Welcome to The Prophet Daniel’s Report. This is report #672.

My name is Daniel Whyte III here to remind you that Jesus Christ is coming back soon and that you need to be prepared. This broadcast is not about predictions, nor is it about setting dates as some foolishly have done, however it is all about preparation.

First, today, let’s look at some Signs of His Coming in the news.

The disciples asked Jesus in Matthew 24:3, “What shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?” Jesus Christ gave them (and us) clear signs that show us when we can begin to expect to see the Coming of the Lord and the end of the world. Looking at world events through the lens of the Word of God, let’s look at some headlines from today’s news that point to the Second Coming of the Lord Jesus Christ.

First, today, under the Sign category of DISTRESS & PERPLEXITY AMONG PEOPLE — According to NBC News, The coronavirus epidemic has had a ripple effect on some of the world’s busiest cities, with fears of the highly contagious virus emptying cafes, public squares and streets in China, South Korea, Japan and Italy, among other countries. The streets of Seoul, the South Korean capital, stood nearly empty this week. Those who do venture out wear masks. In Japan, which has seen more than 250 cases — not including the passengers on the Diamond Princess cruise ship — and 12 deaths, TV stations are airing continuous coverage on the virus. In Milan, Italy’s business capital and the center of the country’s outbreak, restaurants, bars and train stations are much less crowded than normal. Italy is the worst-hit country in Europe, with more than 1,800 cases of coronavirus and 52 deaths. France, Germany and Spain each have over 100 cases, and the United Kingdom has 40.

Second, today, under the Sign category of WARS & RUMOURS OF WARS — According to Breaking Israel News, Mesut Hakki Casin [MES-UT HAH-KEE KAY-SIN], a prominent member of Turkey’s Security and Foreign Policy Board, who advises Erdogan, said: “We have fought Russia 16 times in the past, and we will fight it again.“ Casin [KAY-SIN] made his statements following the death of 33 Turkish soldiers who were killed in an airstrike by Russian-backed Syrian forces in Idlib. The official hinted that they will use Muslims inside Russia to assist them with their efforts saying that Moscow “will be shattered from inside” should a war break out between the two countries. Following a request from Ankara, NATO convened an urgent meeting to review the situation in Idlib. Turkish officials vowed to retaliate against Syria following the attack on their troops.

Third, today, under the Sign category of PESTILENCES & FATAL EPIDEMIC DISEASES — According to The Jerusalem Post, With at least 50,000 people in quarantine, the Israeli Health Ministry expanded its list of restrictive orders, which will likely lead to thousands more Israelis going into home isolation. By some reports, as many as 100,000 people are currently in isolation. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said, “We have to understand, we are in the midst of a global epidemic, the most dangerous of these epidemics in the last 100 years.” He said that Israel is in one of the best positions of any Western country. “We had to take tough, even very rigid steps to slow the spread of the disease in Israel, and indeed it did. Today we will take similar steps, dozens more steps.” Those steps include that a person returning to the country from France, Germany, Switzerland, Spain or Austria will be required to enter 14 days of quarantine.

——-

Now, it’s time for Prophecy Bootcamp.

Prophecy Bootcamp is where we deal with the basics of prophecy, the Second Coming of Christ, and what will happen in the future according to the Bible. Our aim here is not to make predictions but to help you get prepared by understanding how things will unfold in the end times.

Our topic for today is titled “Interpreting the Bible Literally, Part 1” from Tim LaHaye and Ed Hindson’s book “The Essential Guide to Bible Prophecy.”

One of the most important keys to studying Bible prophecy is to interpret the text literally. One of the basic rules of biblical interpretation is this: If the literal sense makes good sense, seek no other sense, lest it result in nonsense. When evangelical Christians read the Bible, we take literally its statements about Jesus’ birth in Bethlehem, His ministry in Galilee, and His miracles of healing the sick and raising the dead. We believe He was literally crucified and buried and that He literally rose from the dead. So why shouldn’t we believe He will literally come back one day?

We understand, of course, that the Bible sometimes uses figurative language. For example, Jesus is called the Lamb of God 28 times in the book of Revelation. This does not mean that He is a literal lamb. The term “Lamb,” in reference to Christ, is intended to give us a symbolic picture of Christ as our atoning sacrifice. But the symbolic use of “Lamb” does not eliminate the literal truth of Christ as our atoning sacrifice.

Prophecy scholar Paul N. Benware provides us with some very important additional principles to help us interpret prophecy literally.

