About CBF Online

Posted on May 4, 2011 by admin | Permalink 0

When is the last time you stepped foot in your local Baptist church?  If it’s been awhile, you might be surprised to find out that the Baptists are changing the world, one mission project at a time. This growing denomination has an intense focus on both local and global missions.  They impact the world with thousands of commissioned missionaries.  CBF Online provides you with current events relevant to your local Baptist fellowship and beyond.  Find out what Baptists are doing to impact their culture and reach the people in their neighborhoods with the gospel message of Jesus Christ.  It’s more than a religious tradition with the Baptists.  Keep reading to find out what these churches are all about.

Intro

A Look at Today’s Baptist Beliefs

Posted on March 4, 2011 by admin | Permalink 0

The Baptist denomination is part of the protestant church that believes that Jesus Christ is the Lord and Savior and that salvation (being saved) is through faith in Jesus Christ alone.  The denomination leaves much up to the individual church to determine in ways of beliefs, but they do have some base beliefs connecting them. One belief is the Bible is the Word of God, divinely inspired and is the written authority for being Christian. Believers are able, competent, and should be in a direct relationship with God as well as can read and interpret the scripture. The Bible is to be used to direct the believer in how to live a Christian life, to set morals, practices and direction of the church. A common belief with Baptists that is if the Bible does not say it, then it’s not sufficient enough to be believed, this comes out with their belief in baptism.

They believe that baptisms should be given to adult believers who can rightly take that choice, unlike other Christian denominations that baptize children. They believe it is a symbol and a sacrament but baptism is not necessary for a soul to be saved. They believe that they is a right and assurance to freedom of religion, including worship and opinion.  Part of that belief in religious freedom is that a person’s faith and status of their faith is between God and the individual, again emphasizing the direct relationship between God and the believer.

Baptists believe they need to be Christ’s witnesses to society and there is a strong emphasis on missions and being involved with ministry. They partake in communion (also known as the Eucharist) which is an act of ingesting bread and wine (or juice) as symbol of the body and blood of Christ and the union of Christ and the believer.

According Baptist historian Walter B. Shurden, the donomination breaks these beliefs down into four specific “freedoms”: Soul freedom, church freedom, Bible freedom, and religious freedom. Soul freedom refers to the direct relationship and decision-making capabilities of the believer and their relationship with God. The freedom of the church is that the local church can and should stand without interference from any outside entity, no matter if it’s government or civilian. The Bible freedom, similar to soul freedom, is the right for the believer to read and interpret the Bible on their own without intervention or a religious authority doing so for them. And lastly religious freedom is that an individual has the right to choose, and practice their religion. In the United States this is commonly looked at as the separation of church and state.

Beliefs

Outreach Ideas from Influential Baptists

Posted on February 4, 2011 by admin | Permalink 0

Some key elements to good community outreach is something that will invite or include the community, that will get them to interact with your church or church members, and will leave non-Christians with a positive impression (hopefully wanting to come back!). Outreach can take many different forms and but here are three specific things that would work for almost any community.

Host a Resource or Health Fair. Fairs can be inviting to the non-Christian community and a good chance for the church to serve. Generally they consist of non-profit and local services to have tables of information, free services, kid games and a free lunch. Churches are and used to be a central resource for the surrounding community to go to when they are in need. Through this event the church can be the medium for the community to connect with the resources. Some organizations offer free health services like hearing tests. To add some fun many local cosmetology schools will come out and do free hair or make-up for people. Another place to try for free service is massage therapists, who will give free chair massages to promote their business.

A great way to provide entertainment is to invite groups who perform to come. Parents will come to watch their kids and bring friends, its automatic audience. Some good places to look are dance studios, martial arts studios, local theaters, and cultural centers.

Host a blood drive. 95% of Americans will have been treated with donated blood or blood component by the time they are 72, estimated Blood Source. Congregations get excited and energized with blood drives because it’s easy, most people know and understand the need, and many already give blood. It’s a nice community outreach project because it doesn’t take much time and effort to set up, as most of the work is done by the center, like Blood Source, taking the blood. Congregants will tell their family and friends who usually wouldn’t step foot on church property, and can help break the ice. A banner and community fliers can be done to promote to the community, but the best promotion is the large, recognizable trailer that will be out. Be prepared that generally blood centers require a certain amount of donors signed up before they will book a date with a organization, check with the blood center for their requirements.

