Learning More about the Scuttlebutt Against Me

Today I learned a little more about why my old home church doesn't like me, when I talked to a guy who attends there and told him about how I was "snubbed" by one of the members of that church yesterday. I then asked him if knew of any reason why they would not want to have anything to do with me. His answer to me was that he heard they preached against me because I was "preaching too hard on the blood of Jesus Christ," and that I guilty of saying a man had to "understand" the Gospel before he could beleive it.

I looked at the man who told me this, I then looked at my wife, and I then shrugged my shoulders as I looked back at the man saying, "So, what's wrong with that???"

How could these be bad things, as they are just sound Bible doctrine? And how could someone be against preaching those things? For the Bible clearly teaches salvation by faith in the blood (Rom. 3:25), and believing only by first hearing (Rom. 10:17) and then understanding (Acts 28:27).

He continued to tell me that he believed (and he inferred that it's what his church believes also) that anyone who just comes to Jesus today, he will in no wise cast out. To them, that means if a man will just come in sincerity, with no understanding whatsoever, asking God to save him, then according to them, God will do so.

I couldn't believe what I was hearing. This is not what that church used to believe and teach. In fact, it is the exact opposite! For case in point, check out this quote by the Pastor in the 1980's: "If you are saved, you know that the only way to heaven is the substitutionary blood atonement of Jesus Christ. If you don't know that, it's because you are lost."

This pretty much says it all. You have to KNOW how to get saved before you can get saved. In other words, you have to KNOW what to place your faith in before you can place your faith in it to save you. But this very same preacher, who is still the pastor, is saying today things like, "You don't have to know anything to get saved!" And, "Just come to Jesus the best way you know how!" How different this is from what he used to preach and believe.

Did you know you can be "sincere," but still be sincerely lost! Unless a soul comes to Jesus Christ with the understanding that salvation is through trusting in his blood sacrifice for their sins, that person is not saved. It's certainly not because I say so. Nor is it because my old Pastor said so in the 80's (even though he's saying something much different now). It's because THE BIBLE SAYS SO!

It doesn't matter how "sincere" someone is. What matters is what they do with Jesus Christ and his sacrifical blood atonement on Calvary. If they try to come to God outside of the Finish work of Jesus Christ, THEY WILL NOT BE SAVED! You cannot bypass Calvary or the Gospel and expect God to save you. You must come to God through Jesus Christ, and you must come through the knowledge of the Gospel.

The man I talked to then gave his testimony, in which he said he didn't know when he got saved. He said, "I don't know all the details, I'm going to leave those to the Lord and let him explain them."

It was like he was confessing to not knowing when he got saved, and it made me wonder if he was even saved to begin with! How can a guy say, "I believe a man can get to God without knowing or even hearing about the Gospel as long as he's sincere?" How is that even possible?

The guy then said, "I just believe that when that women touched the hem of the garment of Jesus, she was healed! For God saves all sincere folks that come to him!"

I don't think he understood that passage happened before Jesus died on the Cross, and it was not for SALVATION, rather for healing that the woman came. He should have known that though, as his Pastor (my old Pastor) is very good at making a distinction between the Old Testament and the New by teaching dispensations.

How weird this whole thing was. I even told the guy that my Dad also went to his church and its Bible School years ago (before I went there) and when he went there the Pastor taught that a man had to hear, understand, and know the Gospel before he could be saved, and salvation was by faith alone in the blood atonement. But now that very same Pastor was preaching the very opposite and has begun lamblasting me for preaching it! How strange. It's almost like this is an episode of the Twilight Zone or something!

What's worse is everyone who goes to that church reveres the Pastor as though he is above reproach and above sin. They claim he is the greatest Bible teacher that ever lived (and yes, he is a great Bible teacher), and they exalt him almost to the point of infalibility. They also believe that he is right because of his hard stand against apostasy, as he preaches hard against those who have perverted truth and preach tradition rather than the word of God. But they never stop to think that it's possible that their mighty leader has apostasized himself by preaching something different than he used to.

It just blows my mind that our "crime" in the eyes of those at that church is that we "PREACH THE BLOOD TOO HARD" and that we are too dogmatic in stating the sound Biblical truth that a man has to hear and understand before he can be saved. How can this be?

I remember being taught in Bible school that the "apostates" were those ungodly "liberals" who omitted the Blood of Jesus. When we students heard things like that, we all shouted heartily, "Hear, Hear!" or "Amen!"

But now my old Bible school, and even students I graduated with, are the ones guilty of making light of the blood of Jesus, but now I'm the "bad guy" and they are the true Bible Believers. How does this even make sense? They are omitting the Blood, not me!

I talked to another friend on the phone today and told him about some of this, and he told me not to worry about it. He said, "That's the Independent Baptist movement you! They are all preaching and teaching the same thing and if you don't preach what they do, then you are ostracized. It's not important if you are sticking with the Bible and they are departing from it. If you are not like them, then you are a heretic in their eyes. For they believe everyone should be the same as they are!"

Can you spell C-U-L-T?

I then told my friend about how the member of that church I met at the mall wouldn't even shake my hand or give me the time of day. He said, "Yep, that's how Independent Baptists are. They have no love for anyone who isn't part of their 'click' or 'camp.' They are only interested in bragging on themselves and their 'groups' and have no time for anyone who's not going alone with them teaching what they do."

