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	<title>First Baptist Church of Perryville</title>
	<link>http://www.perryville.org</link>
	<description>Explanation and application of biblical truth surfaced from the study of the Old and New Testaments provided by the teaching ministry of the First Baptist Church of Perryville, Maryland, Dr. John M. Gauger, pastor.</description>
	<pubDate>Tue, 18 Jun 2013 15:16:45 +0000</pubDate>
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		<copyright>&#xA9;Dr. John Gauger </copyright>
		<managingEditor>pastor@perryville.org (Dr. John Gauger)</managingEditor>
		<webMaster>pastor@perryville.org</webMaster>
		<category>Christianity</category>
		<ttl>1440</ttl>
		<itunes:keywords>perryville, gauger, Bible, sermon, teaching, baptist, Christian, study</itunes:keywords>
		<itunes:subtitle>First Baptist Church of Perryville.  Teaching by Dr. John Gauger.</itunes:subtitle>
		<itunes:summary>Explanation and application of biblical truth surfaced from the study of the Old and New Testaments provided by the teaching ministry of the First Baptist Church of Perryville, Maryland, Dr. John M. Gauger, pastor.</itunes:summary>
		<itunes:author>Dr. John Gauger</itunes:author>
		<itunes:category text="Religion &amp; Spirituality">
  <itunes:category text="Christianity"/>
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<itunes:category text="Religion &amp; Spirituality"/>
<itunes:category text="Religion &amp; Spirituality">
  <itunes:category text="Spirituality"/>
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		<itunes:owner>
			<itunes:name>Dr. John Gauger</itunes:name>
			<itunes:email>pastor@perryville.org</itunes:email>
		</itunes:owner>
		<itunes:block>No</itunes:block>
		<itunes:explicit>no</itunes:explicit>
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			<url>http://www.perryville.org/images/crossblog.jpg</url>
			<title>First Baptist Church of Perryville</title>
			<link>http://www.perryville.org</link>
			<width>144</width>
			<height>144</height>
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		<item>
		<title>The Birth and Rise of the U.S. Income Tax</title>
		<link>http://www.perryville.org/2013/06/18/the-birth-and-rise-of-the-us-income-tax/</link>
		<comments>http://www.perryville.org/2013/06/18/the-birth-and-rise-of-the-us-income-tax/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 18 Jun 2013 15:16:45 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>terri</dc:creator>
		
	<category>featured</category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.perryville.org/2013/06/18/the-birth-and-rise-of-the-us-income-tax/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[ In the summer of 1861, the U.S. Treasury had only $2 million to fund the Union side of the Civil War, leaving Secretary Salmon P. Chase in a quandary. The North may have been rich in land and resources, but none of this could quickly be converted into cash to pay an army. Moreover, [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[ In the summer of 1861, the U.S. Treasury had only $2 million to fund the Union side of the Civil War, leaving Secretary Salmon P. Chase in a quandary. The North may have been rich in land and resources, but none of this could quickly be converted into cash to pay an army. Moreover, New York bankers did not consider the U.S. government a sound investment. Chase retorted he had a war to fight, and if necessary, he was prepared to print money . . . even if the price of a breakfast rose to $1,000.1 Eventually, he secured a loan but he also turned to the American people, and on July 1, 1862, President Lincoln signed into law a federal income tax.
Prior to 1862, Americans funded a much smaller federal government largely through tariffs on imported goods.2 Because legislators set the threshold so high, few Americans actually paid the income tax (250,000 of 39.5 million in 1870). Nonetheless, the controversial income tax was important because [i]t embodied a new principle at the federal level: that the rich should pay taxes at higher rates than the poor.3 However, when the crisis of the Civil War had ended, critics won the day, and the income tax failed to win reauthorization"much to the disappointment of Senator Sherman of Ohio, who insisted, the income tax is the only one that tends to equalize these burdens between the rich and the poor.4
Congressman William Jennings Bryan shared Shermans concerns and successfully spearheaded an effort to pass another bill"a 2% tax on incomes in excess of $4,000"only to have the Supreme Court strike it down arguing that if it was a direct tax, it was unconstitutional because it was not being apportioned according to each states population.5 Years later, Theodore Roosevelt urged Congress to find a way to make an income tax possible.6 President Taft followed suit.
However, it was President Woodrow Wilson, emboldened by the Sixteenth Amendment to the Constitution, that made the income tax as we know it a reality. The amendment, ratified in 1913, allowed the federal government to tax a persons income notwithstanding the population of any state. Then, on October 3, 1913, Wilson signed an income tax law the Court would not overturn. Citizens who earned less than $3,000 were exempt and the highest tax rate was a level of 7% for Americans earning more than $500,000.7 However, these rates did not last long. Salmon Chases problems funding the Civil War were not distant memories, and when America considered engagement in World War I, the government raised taxes. During the war, the tax rate for the wealthiest Americans soared to 77%.8
Tax cuts quickly followed under the conservative fiscal stewardship of Treasury Secretary Andrew Mellon; however, Pandoras Box had been opened: Once it was possible to see a great revenue engine financing a gigantic conflict, taxing the wealthiest Americans at high rates, it was more possible to contemplate such an engine supporting a welfare state.9 Tax policies originally intended to fund a global conflict wound up funding Franklin Roosevelts New Deal and, eventually, Lyndon Johnsons Great Society.
This goes a long way toward explaining the popular view of higher taxes as the answer to some of lifes most difficult problems. If taxes can be raised for some expenditures then they should be raised for any expenditures. A government able to collect income taxes ought to collect income taxes. In short, in its approximately 100-year history, the income tax has become an august and unquestioned institution, as American as apple pie. At present the lowest federal income tax bracket is 10% and the highest, 35%.10 (This, of course, does not include a variety of municipal, state, and other taxes.) But if the past is indicative of the future, these rates will likely rise.
Footnotes:
1
Steven R. Weisman, The Great Tax Wars (New York: Simon &amp; Schuster, 2002), 10.
2
Ibid., 14.
3
Ibid., 42.
4
Ibid., 103-104.
5
Ibid., 149. See also, History of the U. S. Tax System, United States Department of the Treasury Website, http://www.ustreas.gov/education/fact-sheets/taxes/ustax.shtml (accessed August 8, 2007).
6
Ibid., 201-202.
7
Ibid., 281.
8
Ibid., 351.
9
Ibid., 347.
10
2007 Federal Tax Rate Schedules, Internal Revenue Service, United States Department of Treasury Website, http://www.irs.gov/formspubs/article/0,,id=164272,00.html (accessed August 8, 2007).
article adapted from Kairos Journal
First Baptist Church of Perryville is located at 4800 W. Pulaski Hwy. in Perryville, MD.