Pass out water bottles at bus stops. Passing out water bottles at bus stops is a excellent outreach tool because there is a need for it, especially in the depths of the summer heat, and it can connect your church and volunteers with people who they wouldn’t otherwise. You can also order custom water bottle labels to place on the bottles that have bible scripture, service times, or inviting them to another event the church is hosting.

Outreach

A Quick Look at the Baptist Denomination

Posted on January 15, 2011 by admin | Permalink 0

The Baptist church is a Christian denomination that dates back to 1609 in Amsterdam. The pastor at the first Baptist church was a English Separatist named John Smyth. Primarily seen to be founded out of the disagreement with Puritans (Protestant) beliefs over adults only baptism (which Smyth believed in), there is also a views that says it developed from an extension of the Anabaptist traditions or that it existed since the time of Christ. The first Baptist was established in the USA, in 1639 by Roger Williams.

Currently, the Baptist denomination is said to have 43 million followers worldwide at the turn of the 21st century, and the Baptist World Alliance claims to have more than 150,000 congregations with a total of more than 37 million members.  However there are associations, the Baptist denomination gives the power to the local and individual church to make decisions on things such as religious hierarchy, leadership, and decisions outside the main Baptist beliefs. Because of this autonomy, Baptist churches usually function as a non-denominational churches unless associated with a particular association.

There are two main denomination associations in the United States, the Southern Baptist Convention (also known as the Southern Baptist Church) and the American Baptist Church (also known as the North American Baptist Church). The Baptist denomination primary holds a congregational governance system, that aside from some core beliefs, gives the power and decisions to the individual churches. The Baptist church also recognizes only pastors and deacons as religious leadership (opposed to, say, Priests in the Catholic religion).

The Southern Baptist Convention started in 1845 in Georgia. With currently over 16 million members, the Convention refers to the denomination itself and the annual meeting it hosts. The Convention sponsors about 10,000 home and foreign missionaries, covering 153 nations of the world.

The American Baptist Church claims 43 million members around the world with 5,500 congregations in the United States.

There are associations out of the United States, such as the Baptist World Alliance (BMA). The first Baptist World Congress (meeting) was in 1905 in London, and formed BMA. The BMA currently claims to have 210 Baptist groups as members, which means over 47 million members worldwide. The membership reaches 200 countries.

Because of its worldwide reach and profound influence over the past century, people often recognize Baptist churches for their beliefs in baptism by immersion.  Baptists are known for their teachings that all believers have the opportunity to have a one on one relationship with the Creator God through the intercession of Jesus Christ and his atoning sacrifice on the cross.  If you are searching for a church body that believes in freedom from sin and security for eternity, the Baptist church might just be the place for you.

Miscellaneous

Back to the Basics of Baptist Faith

Posted on June 11, 2012 by admin | Permalink 0

I get asked a lot why I am a Baptist. The questions is simple to answer, but the explanation of the answer is a little more complicated. There is also a lot of differences between Baptists. The whole thing can be boiled down into a few basic principles.

First, there is only One, True and living God. He exists as part of an inseparable triune in the Holy Trinity. The idea of who God is, and how He exists outside of the human concept of time and space. He is holy, sinless, omnipresent, and omnipotent. Baptists also believe that there was a time when man and God communed together. Then there comes another major point to Baptists faith. Sin.

Baptists believe that sin came into the world through the original sin committed in the Garden of Eden. This caused a separation between God and man, because God is holy and at that point man was not. To close this gap between us and Him, man was forced to make sacrifices of animals to pay the price of that sin and the sins they committed daily. This was not perfect or complete. So, God did the unthinkable. He sent His only son to die for the price of all mankind’ sins. Baptist believe all of this.

The person of Jesus Christ came to Earth, lived a sinless life, and died on a cross to make a permanent, all encompassing, payment for the sins of man. Baptists also believe that Christ rose again from the dead and ascended into Heaven. There He remains, but He sent the Holy Spirit, the third part of the Trinity, to Earth to live in the hearts of men who accept the salvation of Christ.

Miscellaneous

The Religious Community’s Vote: Rick Santorum, Mitt Romney, or Ron Paul?

