Independent but not Individual

Christians, there is such a thing as individualism.  With individualism comes preference, convictions, and standards.  They are all different things in and of themselves.  Some men may be convicted about drinking to much coffee, and for them, they feel God would have them to stop.  It does not make it wrong for all men to drink it.  Thank God for that cause I love it.

Some men prefer reading, some prefer watching.  Some write, some speak. Some prefer coaching some prefer playing.  Some men teach, others preach.  Some like sugar some like cream.  Some like salt some like pepper.  Concerning the body of Christ, there is much more underlined stuff there.  It has to do with gifts and how they can be used.  It may have to do with culture and where some were raised.  

You have to wonder what we are doing to our own body when we so hastily cast the heretics, and people struggling out. Especially when we consider that we should be the very ones restoring, admonishing, and encouraging them.  We should be the ones with patience.  Even with the dirty and simple minded.  In the NT, the body of Christ can have church and order exactly how they see it laid out in the word itself.  And it is not like we see in the modern vision.

Most of my past doubt in affairs, angst and frustrations of the church stem from actions of men, not God. I never fully believed certain traditions of men in the Baptist ranks, though I may have preached them for righteous indignation, peer pressure, amens and support or to fit in, I still wondered about our attitudes and thoughts for others not like us.  

I wonder about the crazy guy that was invited by a zealous member.  Most are afraid of those types, I love them.  I wonder about the scantily clad young girl.  Most men are afraid to even approach her for fear of what the brethren or their wife might say, but that is the one that I want to reach.  She doesn’t know any better, she is just worldly.  They shouldn’t shock us or scare us. 

Preaching the Gospel of Christ Without Charge

Making increase of the body, unto the edifying of itself in love.  This is how the body is increased, by edifying itself. Like the living organism it is.  It doesn’t need money.  I understand it’s necessary uses and things like that, but money has become way to centralized in our manners and serivces at this point.  

Edification; it’s how the body, the working organism is established to work. Not preaching for money to build churches and ministries gallore and making the gospel of Christ with charge, but allowing money to flow through the body like blood flows through our veins, working where there is a need.  Not where needs are created.

Not just all the funds going to every ministry or minister under the sun.  Not just all the funds going specifically to just the men in position.    Not most of our money going abroad to men we don’t know, blindly casting our pearls before swine.  I bet you have never thought of that phrase the other way? These sorts of things that we do today, they were never practiced in the NT! Why do we do it today?

Churches today take up thousands, most going abroad, about 80-20.  I think it should be exactly opposite.  The local body and their needs 80, the foreign field, 20.  I know I know, "string em up! he is anti-missions..."

The Called of God?

It is vital in the scriptures when God speaks. A few rare phrases carry tremendous implications.  It is no doubt that God spoke to mankind at times in mans history. But did this continue or not?  We of course know that God spoke when he was on Earth, manifest in the flesh as our Lord and savior Jesus Christ.  But when phrases like, “the Lord said unto” or the “the LORD said unto”, show up, it is a major incident!

I choose to delve into this topic because of all the mindless claims to speak for God. There is so much loose talk of “God told me to…” or “god called me” or “God is leading me to tell you…” and so on, that it has become a critical juncture now in separating fact from fiction in a persons mind as to what is really happening in their world.

It’s just interesting how men hang around in certain areas and use certain terminology when in actuality, they are not strong at all in the scriptures. Things like dedicate, dedications, offerings, burdened, burdens, God’s call, the call of Christ, God spoke to me, God lead me, God said unto me, the hand of God is upon him, and many more. Some even are not even biblical phrases at all! We hear these things chimed continuously.  They were so rarely used in the word of God, yet we use them repeatedly and pretentiously.

Just a few things to start, to show how often some oft “used” statements we repeat are actually very rare statements in God’s word.  The phrase “the Lord led me” shows up one time in Genesis 24.  “Called of God” shows up one time in Hebrews 5:4.  There is much talk of being “burdened for the Lord”, or “God gave me a burden”.  The word “burdened” appears only 2 times in 2 Chronicles 5:4 and 8:13.  Read them for what they are.

The word “burden” appears many times in scriptures, but is in no way an association of a “call of God” to the “ministry” like we man has been spinning it the last 150 years.  The phrase “God said” shows up 46 times, all OT accept for a reference in Luke.  The phrase, “God spake” shows up 13 times. Which included talks with Noah, Moses, Joshua, Abraham, Isaac. 