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		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Race to Repentance and Forgiveness</title>
		<link>http://www.perryville.org/2013/06/16/race-to-repentance-and-forgiveness/</link>
		<comments>http://www.perryville.org/2013/06/16/race-to-repentance-and-forgiveness/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 16 Jun 2013 16:00:46 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>av</dc:creator>
		
	<category>listen</category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.perryville.org/2013/06/16/race-to-repentance-and-forgiveness/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Pastor Chris
Scripture References: James 3:2, 5:16; 1 John 1:8; Matthew 5:23-24; Ephesians 4:26-32

]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[Pastor Chris
Scripture References: James 3:2, 5:16; 1 John 1:8; Matthew 5:23-24; Ephesians 4:26-32

]]></content:encoded>
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<itunes:duration>00:01:01</itunes:duration>
		<itunes:subtitle>Pastor Chris

Scripture References: James 3:2, 5:16; 1 John 1:8; Matthew 5:23-24; Ephesians 4:26-32 </itunes:subtitle>
		<itunes:summary>Pastor Chris

Scripture References: James 3:2, 5:16; 1 John 1:8; Matthew 5:23-24; Ephesians 4:26-32</itunes:summary>
		<itunes:keywords>listen</itunes:keywords>
		<itunes:author>Dr. John Gauger</itunes:author>
		<itunes:explicit>no</itunes:explicit>
		<itunes:block>No</itunes:block>
	</item>
		<item>
		<title>Vacation Bible School 2013</title>
		<link>http://www.perryville.org/2013/06/15/vacation-bible-school-2013/</link>
		<comments>http://www.perryville.org/2013/06/15/vacation-bible-school-2013/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 15 Jun 2013 05:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>terri</dc:creator>
		
	<category>upcoming</category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.perryville.org/2013/06/15/vacation-bible-school-2013/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Join us for this years Vacation Bible School!

Dates:
June 17-21 Monday " Friday 6:15- 9 P.M.
Online registration is closed but you can still register when you come.


Family Closing Program Sunday, June 23, 10:30am - 2:30pm
note: Parents supervise their own children during the Family Closing Program. No drop offs of young children on Sunday.
Location:
First Baptist Church, Perryville
4800 [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[Join us for this years Vacation Bible School!

Dates:
June 17-21 Monday " Friday 6:15- 9 P.M.
Online registration is closed but you can still register when you come.