Posted on March 2, 2012 by admin | Permalink 0

The constitution might state that the church and state should be separate, but any candidate running for office will quickly point out that if they don’t have the backing of a few key religious groups, they don’t have a chance of winning an election. Religious groups look for candidate whose lifestyles and political views mirror the group’s beliefs and values. Different religious groups will like different candidates.

Mitt Romney’s Mormon beliefs make him a very interesting political candidate. It’s the first time a Mormon has been in the running to be a serious presidential candidate. The nation’s religious community is divided about how it feels about Mitt Romney. Evangelical voters and voters who claim to be born-again aren’t Romney fans. On the other hand voters who are born again or have evangelical backgrounds love Rick Santorum. Religious support from the voters in both Michigan and Arizona helped Santorum take a very solid second place in the presidential primaries.

Ron Paul is a presidential candidate who has been actively wooing the religious community for several years. He spent years in Iowa talking to right wing evangelists and gathering their support. Although he isn’t a front-runner in the primary votes he could be drawing enough evangelical votes away from Santorum to allow Mitt Romney to win the primaries.

Everyone wants to vote for the candidate who shares the most in common with them. But even individuals who aren’t actively involved with religion and atheists take a candidate’s religious beliefs into account when they cast their vote. A candidate’s religious views and beliefs will impact the way the candidate handles political situations. The religion they practice will influence things like their stance on hot topics including abortion, same sex marriage, and war.

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Better Than the Playstation

Posted on February 14, 2012 by admin | Permalink 0

“I can’t believe my playstation died, dude.,” said Tim. “I know. That sucks, man. I don’t know what I would do without my console.” replied Greg. “You know mass effect 3 just came out, right?”

Tim sighed and pushed his long dark hair behind his ear. “That may have been the only thing that really kept me sane these days.” He smirked. “Well, that and a ton of red bull.”

Greg shook his head and sat down on their raggedy brown couch that smelled oddly like fritos and gasoline. They never could bring themselves to trash the thing. They had gotten when they were freshmen in college and it had not left their possession since. Greg looked up suddenly. “You have a computer right?”

Tim narrowed his brown eyes. “Yeah, but I couldn’t play anything on that old box if I tried.” Greg smirked. “What about going to an online casino? Have you tried Spin and Win?”

“Do I look eighty to you?” Greg shrugged and cleared his throat. “Hate on it all you want. But I love playing Sky Vegas games. In fact, Bet Victor Casino is my guilty pleasure. My dad and me play it all the time. I call him up every Thursday, put the phone on speaker, and play away.”

Tim shrugged. “I don’t know.”

“Just try out. You can thank me later,” said Greg.

And so Tim did. He ended up falling into a calm obsession with playing Scarface Slot in online casinos. Every night after work he’d retreat into his bedroom, plop down into his squeaky chair, and pull himself up to his desk to login at ComeOn Casino.

Tim and Greg aren’t the only ones to be turned on to online casinos either. Young and old, the growing demand for online gaming has created millions upon millions of games. And out of these, online casinos have risen to the forefront as a true contender in the online gaming community. It’s not hard to see why. The world around has become obsessed with the electric oasis that is Las Vegas. Those who have been to Las Vegas always leave wanting to return. And those who have never been wish that they could go.

Online casinos offer a taste of the pure, unadulterated fun that one would experience in a casino from the comforts of home. The lights, the sounds, the music, and of course the games. It’s not hard to see why online casinos are here to stay. So, ask yourself. Have you played yet?

online casinos

Coping with Chronic Pain

Posted on November 20, 2011 by admin | Permalink 0

When you are dealing with chronic pain, it can cause many problems in your day-to-day life. Whether you have pain from an injury, disease, or neurological disorder, finding relief will quickly become a top priority. When prayers go unanswered and you are at the end of your rope, it might be time to talk to your doctor about a new medication called Tramadol.

There are many reasons why a doctor would prescribe you Tramadol. Tramadol is a pain reliever that is used to treat pain that is generally moderate to severe pain. A doctor may prescribe for chronic pain, fibromyalgia, back pain, joint pain, as well as stomach pain, or pain related to surgery. Tramadol seems to work great because it works on the brain and the serotonin levels on the brain as well as helping to ease the pain. Tramadol can be found in pill form most of the time and is generally prescribed in fifty to one hundred milligrams. Taken with a full glass of water this medication tends to work quickly and efficiently taking away the pain very quickly.

