Focusing on Each Other Instead of Focusing on the Issue

I think probably the greatest tool that Satan has is to get people's eyes off of what's happening and getting people's eyes on one another.

As I watch American Politics, I see this is exactly what's happening today with the whole "debt" issue. Democrats are against Republicans and will not pass or sign anything they put out. Republicans are the same way. Thus, they only do what's best for their party. They focus on EACH OTHER instead of on the important ISSUE. They are not interested in what's right and what's best for the country. They are only intersested in themselves and furthering their political careers. Because of this, they are at a standstill, a deadlock, neither one wanting to give an inch, and neither one wanting to compromise with the other. Thus, Satan has won, as nothing can be done.

And who suffers for it? The American People.

Sadly, there is politics in the Church as well. And, all too often this politics mirrors the national politics in Washington. Just as politicians focus on one another rather than on the issue, so too Pastors, Missionaries, Evangelists, etc. focus on one another. And often, they are only interested in making themselves or their "camp" or "Bible College affiliation" look good, while lamblasting and putting down others. This is why there is so much bitter infighting among "Independent Baptist" Preachers. They don't get along, and it's because they focus on EACH OTHER rather than on the differences that supposedly divide them.

Instead of having Bible Studies and looking at truth, and discussing it, most Indies (what I call Independent Baptists) will not even crack open their Bibles and look at it with other ministers. They claim to be Bible Believers, but they refuse to have Bible Studies with others.

Instead they focus on the man himself. Once they find something they can use as an excuse to make someone they don't like look bad, or find a way to make them look not as spiritual as themselves, or somehow make them look stupid, then they can write that person off, and not even look at what that person is teaching. But what if that person has a good point?

The Independent Baptist's answer is: "So what! Who Cares!" And the person is blackballed and his doctrine, ideas, and words are not even looked at.

This is sad, but this is rampant in our churches today. Instead of unity in Christ and uniting around what the Scriptures teach, there is much dissention and division in Christian circles, and very little charity.

I speak from experience. This is what happened to me. I was part of a big Independent Baptist movement. But someone lied about me, and told people I was crazy and such. They said, "Bro. Breaker is against PRAYER all together!"

But that is simply not so. However, because they said it, and they focused on ME instead of on my teaching (which is nothing more than sound Bible Doctrine), I was blackballed and they told those within their group not to even listen to me at all. The focus was on ME, not on the scriptures.

Next, they told people things like, "Breaker has gone off the deep end!"

And finally, they LIED by saying that I called my old Pastor a "heretic." But I never said such a thing. Those were words that a person tried to put in my mouth that I never uttered.

Thus, the focus was on me, not on my teaching. I was a "crazy person" teaching false doctrine in their eyes, and I was ridiculed, mocked, and made fun of. But never once was what I was teaching looked at by any of them.

However, what I was teaching was nothing more than what I was taught from the Bible by the very man who turned against me! I went back and read his commentaries, his tracts, even a letter of his to my own father, and they all confirmed that what he once taught is what I'm teaching, and that I was not the one who changed.

The problem was that he and his croonies had changed and I had not. But I could not turn the focus on them. They would not allow it. If I tried to say, "You have changed your position," then I was labeled the crazy person who was speaking foolishly and the heretic that no one should listen to. They even attacked my credibility, and claimed I wasn't a Pastor, I never led anyone to the Lord, and I never started any Churches in Honduras.

That was fine with me. If they wanted to lie about me and discredit me, not problem. I know it's a lie and so does Jesus. But it does hurt some, especially since they were drawing a line and pushing me across it and telling others not to go along with me in anything.

Truly, I can't wait till the Judgment Seat of Christ, so that God will show them they were wrong.

But that's not important now. What is important is the issue itself.

The Issue once more is this, "Can a person be saved by prayer, and is it possible for a person to be tricked into trusting in their Prayer rather than trusting in Jesus Christ's shed blood alone for salvation?"

The answer is: "No on is saved by their prayer, and YES A PERSON CAN BE DECEIVED INTO THINKING THEIR PRAYER SAVES THEM!" This is exactly what happened to me. It also happened to my wife, and it's happened to many others.

In our day and age of "shallow soulwinning" in which a "soul winner" gives a person a presentation of only three or four verses from the Roman's road and then quickly pressures them to "Repeat a Prayer," it is common to see people tricked or deceived into thinking they are saved BY their prayer. That is they think the prayer itself is the SAVING MEDIUM.

This leads to a person eventually doubting whether they are saved or not, and the remedy for this by those same "soul winners" is for them to just "say the Prayer over again for ASSURANCE." Oftentimes, people pray the prayer over and over again night after night, HOPING they'll be saved because of it. But are they? Are they?

That's the issue, but nobody will touch it. Nobody wants to think that Churches are full of people like I was, who might have sincerely prayed a prayer, but have never been born again. It's because they are trusting in what they've DONE (their prayer), and not in what Jesus DID FOR THEM (in dying on the cross in their place for their sins.)

This "1-2-3, repeat after me" type of soulwinning often does more harm than good, as it does not give a clear presentation of the Gospel. Often, many are left thinking their prayer saves them. But where is this in the Bible? People like this are not saved. They cannot be. For if they trust their prayer, then they trust their own righteousness, and not Christ's alone.

But where are those faithful ministers of the Gospel who are pointing this out? They are few and far between. They don't want to "rock the boat." They just want to go along with what everyone else is doing, especially when it's easy to get a person to "repeat a prayer" and doing so makes it easier to "BRAG UPON YOURSELF and HOW GOOD OF A SOUL WINNER YOU ARE!" (Modern Christianity has become a "braggers club" and it's no longer about Jesus and what he's done for Sinners, rather it's about you and what you do for Jesus.)

So we see the focus is not on the Issue, rather on the man. People who talk like I do, are looked upon as "anti-soul winning." But that's not the case! I am very much for Soul Winning! I'm just against doing it in a shallow manner in which a person can end up deceived into thinking they are saved when they aren't!

But very few want to look at this issue. It's just easier to label someone a "Calvinist" who doesn't do things the same way you do. (I'm very much against Calvinism, by the way!).

So who gets hurt when the focus turns from the issue itself to attacking each other personally? Why lost Sinner's of course. They are the ones losing out. For they are left LOST and still going to Hell, but no one seems to care enough about them to make sure they are presenting them the Gospel clearly, and instructing them plainly to TRUST THE BLOOD OF JESUS ALONE for salvation.

But I care. I care a lot about lost souls. I truly want them to be saved. I also care about lost religious people who think they are saved, but aren't. I want to see them saved as well.

But once again, when I say something like that, the PHARISEES will bypass the issue and go straight to focusing on me, saying things like, "Oh, you just want to talk people out of their salvation! That's all you are interested in."

But that's not true at all! If a person is saved, I don't want to cause doubt. However, at the same time, as I read the scriptures, I see that a person who is saved will have assurance. So could it be that those who don't have assurance aren't saved to begin with, and they are the ones who truly need to be saved?

In closing, it's sad to see how focusing on each other instead of on the issue itself has led not only to the downfall of America and its economy, but also to the downfall of the Church as well. Because "politicians," both secular and religious, would rather play their silly games and exalt themselves in the eyes of others, people get hurt. In American politics, those who get hurt are the American taxpayers, who are asked to pay higher taxes for the stupid spending of those in power. But why should we have to pay for their mistakes and mismanagement funds?

In the religious world, the pride of ministers wanting to be looked upon as right while everyone else is wrong has led to a false gospel and a deceitful plan of salvation which gets a Sinner to DO something with their lips, without trusting only in what Jesus has DONE from the heart. And, even though this method makes the soul winner look good in the eyes of the "brethren" by counting how many people he's gotten to "repeat him in prayer," it doesn't really get a lot of folks truly saved. Instead, lost people suffer for it, as many of them get a false assurance of salvation, thinking they are going to heaven based upon their prayer, rather than on the Biblical means of faith from the heart.

Sadly, the issue is never dealt with. Politicians don't deal with the national debt, and get it paid off completely, and most Preachers don't deal with man's sin debt, pointing him to the shed blood of Christ that paid for it.

Instead, they are happy attacking on another, exalting themselves, and forgetting about the important issues.

Truly the Judgment will be terrifying for such men who only care about themselves rather than truly caring about others enough to deal with the issue so that they might be saved.

For more about THE REAL ISSUE of salvation and the sad deception of deceiving people into trusting their PRAYERS instead of in Christ Jesus' bloody PROPITIATION for man's sins, go to:

http://www.rrb3.com/mypub/books/hrsy_sin_pryr.htm

This deals with the ISSUE at hand.

An ample quote about Government

I haven't written a lot lately. We are struggling like everybody else from the failed policies of our national leaders. I almost want to just move back to Honduras and live there illegally. At least then I could open a little "pulperia" (small store) in my house and live off the proceeds. And, I wouldn't even have to pay any taxes on it! What a great country!

Anyway, I found a quote today that I thought was worthy of mentioning. It is as follows:

"The sole object and only legitimate end of government is to protect the citizen in the employment of life, liberty, and property, and when the government assumes other functions it is usurpation and oppression."