Family Closing Program Sunday, June 23, 10:30am - 2:30pm
note: Parents supervise their own children during the Family Closing Program. No drop offs of young children on Sunday.
Location:
First Baptist Church, Perryville
4800 West Pulaski Highway
P.O. Box 324
Perryville, MD 21903
1  miles east of Route 222
Information:
Colossal Coaster Word: Facing Fear, Trusting God.Not many things are move amazing for kids than a day at a favorite theme park. The excitement accelerates as kids approach the main gate and the adventure begins. Hearts pound as they wait in line to ride the park&#8217;s premier roller coaster! In this exciting setting, kids will be challenged to tap into God&#8217;s promise to give them the courage to face their fears by trusting Him. Whether the sense of fearfulness comes from changing the familiar for the unknown, speaking up when it&#8217;s right to do so or making the ultimate decision to believe in Jesus and trust Him as Savior, they can trust God for the spirit of power, love and sound judgment.  VBS 2013 promises fun for the whole  family with classes for ages 5 through adult. In addition, childcare or a  preschool class for infants and children up to age 4 is available for  adults attending class.

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		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Restoration &#38; Destruction</title>
		<link>http://www.perryville.org/2013/06/09/restoration-destruction/</link>
		<comments>http://www.perryville.org/2013/06/09/restoration-destruction/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 09 Jun 2013 15:50:14 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>av</dc:creator>
		
	<category>listen</category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.perryville.org/2013/06/09/restoration-destruction/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Pastor Chris
Scripture References:
II Kings 8, II Chronicles 21, Philippians 3:18-19, 1 Peter 5:5

]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[Pastor Chris
Scripture References:
II Kings 8, II Chronicles 21, Philippians 3:18-19, 1 Peter 5:5

]]></content:encoded>
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<itunes:duration>00:01:01</itunes:duration>
		<itunes:subtitle>Pastor Chris

Scripture References:

II Kings 8, II Chronicles 21, Philippians 3:18-19, 1 Peter 5:5 </itunes:subtitle>
		<itunes:summary>Pastor Chris

Scripture References:

II Kings 8, II Chronicles 21, Philippians 3:18-19, 1 Peter 5:5</itunes:summary>
		<itunes:keywords>listen</itunes:keywords>
		<itunes:author>Dr. John Gauger</itunes:author>
		<itunes:explicit>no</itunes:explicit>
		<itunes:block>No</itunes:block>
	</item>
		<item>
		<title>His choice: Denounce Jesus or face torture</title>
		<link>http://www.perryville.org/2013/06/07/his-choice-denounce-jesus-or-face-torture/</link>
		<comments>http://www.perryville.org/2013/06/07/his-choice-denounce-jesus-or-face-torture/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 07 Jun 2013 14:17:18 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>terri</dc:creator>
		
	<category>featured</category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.perryville.org/2013/06/15/his-choice-denounce-jesus-or-face-torture/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[ EDITOR&#8217;S NOTE: Lin Sung* had just completed evangelism training. As part of the final assignment, the class dispersed to surrounding villages to practice sharing the Gospel. Sung sent a text message to tell a friend where he would be. When government officials intercepted that message, his homework assignment changed from sharing Bible stories to [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[ EDITOR&#8217;S NOTE: Lin Sung* had just completed evangelism training. As part of the final assignment, the class dispersed to surrounding villages to practice sharing the Gospel. Sung sent a text message to tell a friend where he would be. When government officials intercepted that message, his homework assignment changed from sharing Bible stories to a fight for survival.
EAST ASIA (BP) &#8212; One day, I was out sharing the Gospel in some small Chinese villages when, suddenly, the police surrounded me. They grabbed me and threw me in the back of a van.
&#8220;We know that you have been trained for Christian evangelism, and we are taking you in,&#8221; they told me.
There was not much I, a simple farmer, could do. I had the evidence (class notes from the training course) with me, so I just leaned back onto the seat and prayed. That&#8217;s when God gave me an idea. I took the training notes out of my book and stuffed them into the cracks and crevices of the van.
When we arrived at the station, they tried processing me, but they couldn&#8217;t find the evidence. They kept going through my things, swearing they knew I had the formula for spreading Christianity written down. I told them truthfully that I did not have it on me.
Even without proper evidence, they threw me in jail. The officials told me that all I had to do to get my freedom was to recant my beliefs. I refused. So, they tried torturing me into submission.
They chained me to a pole. For the first few days, they did not give me water or food. Finally, they brought me food &#8212; but there was nothing to drink. This went on for another day or so &#8212; I can&#8217;t remember. Always they bring me food but nothing to drink.
I seriously thought I would die chained to that pole, so I prayed to God and He gave me another idea.
When the guard came with my food that night, I asked if I could clean the kitchen. They were surprised by the offer and granted my wish. They took me into a room where dirty dishes were piled high. Flies swarmed the overflowing trash bins and around the dishes with dried food. The stench was overwhelming. As soon as the officers left and locked the door behind them, I lunged for the sink.
I put my face into the dirty dishwater and took a long drink. I did not care about the pieces of food floating in the water. I did not care that the water was dirty and gray in color. This is how I survived &#8212; drinking dirty dishwater, and I was thankful that God provided for my needs.
The persecution and torture continued. I was interrogated day after day. Each time, they tried to get me to recant my faith. I refused to denounce Jesus as my Lord. They realized their current methods of persecution would not make me change my mind, so they changed tactics. They chained me outside the jail to a tree.
During the day, the hot sun scorched me. At night, mosquitoes feasted on me. When I slapped them away, the noise and movement caused the motion-censored spotlights to light up. There was no way to get sleep. I was miserable and my body was weak.
Finally, they sent two officers to finish me off. They were big and muscular. They beat up my fragile body without even breaking a sweat. One of the officers put his heavy, metal-tipped boot on my neck and pulled my arms and shoulders in different directions. It felt as if he were going to snap my neck like a chicken&#8217;s.
&#8220;This is your last chance,&#8221; the big officer said. &#8220;Denounce Jesus and gain your freedom.&#8221;
I looked straight into his eyes and replied, &#8220;Your methods will not work on me. I decided to die for Jesus the day I decided to follow Him.&#8221;
I immediately felt the tension around my neck loosen. The guards were shocked at my outburst. They looked at each other and shook their heads in disbelief. The big, burly officer took his foot off my neck and pulled me upright.
&#8220;This guy has no fear of death,&#8221; the officer said to his partner. &#8220;Let&#8217;s let him go. No amount of persecution is going to change him. It is useless.&#8221;
They unlocked the chains and let me go home.
Brothers and Sisters, I share my story to encourage all believers to stand firm in the faith. God is victorious!
&#8211;30&#8211;
*Name changed. Susie Rain is an International Mission Board writer living in Asia. UPDATE: After being released from jail, Sung went back to complete his &#8220;homework assignment.&#8221; As a result, his team baptized more than 100 new believers and planted seven house churches in the same area where he was persecuted. For more stories about persecution in Asia, go to http://www.asiastories.com.
article adapted from Baptist Press
First Baptist Church of Perryville is located one and a half miles east of Rt. 222.

