Is baptism on the wane?
USA Today finds a decline in baptism, both dunking and sprinkling. But an NLR pastor leads the story.
Every month there's a cheering, weeping, air-horn-tooting celebration at First Assembly of God in North Little Rock, when the Rev. Rod Loy immerses new believers in the baptismal tank."This is a sign that someone understands the ideas of sin and Christ's sacrifice and willfully chooses to be a lifelong follower of Jesus," says the pastor. "So we celebrate it big."



Comments
Airhorns? LOL ... Isn't that what Joshua used when he fit the battle of Jericho and the walls came a'tumblin tumblin' down? Airhorns. My god. Next thing you know, Southern Baptists will have rock quartets in the sanctuary and the dunkin' booth must warm water with those massage jets blowing.
Posted by: Quapaw | April 13, 2006 10:58 AM
why is that man dancing in the water with a young boy?
Posted by: TJ | April 13, 2006 12:02 PM
With the Methodists capitulating to the immoral left, (have you seen their latest promotional ads?) I can understand how USA Today could come up with a story like that. I'd be willing to bet that evangelicals had very little imput into any data that was used to come to this presumption.
I also understand that the goal of the immoral left is not to reach those who are strong in their faith--it is to target the gullible and weak in order tofill them with intolerance and hate.
Posted by: Hunkahillbilly | April 13, 2006 01:15 PM
I've been to First Assembly several times. Rod Loy is a dynamic speaker and preacher. The services are a bit too "praisey" for me but this guy, Rod, has the ability to reach an audience in a positive way regardless of your background. Plus, they have an outstanding outreach program, they go to the inner city on a regular basis and abroad. They're practicing what they preach.
Posted by: Visitor | April 13, 2006 01:57 PM
I'm glad churches make it look fun! The Bible says that there is a party in heaven when one person repents and comes to salvation.
Luke 15:7 (NIV)
I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.
I'm just glad the church is celebrating too!
Posted by: Anonymous | April 13, 2006 02:08 PM
Is there Jagermeister at that party in heaven? Cause that would be cool.
Posted by: dogtownius | April 13, 2006 02:12 PM
I'm having a little problem with my liver again and last night I had a vision around 3 am. God came to me instructions to go throughout the land telling dunking preachers they're not doing it right.
I said, Lord...why did you wait 2 thousand years to pass on this message and why me? He took a long drag from his cigar and said he was a big fan of Bill Maher and so he was making a New Rule.
He also said he originally planned to get a guy from Izard County to make the announcement, but the kid was too busy taking those Internet College Online classes to do it.
But back to the New Rule from the big guy. God said the New Rule is for dunken preachers to hold the new lambs under for a full 10 minutes, not that dunk & chunk method, a full 10 minutes under the water, and no cheating.
Seems there is a whole lot more sins in the blood these days and a quick dip just won't wash them all away. So....attention! Those being baptized must stay under a full 10 spirit-filled minutes or it's no dice.
God then went back to making smoke rings and said he's working on a plan for sprinklin preachers and he'd be in touch. I'm presently getting new tires put on the Buick in preparation to hit the road spreading this New Rule from on high. You could help a feller out by taking a few minutes to talk to your own preacher this Sunday, making sure he or she understands the New Rule. 10 minutes! God's watching!
Sure is hard to make paragraphs in this tiny window. What's the trick?
Posted by: Deathbyinches | April 13, 2006 02:22 PM
This should clear up any questions regarding the party in heaven:
Heaven
lyrics by David Byrne
Everyone is trying to get to the bar.
The name of the bar, the bar is called heaven.
The band in heaven plays my favorite song.
They play it once again, they play it all night long.
Heaven is a place where nothing ever happens.
Heaven is a place where nothing ever happens.
There is a party, everyone is there.
Everyone will leave at exactly the same time.
Its hard to imagine that nothing at all
Could be so exciting, and so much fun.
Heaven is a place where nothing ever happens.