That quote was by Ezra Taft Benson, as he paraphrased the constitution of the state of Alabama, of which I am a resident.

Notice the words together, "life, liberty, and PROPERTY." These were the original words in the Declaration of Independence, written by Jefferson. However, he later changed his rough draft and instead of leaving the important word "property" he changed it to the phrase, "the pursuit of happiness." And, we have been suffering ever since! Thanks Karl Marx! (I say sarcastically, because it was Marx who said that people's property, is rightfully theirs and was given them by GOD himself, was to be taxed. That's right. Marx believed in taxing what GOD has given to man. How wicked!)

Our government no longer believes in or practices the Declaration of Independence. In fact, our nation is a nation of DEPENDENTS. That's why this whole debt debate is going on today. Demoncrats are trying to hold on to entitlements, which are nothing more than government money given to people.

But what about life, liberty, and property? Well, the government is fast on the track of taking them all away. They can get your property easily. Don't believe it? Just don't pay your "property tax" and see what happens. Plus, with their laws which allow them to enter your home without a warrant they can take whatever property of yours that they want. They further have taken our liberties and are continually doing so. They are spying on people via internet and phone with massive envasions of privacy. They further and passing more and more laws which take away our rights.

All they have left is the "life" one. And with the new healthcare bill, with the "Death Panels" they can not only FORCE you to get and pay for healthcare, but then they set themselves up as gods on a panel to decide whether or not you are worthy to receive it. If it costs too much, then you'll be left without, probably dying much sooner than you might have had you been able to receive treatment.

Yep, what a mess! And that's not all. Did you know that the national debt has increased almost 6 trillion dollars (that's right 6 TRILLION) in just the last several years. Let me make that a little more clear: In just the last several years under the Obama adminstration. The national debt is now 14 TRILLION dollars and counting. If you take that and divide it among every household in America, that comes up to about 35,000 per family. But you know what's interesting? That 6 Trillion of "bailouts" that Obomba's administration has given away to corporations cost the American taxpayer about 17,000 each. That means, they could have just given a check for 17,000 dollars to every American instead of giving it away to banks and corporations deemed "too big to fail," and we still would be at the very same debt level today.

Can you imagine what would have happened if "we the people" received that money instead of the rich international bankers and corrupt wall street executives?

But it didn't happen. The corporations got the money. And, hey, aren't those the "bad guys" if you're a Communist? Aren't they the ones you are supposed to be against? I could have sworn that if you were a socialist, then the "free market" capitalist businesses were your enemy. Hmmm. So why did the government help them out?

So how do we fix this mess? Well, the demoncrats and the Pres are telling us we need to raise taxes. Oh, so we the people need to be the ones to fix this by forking over even more cash, and that will solve the problem. Wait..., what? Wait a minute! Why should we pay for Washington's mess?

I'm not in favor of raising taxes. That is, unless we start with the POLITICIANS first!!! (Have you seen the average salary a senator and representative make?)

Then we could tax corporations, but only those with ties to Washington like GE which because of tax loopholes paid NO TAXES AT ALL last year. Yeah, then we could tax the Federal Reserve. Why not? They are a PRIVATE CORPORATION and not really "federal" at all. We ought to make them pay for using the term "federal" when there's nothing federal about them. Further, we ought to tax the snot out of them for printing phony money out of nothing and then charging us interest for it.

Next, we should tax special interest groups that claim to be "non-profit" but seek profit for a selective few. You know, like SEIU, ACORN, NAACP, etc.

But then they'd probably have a heart attack and get their feelings hurt, running around and claiming "discrimination" and "racism." Yet they can be racist themselves and it's not a problem.

Is anyone seeing a pattern here? Wait a minute! I'm starting to get it. It's starting to sink in. Let's see if I can pen it down just right: "If you are in cahoots with the government, you get tax breaks, and even hand outs, but if you aren't a part of it, then you get taxed and taken from." Isn't that just about the jist of it?

That takes me back to my original quote above:

"The sole object and only legitimate end of government is to protect the citizen in the employment of life, liberty, and property, and when the government assumes other functions it is usurpation and oppression."

When the government gets richer while making you poorer that has to be the very essence of tyranny.

Church Secretaries

It never seems to baffle me how you can listen to preachers preach the Bible, and then when you look at their daily lives and how they do things, you find they go against those very things they are preaching.

As an independent, Independent Baptist, I like to take a long look at things and then sit down and question whether they are right or not according to the scriptures. But, this is something that you aren't supposed to do if you are an Independent Baptist. For in that denomination, you are taught only to obey the Pastor without question and do so without ever wondering if what you are doing is right or not. It's almost become a cult, in which you are pressured to DO something all the time, and never stop to rest or think. (You are also not even supposed to meditate on and spend time in the scriptures, for if you do so, you're labelled a "deeper lifer," whatever that means. No, the emphasis is on toiling and laboring, instead of on praying and preparing).

Because of this, it's become easy for a man who's a preacher or Pastor to deceive his people. He can preach one thing in the pulpit, but then practice another in his daily life, and no one questions it. His congregation is just too busy doing stuff to do so.

The Pastor's also lifted himself and his position up so high, that the sheep are taught to question the man of God is wrong, and to do so is to attack God himself. So in fear, people blindly follow their Pastors without question, doing everything they are told. But what if the Pastor does something that is unscriptural? Shouldn't we have the right to question it and him?

Some do talk to their Pastors and question things. But they usually all receive the same answer. Either they are lamblasted and ridiculed, or they are ostracized by the preacher who calls them "dividers" or "trouble makers" and then they are kicked out. But is that the right way to handle the situation? Certainly not. The Pastor should open the scriptures and prove his position BIBLICALLY from the word of God. The reason so many Pastors don't do this is because they know their positions and even their practices are not Biblical. This is why so many get angry and partake in name calling. They simply don't want to face the facts.

Such is the case in the modern day practice of having women Church Secretaries. Where this practice started is unknown, but it's a realitively new thing, gaining grounding only in the 1960's with the feminist movement and the push to get the woman out of the house and into the work force.

Many Pastors, especially Independent Baptist ones, are against women working, and are quick to point their congregations to the scriptures in showing a woman's position in the home. They quote verses like Titus chapter two, to prove a woman should be a house keeper and not a member of the work force:

1 But speak thou the things which become sound doctrine:

2 That the aged men be sober, grave, temperate, sound in faith, in charity, in patience.

3 The aged women likewise, that they be in behaviour as becometh holiness, not false accusers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things;

4 That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children,

5 To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed.

Yet, as clear as the scriptures are that it's "sound doctrine" for a woman to stay at home, and it's "blashpemy" for her to leave her area, there are many Pastors today who go against this scripture by having woman secretaries in their churches.

Is it scriptural to have a woman work in the church? Of course not. Woman can do a lot in the church. But they aren't supposed to have positions of authority, nor are they to work as the secular world, for a paycheck. What a woman does in the church ought to be done for God, not for money. In the Bible, those who are supposed to work in the church in positions of authority are called deacons, and they are only to be MEN (See 1 Tim. 3:10-12).

Why then are there in so many churches Pastors who preach one thing (i.e. women are to be keepers at home, and not in the workforce), yet these same men practice something else (i.e. allowing women to work for a pay check in the church)? Isn't this hypocritical?

And haven't you heard of the terrible stories of Pastors becoming enfatuated with their secretaries and leaving their wives to run off with them? What a tragic and horrible testimony for a man who claims to be a man of God! Sadly, it's becoming more and more common. I don't know any one who claims to be a Christian who hasn't heard of such a story happening in their town, city, state, denomination, or fellowship. So why do we allow this to continue? Shouldn't we leave off the temptation all together by hiring only male secretaries?

By preaching one thing and then practicing another, Pastors have allowed the worldly influence of feminism to rear its ugly head into the Church. By hiring women to do the work of secretary, when the Bible says that men should be the ones in the work force and not women, Pastors have gone against the very word of God they claim to preach and believe. And not only that, they are teaching the next generation of girls that it's okay for them too to go out into the work force and leave the home. This tears up the family. Both husband and wife working outside the home leaves the kids in the hands of the state and the state schools, which in turn indoctrinates them in the ways of the world, and not in the things of God. (And we wonder why our children don't want to go to church!? It's because they have no desire to.)

God said a woman was to be a keeper at home for a reason. It was for the mother to take care of the child, and to teach him or her the ways of God. She was to be with her kids and train them up in the Lord. She was to be an anchor in the family. By taking her out of the home, the family is destroyed, and so are the children.

So why, oh why, would Pastors who know this and preach this, then turn around and practice it by hiring women to fill paying jobs in the church? How can they preach on thing and then practice another? It simply makes no sense.

Confessing for Forgiveness?

It never ceases to amaze me how "Christian" ministers can say or preach something without thinking about what they are actually saying. I know they usually just repeat what they have heard others say, but how come those people don't think about what they are saying? It doesn't make sense.