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		</item>
		<item>
		<title>The Virtue of Staying Busy—Donald Whitney</title>
		<link>http://www.perryville.org/2013/06/05/the-virtue-of-staying-busy%e2%80%94donald-whitney/</link>
		<comments>http://www.perryville.org/2013/06/05/the-virtue-of-staying-busy%e2%80%94donald-whitney/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 05 Jun 2013 16:39:10 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>terri</dc:creator>
		
	<category>featured</category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.perryville.org/2013/06/05/the-virtue-of-staying-busy%e2%80%94donald-whitney/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[ While serving as a pastor in the Chicago area, Donald Whitney completed the doctor of ministry degree at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School and penned Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life, which was widely distributed by both the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association and Promise Keepers. Since then, he has authored five other books, with forewords [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[ While serving as a pastor in the Chicago area, Donald Whitney completed the doctor of ministry degree at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School and penned Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life, which was widely distributed by both the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association and Promise Keepers. Since then, he has authored five other books, with forewords from such evangelical leaders as J. I. Packer, John MacArthur, and James Montgomery Boice.
In recent years, Whitney has been a professor of biblical spirituality at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Kansas City, Missouri, and at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky, where he now serves. As his web site, www.biblicalspirituality.org, reveals, he has an extensive speaking and writing ministry, and as the following selection from his first book indicates, he makes no apology for his crowded schedule. He argues that a serious Christian is typically a busy Christian.
Ive come to the conclusion that, with rare exceptions, the Godly person is a busy person. The Godly person is devoted to God and to people, and that leads to a full life. Though never frantic in pace, Jesus was a busy Man. Read Marks gospel and notice how often the word immediately describes the transition from one event in Jesus life to the next. We read of Him sometimes ministering all day and until after dark, then getting up before dawn to pray and travel to the next ministry venue. The gospels tell of occasional nights when He never slept at all. They tell us He got tired, so tired that He could sleep in an open, storm-tossed ship. Crowds of people pressed upon Him almost daily. Everyone wanted time with Him and clamored for His attention. None of us knows job-related stress like the kind He continually experienced. If Jesus life, as well as that of Paul, were measured against the balanced life envisioned by many Christians today, they would be considered workaholics who sinfully neglected their bodies. Scripture confirms what observation perceives: laziness never leads to Godliness.1
Footnotes:
1
Donald S. Whitney, Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life (Colorado Springs: NavPress, 1991), 236.
article adapted from Kairos Journal
First Baptist Church of Perryville is located one and half miles east of Rt. 222.

