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A friend's dad was a Baptist preacher. His son said that his dad had to wrap his whisky bottles in brown paper bags before he put them in the trash. The son said "Baptists are like cats, you know they are doing it, but damned if you can catch them at it."

Any time I hear or read something about a megachurch I am reminded of a Heinlein book.

THIS!

For twenty years as an independent adjuster I handled claims for Church Mutual Insurance. Invariably the mega-churches were money factories and very little more, while the poorest little churches in the out of the way places were the real deal. I was always welcomed warmly at the little churches. They usually had much of the congregation there to thank me for "bothering" with their claim. They had food ready and warm handshakes. I was always...ALWAYS...scammed by the mega-churches. On several occasions I was immediately threatened with "I'll get you fired if...".

I had two pencils, a big fat writing one and a very sharp tight writing one. Those in real need got the fat pencil-treatment. For all their threats the megas never accomplished their threats, as hard as some tried.

To say that ALL preachers in megachurches are crooks is a false assumption. Some are crooks, of course, but many got there because they preach a true message and God has blessed them.

It is simpler than it seems. First Baptist Church just means the first Baptist church in a town or at least the first one to take that name. It has nothing to do with any denomination of Baptists, and may be any type of Baptist or an independent. Likewise, Second Baptist Church, etc.

Someone will correct me if this is wrong info, but that has been my understanding for decades.

Certainly Babtist preachers.

i suspect, but don't know for a fact, that the Pastor man business is highly competitive. and plenty of denominations have allowed wimmen to enter the game. so, it's doubly competitive in some cases.

to climb & clamor over rivals to field a church is not as easy as it might appear to the non-adept who choose to walk among us.

climbing to the top level of a church, any church means efforts have been expended along with natural & learned abilities. and i'm pretty sure god has a vote also.

so, to be the head-knocker in charge of the well-being of a mega-church, especially or even in a prosperous community means money can and does flow like wine.

the chief of a mega-church and many mid-level churches can provide a good lifesstyle for their wives, and children, often at the expense of the congregation. i mean, the more a congregation pays/gives, the more likely they will be found just in the eyes of the Almighty. Right? i mean it works that way, doesn't it?

Baptists have a unique claim among denominations outside the Catholic Church, and that is that they didn't branch off of Roman Catholicism, unlike every Protestant denomination. They claim to predate said Reformation.

Amen! Calvin, Amen!

Nail meet hammer.

Well, Christ came as God incarnate because men have fallen natures and sin, a lot. Christians are only men and women who've recognized that truth and received God's offer of redemption through Christ. Their lives should then reflect that change in all they do but they still do sin and fall short, sometimes dramatically so. So Christians are folks whose sins are forgiven but at the same time far, far from perfect.

There's an old theologian (Vernon McGee Th.d) who wrote one time that when the devil found out he couldn't destroy the church (in the first, second centuries A.D. With the despotic Roman emperors), he joined it. In other words since those early centuries, with the development of RC, and Protestantism with its many iterations, there is obviously no shortage of errant doctrine. And that's not to mention that the Bible in its prophetic passages speaks of many "wolves in sheep clothing" in the church and much apostasy in the end times. So, there's that.

One very significant truth from Matthew 7:16-20 states that "by your fruit ye shall know them." While Christians are far from perfect and still sin, there overal "life's body of work" shows a a Christ-like approach to life in as much as a human can do it. However, there are many who call themselves Christians who aren't and while none of us can ever judge a person's heart, their words and actions--their fruit--are open to judgement by anyone with the eyes to see and the ears to hear.

It certainly sounds like that pastor, that church, and those responsible for that Easter service lost focus of the single most important reason for their existence--the life and work (including his death, resurrection, and Ascension) of Jesus Christ. If a pastor and a church will adhere to that and that only all else will usually follow in good time. Even fund raising.

Liberal Heads are going to Explode!



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At the 2:55 mark listen to his comments about the importance Trump puts on Supreme Court Justices.

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Jew Rabbi annointing Trump and comparing him to King Solomon.

Another asks for a strong black man to rise up and stand shoulder to shoulder with Trump to help the black communities. Could that be a reference to Ben Carson as his VP?

I am astounded that folks are not able to sort their lives without help. Further, if help is needed, they choose to not seek out professionals...

Gem from my Grandfather: Baptists are like cats: You KNOW they get out and raise Hell, but you just can't catch 'em at it.

Gem from a preacher friend of mine (NOT Baptist): The Muslims don't recognize the Jews, Jews don't recognize Christians, Catholics don't recognize Protestants, and Baptists don't recognize each other, at Hooters or the liquor store.

I won't go to a church where the preacher doesn't know me and my wife on a first name basis, or where I can't call him or her up and talk to him/her personally about any concern, or meet for lunch on occasion, or to a church where the preacher won't perform my marriage or my funeral (or put another way: he won't marry me or bury me).

Marriage can be a tricky subject in a church. The Bible says to not be unequally yoked. That means that a Christian is not to marry a non-Christian. Many ministers won't marry such a couple as it's forbidden in the Bible.

Jeffress and Trump could give lessons in self-promotion. They have both built careers based solely on that one talent.

I used to work for a devout Baptist.
one of the biggest crooks Ive met.
when he ordered me to lie to a architect to cover his error,I decided it was time to leave.

Stereo types exist for a reason but that being said I try to judge every man on his own fruit. I don't like big churches much but I went to one several times that was amazing. A church in Knoxville tn called Trinity Chapel who's pastor was a messianic jew, best preaching I ever heard, best spirit filled worship I have ever experienced and the people were the most welcoming and sweet people I have ever met.

I was also raised in small baptist Churchs for which I will NEVER attend, ever... So much judgment and pride it is sickening. I don't like very many pastors either, most are arrogant and blind to any thing that they don't understand. Trying to control people with commandments of men NOT God's commandments. Example,,, all the Baptists were so worried about the lottery and selling liqueur by the drink in restaurants in Hamblin co. it was comical. God never took someone's free will away, if these undecerning sheep would pray half as hard for God to impact people's lives as they do against the lottery or alcohol there would be a revival in this county and they won't have to worry about the other stuff, all the while a epidemic of pills and meth are rampid. Funny thing is the very ones who didn't want the lottery are willing to accept scholarships from it for their kids, can't have your cake and eat it too. Bunch of lame sheep.

Organized religion is in pretty bad shape across the board but the more persecution the church gets the closer they will get to God and the more all the bull $hit will fall by the wayside. The muzzies are gonna force christians to actually get close to God and quit playing church.

I found your complaint about "judgment" ironic, in light of all the "judging" you did in this thread.

Am I wrong?