Comments on: Death Knell of a Small Town Baptist Church? http://fourshrops.wordpress.com/2008/01/23/death-knell-of-a-small-town-baptist-church/ MULTI-GENERATIONAL VISION FOR FAITH, FAMILY AND STEWARDING THE LAND Thu, 12 Nov 2009 03:34:57 +0000 http://wordpress.com/ hourly 1 By: Allen http://fourshrops.wordpress.com/2008/01/23/death-knell-of-a-small-town-baptist-church/#comment-85 Allen Wed, 12 Mar 2008 03:58:02 +0000 http://fourshrops.wordpress.com/2008/01/23/death-knell-of-a-small-town-baptist-church/#comment-85 The Great American DREAM - How appropriate . It implies that one is asleep! When will the church realize it has been chasing this dream just like everyone else. It is high time she woke up to the fact that she has been worshiping Astoreth within her own walls, just as Eli's sons lay with the temple prostitutes in 1st Samuel 2:22. I too pray repentance will be widespread - C.S. Lewis said something to the effect of 'When you find you have been traveling down the wrong road, the prudent man is the one who turns around first, and walks back the other way.' The Great American DREAM – How appropriate . It implies that one is asleep! When will the church realize it has been chasing this dream just like everyone else. It is high time she woke up to the fact that she has been worshiping Astoreth within her own walls, just as Eli’s sons lay with the temple prostitutes in 1st Samuel 2:22. I too pray repentance will be widespread – C.S. Lewis said something to the effect of ‘When you find you have been traveling down the wrong road, the prudent man is the one who turns around first, and walks back the other way.’

]]> By: Christine http://fourshrops.wordpress.com/2008/01/23/death-knell-of-a-small-town-baptist-church/#comment-69 Christine Tue, 04 Mar 2008 19:39:18 +0000 http://fourshrops.wordpress.com/2008/01/23/death-knell-of-a-small-town-baptist-church/#comment-69 This is a worldwide phenomena! The Great American dream is sold to many overseas. "Come to the United States and live a better life. Make more money than your parents who are in the homeland. You can do anything in the United States." Look at the immigration (legal and illegal) and ask why they want to be in the United States. Many are embracing the Ashtoreth. But at what cost? To leave family behind, to rupture the multigenerational inheritance, to pursue selfish wants, to learn a whole new culture and loose the old. Our prayer should be that the eyes be open and that repentance be widespread. At least that's what we're doing....having embraced Ashtoreth and seen the truth! This is a worldwide phenomena! The Great American dream is sold to many overseas. “Come to the United States and live a better life. Make more money than your parents who are in the homeland. You can do anything in the United States.” Look at the immigration (legal and illegal) and ask why they want to be in the United States. Many are embracing the Ashtoreth. But at what cost? To leave family behind, to rupture the multigenerational inheritance, to pursue selfish wants, to learn a whole new culture and loose the old.
Our prayer should be that the eyes be open and that repentance be widespread. At least that’s what we’re doing….having embraced Ashtoreth and seen the truth!

]]> By: Brent R http://fourshrops.wordpress.com/2008/01/23/death-knell-of-a-small-town-baptist-church/#comment-24 Brent R Tue, 29 Jan 2008 21:57:52 +0000 http://fourshrops.wordpress.com/2008/01/23/death-knell-of-a-small-town-baptist-church/#comment-24 Allen, You did a fine job of laying out what happened not only to that church but to most all of rural America. Maybe you can write something on how we can recapture the real prize of small town, small farm and most importantly SMALL CHURCH! Allen,

You did a fine job of laying out what happened not only to that church but to most all of rural America. Maybe you can write something on how we can recapture the real prize of small town, small farm and most importantly SMALL CHURCH!

]]> By: Barry Morgan http://fourshrops.wordpress.com/2008/01/23/death-knell-of-a-small-town-baptist-church/#comment-21 Barry Morgan Mon, 28 Jan 2008 23:12:24 +0000 http://fourshrops.wordpress.com/2008/01/23/death-knell-of-a-small-town-baptist-church/#comment-21 Oh! How guilty as charged...and worst yet! As a Boomer child of well intentioned Great Generation parents, I not only presented the Great American Dream to our only child, worst yet, I very effectively modeled it for her in some of the most contagious and damaging ways. As my now adult daughter and her husband that we love as a son, become more and more successful in the eyes of the world, in their profession of law, like Job I want to offer burnt offerings of my past "success" on behalf of my children. Instead, I have cried Nehemiah's prayer of repentance (Nehemiah 1:4-9), and have dedicated the remainder of my life to producing the fruit of repentance, through teaching and modeling the right Way, not only for my adult kid's lives, but also for as many young people as the Lord would bless me to impact. Thank you for a personally painful, but culturally and eternally crucial post. God Bless Oh! How guilty as charged…and worst yet!