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		<item>
		<title>Christians Looking into Islam: Ten Ways to Respond</title>
		<link>http://www.perryville.org/2013/06/03/christians-looking-into-islam-ten-ways-to-respond/</link>
		<comments>http://www.perryville.org/2013/06/03/christians-looking-into-islam-ten-ways-to-respond/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 03 Jun 2013 16:35:46 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>terri</dc:creator>
		
	<category>featured</category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.perryville.org/2013/06/03/christians-looking-into-islam-ten-ways-to-respond/
284a
</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[ Peter Riddell is Professorial Dean of the Centre for the Study of Islam and Other Faiths of the Melbourne School of Theology in Australia. 
My two previous Insight articles identified a number of features which characterize Islam and its followers in the modern world.1 In this third article, I will suggest ten ways (in [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[ Peter Riddell is Professorial Dean of the Centre for the Study of Islam and Other Faiths of the Melbourne School of Theology in Australia. 
My two previous Insight articles identified a number of features which characterize Islam and its followers in the modern world.1 In this third article, I will suggest ten ways (in no particular order of importance) that Christians can respond to those features of Islam:
1.
To avoid stereotyping Muslims, Christians should learn about the different theological, social, and political groupings in Islam. For instance, while some Muslims support the Taliban, others, such as Harvards Kanan Makiya, call these radicals Islams Ku Klux Klan.2 Furthermore, businessmen dealing with Saudi Arabia must negotiate the passageways of Shariah law, while the Commercial Code of Kuwait is virtually indistinguishable from that of the West.3 And while Irans President Ahmadinejad mutters death threats against Israel, Jordans King Abdullah stands shoulder to shoulder with the West in the war against terror.4 From sector to sector, the differences are striking.
2.
Given the absence of deeply rooted democratic traditions within Muslim countries, Christians should support efforts by Western governments and certain Muslim advocacy and dissident groups, both within and outside the Muslim world, who are trying to establish democratic political systems in Muslim countries. Malaysias Sisters in Islam group is a case in point; their website features a number of progressive materials and initiatives.5 The task seems massive, but the winds of democratic change are blowing through the Middle East in response to external pressures.
3.
We also considered the presence in the Muslim world of competing centers of authority, such as Al-Azhar University in Cairo, the Shiite leadership in Iran, and individual scholars. The Church should establish and maintain direct contact with Islamic authority centers at both international and local levels which are more open to democratic institutions, pluralist traditions, and non-Muslim perspectives. When voices such as the mainstream Muslim Council of Britain distance themselves from radical Islam, Christians should offer thanks to them as a beginning for conversation.6
4.
Some argue that the roots of radical Islam lie in Western foreign policy, while others point to the content of Islamic sacred scripture and a literal approach to that scripture by radical Muslim scholars. Christians should speak out boldly in support of the latter view. The rise in terror carried out by radical Muslims in recent years is directly connected with certain parts of the Islamic sacred books: the Quran and Hadith. For instance, in urging enmity with the U.S., the militant group al-Muhajiroun, cites Sura 9:41 of the Quran for its warrant.7 Unjust blame for the West deflects attention from the need for Muslims to address those parts of their sacred texts which nourish Islamist radicals.
5.
A key feature of radical Islam is its call for widespread implementation of Islamic Shariah law found throughout the Muslim world, demonstrated particularly by the Taliban in Afghanistan. Christians should read about the spread of more extreme expressions of Islamic Shariah law in many parts of the Muslim world and stand with those trying to resist this spread.8 Among those on the battle lines are the Christians in southern Nigeria, alarmed at increasingly militant Muslim culture in the north.9
6.
We also referred to modernizing Muslims, in terms of their responses to Islamic radicalism and their more rationalist approaches to reading sacred texts. Christians should encourage modernizing Muslims to articulate a more self-critical approach to their texts, to move beyond the Islam is a religion of peace mantra. Canadas Irshad Manji, author of The Trouble with Islam Today, is one such courageous reformer.10
7.
Christians must respond to widespread negative stereotyping of the West, Christianity, and Judaism in many sections of the international and local Muslim media, as well as Muslim educational materials. Some attention has been paid to this problem, though it is ad hoc and insufficient.11 While Western countries are under self-imposed pressure to minimize negative stereotyping of Islam and Muslims,12 Muslim countries are doing little to address their own negative attitudes toward non-Muslims. The most outrageous claims circulate freely"such as that Western men are happy for their wives to be strippers and prostitutes13 and that Jews planned the attacks of 9/11.14 Christians can act by discussing such slander with Muslim contacts, supporting those groups who are active in this area, and encouraging politicians to address this. And believers can also point to the many technological and medical contributions the West has introduced to Muslim culture.