Traditions to Hold Fast

God gave the gospel that “we believe” to Paul.  Prior to Paul, it was a mystery.  The disciples didn’t get it either.  Peter certainly didn’t get it.  God had to go to a lost man, a religious man, a pharisee, a traditionalist, a zealot, and reveal himself to this religious  sign-seeking Jew, through a sign and wonder, a Jew, and convert him, by belief and faith alone in the risen messiah.

Any character you want to pick in the entire word of God, no other had such a unique  revelation or knowledge of this mystery.  It is for this risen alone, that our gospel messages, and preaching align with Paul’s sound doctrine on the matter.  If we therefore preach anything contrary to this mystery, the gospel of the grace of God, we will be found wanting, reproachable, blameable, and an offence to him, and the world. 

If you men dabble in the law, you are left wanting, you play in the prophets; If you are following the spirit of the prophets you are in open rebellion of God’s word, and the wholesome words of the Lord; If you flirt with the message of John the Baptist, you are following the spirit of error;  If you try to mesh the gospels and Paul’s distinct gospel of grace, you are carried about by another wind of doctrine; If you mistakenly assert some “repentant of all your sins” mentality into a gospel, you are preaching another gospel and are led away by the error of the wicked!

The "Old Paths" for New Testament Christians?

"Ask for the old paths!"  Stop it already!!!  I realize I'm stepping on toes here, but I have thought about this for years.  Let me come right out of the gate and just say, the "old paths", whatever they are, whatever you may define them to be, whatever men in history  you may associate with it, they are not for us.  Why do men yell about the old paths so much? Men talk of the old paths, the same way men harp on the old time religion, and the ol' timers.  Some talk about how it used to be 100 years ago, as if they have some real inkling other then grand stories and romanticized nonsense.  Some focus the idea more on scriptural implications.  This ideology is so big in the Fundamentalist, hardcore, militant Independent Baptist ranks today. The glorious Old paths!  Old paths ministries, Old Paths Baptist church,  "We walk the old paths here!"  What does it all mean?

Jeremiah 6:16 says Thus saith the LORD, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where [is] the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls. But they said, We will not walk [therein].  This is the only time it shows up in the Bible.  It's amazing how men will focus so much on what God focused so little on isn't it. "We should ask for the old paths... " is inevitably followed by what the preacher says he thinks the "old paths" are!  And it usually has the ring of all the things the preacher stands for.  And if it is a pastoral authority control freak preacher, you already have a monster on your hands.

I used to prescribe to this notion myself when i was a Fundamentalist successionist.  The old paths!  It was a neat idea.  Many preachers love that Jeremiah 6:16 is in the Bible.  It is a good springboard for rabbit trails and hobby horses.  People?  Why are we messing around in law and prophets so much?  Why are we wanting to allude to some mystical old paths, some mystical realm that only exist in the preachers minds.  Whether you preachers keep trying to get your young preacher boys to be like Hudson Taylor, George Whitfield, Sam Jones, or Lester Roloff, or you are using the prophets as good examples of public ministry, you guys need to understand what age you are in TODAY!  You are using his word too loosely.  You are no longer teaching our young men to be individuals with a book.  But you  are pushing them to follow traditions of men, claim the same callings of men, follow the same commissions of men and to practice preaching styles that are not fitted for NT men.

Reproving and Rebuking as it Relates to our Conduct in Ministry

This may shock some, but here goes, I believe not everyone you come in contact with must hear the word preached!  You gasp at this! Chalk it up how you like.  

I also believe in answering questions instead of parading biblical superiority.  I believe in “a door of utterance”, not knocking on 500 doors.  

I believe in the holy Spirit’s guidance and leading.  You just can’t understand how someone could say such a thing.  Many public ministries are simply effective only in doing something offending people.  

And they know it, and brag about it even and purposefully attempt to do it.  They think they are doing God a great service!  Our public ministry should be our examples in public, not something we do on Saturdays in front of the Gay bar!  

Public ministry is about planting and watering.  But today, it is loud angry men with bullhorns and enough scripture banners and signs to cause traffic impediment at busy intersections.

This is not effective fishing of men, or being ambassadors of Christ nor does it typify what we see from the practice of seed planting and bearing.  

We don’t preach at our plants, and fruits for not blossoming.  “Grow stupid plant”.  “Repent of your  stubbornness you filthy weed!”  We give them “nourishment”, water, sun light, time, care, patience, longsuffering, and tender care.

Don’t be ignorant of Satan’s devices. We preach against “time saving” technology but we use their same core production valued principles we preach against in public ministry. Our “Over Efficiency” in our evangelism has given way to irresponsible behavior with the word of God. 