One of those things that doesn't make sense to me is the modern teaching that a Christian must "confess his sins to God and ask God to forgive him of those sins."

Many preachers are preaching this, even Independent Baptists. But do they actually stop to think about what they are saying?

To tell a man he must confess and ask for forgiveness implies that his sins are not forgiven until he asks.

This means the payment of Jesus Christ on Calvary did not pay for all sins past, present, and future, and that a man's forgiveness is dependent upon his repeated confession.

Does that sound right to you? It sounds rather Catholic to me!

You see, on Calvary, Jesus paid for all sins, past, present, and future. And when a man receives that payment by faith, he is forgiven of all sins, past, present, and future! Why then would he ask God to forgive him of sins he does later. Doesn't that sound a little odd? Doesn't that sound like he didn't believe God forgave him of all his sins?

You might say, "So, are you saying, Bro. Breaker, that a man doesn't have to confess his sins!" I'm not saying that at all. And, we'll get to that shortly. But what I am saying is that it is HERESY to tell a person that he must ask for the forgiveness of his sins after he is already saved. For either Jesus forgave him his sins or he didn't. Which is it?

The Bible tells us he did, and his payment on the cross was what did it. So to ask God to forgive your sins again would then be to reject God's payment on Calvary and to ask Jesus to die all over again on the cross, wouldn't it? Can you see how anti-biblical this is??? If you are born again, you are either forgiven or you aren't, period.

Now this takes us to "confession." Should a Christian confess his sins to God! Of course he should! This is Biblical. For in 1 John we read:

7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.

8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.

9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Here we read of a "Christian" confessing his sins (vs 9) to God. And we find that God is faithful and just to forgive us our sins. But in verse 7 we read that the blood of Jesus Christ cleanses from ALL SIN. That would be sins past, present, and future.

Further, the context of this verse is fellowship (vs 7) and we find we are to confess our sins to God for fellowship, not for forgiveness. For if we are truly saved, we already have forgiveness of ALL our sins.

When we sin we do not lose forgiveness and need to ask for it again. Instead, we lose fellowship with God. He is angry with us when we sin, and will chastize us in this life as sons (Heb. 12:6,7). Thus, we should confess to him our sin so he'll know we are sorry, just as we would confess our sins against our natural fathers in this life and tell them we are sorry for sinning against them.

But just confessing our sins to God is not enough. There is more to it than that. We read of what this "more" is in Proverbs 28:13

He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy.

Here we read of not only confessing, but also "forsaking" our sins. As we've already seen, the reason we confess our sins to God is for fellowship. It is to tell him we are sorry. But we must also FORSAKE our sins if we desire God's mercy (for him to not chastize us).

Still, the modern day apostate message of "asking for forgiveness of all your sins" is very common today. One thing I can't stand (and I'm sure you've heard it before as well) is hearing a man stand up in church and pray, "Dear Lord Jesus, please forgive us all our sins." Why would he pray that if we are all saved? Wouldn't we already have forgiveness of our sins?

I can't help but wonder if such people who pray, "Lord please forgive me of this, or that..." are even saved to begin with. For wouldn't their praying that way show they have no understanding of the Gospel, redemption, and salvation. Why would they ask for forgiveness, when if they are born again, the Bible says they already have it?

Maybe they are saved, they just haven't thought about it. This could very well be the case. But then again, why haven't they thought about it? Either your sins are forgiven or they aren't. It's that simple.

What confession is for is your chance to tell God you are sorry for the sins you commit after you are saved. And while you confess them, you should forsake them as well, as you renew fellowship with God.

Probably the best way to illustrate this would be in the following way. Let's say I keyed my Dad's car. I mean I really scrapped the doors really bad and took off a lot of paint. Am I still my father's son? Of course. Nothing I can do can keep me from being his offspring. But how would my father react to such a thing. He would be angry, and probably wouldn't talk to me. But if I came to him and confessed my sin, then that would make things better. But he would still be angry and probably would take it out on my rear end, wouldn't he?

But now imagine if I came to my father in tears as I confessed with a humble, repentant heart, hating what I had done. Don't you think he would see this, and realize I was truly sorry. And what if I came and said, "Father, I deserve whatever punishment you wish to lay upon me, but I know I've done wrong and I want to pay for the repair to the car. I'll work off the money to pay for repairs and make it right!"

Would not my father see how torn up I was and how much I wanted to make it right? And would he not then restore fellowship with me? I believe he would.

It's not a matter of whether or not I was lost or saved, i.e. whether I was his son or not. It was a matter of whether or not I forsook my sin when I confessed it, and whether or not fellowship was restored between my father and I.

Thus, we do not confess our sins to God for FORGIVENESS. We confess them for FELLOWSHIP. But we don't confess just to confess and get it off our chest. We are supposed to really be torn up about it. We are supposed to hate our sin. We are supposed to confess and FORSAKE the evil we have done against a holy God.

One old preacher I knew told me one time, "Bro. Breaker, we ought to hate sin so much that we'd rather DIE than sin!"

That really got me thinking. How many of you love God enough that you'd rather die than sin against him? If you did love him that much, imagine how you would approach him when you did sin. You would confess with trembling and diligently forsake what you've done, wanting to never do it again and strive ever the more to please him!

God give us more Christians like that!

The End is Near!

So, I'm sitting here at home today sick as a dog and unable to go to church. While I sit here fighting a sore throat, cough, and feverish aches and pains, I can't help but reflect on the news I've digested in just the last week or so. And, I can't help but come to the conclusion that the rapture must be very near, as the end of the world as we know it is coming at an even more accelerated rate.

For example, I'm sure you've heard of the bailout of Ireland. They were "too big to fail," yet their economy failed anyway. Thus, they took a loan of billions against their better judgment. And now it looks like Greece, Portugal, Spain, etc. will all follow suit.

Now, who in their right mind doesn't know that when you loan someone thousands of billions of dollars, there isn't some "strings" attached? This is a takeover of foreign governments by globalists who plan to bring in their new world order. No surprise really, as this is what God said would happen in the last days as the anti-christ is given free reign to rule for seven years. But we are now seeing this kingdom being birthed. Global economies are on the brink of collapse, including the United States, and they have no way to defend themselves. Under the M.A.E.D. (Mutually Assured Economic Destruction) plan of days gone by if one goes down they all go down, and they are sure going down quickly. Is it no wonder our lawmakers are spending money like it's going out of style? It's because it is!!!

But that's not all. If that were all there were for me to prove the world's growing close to an end some would scoff and say I'm crazy. But that's not all in the news. There's much more!

The news recently reported of a man who went to JAIL for not paying his income tax (Wesley Snipes), while another man who did the very same crime is not. Instead, he's only "censured." (That would be Senator Charlie Rangel). Where is justice in this? Why doesn't the law affect ever citizen equally no matter whether they are members of the uber-elite or not? It's because Mr. Rangel was a Senator, and because of this, I guess he was above the law.

Then there is the upsurge of the communist movement in America, and their rampant desire to hold a violent revolution in this country to get their goals met. Do you feel safe knowing they are plotting your destruction?

Of course you know about the new "Health Care" law, which makes you get health insurance against your will, or fine you if you don't (something that's completely un-constitutional), but have you heard about the new Food Law which the "lame duck" congress has just passed, which takes away your right to plant a garden or keep seeds, or sell fruits and vegetables to others. Who would intentionally want to take food out of your mouth, and make it a crime to grow it for your own private consumpiton, all under the guise of "Safety?"

And then there's the TSA "gropping" of passengers at the airport. Why, I never thought I would have seen the day when the government would have gotten to third base with you before you even boarded an airplane. And they won't even buy you dinner!

Still not convinced that the end is near for the United States of America? Well, haven't you heard about the senator speaking on an open mike and saying, "It's all rigged!"? What, you haven't heard that? Why not? It's all over the internet.

Oh, that brings us to the other thing. The FCC has recently announced that even though the supreme court is against it, they believe they have the power to regulate the internet, and take down any site anytime they want to, if they feel it is inappropriate. (So much for the freedome of speech). They, as well as Google's Youtube, has already done it to Alex Jones and others. So I hope you get to read this, because it might not be up very much longer!

If that's not enough to discourage you and make you wonder what in the Sam Hill is going on, I got up this morning and read the paper (The Pensacola News Journal), and found an article in which public schools are now "Banning books." Yep, that's right. Kind of reminds you of NAZI Germany, doesn't it? All they lack is starting to burn those banned books.

Now, here's the kicker. My wife and I went to Walgreens a week or so ago, and I saw the latest issue of Newsweek Magazine. Care to guess who was on the cover? It was Obama, under the title of: "The God of All Things." So now Obama has been exalted not to sainthood, but to Godhood by the liberal news media. What on earth is going on?

Even Hilter didn't say he was God. He referred to himself only as the Furher, or the Christ. Imagine the "audacity" it takes for someone to refer to Obama as GOD, and not just God, but THE GOD of ALL Things. Surely, the world as we know it is going to hell in a handbasket. There is not only economic decay, but moral and spiritual destruction as well. And it's only getting worse.

