The Courage Of Your Faith – Page 3

What is Expedient Sin?

What is “expedient” sin, and how often might we overlook it?

“The Southerners” is the fifth segment in The Courage of Your Faith series. In 1696, William Screven moved with less than 30 of his followers from Kittery, Maine, to a plantation they called Somerton (or Summerton) outside of Charles Town in the Province of Carolina. Those folks around Charles Town that had a spiritual mindset dealt with two outstanding issues…prostitution and drunkenness.

Men and women often came to Charles Town as indentured servants with the promise of land after working for a period of time. Women soon found they could reduce the time of service by sleeping with the “master.” After receiving the land, working it was often too difficult for women. As they turned to other professions, they frequently found that working in a brothel could earn in one night what might take 6 months in another occupation. Being one of the largest port cities in the Colonies, Charles Town had a market for such establishments. Even the religious often looked the other way.

Drunkenness was a problem purportedly because of the brackish water. Alcohol covered the bad taste, so it was claimed. While this may have had a positive effect on the water quality, it also resulted in people being “tyed by the Lipps to a pewter engine.” One story says that an Anglican Commissary was so drunk he tried to baptize a bear. (If you take the story link, search on “bear”.

April – The Massachusetts Act That Banished Baptists

My great, great… grandfather came to Massachusetts in 1635 as a Baptist seeking freedom and land and with a desire to reach the Indians for Jesus. With the colony struggling just to survive during those first years, religious differences were insignificant. A family history written in 1868 says of Thomas that “he held positions of honor and trust in the new settlement; he was a merchant, a planter, one of the select men of the town, a juryman, and withal a preacher.” However, when life grew less stressful, this all changed.

In 1644, Massachusetts passed an Act for the banishment of Baptists. You can read the text of the act on my web site as a Word document here. These Pilgrims were no longer so ready to accept those with different beliefs, even their Baptist cousins (as mentioned here two months ago). In 1651, Obadiah Holmes attended a prayer meeting in Lynn, Massachusetts, and was arrested for it. Refusing to pay the fine, he was whipped so harshly that, for weeks afterward, he could only sleep on his elbows and knees. As he was led from the whipping post, he is reported to have said that he was whipped “as with roses.” The movie of this event “As With Roses” can be purchased at Shiloh Films.

Suffering as a Baptist, my ancestor gave shelter to any in need, including Quakers, the only religious group that perhaps suffered more in that colony than Baptists. With his Puritan friends making life difficult for him and threatening fines, my ancestor left the mainland for Nantucket in 1659 and his own freedom to worship.

March – Baptists in the English Civil War

By the 1630’s, Baptists in England had grown in number and were extensively involved in the English Civil War which pitted Parliament against the King. Colonel John Hutchinson and his wife Lucie, as Presbyterians, served on the side of Parliament while Lucie’s brother served the King. John believed in the freedom of individuals to choose what they believed while his father was strictly Presbyterian and held no sympathy for those holding any other belief.

One night, the Presbyterian ministers that served the Colonel and his military troop, came to John late in the evening complaining about those loud and rowdy Baptists—who made up a large part of the men serving under him. The ministers wanted the Colonel to have them quit singing so boisterously. Such noise was unseemly at the late hour. After breaking up the Baptist meeting, John happened to pick up some Baptist literature left on a chair. Once read and considered, these pamphlets raised questions in the minds of the Hutchinsons. Needless to say, aside from the inner turmoil over baptism, issues arose with family and friends when John and Lucie took hold of Baptist beliefs.

Baptists and the Pilgrims Were “Related”

In early 17th century England, the “Non-Conformists” of Scrooby and Gainsborough met together; the towns are separated by only about 13 miles. Partly because of persecution, the two groups eventually met separately. In 1608, the Gainsborough dissenters left for the Netherlands to avoid the continual harassment by English officials…their goal was to discern the Lord’s will in their lives. Many left family in England since they planned to return. A short time later, the Scrooby dissenters joined their “brothers and sisters” in the Netherlands. Having come to different views on a number of issues, including baptism, the Scrooby group, led by John Robinson, eventually moved on to Leiden, leaving the Gainsborough believers in Amsterdam led by Thomas Helwys. John Robinson and his followers became the Pilgrims. Thomas Helwys and some 11 or 12 of his followers returned to England and started what was arguably the first Baptist church–Ye Baptist Church in Spitalfield.

How Important Is God’s Word To You?

