The Blogroll is Closing

As many of you know, I have been considering shutting the Christian Bloggers Blogroll down. I created it so that Christians could network with other Christian bloggers and support each other's blogging. Unfortunately, in the culture we face today, there is a broad difference in opinion as to what a Christian is.

Some people claim to be Christians, yet they do not even believe the Bible is the Word of God. Some do not believe Jesus died on the cross or was resurrected either. How they justify calling themselves Christians, I have no idea ... but they do. They are deceived, but that is another post altogether.

I believe the Bible is the Word of God and is true in it's entirety. I am a follower of Christ. I believe in His virgin birth, life, ministry, His crucifixion, death, resurrection, and ascension to heaven. I am disturbed by how many people apply to the Christian Bloggers Blogroll but cannot say the same.

And, I am one person. I cannot filter through hundreds of posts to make sure someone's doctrine is on target, that their theology is clear and that they are exactly what they profess themselves to be. It definitely has created a dilemma for me, as I understand the potential of such a blogroll ... but see where it can do more harm than good.

So, here is the deal: I am closing the blogroll. I am giving everyone a week to go through their blogroll and mark the sites that they like and want to keep reading. After that, all links will be gone except one to this post.

Dilemma

I have been thinking for sometime that I might close down Christian Bloggers. At first, I thought I might just shut down some of its features. It is a lot of work and I am the only person doing it ... and I don't have all the time it takes. That would make it a lot easier to add people and then it wouldn't be such a chore at times.

But then ... that wouldn't solve one of the issues that really bothers me.

We have members who believe things that are not biblical. I am not talking secondary theology here either. I am talking about issues of sin, the deity of Christ, political extremism on both sides, etc. And, the more I look at these issues, the more I realize that people could be led astray and think that just because someone who claims they are a "Christian" said something, that it is true.

We have a great responsibility as followers of Christ. People look at what we say. They look at our behavior. They expect truth from us. And, we don't always live up to those expectations. Some of us are deceived. Some of us are practicing idolatry and are worshiping a god we have created in our own minds, not the God of the Bible. We don't like some of what He says and does, so we change things to fit the way we want them to be.

So, I am still considering closing the blogroll. I don't have the time to go through the blogroll and remove everyone that I don't think is teaching biblical principles and I wouldn't want that responsibility in the first place.

All I can do is pray about this. I will let you know what my decision is.

New Members!

Please help welcome our newest members ...

• Mommy, Wife, Child, and Believer
• God-1-Word-2-Say
• Mercenary of Christ
• Lessons From The Scriptures
• 2nd Breakfast
• Agape Speaks
• Venchenza Writes
• All These Things

We Have New Members

Lets welcome our newest members ...

• Pro Deo et Patria
• Uber Thoughts
• Simple Thoughts On Promises

New Members

Please help me welcome our newest members ...

• For The Love Of Letters
• Deborah Ross Ministries
• Samaritian Diva
• Inspirations With Tralyn

Four More New Members

Please join me and welcome our newest members:

• Two Common Thieves
• Teri's Story
• Charge The World
• Family Blueprint

Joining The Twitterverse

You can now follow Christian Bloggers on Twitter. Also, we have our own Twibe over there. You do not have to be a member of the Christian Bloggers Blogroll to join.

Update: I went through the whole blogroll looking for those of you on Twitter and am following the ones I could find. If you are a Twitter user and you don't see Christian Bloggers following you, please leave your username in the comments.

Also, if you don't use Twitter ... consider joining! It is free and fun. :)

More New Members

I hope you will join me and welcome our newest members:

The Freedom In Christ Blogspot
The Areopagus
Stand Firm 4 Christ

Lord, Is It I?

A member of our church read this to us Sunday night and our Pastor took the opportunity to talk to us about it. I immediately felt convicted as I found myself in it. It shined a light on some areas of my own life that I need to deal with and get right in.

