist Vision: The Church
Proclaiming the Baptist Vision: Religious Liberty
Proclaiming the Baptist Vision: Baptism and the Lord's Supper
Introduction to Christianity by Pope Benedict XVI
The Kingdom of God by John Bright
A History of the Baptists by Robert G. Torbet
No More Christian Nice Guy: When Being Nice-Instead of Good-Hurts Men, Women, and Children by Paul Coughlin
Perilous Pursuits: Overcoming Our Obsession with Significance by Joseph M. Stowell
The Prophetic Imagination by Walter Brueggemann
To The Golden Shore: The Life of Adoniram Judson by Courtney Anderson

For those of you who might wonder...any from this list that I don't get finished before the end of December carry over and become the beginning of the next list.

Luke 4:16-21 NRSV

Sat, 20 Oct 2007 11:26:23 GMT

"When he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, he went to the synagogue on the sabbath day, as was his custom. He stood up to read, and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written:

'The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor.'

And he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant, and sat down. The eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. Then he began to say to them, 'Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.'"

A cryptic post, I know. More later.

Sermon Video! "Gotta Have Faith"

Sat, 01 Sep 2007 14:12:27 GMT

This is a video of one of my sermons at First Baptist Church of Norwalk, Ohio. Please let me know what you think.

Also, noel, I'll get back to you later on in the day, I do not intend on letting your question go unanswered.

Part 1 Scripture and Beginning to Middle

Part 2 Middle to End

Forgive the Big Adobe Symbol in the right-hand corner...hadn't yet purchased the program and was using a trial

The Priesthood of All Believers

Thu, 30 Aug 2007 22:09:58 GMT

Number 1 -- August 30, 2007
Experienced Religion

Baptists have always believed in experienced religion. That is, Baptists have always believed that people must encounter Christ for themselves and make their own profession of faith. This belief, which is one of the patches that forms the beautiful quilt of the priesthood of all believers, leads us to affirm a regenerate church membership and believers baptism by immersion.

A regenerate church membership simply means that in order to be a member of a Baptist church you must've made a profession of faith in Christ and be baptized. It is important to note that you must make the profession of faith before you are baptized. This leads me to my next point. Baptists affirm believers baptism by immersion. What that means is that we only baptize those who have made a profession of faith in Christ, which arises from the Baptist understanding that baptism is a public proclamation of the fact that you have accepted Christ as your personal Lord and Savior, a very private thing. We also baptize by fully immersing the person being baptized, as this is the method that most captures the symbolism of baptism. That is dieing to your old self (being lowered into the water) and raised to new life in Christ (being raised from the water). What beautiful symbolism!

So, in short, we believe that each person must accept Christ of their own free will, and that they must then be baptized in order to join the membership of the church.

God created us for relationship with Him.

Fri, 03 Aug 2007 12:42:46 GMT

Simple premise, simple thought today.

God created us for relationship with Him. This, in essence, is why all men worship something, whether they like to admit it or not. This is, in essence why there are no atheists in foxholes. This is why when people are hurting or sick, they start to want for God. Deep down all men know that there is a God. Deep down all men know that we were created to live in relationship with this God. God created us for relationship with Him.

Think about that. And please, continue to pray for me. Life isn't easy right now, and your prayers will help.

Brandon

Pray for Me...

Wed, 01 Aug 2007 16:27:35 GMT

I haven't blogged in quite some time.

Actually, I've been really busy, just living life and being alive.

Please pray for me. I need prayer.

I hope to begin to share with everyone again, but for now, I just need prayer.

Pray for me, and I'll pray for you too. 'Cause that's what community is about

Presenting...The How Much Do You Know About Me Quiz

Wed, 21 Mar 2007 10:03:49 GMT

1. What's my name?

2. When's my b-day?

3. Who is my best friend?

4. What denomination am I?

5. Am I a Calvinist or an Arminian?

6. Covenant or Dispensationalist?

7. Premillenialist or Preterist?

8. Am I a liberal or a conservative theologically?

9. Am I a liberal or a conservative politically?

10. What's my favorite T.V. Show?

11. What's my favorite Movie?

12. Where do I work currently?

13. Where do I live currently?

14. What is the air speed velocity of an unladen swallow?

15. What specifically do I do at my workplace?

16. Can you name some people who have influenced me?

17. What is it that annoys me most?

18. What do I like the most?

19. Do I like dessert with my meals?

20. Do I drink alcoholic beverages?

See if you can get 20 out of 20, go for it! Good Luck!

The "Essentials of the Faith"

Sat, 17 Feb 2007 15:52:44 GMT

What do the "essentials" of Christian faith consist of? What, if anything does God require us to believe in order to be Christians? What do you think?

My thoughts later...

Upcoming: Thoughts on Romans.

Brandon

Questions, questions, questions

Thu, 14 Dec 2006 02:13:28 GMT

I've been lost in thought lately about several different things, and I'm questioning some things. No, I am not questioning the essentials of the faith, nor am I turning away from the faith, but I am again struggling with certain things...I will put them in writing here as soon as I can formulate the questions in ways where I can type them coherently. There's only one I can put into writing right now:

Can believers be sanctified entirely in this life? What is your Biblical support for what your thoughts on this?

Please let me know what you think.