Lord willing, we will continue looking at this topic in our next podcast.

In closing, let’s consider what God wants you and I to do in light of His Second Coming.

Jesus Christ said in Luke 19:13 to “Occupy till I come.” In light of that, we are continuing our journey through the book, “Coming Events and Present Duties,” by J.C. Ryle. It is a collection of what he called “prophetic tracts” that focus on the believer’s duty in light of the signs which point to the Second Coming of Jesus Christ.

This section is titled, “Idolatry to be Destroyed at Christ’s Coming” (Part 5). J.C. Ryle writes:

This is that sin, remember, which God has especially denounced in His Word. One commandment out of ten is devoted to the prohibition of it. None of all the ten contain such a solemn declaration of His character and His judgments against the disobedient: “I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate Me.” None, perhaps, of all the ten is so emphatically repeated and amplified, and especially in the fourth chapter of the book of Deuteronomy.

This is the sin of all others which has brought down the heaviest judgments on the visible Church. It brought on Israel the armies of Egypt, Assyria, and Babylon. It scattered the ten tribes, burned up Jerusalem, and carried Judah and Benjamin into captivity. It brought on the Eastern Churches, in later days, the overwhelming flood of the Saracenic invasion, and turned many a spiritual garden into a wilderness. The desolation which reigns where Cyprian and Augustine once preached–the living death in which the Churches of Asia Minor and Syria are buried–are all attributable to this sin. All testify to the same great truth which the Lord proclaims in Isaiah, “My glory will I not give to another.”

If the Lord tarries His Coming and we live, we will continue looking at this topic in our next broadcast/podcast.

……..
CLOSING PRAYER
…….

Remember the words of the Lord in Matthew 24:42: “Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.” Matthew 24:44 says, “Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.”

If you are not ready for the Return of Jesus Christ, may I encourage you to get ready today by receiving Him as your Savior. Here is how:

First, accept the fact that you are a sinner, and that you have broken God’s law. The Bible says in Romans 3:23: “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.”

Second, accept the fact that there is a penalty for sin. The Bible states in Romans 6:23: “For the wages of sin is death…” Third, accept the fact that you are on the road to hell. Jesus Christ said in Matthew 10:28: “And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.” Also, the Bible states in Revelation 21:8: “But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.”

Now that is bad news, but here is the good news. Jesus Christ said in John 3:16: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” Just believe in your heart that Jesus Christ died for your sins, was buried, and rose from the dead by the power of God for you so that you can live eternally with Him. Pray and ask Him to come into your heart today, and He will.

Romans 10:9-13 says, “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

Keep looking up for your redemption draweth nigh. Let us join in the prayer of John the Revelator — “Even so, come, Lord Jesus.” God bless you.

All Content & Images are provided by the acknowledged source

This is Daniel Whyte III, president of Gospel Light Society International, with the History of Christianity Podcast #166, titled, “Augustine of Hippo (Part 7): Minister and Theologian of the Western Church (Part 2).”

When I became a believer in Jesus Christ, I somehow had the false idea that Christianity began when I got saved. I had no concept of the hundreds of years of history that Christianity had gone through since the time of Jesus Christ over 2,000 years ago. I have found that many believers, young and old, have the same false idea. The purpose of this broadcast is to dispel this notion by sharing with listeners the history of Christianity from the ministry of Jesus Christ all the way up until the present day in an easy-to-understand format. You don’t have to worry: this is not a lecture. This is a look at the basic facts and figures of Christian history that every believer and every person needs to be aware of.

Our Scripture for today is John 1:12-13 which reads: “But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.”

Our History of Christianity quote today is from Augustine. He said: “Free will without grace has the power to do nothing but sin.”

Today, in the History of Christianity, we are looking at “Augustine of Hippo (Part 7): Minister and Theologian of the Western Church (Part 2)” from Dr. Justo L. Gonzalez’s fine book, The Story of Christianity (Volume 1).

This was important in order to be able to solve the difficulties having to do with the origin of evil. Augustine insisted that there is only one God, whose goodness is infinite. How, then, can one explain the existence of evil? By simply affirming that the will is created by God, and is therefore good, but that the will is capable of making its own decisions. It is good for the will to be free, even though this means that such a free will can produce evil. The origin of evil, then, is to be found in the bad decisions made by both human and angelic wills–those of the demons, who are fallen angels. Thus, Augustine was able to affirm both the reality of evil and the creation of all things by a good God.