Lord, is it I ...

who has stopped fellowshipping with other believers?

who has become full of pride and self-righteousness?

who no longer possesses a geniune overcoming testimony?

who serves you with only a portion of my heart?

who has lost control of my temper?

who has gone astray from conviction?

who has allowed my prayer life to become little more than a ritural or a habit at dinner time?

who has tried to make people believe something about me that You know really isn't true?

who has failed to spend time reading and studying Your precious Word?

who has become a spectator rather than a participant in prayer and worship?

who has become embarrassed to stand up or speak up for You?

who has held a grudge or unforgiveness?

who has gone places I shouldn't have gone or watched things I shouldn't have watched and said things I shouldn't have said?

who makes excuses for the laziness in my efforts to live godly?

who has developed attitudes of apathy and complacency and has become unresponsive to Your voice in my life?

who has failed to honor You in my finances by withholding my tithes and offerings?

who spends little or no private time in Your presence?

who hides unconfessed or unforsaken sins in my heart?

who finds it easier to judge and criticize than to uplift a fellow believer?

who lacks a geniune burden for the lost?

who has become secretly in love with this world's system and it's pleasures?

who talks about revival but refuses to meet the personal conditions for revival?

who would rather have my ears tickled than to hear the truth about my spiritual condition?

I do not know who the author is, but I wanted to share it. I don't think they will mind. :)

Cross-posted at The Rogue Angel.

Spring Cleaning!

Just so you know, I will be spending today and Monday cleaning up the blogroll. I have already found a few sites that do not have the blogroll code on them and they will be removed from the blogroll and feeds.

After I get it all cleaned up, I will be adding new members. So, while you may find that some of your favorite blogs are missing ... hopefully you will find some new favorites as well. :)

Two Models

At a class at our church Wednesday evening, one of our pastors introduced us to two completely different models of church. For our purposes here, I've recreated the whiteboard text, and with that in front of us all, let's take a look at them.

The first model is, sad to say, how many people have either experienced church in the past or how they experience it today. What it expresses in shorthand is "We expect you to behave a certain way before you come through our doors - after all, this is a church - then, after you've been here a while, we expect you to believe exactly as we do. Stick around long enough, and eventually, you'll belong - either through a membership drive or just from social acceptance."

Is it just me, does anyone else see how that model stands in direct opposition to how the church is to be? It carries on the traditions of man - focused on the externals and the expectations of others - while ignoring the example Christ created and commanded.

The second model is not as frequently seen in contemporary Christian circles as I believe it should be, but those that make the effort to create a local church experience closer to this model may find it easier to sustain. The shorthand for the second model expands into "You are invited to belong - come join us, no preconditions. These are the truths we believe. As you come to believe them as well, you will change your behavior out of love, and not social pressure to conform."

What made this all seem a little ironic to me is that the 12 Step fellowships got this one right from the beginning, and we learned it from the early church. Oh, that isn't to say that individuals don't try to bend others - even whole groups - to their will; that, and worse, happens. Are there no failed ministers and ministries who've been guilty of the same? The base model, however, remains intact - come as you are, broken and beaten, and discover what we've learned that has allowed us to change. We've learned that we're not God - what a relief that is going to be to you! - and that He is able and willing to heal you. How you'll change after that only He knows, but we'll be here to cheer you on and help you when you stumble - for all of us have done so as well.

New Feed

Google and Feedburner are now one and the same. If you are reading us in a reader, you may want to update to our new feed: http://feedproxy.google.com/ChristianBloggers.

New Members

I hope you will join me and welcome our newest members:

Life and Doctrine
Saved by Grace..Walking by Faith
Destiny Dreaming

More Of Us On Facebook

For all of us who love Facebook ... you can now be a fan of Christian Bloggers. Come join us there!

Merry Christmas

Fully God, fully man ... Jesus was born of a virgin and came to live a sinless life, the ultimate sacrificial lamb for the sins of the world. There is nothing that can compare to the greatest gift ever given. Nothing.

Merry Christmas.