Now, I'm no doomsday sayer, nor am I trying to start a revolution. I'm just trying to point out to you what's going on in this world, and hoping you'll do what I'm doing, PONDER the situation and act accordingly. How do you act accordingly? Well, if you aren't saved, GET SAVED! If you are, PREACH THE GOSPEL to all your friends, relatives, neighbors, etc. for Jesus is coming soon! He has to. Things in this world are at it's worst. All signs point to his soon appearing. Even so, COME LORD JESUS!!!

Women Missionaries?

It's amazing to me how many Fundamentalists and Baptist ministers are quick to preach the Bible and quote verses about women not being able to pastor or preach, but yet they then allow women missionaries in their pulpits and even support them to go to the field. Am I the only one that thinks this is a blatant contradiction?

The verses they use to prove women are not allowed to be ordainded ministers are the following:

1 Cor 14:34 Let your women keep silence in the churches: for it is not permitted unto them to speak; but they are commanded to be under obedience, as also saith the law.
1 Cor 14:35 And if they will learn any thing, let them ask their husbands at home: for it is a shame for women to speak in the church.

1 Tim 2:11 Let the woman learn in silence with all subjection.
1 Tim 2:12 But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence.

The first verses in Corinthians speak in context of women "prophecying" or "PREACHING" in the pulpit, and of course this is not permited in the Bible. (See also 1 Tim. 3:2 and Titus 1:6 which speak of pastors being MEN who are married to one wife, and not women).

The verses in Timothy speak of a woman usurping authority over a man, and "TEACHING" them. This is something that God forbids, for the context shows us that women are more easily deceived (they are led by their emotions), then men (who usually don't let their emotions sway them as they make decisions based on facts).

Very few modern Fundamentalists allow women positions of authority in the church, such as that of Pastor or Deacon, so that they might PREACH to the congregation, nor do they allow women to TEACH men. But in these last days of apostasy, I've seen a surge in the Fundamentalist movement of "Women Missionaries," who are allowed by these very same preachers the same priviledges of regular male missionaries. And I can't help but wonder, "How can this be?"

This leads us to the question, "What is a Missionary?" Well, I guess that's all how you define the word. Some say it only means, "One sent." That is to say, it's someone who is sent to a foreign field to preach the Gospel. That's a good definition, and I've even preached that myself a couple of times. But that's not really a Biblical definition of the word. According to the Bible, a Missionary is an office of the church, and is someone who is ordained by the laying on of hands, and who is sent out to start churches, just like the Apostle Paul. Simply put, a missionary, is to PREACH THE GOSPEL, and start churches, and then TEACH men to take over those churches so he can travel to other places with the Gospel.

Where does this leave women? And where does this leave the modern teaching of "women missionaries?" Can a women PREACH in a church? NOPE! Then how can she be sent from a local church to a foreign field to start local churches???

And, biblically, are women allowed to usurp authority over men and teach them? NOPE! Then how can any Pastor who knows his Bible send a women as a missionary when she's not allowed to TEACH men, which is what a Missionary is supposed to do???

Well, the classic answer is, "Well, we are only sending her off to work with children!" Or, "We are only sending her to go help another missionary that's already there." Or, "We are sending her just to go work in an orphanage."

My question then becomes, "Why do you need to call her a Missionary then? Why can't you say she's going to HELP?"

And ever better asked is, "Why don't you pray for God to send along a husband for her so that she and he can go together???" Doesn't the Bible say that two are better than one?

I went to Honduras as a single missionary, and I sure needed a wife. While on deputation, I ran accross a single woman who called herself a "missionary" to the Ukraine. I asked here, "Why are you doing this?" She replied, "I believe God's called me to the Ukraine." I then responded, "Why don't you just pray and ask God to give you a husband who's going there as a Missionary? Why are you trying to go there by yourself when you can't do what a Missionary is supposed to do?"

She got mad and stormed off without answering. But I thought I had a good question. She can't PREACH in a pulpit, so she can't start a church there, and she can't TEACH men, so what is she going for, and why should churches steal support from a man who can fulfill the qualifications of a missionary to give it to a women. Sounds a little like Women's Lib to me!

Where did this whole movement of "Women Missionaries" get started? Why if you study a little, you'll see it's more of a Southern Baptist thing then an Independent Baptist thing. You have your Lottie Moon's, and your Mary Slessors, etc. But did they do right?

I remember being engaged to a young lady years ago whose mother was all for Women Missionaries. She even taught Sunday School, and told young ladies, "Maybe someday you can be a woman missionary and be just like Mary Slessor or Lottie Moon, and serve the Lord."

It turns out later this same women was a FEMINIST, and was also teaching feminism to the young ladies, telling them, It's your life and your body, so you can do what you want!

The Biblical role of a woman being under the authority of her husband, and being his HELP, meet for his needs was played down, while young girls heads were filled with ideas of doing what men are supposed to do. It didn't take long for me to figure out "AS IS THE MOTHER, SO IS THE DAUGHTER," and my fiancee and I had to break up, as she didn't want to be under the authority of a man.

I give this illustration, as I see the whole "Women Missionary" movement as not only hypocritical, but it's also anti-biblical, as it gives women the feminist idea that she doesn't need a man and she can go and do whatever she wants to by herself for God.

Any Pastor who helps pass on such an idea ought to be ashamed of himself! And I've met some even within the Independent Baptist movement. I've even been spoken against by several Pastors for my stand against "Women Missionaries," and I've lost support over the issue. But I just don't believe it's right to say women can't PREACH and TEACH to men in America, but they can do it in another country. There is something very wrong and hypocritical about that kind of teaching.

So what do you think? Care to comment? Careful, you just might be showing your FEMINIST attitude if you support such a thing.

For more about "women missionaries" why not read my article about it, found at:

http://www.rrb3.com/mypub/articles/women_missionaries.htm

Note: It's imparative that I add in closing that I'm not against women doing personal one on one evagelism with lost people. Women need to preach the Gospel to lost souls just as much as men do. But the Bible is against women preaching in Pulpits, and teaching Men.

BAPTIST POPES

In these last days of apostasy (boy, how many times have I had to say that?), we see a lot of sin entering into Bible-Believing churches. And we also see many anti-biblical practices gaining much ground. One of these is the modernistic teaching of PASTORAL AUTHORITY, as it has been twisted by many a Fundamentalist Pastor to grant himself almost tyrannical power, as he not only leads his flock, but abuses his position by treating them as his subjects, over which he pretends to be their king.

I've personally heard of one Pastor who tells his congregation that they need to come to him for everything, and they should check with him before they make any decisions whatsoever! Stories have surfaced of this dogmatical Pastor which tell of people coming to him for such ridiculous things as: "What color car should I buy?" and "How many kids should my wife and I have?" and "Where should I work secularly?"

But, it's not the job of a Pastor to tell people what they can and can't do and what they should and shouldn't do! We are all individuals who are allowed "individual soul liberty" (a Baptist doctrine, by the way), in which we have the right to choose what we want to do. We all have a free will, (which is a Bible Doctrine!).

To hear of a Pastor teaching his people that they must come to him and let him in on all their decisions is nothing short of setting up a religious cult which gives honor to a man instead of God, and sets a man up as a "Pope" instead of a Pastor. Sadly, this teaching of exaltation of the Pastor to allow him to run your life is gaining much ground in Independent Baptist Churches, and more and more people are finding themselves enslaved physically to someone who is only supposed to be their spiritual leader.

What saith the scriptures about this practice of a preacher dominating his congregation and making them do obescience to Him instead of Jesus?

The Bible has a lot to say actually. Let us start with the command to Pastors in 1 Peter 5:2-3: "Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind; Neither as being lords over God's heritage, but being ensamples to the flock."

Here we are told that the number one thing a man of God (a Pastor) should do is to FEED his congregation. By this, he is supposed to give them the word of God. Notice, he is not supposed to do so for filthy lucre (i.e. Fame and Fortune), which is another sin we could talk about. (There are many "hirelings" out there that fill pulpits who are only interested in the financial aspect of the ministry instead of the spiritual aspect of it). Nor is he to preach because he is "constrained" to do so. He should willingly want to minister to the people of God, and he should be an EXAMPLE to them of how they should live for Jesus.

These men who "lord over God's heritage" are those who do so for money and who enjoy the power and prestige of their position, and they use that for their own filthy and carnal gain. This is something that greatly angers God. (See Revelation chapter 2 in what God says about the Nicolaitanes).

God does not want Christians to "rule" over other Christians. He is very much against this. He wants them to "minister" to the needs of others. (Read Rom. 12:5-13). And the job of a Pastor is to be a "minister." In 1 Peter 4:8-11 we read of the importance of charity, hospitality, and grace, which are all things a minister is supposed to practice:

And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins. Use hospitality one to another without grudging. As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God; if any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God giveth: that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be praise and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.

Notice this is a far cry from a DICTATORSHIP, which is how many modern pastors try to govern their congregations.