Heaven is a place where nothing ever happens.
When this kiss is over it will start again.
It will not be any different, it will be exactly
The same.
It's hard to imagine that nothing at all
Could be so exciting, could be so much fun.
Heaven is a place where nothing every happens.
Heaven is a place where nothing every happens.
Posted by: TJ | April 13, 2006 02:41 PM
Isn't W a Methodist, Hunkahillbilly?
Posted by: John Wesley | April 13, 2006 03:07 PM
That WOULD explain his outrageous tendency to spend, spend, spend, wouldn't it?
BTW, John Wesley would puke if he saw the state of the movement he founded!
Posted by: hunkahillbilly | April 13, 2006 03:41 PM
"the immoral left is not to reach those who are strong in their faith--it is to target the gullible and weak in order tofill them with intolerance and hate."
Aw, c'mon Hunkbilly libs are just fulfilling the need. Consider:
"I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the LORD do all these things." --Isaiah 45:7
_
Posted by: Wave of Hatred | April 13, 2006 04:05 PM
"I want you to just let a wave of intolerance wash over you. I want you to let a wave of hatred wash over you. Yes, hate is good...Our goal is a Christian nation. We have a Biblical duty, we are called by God, to conquer this country. We don't want equal time. We don't want pluralism.
"When I, or people like me, are running the country, you'd better flee, because we will find you, we will try you, and we will execute you. I mean every word of it. I will make it part of my mission to see to it that they are tried and executed... If we're going to have true reformation in America, it is because men once again, if I may use a worn out expression, have righteous testoserone flowing through their veins. They are not afraid of contempt for their contemporaries. They are not even here to get along. They are here to take over."
- Randall Terry, Founder of Operation Rescue
Posted by: Wave of Hatred | April 13, 2006 04:13 PM
This is not good news. Although Baptism is portrayed as more of a sybolic action, the Bible actually teaches that Baptism is the way one makes contact with the blood of Christ. For it is through Baptism that sins are forgiven (Remitted) Acts 2:38, I Peter 3:21, Acts 22:16
Posted by: Craighead Conservative | April 13, 2006 07:31 PM
DBI, as I was taught typing back in the Middle Ages, at the end of a paragraph one hit the beg lever on the left a couple of good smacks and Voilą” A new paragraph!
On computers, I've found that two whacks at the "Enter" key will do the same trick.
Now if I can just figure out why ALT+133 doesn't produce an "e" with accent grave on this blog.
Good luck, and keep up the good work. I always enjoy your posts and--hope you don't mind--quote you around the water cooler.
Posted by: widj | April 13, 2006 08:07 PM
Oops, I meant "a" etc. That's what I get for typing while listening to the radio.
Posted by: widj | April 13, 2006 08:11 PM
Late-breaking correction. ALT+133 does produce "ą" with the correct accent on the blog, but not on the preview. Odd little quirk, but live-with-able.
Posted by: widj | April 13, 2006 09:06 PM
I think it is an awesome thing to throw a party celebration here on earth when there is a baptism service! After all, when we are baptized in the Church we are declaring our faith in God, and declaring our love for our Church. I attend 1st Assembly faithfully and have been baptized (but at my old Church - Not 1st). I love my Church and the way that we trully love people!
Posted by: Mike Thornton | May 6, 2006 12:23 PM
http://www.la-ringtones.com/mp3/ ringtones site free. Download ringtones FREE, Best free samsung ringtones, Cingular ringtones and more. from website .
Posted by: funny ringtones | August 3, 2006 06:10 AM
You can't be 16804 serious?!?
Posted by: Max Ballstein | August 4, 2006 10:32 AM
Praise God
I am serving Our Lord Christ in Maldives; I am looking for teaching Materials which I can use in Maldives in Muslim Background people, and prayer for the Muslim Nation of Maldives.
May God Bless you.
Posted by: Islam | August 11, 2006 02:54 AM