8.
Christians in the West must actively and energetically advocate on behalf of their fellow Christians suffering discrimination and persecution in Muslim-majority locations. They can do this by speaking out individually as well as supporting those advocacy organizations campaigning in this area, e.g., International Christian Concern (www.persecution.org). Christian minorities must not be allowed to feel abandoned where they are experiencing discrimination and persecution in Muslim lands.
9.
Muslim ghettos in Christian countries (e.g., in Englands Leicester, Birmingham, and Bradford)15 tend to nourish attitudes and practices which would not be considered acceptable among the majority: e.g., treatment of women, attitudes toward and intimidation of non-Muslims, xenophobic political opinions. Christians have a duty to challenge such values and practices and must not accept a culture of political correctness which protects minority groups from being subject to critical scrutiny.
10.
Also deriving from the rise of closed Muslim communities in the West, Christians must be willing to enter debates about immigration, affirming the importance of welcoming the stranger while at the same time arguing for immigration policies that contribute to, not undermine, social cohesion. For this to happen, immigration policies must certainly not be based on racial factors. However, they should take account of difficult mixes of ideologies, including religious faiths, which if handled carelessly can result in major sectarian strife as seen recently in France and Australia.16
Christians should be ready to engage with Muslims in diverse ways, in recognition of (a) the diverse gifts and abilities of Christians and (b) the considerable diversity among Muslims. So there should be room in the Christian-Muslim engagement for dialogue of various forms, apologetics and debates, as well as evangelism and mission. In the process, Christians should build bridges with Muslims where values and attitudes are shared, especially on matters of ethics such as pornography, promiscuity, and homosexuality. Christian-Muslim dialogue initiatives should be supported where they allow for a genuine two-way engagement and critique of both faiths, not just Christianity.
Christian engagement with Muslims should be done without arrogance, but with confidence, reflecting Christs own engagement with people of diverse backgrounds.
Footnotes:
1
See Part IV &amp; V of this series, &#8220;Muslims Looking Inwards: Issues of Debate among Muslims&#8221; &amp; &#8220;Muslims Looking Outwards: Attitudes towards Non-Muslims.&#8221;
2
Kanan Makiya, Fighting Islams Ku Klux Klan, The Observer (London), October 7, 2001, quoted in Peter G. Riddell and Peter Cotterell, Islam in Context: Past, Present, and Future (Grand Rapids: Baker, 2003), 190.
3
William Ballantyne, quoted in Norman Anderson, Islam in the Modern World: A Christian Perspective (Leicester: Apollo, 1990), 113.
4
Riddell and Cotterell, 187.
5
Consider, for example, the postings at Sisters in Islam Website, http://www.sistersinislam.org.my/wn_research.htm (accessed February 13, 2006).
6
Riddell and Cotterell, 185.
7
Ibid., 165-166.
8
Cf. Paul Marshall, ed. Radical Islams Rules: The Worldwide Spread of Extreme Sharia Law (Lanham, MD: Rowman &amp; Littlefield, 2005).
9
Dan Isaacs, Islam in Nigeria: Simmering Tensions, BBC News Website, September 24, 2003, http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/3155279.stm (accessed February 13, 2006).
10
Irshad Manji, The Trouble with Islam Today: A Muslims Call for Reform in Her Faith (New York: St. Martins Griffin, 2003).
11
See, for example, The Westophobia Report: Anti-Western and Anti-Christian Stereotyping in British Muslim Publications, Centre for Islamic Studies, London Bible College, 1999; and Saudi Government Must Eradicate Hate Rhetoric in Textbooks, Senator Schumer: Official Senate Website, March 4, 2003, http://schumer.senate.gov/SchumerWebsite/pressroom/press_releases/PR01526.html (accessed February 13, 2006).
12
See the American Textbook councils report, Gilbert Sewall, Islam and the Textbooks, American Textbook Council, February 2003, http://www.historytextbooks.org/islam.htm (accessed February 13, 2006).
13
Riddell and Cotterell, 159.
14
Ibid., 161-162.
15
Jan Jun, U.K.: Asian Muslim Ghettos Keep Growing, Hindering Integration, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty Website, September 12, 2005, http://www.rferl.org/featuresarticle/2005/09/2c5422de-c656-4b0d-879b-b30370a07b07.html (accessed February 13, 2006).
16
Cf. Peter Riddell, France Is Still Right about Race Integration, Church Times Website, http://www.churchtimes.co.uk/churchtimes/website/pages.nsf/httppublicpages/8BA9F40A97702495802570BB00545143; and Peter Riddell, Religion, Not Just Race, Stirs, the Riots, Church Times Website, http://www.churchtimes.co.uk/churchtimes/website/pages.nsf/httppublicpages/813C76E1B08EB5A8802570DE003A6972 (accessed February 13, 2006).
article adapted from Kairos Journal
First Baptist Church of Perryville is located at 4800 W. Pulaski Hwy., Perryville, MD