I read about William in Foxe’s Book of Martyrs. (In preparing this update, I also saw that WikiPedia now has a page on William Hunter.) The 16th century was a time of persecution. The English monarchy felt they had the responsibility to maintain the purity of God’s church on Earth. When Catholics ruled, Protestants suffered. When Protestants ruled, Catholics were persecuted. William lived during the reign of Queen Mary, a Catholic. To hold to the belief of a protestant, as did William, was not a safe conviction. Often, people changed their professed faith based on who ruled the nation. William, at age 19, had a choice to make. Would he stand up for his right to believe as he wished? Or, faced with being burned at the stake, would he recant and live as a Catholic until the political winds changed? How strongly do you hold to your beliefs? Could you choose death by burning rather than compromising what you believe to be true? How important is God’s Word to you?

From Leonard Busher to Roger Williams, our early Baptist forefathers held to the notion that “forced worship” was “spiritual rape.” Do you hold as strong a view?

See the slide show for pictures related to William Hunter in Brentwood, England.

Facts About Lottie Moon – Part 2

This information is continued from last month and comes from The Lottie Moon Christmas Offering on www.COYFaith.com. Each “fact” can be used as a comment in a church’s bulletin leading up to the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering.

4) Lottie was absent from chapel twenty six times during the last two quarters at Albemarle.She enjoyed exciting her friends. With a full name of Charlotte Diggs Moon, she often reminded them that the middle initial of D stood for Deville. They were concerned for her soul.

One night in December of 1858, the barking of a dog prevented sleep as her mind raced with thoughts of eternity. The next evening she attended a prayer and inquiry meeting to scoff at her friends. Instead of poking fun, she returned home and prayed till the sun rose. The next night she formally gave her life to Christ and was baptized on December 22.

Week 5: Lottie Moon’s life became intertwined with the aftermath of the Civil War. Her mother had converted all the family currency into Confederate bonds…which were worthless after the war. With the poor and homeless everywhere in the south, Lottie took on the role of teacher and helped start a school. She did her best to bring relief to others as well as to her mother, who faced the prospect of losing Viewmont. One of Lottie’s quotes later in life was, “Sorrow has but done its legitimate work.” Is it possible that character cannot receive its “fullest and most beautiful development until it has passed through the fiery furnace of affliction?” [Nettles, Tom, The Baptists, Volume 2, Christian Focus Publications, Geanies House, Fearn, Ross-shire, IV20ITW,Scotland, pg 366]

Week 6: She had to choose between the man she loved and the God she loved. As a student atAlbemarle, she met Crawford Toy, perhaps the youngest instructor there. He taught Lottie Hebrew and English grammar. Through the years, they developed a close friendship.Some letters imply that marriage was even considered. Crawford planned to become a missionary. At which point, Lottie planned to either move toJapanwith him if that was his appointment, or he would join her inChina. He became a professor at aSouthern Baptist seminary until such time as he entered the mission field. But Crawford came under fire at the seminary because of his liberal beliefs. When two of his students, who had been appointed as missionaries toChina, had their appointments revoked because of their beliefs, Lottie realized that Crawford would never become a missionary.She had to choose between remaining on the field inChinaor joining Crawford at a university in theStates. Lottie was later asked whether she had ever been in love. Her reply: “Yes, but God had first claim on my life, and since the two conflicted, there could be no question about the results.”

Week 7: People in China still know who Lottie Moon was and the work she did. When we visited Tengchow in theShantung province, our cab driver, who is a member of the church where she served, told us everyone in that area of China knows Lottie Moon, whether they are Christian or not. When they spoke to us of Lottie, they referred to her as if she were still alive and active in the church. The pastor of that church could not meet with us because he was attending a pastor’s conference where the problem of converts was being addressed. With 400,000 conversions each week inChina(a number equal to the birthrate), and thousands seeking to enter the ministry, the Church there is facing the wonderful problem of how to address issues related to phenomenal growth. Lottie’s impact and legacy continue even today.

See more at “The Courage of Your Faith,” this month featuring “The Missionaries.” The “The Courage of Your Faith” consists of 12 short stories from our history and 12 Bible Studies on issues as relevant today as they were in the past. Each study includes supplemental information and a Power Point slide presentation.

All documents can be downloaded at no charge. If you are planning on giving a Nook or a Kindle for a Christmas gift, why not download the stories for free as part of the gift. By Christmas, a compilation of the stories into one eBook will be available for a small charge at Amazon and Barnes & Noble as The Courage of Your Faith. Have fun and let me know what you think.

