New Christian Connection: New Beginnings Praise and Worship Center (Texarkana)

What we believe

ABOUT GOD: God is the creator and the ruler of the universe. He has eternally existed in three persons- the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. These three are co-equal and are on God Genesi1:1,26,27;3:22; Psalm 90:2;Matthew 28:19;1 Peter 1:2;2;Corinthians 13:14
ABOUT MAN: Man is made in the spiritual image of God, to be like him in character. He is the supreme object of God's creation. Although man has a tremendous potential for good, he is marred by an attitude of disobedience toward God called"sin".This attitude separates man of God Genesis 1:27;Psalm 8:3-6; Isaiah 53:6a;Romans 3:23;Isaiah 59:1,2

ABOUT ETERNITY: Man was created to exist forever. He will either exist eternally separated from God by sin or in union with God through forgiveness and salvation. To be eternally separated from God is hell.To be eternally in union with him is eternal life. Heaven and hell are places of eternal existence. John 3:16'John 2:25;John 5:11-13;Romans 6:23;Revelation 20:15; 1 John 5:11-12' Matthew 25:31-46

ABOUT JESUS CHRIST: Jesus Christ is the Son of God. He is co-equal with the Father. Jesus lived a sinless human life and offered himself as the perfect sacrifice for the sins of all men by dying on a cross. He arose from the dead after three days to demonstrate His power over sin and death. He ascended to heaven's glory and will return again to the earth to reign as Kings of Kings and the Lords of Lords.

Check out more about New Beginnings Praise and Worship Center by clicking HERE

New Christian Connection: South Texarkana Baptist Church

Having been led, as we believe, by the Spirit of God to receive the Lord Jesus Christ as our Savior, and the profession of our faith; having been baptized in the name of the Father and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, we do now in the presence of God, angels, and this assembly, most solemnly and joyfully enter into covenant with one another, as one body in Christ.

We engage therefore, by the aid of the Holy Spirit, to walk together in Christian love; to strive for the advancement of this church, in knowledge, holiness, and comfort; to promote its prosperity and spirituality; to sustain its worship, ordinances, discipline, and doctrines; to contribute cheerfully and regularly to the support of the ministry, the expenses of the church, the relief of the poor, and the spread of the gospel through all nations.

We also engage to maintain family and secret devotions; to religiously educate our children; to seek the salvation of our kindred and acquaintances; to walk circumspectly in the world; to be just in our dealings, faithful in our engagements, and exemplary in our deportment; to avoid all tattling, back biting, and excessive anger; to abstain from the sale and use of intoxicating drinks as a beverage, and to be zealous in our efforts to advance the kingdom of our Savior.

We further engage to watch over one another in brotherly love; to remember each other in prayer; to aid each other in sickness and distress; to cultivate Christian sympathy in feeling and courtesy in speech; to be slow to take offense, but always ready for reconciliation, and mindful of the rules of our Savior to secure it without delay.

We moreover engage that when we remove from this place, we will as soon as possible unite with some other church, where we can carry out the spirit of this covenant and the principles of God's Word.

Visit South Texarkana Baptist Church by clicking HERE

New Christian Connection: Pinson Park Baptist Church (Texarkana)

Go therefore and make disciples of all nations... Matthew 28:20

The mission of Pinson Park Baptist Church is simply to make disciples of Jesus Christ and to preach the gospel to all the world.

The world begins here...

Click HERE to go to Pinson Park Baptist Church on the web!

Forbes and Lankford Send Letter in Support of High School Coach’s Freedom to Pray with Students

Washington, D.C. - October 28, 2015 (God Inspires) -- Rep. J. Randy Forbes (VA-04) and Senator James Lankford (OK), Co-Chairmen of the Congressional Prayer Caucus, have sent a letter to the Superintendent of Bremerton School District and Principal of Bremerton High School.Since 2008, the assistant High School football coach has a tradition of praying at the fifty yard line after the conclusion of school football games. At times, students have chosen to pray with him. After seven years, however, the Bremerton School District ordered him to stop these prayers.

Following the team’s homecoming game on October 16, Coach Kennedy knelt by himself to pray after the game.He was voluntarily joined by a crowd of others, including coaches and members of the opposing team. On October 23, the District told him if he repeated his tradition of praying, his actions would be “grounds for discipline, up to and including discharge from District employment.”

Congressman Forbes and Senator Lankford led 47 Members of Congress in sending a letter to the District, arguing that the District’s high school football coach’s non-coercive tradition of personally praying after the conclusion of games is not a violation of the Establishment Clause.

The Member letter contends that Coach Kennedy’s prayers do not pose an Establishment Clause concern because the prayers occur after the conclusion of the game and are optional: “[T]he mere act of a single individual kneeling alone after the conclusion of a game to quietly pray coerces no one, even when that individual is a school employee.That others may choose to join him of their own free will is irrelevant, and an exercise of their own constitutional freedoms.”

A PDF of the letter is available here, and the full text is below:


October 27, 2015

Aaron LeavellJohn Polm
Superintendent, Bremerton School District Principal, Bremerton High School
134 Marion Avenue N.1500 13th St.
Bremerton, WA 98312Bremerton, WA 98337

Dear Superintendent Leavell and Principal Polm,

We write to express our concern over reports that the Bremerton School District views Coach Joseph Kennedy’s tradition of quietly praying at the fifty yard line after the conclusion of school football games as unlawful under the Establishment Clause of the United States Constitution.