Jesus said the following in Matthew 20:25-28: "But Jesus called them unto him, and said, Ye know that the princes of the Gentiles exercise dominion over them, and they that are great exercise authority upon them. But it shall not be so among you: but whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister; And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant: Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many."

This plainly teaches us that a Pastor should not try to "excercise dominion" over his people, but rather should love them enough to die for them, as Christ died for the church, and to minister to his people as a servant does his master.

Immediately some bald-headed, Baptist dictator who is used to twisting the scriptures to his own destruction would stand up and say, "But what about Hebrews 13:17?"

Let us turn and read it together:

"Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you."

He would then say, "See there! That means they should obey ME!"

I would only ask in return, "Do you really watch after the souls of your congregation. Are you really ready to give account to God for actions? Are you really JOYOUS in your role as Pastor?" For the verse also speaks of those things as well.

Again, that same Christian dictator would point us to 1 Tim 5:17 which reads: "Let the elders that RULE WELL be counted worthy of double honour, especially they who labour in the word and doctrine. "

And that Baptist papist would say, "See there? A Pastor is supposed to RULE the church, and he's supposed to RULE it WELL!"

But he fails to read the entire verse (par for course), seeing only what he wants to, while he disregards the rest. For we read in that same verse he is to rule SPIRITUALLY by labouring in the "word" and "doctrine." In other words, he's to PREACH the word of God and reprove, rebuke and exhort his congregation while being longsuffering (2 Tim. 4:1-5).

Yes, there is a place for the role of the Pastor. Of course there is. But Paul never wanted people to worship him and follow him as though he was a Pope. He even said, "Be ye followers of me, EVEN AS I AM ALSO OF CHRIST!"

There is no problem following a man of God who is living right, preaching the word of God, and doing his best to follow the Lord. But when that Pastor tries to dominate you and tell you that you must obey his every whim and will, then we have a problem. He has shown himself to be a "lord" over God's heritage, and has proven he only cares about himself and his power and not about the congregation.

The Pastor of the Local Church is the SPIRITUAL AUTHORITY in a position that is not one of phycial governance, but that of ministering unto the saints. Most preachers don't understand this. They think they have to be in charge and they have to direct things. But why not just preach the word of God with boldness and with love and let God guide, lead, and direct?

God is not looking for little sheriffs to go around and straighten out all the messes and force people to do something against their will. God chose Pastors to preach and teach the word of God to help Christians grow in the Lord. In fact, we read of what God desires a Pastor to be in 1 Tim. 3:2-7:

"A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behaviour, given to hospitality, apt to teach; Not given to wine, no striker, not greedy of filthy lucre; but patient, not a brawler, not covetous; One that ruleth well his own house, having his children in subjection with all gravity; (For if a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God?) Not a novice, lest being lifted up with pride he fall into the condemnation of the devil. Moreover he must have a good report of them which are without; lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil."

Notice it speaks of the pastor (what the Bible calls a bishop) "ruling his own house well," but also notice it doesn't say anything about "ruling the Church." The Holy Spirit chose instead the words "take care of the church." That's a Pastor's job, and that of a minister. He is to "take care" of what's been left in his care.

We are further warned of a Pastor not being lifted up with pride, lest he fall into condemnation, reproach, and the snare of the devil. Pastors who try to become Baptist Popes, are often times guilty of becoming "prideful" thinking they are right and everyone else is wrong, and only they know what the Bible says and what a person should do. So their attitude becomes: "It's my way or the highway!"

But what about actually caring so much for a person that you cry for them, you earnestly pray for them, and you nicely try to reach them time and again, reasoning with them from the scriptures? Wouldn't that be more like a "minister."

I've personally met Pastors who's attitude is: "I'm in charge here, and if you don't like it, GET OUT!"

And instead of showing people how to get close to God, they push them away by their dogmatical and dictatorial spirit. Just like the Popes of old, they persecute others who don't agree with them. And, instead of sitting down and talking with someone and going to the scriptures for guidance, they say things like, "That's the way we've always done it, and we are going to do things this way whether you like it or not! I've decided, and that's how it's going to be done."

Shouldn't there at least be a little room for discussion? Maybe, you know, some time spent in prayer, and, oh no, should I even say it, as most people don't like to hear this word, fasting?

Nope, Baptist Popes will have none of those, thinking they know what's best and people must do as they are told, or else.

Look how different this attitude of many modern day Baptist Dictators compares to that of the Apostle Paul. In Ephesians 3:7-8 we read:

"Whereof I was made a minister, according to the gift of the grace of God given unto me by the effectual working of his power. Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ."

Notice Paul calls himself a "minister" (not a dictator), and he doesn't exalt his office, or try to make himself appear to be a person of authority. He refers to himself as "the least of all saints."

And again, we see Paul's humble spirit when we read:

"Of such an one will I glory: yet of myself I will not glory, but in mine infirmities. For though I would desire to glory, I shall not be a fool; for I will say the truth: but now I forbear, lest any man should think of me above that which he seeth me to be, or that he heareth of me. And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure." (2 Cor 12:5-7)

Paul did not want to be exalted above measure. He would rather glory in Christ Jesus, and point others to Him.

So what do we do with Baptist Popes and Pastoral Dictators? We should do nothing, except pray for them, and if we can, talk to them and express our concerns, being careful to do so with the scriptures. If they listen, and see the error of their ways, then praise the Lord. If not, there is no law that says you have to be a member of their church. You still have the right to choose your membership to any church you want to belong!

It's important that you should make sure you are following a Pastor who looks at you as a Christian, a friend, and a partner in the cause of Christ, and not just a a "tither" a "seat warmer in the pew," and another "baptism he can brag about." For most Baptist Popes quite often use their congregations as a means to an ends, instead of caring about them, and being willing to serve them while ministering to their needs.

The Apostle Paul said it best in writing to Timothy, a young preacher:

These things command and teach. Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity. (1 Tim 4:11-12 )

AN HONORARY DOCTORATE?

I've written long enough on this blog about the apostasy in Christianity, and yeah even in Fundamentalists circles and even within the Indpendent Baptist Movement, that it is now time I start giving some definite and specific details of that apostasy. So I'll begin with something that really bothers me, and something that very few want to deal with. That is the subject of the "Honoray Doctorate."

There was a pastor in South Carolina that I really appreciated because of his stand against being a "doctor." He said once from the pulpit, "I don't ever want to be a Doctor, for it was the Pharisees and the DOCTORS of the Law that killed Jesus Christ! Why would I want to identify with that crowd?"

He further said, "And I tell you what I'd do if someone tried to give me an honorary doctorate from some Bible School somewhere. I'd go to their college to accept it in person, and then I'd tear it up right in their face, because I didn't earn it, and to give me something like that that I didn't earn is WRONG!"

I thought about that later, and really enjoyed hearing him say that. Because in modern Christianity today, there is a lot of MEN WORSHIP. And because of this, people believe that if a person has a high "degree," then he someone who is worthy of attention, esteem, and praise by other men.

But what does the Bible say about this? In Psalm 62:9, we read what God thinks of those with degrees: "Surely men of low degree are vanity, and men of high degree are a lie: to be laid in the balance, they are altogether lighter than vanity."

The way God looks at things is much different then how men look them. For in our world today, we view those who have "doctorates" as some of the smartest people in the world. But if you'll actually study their lives and teachings, the fact of the matter is they are some of the STUPIDEST and LOONIEST people who ever lived! The majority of them aren't even saved, and they buy into ridiculous theories such as "Evolution" and "The Big Bang." So from the get-go they are against God and everything to do with Bible.

This doesn't bother God much, as he's already written about them before they were even born:

Rom 1:22 Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools.

1 Cor 3:18 Let no man deceive himself. If any man among you seemeth to be wise in this world, let him become a fool, that he may be wise.
1 Cor 3:19 For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, He taketh the wise in their own craftiness.
1 Cor 3:20 And again, The Lord knoweth the thoughts of the wise, that they are vain.

1 Cor 1:25 Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men. 1 Cor 1:26 For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called: 1 Cor 1:27 But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty;1 Cor 1:28 And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are: 1 Cor 1:29 That no flesh should glory in his presence.

According to God, those who think they are smart in this world are FOOLS. And God says those who think they are wise are only VAIN. This is why God wants people to look to Him for knowledge and His precious, holy word, and not to men. God doesn't want men to glory in themselves. He wants all the Glory for Himself! (And let me just say, HE DESERVES IT ALL!)

So what about "Christian Doctorates" given out in so-called Christian Schools, Bible Institutes, and Colleges? If God is against athiestic, secualr doctors and degrees, wouldn't it stand to reason that he'd be against those who claim to be Christians, but who desire to receive praise for their acheivements as well?

I'll let you answer that question yourself! All I know is many people who claim to be Christians Scholars with "High Degrees," are often those who are the most adamant attackers of the King James Bible. They are the same ones who praise the Westcott and Hort texts, and the Vaticanus and Siniaticus, while they defend the Septuagint and the modernistic Nestle-Aland "Critical" Greek Texts. Their "education" has made them"critical" as they cast doubt on which Bible texts are the right ones, and this usually leads these "learned men" to becoming their own "authority" (because they think they know more than anyone else), instead of trusting solely in the word of God. Yep, a good education can often times ruin a fellow!