This, however, does not mean that evil is ever a thing. Evil is not a substance, as the Manichaeans [MAH-NEE-KEE-AHNS] implied when speaking of it as the principle of darkness. It is a decision, a direction, a negation of good.

Another movement that Augustine had to refute was Donatism [DOH-NAYT-ISM]. The reader will remember that this movement centered in North Africa, where Augustine was now a pastor. Therefore, throughout his career Augustine had to deal with the various issues raised by the Donatists [DOH-NAYT-ISTS]. One of these was the question of whether ordinations conferred by unworthy bishops were valid. To this, Augustine responded that the validity of any rite of the church does not depend on the moral virtue of the person administering it. If it were so, Christians would live in constant doubt as to the validity of their baptism. No matter how unworthy the celebrant, the rite is still valid, although obviously the celebrant is at fault. On this point, most of the Western church through the centuries has agreed with Augustine, whose views on the church and on the validity of sacraments became normative in the West.

It was also in trying to deal with the Donatist [DOH-NAYT-IST] issue that Augustine developed his Just War Theory. As has already been said, some Donatists [DOH-NAYT-ISTS]–the circumcellions–had turned to violence. The entire movement had social and economic roots of which Augustine was probably not aware. But he was certain that the depredations of the circumcellions must cease. He thus came to the conclusion that a way may be just, but that in order for it to be so certain conditions must be fulfilled. The first is that the purpose of the war must be just–a war is never just when its purpose is to satisfy territorial ambition, or the mere exercise of power. The second condition is that a just war must be waged by properly instituted authority. This seemed necessary in order to prevent personal vendettas. In later centuries, however, this principle would be applied by the powerful in order to claim that they had the right to make war on the powerless, but that the powerless could not make war on them. Actually, this could already be seen in the case of the circumcellions, who according to Augustine did not have the right to wage war on the state, whereas the state had the right to wage war on them. Finally, the third rule–and the most important one to Augustine–is that, even in the midst of the violence that is a necessary part of war, the motive of love must be central.

It was, however, against the Pelagians [PELL-AY-JEE-UNS] that Augustine wrote his most important theological works. Pelagius [PELL-AY-JEE-US] was a monk from Britain who had become famous for his piety and austerity. He saw the Christian life as a constant effort through which one’s sins could be overcome and salvation attained. Pelagius [PELL-AY-JEE-US] agreed with Augustine that God has made us free, and that the source of evil is in the will. As he saw matters, this meant that human beings always have the ability to overcome their sin. Otherwise, sin would be excusable.

Next time, we will continue looking at “Augustine of Hippo.”

Let’s pray.

—PRAYER—

Dear friend, simply knowing the facts about Christian history without knowing the One on Whom this faith is based will do you no good. If you do not believe on the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior, may I encourage you to get to know Him today. John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” Just believe in your heart that Jesus Christ died for your sins, was buried, and rose from the dead by the power of God for you so that you can be a part of the church in this life and in the life to come. Pray and ask Him to come into your heart today, and He will. Romans 10:13 says, “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

Until next time, remember that history is truly His story.

All Content & Images are provided by the acknowledged source

… Read More

Click here to read the rest of the story from our content source/partners – Christian Headlines.

قالب وردپرس

This is Daniel Whyte III, president of Gospel Light Society International with the Whyte House Family Devotional Reading of Charles Spurgeon’s Morning and Evening podcast. This is Episode #53.

Charles Spurgeon was a prominent English Particular Baptist preacher. He was very influential among the Christians of various denominations during his age and even today, and is commonly called the “Prince of Preachers”. After some time of alternately searching for God and running from God, he had a powerful encounter which led him to give his life to Christ. Spurgeon was only 16 when he preached his first sermon and he began publishing books shortly afterward. At the time of his death, he had preached nearly 3,600 sermons and published 49 volumes of commentaries, sayings, anecdotes, illustrations and devotions. Spurgeon said, “encouraging thoughts are like honey to the heart”, and wrote this devotional in hopes that its uplifting messages for each day of the year would bring comfort and refreshment to our walk with God. He was inspired by Isaiah 50:4 which reads, “He wakeneth morning by morning. He wakeneth mine ear to hear as the learned” and Psalm 63:5-6 which says, “My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness; and my mouth shall praise thee with joyful lips; when I remember Thee upon my bed, and meditate on Thee in the night watches.”

John 1:16 reads: “And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace.”