Once you have been prescribed Tramadol and given the prescription you will have two different options to get it filled. Your first option is to get it filled at a local pharmacy in your local area. If you choose this option make sure that you call around and see what the pricing is at different stores. Shopping around will allow you to get the best price possible. The second choice is to go online and purchase from an online pharmacy. If you decide to purchase from an online pharmacy you will need to do a few things first.

First of all make sure that it is legal in your local area, and second make sure that you shop around for different pricing. The next thing you will need to do is make sure that the pharmacy that you are considering purchasing from is an actual legitimate pharmacy. Often time’s online places have a tendency to be a scam and take your money and not send you the medication or take your money and send you fake medication. Always check thoroughly and look for website reviews before you make your online purchase with that company. You can also look on sites like the Better Business Bureau or you can Google the company.

Once you find the best company to buy your Tramadol online from you can begin your purchase. Most places make you use a credit or debit card and will need your home address and a contact number. You simply scan your prescription and within just a few days your prescription will come right to you in the mail. You will not have to go out and fight all those crowds and you will be able to sit right at your home and have your medication come right to your front door. This is not only easy but a great way to save money and time. Tramadol is a great pain reliever and if you can save money on it by purchasing online at the following links:

• This online pharmacy provides great information on how to buy Tramadol or buy Ultram through the Internet.

• You can buy Fioricet here at a reduced price that no local pharmacy will be able to match.

• Buy Amoxicillin or buy Seasonale here to get regular refills on the medications you take often.

tramadol online

The Church of Chain Smokers?

Posted on June 3, 2011 by admin | Permalink 0

Every chain smoking old man said it would happen one day. Every person condemned by their minister, bishop, or priest at church went home saying one day there would be a change. And boy has there ever been. Heaven’s Ascension is an actual church that believes smoking is the way to redemption.

Before you reach for your smokes and lighter and look for the nearest congregation of Heaven’s Ascension followers, you need to understand a few things. The people inside these churches are smoking, but they are not smoking cigarettes. They are smoking E-cigs. Don’t scoff and walk off just yet, because once you understand all the ins and outs of this church, you may want to make the switch to an electronic cigarette for yourself.

An Act of Desperation

Every person in the Heaven’s Ascension population was once a smoker. They all have different stories of how they began smoking, what issues they were facing, how their health was in danger, why they knew they needed to quit, and why they just couldn’t. Each one of these people had a habit they needed to break for a variety of reasons but just couldn’t do it.

They all came together originally as a support group for people who wanted to quit smoking. They talked and enjoyed each others’ company, but nobody was actually successful at kicking the habit. Until one day one of the members brought in an ad he had found for electronic cigarettes and a few copies of some e-cigarettes reviews. They say the cloud parted, the sun shone through, and the birds were singing louder than ever. The people knew that E-cigs were their miracle. Heaven had answered their prayers, and Heaven’s Ascension was born.

The congregation meets every Sunday just like most churches. The speak about the things they are thankful for, the differences in their lives since giving up traditional cigarettes, and how grateful they are for the miracle they were given. They pray and laugh, and sing, and smoke. Heaven’s Ascension believes that the vapors released by their new use of The Safe Cig take their prayers straight to Heaven.

Spreading the Word

They believe that they have been chosen to spread the word abut E-cigs and take the miracle to smokers worldwide. They have even begun a missionary program, online website, and several other outreach programs to spread the word as quickly as possible. It’s important to remember that the members of Heaven’s Ascension were absolutely desperate to quit. They had tried everything you could possibly think of to quit but had had no success. Even trying to quit as a group hadn’t helped- the only thing that changed their lives was the electronic cigarette.

Ask any member of Heaven’s Ascension and they will tell you that they would not be where they are today if not for the miracle and gift of Blu Cigs. They believe that by receiving this miracle they have been chosen to be saved and to spread the word to others.

If the E-cig worked for this many people who had tried everything and were truly desperate, it must be worthwhile for any smoker. If you are looking to quit, get yourself a starter kit from South Beach Smoke and witness the miracle for yourself. You can call it a cult or a religion that helps many people, but no matter how you look at it, this new e-cig movement is impacting thousands of people.