Now I'm not saying that all "doctors" are bad. I'm sure there are good doctors in both the secular world and in Christianity. But if you study the educational system that most of them receive, you'll see oftentimes it is bad, as it casts doubt on the TRUTH, replacing it with TRADITION.

Now let's move away from "earned" doctorates, which are something a person has worked hard to obtain through much study, and sacrifice, and look at the "honorary doctorate."

What think you? Is it okay for a university or college to grant a degree to someone who didn't earn it, all because THEY (the university faculty) deem that person has done something to merit it?

Well, you can think whatever you like. But here's what I see. First, that's giving someone something they didn't earn! Second, it's giving them something freely that others had to sacrifice and pay for! Third, it falsely gives a person a title that can further their career or standing in the community, and Fourth, it helps the university to brag on itself and those who have become "doctors" at their institution.

To me, all these are not good! And for a person to receive something he didn't earn, and then go around and brag about it, DOESN'T THAT MAKE HIM A HYPOCRITE??? And doesn't it give him the praise of MAN instead of giving all the praise and honor and glory to GOD?

I don't see how a Christian could want to have an honorary doctorate. I just don't see how they would want peope to call them something they are not. And I don't see how they would want people to view them as something they didn't earn!

I've seen a lot of Christians ministers obtain honorary doctorates. And I wish I could say good things about all of them who received that degree. But instead, what I have seen is a change in their mentality and in their attitude. They are no longer meek and humble. They are no longer approachable and courteous and easy to talk with. Instead they become lifted up with pride, and begin to walk with their heads higher than everyone else's, while they look down their noses at others.

They further become "political" as "allegience" to the school that bestowed to them such a great honor leads them to favoring other alumni of that educational institution. (They become "groupies). And most notably, the new "doctor" then feels because he has such an honor bestowed upon him that he must have something that people need to hear, so he goes on "speaking tours" in "conferences" which draw large crowds because he's such a "noted speaker."

But, how does this give honor and glory to Jesus Christ??? Instead, it gives honor and glory to the college, to the "honorary doctor initiate" and to man!

What ever happened to the old time days of people coming together under a tent for a REVIVAL MEETING? They went to hear PREACHING from the word of God! Those days are few and far between. Now a well-known name is what draws a crowd to come together. And the people go to hear him instead of to hear from God.

Is this apostasy? YOU BET YOUR BOOTS IT IS! It's a form of man worship. For men (the college faculty) give honor to a person in the form of a degree. This worships that person, who in return honors the institution by accepting their praise and esteem. And oftentimes the person who receives the "honorary doctorate" becomes full of himself and puffed up with pride, which leads to him becoming nothing more than a modern day PHARISEE, who the rest of his life seeks the praise of men. This man then begins to "compare himself" with others which is something God is very much against and which leads him on the road to apostasy:

2 Cor 10:12 For we dare not make ourselves of the number, or compare ourselves with some that commend themselves: but they measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise.

Thus, we find that even though MAN says an "honorary doctor" is SMART, as far as God is concerned, he's not wise at all!

You might not agree with all that's written here. I don't really care. But I would like to provoke you to thought and ask you a question. ARE YOU GUILTY OF FOLLOWING A MAN OR MEN JUST BECAUSE THEY HAVE A DEGREE BEHIND THEIR NAME? Well, just because man says they are smart doesn't mean they really are. You should go to the word of God and check them out. Make sure they are telling you what the Bible says. For oftentimes, "honorary doctors" are guilty of just spewing out the traditions of their college or school, instead of just preaching plainly the word of God.

For truly:

It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in man. (Psa 118:8)

HOW I PREACHED MYSELF OUT OF THE MINISTRY

Sometimes I feel like I've preached myself out of the ministry completely. Used to be, that pastors would call me up and ask me to come preach for them. But now they avoid me like the plague. Why? What evil have I done? Well, I haven't fallen into any sexual sins. Nor do I drink, smoke, cuss, chew, fornicate, or anything like that. And I've not fallen into any heresies. As a matter of fact, I'm no different today then I was right after I was saved, except for the fact that I know a lot more Bible now then I did then.

I wish I could say that what God has taught me over my 18 years as a Christian and what I've seen in Christianity has been joyous and uplifting, but oftentimes the truth is it's left me very sorrowful and despondent, as I see so much Christian apathy to the things of God, so much apostasy in Fundamentalist ranks, and so much autocrasy in Chrisitan circles it makes me sick.

Ecclesiastes 1:18 says it best: "For in much wisdom is much grief: and he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow."

As I serve the Lord, I've seen too many things that don't sit well with me, and so I decided to speak up and speak out against those things that are anti-biblical that I see gaining ground in apostate fundamentalist circles. I've simply tried to do what Isa 58:1 says, "Cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and show my people their transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins."

Because of this I've found I'm not a very popular guy. And it seems nobody likes me. (Except Jesus, and that's good enough for me!).

When I finished Bible school and started deputation for the field of Honduras, I was told by many other missionaries, "You need to say less and only tell people what you have to in order to get their financial support. Don't rock the boat, and don't say any more than you absolutely have to! And don't preach so hard that you offend anyone!"

That always sat wrong with me, and was nothing short of devious COMPROMISE! Thus, I chose instead to preach as hard as I could against SIN in every pulpit I could. This lead to me taking three years to get the support I needed to go to Honduras, while most other Missionaries got theirs in only a year or two. But I thought this way, (and it turns out I was exactly right), "Why get support from people who don't really know you and what you believe and preach? For what if they start to support you and then find out later you don't agree with them? Wouldn't they drop your support while you are on the field, and then you'll be in a pickle as you are in a foreign country with very little money and then forced to return home?"

That's exactly what happens to many missionaries with the "say as little as possible" mentality. They come back every four or five years on "furlough" and have to raise more support because they lost a lot of church's monthly support during that time and have to do deputation all over (which then takes them another year or more). This leads to everything they've started on the field being destroyed, or else greatly hindered, and when they return, they find they have to start all over again from scratch! Why didn't they just find people who believed exactly like they do in the first place, and then be able to stay on the field without having to come back so often?

In my case it was a lot different. I was able to stay on the field for 7 years (I only came back a few times, and it was only for a few weeks each time). And I saw God use me there in Honduras in a mighty way! It was all because I chose not to compromise.

But, I also chose not to shut up! This, I was told was not a good thing. Again, missionaries told me never to say too much, especially in my prayer letter. They said I should only be "positive" and never "negative" and I should only tell about good things, and never talk about the bad. I chose not to follow this advice either, and oftentimes wrote in my prayer letter about the apostasy I saw not only in ravaged third world nations full of cults, but also within my own denomination. I chose to say what others wouldn't. And because of this, I've been told by more than a few people, "I love reading your prayer letter because you aren't afraid to say what others are thinking but don't have the guts to expose!" (I only wish it was Pastors who told me this! Instead it was usually just church members).

I also further made myself unlikeable because I asked questions about the Spanish Bible Issue. (For those of you who know the Independent Baptist Movement, you aren't supposed to "question" anything. You are just supposed to do!)

When I started on deputation as a missionary, I had to make a choice which Spanish Bible to use. From the get go, I realized that the Spanish Bible the vast majority of missionaries within my own denomination used (Independent Baptist) was corrupt, vile, and modernistic. (They all used the 1960 Spanish Bible). I realized right then that I could make things easy or hard. I could just use the corrupt version everyone else did and not say anything in order to get along with other men of God, or I could search out the issue and speak up about what I found. I chose to do the later, and I've been ridiculed, preached against, and even lamblasted from pulpits ever since. But I just wanted to take the pure words of God to the people God called me to, and not a perversion of it!

I then learned that every missionary, pastor, evangelist, Sunday School teacher, etc. all sooner or later come to that same crossroads in their ministry, where they have to make a choice, STAND FOR WHAT THEY KNOW IS RIGHT, or just compromise to get along with others and not rock the boat. I made my choice, and it lead to a loss of friendship, loss of monetary gain, and loss of pulpits to preach in. I didn't care. All I wanted was to speak the truth, even though it wasn't popular, and stand before God at the judgment with a clean conscience, knowing I didn't compromise just to get along with others.

This was the beginning of "preaching myself out of the ministry" because I soon learned later that modern fundamentalist are going apostate (if they aren't already). Those same missionaries who claimed to be KJV in English were using an equivalent of the RSV in Spanish, something dogmatically preached against in English, but adamantly defended in Spanish. That made no sense. But I soon learned it was because they did so for monetary gain, fame, and opportunites to preach for other pastors in their pulpits. (It was a political move, in order for them to look good and prosper in their movement, instead of stand for truth in their ministries).

As time went by, I learned that to stand for truth will not only cause you pain and suffering, but it will also draw many attacks from other Christians.

As I stood for the truth and pointed out the fact that most missionaries use a perverted Spanish Bible, I found myself not only spoken against, but adamantly hated and attacked by other Independent Baptists. One even put me on his website list as "The Number One Attacker of the 1960 Spanish Bible." This lead to even more preachers turning against me.

