1. The altar call is simply and completely absent from the pages of the New Testament. 2. The altar call is historically absent until the 19th century, and its use at that time (via Charles Finney) was directly based upon bad theology and a man-centered, manipulative methodology. 3. The altar call very easily confuses the physical act of “coming forward” with the spiritual act of “coming to Christ.” These two can happen simultaneously, but too often people believe that coming to Christ is going forward (and vice-versa). 4. The altar call can easily deceive people about the reality of their spiritual state and the biblical basis for assurance. The Bible never offers us assurance on the ground that we “went forward.” 5. The altar call partially replaces baptism as the means of public profession of faith. 6. The altar call can mislead us to think that salvation (or any official response to God’s Word) happens primarily on Sundays, only at the end of the service, and only “up front.” 7. The altar call can confuse people regarding “sacred” things and “sacred” places, as the name “altar call” suggests. 8. The altar call is not sensitive to our cautious and relational age where most people come to faith over a period of time and often with the interaction of a good friend. 9. The altar call is often seen as “the most important part of the service”, and this de-emphasizes the truly more important parts of corporate worship which God has prescribed (preaching, prayer, fellowship, singing). 10. God is glorified to powerfully bless the things He has prescribed (preaching, prayer, fellowship, singing), not the things we have invented. We should always be leery of adding to God’s prescriptions for His corporate worship (Ryan Kelly).

Other Authors

CATEGORY	CUISINE	TAG	YIELD
Dairy			1	Servings

INGREDIENTS

2	c	SUGAR
1/2	c	BUTTER
3/4	c	Karo
2	c	Whipping Cream

INSTRUCTIONS

>from Maid of Scandinavia
In large 6 quart size teflon kettle, bring Sugar, butter, karo and 1 Cup of
the Whipping Cream to rolling boil, stirring . Slowly add the 2nd cup of
Whipping cream so boiling DOES not STOP. As temp increases, reduce heat.
Cook to 248° on Canry thermometer for firm carmel Cook a little less for a
softer carmel. Do not scrape kettle. Use 4x10 buttered pan.
Posted to KitMailbox Digest  by ClayCooker <ClayCooker@aol.com> on Jan 6,
1998

A Message from our Provider:

“Don’t let your worries get the best of you. Remember, Moses started out as a basket case”

Throughout Scripture we see the Bible testifying of the generating power of God's Word. Beginning in Genesis 1 we read that God spoke this world into existence creating life out of darkness. In Ezekiel 37 we have the fabulous vision where the Prophet is called to preach to the dry bones and through the preaching of God's Word, God's Spirit would bring deadness to life. This is how God gives us spiritual life. This is how God takes spiritually dead corpses and regenerates them through the teaching of His Word. 1 Peter 1:23, 'For you have been born again not of seed which is perishable but imperishable, that is, through the living and enduring word of God' (cf. Jas. 1:18). In Romans 10 the familiar verse says 'faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ' (Rom. 10:17). That is why Paul told the Corinthians, 'God was well-pleased through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe' (2 Cor. 1:21b; cf. 1 Cor. 1:17; 23; 9:16, 18; 15:11).

Randy Smith