These words tell us that there is a fulness in Christ. There is a fulness of essential Deity, for “in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead.” There is a fulness of perfect manhood, for in him, bodily, that Godhead was revealed. There is a fulness of atoning efficacy in his blood, for “the blood of Jesus Christ, his Son, cleanseth us from all sin.” There is a fulness of justifying righteousness in his life, for “there is therefore now no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus.” There is a fulness of divine prevalence in his plea, for “He is able to save to the uttermost them that come unto God by him; seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.” There is a fulness of victory in his death, for through death he destroyed him that had the power of death, that is the devil. There is a fulness of efficacy in his resurrection from the dead, for by it “we are begotten again unto a lively hope.” There is a fulness of triumph in his ascension, for “when he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and received gifts for men.” There is a fulness of blessings of every sort and shape; a fulness of grace to pardon, of grace to regenerate, of grace to sanctify, of grace to preserve, and of grace to perfect. There is a fulness at all times; a fulness of comfort in affliction; a fulness of guidance in prosperity. A fulness of every divine attribute, of wisdom, of power, of love; a fulness which it were impossible to survey, much less to explore. “It pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell.” Oh, what a fulness must this be of which all receive! Fulness, indeed, must there be when the stream is always flowing, and yet the well springs up as free, as rich, as full as ever. Come, believer, and get all thy need supplied; ask largely, and thou shalt receive largely, for this “fulness” is inexhaustible, and is treasured up where all the needy may reach it, even in Jesus, Immanuel—God with us.

PRAY.

Thank you for listening to the Morning and Evening podcast. If you do not know the Lord as your Savior, here is how you can be saved from Hell and walk with the Lord morning and evening until you go to that wonderful place called Heaven when you die:

First, accept the fact that you are a sinner, and that you have broken God’s law. The Bible says in Romans 3:23: “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.”

Second, accept the fact that there is a penalty for sin. The Bible states in Romans 6:23: “For the wages of sin is death…”

Third, accept the fact that you are on the road to hell. Jesus Christ said in Matthew 18:8: “Wherefore if thy hand or thy foot offend thee, cut them off, and cast them from thee: it is better for thee to enter into life halt or maimed, rather than having two hands or two feet to be cast into everlasting fire.” Also, the Bible states in Revelation 21:8: “But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.”

Now that is bad news, but here’s the good news. Jesus Christ said in John 3:16: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” Just believe in your heart that Jesus Christ died for your sins, was buried, and rose from the dead by the power of God for you so that you can live eternally with Him. Pray and ask Him to come into your heart today, and He will.

Romans 10:9 & 13 says, “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved… For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

If you believe that Jesus Christ died on the Cross for your sins, was buried, and rose from the dead, and you want to trust Him for your Salvation today, please pray with me this simple prayer: Holy Father God, I realize that I am a sinner and that I have done some bad things in my life. I am sorry for my sins, and today I choose to turn from my sins. For Jesus Christ sake, please forgive me of my sins. I believe with all of my heart that Jesus Christ died for me, was buried, and rose again. I trust Jesus Christ as my Savior and I choose to follow Him as Lord from this day forward. Lord Jesus, please come into my heart and save my soul and change my life today. Amen.

If you believed in your heart that Jesus Christ died on the Cross, was buried, and rose again, allow me to say, congratulations on doing the most important thing in life and that is accepting Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour! For more information to help you grow in your newfound faith in Christ, go to Gospel Light Society.com and read “What To Do After You Enter Through the Door”. Jesus Christ said in John 10:9, “I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.”

If you accepted Jesus Christ as your Savior today, please email me at [email protected] and let us know. There is some free material that we want to send you. If you have a prayer request, please e-mail that to us as well, and we will pray for you until you tell us to stop.

God loves you. We love you. And may God bless you.

All Content & Images are provided by the acknowledged source

This is Daniel Whyte III president of Gospel Light Society International with The Scripture & the Sense Podcast #439, where I read the Word of God and give the sense of it based on an authoritative commentary source such as the Bible Knowledge Commentary or Matthew Henry Commentary. This podcast is based upon Nehemiah 8:8 where it says Ezra and the Levites “read in the book in the law of God distinctly, and gave the sense, and caused them to understand the reading.” The aim of this podcast is that through the simple reading of the Word of God and the giving of the sense of it, the church would be revived and the world would be awakened.

Today we are reading Amos 4:2-3.

2 The Lord God hath sworn by his holiness, that, lo, the days shall come upon you, that he will take you away with hooks, and your posterity with fishhooks.