I also kept a daily journal of my time in Honduras and posted it on my website. I did so because I wanted people to see I actually did something for the Lord, and I wasn't on vacation like many other missionaries I met. But instead of people reading it and seeing how God worked with me and through me, they accused me of just "trying to make a name for myself," and called my journal "a ploy to try to make myself famous."

The attacks kept coming, and more and more I realized that I had to separate myself from many pastors, preachers, and ministers because they were heading in a direction I could not go. Many of them changed their positions from what they used to preach and went directly into apostasy. (I could show you letters, books, tapes, etc. of many a pastor who preached it right in the old days, but now is saying the exact opposite of what they used to!)

I learned that on the three most important doctrines: 1. Salvation, 2. Sanctification, and 3. The Scriptures, many a pastor had changed his position in order to get along with the crowd. And, I knew I couldn't go with them, so I preached harder against it.

Eventually, God blessed me with a wife, and I came back to the states to marry her. We went back to Honduras a few weeks later, and had a wonderful time together. That is until about a year or two later, when she woke me up in the middle of the night to tell me, "Honey, I just got saved tonight! All my life I THOUGHT I was saved, but tonight God dealt with me and showed me I was lost because I was trusting in my own righteousness and not in Jesus Christ's alone!"

This was wonderful, and being not afraid to speak up, I wrote about it in my prayer letter. I even had her type up her testimony (You can read it yourself at my website http://www.rrb3.com/), and we sent it out to people, expecting many pastors to be happy about it! (I mean, come on, wouldn't they love to hear the news that someone is no longer going to Hell!)

But what we found was the exact opposite. Many a pastor became angry, irate, and livid. They immediately began attacking my wife and I, saying things like, "You deceived your wife and talked her out of her salvation!" One pastor even called her a "retread" and branded me a "retreader." (Whatever that is!)

And as we went through the attacks, it became quite obvious that the only reason a person would get angry with someone getting saved, is because they most likely doubted they were saved as well! And it made me wonder if many pastors in our own movement were even born again, for they certainly didn't practice or show forth the fruits of the Spirit, rather they manifested the works of the flesh!

This made me want to preach the Gospel harder, and speak out even more against the rampant Shallow Evangelism we see today in Fundamentalist circles. For my wife was even in an Independent Baptist Church before we were married, and we both have personally seen many a shallow presentation of the Gospel, many times in those churches.

The harder I preached on salvation by FAITH alone in the shed blood of Jesus Christ, the more angry pastors became and the more I was spoken against. One pastor even said, "Your new-fangled Gospel [of preaching faith in the blood] is a modernistic perversion." He then claimed a person was saved by their PRAYER pronounced with their LIPS, and not by faith at all!

It was like an episode of the Twilight Zone! Many of the pastors I knew and thought preached right were preaching something different, whether it was the anti-biblical "1,2,3, Pray after Me," or "Just ask Jesus into your Heart" Gospels. But they all had one thing in common, they all preached a BLOODLESS GOSPEL!

So I wrote a book entitled, "The 'Heresy' of the Sinner's Prayer." And posted it on my website, in hopes that others out there like my wife who were trusting in their REPEATING A PRAYER instead of in REPENTNG and TRUSTING THE BLOOD OF JESUS would see their lost condition and get saved. I was immediately branded a "heretic" and spoken against time and again. But I didn't let that stop me. I wrote another book entitled, "The Importance of the Blood," and then another: "What the Bible Says about Calling Upon the Lord." All of which were just plain Bible doctrine on the simple plan of salvation and the importance of trusting the blood atonement alone for salvation. (These can be read on my website: http://www.rrb3.com/).

Some people have read these books and said they are great! Others have read them and attacked them and me. And still others are undecided, trying to make sense of all this, not wanting to "rock the boat" or cause waves in their denominations. But one thing is for sure. I'm a very unpopular preacher, and people hate to even think that there could be lost people out there that are "religious'' but "lost" within their own churches.

But even the Apostle Paul said to the church of Corinth: "Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?" (2 Cor 13:5)

Now, if you preach this, then you are usually accused by many pastors as "Trying to talk someone out of their salvation." But is that even possible? If a guy is truly saved, wouldn't he know it??? Like one preacher years ago said, "If you can talk a guy out of his salvation, I've got to wonder if he was even saved to begin with!"

Many Fundamentalists preachers are now actually saying ridiculous things like, "A guy doesn't have to know anything to be saved!" What? He has to know he's lost! He has to know only Jesus can save Him! And, he has to know that unless he trusts the FINISHED WORK OF CHRIST (i.e. His SHED BLOOD), he'll never know the forgiveness of sins!

Others have even said, "Just come to Jesus the BEST WAY YOU KNOW HOW!" But this isn't biblical. What if a sinner comes to God the only way he knows how, but the way he knows is the WRONG WAY? Wouldn't he then still be lost and on his way to Hell!?

So there you have it. My entire ministry, I've just tried to "tarry by the stuff" and preach the Gospel plainly and simply so anyone can understand it. I've separated myself from those going apostate and chosen to stand for truth no matter what the cost. But it appears I've preached myself right out of the ministry, because very few others who claim to be "Fundamentalist Christians" desire to support me. Instead of at least praying for me, they would rather attack, ridicule, and lamblast me and put me down. But what evil have I done? Is it a crime to preach the BLOOD, the BOOK, and the BLESSED HOPE? It is in the eyes of many a modern Fundamentalist who desire fame, recognition, and the praise of his fellow man. That's why so many have chose to follow man-made METHODS and church PROGRAMS, instead of just rearing back and preaching the devil out of sinners and pointing them to Christ Crucified.

To me, the modern Fundamentalist movement has become a "political" body of "groupies" who desire to follow MEN instead of THE MAN Christ Jesus. Far too many have their fingers in the air to see which way the wind is moving, so they can join others who are headed in that direction. But what's wrong with just PREACHING the truth?! The problem with that is, you'll end up preaching yourself out of the ministry, just like I did. You won't have very many friends, you won't be asked to preach in very many pulpits, and you won't get much support. It's because you are viewed as a "Maverick" and a "Renegade" because you not are doing things the way everyone else within Modern Fundamentalist is doing it. So you must be bad.

But the question needs to be asked, "Is everything that modern Fundamentalism is doing right and biblical?" Because I'm not the only one who sees them headed the wrong way. I've met others like myself who choose TRUTH over TRADITION, because they are seeing the same thing my wife and I are seeing. They see how quickly modern Fundamentalists are apt to ATTACK, but are very seldom APT TO TEACH. And they too wonder why they are choosing to depart from sound biblical doctrine to go along with what everyone else is doing.

Are you a Fundamentalist, or a Funny-mentalist? Are you standing for truth no matter what the cost, or have you compromised in your ministry just to get along with others and fellowship with them? And, do you realize that that's just what the Pharisees of Old did? They chose position, power, and the praise of man over the truths of the scriptures. They became dictators over the people and kept them in check with the threat of excommunication. They ruled the people with their own set of rules instead of with the word of God.

Well, so ends my small treatise on why I preached myself out of the minstry. I chose TRUTH over TRADITION, SPEAKING OUT over SHUTTING UP, and SUFFERING over political STATION. If I had it all to do over would I do it any differently? Not on your life!!! In fact, I would have preached harder! And, I would have spoken up and cried out against apostasy much sooner then I did. And that's what I'll continue to do.

Apostasy in the Ranks of Independent Baptists

I've lived long enough in these last days to have seen a lot of things. In my short 36 years on this mud ball called planet Earth, I've learned that men are capable of just about anything. What's worse is that "Christians," or those who call themselves such, are capable of many of the same wicked sins as the lost world. Sadly, it seems that in these last days of apostasy before the coming of our Lord, it appears that "Christians" (notice the quotation marks) are not only sinful, but seem to be even more wicked than the world around them! For they practice sins so grevious, so wicked, and so ungodly it's hard to even believe they can do such things and still call themselves "Christians."

My wife and I have been married for five years, and during that time together we've seen so many Preachers, Pastors, and Evangelists fall into sin that it's unreal. We used to always say things like, "I just can't believe this is happening!" But we've personally seen so many turning from the truth to follow unrighteousness, that we now usually say things like, "Well, it figures!" or "Par for course!" or "I guess I saw that coming!"

What kind of sins are rampant in our day among preachers? Some of the biggest ones are as follows: Adultery, Sodomy, Pornography, Fornication, Gossip, Lies, Hypocrisy, and Pride.

And what's worse is when a preacher falls into these sins, he's not exposed, nor preached against. Instead, it's quietly swept under the rug by other ministers, and often times left undealth with!

Here's one prime example. A friend told us of a pastor who was caught red-handed with two whores in a bar. When his sin was exposed, he ran and hid in the bathroom. As the deacons talked with the two loose women and tried to tell them the man they were lusting after was an Independent Baptist Minister, they replied in disbelief, "But he told us he was a Texas Ranger!"