What if we did not have the Church?

Of course when I ask this question, hopefully it is understood, that there is a difference between the body of Christ and the physical "church" buildings we go to on Sundays.  We are the church, but what if we did not have the churches to go to? Sometimes asking difficult, even incomprehensible questions, can provoke us to think, and it can also expose our flaws!

Sometimes, examining the hypothetical can illustrate the kinks in our armor, or the holes and weak points in our shields! It is the shield of faith that we are supposed to have above all!

You hear these sort of things: "I don't know where I would be without the church".  "You can't live for God without the church of God!" "If I didn't have the house of God and solid preaching, I would be in prison or dead."  If we didn't have the house of God, where would we be?"  Where would you be?  A valid question, although these are all rhetorical statements, meant to stress the importance and adherence to attendances of the physical structures we have built as mankind in the 21st century. Oh yes, we have Temples, just like the Early church had the Temple!  Make no mistake, the presence and power has become the institution. It's all very denominational!

What if there was no church?  What if we were prohibited from meeting, and doing our things, whatever things they are today?  What if all your traditions and observances were suddenly brought to a halt.  What if you were powerless to resist?  These sort of things have happened in history, but I fear Americans today, who can't even "hear" truth, would see serious repercussions if they no longer had the ministry, or the "house of God" to worship in at our appointed times.  Would our Laodicean stripes and colors shine through then?

The Dangers of Having Youth in Public Ministries

So I guess I will play the bad guy again, and point out more then just "Oh look at our little fireball preach, isn't he precious!" Yeah, look at the expectations we put on them before they are 7!

I have seen young people as young as 6 and 7 preach behind pulpits, and on the street corners.  Using God's word, without even understanding it.  Talking about sin, as if they know anything about it!  Arrogant prideful parents who think their children are anointed for service because of some baby dedication service!  Your kid is special to you but he is not special enough to be ministering to adults and hardened sinners, he is a kid like my kids. 

You say "he can handle it", he has been in the ministry!  You tell a young christian in the pew to abstain from such events, then you take your kids there to behold  all the rioting?  I thought we are supposed to abstain from all appearance of evil.  Oh, that only applies to the compromiser who buys bread at the corner store that sells liquor.  It somehow all of the sudden doesn’t apply to you, the street preachers and public out reach operators who mingles yearly, monthly, and weekly with the sodomites, drunkards, and revelers at their gatherings.  Because someone has to tell them right?  Your going to preach to them,... I know.  

Call a Spade a Spade!

“We are an independent, fundamental, Bible believing Baptist church!”  You may have seen an advertisement like that for a church on a tract, a website, or the phone book.  All the lingo and talk is used: pre-millennial, missions-minded, sin-hating, King James Bible-preaching church.  It has all the persuasion and influence that all religions use.  It’s why we are so aggressive in getting people to come.  We believe we have it, hook, line, and sinker.  We follow the fundamentals of the faith, we preach the truth.  We are not as they, we do things right.  We have order, our statements of faith and the beloved fundamentals.  Which I guess that is all fine.  Other denominations can make erroneous claims, why not the IFB?

I just want you to understand, my mindset and my view is not about starting a revolution, making everyone see my point of view, or to get all the churches to change their format and so on.  I just want others to be aware of the fact that we are no different from the other vain religions who have a great many things wrong at their core.  

It’s just being honest.  Wake up! We are not some special class of Christian that God has called in these last days to stand in the gap and show everyone else their faults and traditions.  In fact, we have many similarities to the religious that we preach against.

The Sunday Scare Hour

The day I dreaded arrived today, when some Sunday School staff/children’s church worker came up to me and informed me that my 7 year old son had gotten “saved”.  He then put him on the spot to describe this life changing event to me at which point he looked at me with a “dazed and confused” look.  Now to some parents, this might have been a joyous occasion to hear of their son's salvation.  But to me, it was one of my worst nightmares.  Here is why.

The arrogance in our evangelism is alarming!  Is it God’s design for Dad and Mom to instruct, read the Bible to, and discuss biblical matters with their children?  Yes.  But all of the sudden, in children’s church or Sunday school, workers get this thing in their head that the children are there for them to push for a decision on spiritual matters and eternal salvation without even discussing matters with the parent.  

As if they know the child, or have anything to do with him aside from asking him questions and prompting him to raise his hand.  They view it as “God brought them to me.”  It’s a twisted view on the providence of God.