3 And ye shall go out at the breaches, every cow at that which is before her; and ye shall cast them into the palace, saith the Lord.
________

That was Amos 4:2-3. Now here is the sense of it.

The Bible Knowledge Commentary reads:

In order to show the vehemence of His anger and the certainty of their punishment, the sovereign Lord had sworn by His holiness that every one of these society women would be dragged from the city either to captivity or to death. God had vowed the entire reality of His inmost being to this unchangeable sentence. An enemy would storm and capture the city. The destruction would be so thorough and the breaks in the wall so numerous that each woman, rather than going with others toward an exit gate, would simply be pushed straight out of the city. Once outside they would be fastened to ropes with hooks for a single-file march into Assyrian exile. Those who balked or refused to be led away would be forcibly snagged with large harpoons or fishhooks, much like fish pierced together and jerked over one’s shoulder to be carried to market. Yanked in such manner, they eventually would be cast out as corpses as the march neared Harmon. “Harmon” may refer to Hermon, a mountain at the northern tip of the Bashan region on the way to Assyria. If so, an awful irony would attach to their fate: the “cows of Bashan” would end as carrion in Bashan!
____________

Thank you for listening to the Scripture & The Sense Podcast. Remember to read the Word of God each and every day and pray without ceasing to God for wisdom to understand it and apply it to your life. Most importantly, believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved. Please stay tuned for a complete presentation of the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ so that you can get your soul saved from Hell to that wonderful place called Heaven when you die. May God bless you and keep you is my prayer.

All Content & Images are provided by the acknowledged source

… Read More

Click here to read the rest of the story from our content source/partners – Christian Headlines.

قالب وردپرس

… Read More

Click here to read the rest of the story from our content source/partners – Christian Headlines.

قالب وردپرس

MOSCOW (AP) – Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday backed a proposed constitutional amendment that would allow him to seek re-election after his current term ends in 2024, ending uncertainty about his future. 
  
Putin gave his support to the amendment put forward by lawmaker Valentina Tereshkova, who as a Soviet cosmonaut in 1963 became the first woman to fly to space. She proposed either scrapping Russian’s two-term limit for presidents or resetting the clock so Putin’s four terms wouldn’t count.
  
Lawmakers in the Kremlin-controlled State Duma quickly endorsed Tereshkova’s proposal, along with a sweeping set of constitutional changes proposed by Putin.
  
In a speech to lawmakers Tuesday, Putin spoke against scrapping presidential term limits altogether but backed the idea that if the constitution is revised, the two-term limit only would apply from 2024 on. The president’s current six-year term expires in 2024.
  
Putin, 67, has been in power for more than 20 years, becoming Russia’s longest-serving leader since Soviet dictator Josef Stalin. After serving two presidential terms in 2000-2008, he shifted to the Russian prime minister’s office while protege Dmitry Medvedev served as a placeholder president. 
  
Putin reclaimed the presidency in 2012 and won another term in 2018.
  
A series of constitutional amendments Putin proposed in January were widely seen by Kremlin foes as part of his efforts to stay in power. However, it wasn’t clear until Tuesday how Putin could achieve that goal.
  
Observers had speculated that Putin could use the changes to scrap term limits; move into the prime minister’s seat with strengthened powers; or continue calling the shots as the head of the State Council.
  
He rejected all those options and finally revealed his cards Tuesday after Tereshkova, a legendary figure widely revered for her pioneering space flight, offered her ideas. 
  
“I propose to either lift the presidential term limit or add a clause that after the revised constitution enters force, the incumbent president, just like any other citizen, has the right to seek the presidency,” she said to a raucous applause. 
  
After Tereshkova spoke, Putin quickly came to parliament to address lawmakers.
  
He said he was aware of public calls for him to stay on as president and emphasized that Russia needs stability above all.
  
“The president is a guarantor of security of our state, its internal stability and evolutionary development,” Putin said. “We have had enough revolutions.”
  
However, he said that since the constitution is a long-term document, scrapping the term limit wasn’t a good idea.
  
Then he dropped the bombshell, saying he positively viewed Tereshkova’s alternate proposal to restart the term count when the revamped constitution enters force.
  
“As for the proposal to lift restrictions for any person, including the incumbent, to allow running in elections, this option is possible,” Putin said.
  
He added that the Constitutional Court would need to judge if the move would be legal, although the court’s assent is all but guaranteed.
  