The worst part is this pastor resigned his church the next Sunday exclaiming, "I feel God is calling me somewhere else." And the issue of his adultery and infidelity to his wife was never brought up or dealt with. And worse still, his sin was covered up by other Baptist Ministers who were his friends, who took care of him thereafter. It's like he got away scot free with his sin!

Here's another example. I personally knew of an Independent Baptist Pastor who cheated on his wife and contacted a sexually transmitted disease, which he then passed along to his wife without her knowledge. Later the truth was found out through a routine medical examination. What happened to the man? He resigned his church, but took another one later on in a different city, making sure never to mention his infidelity.

And what about the Pastor who was caught sleeping with over 20 women in his congregation? How on earth can a man fill a pulpit and preach the word of God while he's engaging in sexual relations with over 20 women in the audience? I just don't understand such things! What's worse still is his father was a very popular, well-known preacher, and because of this, his sin was swept under the rug. It's now "verboten" (forbidden) to talk about it within the circles of that group. But it still happened! And it should be preached against!!!

But these sexual sins aren't the worst of it. Oh no, not by far! The worst part is the ungodly sin of PRIDE. (An interesting note is that in Job 41:34 Leviathan or Satan is called the King of those who are prideful!) Preachers who become high up in their denominational groups become puffed up with constant exaltation and these men form "clicks" which almost become "cults." They then use their fame and power to sway the thoughts of men and to gain praise for themselves and their group (just like the Pharisees of old). The focus then changes from JESUS to THEMSELVES.

My wife and I have seen this time and again. This form of man worship makes slaves out of the followers. (For example, there are acutally groups that wear buttons on their lapel that says "100% for their Pastor." What? If you are going to wear a button like that, why not make sure it reads, "100% for Jesus!")

To question the leader of the group is very much forbidden, as he is exalted almost to Papal infabillity. And when a person questions with meekness anything about the man, his doctrine, or his lifestyle, he's immediately branded a "heretic" and cast out of the group! His salvation is then called into question, and he's excommunicated from the group, his friends, and others. The most popular saying is, "He's gone out from us, because he was never one of us!"

The message is clear. You cannot be a follower of Christ unless you follow a certain Independent Baptist minister.

These things ought not so to be, and are the very things the Apostle Paul was against in his epistles! But, since very few Preachers read his writings now days, it's easy to see why these sins are so rampant! (My wife and I have even heard of preachers calling those who read the epistles of Paul, as "Hyper-dispensationalists" and "Pauline Obessionists!")

Instead of preaching against SIN and SINFUL men, modern day fundamentalism has turned towards preaching against those who actually find the courage to speak up and preach against the apostasy they see. It's almost as if they are teaching their congregations to remain quiet or else! And to hear a Preacher preach against another man instead of preaching against sin is almost common place in pulpits. This leads to DIVISION and constant battling and bitterness between different sects within the Independent Movement. (As one preacher told me, "The Independent Baptist movement is the only denomination that eats its young!"

All this has left my wife and I feeling "jadded" as we continue to see such sinfulness in the ranks of Independent Baptists, and how their sins are so easily covered up instead of exposed! And how they so often devour each other instead of reasoning with each other with the scriptures.

Now, I'm still an Independent Baptist, and I'll probably be one until the day I die. But I don't like to tell people I am. I usually just say, "I'm a born again BIBLE BELIEVER," and leave it at that. It's just so sad how much sin has entered into the Independent Baptist movement. And it's worse that unless you are part of their "group" you cannot even gain a hearing with them.

Thinking on this, a friend sent me a website to look up and read. It is:

http://www.blessedquietness.com/journal/housechu/baptindp.htm

I don't agree with all on this website or endorse what's written there. But it was interesting to read it and see how easily someone was put out with the Independent Baptist Movement. All I can say is, "I can indentify and understand why he's so put out with it!"

That doesn't mean I think it's good or bad to put out a website like his. But I do see some of the same sins this man illustrates, and the same conspiratorial cover-ups that he mentions.

I believe the greatest problem is the POLITICS in the Indpendent Baptist Movement, or more plainly said, "Following MEN instead of following GOD."

I believe we need to get back to the scriptures. And we need to make sure everything a man does, everything a man says, and everything a man believes is what the scripture teaches. For there are many men out there starting their own movements with doctrines that are foreign to the scriptures and sound Pauline teachings. (See what Paul said in Acts 20:28-35).

Just because a person is an Independent Baptist doesn't mean they are right. Did you know you can be an Independent Baptist and not even be saved? Yep, there are people like that. I met a Pastor a few years ago who was an Independent Baptist, and he told me his testimony. He went to an Independent Baptist church his entire life and even graduated from one of their Bible Schools, but he wasn't even saved! It was after he'd been pastoring for about 11 years that God showed him his lost and sinful condition. And he had to make a choice: Get saved, and tell everyone, or remain lost and keep quiet, but keep the esteem I have from other pastors and church members. (At the time his church was listed in a huge fundamentalist magazine as one of the fasted growing churches in that state).

He chose the first option, and got up on Sunday and told his congregation that he'd been faking his whole life, and he'd been pastoring as a lost man. But last night as he read the scriptures, God dealt with his heart and showed him he'd been trusting in his own righteousness instead of in Christ's and he gave up trusting in himself and trusted the blood atonement alone for salvation!

Care to guess what happened? Yep, that's right! It split the church! Many people left calling him a "novice." (But was he really? I mean he already had 11 years experience as a Pastor!) And all his other preacher buddies ridiculed him, preached against him, and called him names. He had to leave his church and then go start another one in a different state. But shouldn't people have been happy for him? I mean if he would have died before that day, HE WOULD HAVE GONE TO HELL!!!

Shouldn't people be glad he got born again? And, wouldn't you think something like that would have caused a REVIVAL?

Unfortunately, it didn't and it still doesn't today. (I've heard the same story from several other pastors, and even a missionary). And I believe the reason is that people don't want to think! They don't want to muse upon the truth that there just might be others out there in the same boat. Whether they be pastors, missionaries, evangelists, or just Sunday School workers or just your average church member. They too could be playing religion but be utterly lost!

Is it possible to be an Independent Baptist and still go to Hell? It sure is! Both myself and my wife were lost while in that denomination! We both were deceived and were trusting in our PRAYER instead of trusting in the PROPITATION of Jesus Christ. We were "religious" but "lost."

What's sad to me is to see Preachers who refuse to believe that this can happen. Call it wishful thinking, or maybe they are just deceived, but they want to think that you can't be an Independent Baptist and be an apostate, or you can't be an Independent Baptist and be lost.

But what saith the scriptures???

Mat 15:8-20 immediately come to mind:

"8 This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me. 9 But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men. 10 And he called the multitude, and said unto them, Hear, and understand: 11 Not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man; but that which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man. 12 Then came his disciples, and said unto him, Knowest thou that the Pharisees were offended, after they heard this saying? 13 But he answered and said, Every plant, which my heavenly Father hath not planted, shall be rooted up. 14 Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch. 15 Then answered Peter and said unto him, Declare unto us this parable. 16 And Jesus said, Are ye also yet without understanding? 17 Do not ye yet understand, that whatsoever entereth in at the mouth goeth into the belly, and is cast out into the draught? 18 But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man. 19 For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies:
20 These are the things which defile a man: but to eat with unwashen hands defileth not a man.

Here Jesus is speaking, and he says it's easy to find people who give him "lip service" but their hearts are far from Him. He then continues to explain it to the disciples who appear to be "clueless" that just because you say something or brag that you are a follower of God doesn't mean you really are. And He sums it up nicely by saying that from the heart is where evil thoughts proceed. Then we see the list of sins; Sins that many Independent Baptists are guilty of!

The truth of the matter is that God said their'd be APOSTASY in the last days. (See 2 Thes. 2:2-3). It's obvious we are in those last days. And it's clear that no denomination is exempt from this apostasy. And if you are honest, and if you look around, you can't help but see it.

What should you do? Should you stop going to church, and forget about it? Or, should you maybe speak up and preach against the wickedness you see! I choose the second option. God's called me to preach the truth. I try to do so anyway I can, even through these blogs. I like to say my ministry is to stand for the three main Christian doctrines:

1. Salvation

2. Sanctification

3. Scriptures

And as I preach these, I constantly see Independent Baptists departing from these oh so precious doctrines. Many have left the blessed King James Bible for another translation. Many have decided to live worldly lifestyles instead of suffering for Jesus and preaching hard against sin. And many have adopted a modernistic BLOODLESS GOSPEL which leaves out the blood atonement. Usually their gospel presentation is only a METHOD started by a MAN, instead of simply taking a lost sinner through the scriptures and showing them their SIN, Their IMPENDING JUDGMENT, and God's SACRIFICIAL PAYMENT for their sins in their place.

Are you an Independent Baptist? If so, great! Now I'll leave you with the following question:

Are you following God and the Bible in all that you do, or are you following some popular or famous man within your movement and doing things "His Way." If so, why not rethink what you are doing, and make sure you are doing things God's way.