It's so sad, but what he said rang true. And thankfully, I'm not the only one seeing this. More and more people are starting to wake up to the fact that the Independent Baptist movement is going down the drain hole, and is apostasizing at an alarming rate. Its substitution of sound Bible doctrine for Baptist tradition, and it's "secret society" mentality has lead to its hierarchy learning how to enslaves its members to their own will. For if their members don't shut up and obey them, they are automatically ostracized and labelled. That way they are made out to be the bad guy, or the opposition to the "man of God" who wishes others to view him as "suffering oppostion for the truth." (But what if he is the compromiser and those who are questioning are only doing so because what that man is preaching is not what the Bible says?)

The leaders squelch out any form of questioning and demand their congregations follow them as the absolute authority, instructing their members not to even speak to those who don't follow them, lest they might be "tainted" by their independent and resistant attitude to follow their dogmatical rule. In short, they have become the Pharisees of Old who desire fame, money, and power.

It'd be funny if it wasn't so sick and disgusting. I have a friend who has started studying some modern Independent Baptist traditions in light of the scriptures and he is finding many of them to be nothing more than modern money making schemes which are not only ANTI-BIBLICAL, but PENTECOSTAL in origin. And do you know what they are already labelling him for just asking questions? They have told him point blank that he has "no love for souls," and have labelled him as someone who is "dabbling in Calvinism."

He's not a Calvinist! He is not against soul-winning or Missions. He, like me, has looked at his Bible and looked at what modern Pastors are preaching and tried to see if they agree together. Often they do not, for many Preachers today are busy preaching "Programs" they've learned from their denominations, rather than simply preaching "PAULINE Doctrine" from the word of God.

It's like Independent Baptists today have their fingers in the air and they are looking for which way the wind blows. When they find it, they all flock together in unison and park there awhile. As they fellowship, they come up with modern new teachings, doctrines, and programs which work for them, but are foreign to the scriptures. As these are adopted by others, they point to their numbers and how so many use their methods, and then they ridicule anyone who refuses to do things their way. And then before you know it, they are off the deep end preaching apostate teachings instead of simply preaching the scriptures.

God help us! I look at it and it makes me laugh and it makes me cry. It's funny that people who call themselves "Christians" and even "Bible Believers" could tell me I preach the blood of Jesus too much, and I'm too hard on stressing the need to preach the Gospel plainly and clearly so sinners can hear and understand it. What could possibly be wrong what that? Wouldn't you think the Devil would be the one who wishes us to not preach the blood or the Gospel clearly?

Does that mean that those who are against me are really on the side of Satan? Hmmm.

I'll let you decide for yourself. As for me, this whole thing has only strengthened my faith. And I count it a joy to suffer for the sake of righteousness, for I chose to follow the Scriptures and not men who are change their positions. I'll preach the BLOOD, the BOOK, and the BLESSED HOPE. After all, what do I have to lose? What, are they going to refuse to shake my hand again? Maybe that's for the best!

Seven Places Ministers Twist the Scriptures on the Doctrine of Salvation

I believe the rapture is very soon. And I really care about the lost and want to see them saved. The last thing I want to do is deceive people or instruct them to do something foreign to the scriptures. I just want them to hear the Gospel, believe it, be saved and know it.

But it never ceases to amaze me just how few other ministers there are out there that don't find this important. Instead of holding fast to the important Bible doctrine of salvation by faith in God's blood atonement provided us by Jesus Christ, they would rather follow the unitarian teaching of instructing a sinner to just "Ask God to save you." (This perverted Gospel which oftentimes leaves a Sinner trusting in their PRAYER rather than in Christ's PAYMENT for their sins has been dealt with at length and in detail on my blog. In case you haven't read it, please read my blog on Asking versus Trusting.)

The truth is you can beg God for forgiveness a million times over, but until you trust Christ's shed blood alone, you are not saved. This is sound Bible doctrine.

Why is it then that so many ministers today are teaching salvation is by "asking" rather than by the Scriptural way of "accepting" Jesus as your personal Saviour by FAITH in His Shed Blood?

I believe the answer is because they have heard others preach the "Beggar's Gospel" for so long they don't even question its validity.

And, little do they realize that they are twisting the scriptures to teach what they do not. Let's look now at the Seven most popular verses Preachers use to support their teaching that all a sinner must do to be saved is simply and sincerely "ask" God to forgive them, rather than TRUST God's atonement.

1. THE REPENTANT SINNER

In Luke 18:11-14 we read of the publican who utters the words, "God be merciful to me a Sinner." Now I've heard it preached, and I'm sure you have too, that all a man must do to be saved is simply repeat those very same words and they will saved just as that publican. But is that so? Do those words save us?

Where's the Gospel in this teaching? Where's the blood? Where is salvation by grace through faith in Christ's finished work? It's simply not there.

As we take a closer look at the passage, we find that Jesus Christ has not yet died on the cross. (Remember, salvation is by faith in the Gospel, and the Gospel is that Christ DIED, and was buried and rose again the third day according to the scriptures), so this verse is not dealing with New Testament salvation. It is still under the time of the law. To take this passage and preach it for New Testament Salvation today is to twist the scriptures!

We also see the publican was right in front of Jesus Christ, as Jesus was watching what he did. But the publican by passed Jesus Christ when he uttered his prayer, asking God to forgive him. Is this the plan of salvation today? Are we too saved by by-passing Jesus? Of course not.

How could anyone think that our salvation today could be by doing or saying what this Publican did, rather than by simply TRUSTING in what Jesus did for us at Calvary when he suffered, bled, and died?

My friend, to teach this passage for salvation, or to instruct a Sinner to simply repeat the words of this Publican for salvation is to twist the scriptures to teach what they do not, and is to make a person think they can be saved by uttering words rather than simply receiving Jesus Christ as their Saviour by faith.

