"Prognosis Negative!"

I have often thought, as I add my occasional write ups or rants, to my forum of choice, "I am to negative!"  I'm sure many preachers struggle with this thought in preparing thoughts and sermons. I have positive studies, and sermons!  I have messages about heaven, charity, the apostles, Old Testament saints, and joy and peace.  I love preaching, teaching, studying, writing and dwelling on Jesus Christ, the gospel of the grace of God, the wonderful stories in the Bible, however, I have chosen to put different things on this blog.

I have been accused of "adding to the problem" with my writings, and some have even suggested that I am in heresy, and have grown contentious and dividing! What I have found in seeing this behavior displayed a multitude of times, from many walks of believers in fundamental ranks, of the baptist persuasion, is this pattern of deflecting or misdirecting. It is just there way of hiding or running from what they are hearing.  They are SO knowledgable many of them, but as the young rich ruler, "yet lackest thou one thing".  These topics, or "things" that people like myself bring up, some of it is shocking, I know!  Some things I have said to people, they look at me like I am a devil, or led by one! It breaks my heart.  I wish they knew!  I wish they knew the real me. The talk about my negative words, while ignoring their negative results.

Sometimes, even to my self, I sound like a broken record! I don't want to come off as if I am justifying my positions to strongly, but because of what I know of the internet, and the millions of "Christian" blogs (a vague title today) available on the world wide web, why bother with the basics and the milk? We are over saturated with milk sup messages!  Why re-hash the traditional? Why keep defending the same positions, while never dealing with our great many contradictions within the body of Christ.  They are many.  Not just throughout the entire body, but more specifically, the Independent Baptist, of which I was first introduce to some element of biblical truth for the first time!  Thank God for them!

Did You Call?

Our logic is jacked and selective at best.  What I may say next is not derived from a desire to be heard or to preach in these pastors' “bull” pits. I just think we should examine our own logic on this front of being called of God. To imply a call implies that someone called you.  If they are called to preach, they are of course talking of being “God called”.  And since they are “the called” they have to have a place and people present to exercise it.  

So, what if others are “called"?  What if God selected some young men in the church, gave them a voice, a heart, and a desire to minister, preach, or teach the word of God?  Are they ever allowed to exercise this gift?  Why does it seem like "the call" is only applicable to those in a position of authority? Why is the call only applicable to those who have surrendered to the full-time ministry or those going to seminary? What about some young 20-something kid, who has a heart right with God, but works a regular job?  What about his call?  What about his gift?  Is it allowed to be exercised, or do we just find a mold of ministry more suitable for him?  I mean, with all our varied ministries we have created, we can find something for them to do, as long as they aren't standing challenging the established doctrines.

Most pastors just influence them or find positions more suitable for them.  Some send them off to seminary, because the pastor doesn’t need the young preacher boys, not yet ruined by fundamentalism and religion, to tell him or the church anything.  They need them properly brainwashed and trained for their own definition of what the ministry is. So they go off to schools, get brainwashed the same way, and have their own churches and ministries in the vicious life sucking machine of the fundamentalist religion.