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		<item>
		<title>God Protects Those Who Follow Him</title>
		<link>http://www.perryville.org/2013/06/02/god-protects-those-who-follow-him/</link>
		<comments>http://www.perryville.org/2013/06/02/god-protects-those-who-follow-him/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 02 Jun 2013 15:54:28 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>av</dc:creator>
		
	<category>listen</category>
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		<description><![CDATA[Pastor John
Scripture Reference: II Kings 6-7

]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[Pastor John
Scripture Reference: II Kings 6-7

]]></content:encoded>
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		<itunes:subtitle>Pastor John

Scripture Reference: II Kings 6-7 </itunes:subtitle>
		<itunes:summary>Pastor John

Scripture Reference: II Kings 6-7</itunes:summary>
		<itunes:keywords>listen</itunes:keywords>
		<itunes:author>Dr. John Gauger</itunes:author>
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		<item>
		<title>&#8216;Unconditional&#8217; film promotes faith in action</title>
		<link>http://www.perryville.org/2013/06/01/unconditional-film-promotes-faith-in-action-2/</link>
		<comments>http://www.perryville.org/2013/06/01/unconditional-film-promotes-faith-in-action-2/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 01 Jun 2013 16:30:09 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>terri</dc:creator>
		
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		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.perryville.org/2013/06/01/unconditional-film-promotes-faith-in-action-2/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[ NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP) &#8212; The children in Nashville&#8217;s public housing call him &#8220;Papa Joe,&#8221; and, as the name implies, consider him to be the father figure they lack at home.
He&#8217;s completely fine with that, and he wouldn&#8217;t have it any other way. &#8220;Papa Joe&#8221; Bradford and his team of volunteers give underprivileged children from [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[ NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP) &#8212; The children in Nashville&#8217;s public housing call him &#8220;Papa Joe,&#8221; and, as the name implies, consider him to be the father figure they lack at home.
He&#8217;s completely fine with that, and he wouldn&#8217;t have it any other way. &#8220;Papa Joe&#8221; Bradford and his team of volunteers give underprivileged children from seemingly hopeless situations the hope they desperately need. They feed them, clothe them, encourage them and share the Gospel with them.
Bradford says he&#8217;s simply putting his faith into action, and on Sept. 21, moviegoers can get a peek into his life with the movie &#8220;Unconditional,&#8221; which was inspired by his life and was funded and produced by two Christian men &#8212; Jason Atkins and J. Wesley Legg &#8212; who had a desire for more wholesome movies that will impact not only the church but the public at large. It was screened at this year&#8217;s Southern Baptist Convention Pastors&#8217; Conference and is the first film from Harbinger Media Partners, which Atkins and Legg formed.
The film had a budget of $2 million, which is small by Hollywood standards but significant when compared to more recent films that have been at least partially marketed to churches. &#8220;Courageous,&#8221; for instance, had a $1 million budget, and &#8220;Fireproof&#8221; $500,000.
Like Courageous, Unconditional&#8217;s larger budget is evident on the screen, from the acting to the sets to the production quality. It will open in about 300 theaters.
Unconditional stars Michael Ealy, who plays Bradford, and Lynn Collins, who plays Samantha Crawford, a downtrodden woman whom Bradford helps after her husband is murdered. Crawford is questioning her will to live but finds hope in watching &#8220;Papa Joe&#8221; love the children in his neighborhood.

Although some of the events in the movie are fictional, most of the events about Bradford are actually true, he said. He really did serve time in prison &#8212; in real life, for hacking into a computer bank &#8212; and he really did nearly kill a man while behind bars (he was in prison for 18 months). Once out of prison, in real life and in the movie, Bradford moved into Nashville&#8217;s government housing &#8212; the &#8220;projects,&#8221; he calls them &#8212; where he was burdened by the brokenness of the people around him and the innocent children who had witnessed events that most adults never see. He personally knew of a little girl whose father was murdered &#8212; right in front of her. He knew of another girl whose face was bruised from her mother&#8217;s beatings.
&#8220;We started seeing the abuse and the crazy stuff happening with these children,&#8221; Bradford told Baptist Press.
Bradford and his wife had two small children, so they got to know the kids in the community well. One day a little girl came to their house, and his wife gave her a piece of candy. Soon, the rest of the neighborhood kids were in his yard, wanting a treat.
&#8220;A piece of candy led to all these children coming to our doorstep,&#8221; Bradford said. &#8220;Mothers started dropping off kids at our doorstep. I don&#8217;t know if they thought we were a daycare or what, but it was crazy. And we just started loving on these kids, and we made a choir out of them.&#8221;
The choir was a natural fit, because Bradford plays the saxophone and his wife the keyboard, and they had served as worship leaders in churches.
Bradford and his wife wanted to feed all the children but they couldn&#8217;t afford it.
&#8220;We started asking people for help for these children &#8212; to the point that my wife had this crazy idea that we would take fliers all over our community and see who needed help with food,&#8221; he said. &#8220;We didn&#8217;t have the funds or the food, but when we got the telephone calls we would go out, take a team and hustle and try to find help for these children.&#8221;