Miscellaneous

Keep an Eye Out for Baptists on Mission

Posted on April 22, 2011 by admin | Permalink 0

An important part of the Baptist denomination is missions and ministry. The American Baptist Church takes great care to dedicate a portion of their time, money, and resources to the advancing of Christ’s kingdom on the local and global level.

Mission work can include a wide range of things from evangelism, social justice, leader development, stewardship and a variety of ministries. It’s not estimated how many Baptist missionaries there are, but it is estimated that there are Baptists in over 200 countries worldwide. Baptist missionaries can be seen in history books making a difference in the lives of people groups throughout the history books.

Probably the most publicly notable Baptist on a mission was Martin Luther King Jr., a prominent leader and icon of the African American civil rights movement, who received a Nobel Peace Prize in 1964. He pursued non-violent methods to fight against the segregation and racism of the 1950’s and 60’s. King was Baptist Minister most known for leading the 1955 Montgomery Bus Boycott and delivering his famous “I Have A Dream” speech during the 1963 March on Washington.

The Baptist modern mission movement took off in the 19th century. With it came a backlash that split many Baptists in America between missionary and anti-missionary.  Multiple smaller Baptist denominations began to form, with separate entities such as Southern Baptists and Independent Baptists holding different views on missions methods.

Despite some of the public controversy surrounding Baptists on mission, these devoted church goers are responsible for founding 27 higher education schools for Freed People after the Civil War, and ministering to the Japanese-Americans in internment camps during WWII.  They have been making a difference in the world for many years and don’t expect to see that stop anytime soon.

In fact, you can walk into any Baptist church in your home town and find a few common elements.  Whether the services are contemporary or traditional, you will probably hear something about missions during the service.  You might see it printed in a bulletin or mentioned in a prayer.  There could be collection bins at the doors for a local food pantry.  You might hear young people share about their experiences doing short term mission trips.  No matter which Baptist church you visit, the one common thread will always be missions.  It is truly the foundation of the Baptist faith and message!

Mission Work

Spotlight on Religious News

Posted on January 23, 2011 by admin | Permalink 0

At the end of April, Tornados ravaged the Midwest killing people in six states, and creating countless injuries and property damage. It’s not only deeply changed the lives to those in its path but has captured the nation’s attention with death tolls a little under 300 just in Alabama. With photos of destruction and sadness filling the news, many are not sitting idly by. Many churches have stepped up to help provide shelter, food, and whatever they can do to help.

In Barstow County in Georgia, Grace Baptist Church has become the main donation site for food and clothing for victims. Journey Community Church in Evans, Georgia is collecting water to send to states that were hit the hardest. New Passion Church of Georgia has been collecting generators, chain saws, flashlights, tents, work gloves and batteries so they can help people re-build what was lost. Frazer Memorial United Methodist Church had a drive through line for people to drop off their donated goods such as personal hygiene items, diapers, batteries, non-perishable food and water. The items will be sent to tornado victims in Eclectic and Tuscaloosa.

It’s not all donations, some churches are serving by opening their doors to other disaster relief organizations. Virginia’s Bellamy United Methodist Church has opened its doors to serve as a command post for the Red Cross and Salvation Army. First Baptist Church of Huntsville Alabama is working with the Huntsville-Madison County Emergency Management Agency to be the site for cleanup volunteers to report.

Florida’s Longwood’s Northland Church’s disaster response team started preparing immediately to head Alabama to help. They even have a mobile kitchen that feeds up to 30,000 people per day. Also in Florida, Good News Outreach Pentecostal Holiness Church has received over 14,000 pounds of food that they are distributing to those in need.

The disaster relief efforts have even unified churches across state lines. Freedom Church in Central Indiana sent a tractor-trailer of supplies to Alabama. Highlands Church in Birmingham will be receiving the supplies and distributing them to their community.

Many more churches are organizing and helping than the ones that are named here. There is one unifying way all those churches and more are benefiting the victims- prayer and hope. Prayers usually don’t make the evening news but they are coming from all of the United States, and have untold results. As the recovery continues, once the houses are rebuilt, healing will still be going on, and the churches will still be helping by providing the spiritual support and community the victims will need to recover.

Miscellaneous