Facts About Lottie Moon – Part 1

Did You Know…

1) Lottie Moon was a real person and considered by some to be the most educated woman in the south. Her parents had high expectations of their children. A tutor was employed in the home for languages and classical literature. Lottie’s sister Orianna became the first female medical doctor south of the Mason/Dixon line. Lottie attended Albemarle Female Institute, the women’s counterpart to the University of Virginia. In 1861, she was one of the first women in the South to receive a master’s degree. Lottie spoke 6 languages fluently. At 15, while attending Albemarle Female Institute, she wrote the following which is included as an example of her critical thinking.

“Literature has acquainted man with himself and the nature of things surrounding him. It has made us to know our history. The circumstances of his creation and the advancement of the race, up to his own existence, are not lost in oblivion, but preserved with almost perfect accuracy by those nations blessed with literature. Without it, age would succeed to age without gaining knowledge. Love, like the rays of light, would vary in its import as it passed from hand to hand, and one generation could not be enriched by the acquisitions of its predecessor. But literature does exist and the present age, like the posterity of an ancient family, revels in the riches entailed by its ancestors.” [Nettles, Tom, The Baptists, Volume 2, Christian Focus Publications, Geanies House, Fearn, Ross-shire, IV20 ITW, Scotland, pg 364]

2) Lottie Moon’s sister Edmonia was the first unmarried woman to be appointed as a missionary; and, at her urging, Lottie applied for an appointment as well. The next year she joined her sister in Tengchow, China, in the Shantung province. Throughout her career, Lottie wrote numerous letters home, urging Southern Baptists to greater missions involvement and support. One of those correspondences triggered the first Southern Baptist Christmas offering for international missions. The receipts were enough to send three new missionaries to China. In 1918, the Woman’s Missionary Union named the annual Christmas offering for international missions after the woman who had urged them to start it.

3) Lottie Moon grew up in antebellum Virginia. Their plantation was named Viewmont. Her family owned 52 slaves. In her younger years, she approved of the institution of slavery. Viewmont still exists north of Scottsville. The original homestead had two huge fireplaces. These still can be seen in the home that currently exists on that site. After a short time in China, she wrote a letter with the comment that ”…living among the heathen makes one stupid.” The belief in the superiority of the white race was still playing at her mind. However, within a few years, that changed. She began dressing like the Chinese and loved the people.

See more at “The Courage of Your Faith,” (www.coyfaith.com). The “The Courage of Your Faith” consists of 12 short stories from Baptist history and 12 Bible Studies on issues as relevant today as they were in the past. Each study includes supplemental information and a Power Point slide presentation.

All documents can be downloaded at no charge.

Is the United States a Christian Nation?

Most Christians today (evangelical or not) will jump up and down and yell, “YES! YES!” But what does it mean to be a Christian nation?

We were founded upon Christian principles. The founders called upon God for guidance and felt a self-governed people needed to hold to scriptural truths. So, in that respect, YES we are a Christian nation. But early Baptists believed God had defined a “civil state and a spiritual state” as in Matthew 22:21. We pushed to have James Madison amend the Constitution, strengthening this distinction.

While the term “separation of church and state” derived from a letter sent to the Danbury Baptist Association of Connecticut in 1802, the idea was part of Baptist writings from Thomas Helwys (A Short Declaration of the Mystery of Iniquity) to John Leland (A Chronicle of His Time in Virginia). These Baptist forefathers wrote that “all should be equally free, Jews, Turks, Pagans and Christians.” They held that the government role is to “protect every man in thinking and speaking freely, and see that one does not abuse another.” So, in this respect, some may say that we do not have a Christian government. The founding of the US was arguably the first time a government did not establish a state religion. The United States was unique among the nations of the world.

I gave a talk to the Windsor Optimist Club on how Baptists were responsible for the First Amendment. During a Q and A at the end, the question was asked, “What about things like nativity scenes on display in public buildings?” Interesting question!

See more at “The Courage of Your Faith,” (www.coyfaith.com) in “The Revolutionaries.” The “The Courage of Your Faith” consists of 12 short stories from our history and 12 Bible Studies on issues as relevant today as they were in the past. Each study includes supplemental information and a Power Point slide presentation. I will feature different studies monthly…for example, Lottie Moon and Missions during November/December and “The Separates” in May.

All documents can be downloaded at no charge. Have fun and let me know what you think. If you like it, please pass it on.