Eventually, he and his wife formed a ministry, &#8220;Elijah&#8217;s Heart,&#8221; that has 30 regular volunteers, all with the goal of helping under-served children. They named the choir &#8220;Unity,&#8221; and it has sung for organizations and events throughout Nashville, including National Day of Prayer observances. And they and the volunteers conduct &#8220;Walk of Love&#8221; strolls through the poorest neighborhoods, giving away free food and supplies. Everything is funded by private donations.
Nearly every child they serve, Bradford said, is fatherless, looking for a father figure. Bradford got his nickname during a choir rehearsal when a girl walked up to him and asked, &#8220;Will you be my daddy?&#8221;
&#8220;I thought she was just kidding with me. But another girl in the choir heard her and said, &#8216;Will you be my daddy?&#8217; Before you knew it I was surrounded by most of the choir and these kids were looking up saying, &#8216;Will you be my daddy?&#8217; I went home and prayed over it, and I believe the Lord changed my name to Papa Joe that day, and I came back and told them, &#8216;All of you can call me Papa Joe.&#8217;&#8221;
The need for fathers and father figures in the inner city is tremendous, he said.
&#8220;The majority of dropouts in high school come from fatherless homes. There are various statistics that show you the plight and the result of fatherless children, because they don&#8217;t have the male encouragement. They don&#8217;t have the figure of stability. They don&#8217;t get the time that a father provides. A surrogate parent is the way we help fill that need, to a degree.&#8221;
Asked where fatherlessness would rank among America&#8217;s problems, Bradford said he would place it in the top three.
&#8220;That&#8217;s because the root of so many of our problems is because the family unit is incomplete,&#8221; said Bradford, who has penned an autobiography, &#8220;A Walk of Love.&#8221;
The movie wasn&#8217;t Bradford&#8217;s idea. That credit goes to Atkins, one of the producers, who was inspired after serving alongside Bradford and hearing his life story. Bradford said he hopes churches will get behind the film, and he wants people to walk out of the theater desiring to put their faith into action. The movie&#8217;s website, UnconditionaltheMovie.com, includes an &#8220;Act&#8221; tab where moviegoers can learn of organizations that help needy children.
&#8220;I want it to ignite a fire in their heart to practice Christ&#8217;s love &#8212; not just to speak it or say it, but to actually practice the love of Christ,&#8221; Bradford said. &#8220;That&#8217;s basically 1 John 3:18 &#8212; that we don&#8217;t just love with our tongue or speech but in deed.&#8221;
article adapted from Baptist Press
First Baptist Church of Perryville is located on Rt. 40 across from the Principio Health Center in Perryville, MD


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		<item>
		<title>Man, the Idol—John R. W. Stott (1921 - 2011)</title>
		<link>http://www.perryville.org/2013/05/30/man-the-idol%e2%80%94john-r-w-stott-1921-2011/</link>
		<comments>http://www.perryville.org/2013/05/30/man-the-idol%e2%80%94john-r-w-stott-1921-2011/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 30 May 2013 16:27:48 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>terri</dc:creator>
		
	<category>featured</category>
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		<description><![CDATA[ John Stott was ordained in 1945 and served for many years as Rector of All Souls Church, Langham Place, London. He is known worldwide as a preacher, scholar, and evangelist. Stotts broad interests in theology, Christology, evangelism, and apologetics are reflected in his many books. Below is an excerpt from his work The Cross [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[ John Stott was ordained in 1945 and served for many years as Rector of All Souls Church, Langham Place, London. He is known worldwide as a preacher, scholar, and evangelist. Stotts broad interests in theology, Christology, evangelism, and apologetics are reflected in his many books. Below is an excerpt from his work The Cross of Christ in which he traces the root of all mans rebellion"the worship of himself.
For the essence of sin is man substituting himself for God, while the essence of salvation is God substituting himself for man. Man asserts himself against God and puts himself where only God deserves to be; God sacrifices himself for man and puts himself where only man deserves to be. Man claims prerogatives which belong to God alone; God accepts penalties which belong to man alone.1
Footnotes:
1
John R. W. Stott, The Cross of Christ (Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 1986), 160.
Article adapted from Kairos Journal
First Baptist Church of Perryville is located one and a half miles east of Rt. 222.

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