As a Boomer child of well intentioned Great Generation parents, I not only presented the Great American Dream to our only child, worst yet, I very effectively modeled it for her in some of the most contagious and damaging ways.

As my now adult daughter and her husband that we love as a son, become more and more successful in the eyes of the world, in their profession of law, like Job I want to offer burnt offerings of my past “success” on behalf of my children.

Instead, I have cried Nehemiah’s prayer of repentance (Nehemiah 1:4-9), and have dedicated the remainder of my life to producing the fruit of repentance, through teaching and modeling the right Way, not only for my adult kid’s lives, but also for as many young people as the Lord would bless me to impact.

Thank you for a personally painful, but culturally and eternally crucial post.

God Bless

]]> By: Matt Davis http://fourshrops.wordpress.com/2008/01/23/death-knell-of-a-small-town-baptist-church/#comment-19 Matt Davis Fri, 25 Jan 2008 03:53:17 +0000 http://fourshrops.wordpress.com/2008/01/23/death-knell-of-a-small-town-baptist-church/#comment-19 Greetings Allen, Welcome to the Agrarian Blogsphere. Got the link to your blog from Scott Terry's. I agree with Walking Plow, Scott and Pastor Tom that you are gifted with wisdom. This was an enlightening take on the death of small rural churches. I have only one thing to add and was hoping that you could expound on it in comments or a later post... You said... "And all the kids marched off to the Babylonian colleges - racing after that golden carrot - getting top paying jobs. (none of which by the way, were available in their own home town!) And the kids didn’t have to live with the stigma that their parents lamented so loudly about - being poor.(even if they had to put it on credit)" There is one other thing (at least) that the "golden carrot" mentality produced in our generation. You see, we not only left the poor small farms, poor small towns, and poor parents but we also left the poor small churches for the ever exciting and ever "blessed" (even if they have to put it on credit) MEGA Churches (Babylonion style of course :o)). Thank you for the post, as it was a really good read. I will be adding you to our "Favorites". In Christ, Agrarian Minded and Working Towards Agrarian Life Matt Davis Greetings Allen,

Welcome to the Agrarian Blogsphere. Got the link to your blog from Scott Terry’s. I agree with Walking Plow, Scott and Pastor Tom that you are gifted with wisdom. This was an enlightening take on the death of small rural churches. I have only one thing to add and was hoping that you could expound on it in comments or a later post…

You said… “And all the kids marched off to the Babylonian colleges – racing after that golden carrot – getting top paying jobs. (none of which by the way, were available in their own home town!) And the kids didn’t have to live with the stigma that their parents lamented so loudly about – being poor.(even if they had to put it on credit)”

There is one other thing (at least) that the “golden carrot” mentality produced in our generation. You see, we not only left the poor small farms, poor small towns, and poor parents but we also left the poor small churches for the ever exciting and ever “blessed” (even if they have to put it on credit) MEGA Churches (Babylonion style of course :o)).

Thank you for the post, as it was a really good read. I will be adding you to our “Favorites”.

In Christ,

Agrarian Minded and Working Towards Agrarian Life
Matt Davis

]]> By: Walking plow http://fourshrops.wordpress.com/2008/01/23/death-knell-of-a-small-town-baptist-church/#comment-18 Walking plow Thu, 24 Jan 2008 20:58:01 +0000 http://fourshrops.wordpress.com/2008/01/23/death-knell-of-a-small-town-baptist-church/#comment-18 It’s clear the lord has gifted you in wisdom. Thank you for sharing this gift with us. Walking plow It’s clear the lord has gifted you in wisdom. Thank you for sharing this gift with us.

Walking plow

]]> By: Homesteader Life » Blog Archive » Worth Reading and Sharing http://fourshrops.wordpress.com/2008/01/23/death-knell-of-a-small-town-baptist-church/#comment-17 Homesteader Life » Blog Archive » Worth Reading and Sharing Thu, 24 Jan 2008 14:14:14 +0000 http://fourshrops.wordpress.com/2008/01/23/death-knell-of-a-small-town-baptist-church/#comment-17 [...] Shropshire has started a weblog called Promised Land, which I am enjoying very much. His Latest Post is very well done and should be read by all who wonder why their hometown churches are passing [...] [...] Shropshire has started a weblog called Promised Land, which I am enjoying very much. His Latest Post is very well done and should be read by all who wonder why their hometown churches are passing [...]

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