2. PETER ASKING TO BE SAVED

In Matthew 14:28-31 we read of the apostle Peter and of his walking on water as he left the boat and walked to Jesus. As he began to sink, he cries out those famous words, "Lord, save me!"

Now I'm sure you've heard, as I have, those words preached by some Pastor, Missionary, or Evangelist, in which he stresses, "Now if you want to be saved, just call out to God the same way!" But is that salvation? Is a man saved by simply saying, "Lord, save me!"

If you'll look at the context, you'll see any man who tries to make this the plan of salvation is blatantly twisting the scriptures to teach what they do not. For Peter was not asking for the spiritual salvation of his soul. Instead, he was asking for physical salvation. He just didn't want to drown!

Again, the things described in the passage happened before the cross. How could a man preach this for salvation when it has nothing to do with the Gospel of Christ's death, burial, and resurrection?

Finally, as we faithfully read the context, we find that Peter is strongly REBUKED for saying what he did as Jesus streched forth his hand and caught him saying, "O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?"

For a man to preach that salvation is by simply repeating Peter's words here is for a man to twist the scriptures. This passage is not speaking of salvation and all. But if it was, even the context shows us salvation is by FAITH, and not by begging for God to save you!

3. CALLING UPON THE LORD

Romans 10:13 seems to be the most quoted verse today that many so-called "soul winners" use in dealing with the lost. However, they often don't explain what it means to call upon the Lord Biblically. Usually their whole presentation is just a few verses from the Roman's Road and then they encourage a Sinner to simply repeat a prayer after them. Afterwards, they tell the Sinner they are saved (now watch this) BECAUSE THEY DID THAT.

But is this New Testament Salvation? Is a man saved by what he does or says? Does the actual prayer itself save a person? And where is faith in the the blood in all of this?

If you'll look at the context of Romans 10:13 you'll see that it's clear. Calling upon the Lord must be by FAITH from the heart and not just a vain religious prayer repeated from the lips. Calling is believing (Rom. 10:14).

Yet many a minister claims that to be saved, all a man has to do is just "repeat the Sinner's Prayer." If this is so, why did Jesus die at all on the cross? Why didn't he just stay in heaven and say, "Okay, now anyone who just repeats a prayer I'll save, so just do that and I'll give you eternal life." But that's just silly. No, Jesus had to come and die on the cross. He had to shed his blood, for that was the only way to forgive men of their sins. Now God asks sinners to come to him and receive him by faith in his precious blood. They are to rest in his FINISHED WORK. Sure they can pray, but they should never be deceived into thinking their prayer saves them!

To teach Romans 10:13 as some kind of "Mystical Sinner's Prayer" that grants a man forgiveness and saves him outside of trusting in the blood atonement of Jesus Christ is twist the scriptures to teach what they do not. Biblically, a sinner's calling on God must be by faith from the heart (2 Tim. 2:22) and it must be in truth (Ps. 145:18).

4. OPENING THE DOOR OF YOUR HEART

Probably the most blatant misapplication of scriptures taught today on the doctrine of salvation is the misapplying and twisting of Revelation 3:20. Many soul winners use this verse on lost people and then instruct them to simply "Open their hearts door and let Jesus in." (Others say, "Ask Jesus Into Your Heart).

But is this what the verse is speaking about?

If you'll study the context you'll see this verse is Jesus Christ talking to a CHURCH, not to a lost man. And he knocks on the door of that church, not on anyone's heart.

To teach this verse for salvation as Jesus knocking on someone's "heart's door" wanting to get in is to blatantly twist the scriptures to teach what they do not.

5. SIMPLY ASK GOD TO SAVE YOU

Another place modernist preachers like to preach out of context is Matthew 7:7-8. They take the words, "Ask, and it shall be given you," and they apply these words to salvation, stating things like, "So just ASK God to save you and he will."

But a second look at the passage and the context itself clearly shows this is a complete misapplication of the passage. First, Jesus is not talking about salvation at all! Second, Jesus is speaking to "sons" or those who are already saved in the context! Third, we find in verse eleven that Jesus is speaking about "gifts" and "good things" that God the Father gives to those who ask (saved people in the context).

The passage has NOTHING TO DO WHATSOEVER with salvation. And to try to make it apply to it is to twist the scriptures. We must also remember this is before Jesus even died on the cross! So how can this passage have anything to do with the Gospel and salvation? I can't. And, it doesn't.

6. GOD WILL ACCEPT ALL WHO COME TO HIM

Modern apostates justify their position of stressing Sinners to "ask God for salvation" by quoting John 6:37, specifically the words, "...And him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out."

They say that anyone who comes to God in prayer, asking for salvation, will receive it based on this verse. But do they check the context? Of course not. For if they did, they would find verse 35 defines exactly how a man must come to God. There we read, "...he that BELIEVETH on me shall never thirst."

Coming to God must be by faith or believing and that faith must be in the sacrificial blood atonement of Jesus Christ!

To come to God begging for salvation apart from the blood is not salvation. And for a man to twist the scriptures to teach that anyone who sincerely comes to God and asks him to save them will be saved is very naive. God will only save you if you come to him by faith in his blood.

7. GOD HAVE MERCY ON ME

Another passage modern apostate Preachers love to use is Luke 18:35-39. They quote the words of the blind man in the passage and apply them to salvation, even encouraging sinners to repeat his same words, "Jesus, thou son of David, have mercy on me."

But little do they realize these words were not uttered from the lips of a man who was seeking spiritual salvation. Rather, he said these words desiring to be healed of his blindness.

Many Preachers who are faced with this simple Biblical truth say, "Oh, I know that! But I'm spiritually applying the passage to salvation."

That's interesting, for as you read farther down in the passage you find Jesus saying in verse 42, "...And Jesus said unto him, Receive thy sight: thy faith hath saved thee."

Notice Jesus said the man was saved by FAITH not by ASKING. It wasn't the Sinner's calling out to God from the lips and begging him to heal him that gave him his healing. It was the FAITH that the man had. Salvation is by faith.

Another interesting point we glean from this passage is that the blind man cried out to God TWICE. This is an important point, because many modern preachers tell sinners that if they have asked God to save them already, and they don't feel saved or they doubt it, then they are to just ask God to save them all over again. This leads to many sinners praying the "Sinner's Prayer" over and over and they never really know if they are saved or not. The question then arises if they really saved at all. For if they were, why would they be begging God to save them over and over. I mean, if you had salvation, why would you be asking for it all over again?

IN SUMMARY

There are many people out there who are wresting the scriptures to their own destruction. Instead of preaching salvation by grace through faith without works (Eph. 2:8-9), they are guilty of preaching another plan of salvation, a unitarian doctrine, which teaches a Sinner doesn't have to know anything about the Gospel or the Blood, rather he simply needs to ASK God to save him. But to preach this, they must twist the scriptures to teach what they do not.

The Bible is clear. Salvation is by faith alone in God's sacrifice for man's sins. For a Sinner to believe this, he must first hear it (for faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of God according to Romans 10:14). But how can he hear it if instead he's told to just BEG God to save him apart from trusting God to do so. We then clearly see two very different gospels being preached in our world today. One saves and the other damns. One comes to God through the blood of Christ, the other tries to come to God by by-passing the blood of Jesus. One is the BLOODSTAINED GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST, and the other is a BLOODLESS, BEGGAR'S GOSPEL.

How sad that modern ministers don't stop to think about what they are preaching. Sadder still that in my own denomination (Independent Baptist) that I've seen men who are preaching the modern perverted gospel of Asking rather than Trusting. Hopefully after reading this article you will not be guilty of the same. For we need more ministers who will not twist or pervert the Gospel, but will simply and plainly teach and preach it to Sinners the way the Bible does, through faith in Christ's blood atonement.

A Strange Experience with another "Christian"

Today my wife and I went to the Mall to take back some gifts we received for Christmas. While there, a strange thing happened and I'm still scratching my head about it.

As my wife was waiting in line at the return counter, I walked with my daughter around the store. Walking towards the mall entrance, I spied an old Bible School student who graduated with me in my class from Bible Institute walking towards me. Upon recognizing him I blurted out happily surprised, "Hey, I know you!" And then I put out my hand to shake his.

But instead of him stopping and speaking with me, he quickly walked on by. All he said was, "Hey Brother," and then as he looked down at my extended right hand, he replied, "I don't think so brother!"

After he passed me without looking back, I stood there stunned, and all that could come out of my mouth was, "Boy, that was weird!"

I then just looked around for a while and tried to figure out what that was all about. It wasn't like we were good friends or anything, but we did hang out some, and we graduated together and were both members of the same church at one time. Why then did he brush me off so rudely?

At first I was surprised, then unable to believe what just happened. It really bothered me. I thought, "What evil have I done?"

My next thought was that maybe the old church that my wife and I left that he was still a member of was saying bad things about me, and because of that he didn't want to have anything to do with me, nor even shake my hand. Could that be the case? Could they have labeled me some kind of "heretic" for not compromising like they did and because of this, he didn't want to shake hands with a heretic?

Then I though, to myself, "I could never do something like that to anyone I knew. Even if they were horrible people or heretics, I still would say Hi to them and even shake their hand." Why wouldn't he do the same?

I know my old church doesn't like me because I left feeling they have compromised on some of their doctrinal positions and because they use a different Spanish Bible than I do. But does that mean I'm not "worthy" in their eyes to even shake hands with? I mean, I might not agree with them, and they with me, but I can at least be cordial! Can't they? (Visit my website at www.rrb3.com/breaker/home_page.htm and click on "Why we left our old home church" on the left to find out more about why we left).

As I walked around, I eventually realized the problem wasn't with me at all, it was with him. He just didn't want to be friendly. And if, in fact, he desired no fellowship with me for my stand on the truth, then I thought of it as a great honor. For what a great thing that someone would hate me so much they wouldn't even want to greet me in a handshake!

My wife and I talked about it afterwards, and she said, "Hey, cheer up! You didn't do anything wrong, and you are the good guy, as you were trying to be nice! You've never said anything bad about that man or your old church, and if they don't want to be nice to you, that's their loss!"

She was right, as usual. But the worst part was not knowing why he wouldn't stop and shake my hand and talk with me.

I talked with another friend later about it, and he said it was probably because he was a "man worshipper" and not a real Bible Believer, and he probably was thinking, "I can't wait to go tell Bro. So and So that I didn't even shake his hand!"

It's sad, but there are a lot of such people in the Independent Baptist Circles that are political, and do everything to be seen of men or to brag about themselves and what they do.

Was that the reason? I guess I'll never know. All I know is that was an odd experience, and his attitude was very anti-Christian, especially since he called me "brother." Is this how Christians are supposed to treat other Christians?

Conclusions I've come to about Faith Promise

Note: The following article I wrote for my Confederate Baptist Blog. I could not resist posting it here as well, knowing full well some folks will get down right angry when they read it. That's okay with me! I firmly believe what's written must be read and must be addressed. Too many Independent Baptists are plunging headfirst into apostasy, and NOBODY seems to be saying anything. If no one else will, I'll speak up! What do I have to lose? Besides, I challenge you to read this and then look at the scriptures and see if what I've written isn't true. The fact is, too many Independent Baptists are following BAPTIST TRADITIONS instead of BIBLE TEACHINGS. These things ought not so to be!

CONCLUSIONS I'VE COME TO ABOUT THIS MODERN TEACHING OF FAITH PROMISE

For years I’ve heard of this new modern teaching in FIB (Fundamentalist Independent Baptist) circles called "Faith Promise." I never was for or against it, thinking it was helping Missions, so it must be okay. But as I went to Mission Conferences, met and talked with various Pastors, and saw firsthand some of the fruits of Faith Promise, I began to wonder whether or not it was right. It wasn’t until I talked to several other brothers in Christ that the question came up if Faith Promise was even Biblical, for as I studied it, many of the verses men used to preach Faith Promise were taken out of context. (They would always use the same few verses in different passages without reading or preaching the entire context).

As a Pentecostal before I was saved, I also had some insight into the Faith Promise Giving Plan when I learned of the premise and saw how men preached it. They would say, “You are to give not of what you have rather of what you do not have. You are to believe God to give it to you so you can give it!”

This sounded to me a lot like the “Faith” healers I used to follow in days of old (before I realized they were all a sham to milk people of their money). And, I viewed first hand in FIB circles that when a church's faith promise program didn’t reach its annual goal, the Pastors blamed their congregations, saying, “It’s all your fault, you just didn’t have enough faith!” This sounded sooooooooooo much to me like what I was taught in the Charismatic church. When I wasn’t healed, or when I didn’t get what I prayed for, or I didn’t “prosper” it was always MY fault and it was always because I had a “lack of faith.” My faithlessness kept me from getting or doing what I was supposed to, and that made me feel horrible!

I would examine myself and my life and agonize over what I could do to find more faith. But the more I pondered and prayed, the more I found I had a ton of faith, but things just didn’t go the way I wanted them to. (I learned later that God is not a money tree and he doesn’t just give you “stuff” because you ask for it. Sometimes, God wants you to be poor so you’ll rely on him more!)

Looking back at before I was saved, and comparing that with this modern “Faith Promise Giving Program” being taught in FIB circles today, I began to question it, because it looked to me that the Independent Baptists were starting to teach just like the Charismatics on the subject of money, saying things like:

“You’ve got to believe God will give you the money you pledge to give even before you have it!”

“The more you pledge to give to God, the more you will receive and the more you will be blessed!”

“You have to give to God and have faith to believe God will bless you if you do.”

It almost got to the point where I started looking around for the video cameras, thinking I was on the set of a “Twilight Zone” episode; for many things I heard preached in FIB churches about Faith Promise were the same things I heard in my old Assembly of God Pentecostal Church, or were the same things I saw preached by many “Tel-evangelists” on the television. It all focused on “my faith to give to God” and I was always promised a blessing because of it. In short, it lined up entirely with the modern Charismatic “Prosperity Gospel,” which so many FIB ministers claim they preach against. (Could it be they apostasized and didn't even know it?)

As I studied the growth of the Faith Promise movement in FIB circles and the men who preached it, I learned just how intertwined it was with the subject of Missions. Often Mission Conferences were nothing more than Faith Promise Conferences and the focus was changed from that of the Gospel and winning souls at home to raising money only to win souls abroad. So closely Faith Promise became interconnected to soul-winning, that to ask questions about it would lead to Pastors dogmatically labelling you as a "Dissenter" and "someone who didn’t love souls."

So I admit. I kept quiet about it. Cause I didn’t want people to think I was against Missions and soul-winning!

I’m still not against missions and soul-winning, but as I studied the Faith Promise teaching, which many churches are now putting into their doctrinal statements and are claiming is now an official FIB doctrine in which all others must adhere to be part of their fellowship, I came to some interesting conclusions. And knowing very well that I run the risk of being “ostracized” by others FIBer’s, I’ve now decided to speak out on the subject, because it appears Faith Promise is quickly becoming a Baptist Tradition rather than a Bible Teaching. And I would challenge anyone to do what I have done. Study it out! Look at it’s foundations, it’s message, and it’s fruit and then you tell me if it’s Biblical. If it is, PRACTICE IT! If it’s not, then why not use a better method to raise funds for Missions!

I've studied it and below are some things I've found. I'm still studying it, and I hope you will to.

1. Faith Promise's Foundations are not in the Bible.

As you study the fountain of the Faith Promise Giving Plan, you find it wasn't started by anyone in the Bible. Instead, it's more of a modern teaching. One site tells us, "...The Faith Promise Plan, as we know it, was developed in the late 1800s by Dr. A.B. Simpson, founder of the Christian and Missionary Alliance."

If this be true, how can many modern FIBers claim Faith Promise is a Biblical teaching taught by the Apostle Paul? Wouldn't that be a FIB? (Sorry. But the pun was intended!)

2. Faith Promise Goes Against the scripture in trying to get people to give what they don't have.

The modern Faith Promise Giving movement teaches that a man must by an act of faith determine within himself an amount of money that he will pledge to give to God. This amount he is encouraged to give is an AMOUNT THAT HE DOES NOT HAVE! He, then, is supposed to promise to give God more than what he has. But, is this scriptural? As I read the Bible, I find the exact opposite. For there we find:

11 Now therefore perform the doing of it; that as there was a readiness to will, so there may be a performance also out of that which ye have.

12 For if there be first a willing mind, it is accepted according to that a man hath, and not according to that he hath not. (2 Cor. 8:11-12)

Here we find the Apostle Paul commanding man to give, now watch this, as all I do is quote Paul: "ACCORDING TO THAT A MAN HATH, and NOT ACCORDING TO THAT HE HATH NOT!"

Did you catch that? For those of you who don't like the Old English, let me paraphrase, "You are supposed to give according to what you HAVE, not according to what you don't HAVE!"

To command the Saints of God, as Faith Promise teaches, to give what they don't have is contrary to the scriptures! We are only to give of what we have, (and then only what we are willing and ready to give). Wasn't it Jesus who spoke of the poor widow in Luke 21, who gave all that she HAD (Luke 21:4). She didn't give what she didn't have.

The teaching of Faith Promise is to encourage Christians to give tomorrow something that they don't yet have. Doesn't this violate the following scripture:

Boast not thyself of to morrow; for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth. (Prov. 27:1)

How can we promise to give something if we don't even know if we will ever even get it? And then to say, "Well, just have faith you'll get it!" Doesn't that sound a bit Charistmatic to you rather than FIB?

3. Faith Promise twists the scriptures.

Modern teachers of the Faith Promise doctrine preach that it is for giving to Missions only. And they have plenty of verses to prove this. One such verse is 1 Cor. 16:2, which reads:

"Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him, that there be no gatherings when I come."

Promoters of Faith Promise use this verse often. But if you check the context (vs 1) you find this is not an offering for Missions, rather for the poor saints in Jerusalem that were suffering. Where is "Missions" in this. Isn't this someone twisting the scriptures?

Again, Faith Promisers are quick to quote 2 Cor. 8:4-5, but these verses speak of a special "giving" to Paul to use for the "ministering unto the saints." It had nothing to do with sending money to Paul to reach the lost.

Is this, then, also not twisting the scriptures to teach what they do not?

Now, I'm not against Missions. Let me dogmatically state that! But isn't it wrong to twist scriptures to teach we should give to Missions? Shouldn't we just teach the scriptures as they stand? And shouldn't we give to Missions because we know it's the right thing to do?

4. Faith Promise constrains people to give to Missions.

Probably the most quoted verse to teach Faith Promise is 2 Cor. 9:7:

"Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver."

But as I've seen this verse preached by advocates of Faith Promise, I've always seen at the end of the meeting ushers passing out "cards" in which people are commanded to fill out how much they are going to give. I've even heard pastors saying things like: "Faith Promise giving is a commandment of God!" and "You must make a decision on how much you will give to Faith Promise."

As I watched this, I sat and scratched my head. Is this not making Faith Promise giving of NECESSITY, something which this verse says should not be!

As I poured through the websites on the Internet and looked at church bulletins during Faith Promise conventions, I saw many of them dogmatically saying the same thing: "Faith Promise Giving is not a pledge!"

But then when those cards were passed around during the conference, most of them read: "This is your Faith Promise PLEDGE CARD." I thought to myself, "Am I the only one who sees the double speak here?"

And why does the Pastor need to know how much a person "pledges" to give anyhow? Shouldn't that be between the person and God? It's almost as if the Pastor's lack of FAITH in his congregation's giving, is what makes him want to know how much they'll give. So that's why he gets them to "by faith" promise to give more.

5. Faith Promise Makes Christians into LIARS!

As a Missionary Evangelist, I've traveled to many different churches, and I've heard the same thing time and again from Pastors who tell me they NEVER (and I repeat NEVER) get the full amount of money that has been "pledged" oh, er, um, I mean "promised," to Faith Missions Giving at the end of the year. This means someone LIED! For they made an agreement with God to give a certain amount and they didn't do it!

What does the Bible say about such as this? Well, you know there is an Old Testament verse that says:

When thou shalt vow a vow unto the LORD thy God, thou shalt not slack to pay it: for the LORD thy God will surely require it of thee; and it would be sin in thee. (Deut. 23:21)

Now, I know we are not in the Old Testament (thank God!) But this verse does tell us it's SIN to vow to pay God something, and then not pay it!

Again we read in Eccl. 5:4-5:

When thou vowest a vow unto God, defer not to pay it; for he hath no pleasure in fools: pay that which thou hast vowed. Better is it that thou shouldest not vow, than that thou shouldest vow and not pay.

Here God calls a man a FOOL who doesn't follow through with his vow or his promise to God.

So what about those who vow to do Faith Promise and then don't follow through with it? I'm sure we'd all agree, it's sin for them to do so. But who's to blame? Couldn't some of the blame be the Pastor's for "pressuring" his congregation to make a VOW to give a certain amount, especially when he's encouraging them to give what they don't even have?! I'll let you answer that for yourself.

6. Faith promise browbeats the church

Having established the sound Biblical fact that it is indeed SIN to promise God something and then keep from doing or paying it, we find those who by faith promise to give a certian amount and then don't have lied to God. They have sinned.

Now the Pastor, knowing this, must spend his time and energy in his messages to tell the church they've done wrong in not giving what they have "pledged." (Sorry, I've used that word again, and Faith Promise disciples say "It's not a pledge!" So let me rephrase to use their terminology "PROMISE").

Oftentimes, Pastors spend message after message rebuking his congregation for not giving what they have "promised" to give to God, and guilt tripping them into giving more. (I've heard those messages time and again. Haven't you?).

I've even heard of a Pastor who followed Faith Promise, and how he was told by the well-known FP "evangelist" who came to preach it every year in his church that he would not receive the full amount of the "pledge cards," (whoops, I mean "promise cards.") He said, "You can pretty much figure if they promise 100,000, then they'll only give about 75,000."

Did you get that? This famous Faith Promise Preacher KNEW that his plan would make Christians guilty of promising to pay more than they had and that there was NO WAY they could come up with the money. Yet, he preached that system anyway which he KNEW would make the congregation LIARS. Men like that scare me! How about you?

7. Faith Promise Makes the Congregation the Bad Guys

As we've already stated, Pastors who don't receive the total yearly amount of funds that their Faith Promise Conference assured them of, oftentimes take out their frustrations on their congregation as they "browbeat" them in message after message of the importance to give to Missions and follow through with their pledges, (er, I mean promises.)

And, by following the Faith Promise system, the Pastor's preaching makes the congregation at fault for their lack of FAITH. (Shouldn't we then call it what it is: "Lack of Faith Promise Giving?")

Faith then is the determining factor. So, would it then be right to say that "Faith" Promise doesn't work in such cases? Why then would a Pastor continue to use that plan after he's seen it doesn't work?

Let's give them the benefit of the doubt. Let's say it's all the congregations fault, those dirty, faithless rascals! So now what? Do we get them to just start all over in another year of "Faith Promise" and hope this time their "faith" will work for them? If it didn't before, why would we foolishly think it would now? (And, wouldn't we be guilty of making them Liars when we know they won't pay what they said they would? And, um, doesn't the Bible instruct us to, "...neither be partakers of other man's sins...?" (1 Tim. 5:22)

8. Faith Promise puts the emphasis on the "far away" souls instead of those "here and now."

In many of the churches I've been in personallly in which Faith Promise is preached, I notice that many of the members are not well to do. And, many of them are struggling. They are trying to make ends meet week to week, sometimes even day to day. Some have a mortage they just can't keep up with. Others have lost their jobs, and even others are struggling with sickness and massive doctor's bills.

Instead of the Pastor focusing on helping those in the church and working with them to reach the lost in their own community in order to see the church grow, often the Pastor wants to focus on the poor and lost in other lands. The "10-40" window is a good example. But why not look out their own window first?

I'll not debate about whether money given to Faith Promise that goes to foreign missions is money well spent or not. It quite possibly might be! But why do all Mission Conferences and Faith Promise Conventions have to focus on FOREIGN Missions? What's wrong with DOMESTIC Missions? What about those in your own state, city, town, and neighborhood?

Whether you know it or not, America is no longer a Christian nation. It's gone to Hell in a hand basket. And instead of trying to reach the lost in your own back yard, Faith Promise Giving only focuses on those in a foreign field. So much so, that many who preach, practice, and believe in Faith Promise often scoff at Missionaries or Missions within the United States of America. They only desire to support those in foreign fields. But where in the Bible does it say a Missionary is only to go to a far away place? Isn't he supposed to be a Missionary everywhere he goes? And, hey, aren't all Christians "Missionaries?"

9. Faith Promise often misdirects funds.

Now I'm going to tell on some of the Pastors I've met. I'm sure they won't like it, but who cares, right?! Aren't we supposed to tell the truth no matter what? (Like one Preacher said, "If you're not afraid to DO it, I should not be afraid to PREACH AGAINST IT!)

I've personally seen in several churches that the Faith Promise Funds do not always go to "Faith Promise Missions." I've seen some churches dwindle in their membership, and the church offerings that were supposed to go to Missions have instead been used for church salaries, repairs, utilities, etc. Now, I'm not going to stand in judgment. I'm not God. I'm not condemning anyone. But I do have a question. Shouldn't money that's labeled "Faith Promise" go straight to Faith Promise? I mean, isn't that what it's for? And I mean, come on, shouldn't a Pastor have enough "Faith" in God to believe He'll keep the doors of the church open instead of having to steal FP money for that?

How could a Pastor preach Faith Promise, but then use Faith Promise money for something different? Wouldn't he be sinning? And would he be destroying the "FAITH" of those who gave it. Because, I mean, they made a "pledge" (there I go again) to give it to MISSIONS, but then it went to something else!

On a side note, (and now I've just gone to rambling), what about those who the "Faith Promise" is supposed to go to? It goes to "Missionaries" right? Well, who picks those missionaries? Usually, the Pastor does. Why doesn't the congregation get to vote on who they should support? Some churches (and sadly there are very few) vote on which Missionaries they want to support. But in most FIB churches I've been in and most Mission Conferences I've attended, the Pastor is who decides who gets financial support. Often, it's only those Missionaries who attended the same Bible School as he did. (Yep, that's right Pastor. I'm telling on you! Where's you faith, buddy?).

10. Faith Promise often divides the brethren.

So strong is the Faith Promise teaching in FIB churches that if you don't go along with it, you are labelled an outcast and someone who is not practicing "Sound Biblical Principles" (although we've seen Faith Promise isn't Bible teaching, rather Baptist Tradition rooted in the Christian Missionary Alliance, and shares much in common with Charismatic doctrine).

I can't tell you how many church splits I've seen or how many brethren I've met that have left FIB churches over this practice. Many have told me the same thing, "I want to give! But I don't want to be pressured to give that way!"

A lot of these people have begun giving to Missionaries individually on a monthly basis. And can you believe that FIB Pastors are actually preaching against this now? They are saying things like, "To give directly to Missionaries is not right if you give to them outside the Local Church and outside the Faith Promise Program!"

I've even heard some preach, "God cannot bless you at all if you give to Missions without giving it through the Local Church!"

What could possibly be their motive for saying things like this? I mean, we could almost say exactly what they like to say to those who are against Faith Promise Missions Giving: "What? Don't you love souls, and don't you want to see people giving to Missions?"

Could there be some "ulterior motive" for this? Hmmm. I'll let you decide.

11. Faith Promise has become a Business!

Have you ever noticed that the majority of those who preach Faith Promise Mission Conferences are actually Missionaries themselves? They receive regular support from other churches who practice Faith Promise, and they usually receive really nice offerings for preaching "Faith Promise Mission Conferences."

In other words, they seem to be making a living on Faith Promise."

I guess we could then ask, "Are these men really living by faith, when they are getting a boat-load of CA$H for what they are preaching?"

You see, in Faith Promise it seems like those who are asked to practice Faith are those who are earning and giving while those who are receiving and going are not expected to practice faith in God. For they usually are given huge amounts of support for their service of further propogating Faith Promise.

Did you know the average income of a FIB Missionary today (who has a Mission Board) is $6000 a month? What? You didn't know that? And did you know that usually Mission Boards take at least 10 to 15 percent of that money from the Missionary. What? You didn't know that either. Really?

And, did you know that those pushing the Faith Promise Plan the most are those who have, are connected with, and/or are sent by Mission Boards. (P.S. Mission Boards are not in the Bible. And as you study the Bible, it's the CHURCH that sends Missionaries, not a "Board." See Acts chapter 13 for more.)

It almost seems like this whole FAITH PROMISE MISSION PROGRAM is nothing but a great big money generating business!

Oh no you didn't, Bro. Breaker! You said it! Yep, I sure did. (Sorry, it's just what I was thinking, and what I know you would have eventually thought yourself as you study this whole thing out and see the big picture!)

The truth is, Faith Promise constrains struggling poor church members to trust God to provide for them so they can give by FAITH what they don't have, while those who recieve the money usually go to the field with their wallets full and build big homes for themselves to live in while they "evangelize" in their fancy new 4x4 trucks. But where is the Missionary's FAITH in God to provide? If the truck breaks down, or the house burns, or something bad happens, he KNOWS his needs will be met as more support and even "special offerings" will come to him. HOW IS THIS LIVING BY FAITH???

IN SUMMARY

I hope the things written here will cause you to THINK. I'm not against Missions, Missionaries, Pastors, Churches, Church Members, etc. I'm not even against Missions Conferences, monthly Missionary support or taking up special offerings for Missionaries. I'm in favor of MISSIONS.

I'm very much in favor of Missions. But what I am against is modern-day Pharisees who use made-made programs to compel others to give while they themselves prosper knowing they are deceiving congregations into making a pact with God to give what oftentimes they cannot obtain.

I am well aware that God can use money obtained by "Faith Promise" to go to Missionaries who will use it to win souls. I know and understand that. But I've been in the system myself, and I've watched a lot of abuse in the man-made FP program. I've also seen how the fruit of it can take away a Missionary's FAITH IN GOD to supply his needs, and make him totally dependent upon MAN. I further have seen men who would rather preach this man-made system, knowing they are twisting the scriptures to do so, in order for them to prosper, and make a name for themselves, rather than just preach all men should place their faith in God and give to Missions out of love and a desire to see folks saved. And I see the great lack of love this FP plan produces as it pits a Pastor against his congregation, as he's forced to brow-beats his people for not giving what he thinks they should to Missions. (What more can they do? He's already gotten them to promise to give more than they have?)

To me, Faith Promise is not Biblical. It's just man trying to secure funds for God their way by pressuring their flocks, instead of just preaching on Biblical giving (giving willingly and cheerfully) and allowing God to touch the hearts of the congregation to give.

FP further can (notice I didn't say it does) do more harm than good. And I've personally seen a lot of harm and abuse associated with that man-made business system. Let me just give one illustration. I'll not give the name of the Pastor, or even the location of his church. I'll just tell you the story and let you come to your own conclusion.

Not long ago I visted a Faith Promise Mission Conference in which I sat and watched the Pastor hammer his congregation hard on giving. Time and again he encouraged them to give above and beyond their measure. The conference grew to a close and the Pastor passed out the "Pledge Cards" and afterwards, the congregation sat and waited as the tally was counted. The Pastor then read the sum and tallied up how much the church had promised to give that year to Missions. And when he saw the number he grew vehemently enraged. His face instantly glowed red and he rigorously blasted his congregation for their "lack of faith." The figure he told the congregation that "God" had given him was "$100,000" annually that they should give to Missions. But the church promised a little over a tenth of that on their "pledge cards."

Care to guess what happened next, at everyone's surprise? The Pastor a week or so later resigned the church, telling everyone that God had called him to be a Missionary to a certain Island Nation.

And, you know what else? (And here's the interesting part...) The Pastor taught the church to support only Missionaries sent out of that church, so he desired to be sent out of that church and have the church foot the bill for his going to the field.

Do I really need to say more? Can you put two and two together? If not, maybe I should just state the obvious: "Seems like his FAITH was in FAITH PROMISE and not in GOD to supply his need to go to the field!"

In closing, I'm sure you might say, "Okay, Breaker, you've pointed out the bad. So what do we do now?" Well, how about just preaching the cross of Calvary. Wouldn't that make the church want to give more. And don't you think they would even give more if they gave "willingly," than if they were forced to do so with some man-made system? (Especially when they are ridiculed for not giving enough!) It worked for the Apostle Paul. He didn't ask Christians to give what they didn't have. He instructed them to give what they did have, and to give "cheerfully." And look at how the world was turned upside down in his day. I wonder if we'll ever see revival like that again, especially when many FIBers have accepted Faith Promise over God's promises in the Bible to be faithful to his children.

Our faith should not be in our own promises, nor in those of others. Our faith should be in the Promises of God. And we should give because HE wants us to, not because some MAN constrains us to with his made up plan.