Putin’s statement came as lawmakers were considering the amendments in a crucial second reading when changes in the document are made.
  
The Kremlin-controlled lower house, the State Duma, quickly endorsed the proposed amendments by a 382-0 vote with 44 abstentions. A vote on a third reading will be a quick formality. A nationwide vote on the proposed amendments is set for April 22.

Copyright 2020 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
 

All Content & Images are provided by the acknowledged source

If anyone had looked at a map of Southern Baptist church plants in Boston just 15 years ago, there would have been just two. And the city’s spiritual desert extends far beyond just Southern Baptists. According to a Barna Research study from 2017, of the least-churched cities in America, Boston is fourth (and Springfield, Mass., just an hour and a half away is third).

David Butler, the North American Mission Board’s Send City missionary in Boston, says Christians for decades have prayed for new, Bible-believing churches in the city that was once North America’s spiritual epicenter. For much of those decades, God seemed slow to respond to the prayers.

Although there is still a long way to go, in the last decade, a small miracle seems to be emerging among Southern Baptists in Boston. Today, Boston Southern Baptists have 74 active church plants — nearly 40 times the number just 15 years ago.

“Some of the things that are happening in Boston right now — and not just in our tribe — are unprecedented,” Butler said. “How can you explain that a son of a Russian-born dissident now leads a church of 500 to 600 and meets every Sunday in the largest Jewish synagogue in Boston? How do you explain how a pastor of a mega-church in Southern California, filled with the call of God, moves his family here with along with a couple of other families? And now, with a very entrepreneurial spirit, they’ve opened up four or five different coffee shops and each one of them is an outpost for the Gospel, as well as a place for a church plant.”

Today, the narrative is changing in Beantown — and throughout New England — for Southern Baptists. More than four out of 10 Southern Baptist congregations in New England have been started since 2010. More than a third of baptisms in the Baptist Convention of New England came from churches Southern Baptists have started in the last decade.

But Butler says there is still much work to do. He notes that, despite the gains of the last decade, Southern Baptists only have churches in 52 of the 297 communities, neighborhoods, and towns in the Greater Boston area. New England Southern Baptists are praying to start 300 new churches in the city by the time Boston turns 400 in 2030.

Southern Baptists aren’t setting significant church-planting goals only in Boston. Last month, when SBC Executive President Ronnie Floyd unveiled his Vision 2025 plan, it included a bold goal of adding 6,000 churches, or 1,200 per year, to the Southern Baptist Convention in the next five years.

In an article by Floyd last month, he noted that most years the 1,200 new churches would include 750 church plants, 50 new campuses added by multi-site churches and 400 new churches affiliating with the SBC.

The goal came from the North American Mission Board, which has the SBC assignment for assisting Southern Baptist churches in planting new churches. NAMB President Kevin Ezell says the goal is needed to keep up with population growth in North America and the attrition facing Southern Baptist churches.

“Achieving that goal will be a challenge,” Ezell said. “It will require the efforts of all Southern Baptists.”

In 2018, the last year of updated statistics, Southern Baptists planted 624 new churches. Sixty-two percent of those churches were either non-Anglo or multi-ethnic. Another 254 churches began cooperating with the SBC that year.

Since launching Send North America at the 2011 SBC Annual Meeting in Phoenix, NAMB has prioritized partnering with new church plants outside of the Southeast, where most Southern Baptist churches reside. NAMB has particularly focused on 32 strategic “Send Cities,” like Boston, and three strategic areas (collegiate communities, military communities and Puerto Rico).

Ezell says the biggest challenge Southern Baptists will face in trying to add 1,200 churches in five years is finding enough qualified church planting missionaries.

“We could plant a hundred more churches if we had the planters to do it,” Ezell said. “We have fine-tuned our assessment process so that we are sending out qualified missionaries who are ready for the field, but that has meant that the numbers have gone down.

“Quality means more to us than quantity. First, for the sake of spreading the Gospel, we want every church to succeed. But also, these missionaries are real people whose lives and families are deeply affected if they enter the field and discover that they were not prepared for the challenges. And if a church does happen to fail, it might present a bad testimony to the community where that church plant was attempted, often making it that much harder for the next missionary who seeks to reach that community. So there is a lot riding on it.”

To overcome the challenging need for new church planters, NAMB has been helping Southern Baptist churches develop a Multiplication Pipeline, which helps churches “call out the called” and discover new potential church planting team members and equip them to lead.

Source: Baptist Press

All Content & Images are provided by the acknowledged source