Among the most basic rights that Americans enjoy are the free exercise of religion, free speech, and the freedom of association. The Establishment Clause exists to ensure that the government cannot affirmatively impose or elevate one religion over another. However, it does not prohibit the government from referencing religion altogether, nor does it require that government officials proactively scrub all references of religion from the public square. Rather, the Establishment Clause ensures both that the government does not show preference to a certain religion, and that the government does not take away an individual’s ability to exercise religion.

The Supreme Court recently stated, “It is an elemental First Amendment principle that government may not coerce its citizens to support or participate in any religion or its exercise.” Town of Greece v. Galloway, 134 S. Ct. 1811 (2014). The Court went on to state that “an Establishment Clause violation is not made out any time a person experiences a sense of affront from the expression of contrary views . . . .” Id.

These guiding principles from the Court were written in the context of a challenge to a small town’s practice of opening legislative sessions with prayer.The challengers did not like that most of the prayers offered were Christian in nature, even though participation was voluntary and anyone was welcome to offer a prayer. However, the Court rejected the feeble argument that a reasonable observer would believe that the government was favoring Christianity over other religions. The content of what was volunteered was irrelevant, so long as all were welcome.

These crucial principles are no less applicable here. The Supreme Court has made clear that the voluntary observance of a brief prayer at the beginning of a legislative session—a tradition that is also embraced by both the United States Senate and House of Representatives—does not in and of itself present an Establishment Clause problem. Likewise, the mere act of a single individual kneeling alone after the conclusion of a game to quietly pray coerces no one, even when that individual is a school employee. That others may choose to join him of their own free will is irrelevant, and an exercise of their own constitutional freedoms.

The District acknowledged in its letter to Coach Kennedy’s legal counsel that he “is free to engage in religious activity, including prayer, even while on duty, so long as doing so does not interfere with performance of his job duties, and does not constitute District endorsement of religion.” We would urge you to also consider the fact that Coach Kennedy’s personal actions are not only non-coercive, but also admirable and respectable as they represent his commitment to the welfare of the young men on his team.

The Establishment Clause does not require quarantining private, non-coercive religious expression to private quarters or off-duty hours. Thank you for your service to the students and families of Bremerton.

Sincerely,

J. Randy Forbes
Member of Congress

James Lankford
United States Senator

Church Pew Bar Stool...and Miracles

I hopped bars for 3 years after I turned 21. I owned a bar for about a year. I have been promiscuous, homeless, an unwed mother, a divorced woman, jobless, hopeless, and hurting. I have seen others just like me.

I became a charter member of 1st Bikers Church in 2006 or 7...and my whole life has changed. I look around me each time I attend, and I see people just like me. People who once were where I came from. Some who came from much worse places. At 1st Bikers Church, we love them all. We accept who they are when they walk through the door. We pray them into being what God has called them to be.

I have seen people I never thought would step through the doors in that church come in and feel the touch of Jesus on them, and I have watched the miracle of seeing their lives change...because they can't help it...they gotta have more.

THAT's the miracle. THOSE are the GREATEST miracles. Even greater than the Tami Morgans who were healed from breast cancers and the MeeMaws who had heart defects and weren't supposed to live past the age of five.

If you want to see a miracle...come join us! You will only need to look at the person who sits in pew beside you in order to see it.

Jesus invited the poor in spirit, the hurting, the heavy laden. It's obvious that He is there when we worship at 1st Bikers Church! And, there, we learn how to carry Him with us as we go out the doors of the church into the world that THOUGHT it had us!

Inviting someone to church...

(Originally written on Friday, October 16)

Last night I went to the new Walmart in Wake Village to get something to eat and some tea and sugar (gotta have my tea a sugar!)

When I got to the checkout, a young black lady greeted me with the most beautiful smile! She asked me, "How are you doing?"

I smiled back and said, "I am totally blessed!" and she said, "Me, TOO!"

I said, "I can tell. It's the only reason you would be smiling behind a cashier counter at 11:30 at night in Wal Mart." LOL

She just smiled again.

I felt a nudge from God.

I said, "Do you go to church?"

Her expression changed for a split second, then she said, "I haven't found one I felt at home at."

I said, "Oh, PLEASE come visit US!"

She asked me where I went to church. (hehe) I told her, "1st Bikers Church...and we welcome EVERYONE! Come in t-shirts, blue jeans, as you are. As long as you are covered."

She asked me where it was located.

She said, "THAT sounds like a church who would welcome everyone. LOL"

I said, "We are all sinners, in need of a Savior..." then I paused and said, "Even AFTER we are saved."

She smiled even broader and said, "THAT is SO TRUE! AMEN!"

I think we might have a visitor coming...

What is good for God is always good for His children

One of the things I have learned in my walk as a Christian is that God provides what we need, when we need it. When our church was being built...when we purchased the building, and found out all that had to be done to fix it, God put in our midst everyone who had the talent to make it happen, from remodeling to air conditioning, plumbing, etc. Our church fixed it at the most minimal cost to us because of it.

Recently we had need of an air conditioner. After voting to have it fixed or replaced and allowing the money to do that in our budget, a donor GAVE us a new airconditioning system to replace the broken one. We were out of pocket NO money!

God puts people in our lives that we need at the very moment we need them in the same way.

This is why it is important to have faith that things will work out JUST as HE plans -- and what is BEST for us is to always stay in HIS WILL.

What is good for God is always good for HIS children!

Matthew 10:29-31

Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows.